Hotel Ashoka Continental Mussoorie

... mid twenties. Balls. I am a fan of anonymity on birthdays, which thankfully was the case here. I had not one single person to embarrass me with a public rendition of 'Happy Birthday'. I celebrated surviving life for another year by buying a ticket on the night bus for Rishikesh. The bus was a bit of a nightmare. Firstly, it was one of those tourist buses, which meant that they can mess you around all they like, safe in the knowledge that they already have your money. We met at ...

Here is the entry I wrote a couple days ago but couldn't upload: It's been awhile since I have used the internet. Andrew and I ran out of cash and the ATM in Mussoorie was also out of money, hence no money for internet. There hasn't been much going on here. We only have one more week left of language instruction! We'll have class Mon-Wed, then review on Thursday, then a exam on Friday. The final is pretty intimidating; it's going to be written ...

... We also visited the Shri Trayanbakshwar Temple. It is this thirteen story bright orange building. It was oddly like an amusement park. You had to walk around in a circle all the way up the temple and there were steel gates and bars so that you had to go one direction (just like in Great America). Then along the way there would be little rooms. In each little room there were statues of different gods and goddesses. Above the statues were bells ...

... all I could do to prepare for the worst and should take my mind off it, but easier said than done. Hence, on the ride back, I wrote my goodbye note, feeling sad that my cats would never know what happened. During the ride itself, which was much faster, and in the dark with one headlight, Kate and I made very fast conversation with the express purpose to keep our minds off it. The town ...

... to have the ride with her. We arrived in Kausani and she helped me find a decent but cheep hotel and we bid farewell. As I went to check into the room, a flood of dread went through me....I had left my bag with most of my money and important docs in the taxi. I think I must have lost all color in my face because the nice men at the hotel sprung into action trying to figure out what to do. I kept thinking that they would realize and come back but more time just kept going by. I ...

... before check-out time at 12noon. When we got to the ticket office for the cable cars, the line was already down the street. We decided to get in it and make other plans if it didn't seem to be moving. Luckily, the line moved fairly quickly, and after about a 30 minute wait, we made it up to the ticket window and purchased a combination ticket to take us to both temples, Mansa Devi and Chandi Devi. We got on the cable car to Mansa Devi first. The cable car ...

... Kuari Pass bekannt ist werden am naechsten, klaren morgen noch spekarulaerer - ein 180 Grad Panaorma mit einem 6- und 7000er neben dem naechsten. Wir campen unterhalb des Passes und verbringen den Abend mit Neunerln im Zelt weils regnet. Der nachste Tag ist wieder klar mit entsprechen tollem Blick und wir machen uns auf zum fuer Himlaya Verhaeltnisse mit 3700 m rel. niedrigen Pass. Wir Kasha und unser Guide gehen weiter ueber den Pass, wir ...

... as I continue to explore India. It is also incredible to be in a place in India where I have the urge - and the need - to wear layers, even extra warmth at most times, even during the day.<br><br>Additionally, I have not come across a single other foreigner here yet, but there are plenty of Indian families who have come here to escape the heat waves of Dehli and Agra. Interestingly, as you stroll through one side of the town, it feels as though ...

... to be a deer! We saw lots of animals including monkeys, samba and spotted deer, peacocks, birds of pray, wild boar and a herd of wild elephants but no tigers!! We were very close, spotting tiger paw prints, poo, urine but no tigers! A few times we were in a grassy area where you could hear warning calls from deer and hear noises which the guides thought were tigers but if they were in the long grass, we couldn't see them. We also passed other jeeps who had seen tigers twice, about a ...

... School, about 20 minutes away. Despite going downhill, it was VERY tiring and I was pretty much out of gas when we got there. Will was in the middle of his sitar lesson when we arrived. We had a joyous and tearful reunion. It was hard to believe that we were actually standing in the same room with him halfway 'round the world. He showed us around the school a bit and then we walked up to the market in Mussoorie. This was a rigorous uphill climb of ...