Snow Valley Resorts Manali

... got obscured with the clouds, and my optimism about opening the road to Kaza became lower... &#8232;Hmm it's raining here - meaning the roads are not going to be open tomorrow. Probably I don't have a choice but return the way I came here. &#8232;Meeting two Israeli-Russian folks, they look serious - planning for a year out. Told me about some interesting program for language studying - Rosetta Stone. <br>

... more i believe there must be some basis of truth to their accompanying scriptures and stories, no matter how fantastical they at first seem.<br><br>walking about the forest later on in the day the heavens suddenly opened and wee were absolutely drowned, arriving back at the hotel everything was wet through, including my bag. i'd find out later that my camera was damaged from all the water but hopefully not in a way that's gonna affect pictures!

... town. It was about a half hour walk up into the hills. A great way to start our morning and get our exercise at the same time. It took a couple of days for me (Bobbie) to warm up to the yoga classes, or maybe to the teacher. The teaching method was somewhat different -very technical -and the teacher a little intimidating. But at the end of the classes, I have to admit he was very good. A lot of emphasis ...

... what we had become used to in Rajasthan. Another reason I loved Rishikesh was the food, of course. Due to its religious significance, it is purely veggie (and veggie include egg-free - heaven for me!). We found a cafe, 'Devraaj coffee corner' which did eggless pancakes, cakes, pastries etc...I was literally in heaven. It even gives Cafe Kino a run for its money Leila! I think the owner thought I was a bit spesh though, as I got overly excited by all the cakes that he had and think ...

... but it was absolutely freezing outside, so I elected to sleep inside. Most of us dreaded the frigid nights, and spent them sitting up, with our backs against the uneven stone wall, keeping close to one another for warmth. Besides planning our escape, the favorite topic of conversation was food. We were only eating two meals a day, and both of these were rice and dal, so you can imagine that we were craving something more substantial.

... without any trash bags and communication difficulties we were a bit stuck). Our tents were 1970's style canvas giants and our meals were fulll out feasts that took 4+ hours a day to prepare. The trek itself was incredibly steep and stunning despite the intermittent monsoon rains and accompaning mist. We began our trek in Naggar, a city that used to be the capital of the state and where we explored a small but beautiful ...

... your plate of food, take your dirty clothes out to be washed, make your bed, read your school lessons. Dayalu's new "wife" (wedding is really just a formality here), has a similar commanding presence, still as yet undeveloped, but it can be plainly seen the possibility of who may take the reins when the time comes for Mata-ji to retire, if ever. The cycle rolls on, as it has throughout time, a balance achieved without even trying, the most natural thing in the world. Pictures coming soon. . .

... et ne redemarre plus!!! nous sommes restees arretes une heuere et demi le temps que le bus de 10h30 du soir arrive et nous sommes montes a bord lol du coup elisa et moi etions separees mais au moins nous avions un fauteuil et n avons pas du finir la nuit debout. oui c ca l inde!!! mais bon ya jamais d affolement. ya pas de pb en inde, que des sollutions lol on n etaiernt meme pas affolees. on a juste attendu et zoro est arrive!! lol biz a tous!!!

So we've been in Palampur for 4 days now. I have to admit I still feel totally culture shocked. Walking around the town I am frequently reminded of the Yorkvik museum in York because there are lots of 'plots' with huts and cows tied up outside. The sanitation is non-existent and the locals often brush their teeth by the road using a dirty stream for water. There are also a lot of goats and ...

... and Dal in my future, perhaps supplemented by fish, or whatever other food I can find or catch as I make my way from Leh to Srinagar. Hopefully the Indian and Pakistani armies are not lobbing shells across the road at each other, as they are sometimes wont to do. . Either way, I go with no fear, what is is what is, and it is not our place to worry about what might or could be. Stay tuned, there will be lots of pictures from there.