India 1 - Delhi, Macleod Ganj, Palampur, Dalhousie, Jammu

Delhi

29^th Sept - 2^nd Oct 2011

We arrived in Delhi from Heathrow at 6 am after a relatively easy flight overnight. We were picked up at the airport by a driver and whisked to where we were staying, viewing all that early morning Delhi has to offer through the safe portal of the car window. However, the antics of the traffic, our driver, and everyone else, necessitated not looking forward . . . or looking at all. The Lutchens Bungalow guest house is a gated compound in the Defence Colony area and a sanctuary of calm and peace in this lively and noisy city of extremes, in which we hid for a day and so before encountering the delights of Delhi. We were made comfortable and welcome which helped us to acclimatise and take stock.

Our first foray was to get some rupees and book a train to Macleod Gangj up in the hills. The nearest bank with an ATM was closed for yearly accounting so we jumped in an Autorickshaw (Tuk Tuk) and he took us to another. When we got within sight of the Railway Station however, he said it was not the place to get tickets and deposited us into to a large noisy shed where nothing made sense. A Railway official sent to another place, again wrong, whilst the whole world tried to help us buy into all sorts of weird and wonderful opportunities that were too good to be true. Fortunately, we happened upon the Kingfisher Airlines office and escaped inside and bought cheap tickets north.

Macleod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh

2^nd - 5^th Oct 2011

After a 2 hour flight from Delhi to Dharamsala, which would have taken 8 hours by train and 12 hours by bumpy dangerous roads, we made our way to Macleod Ganj. 

This is one of the hill stations built by the Raj where people escape the heat of the plains in the cooler climate of the foothills of the Himalayas, and the one where the Dalai Lama is based. 

Sadly, although the views are spectacular, the town itself must have seen better days for it is dirty and squalid. It is like a run down damp festival full of stalls and characters, with the sanitation to boot. 

It is full of monks, tourists, cattle, hawkers, monkeys and cars with horns, plus hippies looking to get stoned and laid, and searchers of a certain age looking for enlightenment amongst the many meditation, massage, and reiki parlours. There were many good things . . . but it is hard work.

Everybody just adds to the garbage and grime and cheerfully accepts everyone else's. The traffic, bikes, cows, goats, hawkers, beggars, parents and children, and tourists all jostle and compete for space in the steep and narrow streets . . . plus other smaller inhabitants. Somehow it works, just. 


Whilst there we bought some rugs, beads and bags from a Tibetan Co-operative and they happily sent  them send them home for us. Just as well as the post office was an organisational and hygienic nightmare.

Darang Tea Estate, Palampur

5^th - 8^th Oct 2011

We escaped from Macleod Grunge and headed down from the hills to an Indian homestay on a working tea estate. 

This was an idyllic, lush rural group of bungalows where we lived the life of guests of plantation owners with our own cottage and scrumptious and sumptuous meals with the very hospitable family. The grounds abounded with wildlife and there were leopards in the hills and eagles in the skies, and we fell asleep each night to a symphony of cicardas, mantises, frogs, nightjars and many other mysterious exotic noises safe behind our screened doors. 

Our hosts Neera and Naveen made us part of their family and spoilt us rotten – you can Google them on Mahindra Homestays.

Whilst there we spent a day's excursion to Kangra driving through fascinating towns and villages all of whom were celebrating the Dasara festival of the mother goddess Durga where they paraded and displayed many colourful deities at temples, roadside shrines and bridges.

Kangra Fort is in a perfect defensive position, bounded on 3 sides by huge cliffs and rivers. There was hardly anyone there – which made it even better. The numerous gates as you enter the fort and gradually walk up to the very top show you why it was ruled by the same people for many centuries. 

 There were eagles and kites in abundance. At the top are the ruins of a magnificent and ancient Hindu temple that had stood until a huge earthquake in 1905. You can still see the wonderful carving. There is a Jain shrine there with a beautiful statue of a goddess and a further Hindu shrine that the family of the ancient rulers still come to worship once a year. The views across the Kangra valley take your breath away.

We then visited the rather quaint museum created by the Maharajah – beautifully set out but containing little of interest.

Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh

8^th - 11^th Oct 2011

5 hour journey by road to Dalhousie. The road rises up before you in twists and turns that you think cannot get any higher and then you see yet more hills – quite hair raising in places and bumpy too – however we had a great driver. The journey was worth the time because the setting for the town gives you great views of the Himalayas with their snow capped peaks. It was sleepy and uncrowded with a friendly atmosphere and plenty of lovely walks along the malls laid out by the British. Much cleaner than McLeod Gange. The hotel had a modern block we slept in but the old part was built in the 1930s and the dining room was all faded grandeur with a strange painted tin ceiling and far too many staff for the small number of guests so we got a lot of attention along with the 2 other Brits we met there. We met a couple of Canadians and hooked up for a day trip to Chamba 50K away where the life is different again as a centre for the shepherding people who use it as their market town. Visited a set of 10^th century temples there which were all beautiful – not templed out yet! The colour, sound, smells and feeling of this place cannot be described except to say it almost overwhelms the senses.