Shrine on top of a hill, Manali

Full Moon, Manali

The last we saw of the moon in Manali.

Angora rabbits at the Hadimba temple

Bunnies for tourists.  We were in the middle of this awesome photshoot when some local women foisted bunnies upon us.  Then we didn't argue the absurd price they wanted for their favor.  Arati is clearly comfortable with holding hers, which she wasn't sure was alive.

Yaks

Yaks for Tourists.

Hadimba Temple, Manali

The Hadimba temple is the only remaining place where animal sacrifice is legal.  It's done in May of each year.  The dog is curious about the stump with bits of goat hair on it; there's blood on the wall behind her.

Zorbing!, Solang Nullah

Arati has been so stoked for zorbing for so long and we finally took the trip to the resort at Solang Nullah yesterday.   My favorite thing about getting into a huge inflated ball and rolling down a hill was how different the experience is in India than it would be in the USA.  We haggled until we got a reasonable price, then we walked up the hill, got kinda strapped in and started rolling immediately.  Babies, horses, cows, families, paragliders be damned, we're coming down the mountain.  My neck hurts.
At the same site, paragliders were landing on top of children and no one seemed to care.  Imagine this anywhere else and you probably imagine signed waivers, professionals, clear landing strips, etc.  It's more fun this way.

Hard at work, Manali

Arati made me put these pictures of the Himalayas up.  They were taken in the evening, about twelve hours after our arrival, when those mountains had a little more snow on them, I swear.  We're here to do work.  It's like Varkala with the hippies and the shops, but with mountains instead of the ocean.  We even saw the same 50 year old German guy looming through the streets.  I've been waiting to run in to someone I knew in India, but that guy is a bit of a surprise.