Into Manali and the Mountains

Hi folks, I'm a few days behind because I've had a few busy days and tired nights, so I have a lot of catching up to do.  As usual the last few days have been pretty awesome, so I have a lot to talk about! 

In the morning we met up for breakfast and as usual met someone new to chat with.  His name is Gabriel (err, did I remember that correctly?) and he is from Slovenia.  He has been in India for quite some time and is a practicing Buddhist so it was interesting to talk with him about it all.  We were headed down into the town of Darmsala for the Holi festival, and he decided to join us on our walk.

Holi is one of those iconic Indian festivals for the way it is celebrated: throwing colored powder and water on everyone.  Essentially as you walk down the streets people come up to you shouting and throw colors on you or rub it on your face, it's all great fun. 

Meeting groups of people on the street, all to glad to powder up some foreigners and take pictures.

Unfortunately the town of Daramsala is pretty small and the scope of the festival was pretty limited.  Where as major cities will have multi-block size 'battles' of color and water in the streets, here in town it was limited to a few small groups standing on the street corner.  That said, it was still fun and I am glad to have seen a bit of it.

Once we got past the town Gabriel, Noa and I just kept walking down the road for another hour or so, just chatting.  Eventually we caught a bus back up the hill, I took a very through shower to try and look normal again, before meeting up for dinner.  We ended up going to a cafe/restaurant that is part of the temple complex.  It is a center for training Tibetan refugees and giving them job skills, so it is a good cause as well as probably the best pizza I've had on my trip.  Highly recommended.

The next morning, Noa and I met for breakfast, and headed off on a short walk to a waterfall.  The walk was maybe 45 minutes, taking us into the next town and down a well built path up the hill.  On the way up you see a lot of monks who are washing and drying their cloths at the stream that comes down the mountain. 

The waterfall itself is quite pretty, and both of us were looking forward to a nice place to relax and read our books for a while.

Unfortunately this was far from the case.  The base of the water fall has two little junk food shops, and dozens of loud tourists at a time.  Before I could sit down, I think I ended up having to pose for about 50 pictures with Indian tourists, and then proceeded to watch them write graffiti on the rocks and throw garbage into the pool at the base of the falls.... and yes, goats came by as well.  Once we had climbed up the hillside a bit to escape it all, it was fairly quiet except for the two kids that climbed up begging for money and the spot made for interesting people watching as well as being able to get a bit of reading done.

Just a view of town on the way back that I liked.  That evening I did some more reading as I watched the sun go down, had dinner with friends and went to bed.  A very low key day.

The next morning I woke up early to catch a bus to Manali.  The bus left at 6:30am, and I decided to take the day bus rather than the night bus so I could watch the scenery go by.  I was entering further into the mountains and I wanted to see the change rather than sleep through it. 

It did not disappoint. The ride was one of the more interesting parts of India I've gotten to pass through, and really many more times interesting than anything I saw on the whole train trip, haha.  Driving up the valley towards snow capped mountains along the river really got me excited even more to get into the mountains. 

The whole way I was feeling a bit sick, but in a strange way that is a bit hard to explain.  Anyways, I wasn't feeling very well and didn't eat all day.  I found a room in Old Manali for 200 rupees at a place called Tamana Guest House which was very new and clean and went to bed. 

The next morning I awoke after one of the more restful nights I've had in a while and went out for breakfast.  Dragon Guest House next door had free wifi, so I sat down for breakfast.  (are you listening, other businesses, wifi is a huge selling point!)  I think it was the first free and decently fast connection I've had in all of India.  I ordered a breakfast of eggs, potatoes, toast and tea, and set to work.  I extended my travel insurance, I talked to my credit card company because I couldn't access my online account, and I managed to chat with my mom on Skype for 45 minutes.  Breakfast went down very well and was the first time I'd ever gone 36 hours without food, even when I had my jaw surgery, haha.  I felt pretty good again.

After breakfast I set out to explore the town of Old Manali and headed up the valley.  The area is full of  buildings in this style, with slate roofs and all and I really like the style.  The town really is a cool old place where life is still very old school. 

I followed the trail up as far as it went, and near the top at a water tower I found this group of kids who were playing with their slingshots.  They started saying 'school pens', 'school pens' and luckily I was prepared.  I'd been asked before but never had any to give away, so I bought a dozen.  While I don't give out money to kids I'll gladly pass out pens.

