If you are in Manali and wantinting to undertake a trek, there are numerous agencies in town that will help you source guides and cooks etc. To buy maps of the trekking routes take a short tuctuc ride to the Trekking Institute, this will cost around 80rps for the round trip. There are 3 maps that can be purchased for an amazing 20rps each. They are worth having so that routes can be discussed with your guides. Also, there are sometimes public talks at the institute concerning the mountaing flora & fauna, conservation projects and trekking routes, ask them about this when you get there, with a little luck you might catch a lecture by a guest speaker who has been to where you want to go.

The Mountain View restaurant is on the main drag in Manali, just 2 doors from the Chopsticks restaurant, which is also very good. Mountain view offers a comprehensive menu that caters for all tastes. The service is very good and the prices are cheap. You can get a good feed for around $2.00. I've eaten there several times and always been very happy with the food and the service. This is a top notch place to eat and catch up with friends. The food is delicious!

Chopsticks is ran by Tibetans and the servis is great. There is a good menu with Indian, Chinese, Tibetan and Western tastes catered for. It's also dirt cheap and the staff are really pleasant. It's worth a visit if you are in Manali.

Anita has to be in Bombay at the end of June, so we realized that if we wanted to see anywhere outside McLeod Ganj we'd better get a move on.  We decided to go to Leh (pronounced "Lay"), the main city in Ladakh, a region in the state called Jammu and Kashmir.  The timing of my India trip has been pretty lousy weather-wise; some of the places I really want to see (namely Rajasthan) are out of the question right now because of the heat and monsoons.  But this time I got it right: The road to Leh is open for only about two months per year (usually June and July), inaccessible the rest of the year due to ice, snow, and generally too-cold weather.  The trip to Leh is a long one, but we figured this is a rare opportunity to get to a remote and beautiful part of the world.

So, we reluctantly left McLeod Ganj and started the long journey to Leh.  The first leg was a bus ride to Manali, a hill station that's the starting point of the road to Leh.  We took an overnight bus that departed at 8:30pm and arrived at 6:30am.  It was, in a word (or two), not good.  The road had crazy bends, was narrow, and unbelievably bumpy -- so bumpy that I was lifted out of my seat several times.  Once I hit my head on the little fan (that didn't work) above my seat.  I slept maybe two and a half hours. 

We went straight to the Sunflower Hotel, where we had a reservation.  Like the bus ride the previous night, it was, in two words, not good.  Two other words to describe it: a dump.  But as it turned out, after doing some investigation into the next leg of the trip, we ended up staying at the hotel for under 24 hours and never slept there.  Dodged that bullet. 

After booking our seats for the ride up to Leh, we walked around Manali.  I don't know, maybe we just didn't see the right parts, but it was nothing thrilling for me.  We took a walk to look for the hot springs everyone talks about, and though we asked for directions many times along the way, we got lost and ended up climbing a steep hill that was obviously not the main route.  The springs have had structures built around them, so people can take baths in them.  When we finally found them, we inadvertently (I swear!) wandered into the men's area and saw... um... things we shouldn't have seen.  Much to my surprise, no one said a word to us about being somewhere we clearly shouldn't have been.  We found the women's area, and yeah, the water was hot and all, but with the dirt and smell there was no way I was joining the other dozen or so naked women in there.

Somehow we managed to stay awake until our 2am departure, thinking we'd sleep on the ride to Leh.  The "jeep" (really a mini-bus) was scheduled to depart at 2am and arrive the following evening at 7pm -- a 17-hour drive on the Manali-Leh Highway.  We finally got on the road at 3am, and right away we knew we were in for a rough trip -- an unbelievably windy road, the driver constantly honking the horn, and traffic!  Unfortunately I felt nauseous right away, and had to ask the driver to pull over.  The road is so narrow that there wasn't really anywhere to go, so he just stopped and let me out.  So there I was on the side of the road, in the dark but with the headlights of the cars behind us shining in my eyes, the other cars all honking at me, kneeling on the ground.  Fun stuff.  I didn't actually get sick and could've used more time out there, but with all the honking I got back on the bus.  When we started moving again I felt so lousy that I started to cry.  Anita was wonderful, stroking my back, telling me it would be alright.  I said if we would just stop moving I would feel better... and lo and behold, we stopped moving.  I never figured out exactly what was going on, but I got my wish: There was some sort of traffic jam that had us sitting there for over two hours.  Anita says I have special powers and should be careful about what I wish for aloud.

