Cafe, falafel wrap and meetha karela!

My first day in the hostel just went settling, talking and getting to know fellow travelers around. The nights were very chilly, although it was just the start of November. I slept wearing a sweater and with two thick quilts, and the room heater was also ON. 

The next morning, as told by the traveler couple, I went to the cafe. It was a beautiful walk of almost a km from my hostel. The cafe is located in the main market of Jibhi called 'The Mystic Garden Cafe.'

Well as the name says, it was truly mystical. The cafe had both inside and outside sitting options. In Jibhi, one can only enjoy the sunlight after 9 am so I opted for an outdoor sitting as I wanted the natural sunlight and vitamin is an absolute necessity. I had my breakfast sitting in the midst of the beauty of nature. 

Getting to eat anything fancy in Jibhi felt like a luxury. I had falafel wrap and humus, along with hot chocolate. From the cafe, one can see the river flowing a few steps down. 

After breakfast I had plans to trek and explore nearby places, but somehow everything felt so serene and calm there that I didn't feel like getting up. It felt as if the time had stopped and I just wanted to be in that moment and do nothing else. 

The owner of the cafe was a young guy. He had left his corporate job and started living a nomad life and set up this beautiful cafe in Jibhi. He told me stories of his life, and about the culture and people of Jibhi. It was an absolutely enlightening experience. I spent my whole morning and afternoon having conversations and listening to him. 

He told me about Meetha Karela. Well, that's a delicacy in the mountain states. Strange, isn't it? We also discussed how small and beautiful villages like Jibhi can lose it's charm by getting commercialised.

To be continued.....

Pictures by Shreyoshi