So I thought that the trek would be my last e-mail, but apparently more stuff decided to happen. Since the trek went a little longer than expected, the extra trekking days cut into my shopping days. We decided that the morning after my last e-mail would be my major shopping day, as well as going to the Indian airlines office to print out my ticket (since apparently here and in Nepal they won't even let you into the airport building without the ticket, even if it is an e-ticket). However when we woke up we discovered that there was another big strike or protest going on. No cars were driving anywhere, not even bicycles or rickshaws because protesters were letting the air out of tires. Furthermore no shops were open either. We decided to try to go to the airline office anyways by walking. It was so eerie to see these streets of which we almost got run over every 3 seconds on before, now completely empty of wheeled vehicles. The fact that all the stores were all locked up enhanced the eeriness since the restaurants usually blare music and store owners shout after you as you walk down the streets. However now, everyone just walked around as if in a dream, on empty quite streets, looking aimless as if not knowing what to do. It was hard to figure out what exactly what was going on, but I think it was a Maoist protest protesting the current administration. Maoists are not the majority however, but we got the sense that many people were cooperating because they were scared. There were a few stores very quietly open, with their metal grates only half open so all anyone from the outside could were people's feet. We made it to the airline office and then headed back to the hotel since nothing else was open.
The next day we heard from Ratna that there were 25 cars burned. Even though Dad and I felt safe walking around, I feel like I got out of Nepal in the nick of time in terms of at least avoiding logistical complications. Nepal is a very new democracy, so it seems to be going through quite a bit of growing pains right now. On the last day my dad's friend Madu, a thangka painter, came to talk to us because we did not have much time when we first saw him in Bhaktipur. Madu and Dad have a special connection, they just really enjoy each others conversation and seem to understand each other well. Madu seemed particularly concerned with my future relationships and being cautious about who I choose as a husband, as well as my relationship with dad. At times it almost felt like a Nepalese therapy session (meaning the therapist does the talking/ advice), but it was done with purely sweet intentions and I enjoyed getting to know him better. Later in the day we met with Ratna again in Patan. Both Ratna and Madu showered me with presents. I always feel a little embarrassed at the end of trips in Asia because I often get showered with gifts but never know what I can give back. Dad took Ratna and his wife out to a nice Italian dinner in Thamel where we introduced them to some new things, like penne al a vodka and brownies.
This morning I got to the airport 3 hours early ( an hour before the ticket counter even opened) and safely got back to India. The air in the taxi blew on me like a hot air blow dryer and I knew that the monsoons hadn't hit North India yet. I am now at the program center killing time before my next flight back to the states! Apparently another girl on my program is flying out with me. For all of you that want to know, my flight is on Air France #AF 255 from Delhi to Paris and then AF 012 from Paris to NY where I should arrive around 12:45. It is nice to see the staff here again, though it strange to be here without the rest of the group. I found out though that I got the highest Hindi mark, as well as doing well on the rest of my classes. So the next time I see daylight will be in the US, though it hasn't quite sunk in that I am leaving Asia, I feel like I am ready to come back. I'll send out probably one or two more e-mails: one letting you know I arrived back ok, and one more when I posted my pictures.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Anapurna trekking
So I am alive! I survived! It has been quite the journey, and I suspect this e-mail will be long. I have so many beautiful pictures of Nepal and mountains, but they will have to wait unfortunately until I get back to the states because the internet here is just to slow to be worth it.
So went to Pokhara to catch a 5 am plane to a place called Jomsom. The flight have to be really early because the wind picks up in the afternoon and is too dangerous to fly in. We were worried because the weather has been kinda bad, basically the monsoons started while we were trekking and so we often battled rain and cloudy weather. The flight was really beautiful with a great view of this huge ice fall/ glacier.
