May 23, 2014 Kullu, Himachal Pradesh

View from Balcony

 It's 6 a.m. and the sun has turned the clouds golden as the town is starting to awaken. Mostly the dogs and cows are up. I can see the bus stop down the hill and the first one will be pulling out soon. This is a quiet town where life rolls on and no one seems to be bothered by what others do. There is a difference in the ethnicity which is evident in a different style of dress and a more Asian look, clearly Tibetan/Nepali influence.

Kullu is divided by the Sarvari River, which swiftly flows below my balcony. The bus station is north of the river along with an extensive fruit and vegetable market, and the hotels and cafés uphill to the south. The footbridge across the river is populated by cows soaking up the sun, vendors from the countryside, the regular foot traffic, and the occasional motorcycle. The main shopping street going south up the hill is foot traffic only as there is a low, heavy chain that crosses the street on either end.

Laundry Time

Wild Hemp

I watched as two men did laundry on the huge rocks that fill the riverbed below, while another fished a bit further upstream. Marijuana grows wild by the road, along the river, and pretty much everywhere. It is one of the largest cash crops in these mountain valleys, although I am quite sure the government would deny that. It is not advisable to hike up in the woods here as you may inadvertently run across a marijuana farm and they are protected at gunpoint. Dozens of tourists have vanished in these high mountain valleys, particularly the next valley over, the Parvati Valley.

I managed to find WiFi yesterday in a photocopy shop, but I have yet to see an internet cafe. ATMs are scarce as well, but I stocked up on rupees before I left Shimla. Well, it's time to order chai now so I will post more later.