Mabali

Here I am in Manali - compared to Kasol it is Metropolis, Las Vegas and New York rolled into one - it is bigger, better and has excellent shopping. The food is adjusted to Israeli palates and even has a couple of bars (which I have not visited because my previous experience of bars here has shown me that they are, in effect, an exclusively male preserve and who wants to sit in the company of 50 guys at least as desperate as yourself?). Like the Paravati Valley the Kullu Valley where Manali lies is green and surrounded by snow-capped mountains but is not as quiet as Kasol (and I've had more than enough of quiet for a while). This is a very popular tourist destination for Indians too and I have seen no religious connection - for them it is apparently a fun place and we can see them playing from time to time at what most travellers consider "local" entertainment and are too uppity to take part in though to me they look like fun - for example being bounced in a sling over the raging Beas river or riding a yak through the town.

Manali is two towns - Old Manali, which is considered more "in" and where we, the travellers hang out and New Manali where the Indians stay is considered too "modern" but I liked it and the shopping is much more fun. It has a lovely, colourful market with much for the "cheap junk shopaholic' to go crazy over and since that is what I am, I did - you are all invited to a veiwing at my home after the 1st of September (mind you that is when I will arrive back in Eilat). I dont really understand why they call it New Manali - after a year in India everything is "Old" and in truth the only way to differentiate between them is to lok for white faces - more white faces = Old Manali, less white faces = New Manali. Very simple, its all a question of maths. I have come to Manali to do some business so I am not touring although there is much to see and do here but as I will be returning after leh and spending a few more days here I will do them then so you needn't worry that I am not doing my share of tourism.

The 3 hour trip here would have been unremarkable but for the fact that I invited a young lady along for the journey which should have been a fun cruise except that an hour and a half after leaving Kasol we were hit by a monsoon which poured down for an hour with us stuck in a dhaba drinking chai and smoking ......... and when we got back on the road we were caught in rain agin after about an hour and we had to hole up again for 2 hours which was rather unpleasant as we were high in the mountains and the weather turned cold and none of us was really dressed for the cold, least of all the young lady who was wearing shorts and no socks. Lucky for her she was sitting behind big, fat me which blocked off a lot of the wind but what had started off as a pleasant joyride ended up being the "Motorcycle Hell-Ride" and has probably put her off bikes forever. Ah well, you can't convert them all.

It is good to be back on the road. I have had a fun time in Kasol - those who have been will understand - but now it is time to move on. I will write about Kasol and Paravati properly before I leave. I know! I know! I have promised this before but this time I will come through. Depend on it. Trust me. The cheque is in the mail.