Wednesday, 20 June 2007

India > Kashmir > Srinagar - Dharmasala

since young already ladies....

and such a ladies!



them ar living close to small villages..nomads..
they love photos...

India > Kashmir > Srinagar - someone

stops you for info...or asking about .......business man.....europe...friends everywhere....need a favour....some activities....
like fishing.....let's have a tea....beers..beers....a juice..no sparkling...tired......catch u later...

India > Kashmir > Srinagar

back lots of chats....people calling you....
this is the way they wanna show u something...what they have....

the ' house boat '

people asking u what u think about Kashmir?
on my guide is written to avoid...
why ?
military base everywhere...

but everything goes....

them are outstanding always......




India > Kashmir > Drass > Middle school Matayen

in the middle of nowhere ...stopping by a small village asking where to go....a friendly face man on the road...
perfect english.....
we begun a to chat...he is so nice....he is a teacher.....where is the school ?
just in front of us...
can i see it ?....of course...we go in...other teachers welcome us...

middle school matayen
Matayen ( drass ) Jammu&Kasmir

kids from 6 to 14, they learn urdu and english...
is just for the village beside

Drass the second place coldest in the world

we had a tea...kashmiri tea...and bread..so good!
they welcomed me like in the same way all people meet on the way....

Monday, 18 June 2007

India > Kashmir > Leh - Srinagar viaggio

Checking posts, many, passport, where u come from,where do u go...dozens..
kids, when i get the village, when i pass by...they recognize the sounds...they come to you...not even a celebrity...the wanna shake the hand...smiles...get a five while going....
in the villages everybody is curios...
the road could be interrupted...
the bike...
"where are u from...ah italy...."
desert. no vegetations. canyons
dust, wind, again on the pass..
heavy breathe...
tata, trucks, bus...
never felt so sure to go in the middle of no where, like u know the place, the people, like i lived there...
nobody
alone, on the river, the rocks...
cows here ...danger...
military bases...



India > Kashmir > Ladakh > Leh

the mountains do like a filter ......
Leh is a small town comped by many Tibetan refugees, that with the particular behaviour and discretion are trying to do a new trend how to manage the environment

Too dry...lack of oxygen...less vegetation....you cannot breathe easily...

wake up in the morning could be so pleasant by a song

less chat in town....






India > Manali-Leh Paesaggi

this is just a video documetary about the trip by bike.....
altitude sickness is not included...


i was really far from th yak...not much confidence...and also there is nothing to be hidden or something...the bike was on....

india > Manali-Leh locals 2

more locals that i think they live by people passing by....the road is open just 3-4 moths per year...
than the cold get over...

the spend the rest of the year living in the villages, without moving...not even working for the weather conditions...but anyway the store stuff in the good season, and they get some incentive from the govern to buy wood....

one night in a dhaba ( a tent restaurant with also accommodations..) i asked to the owner, what about live there. so in difficult conditions...
"you know, here there is peace, people are ok, no problems no fight...i like here.."


India > Manali-Legh locals

you never be alone on that road....

nomads really famous for the Pashmina wool ( the goat is called pashmina..seems to be difficolt to raise up...maybe the only one able to...you can see after on the towns....in all shops....

with the other nomads i couldn't get anything, language prob....
just i kow the live there for a while and after they move....
like seasonolly

Wednesday, 13 June 2007

india > Manali-Leh Tanglang La pass

485 km on the mountains, max altitude 5328 mt, here the highest pass, unfortunately not saved by devastation...just to don't kick the habit.

india > Manali-Leh highway workers

altitude average between 4000 to 5000, a road open only 3 or 4 months a year...
never heard about them

but they are there, every day, we cannot communicate but they don't hesitate to cheer up, to offer something, to get around you...not a bad sign or unfriendly manner, with a particoular respect

such a lords!

they work at extreme, they seem belong to an extreme world..
cannot understand..
i leave to you a thought...

India > da Manali a Leh ( Kashmir ) - friends

begun a few days trip trough the mountains to get Leh....

again viva people, especially when they become fellows traveller, casually...

from a solo traveller like me, i can say now never appreciated a friendship like this, so the meaning of solo travel is not to be alone...but the hope to meet someone

India> Himachal Pradesh> Manali

never seen to many writings about ' we serve italian, israeli...'
for my point of view, nothing more fake...menu wrong, recipes fake...poor Italy...

random people around covered by a shawl...reached the old part of the village, near by the torrent, just up the hill....

old houses...some temple...
could be common, viva the simple daylylife, people, stuff...
the only different thing among same writings...

Sunday, 3 June 2007

india > Himachal Pradesh > Manali - smoky restaurant

while dining in smoky restaurant, where everything could be already seen, predictable....

a french lady on mids,
20 years past in Nepal,
some apartments rented in Paris,
a life spent to teach, to give education,
no religions symbols, no europeans standards,

but just a basic educations, in the way locals can get,
living with them on the most remote place...

no names behind it, no symbols, no sponsorships..

just a pure sense of interest, after a casual trip there...

hostility for the concepts, hostility for the provenience...

just a pure interest!

can make the difference?

India> from Rishikesh to Manali> meeting local people

is too hot even on bike.
due stops are rewarded by nice meetings.

get arts educations and serve te to 'baba' is not really common.

India> from rishikesh to Manlai> on the road 2

the road seems to be a law of life, doesn't matter who are you and where are going, the matter is arrive as soon as possible. is like an occult strength leads everything.

meanwhile is possible to see something more natural


India> from Rishikesh to Manali > on the road

moving to the north, to the valley, to try to breathe.

a motorbike could be a way

persons so dedicate to work, without asking why..

the education is the future, everywhere outstanding institutes, from the total absence of rights to the top of the education.

India>Uttaranchal>Rishikesh

the holy city on the Gange river.

a lot of Pilgrims.

same standard of noise volume, mixed to the charm about temples on the holy river.

the elegance of the woman.

the yoga birthplace ?