Delhi

Another cyber cafe in McLeod Ganj
And now for a bit about Delhi that I didn't have time for before. We arrived about 2130hrs on Sunday to an airport that was vastly different to super clean, super efficient Changi airport in Singapore, but that is somehow more human, certainly more in touch with the realities of our basic humanity.

A bus to our hotel, through the traffic that was like peak hour in an Australian city but totally chaotic. The hotel, which seemed to be one of the better Delhi hotels, was nevertheless, like so much of India, in a state of undisguised renovation and repair. It was a welcome respite after our many hours of travelling, but we were up relatively early next morning for breakfast and sightseeing tour of some of the major sights of the city - Humayun's Tomb, Masjid ... can't remember its name, but probably the major mosque in Old Delhi I think. A rickshaw ride for a short time through the old quarter was an eye opener, if not heart stopper as cars, vans, and tuk-tuks hurtled towards us at various times. But miraculously nobody seems to get injured, and the drivers are all so patient and good natured, though sometimes you wouldn't know it from the way they sit on their horn.

A visit to a "State Department Store" where I spent way too much on a beautiful silk carpet... but what I'll remember in the future is not how much I paid, but how beautiful it is. Other Delhi sights: crowds of men outside any store with a television to watch the India-Pakistan cricket match, and the lack of traffic on the roads later that night as we made our way to the railway station, again because everyone was watching the cricket.

Then the overnight train to Pathankot, an experience in itself though we were in second class AC sleeper. Taxis from Pathankot to McLeod Ganj, with a stop on the way for breakfast, and then booking into our hotel, the Surya Resort. After lunch we visited the Tibetan Children's Village, where the tiny children in that section melted our hearts, running up to us with big smiles and just being generally adorable.

And then the next morning we started the trek, stopping the first night at Kereri, with a great camp on river flats beside a mountain stream. Next night we stopped at Baal, and then we had 3 nights at Triund, before heading back to McLeod Ganj yesterday. There's much more detail of the trek to write about, but suffice to say that by the time we had our rest at Triund, we so needed it. It was only when we stopped that we realised that we had been going pretty well nonstop since leaving Australia, so that rest was very welcome, and the setting is absolutely spectacular, with the 5000 metre Dauladar range sitting straight in front, and looking totally different at different times of the day. An added bonus was the full moon - the major peak is known as 'Moon Peak', presumably because the moon comes up over it. The setting could change by the minute, with clouds rolling up from the valley, and the air temperature dropping quickly when the sun was obscured by the cloud. An awe inspiring place to spend a few days. Enough for now; it's getting late and I'm tired, and tomorrow we get the train to Delhi, overnight again, and then bus to Agra the next morning.

When I get the chance I'll be adding some links related to the Tibetan situation, but enough for tonight!