Blo no 9 - Manali - Himalayas

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You would never believe India could be as cold as it is now!! We are sitting here writing this in extreme climates in the mountains of the Himilayas.

After a hair raising train ride from Delhi to Shimla perched on the edges of the mountain tops, we rocked up in our flip flops and thin clothes thinking "We're in India how cold could it be!!" We spent our first few nights in the indian YMCA with no heating and dodgy showers freezing our arses off!!! Shimla itself is a little resort that almost looked like we were in a seaside resort in England (without the sea) selling icecream left right and centre and everyone on their holidays!

We caught a hairasing 10hr bus from here to McCleod Ganj. We arrived late at night so we were more than happy to settle for the dungeon room we were offered for a cheap price. Nobody ever seem to arrive at the dungeon (not suprisingly) so we raided the other rooms for comfort and anything warm. At night we each had 3 blankets, a duvet, in our sleeping bags and fully clothed plus pjs!
McCleod Ganj was such an amazing and moving place to settle for a while. Here the refugees from Tibet had crossed the great Himilayas to flee their country and for the last 50 years had created a new commuity in this part of India. Whilst staying here we visited monestries, tibetan craft shops and the tibetan mueseum (which was certainly an eye opener) and lived of our new favourite delicacy of MoMos in soup (tibetan dumplings).Everyone should support them FREE TIBET!!!!!

After McCleod Ganj we travelled on a local bus to Manali 12 hrs away/ This journey was rather entertaining as a crazy man (the villiage idiot we think) jumped on and kept wanting to kiss Helen which she found some what awkward!! I found it funny however! Behind us sat a buddhist monk with his friend, they kept on handing us food (like we needed it) and insisting we ate it!! But to get my attention he kept poking me in the back quite hard! The monk must have been travel sick because he was continuously vommiting into a jar right behind us...i was gipping for the first few hours but had no choice but to get used to the sound for the next 10hrs!! People were jumping on and off all of the time, the bus at times was almost bursting out as it balanced in clifftops! A lady attemped to squeeze on next to Helen they were so close to each other, the lady wasn't very friendly and kept glaring at helen from only centimetres away!! i again found this hillarious!

12hrs later and we are in the most beautiful place ever in a hotel in the mountains with a view of the snowy topped himilayas, what a life this is!!!

As we fly to Thailand on April19th this may well be our last blog from beautiful India....more to come in the
next destination.

Love and miss you all as always. Laura and Helen x x x

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Photos

Laura
Posing in the Hills (not quite Beverly hills tho!)

Helen
The Hills have eyes!!!

MOOOOOOO!!
This is how close the cow got as we sat outside a cafe with a cuppa!!!!

Train to Shimla
This train was the nicest we'd been on, free tea breakfast and newspaper!! Helen trying to look intellectual reading the Times of India!

Kalka to McCleod Ganj
This is what they call the 'Toy Train'

COLD SO COLD!!!!
Me wrapped up, not equipped for the cold weather as i did not read the India Lonely planet ironically right next to me!!!

McCleod Ganj
A buddist temple on the streets of McCleod Ganj

McCleod Ganj
A Tibetan lady at the temple

Manali
A stream from the view of our Hotel

Helen
She is so at Home in the wilderness!!

The Egg N Pike
In the great outdoors!!

Manali
The beautiful Himilayas

Comments

[Sue]

Hi There
Hi both of you, nice to read the latest blog, sounds like you are both still having fun, even though the temperatures changed. So Helens finding out there are as many nutters travelling on the buses as there are in Derby!!!! Hope the monk had a big jam jar or the next question would be 'where was he getting rid of it?' And did'nt the woman know it's rude to stare!! Helen you seem to be a magnet for any nutter in a 10 k radious,ever thought about changing your perfume. Me and your mum have had a very very busy day today, cleaning, meet for cuppa in the summer house, lunch, cleaning, meet for a cuppa in the summer house, cleaning, meet for a cuppa again in the summer house, tea, telly, then meet up for a cuppa and blog viewing at mine. (what an eventful life we lead!!!!!!) (beats traveling, sight seeing and crazy people (((NOT))). Anyway we better go now, kettles just boiled. You both take care and we look forward to your next blog, hopefully with some more pics (we like pics). Take care, lots and lots of love, and Happy Easter (we were going to send you both an egg but thought they would smash or melt, so we had to eat them, but just so as you would know they were very tasty. Dont forget your mums sent you a parcel to pick up when you get back to Delhi. (Parcel each that is). So one again take care and lots and lots of love, Auntie Sue and Mum xxx

[lex]

I just love u!
O my days! your photos are so beautiful- just had a little cry at your lovely faces. Glad you look so happy and peaceful. Love you loads x x x