Upon landing, we put on our back packs and started to walk up the mountain right away. Our basic plan was to land in Jomsom, walk about 2 hours up to a place called Kagbeni, and the slowly make our way down the mountain back to Pokhara. Dad planned it out so it would be a nice relaxing trek. We would hike in the morning for about 2-4 hours (sometimes it was only 1.5 hours) and then relax the rest of the day in the village. We planned the trek to be about 8 days, 9 if the weather looked good. We started our trek in the off season, seems to be a trend in my trips. As a result we got rooms at a much cheaper rate, but as a pay off, we didn't see many fellow hikers and we often didn't see the mountains. I was ok with this actually, the glimpses were magical enough and the foothills seemed to be "mountainous" enough for me. Dad however was continually frustrated, but I think he came to a place of acceptance. One thing that I thought was really cool throughout the trek was how environmentally conscious Nepal is about conserving the area. They tell every trekker with receiving their permit not to purchase plastics, to take batteries back so they are properly disposed and to filter your own water. They even have "safe drinking water" facilities along they where they filtered water with an ozone process for a cheap fee so that you didn't have to buy bottled water.
Kagbeni was really neat, perhaps one of the best villages we stopped in. For the hike there, it was a very easy incline, didn't even notice it, and the wind picked up so that I didn't even sweat the entire time. We also walked through a dried river bed which is really rich in fossils. I actually found two just walking, and then proceeded to lug them around with me for the rest of the trek. The area around Kagbeni was a lot like Tibet/ New Mexico, very arid. However, Kagbeni itself was a little oasis with sweeping green fields against this breathtaking backdrop of this peak, Nilgiri. I also made a friend in Kagbeni, a Tibetan woman whose name was the Tibetan version of Tara. The room we stayed in had a great view of the mountain and I got to nap dozing in and out of watching it.
The next day we headed down the valley to a place called Marpha. I got really into the rocks in the river bed, they had so many interesting designs that seemed to mirror the larger peaks on a micro scale. Marpha is known for its apples, and I feasted on dried apples, apple pie, apple crumble, fresh apple juice and apple brandy! In general the trek is so well traveled, it is actually quite posh. Nice rooms and all kinds of Western food all along the way. Dad was just in shock for the few days about the road and how much it changed since he last did this trek in 1980. On the way to Marpha we met an Israeli couple who we found again in Marpha. We got nice and tipsy with them on Apple Brandy and learned a bunch of card games I'll teach you that were really fun.
The next day we hiked to a small town called Larjung where I discovered potato cheese momos. They were basically like pirogies, and delicious. We lost our friends because they were walking faster than dad could. All along the way dad had aches and pains, so we walked slow and he got through them. I was intrigued that the river we were following had black water. This was a really interesting contrast to the clear glacial waters of the Ganga when I was hiking in India's mountains. The next day was a really short hike to Kalopani, "black water," but interestingly enough here the water was no longer black. Kalopani is a town that was built for tourists, it was where people thought there was the best views of the mountains. When we arrived it was cloudy, so we spent the nice in a really nice place. It was like the first real shower I had from a shower head since arriving in Asia. We then stayed till morning hoping it would clear, but no luck.
We then headed towards Tatopani, but decided to stop in this place called Rupse. We stopped in Rupse because the descent down many uneven stone steps really hurt our calves, but more importantly, Rupse was basically a single guest house right under this huge beautiful waterfall. We ate watching the water fall and slept to its rumble. We also met some more friends: a couple from Poland and another couple from Austria. We played a card game we learned the previous night by candle light and all ate Dal Bat. Dal bat is the typical Nepali plate of food, basically a Thali in India. It comes with Rice, Dal, and a vegetable of some sort, but the neatest thing is that it is never ending! When you finish any element they bring you more and more until you are full! We had this usually at least once a day.