At the very top is this small hill there were not only great views of the valley but this little shrine as well.  Still unsure of my plans in this new town, I set out to walk around and see where I had landed.  I passed between more homes, visited the Manu Temple, and headed back towards the tourist part of Old Manali.

I first went to a travel agency to inquire about buses back to Delhi, which I found were 550 and 900 rupees depending on the bus, and that the options for paragliding and zorbing were not very good.  Those were two of the things I was a bit interested in, so that knocked them off my list. 

I walked a little farther and entered the 'Himalayan Extreme Center'.  There I talked to the owner about the company, the activities they offer and that a three day ski trip was leaving tomorrow.  It was expensive, 2,500 rupees a day but that included gear, porters, food, transportation, everything.  I was a little unsure about it because of the cost, and that it would take up all the rest of my time in Manali which I hadn't even explored yet, so I walked off to think about it.

I returned maybe 45 minutes later and said I wanted to go.  The prospect of skinning up Himalayan snow, skiing back down and camping in the snow for two nights was too much to pass up.  Damn the cost, if I don't do it I'm going to regret it.  I took a taxi to the other shop across the valley in Vashish (sp?) to get fitted for my gear and was very pleased with the quality of gear they had. 

Since I'd be leaving Manali the next morning to ski I needed to see a bit more of it before I left.  The waterfall hike was recommended to me, and I set off to get there before the sun went down.

A view from the trail.  The tallest of those is just over 6000m. 

And even more on the other side of the valley. 

Nearing the waterfall, I finally saw it cascading down the cliff. 

Here is the base of the first major falls.

While I was walking I met a local man on the trail and we began talking.  He was out with his family collecting firewood so naturally I was interested since I do tree work at home.  The operation consisted of cutting down deodar cedar trees up the hill and rolling them down in sections.  At the bottom they are cut in lengths with and old crosscut saw, then split into carry-able sizes using an axe and broken branches as wedges.  Boy, it sure is a lot more work than using my chainsaws and splitting mauls and wedges!

I continued up the trail and after a good steep scramble, reached the highlight of the falls. 

The whole area is damp with mist from the falls, dotted with little purple flowers, and considered a holy area to the local people.  As such, to go behind the falls to a tiny shrine in the wall, you remove your shoes and continue through the mud barefoot.  A very beautiful place indeed.

More cool buildings in town. 

I took a taxi back to Old Manali since I still wasn't feeling 100% and wanted to get as much rest as possible for the days ahead.  On the way back to my room I got this view of the sunset over the mountains.  I like this place, it sure is purrdy.

In preparation for my time on the snow, and the cold nights I expect to have when I get to Nepal, I bought this awesome rabbit fur hat for 300 rupees.  I'd been thinking about getting one for a few days, and the ski trip was just the reason I needed to buy it.  I packed up my bags, had dinner got a bit more work on the computer done (thanks to the wifi again)  and went to bed early.

The next few days will be skiing and camping in the Himalayas, something I'd only dreamed about doing in the past.  Now here I am doing it and I'm really excited!

Life on the Dali Lamas Doorstep

I am still in the town of McLeod Ganj and am really enjoying my time here. The atmosphere is friendly, the place is very small, the weather has been good (other than one night) and the culture and scenery is fantastic.

In the morning, I went with Elmar (again, someone I met the previous day at my guest house) to breakfast at a rooftop restaurant with a great view, and chatted for a long time. Elmar has worked as a wooden boat builder, in outdoor education, teaching skiing and snow boarding, sailing a ship across the Atlantic and into the Caribbean for 8 months with students, before heading out for this trip was the principal of a boarding school and a number of other equally interesting things I'm forgetting. Cool guy. As it usually does, the subject of Seattle came up which involved me drawing a of maps of the United States and of Washington state and Seattle. When it was all done, he asked me if I really did tree work, or if I really work for Seattle tourism with the way I talk about how great Seattle is, haha.

After breakfast we set out to do a little exploring and shopping. This is one sight I found particularly amusing, this guy rides around with a bike making and selling knives. When he stops, he uses the stand to lift the back wheel off the ground, and then using a belt and grinding wheel he has attached to the bike can sharpen blades by peddling the bike!

The town of McLeod Ganj is a very small and unique place. As a result of China occupying and claiming Tibet in 1949, in 1960 the Dali Lama sought Asylum in India, landing in the town of McLeod Ganj. It is his official residence, home to the Tibetan government in exile and home to a large Tibetan population. Because of this, it doesn't really feel like India, I guess I would say, but is an awesome little town. These are Buddhist prayer wheels along the main part of town.

