Menowroughtical (men-oh-rortic-ul); the condition of being overwrought at the idea of having nothing to post

Which seems like nonsense as have been up the grand old mountains at the navel of the globe! Let me offer the insight that we only got back to Mumbai at 8:45pm and thus am chasing my tail trying to get caught up here in Blogland!

Have not had a minute as needed to attend to comments and then catch with as many of my 'mates' blogs as possible - and here I am with forty-five minutes to going live...

Thus no pictures yet - need to get them onto the computer and sorted through.  Took nearly 300 I think! Not as many of mountains as you would expect - given the clouds were low for most of the time.  This morning changed that though.  Let me begin the 'report' though with the fact that we left the ashram at 4am on Monday morning and got the Delhi leg of the journey over quite nicely.

Then we met our first 'hiccup'.  We waited and waited and waited and waited...  There were no announcements whatsoever as to the state of play.  Eventually someone asked what the..?

Gaggal/Kangra airport (Dharamshala) was blanketed in fog preventing landings.

Okay, but how hard was it to have made that clear to the by now rather antsy passsengers?  Oh well.  Two hours behind time we were loaded onto a bus and then driven over to the LITTLE aeroplane with the BIG propellers.  Yes a 48-seater and you know it was small when I tell you that 4ft 10in YAM had her knees stuck in the back of the passenger in front of her.  Not even 6 inches of leg room I reckon!  More on the 'plane later.

This was real flying and I loved it.  

The little airport arrival was very organised and we got a taxi quickly - indeed we got a speedy taxi speedily.  His wheels almost didn't touch the road.  I think he had notions of being a pilot in one of the LITTLE planes with BIG propellers.  Trouble is that it is mighty scary for passengers who are more than aware they are on the ground.  That plus the fact there were no wings, or propellers...

Of course he may just have had Formula One aspirations.  Whatever - that was far and away the most hair-raising 20 minutes I have ever spent in a peanut-sized car!!  I don't think any one of us breathed until we stopped in the Sidhabari destination.

The Chinmaya Tapovan ashram sits high on the hillside above the township and commands an enviable view over the valley extending right to the Dauladar Range.  Mcleodganj, where the Dalai Lama's ashram is, can be seen from this place.  As can many other of the small townships and the growing numbers of homes.  It is becoming built out, like so many other places of beauty in the world.

Our rooms were basic but comfy enough and the food wholesome, nourishing and tasty - real home cooked style.  As we had arrived rather later than planned, we simply enjoyed the surrounds of the ashram itself for the remainder of the first day.

Each evening there was aarti (blessings service) at both Gurudev's mahasamadhi (mausoleum) and in the Ram Mandir.  These were stablising moments each day and greatly enjoyed.

Day two update will follow shortly - and hopefully a piccie or two to go with!