Blogs from Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, India, Asia - page 4

always wanted to start of with my travelling experiences long back..but then was a bit lazy, and also the lack of writing skills,and other such reasons...reasons being many...so will start off with my first travell experience..although it has been almost 3 yrs since then, and my hairs grown pretty longer, memories are still vivd....for that was the time that sparked my dormant instinct..the love for travelling...and after that i was never satisfied...FLASHBACK.... TIME: 6 pm. ..1st july 2008..tuesday..... DESTINATION..macleodganj On our way to DHARAMSALa...me and few of my friends..... my first trip ever..so full of excitement....we took a bus at around 9 pm from isbt,delhi..nothing notable during the bus ride.. wasnt really a comfy one.. except for the excitement what lays in store...some imaginations about the place and the trekking as to ho... read more

I have to admit i was a little nervous flying into the Himalayans with no place to stay and no plans. But that was part of my plan for India; let God teach me. Stacey helped me a little at the airport to scope one guest house and a potential yoga centre. So with some lovely KFC in my belly I flew out of Delhi into the north. Outside of the airport I negotiated a taxi to a place called Mcleod Ganj; the neighborhood of Dharmasala i thought i would stay. 550 rupees seemed steep ($12) until i found out it was a one hour ride up one lane roads high high high into the hills. It is mountainous here with little villages dotting the roadways and hills. The cab driver fast became my friend and ... read more

Our 10th Mahindra Homestay was Jaishree & Vijay Mankotia's Om Mahal in Kangra valley near Dharmanshala. Crossing Shimla is such a pain. The traffic is unbearable and despite helpful cops standing at every turn we took a good one hour to get out of the maze. Since we were 'inside Shimla' now, we decided to pay a visit the dear old Peterhoff Hotel. In 2004 we had come to this heritage hotel to get flagged off on the Raid de Himalaya. From Shimla the road is pretty straight to Gaggal... just stay on NH 88. We took a couple of detours because of landslides (yes... even in the summer these things happen) and sometimes because we felt the off-road was more picturesque than the highway. We finally reached Gaggal (via Bilaspur, Hamirpur. Jwalamikhi and Kangra). Om ... read more

SAB KUCH MILLEGA (Anything is available) Well I am on my own now as team Gap adventure has officially disbanded! It was an uber 20 days but it was starting to get a little claustrophobic and skool trip esque. But I will begin by regailing you with the end of our tour. Bhang Bhang, you shot me down, Bhang bhang I hit the ground, Bhang Bhang that awful sound, Bhang Bhang my baby shot me down... The scene: Varanasi. The plan: Get high. The result: Messy. Allow me to explain. Varanasi - Indias holy mecca upon Ganges - is a hotbed for what is known as bhang, a legal marajuana derived substance added in this case to Lassi (a yoghurt drink that is num num!) Good old Govind our tour leader had made sure at the ... read more

Just Another Day in Paradise It really is a paradise here. Such a change from Delhi. The days are all running together now as I have somewhat settled into this area. I've gotten used to people trying to sell me things and lure me into there shops for tea and talks so the awkwardness of telling them no has worn off. The last few days have consisted of many walks up and down this mountain we're on, spending three hours a day with my learning partner doing various things; helping her set up a Facebook account, researching ESL programs in the U.S., making momos and hiking up to the waterfalls. We get along so beautifully, I am sure we will remain in contact after my departure. Meetings and debriefings/reflections usually fill our afternoons. One day ... read more