Eleventh Hour Fun :)

hello Folks :) ....
well, another long weekend....another trip.....another memories.....n now another blog :)

This was the memorial weekend in the US of A where we planned to go to Yosemite National Park. Read thru to get glimpse of all that happened starting from planning to return good nite sleep.

Lets start with the planning phase, we as usual Late Kates decide for Yosemite for a long weekend trip. Yosemite is the most sort after place for fun and we are deciding last moment..hahah..The hunt for camp grounds start..no luck...then we look for cabins..no luck...then starts hotel search....no luck here too. Till the tuesday, there are no hotels booked and if we call up anywher its housefull. When i had called up hotels they mocked at me :(...Then there wre suggestion to book hotels 90 miles away from the national park.Tuseday night...all sad...no plans ..long weekend looked going waste...n Then woke up my 6th sense..hehehehe....out of all the list i selected one hotel and had a feeling we will get rooms here..Bingo!! rooms there...with no second thought booked it...

Over nite plan changes and we are all set for Yosemite on Friday....now evry one is geared up and ready to look for places to cover there.

Comes Friday...it was declared half day :)..these ppl here are very good in taking defined holidays...:P good for us.
We decide to leave by 4 ( point noted we Decide)..as usual decisions and plans are nevr followed.
Friday was a bad day for me..so many issues...n so much work...was really tired..but thought of a vacation ahead energised me :)

So yes, 4 o'clock we are still in LA.A big van is booked.Oh! i didnt mention we were 11 ppl for this trip and this time many new members added and old ones not there. The van is a 12 seater mini truck (which doesnt even go inside r building parking )Best part there were 5 drivers, for the first time on a long trip.Finally at around 6 ...Ganapati Bapa Morya bolke we are set to move. Yosemite here we come:)

But Yashomati says..not so soon baccha :)...405 rush....omg!! 3 hrs on that road..we have to cover 300 miles more..it already 9pm....the traffic sucks..aisa laga sab udhar hi ja rahe hain....drive continues..drivers change...we take breaks..music all set in the van..it was fun..but it was getting late in the night.Then we reach the yosemite mountain roads...and ppl start getting motion sickness...stop n move stop n move..continues..the road curves left..the road curves right...the night is pitch dark...n the tall oak trees surround us...
The eye capturing site was the star lite sky....it simply..WOOOOOOW!!I have nevr seen so many stars together..it was one of the best sites evr...The dark sky..no moon..only the stars twinkling thru the night and the huge oak trees adds to the beauty.Felt like just lying down on the road and keep staring the sky above.

The trip continues...its 4 am in the morning and we finally arrive at the hotel.Two rooms and 11 ppl.We girls sometimes have advantages of such situations..4 of us in one room and rest 7 guys in the other..dont know how they all managed the sleep...but in no time evryone was zzzzz...

The morning sun....all awake by 12...ready by 1...we did a small mini jungle walk...then small stream walk...n then all in the car ready to enter the Yosemite national park.

The jam on roads dont leave us here too. It took us almost 3 hrss to enter the park and then look for a place to eat.We managed some burgers and now move to the vistor center. The enquiry done...first spot decided it will be the Lower Yosemite falls.The fall was at the end of a small trail. The whole cricket team moves..jokes...laughs...shouts...smiles..on the way to the fall.One person is a target and the rest hit the target now n then.
At such places in US u will find many indians...all with their groups enjoing ...we were also among the crowd.
The fall reached...it was coool....reminded of Cave of winds..the gushing water showers feels relaxing..You just need to close ur eyes, let the water fall on ur face...n njoi the feel...its tranquility...
Here we had many solo pics...:P..ppl were really tired of us and requested us to let them take one pic..hehe..macha diya tha sb log ne yahan par:)....finally the fall site is done and we move out.

It was getting dark n we had to decide for the next spot...It was the Mirror Lake...(the name sounded as if u get to see ur face mirror clear in the water)....nonetheless we set for the spot. Took the local transport there and reached the stop no.( i dont remember)...On the way to the lake..this was also a small trail...where we walked thru doing ring ting ting ting...heheh...
After like 20 mins...the lake is there..n a big rock in the middle...with its relfection in the lake...making it the mirror lake....it was a kuch toh bhi place!! time pass spot...but logo ne wahan bhi photo kicha :P...though i tried best to stop them...but meri koi sunta hi nahi :P....ok now tat spot being covered and the night taking speed..we took are way back to the hotel with some pizza as dinner and had a good sleep.

Next day was the Tioga Road drive.The Scenic drive...with all the mountains....snow....lakes....meadows (though marshed)....valley....rocks..trees.....it was beautiful......the day was a bright sunny day...with clear sky and cool breeze...It was relaxing too...n yes how can i forget the city name chain game which we played.....6 rounds 9 players...that makes 54 city names to be rememebered and that too in a sequence....it was fun...till date we try to say the list but lose :).
This day ended with a small up hill trail..which was a 15 min trail with a well cooked up story to laugh at...in the end all exhausted returned back to the hotel after the very same pizza dinner.

The final day.. all were ready n set to leave ... we checked out..n moved towards the Glacier point...
Glacier point is at around 5000Ft or even more ....the spot frm wher u can see the Half dome.... it was a good spot...the Valley view was adventuorus.If a person has phobia of heights, he cant stand there....the cars below looked smaller than the hot wheels too...The tree which wre once towering high up ..now looked as small as a needle....it felt like being on top of the world..u feel like meditating there. Take deep breathe n go into ur thoughts..its the place. :)..

This being covered we moved to the Mariaposa Sequoia groves..where the trees are 200Ft tall....useless trees as it just grows and provides nothing useful other than tourist attraction.....I was very tired by this time hence did nt njoi this drive very much...

now we were on r way back....driving the van at a speed of 95 m/h was fun....n finally having good dinner was more fun....

We were back to LA by midnite and then slept tite the whole nite...

This Last moment n no plan tripped was great n a great memory for all

cheers,
~chika