Reunion in Mussoorie -- Chandrashila Trip

Our reunion officially ended in great style with our special dinner at Rokeby Manor last Saturday evening. For seventeen of us, the memory-making continued for another three days on our "Chandrashila Trip". This post includes a slide show for each of the three days.

The Chandrashila trip involved long days in two hired Force Travellers. On Sunday, we journeyed out Tehri Road as far as Chamba, where we headed up through wonderful pine forest to the city of New Tehri. Then it was on toward Srinagar and Rudraprayag, eventually arriving at the welcoming and beautifully situated Ukhimath Rest House above the Mandikini River. 

Our first day was highlighted by a flat tire on each of  our mini-buses. Changing and then repairing the tires afforded us extra opportunity to enjoy each others' company in a leisurely fashion. Gordon demonstrated vast experience and considerable skill in helping the drivers with the tires.

Prayers were answered, and our second day dawned clear and cold. We got away from the rest house before 6:30, and made our way to the Chandrashila trail head at Chopta, situated at an elevation of 2680 metres (8793'). From Chopta, we headed up toward the Tungnath Temple. The distance isn't great, but it's very steep. Over three and a half kilometres to Tungnath, the elevation gain is fully 1000 metres to 3680 metres (12,073')! It's another 320 metres above the temple to the Chandrashila summit.

Sixteen of us made it to Tungnath, and seven got to the top of Chandrashila, despite a couple of treacherous icy patches on the trail above the temple. The wonderful thing about the Chandrashila hike is that the magnificent views start right at the beginning of the trail. So, even though it began to cloud over by the time we got to Tungnath and the Chanderashila summit, we all enjoyed some truly memorable Himalayan vistas.

Our tired bodies enjoyed another night of warm hospitality at the Ukhimath Rest House. The staff there went out of their way to accommodate us. It was great to be able to spend another night together, and the beautiful setting of the rest house was icing on the cake.

On our final day together, we returned to Mussoorie via Dehradun to ensure that four of us would not miss our train to Delhi. The return trip went well, with no punctures. There was a memorable stop in Srinagar that involved some impressive top spinning. Again, Gordon demonstrated great skill! We had one final meal together at the President Hotel in Dehradun before farewelling those proceeding to Delhi by train.

So... that's it for blogging about our Reunion in Mussoorie. There will be further posts here, but not about the reunion. Next week our daughter Anjali and her husband Nathan will be arriving from Canada for a visit, and doubtless there will be posts about some of the things we do together. Lynn and I are tremendously excited about this visit!!!

One final note: In our post about Day 6 and our dinner at Rokeby, we shared that Mrs. Kapadia joined us. She indicated that she had a wonderful time, and we certainly enjoyed connecting again with this remarkable woman. Sadly, while we were away at Chandrashila, Mrs. Kapadia's sister from Canada passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. She died in her sleep at Fern Oaks while on an extended visit with her sister Saroj. Our thoughts and prayers are with Saroj and her family as they grieve their loss.

Reunion in Mussoorie - Day 6 and More

We're back safely from Chandrashila after a memorable and successful three-day excursion. It will take a few days to sort through the plethora of images and get a post up about that. So as promised, this post is about Day 6 of our reunion. There are a few other pictures here as well.

Saturday, our Day 6, was a "free day", with only one scheduled event. That was our Rokeby Manor dinner, kindly paid for by the Woodstock Alumni Office. We had a wonderful time, but not exactly as planned. We were to have eaten around a bonfire up at Rokeby's "Highands". 

As it turned out, we were treated to one of Mussoorie's impressive thunderstorms late Saturday afternoon. So we gathered in Rokeby's wonderfully warm lounge and enjoyed dinner in Rokeby's delightful 'Emily's Restaurant'. The food was amazing, and the company even better. A special highlight of our Rokeby evening was that we were joined by Saroj Kapadia, and by Dan and Anne Lind. 

The first slide show below shares pictures of the time we enjoyed at Rokeby. The second slide show shares pictures taken by Gordon at Premla's place in Delhi as well as some shots taken on the train between Delhi and Dehradun. Finally, there are pictures of two of our number who I think deserve special mention .for their major contributions.

Reunion Day 6 Slides Reload from paulhami

Reunion in Mussoorie - Day 5

Our fifth day was a day of adventure. Almost everyone made their way to Everest House on the far side of Mussoorie for a picnic lunch. A few of us walked all the way there and then back to Library Bazaar, for a total of 19 km. Some availed of taxi services for all or part of the way. Cloud impaired the views we could have enjoyed, but spirits did not seem at all dampened.