The next day we reached Tatopani where there was some nice hot springs for us to soak in. It was hear I started to hear from travelers that there was an uphill climb ahead of us. I went into this trek thinking it was all downhill, so this was a bit of a shock. Dad assured me it was gradual and not that bad. I looked at the map briefly and it looked about the same distance as our previous days, 4 hours walking max. I asked the owner of the hotel how long it would take to get to Gareopani (our next target), and he said 7 hours! As I said before dad walks slower than most 20 year olds doing this trek, so this meant in my head at least 9 hours. I met a trekker who has just come down from Gorepani and he told me that it was a very steep climb, like the whole way. Have I mentioned that I hate going uphill? Especially after living in Mussoorie where I had to hike up hill almost everyday for 30min--1 hr. I was getting grumpy. We got up really early the next morning to tackle our difficult day. At our first rest point I looked at the map again. I realized that we were basically climbing 2000 meters in one day, thats 6600 feet! Furthermore, Gareopani is higher than even Kagbeni! Meaning that the entire week we had hiked down the valley, and in a single day we were supposed to go uphill to a point higher than we had been the entire trek. I started to hate going downhill because I knew it meant I would soon have to regain that altitude by going uphill again. Perhaps needless to say, even with lots of hot lemon breaks, we didn't make it. We stopped in a village called Shikha after 7 hours of uphill climbing with a 30 pound bag on my back with all my stuff and some of dad's (it was actually like 28, but sounds more impressive if I round up). Along the way many people claimed I looked "strong," I'm guessing they were trying to be nice in response to how tired I looked trying to tackle those stupid stairs going up. So in the time it should have taken us to make it to Gorepani, we made it half way, painfully.
In the morning the clouds cleared up and we saw a beautiful view of the mountains as we headed out sorely towards Gorepani, supposedly our last village. Gorepani was supposed to be special because there is a hill called Poon Hill that is supposed to have one of the best views of the Himalayas. After resting, we woke up in the dark and started to walk to Poon hill at 4 am to catch the sunrise. Unfortunately it was a rainy morning. After the extra hour hike up the hill to see nothing (at over 9000 feet) we came down to little glimpses of the range as the clouds started to part. However we couldn't linger because we had to descend the entire altitude we had gained over the last two days. I never thought going downhill would be so painful. At first it was fine. We walked through perhaps my favorite part of the hike. A beautiful rhododendron forest that felt really magical. It felt like elves, fairies, unicorns and gnomes should live there among the numerous cascading waterfalls and speckled wild orchids. However, we soon came upon the dreaded stone stairs. I believe there was approximately 3880 uneven stone stairs we climbed down, it just seemed like they would never end. Normally I love going down stairs, but the unevenness prevented any rhythm to the descent and the 30 pound back pack put a lot of extra weight on to my legs. Furthermore the hard stone quickly really hurt the soles of my feet. In short, it was really rough. We were told it should take about 6 hours to get down to the bus stand. About 11 hours later (not including the hike up and down from Poon Hill), we arrived in Baretanti, completely exhausted. In fact I am still in so much pain from this descent that I am still walking like a 90 year old man, especially up and down stairs. In the morning we did our final short push to the bus stand to get back to Pokhara.
Originally we were supposed to have 2 full days in Pokhara to recuperate and shop, however those two days were taken up by our extra unexpected hiking days. We bumped into almost all our friends while hiking and indulged in pasta, beers and other tasty treats as I bought some new clothes and other little things.
We decided to come back to Kathmandu today so that we had 2 full days to say goodbye to Dad's friends and to tie up loose ends. The buses leave Pokhara about 8 am and get to Kathmandu at about 2 with a break for breakfast and lunch. However, about half way we came to a major road block. Apparently a while ago, this village had a woman who was killed by one of these tourist buses and were demanding compensation. I guess they weren't being compensated, so their response was to set up road blocks on the only road between Kathmandu and Pokhara. We were stuck for hours, and the traffic was backed up in either direction farther than I could see. We made friends with many people on our bus and some of the local guys had a lot of fun trying to teach me Nepali. I starting to entertain the idea of coming back, learning the language and seeing if I can get local prices to things. Everyone says I look Nepali and that my pronunciation is really good. Before we left for the trek I already got access to a temple that dad was denied to because they thought I was Nepali. Anyways, it has been a long day, and over 12 hours after we left Pokhara we finally arrived at our hotel where I am writing you this long e-mail.
