Are We There Yet!?

So, we made it Mcleod Ganj in one piece and in happy spirits.  The journey was pretty smooth but as it goes in India- freakin’ long!
Monty, our lovely friend was kind enough to brave the Delhi traffic to drive us to The Red Fort: our scheduled meeting place where we would catch our A/C Volvo bus for the 16+ hour journey.  Thank the lord we were with a local, there would have been no way we would have found our meeting place on our own.  You’re a rock star Monty!
After the boys asked around, we were finally instructed to go to Shop 11, across from the Red Fort.  Ok, fine- the fort is extremely large but the shops are numbered, so easy right?  We check ‘Shop 11’ and were told that it wasn’t the correct one, that the ‘ Shop 11’ down the street is the one we were looking for- OK??  It was only after checking not the first or second but third ‘ Shop 11’ on the street did we find the correct location.  WTF??  Yeah, that’s what I said!
Then we are taken by a bicycle rickshaw 5 minutes up the road, down a random dark alley to our bus stop.  This ride cost us 50 rupees, it should have been no more than 10- great start.
OK, so we are here, ready to board our Volvo A/C class bus for our long journey.  Bus rides are never great but they are made manageable if you pay the extra for Volvo.  They offer clean beds, comfy seats and cool heaven-sent air conditioning.  The bus we boarded was not a Volvo bus!!  We had paid a pretty price to squeeze our above average height into our sleeper berth, along with our backpacks.  There was wiring were the light bulb used to be, and I can say that I didn’t let the state of the sheets linger in my mind for long- I did have to lie there for 13 hours regardless.  Now, I assure you that at no time did I feel unsafe but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little put off by all the men starting at me while I sat at the back of the bus waiting to depart.  Now here is a question for you… Have you ever taken a piss on the side of a SUPER busy highway?  Well, I have.  I had no option as I had to empty my bladder before the long trip and I preferred an audience of fast moving motorists than the watchful eyes of my soon to be travel companions.  Now there’s a story…. “I saw a Canadian white girls bum!” Classy.
Our bus was scheduled to leave at 8:00pm and by 10:00 Dan was starting to turn on me :)  I tried to practise my patience and keep him calm and I think I was successful until 10:30- then I was equally as impatient to leave.  We were hot, cramped and now running over 2 hours behind schedule.  Ooops- remember Elise, you are in India and things take time here.  When we finally began to move I was giddy with heat and restlessness and I laughed like a lunatic as I tried to blow up my travel pillow.  Great- hiccups always help you sleep at night.
So, neither of us slept that evening as I believe the air conditioning began to work after the evening began to cool and it was freezing to say the least.  The drive was awfully bumpy and I felt as if I was on an amusement park ride the entire time.  Fun for a moment, yes but utterly nauseating for an entire evening! Don’t barf Elise, don’t barf!
We arrived in Pathankot at around 6:45am, just in time to miss our connecting bus to Dharamsala- of course.  So, we waited- enjoyed some bus stop chai and a book until our 8:30 bus arrived.  Luckily, this particular bus went directly to Mcleod Ganj- rock on, no more transfers!  So we made the 4 hour journey up and up and up, by lush green forests and mountainous ranges ‘til we reached our destination.   I had to hold my breath as the rickety old bus navigated the hairpin curves and narrow dirt roads to the hilly town of Dharamsala.  I am sure it was all in my mind that we were much too close to the edge of massive cliffs with sheer drops to my doom- all in my head- all in my head.
Finally, we met our taxi driver for the last leg of our journey up an ever narrowing, freaky ass road to our guesthouse.  Luckily I was somewhat preoccupied with our beautiful surroundings; if we drove off a cliff at least I would fall to my death in a breathtaking place- right?  Ah, breathtaking it was.  We trekked the final leg, up to our guesthouse where we were rewarded with stunning views.  This place reminds me of Canada, with it’s pine trees and actual fresh air- it it beautiful!  We checked into our lovely room, with our lovely view and I made a simple but tasty spaghetti lunch- the first meal I got to cook since we left home.  I’m gonna stay here- it’s nice here.  I can breathe, there are hawks flying right by our balcony, you could almost touch them.  I guess everything that’s worth anything takes time ;)

A quick photo from the bus.  Beautiful!!