A local Tibetan woman in traditional apron poses for me. Rewalsar, India.

Today is our second to last day in Rewalsar and it’s going to be a wrench to leave here. It’s absolute heaven (even aside from the daily access to momo).

Last night we sat up in the secret place on the roof again, played Pink Floyd by candlelight, watched lightening AND looked at stars – pretty awesome combination – and had a gin or two. Little fireflies flitted about and so did the bats who were chasing them. We even had a dog up there with us. The canines round here seem to be part mountain goat. We actually ended up talking until dawn – due to the fact, I guess, that we have such a short bit of time left and wanted to savour every moment. Of course we weren’t aware that it was nearly dawn until we heard the puja and wondered why they were so early. Whoops – outside (we were back in our room by then) the light was dawning. They weren’t early, we were late! But somehow that doesn’t matter when you can sleep in till midday then go and order your breakfast. I could really get used to this life.

I sat in one of the cafes this avo and the woman who cooks there showed me how she makes momo. Another guy was helping her and he said he’d been trying for 2 years now and he still couldn’t make them as pretty as she could. She makes them look like seashells then arranges them in a spiral. Move over the Naked Chef!

We walked around the lake again today and watched the fish milling around in the shallows. They make kissing sounds at you from the water and open their mouths really wide. Not the most attractive sight in the world, but then of course I’m not a fish. An Indian family asked me to pose with them for a family photo. This isn’t the first time this has happened. There are photos of me all over India by now I think. Bit of a laugh really.

Not a lot else has been accomplished today, as of course we had rather a late start. The 8 o’clock gong has just rung so I might go and grab some momo while there’s still some left in town. If you’re not fast you miss out around here.

Families and a monk enjoying the lake at Rewalsar, India.

Our mountain dog friend, who we named ‘Bruce’.

Some of the very friendly fish – they know darn well the Buddhists aren’t going to eat them!