Kwise

Well I am sooo sorry to you my (huge) reading public to not have written for a while. Its not my fault (obviously) I am currently blaming the Ganges. I reckon it steals time. I'm here in a place called Laxman julah, near Rishikesh. Its a very holy place for indians and a very easy place for a wiseman to lose track of time. I couldn't actually let you know how long I have been here! In the last few weeks I've been up to quite a bit of adventuring so here goes where I left off in Vashisht - near Manali ADVENTURE IN SPITTI WITH THE GALOPPING ITALIAN I was having a quiet tofu curry in the TIbetan Lhasa. I got chatting to the young man opposite me, an Italian called Federico who has been ... read more

Still here in Vashisht and boy does it know how to rain here in monsoon season! The rain is awesomely competent! Hours of it. In fact its probably the most competent thing I have found so far about India. I have seen Vashisht spelt Vashishat. So thats with a silent shat then. Not like the cow shit which is everywhere. Getting back to the guesthouse at night can be an tricky adventure even with a flashlight. You are quite literally walking though a cow shit mine field ready to explode on uncovered and unsuspecting feet at one false step. But then thats the good thing about the rain it liquidieses the cow shit so it just mixed up with the ordinary mud. Rock on. Mum you wouldn't like it here - there are cows EVERYWHERE - ... read more

Hello All and this blog finds me a very happy Wiseman indeed. I left Ladakh on Monday at bad o'clock. After hours of interminable and claustrophobic winding through the never ending brown mountains of Ladakh I was finally greeted with the huge green mountains of Himachal Pradesh. Not only that but moist air and the smell of herbs and pine. Most welcome to my english heart and lungs. So here I am in a little village north of Manali called Vashishat, staying with a lovely australian girl called Leana who I met in Leh. Being monsoon season we can't escape the rain. But who cares when you stare out at clouds floating past green mountains and the rain is warm and gentle. Besides - I feel at home in the rain. PRODUCTIVITY LEVELS Are improving...I've done ... read more

First I have to alert readers to a mistake appearing in an earlier entry. I let you all know that Namaste means 'hello' in Hindi. According to my dear friend Pam it means 'I honour your light' I am as yet unable to verify this, however, I think its better, so lets work on that basis. Anyway - I've been a bit lazy on the old travel blog front recently so I promise you all a fun packed, thrilling extra long entry. Or maybe I'll just write a few words.... So today's entry finds me still in Leh on a sleepy sunny Sunday morning. I leave for Manali tomorrow (feel for me guys I have to be at the bus stop at 4.30am for the beginning of another two day bus odyssey - more about the ... read more

....is very tiring. I can tell you. I've been three days here in Leh I think and I'm still puffed out when I walk to the top of the lane leaving my guesthouse. The past couple of days have seen me laying low and aclimatising. Trying to get all my stuff sorted. I spent yesterday feeling pretty rotten in bed. At the time I was convinced I had malaria. Funny how all the symptoms of the minor stuff, dehydration, diarhea are also the symptoms of malaria! Finally made it out of bed to a tibetan doctor who didn't think I had malaria and gave me the worst tasting dung pellets of pills I have ever had in my life. Yeuch. I was speaking to a lady who has spent eight years in India today about working ... read more

Kate's guide to India Kashmir A place in northern india. You shouldn't go to unless you like bombs, soldiers, aggressive sales tactics and being ripped off. Beautiful place, somewhat spolit by civil war and Kashmiri people (see below) Kashmiri people Don't trust them......ever. Enjoy their charming company, marvel at their generousity of spirit, wonder at their emotional intensity However, even when their heart is in the right place....they will tell you lies. They can't not tell lies, their is no moral code against it. Nor will they will not take no for an answer. The only way to get them off your back is to be rude and/or walk away. In extreme situations you can also try leaving Kashmir to get away from buying one of their overpriced pashmina's. Although unfortunately Kashmiri's have spread throughout India ... read more

Hello there everyone back in Blighty. I feel most remiss in not letting you all know how I'm getting along before now. Its all been pretty hectic here! And I'm slowly beginning to get the hang of it, can say at least two whole sentences in hindi and know some Kashmiri words to boot. I am getting the hang of the toilets (squatting over a hole) the constant slightly upset stomach, eating with my hand (surprisingly more difficult than you can imagine) the constant attempts to persuade you to buy anything other than things you actually need, the heat, people coming up to me and asking to have their picture taken with me! blah blah blah. I love this crazy country. So I flew into Delhi about ten days ago. And it does indeed smell! ... read more

Namaste (Thats hello in Hindi - see this can be an educational blog as much as an entertaining one) Well I never - I fly out to Delhi today. Well tonight at 10pm. I've got a whole day in front of me to pack, eat chicken, get travellers cheques and play with getting some cds onto my pda. Lets hope I survive since I have on various occasions nearly thrown myself, laptop and pda out the window in annoyance at none of it working. So I've got a hotel booked and a taxi booked from the airport. A man with a nice yellow card will come and find me. This is pretty organised. Well that's 4 of 180 days sorted anyway. Had a nice evening last night with sisters and friends with everyone giving me one ... read more

Here I am in Richmond, its the first of June and I fly out to Delhi on the 25th. With nothing but a warm up holiday in the South of France (well I wouldn't want to pull a travel muscle now would I?) and a few goodbyes between me and the marmite of countries. Apparently you either love India or hate it. Bring it on.... read more