After a couple of days of chilling in Delhi (which when situated on Pahar Ganj is not necessairly as easy as it may sound) I got a bus booked to take me up to Manali. A gruelling 14 hours away, so booked myself a sleeper bus so that I could enjoy the comfort of a bunk for the night. I also went shopping in the Main Bazaar and purchased myself a sleeping bag as I was fully aware of the temperatures I was about to endure in the mountains in February!!

Got on bus and found my bunk, and was very comfortable, more so then the train I reckon so more then happy with enduring the night up there on this bus. Had a stop on way to grab some dinner and after this I pretty much slept on and off for the night (which may not sound that appealing to those who like a good nights sleep, but I definatley slept more on then off on this journey compared to the train equivalant).

Once arrived I had no idea where I was on map so grabbed a rickshaw to a hotel I had planned on staying at called Mount View. When I arrivd here the hotel was shut due to it being off season, oh-oh. Anyway rickshaw offered to take me to a place which I agreed as had no alternative at this time and he dragged me into a place wantinig 350 a night. Being off season there was no way I was paying that and they were obviously inflating price as driver would need some commission for his trouble. Didnt want the hassle of any of this so paid off rickshaw driver and went wandering streets. Found a hotel for 250rs a night which I seemed to have the only room occupied in it and therefore the only back room which overlooked the mountains. What an awesome view this was and straight away I knew I would like it here.......

I then went for a walk through the streets and it just reminded me of a ski resort with all the wood cabin style shops and restaurants and the backdrop of the snow filled moutains! The day I arrived the streets were thick with snow which had been swept to the side of the roads, this place was going to get seriously cold at night I thought, all though not to bad in day due to sun shining down. I went into some tourist places to try and book onto a trek of some kind, only for everyone I walked into to tell me it was off season and nothing running (why open your doors then you mugs?). Anyway after 5 or 6 attempts one place put me in touch with a guy called Raju who did mountain biking tours, Perfick! He agreed to take me on a two day tour of Manali and some valleys further afield and we planned to set off at 10am following morning.

I then continued to have a walk around and ended up at a wooden temple which was still covered in snow so looked pretty impressive. Also walked up to a place called Vishisht which had a natural hot spring there but not a very nice one so decided to not take a dip. Also found an extreme adventure shop and they were trying to convince me to do some snowboarding up in Himilayan mountains which had I not been on such a strict time schedule this time around (was meeting John from UK in Delhi on 21st) would not of taken much convincing. However they did offer rock climbinig so planned to do this in couple days.

The following morning I met Raju and we headed off on the bikes a few kilometeres away to his house to change the tyres on the bike. Once here he got on with sorting bike, whilst showing me competitions etc he had entered into in India for mountain biking. This guy was pretty good and last year came 4th in the Himachel Moutain Bike Trek, (no didnt mean much to me either, but sounded impressive?). Cycled about 53km to a place called Nagar through the fantastic hills/moutain scenary which was incredible. The closest mountains with just snow on the tips and then the farther ones fully coated in snow, it really is undescribable views. Once we arrived here we awaited a bus to take us up to further peaks in the moutains (to far away to cycle and all up hill so not much fun either!!!). Once on the bus with the bikes on the roof is when the journey from hell began. I have never been so scared as I was when the following events I am about to reveal began to unravel.

The bus started to climb along narrow windy roads, with the sheer moutain drop on the left of us...... About 10 mins into the journey the traffic was at a standstill due to an accident up in front. Everybody disembarked the buses and other vehicles to go and take sight of the carnage up in front. A small van had gone head on with a truck, nobody injured but a bit of a mess. I did not need to see this as I was already a bit dubious about the sheer drop to the left of us and now an accident had occured as well. Anyway after 45mins or so the traffic began to move again and we set off on our way. The roads were fairly congested now as so much traffic in one place. After a few corners we encountered a bus coming around the same corner we were trying to manouvere around, and it was a tight narrow corner. The only way to describe these roads is similar to the windy roads in the mountains like in a James Bond movie or the Italian Job. Anyway the bus coming the other way decides he is good to go and tries to sneak between us and the rock face. Smash into the middle of the side of our bus he goes. Now at this point we are already on the edge of the mountain drop side of the road to allow him room to get past. OK no problem he has hit us just put in reverse get out the way and let us through, no worries. Hell no this guy was insane, what does he decide to do instead, accelerate inito the side of our bus!!! Oh my god, people are grabbing onto anything they can find on our bus, rails, seats, prayer beads!!! OK this guy is moving us out the way and it is not in the right direction.... My heart was racing I wanted to get off the bus but I couldn't move, I am sure a little bit of wee came out at this moment in time, I just shut my eyes and waited. In the end the bus did not obviously leave the road (as I am typing this e-mail and given the state of their medical centres and internet cafes here I think it is fair to say they do not have wireless internet access in their hospitals). When we arrived at top of the moutain I asked Raju about the bus journey and he said he and everyone on the bus was very very frightend and he was going to jump down form the bus at one stage. OK Raju thanks for that you are a local and were scared, therefore local buses for me are off the list for my remaining month here.

