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McleodganjJul 30, 2009
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One of the first things that I was determined to do when I got to Mcleodganj was get rid of all the trekking gear I no longer needed to free up space and get rid of the weight, so off I trot to one of the trekking outfitters here. Talk about painful; one of the things that really annoy me is that when you buy stuff from them, you haggle, agree a price and then that's it; fine, but when it's the other way around, even after you've agreed a price they keep on haggling, and this time was no exception. Eventually got rid for 900 roops and a hemp top, which combined with my fisherman trousers, flip-flops and cloth bag means I need only a necklace and some bangles and my transformation from civil servant to hippy will be complete. Can't complain too much, as this is likely to be the only matter involving effort that I'm going to have to concern myself with in my time here. For the rest of it, there's internet, window shopping, reading and bumping into familiar faces. And watching movies, which due to the wonders of film piracy, come out as soon, if not sooner, than anywhere else, and you can watch them in mini cinemas too, which is a great way to spend a couple of hours, especially if it's chucking it, which being Mcleodganj in monsoon, is pretty much all the time. I finally get around to seeing Slumdog Millionaire and it's a treat, even more so as I'm the only one in the place so don't have to deal with whispering voices, people getting up to go to the toilet, rustling sweet wrappers and all the other crap you normally have to endure when you go to the movies. Evenings are normally spent in a restaurant called Carpe Diem, conveniently situated above the cinema, which has a very chilled set up and consequently attracts a very chilled out crowd. It's the kind of place where you can go in not knowing a soul, and within an hour or two, everyone's talking to everyone else and ten strangers have become ten friends or at least acquaintances. From here there are views over the valley to the hillside over which lies Bagsu, and such is the changeable weather that one moment it's completely clear, and then you turn around after a few minutes chat and it's so whited out by cloud that if you stare at it long enough, it almost feels like sensory deprivation
