The Manali Inn

Arrival in New Manali after a 16 hour freezing cold, nerve-wrecking bus ride from Delhi. After a cup of tong-roasting masala chai I then found a nice enough taxi driver to take me to Vashisht, on the opposite side of the valley from Old Manali, at 2500m.<br><br>Staying at the Acharya Guest House where 21 year old Anku is the Chief. Room at 150rupees a night (TV, shower, balcony, king-size bed.) Money goes farther here than in ...

... we ask what that includes and he replys paragliding, white water rafting ballooning... ad many more. We weren't so eager to white water rafting as we knew that australia and new zealand would be great spots for this so we decided we'd do the paragliding. for those of you that don't know what that is.. you run off a cliff with a parachute attached to your back and hope that there's enough wind to keep you floating!! don't worry ma ...

... us to some hotel in Pahargunj - which is known for cheap (and sometimes, shady) hotels. The guy predictably had an arrangement with some hotel and since we weren't in a mood to walk much more in that sultry weather, we took the hotel for 500 rs. After taking bath ( it was a pleasant relief to take bath in cold water instead of boiling hot water), we set about exploring the city. We wanted to see Humayun's tomb and it was a beautiful place, I must say. We also ...

... in the background. There were goats and sheep everywhere and we walked around for a while just taking lots of pictures. We sat down and had more PB&J sandwiches for lunch. Sara and Eyal then found their own spot to chill and I found myself a cute little blue-eyed baby goat I picked up and walked around with for a while. It was so cute and docile. It was falling asleep in my arms as I scratched his head. We hung out until 1:30 PM ...

... have their own private 'gardens' in the mountains. The only tourists here are Israelis and while I understand why they come here, I don't understand why no one else makes their way to Parvati. So, for any other travelers out there - go to Parvati! Our guest house was right on the Parvati river, which thunders down the mountain with some nice Class IV rapids. I wouldn't mind a kayak right, but I ...

... but honeymooners, vacationers, and a ton of folks on their way to Leh (our original plan). The Kullu valley, known in ancient Hindu scriptiures as Kulantapitha or "end of the civilized world", sits at around 4000 ft at the beginning of the Himalayas. Huge walls of stone rise steeply from the river valleys allowing glimpses of snow capped peaks (when the clouds permit). While steep and mountainous the soil is rich and the landscape lush with heavy foliage ...

... speed. The stressful clothing one wears in the western world is gone, aired out and fresh from the mountain breeze. The simple life is sinking in, an easy pace in which there is time enough for everything, as long as you give it time. I haven't spoken more than a word or two to anyone who has English as a first language in a couple of weeks, and my own talk has lapsed into a pidgin of english and hindi, enoguh to understand and be ...

... city has now become a valley of traffic mess. As it is usual with any city in India, roads here too were overcrowded by vehicles. It took us 1.5 hours to cross a stretch of 6 Kms! Manali was still 40 Kms away! Our final stretch was dotted with my wife perpetually smiling till will reached Manali. She consistently kept talking about Apple orchids, Beas river and mountain peaks with just a hint of snow. Finally i got a call from Sarthak that they have ...

... could beat Trekkie. We wanted to take him home to make him the IDEX dog. I was so happy he chose our tent to guard at night! Ok, except for the continuous barking at other dogs throughout the night which did get somewhat trying, but he was just being protective bless his honey coloured trotters!! Lunch was curry and chai and it was so good to sit in the sun and chat with the others in the knowledge we'd achieved an impressive feat. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and ...

... in Dehli, fully prepared for a comfy nights sleep, the Britsih boys who arrived before us decide it's time to leave for the 17 hour bus trip up north... sleeper busses are a little like trying to put beds, made for 2 people, only one wide, onto the top of an old washing machine... i was trying to sleep next to Tom, but as the temperature began to approach the 35 degree mark, all clothes came off apart from the boxers...sleeping in a bus trying to approach warp ...