Another Change in the Weather (and a bit of ketchup)

McLeod Ganj is the wettest village in India. Indeed, had I had known this fact before I arrived, I probably wouldn´t have come at all.

However, for the last month, the weather has been bright and gorgeous during the day, even if bloody cold at night. I can´t remember ever having three consecutive dry days, let alone almost a month.

At about midnight last night, the wind picked up dramatically gusting around the apartment. Despite sealing the windows with tape, it still managed to penetrate the bedsit. It continues throughout the night, and in the morning we have sludgy rain and no electricity. There is some snow on the slopes above, but the peaks are hidden by the overhanging clouds.

I´m keen to progress my Literature Review for my dissertation and i´m trying to fill a chunk on phonological awareness (an indicator of reading success), but the battery drains out in less than 3 hours with only a couple of paragraphs completed.

It´s so cold, i´m forced into bed with two hot water bottles and sleep most of the afternoon. Just before sunset, I awake to hear the sound of the heater turning on. Whilst it has stopped raining, the peaks are still buried within the clouds. Come 11pm the winds are up again and it´s hailing outside. Fortunately, the electricity has disappeared again. (Yet!).

The Tibetan medicine has kicked in well; my stomach is more settled and my appetite is returning. The evening medicine balls have to be chewed and taste so foul, it takes all my will-power not to vomit it all out.

Boy has kindly purchased me a return ticket from London – Nice for January 22nd, so I will have to try and sort out flight tickets from Delhi – London. Still unsure if to fly back for Christmas or wait till to the New Year, but decisions will have to be made soon. The thought of leaving the Himalayas after 17 months is horrendous.