Sunday, August 30, 2015
Toy Train Ride
Chitkul to Tabo
We loved the guest house in Chitkul! It was the last building in the small village right next to nature preserve land. The view of the valley and the high snow covered mountains with the Baspa River running through it was beautiful. Being near the end of the road there was very little traffic and the peaceful quiet was relaxing. The local villagers were harvesting green peas and kindly gave us handfuls when we passed by them. Most didn't want their picture taken but some said OK. All were very hard working nice people. The owners of the guest house were Manmeet and Manali. A very nice enthusiastic and helpful couple Manmeet loved the nature and the peacefulness of the place and Manali loved having the company of the guests. Since they both had excellent English the visit was good.
Leaving there they both told us that the road ahead was the most dangerous in India and prone to being closed by landslides or large boulders blocking the road. The road was actually not a road but more like a goat path or maybe not even a goat path! It was clinging to the edge of the cliffs above a raging river, the Satluj, with very few guard rails but thankfully not much traffic except for some large trucks and busses which were bad enough since the road was barely one lane. Nothing but blind curves added to the excitement (interpret that as fear and loathing). Rocks of all sizes were in the road having fallen there from the steep slopes and lifts above. - more "excitement" which included coming to sections where both Babu and Lalit constantly watched uphill for rocks coming down while which ever of us was on the outside tried to not look straight down the 1,000 ft + drop to the river below. To hell with rocks from above, down seemed to be the treated threat to the one on the outside! Probably a hundred thousand hair pin turns in the next 10 or 11 hours. By the time we arrived at our guest house in Spiti (pronounced Piti) I was sea sick and went to bed and had to sleep it off. We don't know how the driver Babu got us through this without a meltdown but he did or he went and did it in private. We saw him doing his,prayers as we passed shrines and we joined in also, what could it hurt?
The children are are the most endearing. If they see a camera they want their picture taken, then want to see their likeness on the camera screen. They are quick to smile and play outside their houses, making up games and laughing out loud. I was sitting on our balcony yesterday in Tabo when a young boy came up the hill next to our guesthouse. He bent over to pick up a ball and threw it at a rock which bounced back and hit him in the face. He looked around to see if anyone witnessed his trick and there I was. He was quite embarrassed and ran away--we are all the same aren't we?
We entered the Buddhist area in Nako right before arriving and staying in Tabo. We First heard the Jullay greeting in Tabo. We are In Kaza now. It is very nice to enter this area. We love the Jullay greeting.
Leaving there they both told us that the road ahead was the most dangerous in India and prone to being closed by landslides or large boulders blocking the road. The road was actually not a road but more like a goat path or maybe not even a goat path! It was clinging to the edge of the cliffs above a raging river, the Satluj, with very few guard rails but thankfully not much traffic except for some large trucks and busses which were bad enough since the road was barely one lane. Nothing but blind curves added to the excitement (interpret that as fear and loathing). Rocks of all sizes were in the road having fallen there from the steep slopes and lifts above. - more "excitement" which included coming to sections where both Babu and Lalit constantly watched uphill for rocks coming down while which ever of us was on the outside tried to not look straight down the 1,000 ft + drop to the river below. To hell with rocks from above, down seemed to be the treated threat to the one on the outside! Probably a hundred thousand hair pin turns in the next 10 or 11 hours. By the time we arrived at our guest house in Spiti (pronounced Piti) I was sea sick and went to bed and had to sleep it off. We don't know how the driver Babu got us through this without a meltdown but he did or he went and did it in private. We saw him doing his,prayers as we passed shrines and we joined in also, what could it hurt?
The children are are the most endearing. If they see a camera they want their picture taken, then want to see their likeness on the camera screen. They are quick to smile and play outside their houses, making up games and laughing out loud. I was sitting on our balcony yesterday in Tabo when a young boy came up the hill next to our guesthouse. He bent over to pick up a ball and threw it at a rock which bounced back and hit him in the face. He looked around to see if anyone witnessed his trick and there I was. He was quite embarrassed and ran away--we are all the same aren't we?
