The sweet sound of stillness

“You didn’t move from that balcony on your holiday!”    mentioned a friend after looking at some photographs from a recent break I had taken. Guilty as charged. The incriminating pictures show me in various positions, primarily horizontal, my feet propped comfortably against a railing. Twiddling my socked toes in the blazing mountain sun, even my feet are in a reverie as they overlook a cluster of lush deodar trees and an achingly blue sky. The fresh air, heaps of Vitamin D and clear skies a luxury for a deprived city-zen like me. After a particularly tiring few weeks, I descended on Dharamshala for a short break at the recently opened Hyatt Regency, a sprawling new luxury hotel in Dharamkot, a few minutes away from the bustling McLeodganj marketplace below. I usually spend very little time within hotels when staying at one, partly because I tend to always be on a work trip so I’m rushing around, or even if on holiday, spending most of the time exploring the destination.

But this time was different.Tired and sleep deprived after a hectic few weeks, I decided to just take each day as it came, choosing to do whatever I felt like. Turns out that was a bit of reading, a smattering of writing, lots of eating and sleeping, and twiddling my toes in the sunshine on the balcony. There was something about the hotel that made me just want to stay in. I did drag myself away for a day to do a little bit of sightseeing, but this was one of those trips when I didn’t feel in a tearing hurry to take in the sights and rush around. I just wanted to be. And the hotel was perfect for that.

“Eat Maggi. Eat momos. There are great little cafes there.” Helpful tips from friends before I left. I hadn’t visited Dharamshala in over 20 years so my memories of it were hazy at best. I’m sure there is great Maggi, and momos and wonderful cafes. I, however, didn’t get to any of that. Well just one, I visited a lovely café, Illiterati, with magnificent views, a spiffy Daschund called Tsering and a decadent and generous café mocha. But I ate at the hotel. All 3 meals. For 5 days. And I enjoyed all 15 meals very much. Because they were delicious. The amiable executive chef, Sandeep Biswas, indulged my curiosity in local Himachali fare, surprising us every day with something new. If I wasn’t on the balcony, I could usually be found at Thym, the hotel restaurant, tucking into yet another meal. After specifying that we weren’t looking for heavy, rich or drenched in masala, Chef Biswas was great at recommending and whipping up different things for us. From tender cubes of fish in kadi, velvety saag, nimona daal (daal with peas), aloo palda (potatoes in a yogurt based gravy, in fact all their veggies in yogurt gravies were delicious) and a khatta mutton, all the local dishes were comforting and delicious. Dimsum stuffed with mushrooms, simple stir fries of crunchy vegetables bursting with flavor, delicately steamed trout. Yes, I ate my way through much of the menu, or even if it wasn’t on the menu.

 And I did tear myself away from the balcony and the  restaurant. I sauntered around the property, sighing at the creamy Dhauladhar range framing the hotel, such an arresting backdrop. A meandering path past some of the cottages led to an outdoor deck, perfect for yoga or more daydreaming. My only complaint was that many of the decks, including the outdoor area of the restaurant, didn’t get too much sunshine because of the thick tree cover. Which wasn’t a bad thing, because the trees are lovely, but in the chilly winter, thawing outside in the sun on one of those decks would have been perfect. And so that brought me back to my room balcony!

I did work out every evening so I could feel virtuous between meals. It was also great to have the gym to myself, the hotel very new and not crowded at the time. I forgot my swimming costume, which was a shame as they have a heated indoor pool which I gazed at from the gym. And though I didn’t end

up using it, right next door to the gym was a home theatre with seating for a small group, one more spot to chill if I had taken the time, but I was spoilt for choice on the chilling front. I returned to the balcony at sunset, watching the trees silhouetted against a dramatic flaming sky, fading into a deep inky blue awash with stars. 

The warmth of the bar, 2082, beckoned in the evening and the friendly bartender, Kausty, shook, stir and did some fancy pouring, producing some lovely cocktails each evening, infused with locally grown herbs. Like the Khawalag, a warmed through apricot infused whisky, roasted sattu (barley), Kangra black tea and brahmi (centella) infused ghee. It was deep, buttery and went down real easy. Or the Salar Sour, a twist on a whisky sour, but with the addition of local ingredients like apricots and the warmth of haldi. Even the non alcholic local specialty, khatta, was delicious. I chose to have it warm, but I can imagine it being lovely on ice – a mix of fermented black gram, wheat, apple, walnuts, mango powder, mustard seeds and jaggery. A bit like a non-alcoholic mulled wine.

I tore myself away from the hotel one of the days to visit the Gyuto Tantric Monastery with those Dhauladhars showing off again as a magnificent backdrop to the temple; and the serene Norbulinka Institute, with its gentle fountains and streams, arts and ‘crafty’ corners showcasing

Thangka painting. metal work, wood carving, a doll museum and more. It was on the way back that I stopped at Illiterati, mentioned earlier, which also turned out to be a co-working space. Made me wonder who would work here with that view!

So, I ended up looking out into the distance a lot during my stay. Even at the monastery and the café. And then around the hotel. On my last evening, the large fire was burning cheerfully in the bar and I stationed myself next to it, sipping on one of Kausty’s finest, and looking out at the quiet night. It was the most relaxing break I have ever taken. And I did shift from my room balcony occasionally, but I never strayed very far!