India > Mountain hike to the waterfall

India - The water drops about 50 meters down

In the garden of the Bees Knees café in Old Manali, I congratulate the two traveling companions who are celebrating their birthdays today. We celebrate with cake. Pachie, the guide for the day, has also joined us in the garden. From here, I set out on a walk of over four hours to the waterfall. I follow Pachie in the direction of the Manu Temple. Along the way, he talks about the old wooden houses of Manali. In the past, the livestock was kept downstairs, and the people lived upstairs. Outside Manali, the route becomes a narrow path along the mountainside. The weather is nice but also very humid. I notice that I might find this more challenging than high-altitude trekking. By the Beas River, there is a simple cable car across the water—but it is out of order. So, I continue a little further to the bridge over the river. On the other side, I walk back along the river. At the waterfall, I turn off and climb upward. I take it slowly, as it is quite hot. At the base of the waterfall, I have my lunch—a perfect spot for a sandwich. Pachie suggests climbing to the top of the waterfall. A nice idea. As I follow him along the narrow paths upward, I notice how humid it is. I struggle with the climb. I arrive at the waterfall in the rear of the group and am exhausted. The view of the waterfall makes up for it. With a mighty roar, the water plunges about fifty meters down. The way back is downhill, which goes much better

India - Cows in the small front garden in the district of Vashisht

. Some parts are slippery, though. Near the bottom, my left foot slips, and I tumble to the ground. Fortunately, no harm is done, only some muddy clothing. Without further problems, I continue walking to Vashisht. Coming from the other side, I now recognize the narrow streets from yesterday. At the hot springs in the bathhouse, I go inside and change in the small room. An Israeli boy warns me that the water is extremely hot. When I try to step in, I immediately recoil. I estimate the water is above forty degrees Celsius—far too hot to enter. Some Indians step in without hesitation. I choose the small pool, where I can paddle under a stream of water. I pour the water over myself and find that more than enough. At the end of the afternoon, I take a tuk-tuk back to the hotel.