Manali Missives, June, 2015 You know it’s Summer in Manali

Manali Missives, June, 2015

You know it’s Summer in Manali

It’s summer in Manali!

You can tell that because the snow has retreated to the surrounding mountain peaks. 

You can tell it because the tourists who’ve made the trek in small cars, large SUVs and Volvo buses from the plains of India are shivering in the early morning cool. Having achieved their goal, escape from the dreadful heat, they had no idea it was going to be like this!

You can tell because up in old Manali Russian and Israeli tourists are out in force, and an occasional, opportunistic Indian offers best quality marijhuana. 

It’s summer in Manali!

You can tell that because it’s difficult to press your way through the throng from one end of the mall to the other, and there are queues at all the ATMs.

You can tell it because “Aloo (potato) ground”, one of the few areas of flat land for miles around, has become a gigantic bus park. (In a flash flood it would become a bus jam!) 

You can tell because some weeks after the tourist vehicles started appearing in numbers, the local Main Roads Department decided to re-asphalt the entire, 1½ lane wide road to Old Manali.

It’s summer in Manali!

You can tell that because several kilometres past the end of the new asphalt, across the military bridge to Old Manali and along the roughest little stretch of 4 wheel drive track in a built up area I’ve negotiated in my life La Plage, the indianized French restaurant with fascinating food, fine Indian wine and gorgeous views, has opened for its annual 3 month stint.

You can tell it because the church on the hospital compound has been in daily use for the past two weeks as an Indian Christian agency trains its workers.

You can tell because numbers of Americans arrive early each morning for hospital devotions and take over much of the bench space in Outpatients!

It’s summer in Manali!

You can tell that because there is talk in the hospital about holding medical camps in Lahaul and Spiti, and that means that Rohtang Pass, which you must cross to reach them, is now open.

You can tell it because a list of visiting specialists is coming to participate in these medical camps.

You can tell because meanwhile, back in town, beggars, shoeshiners, and vendors of balloons, fairy floss, sunglasses, cross stitch, instantly painted plaques commemorating your visit, roasted corn on the cob, assorted nuts and all manner of other “must haves” are plying their trades. 

It’s summer in Manali!

You can tell that because the garden at Johnson’s Café is in full bloom, and against the snow-capped, mountainous backdrop it looks spectacular!

You can tell it because though there hasn’t been much rain for a while the Beas River is flowing vigorously. It must be due to glacier melt!

You can tell because young boys start playing cricket on DayStar School’s basketball court at 6.30am, and old men (viz., moi!) have been seen trying their hands at badminton for the first time in decades!

It’s summer in Manali!

You can tell that because from 6.30am the tourist drivers start inching their vehicles out of their impossibly compressed parking spaces to prepare for the day.

You can tell it because the government has imposed a 5,000 rupee “green tax” on each vehicle per visit to Rohtang Pass.

You can tell because the tourist operators have gone on strike. They wonder, not surprisingly, what is being done with tax monies collected.

It’s summer in Manali!

You can tell that because at the hospital’s daily morning devotions the many attenders sing with full voice.

You can tell it because church is full each Sunday, numbers bolstered by tourists from the plains and abroad.

You can tell because…well because it’s summer, in all its himalayan glory!

It’s winter in Sydney!

But that’s where we’re headed next week folks, for a period of 8 weeks’ rest, sharing our story, planning for the third year of our 3 year project and most importantly, spending time with family and friends. The climax of this will be attending our niece Bronwyn’s wedding. 

I (David) have just returned from Chennai where I participated in an inter-church ecotheological consultation hosted by the Church of South India. From there I flew to Amritsar (So I’ll have to pay Greenfleet more money to plant more trees along the Murray River in carbon offset!), and spoke at a Diocesan women’s meeting on the theme of trees. The following day trees again provided the theme at a tree-planting ceremony, at the Epiphany Church in nearby Batala. This was the start of a project called “Trees for the Planet” that is being funded by Evangelische Kirche in Hessen und Nassau, Amritsar Diocese’s German partner church. These 3 events all celebrated this year’s World Environment Day.

My big news is that “Release the River!” the book I have written from my PhD thesis, has returned from the printers to the publisher, Delhi-based ISPCK. I plan to bring some copies to Australia, have ISPCK send many more, and hold a book launch. More of that later.

Meanwhile, Lena just keeps on saving lives…with some shopping thrown in!

With love,

From Lena and David Reichardt