Friday

Journeys - Manali to Kaza

During this journey through the Lahul and Spiti Valley (between Manali and Kaza) I could not stop snapping up this breathtaking scenery. It's impossible to capture how beautiful it is, its just stunning blue skies and amazing mountains. The scenery changes around every corner, snow cap peaks one minute and a moon scape the next.

The journey starts of green and gets drier and dried as we ascend higher and higher past the water shed.























Rob with his eyes glued to the passing scenery.



Entering the Spiti Valley.













Nomadic herder with his flock.





Here they come!



Getting closer.....





Battling our way through a flock of goats and sheep.



That's the road on the right. It's bumpy and small with over hanging rocks and lucky (on this leg) no landslides.







This is the Kunzum Pass, the highest I have ever been at 4551m. It literally and figuratively takes your breath away! Its so clear, beautiful and peaceful up here. Maybe its due to the lack of oxygen to the brain.....





Actually, the highest I've been is now 4551.50m......


Saturday

Manali and Vashisht

This bus is not full. You don't want to see full.... its not pretty. If you get a seat its likely to be wedged between your travel companion and a sweaty armpit. Just when you thought it was a two seater, turns out it is a three seater that can fit four if you really, really squeeze!!

It is a beautiful drive from Tso Pema to Manali, through green valleys with rushing river waters (sometimes right next to the road).



Yep, that's me in Manali main street.



The best restaurant in Manali, Johnson's lodge.



Manali is a popular tourist destination for Indian locals. We heard that Vashisht was a bit more of a tourist hang so we thought we would check it out. And it is set in a valley of beautiful mountains (see below).

Turns out Vashisht is a hang, mostly for stoners. Why? Because it is literally growing in the streets, EVERYWHERE!! This not being our thing we moved on pretty quick, mostly because we prefer to go to bed early, wake up early and not be disturbed by the party goers.





Old traditional house and hand weaved shawls.



The best thing about Vashisht is the natural hot springs!! They are so hot, you have to dip in really slooooowly. They are meant to have healing powers due to the sulfur in the water (you can really smell it). I just tried to relax, not put my head in the water and ignored all the little floaty bits......mmmmm

This is the outdoor spring. This is for men, women get stared at enough with their clothes on!!



There is also a part for washing clothes and collecting hot water for bucket showers.



Photography isn't allowed inside (the local women completely cover from head to toe outside but when they get in here.....). So the greeny is in the front (pic below - look close and you might find a 'special' plant), behind that is the mens section and the walls behind that is the womens. The springs are actually inside a temple so I think the water may have some religious (Hindu) significance as well.


Monday

Tso Pema

After finally tearing ourselves away from McLeod Ganj we squeezed on a local bus with our Tushita mates Maya and Fred and headed for Tso Pema. They were continuing on to Manali and we were hoping to lock ourselves away for a few weeks to contemplate our belly buttons whilst we try and meditate.

Tso Pema (Lotus lake) is the Tibetan name for this peaceful town, also known as Rewalsar (Indian).

It is the place of Padmasambhava (aka Guru Rinpoche), an amazing Indian yogi. He meditated in caves around here for many years. The people of the town saw him as a dirty, smelly guy that sat around in a cave all day and night, all except for the resident princess, who would go up to his cave to receive teachings. This enraged the king who thought he was up to no good with his daughter so he captured him and tried to burn him. However, he didn't burn and instead he made a lake spring up (see picture below). This miracle so impressed the king that he completely changed his view of the yogi.


The lake - the high point in the top middle of the pic is a giant statue that is being made of Guru Rinpoche.


Here he is close up. It's monsoon so they have to cover up the bit they are working on.


Rob checking out the lake.


The lake is jam packed full of carp which go into a frenzy whenever food is dropped into the water.


Rob clocking up a few mani mantras on the prayer wheels.


This is looking down on the town of Tso Pema after a humid, sweaty one hour uphill climb along a narrow rocky path that wound through small villages. You can see the lake in the middle... We were heading up to the caves where Padmasambhava meditated.


The path we traveled.


This statue in the cave was really huge. Rob and I sat quietly in here for a while. It was really peaceful and cool (it was hot outside) but damp! You have to have a really tough mind to live in a cave for years and years.


This monk lived in a small 'cave' near an impression in the rock of Padmasambhava's shoulder and back. It was a small house made of stones and mud built up against the rock with a tin roof.


Our friend Tomas (right) was friends with Phuntsog Lama (left) so we stopped in for some chai. This is pretty much his whole house. I'm sitting on the bed/ meditation area. I think Rob and Tom were sitting on boxes.....


The chai was good but we also had to eat a whole packet of cardamom (elichi) flavoured biscuits!! Like many cultures, Tibetans aren't happy until you've eaten and/ or drunk everything presented to you!!


The gold kidney shaped mark in the rock to the right was a foot print left by Padmasambhava.


This is a little snap of India. An Indian man, a cow stepping on a snake with a little man pulling its tail and a few monkeys in the background.


Our little retreat place at the Drikung Kagyu monastery served us well. It was in a beautiful garden setting and the monks that delivered our food were so sweet and friendly. I was a little distracted by the monkeys outside my window.....


The day after we arrived, there was a big celebration at a nearby gompa. It was the birthday of the Lama that founded the monastery so there was lots of lama dancing, singing and cake!!!