India, Day 14

In spite of Rajesh's prayers, the gods decide that the rain will continue. It is very disappointing to wake up to the drumming of the rain. We get up for a morning tea (which they offer to serve us in the tent... colonial ways prevail!), Ramon wants to go on. He's not felling well. I'm the Medicine Woman again and apply my homeopathis medication for throat and sinus. Together with the guide and the cook we deliberate at lenghts what we should do. It will get colder at our next campsite, the ponies could slip and fall, the visibility is poor, everything will be even wetter, the next campsite has no firewood. Decision is made: turn back to Manali. For my own selfish reasons, I would rather spend quality time in Leh (where I'm going next) then sitting in a wet tent. I book myself on the next Jeep ride to Leh. But before that, I check the weather in Leh- it's all sunshine, baby. The Manali-Leh road is one of the most scenic roads, with the 2nd highest pass in the world. We will be at 5500m tomorow, before we decent to Leh at 3500m. My Jeep is at 2am, arriving Leh at 10pm tomorrow. I'm trying not to be disappointed with the trekking experience, and think of the new possibilities in Leh.