While at Everest House, Gordon and Jon engaged in a traditional chesnut fight with some seasoned chessies found along the way by Harald. A video of this epic event is embedded below today's slide show. After visiting Everest House, Will and Kate, along with Bette and Gordie, proceeded to hike up Benog Tibba. They were rewarded with a leopard sighting, but the cat was moving too quickly to be captured by a camera.

There were other side trips--to Happy Valley, the Tibetan School, and GEMS school, but we all wound up together at the Imperial Square in Library Bazaar for another delicious meal. Taxis brought us all safely "home" by about 9 pm, when many stayed up to watch a Dan Terry video.

This evening will mark the formal end of our reunion with yet another feast around a bon fire at the 'Highlands' above Rokeby. We are delighted that Mrs. Kapadia will be joining us! I'm sorry to say that the Rokeby event will not be blogged here until sometime next week. That's because 17 of us will be setting out at 7:30 tomorrow morning for our three-day Chandrashilla Peak adventure. We're hoping for clear skies and magnificent views.

Sometime after returning to Mussoorie next Tuesday evening, I'll try to put up a post about Chandrashilla. In addition to that, I hope to share some images from Rokeby, as well as a few pre-reunion images taken at Premla's place and on the train between Delhi and Dehradun.

Reunion in Mussoorie -- Day 4 (Diwali)

It's Friday morning in Mussooerie, and the fourth day of our reunion is in the books. Yesterday was Diwali, and it was a welcome "free day" for us. Classmates scattered in many directions--Flag Hill, Happy Valley, "the bazaar", and to places unknown. I don't have images to share from these jaunts.

There was one scheduled reunion event, and that was a special Divali dinner at the posh Jaypee Residency Manor in Barlowganj. Some hiked all the way there and back. Others combined hiking and motoring. However we got there, it was a memorable event in a magnificent setting.

My slide show for today features our time  at Jaypee, but Lynn has shared a few images of people relaxing at Ivy Bank and of her walk through the bazaar en route to Jaypee. I'm posting this in haste, so please forgive any lapses, errors or omissions. I have to get ready for our all day trek to Everest House, followed by dinner this evening at the Imperial Square in Library Bazaar.

Reunion in Mussoorie - Day 4 (Diwali) from paulhami

Reunion in Mussoorie -- Day 3

Our third day in Mussoorie was another full one, and again it included plenty of walking. We began at Landour Community Hospital, where 6 among us were born, 2 of us gave birth to children, and where 16 of us have had occasion to be admitted! We were welcomed warmly by hospital administrator Mr. Vijayabhaskar, and given a great tour. We were impressed by the work being done by LCH, especially through its community health projects.

Following the hospital visit, we made our way to 'Char Dukan', where we enjoyed lunch of pakoras, omelettes, paranthas, and more. After lunch, there was a walk around the 'back chakar', highlighted by a moving visit to the grave of Judy and Dana's daughter Bonnie. We then made our way slowly to Sisters Bazaar, with a side trip to what was once the Fairview boarding where Ada lived during grades 1 and 3.

From Sisters Bazaar, it was on to Oakville, and then along the Eyebrow Path. Eventually, everyone arrived at Pennington, the home of Judy and Dana. The Crider hospitality was truly amazing. Afternoon tea was followed by a fabulous dinner, which most of us ate around the fire. For those who were felt a little cool outside, there was another fire burning in the wood stove inside.

It was another altogether memorable day. I've managed to keep the slide show to a paltry 100 slides this time, with contributions from Gordon and Lynn as well as from my own camera. Below the slide show, I've embedded a 20 second video clip to share the atmosphere around the Pennington fire, with the winterline in the background. There was singing around the fire at Pennington as well, so I captured some of it on two video clips that I've also included.

Reunion in Mussoorie -- Day 2

Day 2 of our reunion was a long and packed day! It's a good thing that we are in the digital era because I'm certain that several thousand photographs were shot. It has taken me longer than I would have liked to process and upload the images by Lynn and me that I've put into a LONG slide show.

This post recounts our "Woodstock Day". After walking from Ivy Bank and Doma's Inn to Woodstock, we assembled at the school gate for a rather lengthy and boisterous photo shoot. We moved from there to the Alumni Office, where we were welcomed warmly and the tone was again loudly enthusiastic. 

Following an extended visit at the Alumni Office, we began a tour of the school, with Judy (Smith) Crider as our guide. After her many years of distinguished service on Woodstock's staff, no one could have been better equipped for the task! Students are away this week for Quarter Break, so we had the run of the place. There was no need for hushed tones, and we were free to explore virtually anywhere we wished on campus without feeling as though we were intruding.

