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

Recharging in Dharamsala After our ordeals in Uttaranchel we just wanted a place to relax. By then, we had enough of 'hardcore' India so we took off to Dharamsala, a central destination on the 'bitten track' - the popular route that most travelers take. Dharamsala is a small town in north India, in the state of Himachal Pradesh. It was brought on the tourism map due to the Dalai Lama placing there his residence after being exiled from Tibet. He settled in Mcleod Ganj, a village above downtown Dharamsala, together with many refugees following him. The relations between them and the locals are quite well now, after lots of tension in the past which resulted in violence. There's no big sympathy between both sides but they get along somehow. Yoga, Tai Chi, Massage, Jewelry and even ... read more

Human Jungle of Delhi Delhi is the place where many first-time visitors to India experience the unavoidable cultural shock. We were no exception to this, arriving there after two futile weeks in strike-paralyzed Nepal and landing directly into a literally boiling city, where the average temperature was 40+C. Add this to the commotion, dirt and crowdedness of an Indian metropolitan and you get the picture. To make things worse, the backpackers guesthouses are concentrated in the dirty old central market (Main Bazaar), a unwelcoming place even in third-world standards. Hell, in short. It was amazing to realize that after spending quite some time there we felt totally different about it. Maybe that's the story of India itself - you begin by disgusting it but ends up adoring it (or take the first flight out, as many ... read more