What a mission! reorganizing my visa, air ticket and hotel dates I waited the extra nine days and spent my time with some good friends (you know who you are) both in and out of London and then promptly became sick with a twenty four hour virus and just as I recovered from that I had my first ever real hay fever attack, I felt like Mr. Snot head.
The day finally arrived and I was completely well again and fit to travel (or so I thought). I had made a speedy recovery just in time for the flight.
Saying goodbye to my mates in London who had put me up and put up with my diseases (long suffering lovely people) I strapped on my new backpack and day pack and felt the first twinge of excitement and adrenalin giving me a positive energy boost.
I have to say Virgin airways is a good airline to fly with especially when the plane is half empty and I had three seats all to myself. I watched the film' Fury'. Absolute crap! In my opinion but it passed the time well enough. I was then able to get about four hours unbroken sleep waking up just in time for breakfast. I was met at the airport, this time effortlessly as opposed to my previous trip by the driver organised to take me to my hotel, Smyle Inn.It was good to arrive in daylight for once and the drive was pleasant going passed all the well manicured lawns and smart embassy buildings on the way into the hustle and bustle of Pahar Ganj.
Arrival, check in and shower. I felt surprisingly fresh and went straight to look for some opticians which I found within five minutes. Eyes tested and frames chosen I was told I could collect them in three days at a cost of R's 24000 or about £250. They are 'number one quality' so I was happy.I spent the rest of the day wandering about and orientating myself and then got bored and went back to my air conditioned room and had a rest.
I met up with Polish Kris the next day who was a little worse for ware from his escapades the day before and we/I had breakfast, agreed to meet later and I went back into the main bazaar and found a little place to sit and watch the madness pass by. The usual, cycle rickshaws jostling with motor rickshaws. The smells of incense mixing with cow shit and exhaust fumes and people hurriedly pushing themselves through this tangled mass of movement. I sat calmly swatting the flies off my chai.
In the evening we met up and went to Sams bar for a few drinks and a catch up. Kris had recovered sufficiently to be good company. A lively air conditioned bar/restaurant with loud cheesy pop for good measure. We ate, drank and chatted, had a good time and left somewhere around mid night.
The next day Kris and I met and went on the metro to Connaught Place. The metro is very modern' cheap and efficient. Very impressed! We wandered around and sat in a park being harassed every five minutes by salesmen of almost every description and when we'd had enough we went back to the main bazaar area.
I booked a ticket to Dharamsala and the next day I collected my glasses. Fantastic to have new glasses, everything was in focus again.
When it came time to get on the bus we were collected then put on a cycle rickshaw and taken to some roadside where we waited without tickets and unable to communicate waited with only relative certainty that our bus would come. Eventually it did and we boarded a bus half full of monks so we knew it was the right one to Dharamsala, Oh.of course this was only taking us to a Tibetan settlement where we boarded a second bus. I took a sleeping pill and miraculously woke up as we were driving into Mcleod Ganj. Brilliant! A whole nights sleep. Kris was not impressed as he had only had a couple of hours sleep. Catching a rickshaw we went to upper Bagsu and then the stair climb which was pretty exhausting with all our gear and then Evergreen. We'd arrived.
Next chapter began when I met Katerina and Chris, also friends from last year. They had reserved me a room, a nice pink one with en suite bathroom with hot showers.
The day finally arrived and I was completely well again and fit to travel (or so I thought). I had made a speedy recovery just in time for the flight.
Saying goodbye to my mates in London who had put me up and put up with my diseases (long suffering lovely people) I strapped on my new backpack and day pack and felt the first twinge of excitement and adrenalin giving me a positive energy boost.
I have to say Virgin airways is a good airline to fly with especially when the plane is half empty and I had three seats all to myself. I watched the film' Fury'. Absolute crap! In my opinion but it passed the time well enough. I was then able to get about four hours unbroken sleep waking up just in time for breakfast. I was met at the airport, this time effortlessly as opposed to my previous trip by the driver organised to take me to my hotel, Smyle Inn.It was good to arrive in daylight for once and the drive was pleasant going passed all the well manicured lawns and smart embassy buildings on the way into the hustle and bustle of Pahar Ganj.
Arrival, check in and shower. I felt surprisingly fresh and went straight to look for some opticians which I found within five minutes. Eyes tested and frames chosen I was told I could collect them in three days at a cost of R's 24000 or about £250. They are 'number one quality' so I was happy.I spent the rest of the day wandering about and orientating myself and then got bored and went back to my air conditioned room and had a rest.
I met up with Polish Kris the next day who was a little worse for ware from his escapades the day before and we/I had breakfast, agreed to meet later and I went back into the main bazaar and found a little place to sit and watch the madness pass by. The usual, cycle rickshaws jostling with motor rickshaws. The smells of incense mixing with cow shit and exhaust fumes and people hurriedly pushing themselves through this tangled mass of movement. I sat calmly swatting the flies off my chai.
In the evening we met up and went to Sams bar for a few drinks and a catch up. Kris had recovered sufficiently to be good company. A lively air conditioned bar/restaurant with loud cheesy pop for good measure. We ate, drank and chatted, had a good time and left somewhere around mid night.
The next day Kris and I met and went on the metro to Connaught Place. The metro is very modern' cheap and efficient. Very impressed! We wandered around and sat in a park being harassed every five minutes by salesmen of almost every description and when we'd had enough we went back to the main bazaar area.
I booked a ticket to Dharamsala and the next day I collected my glasses. Fantastic to have new glasses, everything was in focus again.
When it came time to get on the bus we were collected then put on a cycle rickshaw and taken to some roadside where we waited without tickets and unable to communicate waited with only relative certainty that our bus would come. Eventually it did and we boarded a bus half full of monks so we knew it was the right one to Dharamsala, Oh.of course this was only taking us to a Tibetan settlement where we boarded a second bus. I took a sleeping pill and miraculously woke up as we were driving into Mcleod Ganj. Brilliant! A whole nights sleep. Kris was not impressed as he had only had a couple of hours sleep. Catching a rickshaw we went to upper Bagsu and then the stair climb which was pretty exhausting with all our gear and then Evergreen. We'd arrived.
Next chapter began when I met Katerina and Chris, also friends from last year. They had reserved me a room, a nice pink one with en suite bathroom with hot showers.
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