Besides being a 'Tibetan town in India' and serving a critical religious and political purpose (as well as a place for refugees to go) it is very much a tourist town. It is full of shops selling Tibetan souvenirs, many which are handmade on old fashion sewing machines like the one pictured, as well as the usual metal trinkets, jewelery, tons of travel agencies, restaurants of all types, and guest houses are everywhere. One thing I noticed, is that this is only the second place in my entire time in India where you can get free wifi at cafes! All of these things aside, it doesn't feel like a nasty tourist town like the beaches of Goa, and has a really friendly atmosphere. Must have something to do with all the Tibetan Buddhists, to be totally honest they are much nicer than many of the Indians in the tourist industry...

This is also one of the centers of trekking in India, and since I am headed to Nepal I need some gear I simply don't have. Spending the last four months in the hot sunny lowlands of the Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand and everywhere I've been in India up to this point I haven't needed any warm cloths or even shoes. It all changes now that I'm in the mountains. I had to buy some hiking boots, which cost way too much (3000 rupees) for what they are, but I had no other choice. I also picked up some wool/rabbit socks, and found the Nepal Lonely Planet for only 150 rupees, which I was pumped about! (it's the 2006 edition, but not much has changed) Having that book has really allowed me to start thinking about Nepal and what I can do there.

Something else that is in ready supply here is bootleg North Face gear, and other brands. Shops are full of pants, coats, backpacks, sleeping bags and other bits, all for pretty cheap prices. Copies of fancy North Face jackets that cost $150 or $200 go for about $50 here. Sure it's not as good as the real thing, but it is more than enough to get by, and some are very good copies using real Goretex and all that. I will need to buy some of this stuff soon, but I'll do it in Nepal once I actually know what I need.

In the afternoon, Elmar and I went for a little walk around the area, heading out through Dharamkot which is so close it hardly deserves a different name, and up the hill through the trees. It is the first proper forest I've seen in here in India, and it felt great to be surrounded in big trees again. It was a nice easy walk with some good views of the valleys around us and the mountains above, and it was some much needed movement after my days on the train.

In the evening, we were in a shop buying some water and snacks, and I heard a voice from the TV that made me turn around and look. It was the unmistakable sound of an NBA announcer calling a basketball game between Dallas and Portland! I had to laugh, it was the first time since the Philippines I've seen American basketball (they love b-ball in the Philippines) and I think only the second time on my trip I've seen American professional sports on TV my entire trip! For dinner we actually went to a Korean restaurant then called it a night.

In the morning, the two of us set off on a day hike up to the snow above with a guide from our guest house, but we had a new friend along, Noa. Noe is from Israel and she had approached us the previous day asking about hiking, to which I told her I knew nothing but she was welcome to join us the next day on the hike we were doing. Luckily she did, and we set off up the steep hills above town.

This marks the first day I have worn shoes (other than rock climbing shoes, but that doesn't really count) since I left Seattle over four months ago. It really felt strange to put socks and hiking boots on, but I guess I will have to start getting used to these things again!

This is the view from part way up. We really are where the flat lands run into the edge of the mountains, an amazing place to be. In the top of the photo, the biggest town is Dharamsala, the tiny bit behind the trees is the town of McLeod Ganj and the buildings in the front are Dharamkot.

The trail up was a large and well used one, so here is a tip: Don't bother with a guide. There is really no possible way to get lost, and nothing difficult about it, you just follow the road up basically. Our 'guide' didn't really do anything other than walk with us, and it was not worth the money (400 rupees each) for his company. Maybe others are more knowledgeable and talkative which would be nice, but it's just not needed in any way.

The scenery was great. Hiking on the trail cut into steep hillsides, through boulders and forests of rhododendrons was very enjoyable. The rhodies in particular were amazing, some with trunks that must have been 4 feet around and with beautiful branch structures. They are unlike any of the rhodies I prune back in Seattle, that's for sure!

After three hours of very slow and relaxed hiking, we reached snow! The town of McLeod Ganj is at 5,800 feet, and we reached snow at maybe 8,500 feet. This was my first time touching snow since last winter back home! Since I'm used to skiing and being in the mountains back home, it's been crazy not to have snow in my life this winter, but that problem has finally been solved!

