Day 135 Tuesday 30 January 2007 Shimla to Dharamsala/Mclead ganj, Himachal Pradesh, India

A beautiful but long drive, once we find the right road, thru pine and deodar forested hillsides, rice and mustard terraces and eucalypt forests along the foothills of the Himalayas. The country side is the most attractive we have been in India and could almost be European in its range of colours and style of villages if it weren’t for the gum trees lining the roads.

Progress is slow as the roads are twisting and narrow but we reach Dharamsala and climb the steep winding road to McLeod Ganj, the seat of the Tibetan government in exile and home of the Dali Lama. As we reach the town a wall of snow clad mountains appears as a backdrop. The streets are very narrow lined with stalls selling all manner of Tibetan paraphernalia. We find the hotel where we had reserved a room but its very Spartan so we check into slightly better one opposite before venturing out to find dinner at an Indian restaurant (well hole in the all with a few tables really).

Distance Today: 284km Trip to date: 21,063km