Hotel Monaal Chail

Good morning, and we have a new record here in Kaza! The thermometer shows only 4℃, this is 2℃ less that we has in K************gratulations! Fortunately enought the three fat blankets did a good job and I wasn't cold at all (yes it's not simple to type right now:). And everyone still think that India is a warm country! :) 
I go to say hello to Mohan, bring the laptop, and wait till he's getting ...

... we go to Punjab to see the Golden Temple in Amristar. Then back to Delhi to catch our flight to Nepal!<br><br> <br><br> <br><br>PS I can't upload my pictures of the fight (and video) because the internet connection is about as slow as possible. That being said I will upload either in Delhi or Kathmandu. So stay tuned because the visual of the monkey fight may blow your mind. (And I may include a couple other nice photos, so stay tuned)

... v*lesti *rvest*nud jeep r*tt*g* sõidu*uto küljest pisut värvi m*h* nühkis. Sõidu*uto juht v**t*s õnnetu näog* pe*lt.<br>Mõne *j* p*r*st on vett tekkinud, küll mitte dushi, v*id *inult kr**ni, j* k*sut*n seeg* ämbri j* kopsiku meetodit.<br>Võiks teeseld*, et tegeleme *klim*tiseerumiseg*, *g* tegelikult vedeleme niis*m*.<br>Kell* kuuesele õhtusöögile minekuks on kõht veel liig* punnis, oot*n kuni päikese loojumiseni. Ennist väis ...

... actually just a run of the mill town with a big, dirty bus station that happens to be close to McLeod Ganj-- the real home of the Dalai Lama. But it's only around twenty minutes away, so we got on a bus and drove even higher up and we pulled into the town square just as the sun set. Out of all the places we've been so far, McLeod Ganj has been the most drastically unique. There are monks walking around everywhere, the population is an even mix of Tibetan and Indian people, and ...

... was supposed to be at three, but this is India, so the crowd that lined the whole of Temple Road in single file lines down each side, didn't really become restless until half-past four. And even then, restless merely meant that they folded and unfolded their white scarves several times, and stood up every ten minutes to check if anything was actually happening. Anna, Jessica, Kate and I sat ...

... hike the hills and peaks that are the doorsteps to the Himalayas. We have been to the Buddhist Temple where the Dalai Lama stays and witnessed the shrines, monks, nuns, and followers of the peaceful and tolerant Religion and Philosophy that Buddhism is. Unfortunately we missed the public speeches the Dalai Lama gives every year by a week or so, but have found many sources of his wisdom and the teachings of Buddhism in and around town. This being the headquarters for the ...

... the truth to get themselves out of there. But, it worked. The day before the roads opened, a helicopter came to take ten of them out of Kaza. Two of my Israeli friends, Ram and Vicky, also thought these people were crazy. But, they still were invited to take a free helicopter ride to Manali, which they gladly accepted. I guess it pays to be Israeli.

... it for me. However, the gov't decided to change the rules in the meantime. When I went to the magistrate's court about 11 AM to get my pass, the very officious clerk said that the person with signing authority wouldn't be back until 2 PM. I said that my car and driver were waiting to leave and we had to get started. He, of course, didn't care. My Shimla travel agent said that he could pick it up later that day and they'd send it to me by bus as I didn't need it for the first 3 days ...

... and glaciers, punctuated by steep scrambles up scree slopes. We managed to drag ourselves up and over the pass, somehow, and were rewarded with steep snowfields on the other side. Lloyd got some impossible air and Nate and I enjoyed the skiing. Once we managed to locate our crew, who were far ahead, we settled down to a hot meal and an argument with the hotel guy, who was demanding a rest day for everybody ...

... to get up to as it lies 8,000 feet or so up in the mountains and is only reached by two methods, a narrow road and the railway. Upon the recommendation of my Indian History professor from Michigan State, we opted to take the Himalayan Queen; a toy train that winds up 93 Km into the mountains for nearly six hours through over 100 tunnels. There is only one set of tracks along the narrow pathway so men stand along the entire route to manually switch the tracks. It ...