Shortly afterward we reached the top of our hike for the day, a spot called Triund at nearly 9,500 feet. Up here the views are even better, and there is a small guest house (500 rupees a night) and three tiny shacks selling snacks and basic food. We ate lunch and hung out for around an hour before turning back.

Noa and I at the top. I wish we could have gone on farther, and this would have been an awesome place to watch the sunset from.... but our 'guide' was ready to take is back down. A bit farther for example, is a glacier Laka Got which sits at nearly 11,000 feet and I wish we got to go there as well.

A small rhodie in full bloom on the way back down. Oh, another thing about this 'hike' is that there are three shops you pass on the way up where you can buy tea, snacks, food and souvenirs, before arriving at the top which has more little stands. It's not exactly roughing it!

This is one of those scenes that us westerners think is hilarious and Indians don't think twice about. This is a garbage dumpster, which they simply light on fire to burn the garbage. Yes, despite appearances not all garbage here is just thrown on the hillsides! These monkeys were picking through the trash, kind of like a monkey garbage-bbq.

The other day, I watched two monkeys climb in someones second or third story window, steal a bag of cookies, come back out, open the bag, and sit on the ledge below the window to eat their new found treats. I've said it before, but I'm sure glad we don't have monkeys in Seattle!

The next day I didn't have much on the agenda, but I wanted to go to a talk on Buddhism to learn more about it. After a lazy breakfast and long chat with Elmar and Noe I wandered off to explore town some more since I hadn't seen much of it, despite the fact it is so small.

I ended up in the Tsuglagkhang Complex which is where the main temple is, a museum on Tibet, the Dali Lamas official residence and so on. The Tsuglagkhang isn't particularly spectacular to look at with it's square cinder block construction, but of course is a very interesting and important place.

Inside, hundreds of monks were sitting on the ground facing the central temple chanting and praying. In the very center, sat a number of monks with microphones leading, and doing those low voiced chants that are unlike any other sound I can think of.

Inside the temple. 

A painting on the wall commemorating the resistance movement of the Tibetan people.

After seeing the temple I set off for this talk I had heard about, for the last day or two, but couldn't figure out where it was. It's amazing how hard simple information can be to come by out here... After talking to a few people and wandering around for half an hour or so I gave up because it had already begun and I was a little frustrated (very un-Buddhist, I know).

Instead, I sat on another of the many rooftop decks with Elmar again. It was a very cool place to sit actually, because not only did we have a good view we were just a few hundred feet away from the temple, and for three hours we listened to the chanting while Elmar worked on his tattoo design and I DID MY TAXES, haha!! (score another point for bringing a netbook and wireless internet!)

At 5pm, our soundtrack of chanting ended, and monks streamed out of the temple into the streets below.

That evening, we met up with two other Israeli girls who Noa had met earlier and who Elmar and I had met the previous day on our hike. We ate at a Tibetan restaurant which was completely disorganized, but the food was good. They are traveling together and are actually headed to Nepal two days after I get in, so I'll probably meet them there.

We all woke up at 5:30 in the morning, because today we were going to see the Dali Lama speaking here in his adopted home town! (cameras are not allowed so I couldn't take pictures, this is one I found on the internet)

In case you hadn't seen it in the news, the Dali lama is stepping down from his role as the leader of Tibetan politics. When I was on the train 'going north' with no real plan of what I was going to do when I got 'north', I happened to read that in the news paper, and that he would be here in a few days. It's one of those things that happens all the time with me, set out with no real direction and something amazing happens. This is a very important moment in Tibetan history, and I knew I had to be there.

Finding out information on this talk was VERY difficult. Tibetans are as bad as Indians as far as providing clear details and organization, haha! The Dali Lamas website said he was doing a teaching on the 19^th, so as I got into town I went to the office where you have to register for the talk. The website said you have to register with a passport, two photos, all that jazz. We got there and the said there was no teaching! Instead, there would be a short prayer ceremony that we could go to and did not have to register for. I asked some monks who I bought my hiking boots from, and they had a little booklet that has the Dali Lamas schedule, and according to their book there WAS a teaching. Some people said maybe he was not going to be there at all I think. It was all very confusing and it was impossible to find out what the real story was. I went to the temple the day before and asked, and the security guard told me one thing, the help desk told me something different. Ugh!

