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Waiting for winter dec 2002 to jan 2003 |
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| 16/12/2003 back
in India |
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 Only
a few days later than originally planned (but about a month earlier
than feared) we're back in India from Thailand. Although there are
not many Christians to be found in Delhi, Christmas preparations are
in full swing - all forms of Father Xmas are on display in the posh
shops of Connaught Circle. |
| 23/12/2002 back
in Manali |
|
 Yippee,
back for the winter in Manali, just in time for the big Xmas celebration
(ha ha, just joking). When we left in November, Old Manali had already
a deserted look to it, but now we feel almost like in a ghost town,
with the shutters of all internet cafes and shops firmly down and
locked, not a single restaurant open (for restaurants we have to go
to New Manali now). Winter activities have started, in Kurma's case
weaving the first of 7 (!!!!) pattus (local blanket dress). |
| 24/12/2002 the
essential bukari |
|
 Clear
blue sky, very pleasant to sit in the afternoon sun, but as soon as
the sun disappears behind the hills at about 3.30 pm, temperatures
drop by at least 15 degrees; nights are bitterly cold and our bukari
(coal and wood burning stove) which we had installed before we left
for Thailand is much appreciated, even if it's a ravenous monster
which seems to gobble down whole rainforests. |
| 25/12/2002 Xmas
dinner |
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 Nothing
against some moping and reminiscing nostalgically of the traditional
turkey or goose Xmas dinner. Well that's not to be had here. Neither
are pork products; even though it's not prohibited by Hindu religion,
very few Hindus eat pig and even less know how to prepare it. If you
want decent salami you have to stick to imported products, available
in Jhor Bagh in Delhi for obscene amounts of money (which Woody spent
happily and I very grudgingly). Add some excellent cheese from Haryana
and you get the picture of our Christmas dinner. |
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| 31/12/2002 New
Year's Eve |
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 As
little as Christmas is celebrated here, it is New Years Eve. Ah, it's
kind of celebrated - by gulping down lots of whiskey as quickly as
possible, it is not essential to last till midnight. We passed a bonfire
at about 9 pm where crowds of people apparently had a good time -
it looked like a kind of "whole night till the next morning"
event. About an hour and a half later we came back to join the bonfire
crowd with Amit, another friend. But apart from some glowing embers
no evidence of a party - they had gone all to bed!!! At 10.30 pm!
So we went into the big wild town instead, only to find out that no
bar or restaurant would let us in anymore (closing time 23.00). So,
off to a resort hotel for the Indian middle class at the outskirts
of Manali... to try to wiggle my head and hands in Hindi movie style
to Punjabi music. |
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| 02/01/2003 Winter
carnival |
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 Winter
madness in Manali: it's not quite like Rio, but nonetheless it's colourful,
it's good for admiring some strange or weird or traditional outfits.
The carnival draws participating groups from as far away as hot Mumbai
and Madhya Pradesh. The procession from Dunghri down to New Manali
takes place on the first day; after that there is a whole week of
"full entertainment" with singing/ dancing/ fashion shows
etc.
more
about the winter carnival.... |
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| 03/01/2003 Local
Diwali |
|
 The
nation wide celebrated Diwali (festival of lights) was beginning of
November. To make matters more confusing for poor sods like us, there
is additionally a local Diwali in the Kullu Valley, celebrated in
Manali in honour of Manu rishi. Traditionally it's the day not to
go nuts but to catch them; walnuts to be more precise. A whole gaggle
of people - mostly kids but a lot of (suddenly young again) adult
men storm through the village from house to house, where the inhabitants
chuck loads of nuts into the cheering crowds. Obviously it's also
a good occasion for many to "indulge a little bit" in whiskey
from the English Wine Shop and the home made rice wine. In short lots
of pissed people around. |
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| 11/01/2003 Two
dead pine trees |
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 It's
a beautiful view from our guesthouse roof; at night it can have a
slightly surreal (computer game "Riven"-like) quality to
it: moonlit snow covered mountains in the background, dark gloomy
pine and deodar forest in the middle and two obscenely long, dead
and barren pine trees looming into the sky at the front. These dead
pine trees are protected by law; also their roots give the narrow
path along the cliff a bit more stability. It's 11 o'clock at night
- everything quiet - in winter everybody sleeps at this time. Hmm,
not today, suddenly: tok tok tok, a loud chopping noise. Dark shadowy
figures are moving around the cliff edge and the dead pine tree. |
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| 13/01/2003 (or
12/01??) One dead pine tree |
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 All
day yesterday we hoped there wouldn't be any sudden wind, otherwise
we might have been flattened by a half chopped through dead pine tree.
Lucky us: no wind, the villagers came back early evening - they seemed
to have had enough of a "middle of the night" job. Lots
of firewood for them - a different view from the roof for us. |
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