In your life you have many dreams, many ideas or targets to achieve. If you like mountains sooner or later you would love to visit Himalaya. So after knowing better local culture, I decide to spend almost a week around Indian Himalaya before closing my trip with another dream. Let's read through and you will know my other dream;)
I was in Amritsar where I supposed to spend a night before heading to Dharamshala and my adventure started: a wonderful road trip around Himalaya area and more. On the bus station, I discovered that there was just one direct bus to Dharamshala at 12pm and it was already 8pm too late to reach my couch in a village 20km away from the city. Indian are always so kind and thanks to a guy i had one option: nightbus till Khangra and then around 3am maybe, yes I said maybe, a bus to my final destination. 5 minutes to think about it and say bye to my friends, I was fighting to get my seat from ticket counter.
Bus was fully packed but luckily I had my seat and nice companion to ask info on the way. Slowly we started to go up curve by curve. As local bus, you have many stops but you can live more local atmosphere in very small village and local restaurants. After many stop around 2am we reached my stop Khangra: nice to be in the middle of empty place hoping to find a connection. But in India, there's always someone ready to help: I met guy and I explained that I need to find a bus to Dharamshala. He was so kind to ask any bus was passing around and you know after less than an hout one bus was going to my direction :). It was very short trip to reach it but now 3am I was really in the middle of nowhere and just a taxidriver that he wanted to take to my friend's place for an unreasonable price.
DALAI LAMA AND MORE
It was one of the most amazing night and day of this trip and if you believe in your karma well you find the way. My friend had mobile off and the village was 5k uphill, easy? Taxidriver knew he was only one around miles so no deal with him. 3am no friend's reply and I didn't know his address too so I took another decision: just walk till the village plenty of time and I didn't want to be cheated. Village in the night are so empty, low lights and everthing closed, hotel receptions too. I started walking in this ghost-like village till a crossroads where I had 3 options: one long way to reach the village, a shorter one and some stairs in the middle of a forest.
I took this shortcut and I found myself and in the middle of noway out condo with a nice company: around 10 dogs barking to me.. I managed to skip these dogs and I found my self in a middle of a courtyard. A tibetan lady came to me curious to know why a backpacker inside at this time, around 4am. So prompt I said where is Mcleod Ganj? She pointed to a gate just on the way to these barking dogs: the only way. So i went through it and dogs came too, I scared them a bit just to have the time to reach the gate and close behind me. The way to go up was still a lot but suddenly I heard a car coming and as the way so so tight I stopped the car. A guy opened the door asking what's goin on and I asked a lift to my friend's village. Great surprise and help from them, my saviours till I finally managed to talk with my friend. We tried to find any open hotels, no way so they decide to gimme a early morning tour of the area. So we tried to visit Dharamkot and on the way we met a russian girl with same problem, weird.. After spending time some time with her it was time to see Dalai lama temple.
Great experience to visit this temple and see lots of people coming to early pray and starting to know bit more about Buddhism. Mcleod Ganj is known
as "Little Lhasa" or "Dhasa" (a short form of Dharamshala
used mainly by Tibetans) because of its large population of Tibetan
refugees The Tibetan government-in-exile is headquartered here. We went to visit a small lake too and It was around 7am when I got a call from my friend, so lucky: he was in the same place I was having breakfast with my new friends. Bhagsu is a small village famous for its waterfalls too. After meeting my friends and say bye and thanks to the others, I spent a relaxing weekend visiting the village and meeting again the russian girl before having dinner with my friends and his father read my palms too as he's a palmist and it was pretty accurated about what he said, lets see ;).
Next day finally I had my first trek in Himalaya: Triund hill that is one day trek about 11k from Mcleod Ganj
It was a pleasant walk and on the way I met an israelian guy with my same pace so we reached the top together where we had a beautiful view of Himalayan mountains and all valley below. We relaxed a bit before moving down as the weather so changed, luckily we found a tea stall where we waited for end of rain before reach my friend's place and it was again time to leave for my next stop: another night bus from Dharamshala. When I was waiting for the bus, I met 3 indian guys going there too so team grew up and even if the bus driver was so crazy I had great time with them and more info about local customs.