Anyways, we woke up at 5:30am to get to the temple and get a seat on the ground before 6am. I'd been told that the Dali Lama would be there doing a prayer ceremony from 6am to 8am, then a teaching from 8am to 10am and we decided to plan our day around that 'information.' We got in and got seats before 6am, and there were very few people there that early. It slowly began to fill, but never to anything near capacity which surprised me. Around 7:30 or something, he arrived with this entourage and went to the temple a level above where all the audience was sitting. The monks all went up for that ceremony, and all we could see was the backs of a few monks above us and hear a bit of chanting. Eventually he came down and the teaching began.

When here in McLeod Ganj the Dali Lama teaches in Tibetan, and there is an English translation broadcast on the radio. I bought one of these little radios for 220 rupees so I could actually understand, but it was a bit hard to hear because one of the big speakers was right next to me, and I shared with Noe so we both only had one earphone. He told a few stories that were hard to follow due to the difficulty hearing and a rather rough translation, talked about some of the tenants of Buddhism and how to be a 21^st century Buddhist, then got to the part I wanted to hear. He talked about his decision to step down from political leadership. This was all part of the plan to do this, but the move is intended to be a pro-democratic reform where the Tibetan people will be able to elect leadership and have a greater stake in their politics. He then told more stories, led some prayers and then it ended. He spoke for maybe two or two and a half hours, I'm not sure, but despite the difficulty hearing and understanding, it was all very interesting and I really feel honored to have gotten a chance to see him speak here and now.

Elmar had to leave part way through the talk to head off to another town, but the rest of us went out for breakfast (at noon or something!) and then planned on taking naps because we were all very tired. I ended up writing up most of this blog post instead, getting a shave (30 rupees), doing a little shopping, and had a lunch of street food. I ate from 4 different stands, having an egg, some momos, a samasoa and a been/onion dish you eat using a leaf as a spoon, it was great!

The next thing I did was go to the Tibetan history museum (5 rupees). It is small, but powerful little museum detailing the history of the Chinese occupation of Tibet, the resistance movement, the Dali Lamas escapee to here in McLeod Ganj India, and the status of Tibet today. It is a must see for anyone who comes here.

In the evening, I met up with the girls for dinner, and we went to a rooftop Indian restaurant that was very good. This had been the first day of real clouds here, and all evening they were gathering in strength. By 7:30, the sky seemed to explode in thunder and lightening. I spent quite a while trying to photograph it, but naturally it was hopeless with my little camera, the best I could get was shots like this with the sky lit up by the huge bolts. We were planning on going out for drinks, but that ended up not happening, instead we just bought two beers and went back to the girls deck to watch the lightening. As we were walking back to the room the rain began, suddenly the power to the whole town went out and it was almost pitch black. As we bumbled our way through he dark streets it came back on, but went on and off a few times that evening. As we sat on the deck chatting and watching the lightening storm, the rain really started coming hard, and we even got some pea-size hail. When I went back to my room, the power was out again and I stumbled through the dark muddy roads that had turned into rivers, slipping and sliding around on my way back to my room and going to bed.

That's it for now, another great few days out here. Next is the festival of Holi, then I take a bus to the town of Manli further into the mountains. It is a center of trekking and 'extreme sports' I guess, but I'm looking forward to a few mellow days in the mountains before I have to go back to Delhi to fly out of India on the 29^th.

The Himalayas, Here I Come!

Well, I've been off the train now for a little while and in the town of McLeod Ganj, home of the Dali Lama and at edge of the Himalayas!

After the first night on the train I was beginning to figure out how everything worked, and getting the hang of the whole thing. Although there isn't much to figure out really, you just sit there. And sit there. And sit there. But it's not that bad, I wasn't even really getting bored, it was actually pretty relaxing most of the time. My only real complaint is about the food. Breakfasts were small and overpriced, and lunch and dinner were basically the same thing every day, and it wasn't very good... Rice, dhal, veg/chicken curry, chapatti, curd and water. Oh well, it got the job done.

Most of the ride I spent sitting in my seat reading, looking out the window or using my computer, but a few times a day I'd go stand or sit by the door (when the space wasn't taken by someone else, as it often was) with my feet hanging out and just watch the scenery go by.

Speaking of the scenery, while it was nice, and it was interesting to watch the vegetation change as I got further and further north, in all honesty there was never a great deal to look at. Other than passing through small towns which I enjoyed, mostly what I saw was just flat flat flat farm land. From time to time there would be some nice looking hills, and the occasional river, but we were never passing through forests, chugging along a river or winding through any mountains.

