Leaving Leh Today

Things have solidified.

I leave from Leh at 2AM tonight, making what would normally be a two-day trip in one day. I've got a reserved seat in a mini-van which will hopefully get me to Manali by approx 6pm tomorrow evening.

It's going to be a long, bumpy ride. The Leh->Manali road is the 2nd highest highway in the world, and the views are supposed to be spectacular. I'll probably be asleep for much of it alas.

I've made a concerted effort today to lighten my bag. I finished one huge book yesterday, and gave it away shortly after that. I also gave away another fantastic book - although finding someone willing to take Zinn's "The People's History of the United States" can be somewhat difficult. I gave away the giant pot of honey that I couldn't bear to leave behind in Germany... I also have a huge pot of marmite that weighs a ton, but I can't in good conscience, as a british man, give away Marmite. It's just too good to leave behind.

Thus, my stuff should just about fit into one big bag now - phew.

The plan is to stay in old manali for one night. The next day, I plan to head off to the village of Kasol. I'll chill out for a bit, speak to the israelis, and find out the current situation re: safety, the murder, and what the police are doing.

If things are safe enough, I plan to hike to a village called Tosh, where I'd like to stay for a week or so. No internet, no phone - just a few guest houses, magnificiant views, and a good excuse to finish the remaining books that are weighing my bag down.

I expect to have internet in Manali, and probably in Kasol, but not in the remote villages.

I'll leave for Delhi I think on or around the 19th.