Unless something amazing happens, this will probably be my last mass e-mail until I get to the US and upload my pictures. I leave Nepal on June 3rd and then arrive in NY in the afternoon on June 4th. Thank you all for reading and letting me share my adventures with you. It has quite a semester and I am looking forward to an amazing summer. If you have any questions or comments I can't wait to discuss them with you, hopefully in person when I see you shortly.
So went to Pokhara to catch a 5 am plane to a place called Jomsom. The flight have to be really early because the wind picks up in the afternoon and is too dangerous to fly in. We were worried because the weather has been kinda bad, basically the monsoons started while we were trekking and so we often battled rain and cloudy weather. The flight was really beautiful with a great view of this huge ice fall/ glacier.
Upon landing, we put on our back packs and started to walk up the mountain right away. Our basic plan was to land in Jomsom, walk about 2 hours up to a place called Kagbeni, and the slowly make our way down the mountain back to Pokhara. Dad planned it out so it would be a nice relaxing trek. We would hike in the morning for about 2-4 hours (sometimes it was only 1.5 hours) and then relax the rest of the day in the village. We planned the trek to be about 8 days, 9 if the weather looked good. We started our trek in the off season, seems to be a trend in my trips. As a result we got rooms at a much cheaper rate, but as a pay off, we didn't see many fellow hikers and we often didn't see the mountains. I was ok with this actually, the glimpses were magical enough and the foothills seemed to be "mountainous" enough for me. Dad however was continually frustrated, but I think he came to a place of acceptance. One thing that I thought was really cool throughout the trek was how environmentally conscious Nepal is about conserving the area. They tell every trekker with receiving their permit not to purchase plastics, to take batteries back so they are properly disposed and to filter your own water. They even have "safe drinking water" facilities along they where they filtered water with an ozone process for a cheap fee so that you didn't have to buy bottled water.
Kagbeni was really neat, perhaps one of the best villages we stopped in. For the hike there, it was a very easy incline, didn't even notice it, and the wind picked up so that I didn't even sweat the entire time. We also walked through a dried river bed which is really rich in fossils. I actually found two just walking, and then proceeded to lug them around with me for the rest of the trek. The area around Kagbeni was a lot like Tibet/ New Mexico, very arid. However, Kagbeni itself was a little oasis with sweeping green fields against this breathtaking backdrop of this peak, Nilgiri. I also made a friend in Kagbeni, a Tibetan woman whose name was the Tibetan version of Tara. The room we stayed in had a great view of the mountain and I got to nap dozing in and out of watching it.
The next day we headed down the valley to a place called Marpha. I got really into the rocks in the river bed, they had so many interesting designs that seemed to mirror the larger peaks on a micro scale. Marpha is known for its apples, and I feasted on dried apples, apple pie, apple crumble, fresh apple juice and apple brandy! In general the trek is so well traveled, it is actually quite posh. Nice rooms and all kinds of Western food all along the way. Dad was just in shock for the few days about the road and how much it changed since he last did this trek in 1980. On the way to Marpha we met an Israeli couple who we found again in Marpha. We got nice and tipsy with them on Apple Brandy and learned a bunch of card games I'll teach you that were really fun.
The next day we hiked to a small town called Larjung where I discovered potato cheese momos. They were basically like pirogies, and delicious. We lost our friends because they were walking faster than dad could. All along the way dad had aches and pains, so we walked slow and he got through them. I was intrigued that the river we were following had black water. This was a really interesting contrast to the clear glacial waters of the Ganga when I was hiking in India's mountains. The next day was a really short hike to Kalopani, "black water," but interestingly enough here the water was no longer black. Kalopani is a town that was built for tourists, it was where people thought there was the best views of the mountains. When we arrived it was cloudy, so we spent the nice in a really nice place. It was like the first real shower I had from a shower head since arriving in Asia. We then stayed till morning hoping it would clear, but no luck.
