majnu ka tilla and then...

having realized we did indeed get scammed (or being pretty certain), I went to the Gov't tourism office to register a complaint (as advised by our bible du jour- Lonely Planet guidebook) and long story cut way short: got our money back.
it was easy for us to decide then, we wanted to get out of Paharganj, and would see what Majnu-ka-tilla, the Tibetan enclave north of Delhi city limits, could do for us.
and it couldn't have been a starker contrast... rooms for the same price, and 10 times nicer. also the atmosphere is way less cutthroat; a very nice place indeed. you'll find a couple photos above. also, we immediately got a bus ticket to Dharamsala for the fair price, and this is where I'm writing from.
the ride was 12 hours long and fairly painful, but I didn't mind so much- most India travelers seem to agree it's a pity that people have to start off their trips in Delhi... it was nice to leave it behind.
here we are free of the intense pollution... which hits your throat, nose, and most of all for me, eyes. so nice to breath free again. yesterday we wandered town (McLoud Ganj), and although this is the most touristy part of Dh, I quite like it. I think today we will take a long walk to see some other parts. we're likely to spend several days here, if not most of our trip.

that's all for now!

p.s. I managed to upload some photos to http://community.webshots.com/user/Nicollard
as well. in our half day in Delhi before leaving, we visited the Red Fort- check it out!