Photo - Having to accept cultural differences

As I said before Tiger is the guard dog but also a lovely, cuddly and loving creature (many people have guard dogs here as properties are isolated, even though the crime rates are very low). The poor thing is very unwell at the moment. All the dogs are on heat at the moment so he runs off at night fighting, and finding girlfriends  (as Pritam puts it) and now he is quite lame with large cuts/bites all over his legs, getting worse every day. Although he is a relatively big dog in the village, he is getting on a bit. During the day, instead of guarding (i.e. barking if anyone comes near the house) he is in the back of the house sleeping and recovering. It has got worse over the last few days, although he still manages to continue his night-time activities, and we are quite concerned. Usually as soon as Tiger sees us up and about in the morning he runs upstairs to see us but he is now unable to get up the stairs. Although people here who have a dog respect it and treat it well, a dog is not a pet. If a dog can't do its job guarding then it is of no use and I'm not really sure what happens at that point. I dread to think as we are very fond of him (he's like a pet to us) but I understand that here you can't have a mouth to feed that isn't 'pulling its weight'. I suggested to Pritam yesterday that we take Tiger to the vet but he said to wait a few days and see what happens. It's really quite upsetting but you have to accept our cultural differences. We really hope he will recover as, if he gets any worse, I don't know what we can do.

Photos - The Dungri Mela

Not long after we arrived in Vashisht the annual 3 day Dungrie Mela took place. It is a huge festival in the village of Dungri about 5kms away from here, across on the other side of the river. It is normally a very quiet traditional village and doesn't have many guest houses or eateries for tourists but, when the festival is taking place, it is jammed packed. People come from neighbouring villages and towns, some several hours away by bus. The already narrow streets are made even narrower by many street sellers punting their wares and even worse by the thousands of people elbowing and shoving their way around to get a look at what catches their eye (elbowing, pushing and shoving people in front, behind and beside you, and sometimes quite forcefully, is the norm in many pasts of India. It's something I still can't get used to,  having to retaliate in the same manner, which is probably why it takes me ages to get served in a shop. Colin, as you can imagine, has no problem fitting in with this custom and isn't even aware when he's doing it). 

The goods for sale are mainly aimed at the domestic and social needs of local people although there some stalls that sell tourist items for both Indian and Overseas tourists. As with any Indian festival there loads of stalls cooking food and the range of smells is mouth-watering. There is a fun-fare for the children, although I think there was more adults than children were enjoying themselves on the rides! Also, very important, is the Spiritual/Holy celebrations as the Gods from all the neighbouring villages are brought to the festival for worship and celebration.

The festival was an ideal timing for Colin and I as we had not long arrived in Vashisht, hadn't yet bought any Royal Doulton kitchen ware  and had been using Champa's cutlery, crockery etc. We managed to buy everything we needed for the kitchen (crockery, cutlery, pots, utensils etc. - the whole lot for under a tenner) even though we didn't manage to find the Royal Doulton stall! 

I was really glad I didn't have to buy any underwear though as some of the stuff is - I can't really think of a word for it but you certainly wouldn't find it in Marks and Spenser's or La Senza! When buying a bra you kind of have to look down at the size of your boobs and then look at the size-less bras on offer to see what you think might fit. The bras are often 2 kinda thin, cotton saggy triangles sewn together and fastened at the back. The knickers are a bargain though as, if you buy a pair, it would seem that you don't have to spend the money buying a bra as the knickers are a tad large and seem to do the job of both. Will need some knew undies soon though, so gone will be the days of matching nice silky underwear. It was a great day though and, after all, we did end up with a fully-equipped kitchen!