We then headed towards Tatopani, but decided to stop in this place called Rupse. We stopped in Rupse because the descent down many uneven stone steps really hurt our calves, but more importantly, Rupse was basically a single guest house right under this huge beautiful waterfall. We ate watching the water fall and slept to its rumble. We also met some more friends: a couple from Poland and another couple from Austria. We played a card game we learned the previous night by candle light and all ate Dal Bat. Dal bat is the typical Nepali plate of food, basically a Thali in India. It comes with Rice, Dal, and a vegetable of some sort, but the neatest thing is that it is never ending! When you finish any element they bring you more and more until you are full! We had this usually at least once a day.
The next day we reached Tatopani where there was some nice hot springs for us to soak in. It was hear I started to hear from travelers that there was an uphill climb ahead of us. I went into this trek thinking it was all downhill, so this was a bit of a shock. Dad assured me it was gradual and not that bad. I looked at the map briefly and it looked about the same distance as our previous days, 4 hours walking max. I asked the owner of the hotel how long it would take to get to Gareopani (our next target), and he said 7 hours! As I said before dad walks slower than most 20 year olds doing this trek, so this meant in my head at least 9 hours. I met a trekker who has just come down from Gorepani and he told me that it was a very steep climb, like the whole way. Have I mentioned that I hate going uphill? Especially after living in Mussoorie where I had to hike up hill almost everyday for 30min--1 hr. I was getting grumpy. We got up really early the next morning to tackle our difficult day. At our first rest point I looked at the map again. I realized that we were basically climbing 2000 meters in one day, thats 6600 feet! Furthermore, Gareopani is higher than even Kagbeni! Meaning that the entire week we had hiked down the valley, and in a single day we were supposed to go uphill to a point higher than we had been the entire trek. I started to hate going downhill because I knew it meant I would soon have to regain that altitude by going uphill again. Perhaps needless to say, even with lots of hot lemon breaks, we didn't make it. We stopped in a village called Shikha after 7 hours of uphill climbing with a 30 pound bag on my back with all my stuff and some of dad's (it was actually like 28, but sounds more impressive if I round up). Along the way many people claimed I looked "strong," I'm guessing they were trying to be nice in response to how tired I looked trying to tackle those stupid stairs going up. So in the time it should have taken us to make it to Gorepani, we made it half way, painfully.
In the morning the clouds cleared up and we saw a beautiful view of the mountains as we headed out sorely towards Gorepani, supposedly our last village. Gorepani was supposed to be special because there is a hill called Poon Hill that is supposed to have one of the best views of the Himalayas. After resting, we woke up in the dark and started to walk to Poon hill at 4 am to catch the sunrise. Unfortunately it was a rainy morning. After the extra hour hike up the hill to see nothing (at over 9000 feet) we came down to little glimpses of the range as the clouds started to part. However we couldn't linger because we had to descend the entire altitude we had gained over the last two days. I never thought going downhill would be so painful. At first it was fine. We walked through perhaps my favorite part of the hike. A beautiful rhododendron forest that felt really magical. It felt like elves, fairies, unicorns and gnomes should live there among the numerous cascading waterfalls and speckled wild orchids. However, we soon came upon the dreaded stone stairs. I believe there was approximately 3880 uneven stone stairs we climbed down, it just seemed like they would never end. Normally I love going down stairs, but the unevenness prevented any rhythm to the descent and the 30 pound back pack put a lot of extra weight on to my legs. Furthermore the hard stone quickly really hurt the soles of my feet. In short, it was really rough. We were told it should take about 6 hours to get down to the bus stand. About 11 hours later (not including the hike up and down from Poon Hill), we arrived in Baretanti, completely exhausted. In fact I am still in so much pain from this descent that I am still walking like a 90 year old man, especially up and down stairs. In the morning we did our final short push to the bus stand to get back to Pokhara.
Originally we were supposed to have 2 full days in Pokhara to recuperate and shop, however those two days were taken up by our extra unexpected hiking days. We bumped into almost all our friends while hiking and indulged in pasta, beers and other tasty treats as I bought some new clothes and other little things.
