Manali- snow in India

20-23 March 2008 After my return from 10 days sick leave in the Netherlands, New Delhi was about sleepless nights (jet lag) and the worst nightmares ever. So, I needed another break, a peaceful and relaxing one. I know that the mountains are kind of up North and not very close to Delhi (at all). However, I did not realize that the bus trip would take 14 hours taking one winding road after the other. While my seat was in the back of the bus, half way the trip I was compelled to sit closer to the driver so I could follow the road with my eyes. The only thing I remember of the hazardous journey from the back to the front of the bus, and bear in mind that Indians are not the most sensitive drivers on this planet, are the multiple heads hid in plastic bags making gruesome vomiting noises. I am not even exaggerating if I tell you that the lady sitting opposite of the lane looked green in her face! I felt so sorry for myself! Quite unexpectedly, I completed the trip with an empty sickness bag, chapeau!
Manali itself is a small tourist village. During summer months it is packed with tourists and in winter it is litterally empty as both tourists and shopowners resort to sunbathing and drinking cocktails in Goa. Although I was still going from one hospital to another in my nightmares, Manali was a perfect break. Packed in at least 6 layers, breakfast at the balcony was quite an experience being surrounded by snowy mountains and breathing in fresh, clean and pure oxygen. One day we hired a taxi higher up the mountain so we could extually touch the snow! What I thought would be a one day skiing event turned out to be a human zoo event. Many Indians come to Manali to see snow for the first time in their lives. As most of them don't have appropriate dress for these low temperatures dozens of shops on the way to this snowy playground rent out fur coats. Now picture this relatively small playground packed with people walking around in long fur coats cheerfully playing in the snow like a bunch of small children. This was a different India than what I am used to in New Delhi. This positive image quickly changed when we headed back to Manali as we got stuck in a traffic jam for at least an hour.
The third day we roamed around in Manali village that has lovely shops and good momos! It was a great weekend break from Delhi.