This guy is selling freshly-made jelabis. Not the healthiest food for the heart but really yummy, although Colin begs to differ. They are mainly made from flour and sugar and are deep fried until the batter is crispy. They are sweet, sticky and oily, but as I said, yummy - although they may not sound like it - and would probably compete well with a deep-fried mars-bar, not that I've ever tried one. We ate a few at the festival and then that evening Pritam brought home a big bag of them for Colin and I to eat. Although yummy, 1 or 2 is enough in any given month, probably again like a deep-fried mars-bar. But, being from Scottish culture where to refuse may seem impolite, we managed to munch through a few more until we felt sick like kids eating too many sweets at Xmas.

 A much healthier option is the freshly barbecued corn on the cob.

Gathering in the grounds of Hadimba Temple in Dungri to worship and celebrate the Gods. It is a happy charged atmosphere filled with singing and dancing. This picture makes it look as if there were no women present, only men, but this isn't the case. The women were mainly all at the other side. It's not that women and men don't mingle at these times or that there are separate areas for women, as in some cultures, it is more a case of the festival being a social event and the women gravitating to one another, chatting and catching up.

There are 2 Gods in this photo resting side-by-side. Each of the Gods has 2 wooden poles at their base which continue through the back of them and are used for people to carry the Gods at shoulder height. Every town and village has it's own God and all these Gods form the one religion. Each God has 2-3 powers and, at the festival when many gods are present at once, it is an important time of celebration and worship. As a festival draws near each town and village take their God from their Temple and transport it to the gathering. This involves the men of the village, using the wooden poles at the base of the God and carrying the God on their shoulders, sometimes walking for 2-3 days up-hill or down-hill to reach their destination. Not all Gods go to every festival but later in the year is the last annual festival of the year. This is  in the town of Kullu and all the Gods go there and it is a massive festival. 

Photos - Colin's Birthday

It was Colin's birthday at the beginning of June and we went to a Korean restaurant in Vashisht with Jayne, Guy and Corbin. We had a lovely meal out on the balcony and, when it got a bit chilly, we went inside for the birthday surprise - a cake with 1 candle in it baked for us by the owner. That was a better surprise than his actual birthday present - a chess set which stated on the box it was suitable for 8+ year olds. Mind you it was definately £2 well spent as Colin and Pritam play it for hours on end. Also, the restaurant is one of the cafes/restaurants in Vashisht where you can get a beer so that was a wee treat.

A view from the restaurant balcony looking north.

The clouds came in as the sun was going down, getting a bit chilly and obscuring the higher mountain peaks.

The Punters in the Big Hoose (as Colin call's it)

It might seem that there are a lot of people living in the house here and that it could be busy and noisy, but it's the exact opposite and it is really quiet and peaceful. It's not like it would be back home with everyone working regular hours so everyone getting up in the morning around the same time, going to and coming home from work, being around in the evening and then off to bed. Life is very different here. Pritam and Champa are very early risers and, if working, can be off at 6am. Pritam sometimes goes off to the higher pastures, where he will camp and work for 5-6 days at a time tending crops and animals, either his own or someone else's. None of them hold 'regular' jobs, because here work is done when it is is required to be done and when it is available  Work is dependant on the time of year and the weather. As winters are bitter here and people are often cut off due to snow and very heavy rains, as little work as possible is done at this time with the exception of the women who knit constantly, very often unaware that their hands are working furiously while they are chatting away, so most of the work is done in the other months. When the weather starts to improve there are cattle to be tended, crops to be planted and picked, repairs to be carried out and a variety of other jobs - at the moment Champa is candle-making for a woman who makes and sells candles. Then before winter comes around again that has to be prepared for - drying out meat and vegetables for winter eating as they are not available in winter, collecting and storing enough firewood for the tandoor for heating and cooking and generally making the household self sufficient for the winter period. At the moment the apples in Pritam's apple orchard are getting big and in the next few months will need to be harvested, boxed and sent to places over India.

Anyway, I digress from writing about what it is like staying in the house with what may seem like a lot of people. So, Pritam and Champa work on their own land and well as doing other jobs at times, therefore some days you see them around the house but often not. When they are here they tend to be in the kitchen or the garden and, unless we go downstairs, we don't see them.