We entered the Buddhist area in Nako right before arriving and staying in Tabo. We First heard the Jullay greeting in Tabo. We are In Kaza now. It is very nice to enter this area. We love the Jullay greeting.
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Monkey Business
We are enjoying our time with Lalit. We are in Shimla. The people here are very Arian looking and mostly have good English. The traditional dress is really nice. Women wear head scarves gypsy style. No saris. Loose pants and long tops and sometimes ornate wool vests. The men dress western style except for the round hat.
Last night we went out and knew that we had not opened any windows but one was open already - behind a curtain. Sure enough we returned and Susan said why is this on the floor? Her sunglasses, pen and a bag. Then she realized that they had been in her Taraloka bag! It was gone and more things from it were out on the ledge. So Hotel people said we will search in the morning but Susan grabbed her headlamp and said no. Now. And headed out the door with them following her saying no madam very rough down there. Ha! All was recovered. Camera, wallet with credit and debit cards, and her good raincoat. Her book was recovered from the ledge outside the window. The only thing ripped and gone was a package of crackers.
Susan gave the hotel guys a shock running down there behind the hotel, and threw the whole place into a panic. Funny - after the bag and contents were recovered. The bag was wet on the outside - Those Nasty Monkeys! Now scrubbed and sterilized. But now we can vouch for the quality of the Taraloka bags. It fell five floors to smash into rocky ground with all contents including the camera AOK! Good Bags!
When we checked in the hotel guy told us to keep windows closed and on the street don't make eye contact and don't dare feed them! Lalit says that once here a big monkey stopped him and searched his pockets! Before they took things he said two boys came along and started throwing rocks at the monkey and it ran away. We are focusing on avoiding any of that monkey business.
Last night we went out and knew that we had not opened any windows but one was open already - behind a curtain. Sure enough we returned and Susan said why is this on the floor? Her sunglasses, pen and a bag. Then she realized that they had been in her Taraloka bag! It was gone and more things from it were out on the ledge. So Hotel people said we will search in the morning but Susan grabbed her headlamp and said no. Now. And headed out the door with them following her saying no madam very rough down there. Ha! All was recovered. Camera, wallet with credit and debit cards, and her good raincoat. Her book was recovered from the ledge outside the window. The only thing ripped and gone was a package of crackers.
Susan gave the hotel guys a shock running down there behind the hotel, and threw the whole place into a panic. Funny - after the bag and contents were recovered. The bag was wet on the outside - Those Nasty Monkeys! Now scrubbed and sterilized. But now we can vouch for the quality of the Taraloka bags. It fell five floors to smash into rocky ground with all contents including the camera AOK! Good Bags!
When we checked in the hotel guy told us to keep windows closed and on the street don't make eye contact and don't dare feed them! Lalit says that once here a big monkey stopped him and searched his pockets! Before they took things he said two boys came along and started throwing rocks at the monkey and it ran away. We are focusing on avoiding any of that monkey business.
Breakfast
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Vegetables shopping at your front door
Proper Eating Technique
> Susan is working it Indian style. To hell with those pesky utensils! All the restaurants have sinks on a wall in the dining room for washing hands. In the background you see the manager checking to make sure customers are eating more than they should and the waiters busy refilling plates. At least it is vegetarian.
> OK last food photo for a while we are heading to the mountains. Food will change and temperature will change for the better!
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
In Delhi
> We have eaten way too much today also too hot and muggy this time of year in Delhi .. Last of the Monsoon season so it is very humid. Soon we will start for the Himalayas and it will be cooler and less humidity.
>
> We just returned from walking around the dark streets near our gust house trying to walk off the big dinner. Waiters and the owner standing and watching saying ... Eat More! And refilling our plates over and over OH my. Gaining weight. Although it is All vegetarian. So go walk and sweat buckets. Rajasthani food. So Good.
