The Devdar-Hptdc Khajjiar

... We made a stop at Rohtang La - there are numerous eateries there, all serving the same stuff - chapati, rice w/dal, etc. There are lots of local tourism to this spot - it's possible to play with the snow a little - just a few centimeters of it left after the sunny days we had. But some folks were bringing even the skis! 
The next stop was at Chattru - we got there by 2. This one is the last for the next 100 km. In summer there is a camping and a guest house there ...

... ashamed of what happened! All i can say is i've never made a grown man cry before now! oh dear... <br><br>after calming down, we take a stroll up the main village to get some food. Mc LLo's restaurant which was reccommended in lonely planet was definately the way to go. We had one of tasties meals to date and we enjoyed some cold cider too, ah ye gotta love the tinker juice!! Just like home! <br><br>Next day we visit the home of the Dali Lama and the Tibetan ...

... anname juhile homseks vaba päeva.<br>Soetan Martti juhatusel kõige värskema tõlke Tiibeti surnute raamatust, et kott liiga kerge tassida poleks.<br>Õhtusöök siseneb väga kiirelt ja mõnda aega ei ole kuulda midagi muud peale lusikaklõbina.<br>Enne magamaminekut vaatan üle meie hotelli katuseterassi, kus paistab kuu ja näpuotsatäis tähti. Oru vastasküljel puhutakse juba pikemat aega pasunat, lüüakse trummi ja juubeldatakse. Ja seda jätkavad nad kuni uinun.

... for two years, and then escaping there too. From there he went to Nepal and ended up in Dharamsala with no money, where he worked his way up and now owns a popular restaurant in town (Oogo's Italian Restaurant, probably one of the best we ate at). Another night we met a totally wasted Finnish girl who had just split up with her travelling partner of several months. She knew like seven languages and would suddenly and emotionally burst out a few foreign sentences in the middle ...

... to visit the seat of the Tibetan government. We wound down the Jogibara Road, past our guest house, past the thai restaurant and the Japanese place that uses profits to aid ex-political prisoners. We stoped breifly at Rogpa - a café whose name means "trusted helper" in Tibetan and which uses the proceeds of its sales to run a child care center. Kate and I had spent the night before dancing to terrible pop and baking penut butter cookies ...

... for 4 hours before reaching the summit. As we came over the top, the jagged snow-covered Himalayas lay right before us. As exhausted as we were, we ate some food, took some pictures and rested before making the journey back down the long and winding path on the side of the mountain. Climbing down some of the rocky sections, we were amazed that we had made it up the steep and narrow path. It was quite an adventure and definitely the hardest hike we had ever done. We made ...

... a nice little hotel in Keylong, it's time to spend a day relaxing and enjoying the Himalaya, instead of battling it for a day. Keylong is a splendid little town, once you get past the fly infestation. We hike across the valley to the nearby Gompa and get some laundry done, as well as watch movies! There's a TV with an English movie channel of all things, and by some quirk of programming, we end up watching "Mississippi Burning" and "Glory", both films which deal ...

... Either duty or bribes are paid to the guards. We were allowed to take photos of the mummy inside, but no photos outside. After a brief stop in Lari village, where Lara bought 2 litres of barley alcohol for his guesthouse staff in Kaza, we had lunch in Tabo, site of a famous monastery which I visited in 2005. So finally, I'm back on familiar ground. Then on to Dechen Choling Monastery, near Kungri village and monastery, in the Pin Valley, and the end of a fabulous 5 day jeep safari. Time to start work!

Seeing no crevases in the summer glacier, we left the pass at full speed, jumping, sliding, and skiing on our boots down hundreds of feet. The Pin Valley lay before us--the so-called "Land of Snow Leopards and Ibex." A stream crossing: we searched potential routes, found a few good rocks above the rapids, and jumped. Another stream crossing: Nate performs the long jump; then another. Soon we were ...

... much hung out every single day since we arrived on June 1st. I'll be sure to visit them eventually in Atlanta. So truthfully this is pretty much it. I am taking the overnight bus to Delhi tonight, and then board a flight to Mumbai mid-day. I'll be in Mumbai for the next two days until I leave early in the morning on the 11th (by early I mean one AM). Hopefully I'll avoid the monsoon for my last few days but that is highly unlikely... So until next time... Cheers, Michael