Laxmi doesn't work as she has the baby so she tends to be around during the day, in her room or the garden, and is quiet as a mouse. Asna, the baby, is really cute and smiley and is the quietest child I have ever known. I only have heard her cry once (Indian children here really don't cry much). It was really bizarre because, when she did cry, Laxmi put her face toward Asna and intentionally cried right back at her. I haven't heard her cry since! Maniraz, her husband, works as a guide for a trekking company so he is hardly ever here at the moment and, when he is, you wouldn't even know it.

Jayne, Guy and Corbin are the same as us and come and go throughout the day. We each have our own area in the house and don't hear each other when we are inside, although we do often meet on the balcony in the passing and stop for a catch up of what we've been up to.

Some days though, when of a few of us women are around, it can be quite sociable sitting about in the garden chatting and laughing - trying to understand what one another is saying in broken Hindi and English, our different  cultures and customs and just generally women having a natter. Champa and laxmi laugh at the smallest things so it's always a hoot. They were in stitches the other day because I had on a facepack and I still haven't managed to work out why they thought it was funny as they preen themselves often. They did manage to cause me to crack my face-pack though! Colin plays chess with Pritam, chats to guy about music, travelling and 'boys stuff' or has a laugh with us girls.

In the evenings most of us are around and, if we are not having the occasional meal in the kitchen together, then we are all in our own areas of the house, so you don't see or hear anyone else. With exception of Jayne and Guy in the self-contained apartment, there is only one toilet and one wash-room on the bottom floor for the use of everyone in the house. However, it is really only Colin and I that use the wash-room as everyone else goes to the natural hot sulphur springs at the village Temple to bathe, and I have still to go to the toilet here and find someone else is already in it.

Finally, with no neighbours near the house, the area surrounding the house is very quiet and there is no outside noise. 

Photo - Tiger the dog

Pritam and Tiger on the roof of Jayne's apartment (my sun terrace)!

Tiger is the only other occupant of the house and an important one. He's the guard-dog but also a lovely, cuddly, loving creature - depending who you are. If anyone comes along the path from or to the village, past the house, he barks like mental (or 'shouts' as Pritam calls it) until one of us tells him to stop. As with many dogs here, he is much worse with Indians than he is with tourists. None of us has ever understood this but it is really common. When we bring friends back to the house, Tiger never barks as he seems to know they are with us. To us, Tiger is just a big cuddly pet who I give too many buscuits to. At least in this photo Tiger looks big and furry. When we first arrived here last September Tiger looked an awful state as Pritam had decided to give the poor dog one of his home-made haircuts. Most people back home must remember the TV advert with the old Scottish crofter who shaved his sheep and then proceeded to shave his sheep dog and the caption was 'should have gone to specsavers'. That's what poor Tiger looked like.

 

Tiger having a wee drink from his hose helped by Laxmi and baby Asna (Himalayan water straight from the mountain spring, that people are paying for). On the very upper left of the picture is a small road (probably looks more like a path) and this is the road down to Manali, the main town. 

Photo - Diet in the mountains and the Himalayan Sports Club

 

Our wee kitchen close up. Again, when I think of our flat back home and all the kitchen cupboards that we had I wonder why we needed all that space, and our kitchen wasn't even big. We don't need much space here as we have a really different diet here than we had back home and even different from the diet we had in Goa. We mainly eat vegetables, dhal, rice, pasta, cheese and potatoes. You can't get beef here as cows are sacred and are reared only for milk. You can get chicken but you need to buy the whole chicken with head lobbed off and completely skinned, but all the 'bits' still inside it. They also tend to be quite small and tough. The thought of preparing it for cooking turns my stomach and, even if Colin prepares it, I can't face eating it. The mutton and goat need to be cooked for hours and hours or else they're really tough. You can get pork, as the Tibetan people here eat it, but we haven't seen it for sale anywhere except in restaurants.

