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

This blog is just a ruse really - it's to get you access to my complete photograph gallery posted on picasa web (including kind contributions by my traveling companion Mark Takefman). There are 29 albums in total so try to stay awake! The link is http://picasaweb.google.com/drielsmapaul50?authkey=Gv1sRgCP-hre3QqsjUkwE On 27th of August 2010, after months of planning, Mark (who I met in March in Puri and who is living in Rajasthan) and I finally set off from Delhi to ride our Royal Enfields to Leh (via Manali) and then back through Spiti Valley. We allowed a month - but had time at the end of the trip for some rest days in Jibhi, Bangor Valley, Kullu before again returning to Delhi. It was a splendrous experience - albeit that yours truly dropped his bike (Gladys) 6 times in ... read more

It was raining lightly when we left Naggar and drove through the lush Kullu Valley. We passed many small villages full of slate roofed houses and apple orchards. The roads were lined with shops selling woolen shawls - many of them had men weaving in them though most of the weaving is done by women on looms in their homes. Once again we were following a river valley and after passing through a 4 klm long tunnel we crossed from the Kullu River valley to the Banjar Valley en route to the Jalori Pass and Shimla - our starting point on this trip over 14 days earlier. It was another day full of alpine scenery and terraced mountains, all the time with the river rushing by. We felt like we were in Switzerland again. I had ... read more

Ok so did a bit of a whirl wind tour of Dehradun, Rishikesh and Hardiwar. I spent a day at the Mind Rolling Tibetan Temple just outside Dehradun. Truly stunning. Plus the name made me giggle. Rishikesh is where legend states that Lord Rama did penance here for killing Rāvaṇa, the demon king of Lanka. Literally hundreds of temples and the ashram where the Beatles came to find themselves. Also home to a ton of yoga centres and there are loads of swami and monks. The Ganges (locals call it the Ganga) is huge and very fast running. The water looks clean but don't be fooled. It is just the done thing that everybody out here litters. And I am not just talking about the odd crisp packet. Soiled nappies, food refuse, old clothes, anything that ... read more

Tranquility in Kullu & Parvati Vallies Coming back from Kinnaur & Spiti we needed some rest from the dens we slept in during the tour. Manali was the right place for that. Probably the most spoiling spot in north India, it is packed with nice guesthouses, very good food, great weather and good atmosphere. The Title is taken from Jimi Hendrix song 'Purple Haze' written under heavy influence of the drugs he was using at the time. This song is one of the psychedelic rock best classics and it perfectly suits the atmosphere of Kullu & Parvati, obscured by the smoke. ... read more

Ten hours in the saddle, the wind in our hair, the flies in our sun cream, the rain on the mountain tops, the dhabbas (cafes) at the side of the road, the tunnel under the mountain, the collapsed roads and our first taste of single track mountain riding….. BLISS…. We arrived in Jari, dirty, tired, hungry and very, very happy…. The roads were incredible, and the reality of what having a bike in India would mean dawned on us…the open road stretching before us… we could go anywhere (bike allowing)… the roads are sometimes rough and tremendously difficult but they are yielding, true maybe Katie has to get off and push occasionally but we did manage to get where we wanted to go. Jari is a small farming village in the Parvati Valley. We stayed in ... read more