When we finally got going in earnest, I wished I'd napped earlier in the day -- sleeping on this bus, with all the twists and bumps, was going to be impossible.  In the early afternoon we had to stop (along with dozens of other vehicles) and wait for 30 army trucks to pass, which took over an hour.  At that point I heard a rumor from another passenger that we wouldn't make it to Leh that night, and would have to sleep in tents.  My college roommates used to joke that my idea of camping was staying in a Motel 6, and they weren't too far off.  I've come a long way since then (mostly in India), but sleeping in a tent in the Himalayas wasn't a thrilling prospect.  Maybe it was a good thing that everyone on the bus was so uncomfortable -- some nauseous, or dealing with massive headaches from the sudden rise in altitude -- because when we got to those tents at 8pm we were just relieved to have somewhere horizontal to rest our heads.

We all claimed mattresses, used the great outdoors as a bathroom, and climbed under the surprisingly thick, warm blankets.  I woke up at 5am, my breath visible in the freezing cold.  We got going by 7:30am, but by 7:35 had yet another delay: One of the other buses we were traveling with had a flat tire.  It did seem quite comical at that point.  I now know that the area where we slept -- that literally consisted of eight giant tents -- is on maps of India, and has a name (Pang) as if it's a town.  That's a testament to just how in-the-middle-of-nowhere we really were.  Pang is the biggest thing around -- and certainly the only place to sleep -- for hours.

Soon after leaving Pang we got to the second highest motorable pass in the world, at over 17,000 feet.  The views were incredible, but the altitude was literally dizzying.  The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful, though just as uncomfortable.  We finally arrived in Leh at 2pm on the dot, which meant that the trip took 36 hours door to door.  We had a reservation at a guest house for the previous night, but with no cell phone reception in the middle of the Himalayas, we had no way to call to explain our absence and make sure the room would be available when we arrived.  Thankfully it worked out fine; our room is very comfortable and clean, with an incredible view of the mountains.  The man who runs the guest house, John, has had enough guests get stuck overnight in the Himalayas that he knew what was up; not only was he not annoyed that we were late, but he was concerned for our welfare and couldn't have been more gracious.  Now that the trip is a few days behind me, I'm glad I did it -- the scenery was spectacular and it was certainly an adventure I won't soon forget -- but once was enough.  When I leave Leh, it'll be in a plane. 

After a 10 hour bus journey from Dharamsala, I finally made it to Manali - we got there about 6.30am and the views were amazing all the way, watching the sunrise on the coach going through the mountains.

A taxi driver recommended a place to stay called Manu Guesthouse, situated in Old Manali - I fully recommend it, it's only 150 rupees a night, with on suite bathroom and lovely people working there! That day I visited an old temple called The Dunghri Temple. I met a girl called Tatiana, and we agreed to go trekking the following day up a mountain to get some good photos. That evening we went to meet some people in the 3rd Eye Cafe.

At 6.30am on Tues, we set off. Not too well prepared I will admit. It was an amazing experience though, we scaled rock faces, climbed down waterfalls, up steep slopes and along mountain passes. When he had ggone 6 hours, we decided to head back to avoid being caught out in the dark. The most amazing thing was this dog followed us from the beginning, right through to 7pm when we got back into Old Manali - like our little guardian angel. I will admit, we ran out of water at 1pm, had to drink from streams, and ran out of food as we had only taken a paket of crackers, and also didn't take sunblock. Ended up with minor sunstroke, severe blisters, dehydration that felt like the mother of all hangovers!! Lesson learnt!

On Wednesday went to Vashisht to the hot springs (not as romantic as I thought) basically a bath tub in a temple shared with everyone else, and they only change the water once a day! Spent a few days sight seeing, and booked my ticket for Simla - leaving Friday with Shirley.

Our 1000km flight from Delhi to Leh gave us no real idea of Ladakh's isolation. We set back south by road - 475 kms to the foothill resort of Manali, the next main town. It's a 2 or 3 day journey. We took 3 days. We left Leh at 8.30. Cultivation gave way to mountain desert and metalled road gave way, off and on, to gravel track, all constantly under repair. 2 high passes, Taglang La 5328m and Lachung La, 5060m. The Pang gorges had astonishing rock formations; the Gator Loops - 24 hairpin bends in succession, brought us at 5.00pm on day 1 to Sarchu, 240km from Leh. In the middle of nowhere, but over 4000m up. It's basically a number of campsites where travellers break the journey. Our tent had an ensuite - and yes, it worked!! Then a 7.00am start through rather lusher country to end day 2 at the small beautifully situated town of Keylong, 350 km from Leh. They were widening the road on this sector. The net effect, apart from some 20km of smoothly surfaced highway, was 110km of unmade road with startling drops, tight bends and fantastic views. The hotel in Keylong provided fine views and satellite tv. The only programme in English we could find was Zee Studio showing Shakespeare in Love. The ads were for life assurance and hair products. Odd, really!
Day 3 - another 7.00am start, for the last lap, 125km to Manali. As we moved down towards the Himalayan foothills, the scenery became more "Alpine". It rains here. there are numerous fields of potatoes, pine woods, long waterfalls, glimpses of distant glaciers. We saw several eagles hovering as we headed over Rohtang, our last high pass. And our most hair-raising! Fantastic views from the top. Then as we descended, we hit a huge traffic jam. Part of the road had been washed away. An army convoy of 58 lorries (they were numbered!!) had priority coming up over the temporary, hugely muddy road, on a hairpin. Many needed to be pushed by a JCB. We waited 4 hours for our turn to descend, reaching Manali at 4.00pm. There must have been over 100 other lorries waiting to ascend. So, about 24 hours on the road for the 475km.

