(The hat which seems to represent the region with practically everyone wearing one)

.

(One of the other hotel guests telling stories to the hotel waiters.)

Previous Entry | Next Entry

2003-05-14 - Recong Peo (Day 29)

Today starts late with my enjoying these 10 pounds of blankets I've buried myself under. Once I crawl out and get the first round of morning homework done, I find Peter outside taking his lunch so I join him. Its another couple of hours over a long lunch talking about travel as he's on his fifth trip to India and has quite a few stories to tell. We both are a bit stuck - his plan was to go on a pilgrimage to Tibet but is stuck in India as the border has been closed due to SARS. He'd had some friends that were supposed to come but all pulled at the last minute due worries about the virus. His current plan is to go up to the monasteries up in the same region I'm planning on going to. There are a number of problems we are both facing, the pass back down is still closed due to snow and its uncertain when it will reopen, there doesn't seem to be any place short of returning to Shimla that we can change money and its a concern that both of us will run out of Rupees and there are problems with how to time the interline pass so that we can even be on the road at all. (The area is controlled and if one is caught without an interline permit its directly to jail so the story goes.)

After a bit more homework, I get the journal entries done (and a new head graphic, Jon) and head down to town to upload the site and let friends and family know I'm still alive. One of the problems with setting precedent that I'll check in and keep the site updated of course is there is the expectation that it will be updated, and I'm sure now that 4 days have gone by people are starting to worry.

I start down to town and find this road which I thought was worrisome on the way up in the rain is a seriously scary road. Now that I've had the bike slide out from under me, the loose gravel that makes up most of the way down has me on pins and needles. Not to mention this is another straight drop road winding along the side of the mountain. I somehow take a wrong turn and end up circling the wrong mountain and ending up 5 km out of the way in another village. While I do find some places which should make for good photography tomorrow, its past 6pm and its starting to get cold.

Heading back I find the right turn and head the other 5 km down into town. In all it was 20km down into town with the wrong tern which really is a ways just to check e-mail. I make it into town and start asking for the Internet cafe which Peter says he thinks is there. The first guy gives me a blank expression, the second the same. The third one of those cocky joe cool types tells me its back there but when asked for details just walks away - not a very reliable source. I find an electronics shop selling radio's, TV and a computer monitor and figure they will know. They tell me in fluent English, "Sorry, no Internet in Recong Peo." Oh boy, this will be a problem as if there isn't a connection here, there is unlikely to be any connections before Kaza and perhaps not even there. If I wait until the pass opens and then head to Manali which should have internet, that still puts me at 2-3 weeks before I'll be able to upload these pages.

Heading back, I again come into a little rain which is just as biting as before and the ride still seems as long and as desolate with many opportunities to question if I'm really going the right way. As with the first night, when I get up to the hotel the power is out so the entire side of the mountain is pitch black with no sign of the hotel. Not thinking ahead, I also did not bring my flashlight. However, there is a full moon and my eyes adjust enough to climb the path to the hotel where there are a coupe of candles burning in the reception.

The power comes back on not long after and with a big dinner and some homework, my 29th day of travel has passed.

Previous Entry | Next Entry