20th-24th August
The night before we left Manali it had been pouring when we left to find a restaurant for dinner. We opted to go just down the road to the place where we had been having our breakfast most mornings. Bad idea! Neil woke the next day with a serious case of food poisoning. He was giddy and had all the other delightful symptoms of the malaise. It was with great reservations on my part that we continued with our plans of travelling that day. Neil was dosed to the eyeballs with everything that I could think of that might settle him down - he positively rattled. Thankfully we had opted for a car rather than a bus. We reclined the front seat so that he could sleep as much as possible but I know that it was not a pleasant journey for him, not a great distance but a 6 hour trip.
We had completed about a half of our journey when the rain set in. We had witnessed a lot of rain of late but nothing to compare to what started that day and continued for most of our three days in McLeod Ganj. It doesn't get the reputation of the second wettest location in India for nothing.
We had also witnessed a lot of hills/mountains of late but....... Our hotel was 350 steps down the side of a mountain from the road. Yes I counted them. We arrived in pouring rain and it continued that way for the next 24 hours. For that first day we saw little of the village. Views were either blocked by the incessant rain or the fogs that descended when the rain eased.
Situated in the mountains above Dharamsala the village is the headquarters for the Tibetan Government in Exile. We passed the Tsuglakhang Complex which includes the official residence of the Dalai Lama, the Namgyal Gompa, the central temple and other buildings on the way up to our hotel. It was an intended destination during our stay but unfortunately weather did not permit. We had missed the Dalai Lama by a day in Leh where he had receiving public audiences at the gompa in Champsa. He had either not returned to the Ganj or had no public appearances while we were there or I would have made a supreme effort to see him, rain or no rain.
By the second day the rain had eased and feeble sunlight was struggling through the clouds. We grabbed the opportunity and headed for Bhagsu to attempt to see the waterfall before the next storm. The road follows the mountain above McLeod Ganj and offers stunning views south to Dharamsala and the valley between. We made it to the market area of Bhagsu before the next deluge. Definitely chai time to wait it out. Not far to go. The waterfalls had a vantage point near a temple. We decided to enjoy them from there rather than trek up the many stairs to get a closer look. We had our own waterfall happening above our heads and still needed to walk back.
We had originally intended to stay longer but the rain was definitely not improving so we decided to head off. Another change in plans. We had also intended returning to Delhi via Shimla but it was also in the mountains and the likelihood of rain there as well was very high. So after a quick call to Anju, the driver who had brought us from Manali, it was arranged for us to head to Amritsar in the Punjab.
The night before we left Manali it had been pouring when we left to find a restaurant for dinner. We opted to go just down the road to the place where we had been having our breakfast most mornings. Bad idea! Neil woke the next day with a serious case of food poisoning. He was giddy and had all the other delightful symptoms of the malaise. It was with great reservations on my part that we continued with our plans of travelling that day. Neil was dosed to the eyeballs with everything that I could think of that might settle him down - he positively rattled. Thankfully we had opted for a car rather than a bus. We reclined the front seat so that he could sleep as much as possible but I know that it was not a pleasant journey for him, not a great distance but a 6 hour trip.
A beautiful waterfall we passed on route
We had also witnessed a lot of hills/mountains of late but....... Our hotel was 350 steps down the side of a mountain from the road. Yes I counted them. We arrived in pouring rain and it continued that way for the next 24 hours. For that first day we saw little of the village. Views were either blocked by the incessant rain or the fogs that descended when the rain eased.
The Pink House - a long way down a path but still high on the mountain
The view from the Pink House looking up to the road that leads to Bhagsu
The water supply for all the accommodation and houses down the mountainside
The plumbing and some of the 350 steps leading back up to the road
McLeod Ganj
Situated in the mountains above Dharamsala the village is the headquarters for the Tibetan Government in Exile. We passed the Tsuglakhang Complex which includes the official residence of the Dalai Lama, the Namgyal Gompa, the central temple and other buildings on the way up to our hotel. It was an intended destination during our stay but unfortunately weather did not permit. We had missed the Dalai Lama by a day in Leh where he had receiving public audiences at the gompa in Champsa. He had either not returned to the Ganj or had no public appearances while we were there or I would have made a supreme effort to see him, rain or no rain.
By the second day the rain had eased and feeble sunlight was struggling through the clouds. We grabbed the opportunity and headed for Bhagsu to attempt to see the waterfall before the next storm. The road follows the mountain above McLeod Ganj and offers stunning views south to Dharamsala and the valley between. We made it to the market area of Bhagsu before the next deluge. Definitely chai time to wait it out. Not far to go. The waterfalls had a vantage point near a temple. We decided to enjoy them from there rather than trek up the many stairs to get a closer look. We had our own waterfall happening above our heads and still needed to walk back.
The Pink House in the middle - most of the guest houses and flats seen are reached by narrow paths. There are very few streets in McLeod Ganj
Dharamsala in the distance
The waterfall at Bhagsu
We had originally intended to stay longer but the rain was definitely not improving so we decided to head off. Another change in plans. We had also intended returning to Delhi via Shimla but it was also in the mountains and the likelihood of rain there as well was very high. So after a quick call to Anju, the driver who had brought us from Manali, it was arranged for us to head to Amritsar in the Punjab.
When the night lights could be seen they were very pretty
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