Manali Moments:
28th Aug. In season Sept - Nov, Manali is a favourite of Indian honeymooners. The Honeymoon Hotel advertises "The experience of a lifetime"!! Late Aug is out of season. We are the only guests in the Shringar Regency. We were the only diners last night in a large dining room, and the only breakfasters this morning. Then we took a local taxi along the River Beas to a modern Hindu temple at Kullu. Along the road, they are bringing in a huge apple harvests, with vast baskets of apples carried on men's back, to sheds, and then taken down to what looked like wholesale markets. We passed The Drive-in tree House Cottages, and then The Little Flower Visitation Senior Secondary School, where around 20 nuns in full habit were lined up outside. We were shown around Vishnu Devi Temple by a man very proud of his contribution to the exquisite, delicate carving.
Back to Vashisht, on a hillside above Manali for lunch, and past the English Wine Shop with Child Beer. Vashisht is an odd mix of workaday hill village and new age resort. The hot springs attract women doing the laundry and men washing themselves. Young westerners in baggy triousers and dreadlocks wander around. The World Peace Cafe provided a good lunch and great views. Then back to Old Manali with its wooden houses and stone roofs, and the 16th Century Hadimba Temple. It's a wooded structure, more akin to some Scandinavian timber church than what one imagines as a trad Hindu temple, and is situated in the middle of tall deodar pines. We watched Indian tourists wander around, taking photos, calling inside to do puja. Then back to the still empty Shrigar.

Tomorrow the journey begins to Leh. Rohtang pass wet and muddy, churned beneath a thousand rumbling tatas, before the river crossing. Then shanti valleys, barren and beautiful in myriad hues of ancient rock, to Keylong. Me and my bike alone in the vastness of Gods canvas, minute and ridiculous against the backdrop of awe and wonder. Exitement bubbles as anticipation rises gently from my belly. Slight fear and hope mixing like watercolours swished in the cleaning bowl. Swirls of interwoven liquids moving still, well after the agitation of thought. My bike purring like a lion with the kill, roaring and raring to clamber up over these monstrous hills. Full Tai Chi, many hours, many days. My mind and spirit one. I am, yet am not, exhilerated with a clarity bourne from a harmony within. I feel ready, bouyant, brilliant. Alive and unreal. May the road accept my faith, may the mountains sing my name, may the passes let my spinning wheels tame. Jai Ho, Geoff!!

She made it even after 1800kms of bumpy, potholed, flooded, truck infested road.  What a fantastic trip its been thanks to Adam and Dan who laughed at my contorted frame on the antiquated Enfield and never let me get too serious about the task.
Most of the trip was thru Ladakh which is closer to being Tibetan or Mongolian than Indian. The Buddhist influence is everwhere from Monasterys that barely clig to side of mountains to rows of prey flags sending on the wind messages of hope to the world.
The last leg of the ride saw us from Srinagar in Kashmir to Dharamsala where Tracy is currently studying. We thought one day would be sufficient to cover the terrain, but due to the monsoon there where diversion thru flooded areas and we would get 50 km down a road only to be turned back because of landslides..
We rode for 23 hours over the two days which the boys thought wasnt bad going but me i was totally spent.....Next big trip is going to be different.........2 wheels good 4 wheels bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After my ridiculously long journey arriving in Manali, I was too tired to be good for much. Jai & I spend most of the next couple of days just hanging around in cafes, sampling what is considered to be some of the best herbal substances in the world, called ‘Charas’; Traditionally smoked through a pipe called a ‘chillum’ by Babas (holy men) it is supposed to help you on your path to spiritual enlightenment.

Manali is a beautiful Himalayan town in the North Indian county of Himachal Pradesh. Due to the altitude (1950m) during the summer months, Manali provides some a welcome rest-bite form the souring heat and humidity of the rest of India and historically is a place of pilgrimage for hippies (I think we call all put two and two together there).

