The Yak

3 days starting trouble really. Dharamsala somehow didn't do it for me. Was fed up looking at all those lost Israeli spiritual-types, dread-locks and all, walking around with all of their psychotropic mentality. Yawn. I booked the bus to Manali on 26th night. The bus journey, wow, another nightmare, I was beginning to feel no good about this trip. And the fourth day as I woke up in Dragon guesthouse and made my way to the gorgeous Hadimba temple things started happening. I overheard two chaps talking to a man with a Yak about the possibility (!) of having the Yak sent to Kerala and housed in an air conditioned room. I laughed out, we three connected. Instantly. Two mallu boys, painters. Joy, expecially, top chap. Then the journey began and I just tagged along with them. We went to some really lovely environments, the Manu-rishi temple, its wonderful vibes, gorgeous wood-stone houses all around; then to the beautiful little town called Naggar. I can never get enough of the gorgeous pine-trees Himachal has. There's something very heavenly-looking about them. We first went to the castle, more gorgeous wood and stone. We visited Roerich's place nestled in the wilderness, never knew such places existed and then the highlight of the day - a rather post-modern looking temple built in a time when there was no modernism to be post about (!). The scenes and the views... I better not put it in words. I got to have all these photos added to the Hinterland website of photos from journeys. So much in this beautiful country. Oh, almost forgot had a lovely breakfast at Sheshbesh, a trippie-hippie restaurant by the Beas River. Managed to swing some Manali cream. X-genome, here I begin. Evening I sent one and went to Joy's guesthouse, a very old wooden structure in the lovely town of Vashist. I am now beginning to experience Benares-type hits part deux. We spoke of films and I browsed through his library, he has a space for guests to watch arthouse. He calls it "Inward Arc: Transvisionary centre for Art & Aesthetics". What fun. As I was leaving, he showed me the hot springs near his place in the Shiva temple where people dip. Lovely town, I am coming back. For sure. Funny how a Yak brought the three of us together. Eh?