Shlomit's travel blog

Kinnaur District - thinning Himalayan air

Surely one of the most beautiful places in the world.

It's been hard to select just 5 pictures to for the post.

The air gets thinner the higher we go, which makes breathing heavier with physical strain. But why strain... when you can layback and enjoy the scenary over a cup of hot sweet chai, or easily stroll down the plains.

From Dehli to the Himalayas - driving in India

yikes....there are not enough words to describe the traffic in India. Here is a

short video giving a small taste of what it is about...but as I have been told many, and found out to be so true...there is nothing like experiencing for believing it.

Traffic in India just seems to work on a whole different set of rules than in the western world. The basic first and foremost rule is "the bigger the better", i.e. the bigger your vehicle is, the more privileges you have on the road. This basically means that the bigger vehicles - especially buses and trucks, drive pretty much carelessly, while the smaller ones, ranging from dogs to stock-loaded tractors, either stick to the left or honk their horns to signal bypassing.

The horn is used there as often as we use blinkers - they are as essential for driving as the steering wheel is.

Many travelers belief that this all results well because of some sort of existential harmony keeping things in order. This is belief is clearly painting India in far brighter colors than real....the truth being that India stars #1 in traffic accidents and fatalities charts.

I'm sure there are many more tips for safe commuting in India...but the ones I can collect from my experiences are:

- Travel inland first class - go for the best travel solutions you can possibly afford. It is almost always worth the extra $$.

- Wear a helmet when on a motorbike or bicycle- bring one from home or buy the best brand you can possibly get your hands on (AGV and GP-ones are considered relatively good Indian makes.

- Never drive if you are not 100% alert. Driving in India takes far more concentration and energy than coasting a western road.

Comming next....Modern Chandigarh, picturesque Shimla and the breathtaking Himalayas.

India on a motorbike - arriving in Delhi and out at dawn

Land in Delhi, rent a motocycle, drive all the way up to the Himalayas and back in 14 days total. Is this a reasonable plan? Setting out to find out, I took the Royal Jordanian flight from Israel to Amman, and from Amman to Delhi. I must admit...I was slightly paranoid sitting at the Queen Alia ariport in Amman surrounded by muslim arabs just after the Lebanon war, but managed to board the flight to Delhi in one piece. The flight went smoothly, with Malabi and dates for desert - a nice change from the regular flight fruit cocktail/cream cake deserts.

I couldn't beleieve it when the last of the passengers left with his baggage, and the airline representative confirmed...my duffel bag, containing my best gear was LOST and there was no point waiting....file a complaint and keep your fingers crossed, maybe in three days when the next flight to Delhi arrives. Compensation - oh no, no compensation by their "policy", because I had found half of my baggage - the extra bag I had carrying nothing but 2 good helmets, and the 2 sweaters they were wrapped in.

In Delhi, 6:30 AM, the sight of Shai who arrived one day before me was more cheering than ever. We spent one more day in Delhi waiting for the bike we rented to be fixed up for the journey, and buying me some new clothes to change into. The next day we road the bike out of Delhi, rising at dawn to escape the traffic.