the Himalayas.

Weekend nomading ends in Shimla - a Himalayan town five hours north of Chandigarh by a nauseating, swerving, crowded bus. It was beautiful and relaxing - and a perfect example of India's diversity.

Also home to the Jakhu Monkey Temple, a shrine for Hanuman - the monkey god who carried the mountain to save Rama's wife, Sita. It made me want to read the Ramayana.


I think the best feeling about Shimla, however, was how relaxed I was. Nothing mattered except sitting and watching the sun move over the Himalayas. Forget the nauseating bus ride, the inability to sleep while sharing a bed with three other girls, waking up cold for the first time in months, and the soreness of climbing through the mountain town.

it was a place out of a dream,
and it makes kind of wish I hadn't woken up.