We decided to come back to Kathmandu today so that we had 2 full days to say goodbye to Dad's friends and to tie up loose ends. The buses leave Pokhara about 8 am and get to Kathmandu at about 2 with a break for breakfast and lunch. However, about half way we came to a major road block. Apparently a while ago, this village had a woman who was killed by one of these tourist buses and were demanding compensation. I guess they weren't being compensated, so their response was to set up road blocks on the only road between Kathmandu and Pokhara. We were stuck for hours, and the traffic was backed up in either direction farther than I could see. We made friends with many people on our bus and some of the local guys had a lot of fun trying to teach me Nepali. I starting to entertain the idea of coming back, learning the language and seeing if I can get local prices to things. Everyone says I look Nepali and that my pronunciation is really good. Before we left for the trek I already got access to a temple that dad was denied to because they thought I was Nepali. Anyways, it has been a long day, and over 12 hours after we left Pokhara we finally arrived at our hotel where I am writing you this long e-mail.
Unless something amazing happens, this will probably be my last mass e-mail until I get to the US and upload my pictures. I leave Nepal on June 3rd and then arrive in NY in the afternoon on June 4th. Thank you all for reading and letting me share my adventures with you. It has quite a semester and I am looking forward to an amazing summer. If you have any questions or comments I can't wait to discuss them with you, hopefully in person when I see you shortly.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Nepalese Delights
I think the first few days of a new place always seem the longest, but the days have started to pick up speed here. In general we have been trying to see all the major sites around Kathmandu while preparing to go on a trek around the Anapurana's starting on Wed. I think the highlight so far has been meeting Dad's friends from 23 years ago. Ratna comes from a family who does this lost wax technique of making beautiful Buddhist statues. Ranta and his wife came to visit dad and mom when I was like 1 years old, so they were super excited to meet me. Strangely enough, Ratna has also been an SIT adviser for Tibetan studies program. Ratna has been really sweet and sort of acting as a tour guide for us. Last night we had a really nice fancy meal where Dad's friend Mohan who is blind and played the Sarod, which is like a mini Sitar. It was really wonderful. Then today we met yet another friend who paints thangkhas, really really beautiful ones. All these friends have been so welcoming, and I am amazed at how they recognize and remember so much about dad from over 20 years ago.
Yesterday we went to Bhaktapur, often known as a medevil town of the Valley. For those of you who have seen "Little Buddha," Bhaktapur is where Siddartha's kingdom was set, so it is the town used to portray Nepal around 500 B.C. For those that remember the scene where Siddartha was watching the potter, I went to that spot and got to try out some ancient pottery techniques. I wasn't really good at it though and my fingernails still have black clay stuck underneath them. I have actually seen many places/ images that I have studied or seen in movies, a strange but neat feeling to be in such places in person.
Nepal is really interesting after spending so much time in China and India. There is a term in India used a lot, "same same but different." Often used to describe things by shop keepers trying to explain small differences such as between pepsi and coke, but usually there were much more significant differences than that. In Nepal I can still read the signs because it is all in Devanagari, but I can't understand anything anymore. There are some of the same snacks but not the ones I usually eat. The mythology has many of the same characters but all of a sudden doesn't make sense. It is all strangely familiar and yet all new.
I feel like Keith says this every time he travels somewhere, but the women here are truly stunning, like everyone of them are beautiful. I think for this reason, among other reasons, I am really experiencing everyone telling me that I look Nepalese as a true compliment. It is really just amazing to me how many people have commented that I look Nepalese or just assume that I am Nepalese. From random shopkeepers, to my dad's friends, to literally people on the street as I get out of a car. There is a really strange welcoming thi creates. Dad seems to attribute to the fact that I was concieved here, and seemed intent on telling everyone we met this little fact until I asked him to stop.
So while sightseeing, we have also been planning our trek. We are planning to have a pretty easy trek. We are flying to the top and then slowly making our way down for 8 days and then spending a recuperation day at Pokhara. I'm sure I'll have the names down by the time I get back, but right now all the names are so unfamiliar and blend together.
