Back through Chandigarh

  Chandigarh, India Tuesday, September 2, 2014

This was unplanned really but the best (safest) way to get to Dharamsala from Amritsar seems to be by going back through Chandigarh. So never one to miss an opportunity, we will stay a day so Bryan can meet another client that lives there. It is unlikely we will meet Puneet and Anju this time as the lucky couple are flying off to the USA. Have a fabulous time both of you and Anju don't forget to Travelpod your trip so we can see all about it! We didn't have a hotel pre booked, but as always, the tuk tuk driver that met us at the bus stop knew of a place so off we went again. No idea where we were going and just enjoying the ride. Except it went on and on and in the end we had to say enough already! Take us to the one you said to begin withSo here we are at Hotel City Heart and luckily it's ok. Nice big bed, hot water in the shower and a good size bathroom marble everywhere and it's fairly clean. Completely in the wrong part of the city but next to that fabulous Sector 17 shopping centre we've mentioned before. We were only here for one day so it didn't really matter where we slept and the next day we went to meet Bryan's colleagues at their office. We received such a warm welcome and they had a lovely bouquet of flowers for Jody too. They also had a wonderful trophy for Bryan as he was their first international visitor. We spent time at their office being introduced to everyone and they explained what they did for the company. We felt like royalty! Later Amit, Ashwani & Amrit took us for lunch before heading to Amit's home to meet his lovely wife, 3 year old daughter and his brother. He showed us around his new apartment and then the view from his bedroom balcony. It looked straight out across the valley with the wonderful Himalayan foothills on the horizonBeautiful. Especially on a clear day like it was that day. Amit's wife Shuchita fed us until we were ready to pop. There was all sorts of lovely tasty Indian sweets and snacks which looked wonderful but after such a great lunch we were just too full to appreciate. Then they had another surprise for Bryan, They had compiled a wonderful commemorative booklet of his visit and had it very professionally printed and bound which they presented to him. It was a really lovely memento and Bryan will treasure it always. We will also have to post it back to the UK soon though as we don't want it to get crumpled in his suitcase. Their almost 3 year old (in just a few days) daughter entertained us with her play dough and then it was time to roll again. Once again the hospitality we have received from people in India has been amazing. We have been made to feel so welcome into their homes and families and we once again have extended an invitation so we can repay their hospitality when we are back in England. We have to leave Chandigarh tomorrow as we are heading off to the most north we can go at the moment - Dharamsala - it's where there is a large community of Tibetan people now live, as they are exiled from their own land and where the Dali Lama now resides when he's not touring the world. Do you think he would like to meet us? We will have to wait and see.... [gallery columns="4" ids="8127,8134,8140,8144,8150,8159,8166,8179,8186"]