Sunset over a rice paddy on the second night. I guess besides looking pretty, sunsets are a good way through photos to indicate the passage of time, haha.

The one thing I did see on a daily basis that kept me interested was military hardware. Probably two to three times a day I saw trains loaded with tanks, trucks, jeeps or artillery. Interestingly enough many of them seemed to be headed south, away from Pakistan and the Kashmir area where all the action is. I'm no tank expert, I've only seen a few shows on the History Channel and whatnot, but most all of the tanks looked to me like 70s era Soviet units (this photo was the most modern tank I saw). The kind of tanks so obsolete that an American tank could take them out from 3 miles away without ever being seen. One thing I saw that I found amusing was that since soldiers were on the trains as well, many of them had used the barrel of the tanks as a support to put a tent on, and they would hang out in the shade it created, haha.

While the food through India Rail wasn't all that great, there were other options as well. Especially at larger stops, people would jump aboard the train, or sell through the open windows, all sorts of food, a service I partook in once or twice with great satisfaction. People would also come on board selling other totally useless junk, but none of them were pushy at all so that was nice.

Sunset over a small town on the third and final night of the ride of the ride. The nights were easy enough; people were generally quiet, the sheets were clean and the fold-down bed was comfortable enough. I lucked out on my seat a bit. The way the car is setup is that on one side of the isle there is a berth with 6 bunks, three levels on both sides. On the other side of the isle, there is just two total. That meant that come night time, I could pull the curtains closed, and have my own tiny little 'room' complete with my own window and an outlet. A much more private situation than sharing one with five other people.

That night something unusual happened: my wireless internet actually worked at a reasonable speed for the first time EVER. It is advertised as being up to 3.1Mbps (in the major cities where the infrastructure is in place of course) but I did a few tests and the typical speed I got over the entire month was .09Mbps! It would take about a minute to open a new page, Skype was impossible and made posting my blog a chore every time. Anyways, while the train was passing through Delhi, I figured if the speed was going to be decent anywhere it would be here, and sure enough I got a blazing .5Mbps!

This still isn't a lot, but it was finally enough to use Skype and I took advantage of the opportunity. Right away I started calling family members to say hello, and got a hold of my dad, both grandmothers, my great aunt and an uncle. I tried calling a few other people, but naturally not everyone was home. I was probably disturbing other passengers on the train because I was up until 1:30am talking, but whatever, because of the time difference between India and the States, and given the problems I'd had getting a decent connection it was the only time I could call people, and it was very nice to get a chance to talk to a few people. Indians generally take family seriously, so I'm sure they would all understand, haha.

The next morning had arrived, the last day of the ride, and the train had already covered over 3000km. As we got farther and farther north I saw the first signs of mountains in the area; wide, rocky, mostly dry river beds. They reminded me of the kind of outflow areas you see at the base of glaciers in Alaska, and no doubt when the winter snow is melting in the Himalayas, these areas turn into major water features. We began passing over more rivers, another sign we were getting near the source.

If you squint, you can see it! On the horizon, above the trees you can see snow capped mountains! It was rather hazy out, and they are a long ways off, but what you are seeing there is about as good a view as I was able to get myself. That said, this was my first sighting of snow since being back in the states last winter, so the first glimpse of snow got me excited! I came to this part of India (and now to Nepal) to see the mountains, and finally it is happening.

In the afternoon, I finally arrived in Jamu, 3700km from where I started at the very southern tip of India! The train trip was over, and totally worth it. On the train I met Philip, a guy from Kerala. He studied journalism in school and is headed north to work as a journalist, going up to Srinagar for a few months. We got to chatting, and he offered to help me out. Always looking to make new friends on the road I said yes of course, and we hopped into an auto to find a room to share. For some reason (“due to the security situation here”) it took a little bit of effort to find a room that would take an Indian and a foreigner but it ended up not being a problem.

After we got our room at a place called 'McDollar', and painted with red and yellow like the burger place, we set off walking. This particular shot is of an area across the Tawi river from where we were staying, but on the opposing hillside is this cool fort which for some reason had a ferris wheel, a nice garden, and a really cool looking white temple with stairs into the river. The temple has massive figures of Ganesha and other religious symbols, painted in pastel colors and probably 30 feet tall. I wish we had time to go over for a closer look.

