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Day 2 - Up the Kullu Valley (Shimla to Manali)

 July 10, 2007 - A bit travel weary and car sick, we persisted and continued the drive up to Manali.  Our perseverance was rewarded with better weather and lodging conditions, and even greater views.

Morning Clouds in Shimla We awoke in the clouds - a total white out!	Typcial Road Hazard This was a minor obstruction...but there were dozens like this	Cows on my shoulder Now matter how precipitous, the cows were there...
Only a second floor Rudimentary concrete buildings were under slow construction everywhere	Rock slide It looked like work crews hadn't even started to fix this one...	Cliffside work crews These guys were reinforcing the road on the cliff's edge - tough, dangerous work.
One man road widener So much of India's labor is still done with simple tools and bare hands.	Colorful roadside temple This was a particularly colorful example of the small Hindu temples visible in most if not all towns	Beast of Burden Animals are still critical for almost every aspect of life in everyday India
It's a cows life, baby Cows truly have it easy here - free food, no threats, and they own the roads. They wouldn't last long in Texas...	Roadside kid It was unnerving to see mile after mile of kids playing on such dangerous streets...but they seemed pretty saavy to the traffic	Terraced hillside The hills looked like they had been trodden upon for centuries...because they have! Every last inch of usable space was in use
Sharing one lane with big trucks This was as monster landslide, but the traffic still poured in both directions	That truck's doin' 45 About 2 inches from my window, this confident guy didn't slow down a bit...	At least they have a big tractor They were actually getting something done!
Our sweet ride This Toyota Qualis reminds me of the old boxy Izuzu Troopers in the US. It's a diesel 2WD, but it is reliable and perfect for us.	...and all is fare in luv and wor The inglesh erorrs just kyll mee.	River Beas That's "Bee-ahs" - our first glimpse of the river we would follow for the next day and a half.
Throwing rocks into the Gorge We had to keep the kids away from the 100 ft drop into the river, but couldn't resist throwing a few rocks.	D looks for a rock to chuck	D loses his other front tooth!
Himachal school girls School uniforms are the norm all over, and their color schemes were quite brilliant	Sikh Temple One of many on our route, Sikh temples or Gurdwaras have a distinctive and recognizable style	Roadside Monkeys These lush hillsides sometimes burst with monkeys, most looking for a roadside handout
Crazy cliffside cow path This was an innovative but unadvisable way to get your cattle up the canyon along otherwise impassable cliff walls	Dodging Cows near cliffs	Himachali foot bridge
Palms on the cliff The almost vertical slopes across the canyon were covered with big palm trees - very striking	Kids on the overpass I think they were doing what kids all over the world do on an overpass - spitting!	Lower Kullu Valley This north-south valley is home to the Beas River, and our route to Manali
Basket ride over the river Still in daily use, this family was making the crossing	Kullu river scene We began to enter a world of temperate breezes, pine trees, and the smell of mountain air	Rabbit and mountain woman It may have been a tourist gimmick, but these long-haired rabbits bred for making Kullu shawls were still interesting
A with bunny It was dirt cheap, and the kids loved it	Z too	Another instant adoption This family wanted a picture with us - kinda creepy but they wanted to stand by our girls (blond hair especially). I think it was harmless, so we took a quick pic and everyone came away happy
Hadimba Temple Built in 1553, Hindu legend is this was the place of exile of the Pandava brothers, heroes of the Mahabarata (Ancient Indian religious epic)	Family at Hadimba This was an impressive medieval-era structure	Huge cedars at Hadimba The massive trees were reminiscent of California redwoods, with massive trunks 6 feet or more in diameter
Kids at Hadimba	Hadimba in the trees	Negi's Hotel Mayflower This was a step up in quality and price, but still very affordable. It was a great place to relax with a lodge ambiance and lush flower garden.
Flowers at Mayflower Hotel
End of day 2 We went to bed early in prep for our big trip the next morning