Manu Allaya Formerly Ambassador Resort Manali

... is good here, the chai is always good, the views are exceptionally beautiful. This place is calm and refreshing after Delhi's smells and stinkers.<br><br>It's around 500 km to Leh. A 30 hour drive i heard from someone. The only pass to Leh is the 2nd highest in the World (around 5000m) but is closed to cars. It is however open to trucks and 4x4 Jeeps so maybe I'll hop on one of them some time soon. <br><br><br><br><br><br>

... accompaning me up says "you don't " with a little chuckle!! before i had time to simmer over what he just siad he shouts "run" and after a few very loud and very girly screams we're in the air! once up and floating a felt great, it was just the initial stomach sinking feelin that got to me!! The view was awesome and the feeling exilerating! better than parasailing by a long shot! our lovely drivers took plenty of pics of me as i ...

... out for a bit and I just lay under the blankets half torn between just watching the storm and half torn between falling asleep. The others came back from their dinner and we went up on the roof a bit (it had stopped raining) to watch the lightning show. It started getting a bit chilly so we went back inside. I needed to get myself all packed and ready for my 4 AM departure from McLeod Ganj in order to get on to the 5 AM bus to Amritsar.

Beautiful mountains!!!!!! Manali was an amazing place! The air was so fresh...and the water was turquiose. We had some fabulous food and tasty fruit wines. We toured around the town and looked at all the shops. We took a few little hikes...some leading us to temples (with rabbits and yaks) and some led us to the most amazing views imaginable! The weather was chilly at night...but space heaters and fires can do wonders ...

... so we visited them for a few hours. They were busy taking the leaves off their fresh harvest, and putting the pods out to dry. It was quite relaxing, after the steep two hour trek to get up there, and I definitely wasn't ready to go at 3, but it the sun had set over the mountains and it was beginning to get dark. I think I could trek in this valley for weeks without getting tired of its natural beauty.

... of attractions are the people who inhabit this area. A hodgepodge of ancient and recent tibetan refugees, Kashmiri traders, and the native Thakurs, high-caste land owning hill people. The Thakurs are easily identifable as the men usually wear Kullu or topi caps (kind of a fez shape without the tassle but with embroidered sides) and the woman drape themselves in colorful scarves all over their heads and bodies. The architecture was reminiscent of Nepal with wood ...

... going is tough, I love these people, this family. I make jokes and laugh at theirs, play soccer (football, to you euros) with the rambunctious little boy in the small yard by the house, wake up early to greet the sun as it comes over the mountain, and walk around with a generally happy feeling, a smile popping up whenever it feels the need. I will miss this place and these people once again and hope to return as soon as possible. Despite ...

... it becomes very difficult to differentiate between Manali and Bangalore in terms of pleasantness of weather specially in summers. What was different was the view. It was an enchanting sight to see river Beas roaring amongst lesser Himalaya mountain range and i just could make out my ultimate dream travel - Road to Ladakh! We all decided to take a stroll in Manali. After visiting Hidimba, we were supposed to meet a very important person. He was supposed to ...

... leaving Tibet. The singing started up again and suddenly I decided I wanted to sing since I enjoy it so much and wanted to give them something back...So I sang 'J'ai deux amours' by Madeleine Peyroux! I do cringe writing this, but thankfully it wasn't as bad as it sounds and they seemed to like it and they all cheered and clapped! I felt so happy to have got involved and tried not to think of myself - they are really unselfconscious which is so refreshing as westerners ...

... of the north, and dope grows in massive 6 foot high bunches along the side of the roads! there's more dope than trees! And, in a real "welcome to Amsterdam" kinda way, the hotel will happily get it for you and just wack it on your tab. funky place. And then, it was a bloody sad goodbye to everyone, and was back at the monastery by the 30th. India is the most awesome place to travel, and i Know i have to do it again! If anyone gets the chance, there is nothing like it...