Prayer Wheels at the Dalai Temple Complex, McLeod Ganj

Prayer Wheels at the Dalai Temple Complex, McLeod Ganj

And I always rotate them even though I am not particularly religiously. But that is not to say that I have no faith. And I guess enough said.

What do You Sell to the Tourist?

I remember it was the rainbow day at Triund. We were chatting with a young local lad who was studying in Germany and had a tourism business based out of Germany too.

Rainbow at Triund, Above McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh

We were discussing random things, like the trek, the snow at the Indrahar Pass, the changing weather patterns, the shopkeeper at the Snowline and the tourists visiting India. Both of us expressed a deep desire that one day we want to exchange rupees for a lot of foreign currencies so that we could back pack around the world.

Soon the talk turned to the tourists visiting Triund and McLeod Ganj.

Souvenirs for Sale at McLedo Ganj on the Roadside, Himachal Pradesh

A little while back there was one young girl who gave a piece of her mind to the shopkeeper at our camp because she thought she was asked to pay more for a room. The local lad from Germany told me, "Ma'am yahan haans kar aap dhul bhi bech sakte ho" (Ma'am, in these regions if you know how to talk nicely you should even be able to sell the dust). He was not being derogatory, he said it as a matter of fact, no boasting nothing.

Tintin in Tibet

Tintin in Tibet Bags for Sale in Mcleod Ganj

Mcleod Ganj streets are full of souvenirs and colorful ones at that. What I drool most at are the earrings of all size and shapes (that is one piece of jewellery I use almost on a daily basis) but then I am content with just taking pictures.

What invariably happens is that I ask the price and they quote some high figure and then I run away. I am extremely bad at bargaining. Sometimes the ladies at stall call my retreating back, "What will you pay?" I still keep running away.

For this bag, I didn't even ask the price and anyway apart from a holiday where is the scope to use this in the daily routine? In fact this time after coming back from the trek I called brat 2 (my younger nephew) from McLeod ganj and asked if he wanted something? He immediately said, "get me a T-shirt," and I did. Otherwise as soon as I enter the house he still asks me, "What have you got for me?"

When I asked the shop owner how much for a T-shirt that I liked he said 175 rupees. I paid, then he returned 25 rupees and said, "We say 175 but we give for 150." I got that discount even without asking for it. I am that bad at barging and the shopkeeper was that kind. But it happens only in the mountains.

PS. Brat 1 (my elder nephew) is right now at Prashar Lake and he went alone!

Our Itinerary for McLeoad Ganj, Triund and Lehs Cave Trip

Blue Mountain Flowers at Snowline, above Triund, Himachal Pradesh

Megha has asked for the itinerary of my recent trip to McLeod Ganj, Triund and beyond. We are not big at planning anything but here is what we did.

22/05/2009 (Friday morning)- Leave for Chandigarh by Shatabdi Express from New Delhi, we had some work in Chandigarh otherwise the straightforward way is to go to Pathankot/Chakkibank by train and take a bus for Dharamshala/McLeod Ganj from there.

22/05/2009 (Friday afternoon)- tried to take a bus to Dharamshala but we were told we missed it by a few minutes and the next one was around 6.00 pm. We did not want to wait that long and asked for advice. The bus conductors told us to go to Jwalaji and take a bus from there for Dharamshala. We reached Jwalaji by 8.00pm and decided to stay there for the night is a ghastly Rupees 400 hotel.

23/05/2009 (Saturday Morning) Got up, ate Aalo paratha (flat Indian bread stuffed with potatoes) took Avomine (both of us have bad motion sickness on hill roads) and sat in a bus for Kangra as there were no immediate buses available for Dharamshala. After Kangra, we immediately got the bus straight for McLeod Ganj.

23/05/2009 (Saturday afternoon) With two big rucksacks we finally reached McLeod Ganj. Sesha found an atrocious hotel and I agreed to stay there! Did nothing. Sesha found a trekking agency but we were told that Indrahar pass route was not yet open because of snow.

24/05/20089 (Sunday) Lazed around McLeod Ganj.

25/05/2009 (Monday morning) Started walking for Triund. Reached triund sat there, literally soaking in the Dhauladhar range.

26/05/2009 (Tuesday morning) Walked up to Snowline. Stayed there.

27/06/2009 (Wednesday morning) Walked up to Lehs cave and above. Got caught in hail while returning. And then had to put our tent down for the fear that it would get blown off in the stiff wind.

28/05/2009 (Thursday morning) Walked back to Triund, sat there, it was the rainbow day.

29/05/2009 (Friday morning) Unfortunately walked back to the civilization (Mcleod Ganj). Stayed at a marginally better hotel.

30/05/2009 (Saturday morning) Lazed around Mcleod Ganj.

30/05/2009 (Saturday afternoon) Took a bus back to Pathankot.

31/05/2009 (Sunday morning) Unfortunately we were back to reality, Delhi.

A Wedding at 10000 Feet!

Wedding at 10,000 Feet!

There was a couple from Mumbai and their friends on this trek and the couple was getting married at a temple near the snowline called Kunalpathri! Now after 6 years of trekking this is the first time I heard of anyone getting married at this altitude in the Himalayas apart from the locals! By the evening I had the pleasure of chatting both with the bride and the groom. They decided to do so because they had first met on a trek in the mountains. They said they would have another wedding in Mumbai for family and relatives as not everyone was willing to trek. I wonder if this idea would slowly spread? This wedding was organized by the trekking agency from McLeod Ganj.

Photos from McLeod Ganj, Triund, Snowline and Lehs Cave

I finally managed to upload the pictures from Mcleod Ganj, Triund, Snowline (also know as Ilaka) and Lehs Cave.

Traveling to the mountains is always magical. I have a lot to write about and I will be mixing my UK and Himachal Pradesh posts.

Another Sunset at Snowline (above Triund) Himachal Pradesh

I got three days worth of fabulous sunsets but this one on the Day 3 of the trek was the best. And the note to self is that while shooting sunsets I should take more of the sky and less of the hills in the frame!

My Rainbow! At Triund, Himachal Pradesh

As I say, in each trek some rain must fall and we had quite a bit of it. But I would live with it every time if I get to click and see (in that order) a rainbow at the end of it.

And when I wish to write about this trip, I have to complete a report for the office (I am changing jobs too) which comes first.

But very soon, this trip account is waiting to get written.