Bir, Bir everywhere but not a drop to drink (it is pronounced Beer by the way)

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We left McLeod to visit a chap (paragliding instructor) mentioned to us by some paragliding friends in Algodonales. After emailing him we set off to a small Tibetan colony in the mountains (technically the foothills of the Himalaya - still looked bloody big to us), called Bir.

The journey on the local bus took a couple of stages and about 5 hours - but wasn't that unpleasant. Still in the mountains, the temperature was nice and the people still happy. We arrived at the little colony and met up with Bruce (hi Bruce)! We stayed 3 days, walked around the small village, ate more Tibetan food, and were shown around another monastery. The young monk who took us around the monastery was a lovely lad who very kindly offered us some of Padmasambava's birthday cake from the altar of the temple. Padmasambava is an historical 'enlightened' figure whose birthday had just passed. What we weren't sure about was how 'just' it had passed. The cake tasted good and we are still fine and not hospitalised so -all's well.

We left Bir and got another two local buses (again not that bad) to Mandi. After staying 2 nights in the converted 'Maharajas Palace' (very nice), we left for Shimla.

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Photos

Stalking Monks
Well, following them back to town

Paddy
You'll never grow anything in that

Gompa
Whose Birthday?

Padmasamwho?
Why's he left his cake?

Maharajas Palace
That's us on the right