This is a gun store. One of many. I found this very strange. Jamu is the first place in India I've seen such stores, but what makes this strange is the town is seriously militarized. “Due to the situation with Kashmir” or something, it's all a little vague. But Literally everywhere you look, you see armed soldiers standing about keeping watch. Many areas are closed off with barbed wire, checkpoints are at points along the road (though they seemed to have no effect on traffic flow, no checking was actually being done) and little barbed wire and sandbag outposts are strewn about the town. I didn't feel comfortable taking photos of the operations, so this gun shop will have to stand in. I looked into two of them, and interestingly enough most of the firearms they were selling were old-style shotguns; mostly side-by-side 12-gauge, but a few bolt action rifles as well. I didn't see any pistols other than an airgun. But anyways, the military was certainly out in force (looking for Pakistanis or something?? Remember, someone down south told me they are all terrorists!) and given the various restrictions in the area I found gun shops very surprising.

The mission Philip and I were really on was figuring out how to take the bus to our respective destinations the next morning, Philip heading to Srinagar and me going to Mcleod Ganj.

The reason I am headed there of course is because it is the home of the Dali Lama, and the head of the Tibetan government-in-exile. I hadn't really put much thought into heading there until I saw in the papers that the Dali Lama was stepping down as a political leader and that a conference would be taking place in Mcleod Ganj. Not only that but that the Dali Lama himself would be there of course, and that on the 19^th he is doing a public 'teaching'. The prospect of seeing the Dali Lama speaking in his adopted home in India, after such an announcement obviously has me very interested, so that is the plan.

Figuring out the bus situation was classic crazy India. Since there is very little organization, and because information is never centralized, finding a bus was a challenge. Philip did all the talking really, I just stood by laughing at the madness of it all. We talked to probably a dozen different people, all giving different information about weather a bus is available to go from here in Jamu to Darmsala (the transportation hub just south of Mcleod Ganj). Some said there was no public bus, some said there was no private bus, some said there was a night bus, others in the morning. Some said I had to go to another town and transfer, and the whole time we seemed to have an audience, probably because I was the only foreigner around. This is another situation where I didn't get good photos, and words can't really describe it. The sun was setting, buses were everywhere, people were yelling, families were sitting on their piles of belongings, old men hobbled about. It is probably the place so far in India that has felt the most different to me. The people here are look different from anywhere else I've been. Old men with turbans and beards died red, a mixture of Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs so many people who obviously live very far from the modern world.

I can't say we really solved the bus situation, but we had a vague idea of what to do the next day, and that we did believe in fact that there really was a direct bus to where I needed to go. With that (not really) settled, we headed back towards the room through the bazaar. It is a slightly intense area of shops selling lots of cashmere and silk, nuts and cellphones. And of course there are the armed soldiers everywhere.

Philip and I went to grab a bite of food, some tasty Tibetan mumus, and on the way back towards the room I was approached by a local who wanted to chat. He asked where I was from and my name, standard fare, and as we kept talking a crowd began to gather. Before I knew it I had more than 20 people watching me as I tried to talk to three locals at once, who were asking me about America, about Islam, the power of the English language, about all kinds of things. Everyone wanted to know my name and shake my hand. It was intense, but I was enjoying it, because I think these kinds of cross-cultural exchanges are very valuable. After maybe 5 minutes (I'm really not sure) an armed soldier came up to me and said “Now is not the time to be talking about such things” (meaning religion, which I was certainly not the one to have brought it up) and I got the message right away. It was strange, because almost the whole time I had another armed soldier in my 'audience' and he was telling me that the fear and danger of terrorism in Kashmir was mostly “propaganda.” Anyways, the second soldier was friendly, but I realized it was seriously time for me to go. Talk about an interesting experience...

Once we had made our 'escape' we headed up the hill and through the narrow streets in search of some tea. Once we found some, we sat down to drink and again people were coming up to me and saying hello. It's pretty clear this town doesn't get many foreigners, and I couldn't help but thing it would be an amazing place to spend a month in learning more about it and it's people. Anyways, we went back to the room for a bit, I finally bathed after three nights on the train, we went back out for some food and called it a night.

In the morning we woke up to get to the bus stand by 8am. As we walked through the streets, I was a bit surprised by how few shops were open, I guess they sleep in here in Jammu! Of the many scenes I saw on my way to the bus stand, this was just one of many. I guess this is a good example of how different this town can be, horse drawn carts are not the norm as cars and motos dominate, but they are not an uncommon sight at all, nor is that kind of dress.

