Manali

Manali is a small Indian town tucked away in the massive Indian Himalaya's. If we were feeling any sort of homesickness it was swept away by the magnificent beauty that surrounded this town. Kendrick and I still think that Maine is the greatest place on Earth, but Manali just might be second best. It reminded us of home with its laid back vibe, cool, crisp mountain air, and rugged terrain. Everyone seemed to be working hard. The women had children strapped to their backs while they carried heavy stones up from the river. You were always greeted with a smile and rarely heckled. There was also a sense of pride in personal accomplishment we had yet to see in the Indian people. We immediately felt at home and it was in Manali that we no longer felt like we were traveling in India, but we were now living in India.

After a couple nights of staying in the main town of Manali we decided to pack up and move deeper into the woods to a near by village about 3km away. We found a small guesthouse to stay in for 100rs a night (about $2). Our room was perfect- we opened the door to be engulfed by massive snow covered mountains and we were 10 steps away from natural sulfur hot springs bubbling from the Earth. I could have moved in right then and there and made that guesthouse my home :)