Mussorie

We arrived in Manali a few hours ago after a 12 hour ride through the hills, so I'm a little fatigued. But i'm committed to updating my blog, as I havent written for nearly five days and my memory of crucial events may start fading.

Day 18

Woke up and did the usual: eat, brush teeth, shower, watch the same indian servers who waited on us last night at 11pm wait on us again today at 9am. These people never stop working. Indians work round the clock, even the more professional high paid ones. In guesthouses that we stay in the staff normally sleeps on the floor in the kitchen or tables in the restaurant and start working when they wake up, and finish working when they go to sleep. The same people who serve the food also buytheingrediants, cook the food, set the table, clean the place, make the beds, do the laundry, fix electrical problems, unplug toilets, drive taxis, build buildings, do taxes, create promotions, and lets not forget - water the plants.

At 12pm we left because we had a short ride to complete, only about five hours. The ride to Mussorie took us through Dehra Dune, where we stopped to exchange travelers checks. The city is a mess, but one standout feature is the prevalance of police - they are everywhere. These cops where brown c. 1930 era uniforms and carry leather batons, and are remnants of the british empire. They are summarily disregarded and not taken seriously at all, and it is generally known that most policeman have no higher than a fourth grade education. In fact if you've complete more than four grades you are disqualified from the law enforcement occupation.

Besides police, it was very hot. We finally foudn the Bank of Punjab, and I waited outside while Michal exchanged money. A few beggar kids came up to me and pestered me for cash, when teh owner of the store i was standing in front of came out and seriously smacked the kids on the head...hard. I wasnt bothered anymore...simple. Michal came out half an hour later, complaining that the teller would simply not stop asking her irrelevant questions like: what do you do? where do you study? do you like india? are you married? who is that boy you are with? When I went in I was met with the same line of questioning but responded with questions of my own which completely confused the Punjabi teller. Speaking of Punjabs, they are SiK, and these people dont ever cut their hair, but rather tie it round and round their heads and then wrap it all up with scarfs and netting. This is straightup disgusting!

Left Dehra Dune and arrived in Mussorie. Its up a winding hill about 30 minutes from Dehra Dune, and the road their is paved surprisingly well. We've noticed that tourist destinations (with the exception of pilgrimage distinations like rishikish) have great roads, unlike most of the others weve used in india, which are lots of gravel with potholes and large fissures. Mussorie is a tourist trap for rich indians. Its really high up and has lots of hotels and amusement features like pony rides, video game arcades, cotton candy, and other things that are everything but typically indian. We were here for two days. There is a nice road called The Mall which is nice to stroll on with other indian honeymooners, and you can eat corn on the cob and chilly popcorn. We ate Dolsa at a restaurant owned by a Sik man, a place called Madras Cafe, and we spoke to him for a while. Knowing we were Israeli, he said: "yes, we just need to get rid of those people..." and we were confused and he said: "you know i was just watching al jazeera and you know what they did?" and we were still confused and a little worried: finally it became apparent that he dislikes muslims. Apparently some palestinians fired a rocket into Israel, and this infuriated the Sik man. He says in India he loves all the people, but the Muslims are just trouble. This sentiment has been echoed by other indians ive spoken to.

Continued reading Salman Rushdie's Midnights Children, and its great to read foreign books in the country where the story takes place.

We did some other stuff, went to see somel lame waterfall, and generally though mussorie an unimpressive tourist trap for wealthy indians. I drank my first indian beer here.

Day 20

Influenced by the Australian round-the-world couple we left Mussorie at 5am. Riding in the morning is the best idea ever: no traffic, no heat, see the sunrise, get to destination early before dark.

The bike is riding a million times better, did i mention? new air filter, cleaned carburator, new back brakes.

We rode to Shimla, a long long long 12 hour ride. Winding roads through the hills, beautiful majestic vistas as usual, great weather, until we reached Shimla, started raining. Shimla is another indian hip tourist spot, where all the indians go on holiday around this time of year to escape the heat in the own miserable cities. Its apparently an Indian holiday...although almost every day is an indian holiday as, did you know? there are 180 official indian holidays. We tought about staying in Shimla, but wisely made the decision to pass thru and continue one more hour to the next city called Tatapanni. Shima is 1700 meters and the road to Tatapanni goes down down down through some of the worst roads we've seen, to about 600 meters. There is a river and a bridge, and a few stores and houses. On the river is a hotel called Spring View, great review in Lonely Planet.

Day 21

We stayed in Tatapanni for three whole days. One of the loveliest spots we've been, and a pleasant unexpected surprise. The river bed has natural sulphur hot springs which the hotel uses in its hot spring baths. On our first day in T.P. we rode the Shiva's cave, but instead of going to the cave itself, we took a different hike that led as to a river and some small waterfulls. While michal sunbathed i explored the various waterfalls, played with some local kids, and though general things like: WOW this is heavenly!! I could stay here forever...until the clouds came and it started raining again. In this town the first half of the day is blue skies and perfect temps, and the second half is thunderstorms andlighting. I like that.

After the falls soaking in sulphur water. Supposedly this is good for you? I have dry skin so I hope it helps and makes me soft and silky.

Day 22

Rode to the town nearby adn explored. There was a march that we learned later was a protest by the lowest caste to gain more respect by the local government. We drank chai and ate the typical indian sweets: rice cakes, deep fried honey sticks, and sugared bread thing. Not great by itself, but with chai - perfectemente.

Back at the pad we struck up a conversation with a couple indians from Chandigarh, about our age, graphic designer and computer software programmer who work for American companies outsourcing to india. These were rather modern men, but it seems that Indians, and ill stereotype here, are relatively naive. They often dont see outside their little indian box, and know little about the outside world. They are also very conservative. Even the most progressive indians think that marriages should be arranged, that women should be fully covered, that drugs are bad always and always without question no matter what even one puff. Moreover it seems that indians are overwhelmingly religious, with widespread belief in reincarnation. This belief goes a very long way in explaining india's slow progress on social fronts, i.e. its adherence to the caste system. That is, poor slum dwellers were bad bad bad in their last life and now they have to be beggars and eat trash and be good thru it all so that they can be reborn as something better than a beggar.

The whole system sounds absurd and astonishing, and when Im speaking with what seem like serious educated indians it is shocking that they believe in this bullcrap. While faith in a god or gods generally sounds insane to me, the indian beliefs have widespread ramifications for indias poor population. Instead of trying to get education and leave a life of poverty, poor indians dont try to improve their situation. Its a tragedy if you ask me. I know there are probably indians who dont fit this stereotype, but Ive spoken to at least nine different indians who all strike me as believing in the same antiquated ideas despite having university educations.

At night we ate dinner with a 25 year old indian veterinarian we met at the hotel and he had the same notions that i speak of above. He says he wants a girlfriend who is sexy for sex (which he has never had) but that his marriage is another matter that he will have his parents arrange, and that this women must be loyal and educated, and also a good cook. He is part of the warrior caste, and must marry within his caste.

More hot sulphur baths at night with a japanese couple who spoke no english but painted me in watercolors.

Day 23

Woke up this morning again at five am. Im so tired ill relate this fantastic day in my next post. Suffice it to say we're in Manali, and we can see the himalayas from our guesthouse room. Awesome!