Jalori Pass

Crossing over the pass - heralded the the first of many cultural changes. Last night was rural India - Home-staying with mountain people in a National Park and it's remote, unsung beauty was so typically Indian - now we start to dive into the next region - leaving the high pastures of wild iris and down, down down to hot foothills as we head East and North for the next road around the snowcaps, and back into the Himalaya. We had a short swim to cool off after zigging and zagging from 3,100m to the humid plains, and picnicked next to a bright-lit, fast flowing river (even finding a chamber under a waterfall to 'hide' in. Then it was up the Sutlej river, through the Kinnaur 'happy hat-seller*' region - stopping for the special permits needed to enter the Spiti region from Reckong Peo, Eventually getting up to 1850m high Sarahan just after dusk. We have transformed culturally, stopping in virtually the last outpost of Shiva - with a very Tibetan flavoured town surrounding the fabulous Bhimakaliji temple, swathing it in dancing diamonds of Aum, Mani Padme Hum.
*Kinnaur has a dress code - like Kullu - with pillbox hats - the woollen ones with the pouch for flower storage - and are unusually worn by both the men and the women. Rather than the woven geometry of other regions' headwear - the Kinnauri hats are of a uniform grass green. Surely a milliner's dream!