Haridwar is known as the holiest Hindu city in the state, in particular for the Har-ki-Pairi Ghat. This is the 'footstep of God', where Vishnu dropped some heavenly nectar and left a footprint. Washing in the Ganges here is said to wash away your sins, provided you can cope with the fast flowing waters! We stayed in hidden away hotel, comprising of huts surrounding an oasis garden and facing out onto the Ganges with it's own private ghat. It was very relaxing. ...

Following the bordeom of Shimla it was a joy to escape to Rishikesh, a village near the source of the Ganges. It is also famously known for the Beetles staying there in the 60's, where they penned many songs appearing on the White Album. They stayed in Maharishi Makesh Yogi's ashram in Swarg Ashram, until they publicly criticised his methods. Despite this, Rishikesh is an extremely spiritual place filled with ashrams and temples. Most noticeable is the Shri Tray...

Next Shimla- vastly overrated and not much to write about. Very hilly. The bazaars are on the lower part of the mountain and I did literally collapse to make it back to the top. Very strict- signs everywhere saying that there is no smoking, no littering and no spitting. Whilst this is very good (especially for India) it does make the town feel menacing. Mayank's key phrase for the town was 'dead' and even though it was full of people I do agree with the statem...

Heading into the Himalayas we briefly stopped in Manali before heading into the prettier village of Vashist. This village is renowned for it's hot springs as well as being on the gateway to the Keylong Pass. For me this was more of an action place and over the next couple of the days I tried out many new things. Firstly we hired a motorbike to head up the pass as far as we could go before the snow stopped us or the road closed. Although always wanting to I have...

The last part of my Indian adventure took place in the cooler climate of the Himalayas. After a brief stop in Delhi, an overnight train and a long bus ride up winding roads I found myself in a place called Mcleod Ganj, slightly higher than Dharamsala. McLeod Ganj is the headquarters of the Tibetan government in exile and the residence of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Not only does wandering around here require jumpers and waterproofs, it also has a very Tibe...