Manali Trip

So recently my mom, aunt, cousins and I visited Manali, Himachal Pradesh. It was my first time in Manali and let me tell you, it's BEAUTIFUL! I strongly suggest that you go visit the beautiful place. I've never been a big fan of the snow and on my defense too much cold is never sexy but Manali changed my whole perception about snow covered hills. There is no airport or train station in Manali town so you have to drive or "fly" with a helicopter if you're really loaded. 

We started from Delhi which normally takes around 13 hours however it took us 2 days to reach Manali! It's a funny story actually. We started out from Delhi all equipped for it but stopped way too much for refreshments and all the jazz so we were still driving towards it even at 10 pm, we rented an SUV and the driver was super drowsy trying to keep himself awake while he drove curves uphill which naturally freaked my mom and my aunt out like bat shit crazy, so they decided that the best way to "not die" is to rest at Kullu and start off to Manali the next morning. My cousins Puia, Hlua and I did offer to drive but yes, the two sisters who paid for the trip would not let us so the night was spent in Kullu, a chilly town I must add. 

The thing about Manali is that it's a very small town! Every tourist attraction is not inside the town itself but near and about it. We drove everywhere to do tourist stuff like trying to go to Solang valley twice in 2 days but failed due to heavy rainfall. Science states that snow when mixed with water is very slippery and the SUV did slip offering us a better view of the cliff where we were driving. We actually stayed an extra day just to see Solang Valley and luckily the weather was good that faithful day however it turns out Solang Valley is a proper touristy place with expensive stuff. The famous mall road turns out is actually not a "mall" but a pedestrian only street with shops beside it. They sell all kinds of souvenirs, clothes and the best Chinese food. If you're visiting Manali, you need to check out the restaurant Chopsticks, their price rage is pocket friendly and the ambiance is pure cottage. I like how the locals were super friendly and helpful with directions, they all seemed genuinely nice. It felt like they take pride in helping the tourist which made up about 90% of everyone I saw there. They're all pretty good looking too and like my friend commented, "Paharis (hill people) do it better", sadly I did not get the chance to prove this theory, it was a family trip so it stayed pretty PG. I did take a lot of pride "coming from Delhi". One guy sniffed at me "Kidar se aiga?" (Where are you coming from?) and I sniffed back "Delhi!" then stormed off. It felt great!

We also visited an orphanage run by the Mizoram Church, the lady in charge was Ms. Mawitei, a very elegant and sassy lady I must add. She's not married but decided to give her life to the orphaned while spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm not a religious person but I admire what she's doing, she's in action! She does not posts condescending statuses on Facebook or call any of us "sinful" she just lives it up with her life and to me, that's pretty cool. I've posted some of the photos below:

We had to adjust our luggage in Haryana because "the sisters" said so. 

Waiting for our order at a Dhaba in Haryana. That's my mom at the back with the glasses slaying the pose. The lady in the green sweater is my aunt and on the left are my cousins Zawmi, Puia and Hlua. 

This is what was showing on a TV in Punjab. One of the many stops we made for the sake of "refreshment".

Mom slaying the pose.

The dogs all have really thick fur. Adaptation. More fur = warmer body. Look it up. 

 Work called. Had to answer.

 The fabulous and overtly over priced fur coats.

 Hand made bags

Mom shopping for souvenir

Dinner at Chopsticks, the best Chinese food I had in a long time. I really liked this restaurant, they even had a fireplace!

 The majestic view from an orphanage run by the Mizoram Church.

 This picture is slightly off 'cause I took it from inside the vehicle through a glass window. LOL.

 Mom being really happy at Solang Valley.

Taking "for souvenir"  photo with mom.

On the way to ski at Solang valley.

So there you have it!. Let me know down in the comments where's the most fun vacation you guys had.

Stay positive, be happy. Be the best person that you can be. 

Love, 

Caleb Manoa Ralte