Dharamkot days

Start my days with yoga in the forest and I have signed up for a 2 day Reiki course with the venerable Dr Anand. Reiki is all about channeling the universal energy into peoples chakras for the benefit of their health. It seems my mediclorian cells are not quite off the charts but the force is strong with this one and when I practise on Dr Anand he invariably falls into a deep sleep. I do feel a huge exchange of energy, my hands getting so hot at times that I have to pull away but I don't really feel much for it. Dr Anand is a true pleasure to work with though and I really enjoy my time with him.
I spend the rest of my days chilling in "Cool Talk Corner Cafe" hanging out with the residents, eating in some lovely cafes with new friends and down in Bhagsu with my Indian friends there.
I take a good break from the bike but when I bring it to the shop I get chatting to a very interesting guy from Sweden that has been living in India for 29 years and he is on his way to Leh in Kashmir. I had heard the roads where very bad there but he has been 8 times now and really knows the way. I had originally planned to go to Leh but after my trip to Gangotri I thought I would skip it this time and stay in Dharamshala for the rest of my trip but his energy and the fact that he knows the area very well has inspired me to hit the road again and with Will (a fine American resident of the Cool Talk Corner Cafe also with a bike) Toni (the Swede) and I spend the rest of the day talking, laughing and planning our adventure north to Kashmir.
As much as I like it here in Dharamshala it is too safe and I might as well just be at home with all the westerns here and I can not pass up the opportunity to head through some of the most incredible terrain in the world with an experienced guide. The road to Leh is world famous as it is the highest motorway (I use motorway in the loosest sense of the word) in the world at 5,600m and the scenery is supposed to be just amazing. Excited again with the prospect of a great adventure my week rounds off well with Zoli's last class on the porch of an old house with monsoon rain and thunder rolling across the sky like huge boulders, mist comes in through the porch turning everybody into ghosts and adds real magic to the class.