Having crashed ourselves out in various cushion piled cafes for a couple of days, nothing that notable happened until we were leaving Manali. In India you get used to the occasional native coming up to you and requesting a photo. This has always seemed a little strange to me, and often feels a little uncomfortable. However of course each time you oblige as refusal may offend. I was sitting on a wall with Jai in the area where busses left from - to call it a bus stand would be more than a little misleading; More like a big areas of mud where buses would turn up an leave from…anyway I digress…when a group of about 20-25 Indians came up and starting shaking my hand, and introducing themselves. It turns out they were a group of friends who had travelled up to the mountains for the day to have a picnic (how lovely is that [note to self – organise picnic with the gang when I get home]). They were delightful, so when they asked if I would pose for a photograph I was more than happy to oblige. What followed was just bizarre. When that had asked for a photo, they did not mean a photo with the group and me. What followed was like the some kind of Hollywood meet & greet, with them lining up and taking photos one by one! As it want on the girls started to get braver, they would step a little closer, then one put her arm around me (a bold gesture for a Hindu lady). After the photo call having invited me to join them to their home village and with me reluctantly declining on the basis I had already paid for my bus, they alighted theirs. Of course the bus sat there for the next fifteen minutes, they were staring at me out the window. Occasionally acknowledging them with a wave and a smile, which created a ripple, which each time transpired in to a wave of excitement, giggling and rip nudging.

Eventually we got on our way. As always the case in India the journey was not strait forward. At about midnight we reached a point on a secluded mountain road where the road was blocked by a truck with two burst tyres. After about an hour (providing a good opportunity to lie out staring at the vast starry sky and get to know the other passengers a little better), the truck was sorted and carried on its merry way. We piled back on to the coach. The driver was in the cab. The key turned and…He tired it again; this time a small sputter, then…nothing! The next hour and a half was spent with the drivers tinkering with the engine. Eventually it was our idea to try push-starting the thing. We got onboard and announced what was about to happen, asking all those fit enough to help to do so, otherwise we asked people if they would get off the bus in order to lose a little weight. Of course being a tourist bus, and coming from Manali, after the charas consumption of the last few days, most of the passengers did not have the get up to even get off the bus. What preceded, was a Tibetan monk, a woman who must have been in her 50s, a couple of locals, Jai and myself pushing a bus full of young tourists, backwards (I don’t know why backwards, we were just following instructions) up a mountain. The result…the engine turned over and we got on out merry way!

The bus journey was pretty painful, relieved by some sleeping tablets, which are so cheap out here and essential for the long journeys endured. To arrive in Manali was heaven, a wonderful town very reminiscent of the Alps, except the monkeys do the yodelling! We had been recommended the Veer guesthouse, and it did not disappoint, a chalet style building with good verandas, decent and clean. The climate was a more than comfortable mid-20's, such a relief to find that your water was not boiling within 15 minutes of purchasing it.

Manali is incredibly relaxing by day, with the odd long walk, loads of cards and some first-rate food. Fantastic views of the mountains are at every turn, the locals are friendly and a lot more laid-back than in many other parts of India, particularly the big towns. The evenings were generally spent watching football with a quiet beer or two. We searched for the parties, and one was scheduled but the organisers refused to pay the police baksheesh of 40,000 rupees (about 500 quid).

We gave the hot baths at Vashist a visit, around 2 kms away, wickedly hot springs but eventually I managed to achieve full immersion. We also took a picnic up to a spot nearby as a final farewell meal, as the M's were off to Jaipur, Tom, Ian, Eve and Soph to Leh, Jesse back to his Buddhist monastery at Dehra Dun where he was teaching English to little kids. Jesse really was a boy-wonder, typically Australian looking (tall and blond), an expert on the cello, surfer extroadinaire, well educated and knew the answer to all questions Indian, and still only 19 - no wonder he copped it big time on many an occaision, all in good jest of course. I should also note his full name - Jesse Ray Cameron Martin - the boy just oozes class!

And I, well I had a date in Kolkata to keep, my parents would be flying out to see me for a week and we would be heading up to Darjeeling. I was really looking forward to seeing them after several months away from home, and the luxury that they would afford would also be a nice respite from the budget travel I was maintaining. Just a nightmarish 36 hour journey to get there, hopefully I'd be in time for the Portugal match.

Stopped in vashisht, just opposite of Manali and Old Manali. It's a great place to rest, enjoy the amazing green view, get acclimitized a little at 2000 meters before going up to Leh (3500 meters). There are some nice treks in the area (look at the pics) and food and the other stuff :) are cheap and handy...