Cardamom Daddy: Manali

Manali

Manali sits as a Himalayan getaway in the minds of Indians. It reminded me of BC the second I stepped onto the land. Rolling mountains that pierce the eye, with the sun twinkling off of high peaks covered in snow -- winter has arrived in India. One would never think so, but it is a place that you can find almost all winter sports within a few dozen miles -- skiing, HELI-skiing, snowboarding, mountain parachuting. Hardly the association one would usually have with travelling to India. I settled in a small lodge that was aptly titled the "Adventure Lodge" and was mainly a log cabin, freezing cold with a portable heater to make the space cozy. With the Himalaya mountain right at your doorstep, streams and fresh air the second you step out the door, it's hard to think that you are in India.

Travelling into the morning market, I could see the streets readying themselves for a parade. One could see flat caps on the heads of men, a sign that there are people of the mountains and Kashmir migrants who dwell here. I settled for an English style breakfast at a local cafe, much to my surprise having sat beside fairly social Italian backpackers. You know when you are just trying to decipher accents, and make out the subtleties of a person's rhythm, intonation, inflection to try to gather the clues as to where they are from? A small look at the excessive hand gesturing and I was fairly sure that they were Italian! We ended up chatting and they informed me of a small getaway that contained natural hot springs.... Hot Springs! The tale goes that these were the spring that Lord Rama used to bathe in with his guru...I would love to talk with all my deep friends about subjects of enlightenment, and the nature of the universe in this very pool, it was gorgeous. Segregated are the springs, male and female, and sharing the same spring they managed to divide the pool of water in two. Wow how indulgent and hot this water was, I felt subject to the extremes of pain and pleasure at once, my body a vehicle for chi!

All of this concluded with a walk in the forrest after losing my Italian compadres in the market, and went strolling to find a waterfall much talked about in the town. It was a leisurely saunter through the woods, occasionally passing locals, settlers and tourists who came to soak in the Manali/Visshist beauty. My experience in the woods was immediately amplified when a lone dog who had been following some Dutch tourists, decided to follow me into the woods. Cute and perhaps destined to find me, we strolled over small peaks and low-flying valleys until I reached the waterfall. I was surprised at the dexterity of the dog, I fed him some potato chips that I had, a small reward for this new accomplishment in our friendship. Haha! And as I saw the sun setting, I made my way down to Old Manali to catch a meal. The dog followed suite! I called him Beta, meaning "son" in Hindi. He made friends along the way also, as I snaked my way into town, now with a pack of 4 dogs following me! Having set foot in the restaurant the new dogs were promptly chased away, but not Beta, no he hid under my chair and I ate with a huge smile on my face. I said bye to my dog and hopped in a cab, heading for the night market. Sari and shawls were a big attraction in this part of India, so I purchased a highly coveted Kulla shawl for my mom before leaving the town. Soft, cuddly, goodness.