Bhagsu is a peaceful village a few miles up the road from McCleod Ganj and a magnet for travelers.

I spend a few tranquil days in Bhagsu, hiking in the mountains and learning about homeopathic medicine from a doctor whose office and classroom are a small shack on the edge of Bhagsu.  (Click here for a brief introduction to homeopathic medicine.)  A hearty hike uphill from Bhagsu, a Frenchman runs a restaurant famous for its delectable pizza baked in a brick oven.  It's a beautiful 20-minute walk each day along a tree-lined road into McCleod Ganj.

Children street performing in McCleod Ganj.

This guy animated dancing dolls and accompanied them with music.

It's difficult to leave this mountainous paradise for the scorching plains below, but I have a flight to catch in Delhi.  And so I take a bus that twists down steep mountain roads to the plains and the nearest railway station at Pathankot.