I am realizing there is a huge difference between traveling with a group of peers, by myself, and with a parent. I have gotten so used to Asia and traveling alone that it has been a strange transition to travel with dad and see him go through his adjustment to Asia. For example, dad was really proud the other day for bargaining with a taxi walla, and asked me if I liked the way he handled it. I told him if I hadn't argued with rickshaw walla everyday for the last 4 months, I would probably be impressed, but it just seemed like something I do everyday now. It kinda felt like someone turning to me and saying, "you like how I crossed the street?" Just funny to see our different states.
So one last day to get all our stuff together and see some sights. Next update from the other side of the trek!
Yesterday we went to Bhaktapur, often known as a medevil town of the Valley. For those of you who have seen "Little Buddha," Bhaktapur is where Siddartha's kingdom was set, so it is the town used to portray Nepal around 500 B.C. For those that remember the scene where Siddartha was watching the potter, I went to that spot and got to try out some ancient pottery techniques. I wasn't really good at it though and my fingernails still have black clay stuck underneath them. I have actually seen many places/ images that I have studied or seen in movies, a strange but neat feeling to be in such places in person.
Nepal is really interesting after spending so much time in China and India. There is a term in India used a lot, "same same but different." Often used to describe things by shop keepers trying to explain small differences such as between pepsi and coke, but usually there were much more significant differences than that. In Nepal I can still read the signs because it is all in Devanagari, but I can't understand anything anymore. There are some of the same snacks but not the ones I usually eat. The mythology has many of the same characters but all of a sudden doesn't make sense. It is all strangely familiar and yet all new.
I feel like Keith says this every time he travels somewhere, but the women here are truly stunning, like everyone of them are beautiful. I think for this reason, among other reasons, I am really experiencing everyone telling me that I look Nepalese as a true compliment. It is really just amazing to me how many people have commented that I look Nepalese or just assume that I am Nepalese. From random shopkeepers, to my dad's friends, to literally people on the street as I get out of a car. There is a really strange welcoming thi creates. Dad seems to attribute to the fact that I was concieved here, and seemed intent on telling everyone we met this little fact until I asked him to stop.
So while sightseeing, we have also been planning our trek. We are planning to have a pretty easy trek. We are flying to the top and then slowly making our way down for 8 days and then spending a recuperation day at Pokhara. I'm sure I'll have the names down by the time I get back, but right now all the names are so unfamiliar and blend together.
I am realizing there is a huge difference between traveling with a group of peers, by myself, and with a parent. I have gotten so used to Asia and traveling alone that it has been a strange transition to travel with dad and see him go through his adjustment to Asia. For example, dad was really proud the other day for bargaining with a taxi walla, and asked me if I liked the way he handled it. I told him if I hadn't argued with rickshaw walla everyday for the last 4 months, I would probably be impressed, but it just seemed like something I do everyday now. It kinda felt like someone turning to me and saying, "you like how I crossed the street?" Just funny to see our different states.
So one last day to get all our stuff together and see some sights. Next update from the other side of the trek!
Friday, May 15, 2009
Nepal
Hello everyone!
So the last couple of weeks has been quite the roller coaster ride with finishing my paper, giving a presentation and hearing about Wesleyan. For those of you who don't know, there was a shooting at my school killing a girl. I was pretty shaken up by this and it has been really difficult being away from my community. However a friend on my program helped me through it, and I did my best to enjoy my last few days in India. We had a wonderful banquet where we all dressed up in Saris and had delicious food with our homestay families. It was a bit of a shock leaving India, to be honest it didn't really even hit me until I landed in Nepal that I was leaving. When I arrived I met dad at the hotel and he took me out to have a nice Thai meal, a really nice break from the fake American and Indian food.
