The first thing I saw when the cloud of dust had subsided was an evil looking face peering at me through the window of the Santro I was driving. The sound of the crash was still ringing in my ears and the greedy smile, like bone showing through an open wound, made me fear the worst. Villagers can be noble savages. Noble at times and savage when they have you at their mercy. I muttered a string of unprintable adjectives to myself as I visualised the next few days in hospitals and police stations facing heavy demands for compensation. What a way to begin a holiday.

After the heat and dust of Delhi, my wife and I had been looking forward to an escape to the cool hills and clear skies of the Kumaun hills. I had been driving fast on the National Highway where fast driving is allowed and thoroughly enjoying the responsive little Santro. Suddenly, a motorcycle shot out of a side road without looking left or right and stopped bang in the middle of the highway. I stood on my brakes to slow down enough to swerve off the road onto the rough when the idiot driver panicked again and let go of his clutch. There had been a resounding bang.

Despite considerable driving experience no one is immune to accidents. I was grateful that I had followed the advice I give others and was wearing the seat belts. Now I had to follow some more advice and try to get control on what I feared would be a messy affair. I quickly composed myself, got out and strode purposefully towards the errant motorcycle, which I was relieved to see had been raised from the ground showing little evidence of damage to man or machine.

A crowd of hostile looking villagers had, however, miraculously emerged from the surrounding houses. I briskly approached the young driver and demanded in my most authoratitive voice "Licence dikhao". The trembling youngster wavered and admitted that he did not have a driving licence. This was my cue to read him a lecture on driving morality. Did he have no feeling for his mother and father? Did he not consider that he could have been killed or seriously injured? Did he not know that in an accident it would be the motorcyclist that that got hurt? How lucky he was that it had been a little car and not a big truck or bus… and so on.

I now stated that my car was comprehensively insured but would need a police report for filing a claim. If the police were called the youngster would be in deep trouble. He looked helplessly to those around him so after looking stern, I said that I would let him off the hook but that he should be more careful in future. I then addressed one of the elders and asked him to make the youngster understand that driving was a responsibility and that he had to have a licence, etc. I soon had the crowd nodding in agreement and a few of them began to scold him as well. Everyone agreed that it was clearly his fault.

Now was the time to make a quick getaway. So thanking everyone I walked back to the dented Santro with greater confidence than I actually felt. The bumper had struck the front wheel of the bike and swerved it around so that the footrest had slashed a deep cut through the right side front and rear doors without damaging the bike. It was a miracle that the damage was not worse.

By the time I got to the car, the crowd had been examining the damage, busily poking their fingers into the rips and tears and they were impressed that the sheet metal was so thick and strong. "If it had been any other car," they all nodded, "the sheet metal would have been ripped to shreds." I thus learned something else to impress me about the tough little Santro.

My wife and I had driven the blue car for a 750 km road test from Delhi to the mountains beyond Nainital and had thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The acceleration of the 1000 cc 12-valve engine made us the fastest car on that trip. Though we had met no Honda's or Lancers we had been challenged by several Maruti Esteems. Though they were faster in top gear, they could not match the Santro in the second and third gears. It drove with great control and confidence to a top speed of over 120 Kmph and gave as much speed as anyone would want on an Indian road. Despite fast and uneconomical driving we also got good fuel consumption of 17 Kms per litre.

Through the villages, we were also not too disturbed by the speed-breakers and rumble strips because the suspension seemed to absorb the shocks remarkably well. The Santro has a sub assembly between the front wheels and the car that keeps the weight of the engine and gearbox to the road without bouncing the shock into the car. As most of the road shocks were taken up by the suspension the car has low profile tyres that are crisp and sharp on turns. This makes driving into the mountains sheer joy. The combination of a responsive engine, a supple suspension and crisp cornering made the road towards Mukteshwar at 8000 feet so quick and easy that driving was a relaxing pleasure.

There is absolutely no area in India's many hill regions that can compare with Kumaun for it's sheer variety of beautiful places to enjoy. Unlike Simla, Mussourie or most popular hill stations it is not a crowded and noisy urban cluster perched upon a high ridge but a wide gently sloped valley that contains many very attractive destinations. It offers something for everyone.

A visitor can move easily from the pretty lake resorts of Nainital, Bhimtal, Sattal, Naukuchiatal to quaint colonial towns like Almora and Ranikhet or go to Ramgarh or Mukteshwar, at over 7500 feet, for spectacular mountain views. Kasauni or Binsar offer even better views of the spectacular snow-clad Himalayan peaks like Trishul and Nandadevi soaring to 25,000 feet. As they are connected by excellent roads, it is especially appealing to motorists who can enjoy a wonderful driving experience as they can quickly go from the pretty lakes to some of India's most spectacular mountain views in just an hour or two.

