Manali 13th - 23rd July
We arranged a jeep with 6 other people from the Rainbow Guest House to drive to Manali. Left at 19:30 in a small taxi for the first 2 hours of the trip, its a 485 km journey! We rendouved with our jeep on a deserted road at the start of the mountains and the end of the good road. We all felt as if we had been had and were going to be robbed and shot in the middle of nowhere!! We arranged ourselves in the jeep all seven of us and started the 18 hour drive.
At 02:00 we stopped at the borber as it was closed until 05:00 and tried to settle down to some sleep - at this point we felt cheated as there was no mention of this wait in the jeep. The roads were that bad that we were all thrown around in the jeep all the way. David and Shoam could not sleep so went into on of the tent camp hotels (on the drivers behalf to shush the stick they where giving him!) for a couple of hours good kip and to leave some more room in the jeep for the others. 15:00 we were off again bumping our way to Manali and arrived battered, miserable and knackered.
Now, the journey was a misery but, we had great moral support in each other and the views were not spoilt by our moods.
It was fantastic green and boulder scenery with wild weather creating a awesome atmosphere and there were a few truck carcasses in the valley below that struck fear into every corner we blindly wheeled round. Its the second highest road in the world and reaches 5328m and the road is scared by glacial streams. After the Rohtang pass (3978m) the road starts to drop into Himachal Pradesh, incidentally the name of this pass literally means 'piles of dead bodies', comforting.
At 18:30 we arrived had a another arguement with the grouchy driver and booked into the dirtist G.H. but, G.H. with most character in Vashesht 20 min up a mnt. Mummy liners essential.
Vashisht is made of traditional timber houses and narrow muddy lanes off the main road where you can also find apple orchards, waterfalls, wildlife, mnts and has good views of Manali and the river Bees. It also has sulphur springs that I chose not to frequent as the ladies area could distinctly be viewed from the road if an 'innocent' head was popped over the wall, David didnt fancy it either cos of the smell. For two nights we stayed here then went to join the oters in Old Manali which is just as beautiful, old wooden houses with heavey stone roofs are decorated with herbs, chillis and tabacco to dry.
Manali is in the Kullu valley and in winter is a premire ski resort. The nights were a good time to sit and let the winged wildlife land on you (you have no choice!) and enjoy the spectacle of the hunted and the hunters (geckos and frogs). Here we found an excellent Korean restaurant with food out of this world, a good secret shown to us by Racksaw (sorry sp.) or neighbour.
Poor David is suffering at the hands (or proboscis) of those tat bite at night and comes up in little puss filled balls onsite of attack. The fresh trout here is mouth watering! Manali for us was good excercise. We had a few local walks and a bit of shopping therapy. We found the most seriously gorgeous cookies in the world at Dylans - warm, guey and creamy chocolate chunks, they even more enjoyed after the hour it took to freshly bake them - every time worth the wait.
Everyhouse has a cow (or two!)
At 02:00 we stopped at the borber as it was closed until 05:00 and tried to settle down to some sleep - at this point we felt cheated as there was no mention of this wait in the jeep. The roads were that bad that we were all thrown around in the jeep all the way. David and Shoam could not sleep so went into on of the tent camp hotels (on the drivers behalf to shush the stick they where giving him!) for a couple of hours good kip and to leave some more room in the jeep for the others. 15:00 we were off again bumping our way to Manali and arrived battered, miserable and knackered.
Now, the journey was a misery but, we had great moral support in each other and the views were not spoilt by our moods.
It was fantastic green and boulder scenery with wild weather creating a awesome atmosphere and there were a few truck carcasses in the valley below that struck fear into every corner we blindly wheeled round. Its the second highest road in the world and reaches 5328m and the road is scared by glacial streams. After the Rohtang pass (3978m) the road starts to drop into Himachal Pradesh, incidentally the name of this pass literally means 'piles of dead bodies', comforting.
At 18:30 we arrived had a another arguement with the grouchy driver and booked into the dirtist G.H. but, G.H. with most character in Vashesht 20 min up a mnt. Mummy liners essential.
Vashisht is made of traditional timber houses and narrow muddy lanes off the main road where you can also find apple orchards, waterfalls, wildlife, mnts and has good views of Manali and the river Bees. It also has sulphur springs that I chose not to frequent as the ladies area could distinctly be viewed from the road if an 'innocent' head was popped over the wall, David didnt fancy it either cos of the smell. For two nights we stayed here then went to join the oters in Old Manali which is just as beautiful, old wooden houses with heavey stone roofs are decorated with herbs, chillis and tabacco to dry.
Manali is in the Kullu valley and in winter is a premire ski resort. The nights were a good time to sit and let the winged wildlife land on you (you have no choice!) and enjoy the spectacle of the hunted and the hunters (geckos and frogs). Here we found an excellent Korean restaurant with food out of this world, a good secret shown to us by Racksaw (sorry sp.) or neighbour.
Poor David is suffering at the hands (or proboscis) of those tat bite at night and comes up in little puss filled balls onsite of attack. The fresh trout here is mouth watering! Manali for us was good excercise. We had a few local walks and a bit of shopping therapy. We found the most seriously gorgeous cookies in the world at Dylans - warm, guey and creamy chocolate chunks, they even more enjoyed after the hour it took to freshly bake them - every time worth the wait.
Everyhouse has a cow (or two!)
posted by David at 9:51 am
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