MANALI
The journey to Manali supposed to be 10hrs drive but driver was so fast in around 8hrs we reached Manali. My main spot there is to reach Rohtang pass and stay closer to top peaks of Himalaya. Rohtang Pass is very famous one and it is open only between may and october. I was pretty lucky to know pass just opened a week ago and I got news there was a bus going that way around 5am. On the bus I started to realize how freaking cold it was every curve we went up. We had a stop at Rahala water falls and i started freezing. U know coming from rajasthan I undervalued the temperature over 3000mt :(. I tried to find my warmest clothes and I asked driver if when we reacheed the pass, I could find some shelter awaiting for a bus going back. He said yes but when we reached this amazing pass, I realized there was nust beautiful nature and not more. So I jumped off and back bus was coming in same time so in few seconds I had to decide again if stay or not... I stayed :))
Landscape is amazing but I could resist few minutes as it was below zero but wow I was at 4000mt my highest level from sea. So I had two options: walking down or finding a lift. I tried first van and yes I was so lucky they took me back home: a van full of policemen on holiday. The road is so narrow so we took like 6 hrs with a stop too to do 51km. I just came to have lunch and later I met my new indian friends to plan to do something together in next days. We decided to go to Kasol area together in 2 days. The night I met friends of my friend and we had very deep talks about philosophy and ways of life.
Second day was time to discover Manali and nearby area. First I went to Naggar by bus: cute village in the middle of mountains, very relaxed atmosphere. It is famous for its castle where you can visit an art gallery exibiting the paintings of the Russian artist Nicholas Roerich. I spent few hours there and I came back Manali to cook yummy pasta for 10 people, some italian food at the end. The afternoon first I went to visit the famous Hadimba temple then as I coulsn't trek I decide to go on foot till Vashist, small village famous for its hot springs, temples and a waterfall. On the way I met two russians and together we hitchhiked the last part.
I had time to visit a temple with its famous hot water springs and a little hike to reach the waterfalls. During the night I was talking with some people from Nepal to learn a bit from them too. I visited old Manali, area full of foreign people before going to bed as Kasol was waiting for me next day.
Landscape is amazing but I could resist few minutes as it was below zero but wow I was at 4000mt my highest level from sea. So I had two options: walking down or finding a lift. I tried first van and yes I was so lucky they took me back home: a van full of policemen on holiday. The road is so narrow so we took like 6 hrs with a stop too to do 51km. I just came to have lunch and later I met my new indian friends to plan to do something together in next days. We decided to go to Kasol area together in 2 days. The night I met friends of my friend and we had very deep talks about philosophy and ways of life.
Second day was time to discover Manali and nearby area. First I went to Naggar by bus: cute village in the middle of mountains, very relaxed atmosphere. It is famous for its castle where you can visit an art gallery exibiting the paintings of the Russian artist Nicholas Roerich. I spent few hours there and I came back Manali to cook yummy pasta for 10 people, some italian food at the end. The afternoon first I went to visit the famous Hadimba temple then as I coulsn't trek I decide to go on foot till Vashist, small village famous for its hot springs, temples and a waterfall. On the way I met two russians and together we hitchhiked the last part.
I had time to visit a temple with its famous hot water springs and a little hike to reach the waterfalls. During the night I was talking with some people from Nepal to learn a bit from them too. I visited old Manali, area full of foreign people before going to bed as Kasol was waiting for me next day.
KASOL
I met my indian friends at bus station and we took first bus to Manikaran: the idea was to visit first this town then heading to Kasol where I will have spent a night and they would have gone back Manali. Just 80k but it took 5 hrs to reach Manikaran. This town is known to be a famous pilgrimage center for Hindus and Sikhs and an hot springs center too. First we went to visit the temple of Lord Shiva and I was surprised again about big charity in this religion. They gave us free food and drink and I can state it was a very good veggie thali. Rest of the time we went to the Sikh temple where you can also have food and accomodation too for free.
