Manali Black and Whites, 1983.

I recently re-discovered a set of digitized files of rolls of  black and white images.  These were from our north India summer long trip to Ladakh in 1983, and the 3.5 week hike I made with two friends out through Zanskar valley, over two mountain ranges, and finishing in Manali in Himachal Pradesh, where I met back up with Anne.  I just hung out in Manali, while my companions - Cassandra and Pete - left India and I waited for Anne - who had decided that 3+ weeks hiking with limited food and cold tenting was not her thing (understandable!) - and had gone to south India to enjoy the warmth and good fresh food, then travelled back to meet me in Manali.  

These images were an odd assortment I made with Tri-X B&W film and my old Nikon F.  The colour slides I shot were done with a Nikon FG, but are not included in this set.  These pics are mostly a handfull of 'environment' shots of the town.   The negatives were quite scratched up, and have taken quite an effort to clean them up,  but there are still artifacts left I just can't go through the effort to clean.   

I will publish some B&W pics from the earlier Ladakh and Zanskar trips at a later point - these are a LOT of work to clean up, but very happy to find them.

Ladies dressed in traditional clothes.

Note the large stack of hand-cut lumber behind her.

A traditional regional wood house.

A young lady carrying a full basket.

Cutting lumber by hand.

Local fellow having a smoke and watching life go on

Our guest house near the monastery. Wouldn't you know, when Cassandra and Pete were leaving Manali, C had to use my washroom before they left (and almost missed the bus!) and unfortunately took the key for my room lock with her.  The lock was an old heavy Navy lock of mine, and when the guest house owners tried to break it off (with a large rock) they smashed the door so it couldn't be locked (but my lock was fine!)  

I moved to a much better room anyway!

At that time Manali was just covered in wild ganja -  absolutely everywhere, even the centre of town and bus stand.

Heading into town for food!

'Downtown'

Cassandra talking with a Tibetan refugee.

Sunflower video!  Even in 1983 in the boonies there were small screens and players around.

Girls enjoying the local produce near the Buddhist monastery.

The monastery.

Young monks taking a study break to try to make a wheeled cart.

Inside the monastery with kids running around.

Some local event going on with large horns.

A gathering for some reason.

Shopping and having an apple break.

Lads having a break on the side of the road -Yeh Vada Raha was a movie, fyi.

Heading to the bus stand in the town centre.

Selling savoury treats at the bus stand, among locals and foreigners.

A seller of savouries!  Ate up his samosas and veg pakhoras!

Waiting for a meal in a fine restaurant.....  We were SO happy to buy meals instead of cooking.

Me hanging out at the monastery.