Jane’s photos

Delhi, Manali, Rohtang La, Project

Project

End of project, last days in Manali, Josh and Alex’s Manali adventures, Train to Delhi, Taj/Red Fort in Agra

Last days – Taj

Hayley’s

Hedley 1

Hedley 2

Hannah 1 (these are very good)

Obviously we weren’t the only ones with the idea to visit this early as we stood in the Queue with a mix-pot of different European tourists. As the sun rose on the Taj itself, it reflected off the white marble, in orange, pink and red. We all got lots of photos outside, where Josh and myself was fascinated with the monkeys fighting…

The Taj was amazing as it was completely symmetrical all the way around and inside a lot of intricate designs, mirroring in perfect symmetry, all in all a good morning out.

View from hotel roof

Sunrise #1

Sunrise #2

Hannah

The team

Hannah Ben and Izzy on the Diana bench

Ben, Hayley and Rhiannon

Taj Mahal

Bunch of weirdos

Sorry...I couldn't resist this...

Jane here.

Was in contact with Mike Trueman who told me that, when he’s been meeting groups at Heathrow on the same time flight as our teams, he gets back to Midhurst at about 8.30pm so earlier 7.30 estimates may be a bit optimistic.

I’ll pootle down to school at 7.30-ish just in case and open up the Sixth Form area so we have somewhere to sit and wait if needed.

See you there

x

Anyway, we went to a palace and mosque today built by some relative of the guy who built the Taj.

Sad thing is I’ve just seen Team 2 arrive to the same hotel as us. Bad times.

Got to go I’ll upload some pictures back in Delhi where it’s cheaper.

See you soon

George

Saved passport

The sleeper train loos are those ones that you try and avoid. Well basically they were a hole in the train. But Ben was bursting and after contemplating for 10 minutes whether to go, he decided to stand and deliver just 15 minutes before departure. As soon as he left, Ben returned with an expression of pure horror and panic on his face, I thought he was going to cry. He announced in a rushed panic that he had dropped his passport down the loo. And he might have to plunge his hand into the dark and unforgiving hole if he wanted to leave India in time.

Luckily Captain brave Aysa came to the rescue and quickly realised that the poo tube deposited straight on the track. So clambering under as fast they could Aysa retrieved the slightly poo smudged passport.
Marian summed it up well with ‘Ben you are officially a pillock’

What would of happened if he went to the loo only 20 minutes later…….

George + Ben

The Sleeper

Well surprise surprise we did end up in Johnson’s- a good night for all apart from Hayley who woke up a bit worse for wear.

Hannah and some cups (actually - think this is the Chinese rather than Johnsons)

George

The Team prove that parachute pants suit everyone

Enjoy this while it lasts as I have a feeling that either Marian or Ben will remove it as soon as they see it...

Hannah, however doesn't know the password!

What were team 2 complaining about?! We heard terrible stories about the sleeper train third class: pervy guards, people watching, snatching, like a prison…etc.

In reality they over-exaggerated (again). OK, it wasn’t the Ritz, and it did feel a little bit cramped but we all had somewhere to put our heads down and we all got a decent kip… and also Ben dropped his passport down the toilet.

Hannah looking glam

Hayley...ditto

...and Chris...

Biscuits. Just biscuits.

The toy train was amazing – views were great until it got dark. Josh had fun sticking his head out the window like some shaggy labrador.

Josh the dog

Anyway we – Hedley, George, Chris and Ben arrived and decided to eat at a well known respectable establishment (cough cough again!) and a lady arrived at our table.

We thought we’d escaped the Hippies from Manali but we were wrong. She didn’t even say hello and just started dreamily reciting “The only right war is a war of peace. Remember that and be more generous…” and she strode out, completely ignoring her advice and not giving the beggar children a second glance. We were gobsmacked.

We returned later for a drink and saw that she had also come back. Ben felt it was time for own back.

I challenged her view and we had a discussion about Hitler, WW2 etc. She agreed with my view that it was OK to stop an aggressor, but urged me to remain peaceful and civil to others in my own life. Finally, saying that we should discuss this more in future, she drifted away again- weeeiiirrrrdddddddooo

Ben + George =p

It was my turn to do wake up call this morning. 6.30 bright and early. I awoke at 5 and didn’t dare to go back to sleep… It was still misty but, after waking everyone, I went and sat and waited in the mess tent for the unwashed monsters to emerge from their caves (okay George from his tent) Marian was already packed and awake (surprise surprise) and we sat waiting.

We saw a peak emerge out of the gloooooom and ventured outside to see it more. What lay before us was the most beautiful panorama. Red, gold, snow reflecting of the 6000mt peaks, a crisp blue sky and cloud sunk in the valley. It’s hard to explain this on a blog… but I assure you Marian has photos.

Marian's photo #1

Marian's photos #2

The cloud came down again and most of the group missed the view but we didn’t miss out on day 3 (more on that later).

We carried on the walk, which started out promisingly like Petworth park according to Jenny. It soon changed and we were back to Himalayan mountain face.

We approached a circle of tents… the last settlement and approx 4000 metres. Enaam turned round and told us that he thinks there is a shop there! Jenny’s and my eyes lit up and we marched onwards. The group approached the tent and we couldn’t see any shop. Just tents…

Apparently the owners were away gathering herbs – medicinal apparently. The owners emerged and lifted up their tent flap to reveal a wooden stall with a few packets of biscuits, out of date Pepsi and mango juice with dirty straws… It doesn’t sound like much but, to us, it was heaven – the Pepsi wasn’t half bad. Who’d have thought it – that you can buy fizzy drinks on the side of a Himalayan mountain?

We carried on upward to our camp, us boys playing the game of you can only stand on rocks to get to the top, tricky when the rocks run out. Chris won, I believe. George, Hedley and I (master statistician – yes I know how many centuries Strauss has in his test career- 18 after Lords) still speculating on centuries and wickets in The Edgbaston test, much to the girls disgust.

We put up tents enjoyed the rest of our day. Chilling, reading and receiving a lecture from the Master of the World Enaam on knots. He moved and twisted them like a magician, and even carried all 12 stone of me (fingers crossed- c’mon weight loss) on his back.

(is there NOTHING this man can't do?!)

(is he straining just a little?)

We enjoyed a brilliant dinner from India’s answer to Marco, Jamie and Gordon- the legend Denesh and prepared for tomorrow’s sunrise walk

Anyway off to dinner and will try to finish trek summary later – no promises though.

bye y’all
Ben xxx