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Traveller Andrew Daddo begins his intense
journ ey through North India with a dawn boat trip on the holy
River Ganges in Varanasi.
He witnesses pilgrims bathing in the ghats
along the river and bodies being cremated. He also meets a
number of characters in the narrow, winding streets and alleys
of Varanasi - Saddhus (holy men) smoking chillums, beggars
and touts. A young boy introduces him to betel nut
and a yoghurt drink called lassi.
An overnight train takes Andrew to Agra,
home to the famous Taj Mahal. Just outside
Agra is Mathura where a large Hindu festival
takes place celebrating the birth of the Hindu deity, Krishna.
From there, Andrew heads on to Delhi where
he hires an Enfield motorbike for the next leg of the journey
to Corbett National Park, where he goes on
an elephant safari. He then drives to Rishikesh,
where he joins an ashram (meditation centre) and meets the
guru who oversees Andrew’s very first yoga lesson.
A narrow gauge railway takes Andrew to Simla,
a former British Hill station at the foot of the Indian Himalayas,
where he learns about Indian history and the British
Raj in India.
Andrew continues his trip climbing higher into the Himalayas
to enjoy the beautiful views of the Kulu valley, before taking
a short bus journey to Manali. Here Andrew
prepares for the climax of the trip, trekking from Manali
to Leh.
His companions Chris and Bob take him up the second highest
Pass in the world, the Tag Lang La, and past
Buddhist gompas. After a grueling journey they finally arrive
in Leh, a lost city populated by Tibetan refugees isolated
from the world nine months of the year, perched in the Himalayan
mountains amidst a breathtaking lunar landscape. |
