Day 66 Vashisht

7:30 am. Been awake about an hour. Appalling cough, wheezing, realy tired. Just lying here. View of greeness through the window; apple trees. Bed very hard - like a bit of board. Will try and get up and buy some mango juice perhaps. Just ten days left of Hot Rock trip.

1:20 pm. In bed, reading Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov. Trying to make some notes.

Wendy has turned up unexpectedly - she's had enough and she's going to Delhi by bus this afternoon, en route to Glasgow...think Carolyn will abandon Hot Rock today also. From what Wendy says it sounds like the climbing's a bit crap up in Chattru - glad I didn't attempt the trip.

2:50 pm. Sat on hotel sun terrace / balcony; sunshine and lemon tea. Spoilt by electro music - I'd prefer the river sounds from a few hundred feet below in the valley. Things I can see:

• women about 40ish, with very white rabbit - she sits with the rabbit on various walls here in Vashisht; not sure why


• gap-year budhist monk types, complete with sunglasses and smoking


• piles of logs - not sure purpose, but very neatly done


• tut tut taxis bringing yet more kids from someplace like Godalming, most with flight-tags still attached to brand new rucksacks


• lots and lots of beautiful green trees - pines etc; the occasional one poking well above its neighbours


• prayer flags - spanning the river down towards Manali


• blue sky and clouds

I suspect Vashisht is the first point of call for the gap year kids - since they look pretty clean; I think it takes some time to get dreadlocks going. Cannot help wondering if they are dissapointed being so not alone here!