So when we are cooking at home it is vegeterian and if we feel like having meat we go to a resaurant/cafe. In previous years there wasn't a cooker on the top floor and we always ate our meals in the main kitchen. Last September and October when we were here at the start of our trip was the first time that there was a cooker on this floor and, at that time, we only cooked breakfast and lunch and still had our main meal in the kitchen. This time however, we have been doing all our own cooking, unless we are eating out or if Pritam makes mutton or goat at which time all of us in the house go down to the kitchen and eat together. 

At first it was a real challenge as we were both mainly meat eaters, ate some ready-made meals and processed food and probably used the oven more than the stove top. Here, there is no ready-made or processed food, very little tinned food (we only buy tinned beans, tuna, sardines and sweetcorn) and no oven. So when you are cooking here it's all fresh ingredients you use as that is what is readily available, even for basic cooking ingredients. At least we've both become dab hands at vegeterian cooking.

After making it sound like we have turned into a couple of health freaks, I must say that we have had a great day gorging on meat with not a vegetable in sight. We went to a place called the Himalayan Spots Club, known locally as the Tennis Club, for Sunday lunch with Jayne, Guy and Corbin and a Scottish guy called Dave. This place is only open on a Sunday and is packed out every week. It has a very small menu and the signature dish is roast chicken and chips - might not sound much to you guys with access to sainsburys, waitrose and good restaurants but to us two who haven't had roast chicken for 10 months, it was mouth-watering. Although the place has been there for years, none of us had been before. It is owned by an Austrain guy and his Indian wife and, because it is so popular, you need to call and order the day before if you want to be guaranteed to have the chicken. So yesterday we were trying to decide how many chickens to order as we were under the impression that you had to order per chicken rather than per person. For some bizarre reason (probably Guy and Colin's excitement/greed at having roast chicken) it was decided that for 5 adults and 1 child, we would need 4 whole chickens! 

We all met today in the village square and we got 2 rickshaws, Colin, myself and Dave in one and Jayne, Guy and Corbin in the other. The Tennis Club is about 3km form Vashist, in the opposite direction from the main town of Manali and the road is partly rocky and steep. So the rickshaw drivers wanted to distribute the weight of their passengers more evenly as rickshaws have little power and also, the less weight the less fuel used. Guy is slim whereas Dave and Colin are of the larger variety, so Colin was told to change places with Guy (better only 1 'overweight person' per rickshaw). When we got there it was a really cool place. The weather was lovely and the tables were in the garden. We luckily got the last table and let the waiter know we had ordered the day before. He confirmed that we had ordered 8 chicken dinners. We explained that there was only 5 adults and 1 child but he reminded us the we had ordered 4 whole chickens and told us that they allocated half a chicken per person. So, out came the 8 plates of food and, believe you me, each plate had a half chicken - breast, leg, wing - was enormous. It certainly didn't look anything like small Indian chickens. The food was delicious and the chicken even had crispy roasted skin on it, a rarity in India as they skin chickens as soon as they kill them. Obviously we had far too much food and had to parcel a load to take home (and also a parcel of all the chicken bones that we had munched on, for Tiger the dog). The plan is that Jayne is going to make chicken and mushroom pie (she has an oven in the apartment) and then Colin is going to make chicken soup with the bones - will keep you posted on that. 

My only regret about going there was that the puddings looked fab but I had pigged out too much to be able to have one. Belly full of meat and waddling a bit we headed home. It's not that easy to get a rickshaw around the Tennis Club so we headed back on foot. There is a lovely mountain path that takes you back to Vashisht, which is a very slight gradual climb and takes 1.5 hours, and it was the perfect way to walk off lunch - well, some of it anyway. We had a cup of tea in Ranu's cafe when we got back to Vashisht then off home to blog until it's time to watch the European Championship final, Italy v Spain. Oh, and Tiger really loved all his chicken bones, better than his staple of dhal and rice.