"Some may find hard to believe that a 'primitive' culture like the Himalayan one has something to teach to our industrial society. Actually, our search for a sustainable future constantly points at a solid connection between us and nature-an interconnection that antique cultures have never abandoned." (Helena Norberg-Hodge)

It was the day to finally meet our Royal Enfield, the bike that would take us from Himalachan Pradesh to Ladakh. We rented the bike from a reputable garage in Manali called Anu Autoworks. Anu, the owner, gets raved constantly on travel forums as a trustworthy, good mechanic with incomparable knowledge of the area. We got a lift to the garage from Gudu, the owner of the guest house where we were staying in Old Manali (Orchard House). He insisted to come as he us...

Being in Manali means seeing two strikingly different towns. On one hand New Manali is offering quite tacky entertainment for tourists coming in crowds from the indian cities, on the other Old Manali is a more quiet green area which attracts mainly people who want to chill out and enjoy the mountain views. In Old Manali, higher up on the mountain,people seemed more open and ready to share some of their culture and knowledge with us. We stayed among cherry and ...