> We took a bike taxi (Rickshaw) to the Defense Colony restaurants and back. We bargained for a 60 rupee ride over there and then paid him 200 and asked that he wait for us to take us back. They work so hard and get paid nothing! The parking areas do not let these guys park and wait so when we came out and went through four or five shops including the chocolate shop and started looking for him. Sure enough there he was making circles out in the busy street and watching for us. So off we went for our guest house!
> The Air is much better now in Delhi because of Monsoon rains and that is a good thing.
>
> Walking at night here seems very safe just not well lit but I think our neighborhood here makes a difference. We went to a Chemist a block away (drugstore ) to get more money onto my cell phone that We use here. It is an older refurbished iPhone. The druggist spent at least 30 min with me setting up the phone for free calls to US and free messages to the US to other iPhone users and getting FaceTime set up. Also involved loading an app from the App Store "magicJack" Nice guy. We will be practicing. Maybe more instruction tomorrow!
> One of the young ladies at the guest remembered us when I reminded her of the chocolate cake We brought them two years ago from the Defense Colony Bakery. We all laughed and she said the cake was good and a big surprise. She has been 10 years here after escaping Tibet. She can never go back and evidently had to leave family behind because this is one of the place that single ladies are placed by the Dalai Lama when they first arrive. We should all pray for a Free Tibet!
> See you all later. We are going to bed after doing a bit of laundry.
>
> Internet is slow but we will be attempting some work on the blog. www.roaming2.blogspot.com
>
> Love,
>
> Darryl and Susan
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
>> On Aug 19, 2015, at 8:01 AM, William Wiggins <wfwiggins13@gmail.com> wrot
>> thanks for the report. Glad you are there safely. Have a wonderful time. Sounds like an interesting place.
>> Maxine and Bil
>
> We just returned from walking around the dark streets near our gust house trying to walk off the big dinner. Waiters and the owner standing and watching saying ... Eat More! And refilling our plates over and over OH my. Gaining weight. Although it is All vegetarian. So go walk and sweat buckets. Rajasthani food. So Good.
> We took a bike taxi (Rickshaw) to the Defense Colony restaurants and back. We bargained for a 60 rupee ride over there and then paid him 200 and asked that he wait for us to take us back. They work so hard and get paid nothing! The parking areas do not let these guys park and wait so when we came out and went through four or five shops including the chocolate shop and started looking for him. Sure enough there he was making circles out in the busy street and watching for us. So off we went for our guest house!
> The Air is much better now in Delhi because of Monsoon rains and that is a good thing.
>
> Walking at night here seems very safe just not well lit but I think our neighborhood here makes a difference. We went to a Chemist a block away (drugstore ) to get more money onto my cell phone that We use here. It is an older refurbished iPhone. The druggist spent at least 30 min with me setting up the phone for free calls to US and free messages to the US to other iPhone users and getting FaceTime set up. Also involved loading an app from the App Store "magicJack" Nice guy. We will be practicing. Maybe more instruction tomorrow!
> One of the young ladies at the guest remembered us when I reminded her of the chocolate cake We brought them two years ago from the Defense Colony Bakery. We all laughed and she said the cake was good and a big surprise. She has been 10 years here after escaping Tibet. She can never go back and evidently had to leave family behind because this is one of the place that single ladies are placed by the Dalai Lama when they first arrive. We should all pray for a Free Tibet!
> See you all later. We are going to bed after doing a bit of laundry.
>
> Internet is slow but we will be attempting some work on the blog. www.roaming2.blogspot.com
>
> Love,
>
> Darryl and Susan
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
>> On Aug 19, 2015, at 8:01 AM, William Wiggins <wfwiggins13@gmail.com> wrot
>> thanks for the report. Glad you are there safely. Have a wonderful time. Sounds like an interesting place.
>> Maxine and Bil
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