Hello everybody! This is the first of what should be more or less weekly updates (I hope), and I think it's the best way of keeping in touch with you all at once, no need to repeat myself so I can go in to a lot more detail. No photos on here as yet, as this town only has a sateilite internet connection and nowhere will let you upload. I have got some amazing photos though!
So lets get you up to speed... Landed in Delhi on Monday, straight to hotel, which was ok. Thought I on the main street of Paharganj (traveller area) but was actually a few streets away- didn't find out until day 2, so didn't see anyone the first night (ate in dark, underground bar). Arranged to go to Agra to see Taj Mahal on the second day, because you've got to really haven't you? and I'm not planning on heading back to Delhi, which, to be honest, isn't that nice. Was told when I booked it there would be others on the trip, but found out in the morning it was just me and Khrisna, the driver in a small hatchback. He was nice enough, but didn't speak much English. The Taj was impressove, but then got taken by Khrishna and my guide to different places who tried to get me to buy things I didn't want. The ride was pretty cool there and back though- crazy driving- it's not even who's car is in front for who has right of way, they just go if they think the other car has time to brake!
That night I found a bar on the main strip and soon bumped into a Londoner called Chris and his three local friends. It was really nice to be able to have a conversation with someone, and we ended up having quite a lot of beer, and the staff waiting for us to leave at the end of the night. I was in a good enough mood (and pissed enough) not to mind that I had to get up for my flight to Leh in 2 1/2 hours!
The flight into Leh, at dawn over the Himalayas, was the most amazing flight I've ever had. I've got some incredible photos, despite being told to stop it twice because it's a military area and photography is not allowed! Everybody was doing it... it you only get chances like that once!
At the airport in Delhi I met Alice (from London) and when we landed we met Olivier (from Belgium). Both of them are really, really nice, and we went and found ourselves a guest house together. It was a bit of a trek (Leh is the highest inhabited place in the world and the air is really thin... and I needed a wee), but we found ourselves one called Sabila, where Efor (sic) told us to name our price for a room. We said 100 rupees (about 1.25 pounds) and he said yes, so we have the cheapest rooms in town. He's the niceest guy in the world, soon we were all drinking tea in his living room with Nick (USA) and he was helping us plan our stay. Olivier came to India just to trek, and was planning a solo 25 day solo mission, so on the second day (a bit soon with the altitiude, but Alice only had a couple of days) we went for a 5 hour trek over the mountains, to the most beautiful Gunpa (buddist temple) I've seen and back. I'll get some photos on here as soon as I can. Just to show that we'd overdone it a bit Alice was ill that night, but she felt better by the morning and we hired a taxi with Tim (also from London) to go around some of the local Gunpas. We wanted to get some scooters, but that fell through when they wouldn't let us drive their manual bikes).
Last night we just chilled and drank tea (I am drinking more tea than you can imagine). To give you an idea of what Leh is like, the people are incredably friendly, giving you free taxi rides etc and everything is really relaxed, the mountains are amazing. The food is really nice and you can have a meal for about 50p - 1.50 It's really cool, but can't stay too long as meeting Charlotte from work in Goa in October, and going to spend a month at a self-sufficient commune in Tamil Nadu that Nick told me about at the end of the trip (he's on his way back there), so have only about 4-6 weeks to do everything I want to do in the North. At the beginning of the week 3 1/2 months seemed like such a long time to be away, and now it doesn't feel like long enough!
Said goodbye to Alice last night (it was then just me in the guest house, even Efor was away for a few days!), only to be awoken at 3.30 with her at the door. She'd been walking down to the bus station and been bitten by a stray dog, so we had to wait a couple of hours playing cards until sunrise (Efor's sister next door told me there were no taxis and the hospital didn't open until 10.30) and get a taxi to the hospital, which it turns out was open all along. The cleaned up the bites and she had all her jabs, so she's here for another day, limping quite bad and unable to sit properly but ok. Seems the dogs are a bit of a problem here, as they are all buddist and so won't do anything to harm them.) As a side note, the streets are also full of wandering stray cows and donkeys, which is a bit weird. We're going with Tim and Yohan (Munich) to watch a polo match in about half an hour. (forgot to mention the Ladahki (local area) festival is on at the moment, saw some some cool dancing the first night!)
So, should be here for another week or so, planning on a 5 day or so trek (prob with Yohan and others) and probably some white water rafting with Yohan and Tim as well. Then going to Utar Pradesh for similar stuff, then probably Rajasthan and Varanesi if I've got time.
Hope you are all well, as you can tell I'm having a great time, missing everyone though, thinking about you all a lot.
Ta Ta for now