When we got to the bus stand, unlike what we were told the previous day, the direct bus to Darmsala was in fact a myth, and I got a bus to Pathankot instead, where I'd then get a bus to Darmsala. No big deal. While waiting for the bus to leave, Philip and I got some breakfast at a local place. I guess I'm still naive, but I assumed with an Indian with me I'd be fairly safe from being ripped off. I was wrong. After we ate, they told us our breakfast would be 200 rupees!! I knew this was total bullshit, that it should cost 60 at most, but I guess some shop owners don't care if you are American or Indian, if you are not from the area you will likely be taken advantage of. I was pretty mad, and initially refused to pay, 100% prepared to make a total scene, but I didn't want to subject Philip to that.... 

At this point Philip and I split up.  He was very helpful, friendly, and generous.  The same as every new Indian friend I've made on the road, and his companionship and kindness more than makes up for the others who have taken advantage of me, haha. Thank you so much Philip for everything and safe travels.

Anyways, I got on the bus, which cost just 62 rupees for a 4+ hour ride. I sat in the very front, which I quickly realized might not be the best idea. After about a half dozen near misses with head-on collisions, I realized I was the crumple zone. At one point we were within probably 6 inches from hitting another bus, but then again that is just every day driving out here.

Here is an example of the militarization of the area I was in, which I was trying to explain earlier. In the middle of the road is a tank, and a sign that says “Nations Pride... Neighbors Envy. Welcome to Jammu.”

Now here is something that totally tripped me out. As I was on the bus with the window open for some fresh air, as it was rather hot out, I got a huge, unmistakeable will of the smell of marijuana. I couldn't imagine someone was smoking on the bus, but I looked out the window and realized the entire roadside was covered in marijuana plants! Nearly every bit of green in this photo is marijuana, two or three different types. I have no idea if this was the kind that would actually be potent enough to smoke or if it was more like the type that is used for simple hemp fibers and has no psychoactive effects, but I know this region is famous for marijuana and it was sure strange to see all along the road like that. Out here it certainly lives up to the name 'weed' because it sure grows like one.

On this bus ride, I left the state of Jammu & Kashmir which I was in for oh such a brief moment, and moved into the state of Himachal Pradesh. Before crossing the boarder (where naturally the bus was just waved through) it stopped along with seemingly every other bus and truck. Right away, we were swarmed by people selling food and other junk and I bought some grub. I don't know the name of these little fried doughy bits, but served in a newspaper cone, slathered in sauce, and only costing 10 rupees, it was money well spent. I also got some equally delicious oranges through the window of the buss before heading back on the road.

Once the bus from Pathankot arrived in Darmsala, I still had a third bus to catch to get to McLeod Ganj, but it was a 10 rupee and 10km ride, no big deal. The ride up was quite nice, finally after a month and a half here in India I was getting out of the flat lands and into the hills and towards the mountains! Also, I had entered the first proper forest I've seen here which also had me very excited. The town of McLeod Ganj is a truly beautiful place, a small town on top of a ridge over a mile high, and sitting at the base of the Dhauladhar Range which is up to 18,000 feet high and connected to the Himalayas. The HIMALAYAS! I made it! These are actually the snowy mountains I saw from the train the other day, now here I am at the base of them! I found a pretty nice room in town for 250 rupees, said 'hi' to a few other travelers, and went out in search of dinner.

I went in search of a place to eat dinner, have a beer and enjoy the view, and I found a place that didn't disappoint. Unfortunately I forget the name right now, but it is right near the main junction, the 'beer and wine bar'. The food I got was quite good, and the view was fantastic. This is Dhauladhar peak, at over 18,000 feet, looming high above the town.

And here is the sunset from the roof as I ate dinner. Simply fantastic. This was one of those moments when I just start grinning and laughing, just about how awesome the trip is, how beautiful it is here, how much fun I'm having, how fortunate I am, how happy I am, everything. It's just this overwhelming feeling that hits me sometimes out here and I absolutely love it.

The plan for the next few days looks amazing. Today I met a German guy named Elmar and we are having breakfast. Then I'm going to register to see the Dali Lama speak in a few days and explore town and the temples, maybe check out a waterfall or something. The next day Elmar and I, along with another American guy I've yet to meet are going to do a day hike up to the snow, the day after that I'll see the Dali Lama speak here in his adopted home town, and the day after that I'll be headed to Manali, an even more mountainous town. It's all just too cool, I can't help but smile and laugh.