India Trip
I recently got back from a ski-mountaineering trip to India. I haven’t had a chance to post the photos yet, but will soon. Although there was stormy weather the first two weeks , it was a great trip and I eventually got some great skiing in, with a couple descents of 5,000 meter peaks (about 17,000 ft). 
I didn’t spend much time in Dehli, instead heading to the Himalayan town of Manli, but I couldn’t help but notice the poverty and crowding. Don’t get me wrong, it is a city worth visiting, its just that Indian outsourcing is always talked about and you form these mental pictures based on selective information. And then you get to a place and realize things are different. It would be like thinking Silicon Valley or Manhatten are indicative of life in the United States. Sure they are a part of it, but a very small part. So is IT in India (at least that was my perception). It is booming, but only a fraction of the society is taking part.
Anyways, I had a great time and was amazed by how cheap it was and how smoothly everything went. Taxies, tour guides, hotels, etc… not a single problem, and being a budget traveller, I was not ponying up high dollar amounts for these things. It was great having friends live there, as they eased the burden of travel and I can’t wait to go back and visit the South. I am thinking Kerala, or possibly Goa, although Goa seems like it would be overrun with tourists.
If you are a skier, they may have a ski area where I was before the year 2010. We ate dinner with a British and fellow American involved with the planning and development of the resort, and enjoyed hearing about it. I also have to mention the place where we stayed while there. It was the Iceland Hotel in Solang, a village about 15km past Manali. The owner, Kem, is great and helped us with numerous things, including getting taxis, bus rides, hiring horses to carry our gear to the base of the mountain. I HIGHLY recommend staying there if you are into ski touring or even interested in trekking. His hotel is in the Lonely Planet. Also, this book is invaluable if you plan on skiing there.