On June 3rd (happy birthday mam) the Shimla festival began. This lasts (I think) for a full week. Unfortunately, all the rooms in Shimla had been pre-booked. Therefore I was evicted from mine. Judging from all the backpack wielding people strolling though the town I can say I was not the only one.

I was planning to leave the next day so I didn't think it was too much trouble to leave a day early instead. I went to the tourist office to get a ticket for a nice bus (the local buses are a bit grotty). The bus wasn't due until 21:40 so I still had a full day in Shimla.

In Shimla there is not much to do. There are plenty of shops, a few restaurants and a couple of cafes. So I drunk a few teas and a few coffees and ate too much food.

Later that night I was not feeling so well so, after collecting my bag from the YMCA, I went to a pub. I met some people who were living in Shimla for the next few months with completing an MCSE course. One of them was from Leeds and he thought I was from Liverpool. I didn't realise my accent had gone scouse.

I got on the bus and did not sleep and did not feel good. In the morning we got off the bus in Manali. I struck up a conversation with a fellow passenger. He was called Edan and Israeli and going to Vashist so we shared a rickshaw.

We found a place called Blue * Cafe with rooms available at a cheap rs100. I had some breakfast and met some more people and then went to bed until 6pm.

After I woke I was hungry so went to eat. There are lots of Israeli travellers here (I think it's because of the charas) and therefore lots of restaurants offering Israeli food so I had some hummous.

Afterwards I went to a hotel that was showing Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and watched that. There are lots of apple trees around Manalia, the apples are not yet in season but there is plenty of tasty apple juice to be had so I drank that instead of beer. After the film I watched Rafael Nadal beat Lleyton Hewitt. Then I paid and went to throw up in the toilet.

After that I went back to the hotel and went to bed.

The next day I went into Manali (3.5km from Vashist where I am staying) and had a stroll around. I met an Indian guy called Rikki and he invited me to his flat for beer later. I was still a bit ill so didn't drink but played some cards and won lots and it was fun. He offered to take me to a waterfall the next day so I said ok.

The next day we went to the waterfall, it was beautiful (see pictures).

After that I wondered over to Old Manali via a park which was also beautiful (see pictures). There were lots of pine trees and big stones that I'm not sure whether I should call rocks or boulders. I think rock is the more British choice.

I wondered up into old Manali which was quite nice. I had some green tea and then went back to Vashist. On the way I met a guy called Des, he was a Londoner and he thought I was scouse. I'm worried...

I got back to Blue* and then went over to Rikkis flat and we had some beer and played some cards. It turned out that his boss was there and they are in the gem / jewellery business. It's a well known scam but I played along because they were giving me beer and food and then I went home. (I didn't buy the gems.)

On today I got up and lazied around downstairs in the cafe with Edan for a bit then I went out to the park and to Old Manali and had some more green tea and then played on the internet looking at Leeds Festival lineup and then it is now.

Enjoy the pictures.

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