Amritsar and Manali

Golden Temple

Paranganj -Delhi




Otters

Tiger Print





Hey all.
I was lucky when I got to Delhi in the morning i could get a train straight to Amritsar that afternoon. I went for breakfast in Paranganj, I noticed that Delhi really had changed in the 5 weeks since i'd left it. It was not AS much of a building sight. The thing that really struck me was that people weren't pestering me like they were before, I assume now that I don't look as much like a startled tourist unsure of where he is going. Either way I enjoyed a nice breakfast and wasted some hours away reading. The train was delayed by an hour, and as usual guaranteeing I was on the right train proved challenging. The train arrived in Amritsar at 10.30; too late to sleep at the golden temple. I stayed in a hotel where I met Ben and Matt two English guys from Newcastle Uni. They are nice guys. We went round the golden temple together the next day, which was really something. It was actually smaller than I expected but very beautiful none the less. What really amazed me was the dining hall. Where they feed between 60.000-80.000 people a day. It is an incredibly efficient system they have: You sit in long lines and they come down the lines giving you chapati, dahl and sweet rice. Followed by rice pudding. You can eat as much as you like, and even help with the washing if you fancy it. After the temple I went on the internet and discovered that Pakistan was now not an option at all. I formulated a plan that I would head into kashmir and then to Ladakh and trek in Leh. Unfortunately Kashmir was experiencing some violence and it was strongly recommended that tourists avoid it. So i decided to head to Leh by going with Matt and Ben to Manali. We got a overnight bus that took 16 hours. It was horrendously packed and bumpy. I managed the odd hours sleep over the evening but we arrived early and very tierd into Manali. We found a nice hotel and went to a natural hot spring, which although a little grotty was very pleasant. Unfortunately it turns out that whilst we were travelling to Manali, Leh was flooded and over 200 people are suspected dead...So i've decided to head to Bangkok and overland to China through Laos, I haven't booked a ticket yet, but i'm thinking about the 18th of August as the tickets are cheap and it gives me time to go to Dharamsala and back to Amritsar to see the Pakistan - India border ceremony. Enjoy the photos from Bardia and Amritsar, Love to All x