the adventures of humgry hypo (natalie), speed racer (ally), and lee gold (thatz me)

these are my travel partners for the last week or so...

we found ourselves in these little himalayan villages that reminded us of switzerland, china (though we've never been), and paradise, more than india. the blend of east asian culture with indian as well as the distinctive (and beautiful!) look of the mountain people. it's fascinating, charming, perfect.

which leads me to yesterday, my 27th bday, and possibly the most perfect day in the world. we started off with yummy bfast at this restaurant that had become our 2nd home, a balcony surrounded by snow-capped mountains. we literally made up 50% of their business in the few days we ate there. our friend ashok from the restaurant HELD the bus for us, put our bags on the roof (trust me - this favor did not go unappreciated!)

best bus ride ever: a little girl sat on ally's lap, an indian man sat on nataliana's, and a kind man gave up his seat for me! i will not even attempt to explain the scenery. also amusing was the way the busdriver would stop in the middle of the road to chat with other bus drivers and shake hands out the window. this is possible bc the roads are not much wider than a driveway. also they twist and turn over hundreds-of-feet-high cliffs with only small rocks as a 'guardrail'.

enter kalpa, cutest mountain town ever. found a barbgain hotel for $3, and set out on a meander out of town. we found a rock carved out just for us near a waterfall. on the way back we stopped a a guest house - where we stayed for 4 hours, drinking chai and avoiding a storm outside.

finished off the evening with some quality bonding girl time, a happy bday song, some chocolate, and oh yeah - mixed drinks!

now i'm in dharamsala in the mountains - lots of tibetans, monks, and tourists. after a good night's sleep i'm feeling much better. the bus rides can be a bit brutal!

thanks all for the happy bday wishes - jb that was the best bday card i got! joba, i'm going to spoil the bjeez outta myself with with your bday gift, $25 could get me 5 massages!

for my bday i would like a post from the bloggers, how 'bout it champs?

all right i'm off to dinner and an open mike with LIVE MUSIC!

much love to all,
mevarooski