The lovers of history and religion can visit many exquisite temples including Jageshwar, Bageshwar, Baijnath and Pitoragarh that date to between the 8th and 14th centuries. Jageshwar, with some100 exquisite temples in a deep deodar forest, is counted among India's 12 Jyotilingas where Shiv is believed to have revealed himself. It is an especially beautiful area. There are also several shrines of the old hill deities. Trekkers can find try the low and high altitude treks to the Pindari Glacier, Munsiari and beyond. There are many excellent less arduous treks and walks but also great opportunities for bird watching and photography. Hunting is now out but there is fabulous fishing in the sparkling Kosi, Kali, Saryu or Sarda rivers.

Except at peak summer, good accommodation is available in a large number of small and big hotels, resorts and guest-houses. The U.P. Government run Kumaun Mandal Vikas also has a chain of adequate small hotels at most of the tourist spots. Those with connections can get Government rest houses or forest rest houses that often command the best views.

Many veteran travelers do not bother to book ahead as they can usually find good places to stay without too much trouble. Consumerism has also made medicines, cosmetics, toiletries, chips, colas, biscuits and noodles are available even at the most remote little towns. Therefore, one can just decide to go into the hills without need to pack a big stock of food or other supplies.

Nainital is the best known hill station of the area, at an altitude of 6500 feet, with its exquisite deep blue lake with excellent yachting, rowing and horse riding. It is not too crowded as there is limited area for buildings. It is, however, the social capital of the region especially for the young who want to stroll around the lake to meet their friends, shop for bargains at the Tibetan bazaar or just soak in the sun. There is also and the passing spectacle of moony-eyed honeymooners, holiday-makers and socialites at the boat-house club. Sattal is the most unspoiled of all the lakes and a wonderful picnic spot but does not offer any private accommodation.

You should ideally find yourself one initial destination in the region and use it as a springboard for quick trips to other places in Kumaun. Nainital is the popular choice for many but there are also several exquisite places to stay especially at Naukuchiatal lake or in Ramgarh, Mukteshwar, Binsar and Kasauni.

Our favourite destination is `The Cottage' at Joelikot that is 45 minutes away from Nainital at an altitude of 4800 feet that is never too cold in winter or too hot in summer. On the outside it looks like a picturesque Swiss cottage but surprises you by being a virtual museum of ancient Kumauni carved doors and windows. These old carvings were salvaged from villagers who were discarding them while building ugly new cement houses. These beautiful carved windows frame a fantasy of flowers and trees in an eight acre orchard where many exotic trees and plants abound and the meadows are ablaze with the flowers of the season or atwitter with the sounds of hundreds of birds.

Getting to Kumaun from Delhi takes about 6 hours by road via Moradabad, Rampur and Rudrapur and is an hour from the railhead of Katgodam. Many small omni van, Jeep or Sumo taxis can be easily hired at the station or in any town. There is a daily Ranikhet Express from Delhi and a Shatabdi train on Sundays in summer. Busses ply throughout the area. Motorists can now get unleaded fuel quite easily at Moradabad, Rampur, Haldwani, Joelikot and Nainital. Reasonably competent mechanics are available at the bigger towns like Haldwani, Nainital, Bhowali, Ranikhet or Almora.

There is something very captivating about Kumaun and there is so much to see that one visit usually whets your appetite to visit the area again and again. So, if you have never been there before, you should pull your family away from their kitty parties, cocktails and TV's and go for a freewheeling motoring adventure into the hills this year. It will open a new chapter to your own ability to really enjoy life and appreciate nature. If you have children it is good to get them into the habit of travelling into the hills. It not only gives them an important appreciation of nature but self-confidence to adapt to new environments and to move beyond the captivity of big city life. When learned young this experience can become a valuable lifetime asset.

Kumaun can be visited throughout the year. Actually, the crowded summer months are perhaps the worst time. Even the monsoons are not too bad as the rain tends to clear up after a few hours. But the best times are spring and autumn when the air is clear and the mountains at their most beautiful. TRAVEL IN KUMAUN

Haldwani/ Katgodam is 265 Kms from Delhi via Moradabad, Rampur and Rudrapur. Joelikot is half way to Nainital and Bhowali 34 Kms away. The lakes of Bhimtal, Naukuchiatal and Sattal are just 5 to 7 Kms from Bhowali while Ranikhet is 70 Kms to the north-west and Almora 70 kms to the north. Ramgarh is 12 Kms and Mukteshwar 40 Kms to the North. Kasauni is 50 Kms north of both Almora and Ranikhet. Jageshwar is 42 Kms east and Binsar 34 Kms north of Almora.