Our tour began in the Quad, and eventually proceeded up the ramp to the high school and the gym. After lunch in the staff dining room, we headed down to the dorms--Hostel, Ridgewood, Midlands, and finally Alter Ridge. For me, the visit to Karen's apartment there was the highlight of the day. Karen's hospitality was fabulous and her baking all tasted like some more!

Even better than the treats we enjoyed at Karen's place, was the opportunity to hear Karen share her passion for providing the middle school girls in her care with sensitive support to help them grow in character and to develop practical life skills. The girls on Karen's floor are truly blessed! At this time of life when many of us are becoming grandparents, Karen has found a new calling. She's making a huge difference in young lives. 

From Alter Ridge, we made our way out Tehri Road to Hannifl Center, where we learned of many ways that Hannifl Center is facilitating outdoor education and environmental studies for Woodstock students. It was heartening to learn that Hannifl's influence extends well beyond Woodstock. Among numerous examples, Hannifl Center hosts camping trips for less privileged children from Delhi schools. Finally, we enjoyed a excellent meal in the dining room at Hannifl.

It was long and full and wonderful day. The lengthy slide show embedded below is a labour of love primarily for classmates who are unable to be here, but even if you are not among that number you may enjoy looking in on us.

Woodstock's Class of 69 Mussoorie Reunion - Day 2 from paulhami

Reunion in Mussoorie

Woodstock School Campus

Woodstock School is an international college prep school in Mussoorie, a Himalayan community about 300 km north of Delhi in the north Indian state of Uttarakhand. I (Paul) was a student at Woodstock from 1958 to 1968, when Woodstock's student body was made up primarily of North American missionaries' children. I am a proud member of Woodstock's graduating 'Class of 69', despite leaving Woodstock after grade 11 in 1968.

This week our class is holding its 45th year reunion back in Mussoorie. We've had regular, well attended and memorable reunions, but this is the first time in India. Especially for the sake of classmates who are unable to be here, I will attempt to document at least some highlights of each day's reunion activities here, and upload as soon as I can.

About 15 class members and spouses gathered in Delhi over the past few days, and there was a delightful dinner hosted there last evening by classmate Premla (Sagar) Sharma. Early this morning, those assembled in Delhi caught the Shatabdi Express and traveled together to Dehradun. Now there are more than 30 of us here in Mussoorie.

The slideshow for today begins at the Dehradun Railway Station, where the party from Delhi was met by Judy (Smith) Crider, Will & Kate Friesen, and Paul Hamilton.

Next was lunch at Dehradun's 'Black Pepper' restaurant, where we were joined by Harald Gruber and some of his extended family, including brother Wolf and sister Hanna.

After being delivered to Doma's Inn and Ivy Bank by a fleet of taxis, the Delhi party joined those already in Mussoorie for tea on the lawn at Ivy Bank. There was much informal connecting, as well as some organized sharing facilitated by Mary (Self) Skarsten, our class coordinator par excellence.

We enjoyed a  wonderful dinner in the Ivy Bank dining room, but picture taking didn't work very well there, so there's only one token shot.

Back in India -- Maiden Voyage of the Bolero

We are ever so grateful that we've been able to purchase a beautifully rugged four-wheel vehicle, designed in India for Indian roads. The Bolero is particularly well suited for the mountainous roads of Garhwal, where we hope to travel extensively over the next few months

To understate the case, driving conditions here are more challenging and unpredictable than those we experience on the roads of British Columbia! So, it was with trepidation that I ventured from the Bolero showroom into Dehradun traffic on Tuesday to begin the 35 km drive up to Mussoorie. Happily, motorcycle driving experience combined with the amazing handling qualities of the Bolero, meant that I was much more comfortable than I had anticipated.

Still, there was much need for some mountain driving practice under relatively relaxed conditions...

So on Thursday, along with good friends Will and Kate Friesen, we did a day trip that offered us the opportunity to savor the views from "Tingling Point", and to drive to within a kilometer of the temple and Forest Rest House in the deodar forest at Deosari. The latter was a popular hiking destination for us in the 60's, when all 16 miles had to be hiked on foot. Will and I were able to re-live some memories and share them with Kate and Lynn. Here's a slide show that documents our adventure on Thursday.

We're back in India again, but first...

We arrived in India exactly two weeks ago, and it is truly wonderful to be here again! This blog took a vacation during the six months that we spent back in Canada. So, before our first new "India post", which we intend to publish tomorrow, we want to share some visual highlights of our time in Canada. First, there is an extended slideshow that documents times spent with our children and grandchildren in BC. Then there's a short videos showing three generations of Hamiltons "zipping and swinging" at Camp Selah. Enjoy... and stay tuned. We've begun blogging again.

Summer family from paulhami