Still alive....just!

Where to begin?...Am just getting over the whole 17hr jeep trip from Manali to Leh. To explain briefly our driver who appeared off his face knew two speeds....Mega fast and stopped. Screaming along bumpy land and around sheer cliffs as high as 5000m. Driver kept taking his eyes off the road to fiddle with the tape deck (still cant get the Bollywood tunes out of my head) and to dig in his pockets for some kind of white sherbert he seemed so fond of. It took me ten minutes of being in the car to realise that it was very likely that I may die today. I found out later that Nick was having the same thoughts. We both suffered with the altitude, Nick vomiting in his cap and me experiencing a very acute and extreme agitation that Im glad didn't last very long. I wasn't hallucinating rather envisioning or daydreaming about me punching through the windows of the jeep...very strange. Our faces and hands went a patchy shade of blue with the lack of oxygen in our bodies. We couldn't stomach any food or water so we didn't eat or drink. But we did arrive in Leh...we may have been bruised, dusty, hungry, tired and thirsty but we were alive and thankful for it. Looking back (and it was only two days ago) I can smile about it but I swear it was the single most trying experience of my life.

Well that was then and moving right along tomorrow we embark on another 'journey into the unknown' as we make our way to Shrinigar. The Kashmir region boarders with Pakistan so expecting a big military presence and more Muslims. Leh being part of the Himalayas there is a really nice Tibetan influence. Mostly Buddhists and a few Muslims. And the food...best chow-mien ever. Tibetan looking kids everywhere, I just want to take one home with me. And there is something beautiful about the older Tibetans, they have the happiest wrinkly faces. They laugh and smile as they try to sell you something and all I want to do is give them a big cuddle, they are so cute. Leh has turned out to be a really worthwhile experience.

Oh well must go pack. Please pray for our safe journey to Shrinigar, I don't know if I can handle another Jeep from hell experience and we will be in contact again when we get there.

If you don't hear from me by the end of the week...Im probably dead. 'Just a little Finish humor' hey Allie ;-)

Love and hugs xx

p.s. think Nick had put more pics up and comments too...see link on post below.