Booked into hotel and had a look around town where there was a big Sikh temple which again had these natural hot spring baths in it. Fantastic warmth coming from them and bit gutted I did not have time to grab a bath in one as they looked very realxing. I planned to go and grab a beer to settle my nerves from the bus journey, only for Raju to tell me that due to this place being very holy because of the temple I would do well to find any!!! You What sunshine. Luckily Raju is a wise man and had thought about this and had packed a bottle of rum in his bag, so we polished this bottle off mixed with the local favourite, water. Helped me sleep anyway!!

Following day after breakfast we headed back down the moutain paths the bus had horrified me with the night before. Luckily being in control this time i(sort of) t was far greater fun, although no less dangerous Im sure as were building up some serious speeds down here!! Once at bottom after about a 35km ride we grabbed a bus back to Manali. Really enjoyable couple days cycling though the moutains, although the bus journey was not something I ever want to repeat, glad to get back to hotel so I could wash the brown stains out of my underpants!!!!

Spent next few days around the village and I really did like this place, ended up not being able to do rock climbing as all fully booked for a few days, so quiet remaining time here. Then booked a sleeper bus ticket back to Delhi so I could meet a friend, John who was flying in from UK for business.

Now I would normally end my blog of Manali there and not give details about the bus journey home, however there is a sequence of events which took place on here, which I feel however gruesome I need to report back.........

I got myself comfortable on my front top bunk in the bus and settled down for another 14 hour trip. However around 20 mins into the journey I started to feel a little bit ropey. Opened window and let some air in, however after a couple of hours my head was out that window and I was spewing up down the side of the bus (hope no one else has their window open I thought). I then started to get stomach cramps and my worst fear beagn to haunt upon me, Delhi Belly on a 14 hour bus journey? After about 10 hours of the trip I had thrown up 4-5 times out of the window with my puke decorating a rainbow down the side of the bus. My stomach was so tight from clenching by butt together it was unreal, Delhi Belly had arrived. We then stopped at about 4am 10 hours in as the driver wanted breakfast, that was last thing on my mind, but the squat pit would not go a miss. I found my way to the toilets and a small queue was there. I must have looked like I was doing an Irish Jig I was moving about so much to delay the inevitable. When I finally got into the toliet, (I call it a toliet it was a pit behind a wooden door) there were no lights, but I was in no mood to worry about this, I just hung myself wherever I thought was correct and gravity did the rest...... I heard the bus horn tooting, but there is no way this experience could get any worse is there? Anyway I finished up and walked out and lets just say I am far from mastering the water and pot technique and leave it there!!! I ran out and could not see the bus, then I glimpsed it on the left driving up the road, I was running down the pitch black road like John Wayne chasing his horse and eventually got on with all passengers laughing at the foolish englishmen and the bus driver not best amused. I lay on that bunk for next 2 hours in even worse agony as what had not escaped me now realised there was another way out from besides my mouth and wanted to follow suit. I threw up a couple more times and the 14 hour bus journey came to an end after what appeared to feel like 14 days!!!

I was now back in Delhi to meet John but not before I had spent the entire day lazing about in a hotel room with a toilet!!! Bliss.

I have managed to get some pics and vids uploaded now as well so happy viewing.

Next desitnation I think will be will be Varansi, but not before a nice weekend of beers and BBQ with John and his friends.