Kasol is a small village but best point to start many trekkings around and full of restaurants and places to sleep. Its just 5k from Manikaran so you can walk or take a bus. When we reached Kasol, we split but it was great fun with them but I preferred staying here so I could have my last treks in Himalayas. The guesthouse was clean and nice and I met many people from Israel there. I was bit tired so in the afternoon I had a nice walk along the Parvati river with amazing views of the mountains and for dinner yes I tried indian pizza and it was not so bad.
Second day was very long as I spent half day trekking and then I started my way to Rishikesh last stop before my final dream of this trip. After almotst 2 weeks of travelling on the road, I decided to visit the famous village of Malana. So I took a bus to Jahri from there you have two options: 21k trek or hire a taxi (sharing is cheap) and you just trek last 4-5K. I chose to bargain a taxi for 1000rps with 3hrs awaiting for my trek. The road is so terrific and taxi just leave you in front a gate welcoming you to the Malana route.
This trek is short with stoned stairs but very steep. The views are so beautiful and you can start to see this village from below. This village is so old with its rules, religion and social structure. They don't like any form of contacts from foreign people and if you touch them or their buildings you should pay a 1000rps fine. They need this money to kill a lamb as a ritual to purify themselves from this unwilling contact. On the way up I could not get into the center of village as one man asked me why I was there and as I replied just fro trekking he didn't me allow to follow the main route. Just outside the village you can fin some guesthouse as this is just a part of very long trekking through Chanderkhani Pass. On the way back i was more lucky as I skipped control and I managed to reach the main square full of locals and I could see these famous signs about a1000rps fine. The chief of village asked me where I was there, same I said for trekking, they looked at me a bit weird but they said just pass, awesome experience.
Taxi took me back Jahri and from there I went back Kasol just for a shower and a nutella chapati. I was lucky again when I was waiting for the bus a car stopped and I got a lift till Mandi where I could visit the town before getting my night bus to Rishikesh, tough drive as I was bit sick too.
RISHIKESK AND MY DREAM
On the journey I met a guy from New Caledonia wow he's been traveling for the last 3 years. We arrived at Haridwar early morning and it's very common to move around by collective tuc-tuc. Be aware they wuill force to get one jt for your spending 6-7 times more so be patient till you get a collective one goin to yoru direction. My host was on the way to Rishkesh and he's an astrologist with great knowledge about hinduism and guru. We had nice talks then I spent the evening at Haridwar to watch the famous evening prayers at Har ki Pauri .Here I had a chance to have a small bath in Ganga river and I met other interesting people too.
Trip was almost ove but I went to visit Rishikesh lasta day before reaching my last dream of this trip. Rishikesh is famous as world capital of Yoga: It is believed that meditation in Rishikesh brings one closer to attainment of moksha, as does a dip in the holy river that flows through it. I spent half day there before goin back to get my stuff and moving slowly to get my bus to the real last stop.
It was another night bus and we started the journey with a puncture and a guru wanna sell me something on the way but I skipped him telling sorry i just speak italian. After 10 hrs we finally reached Agra, it was perfect time to visit my last dream of Taj Mahal , one of the most famous buildings in the world.
Taj Mahal is very expensive for foreign people but on the other hand you skip the line on the entrance, you have a fast lane to visit the Tomb as it's always full of people even if it was 7am. On the entrance people will try to cheat, like I can give you fast entrance and so on, just don't believe: you already have a fast entrance. Inside its amazing and the reflex of Taj Mahal is unique. I spent most of my time in Agra here, I had time to have a fast look of Fort Agra as I was tired and it was really hot.
I just had the energy to get my bus to New Delhi, it was 5 hrs under a temperature of 45C, what a journey!! I spent last hrs with a friend tastin the last Lassi. What experience, I will cherish the wonderful time with local people, Himalayas and my mind is ready for the next step: EVEREST ... namaste
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