Today Dad and I walked around Kathmandu today. We found various beautiful old statues and carvings that date back to the 4th century just hanging out on the streets sandwiched in between brass shops and vegetable vendors. We finished in Durbar square where we got a light snack of momos and fresh lemon sodas. We were planning on continuing to Swayambhunath, the main huge stupa that is so often used as the poster image of Nepal, but it started to rain so we headed back to the hotel. I have already been stopped for conversation in the airport and at the ticket stalls regarding my name and appearance. They tell me that I look Nepalise and were confused why I had an American passport. It feels nice to be welcomed into a country in this way, to have the assumption that I belong instead of my presence being constantly questioned. I see Taras, Gangas, and Yamunas everywhere, however their context is often confusing to me here. I feel like all my knowledge of Hinduism and even Buddhism is thrown out the window here for it is all mixed together in new ways. However I think I really love it, it is beautiful and very tourist friendly. There are many bakeries and yummy places to eat, as well as all the things in India I wanted to buy but didn't want to lug around all in one place. This is a shopping nightmare for me, so many things I want to buy, for cheap, and conveniently placed, however no room to take them back with all my new things I acquired over the last 4 months.
Basically I wanted to let everyone know I arrived safely. Dad is thinking about doing an 8 day trek, however we are keeping an eye on the recurring rains.
So the last couple of weeks has been quite the roller coaster ride with finishing my paper, giving a presentation and hearing about Wesleyan. For those of you who don't know, there was a shooting at my school killing a girl. I was pretty shaken up by this and it has been really difficult being away from my community. However a friend on my program helped me through it, and I did my best to enjoy my last few days in India. We had a wonderful banquet where we all dressed up in Saris and had delicious food with our homestay families. It was a bit of a shock leaving India, to be honest it didn't really even hit me until I landed in Nepal that I was leaving. When I arrived I met dad at the hotel and he took me out to have a nice Thai meal, a really nice break from the fake American and Indian food.
Today Dad and I walked around Kathmandu today. We found various beautiful old statues and carvings that date back to the 4th century just hanging out on the streets sandwiched in between brass shops and vegetable vendors. We finished in Durbar square where we got a light snack of momos and fresh lemon sodas. We were planning on continuing to Swayambhunath, the main huge stupa that is so often used as the poster image of Nepal, but it started to rain so we headed back to the hotel. I have already been stopped for conversation in the airport and at the ticket stalls regarding my name and appearance. They tell me that I look Nepalise and were confused why I had an American passport. It feels nice to be welcomed into a country in this way, to have the assumption that I belong instead of my presence being constantly questioned. I see Taras, Gangas, and Yamunas everywhere, however their context is often confusing to me here. I feel like all my knowledge of Hinduism and even Buddhism is thrown out the window here for it is all mixed together in new ways. However I think I really love it, it is beautiful and very tourist friendly. There are many bakeries and yummy places to eat, as well as all the things in India I wanted to buy but didn't want to lug around all in one place. This is a shopping nightmare for me, so many things I want to buy, for cheap, and conveniently placed, however no room to take them back with all my new things I acquired over the last 4 months.
Basically I wanted to let everyone know I arrived safely. Dad is thinking about doing an 8 day trek, however we are keeping an eye on the recurring rains.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Happy Cheese day!
I just wanted to let everyone know that in this moment I am so happy. I just arrived back in Mussoorie, back in my beautiful home with the lovely family that lives downstairs. Rishikesh and Haridwar were interesting, seeing the tourist aspect of what I saw in the mountains, and slowly realizing that the fact I saw these pilgrimage sites completely alone was truly a rare gift. Rishikesh also posed mosquitoes issues, but I absolutely fell in love with the Ganga there. I would dip in her waters at least twice a day as the days got hotter. I didn't even change out of my clothes for almost a week. I would sleep in them to cover as much of my body as possible to protect from the mosquitos, then in the mid morning I would dip into the ganga walk around with my wet clothes staying cool, and then in mid afternoon when my clothes had dried and I was getting hot again I would swim in her waters once more.
After my two good friends met me in Rishikesh, I returned with them to Delhi where it was about 107 daily. I feasted on take out food, mangoes and coconuts. Katherine and my friend's apartment had internet and television and I indulged in as much as both as possible. The days flew by quickly as I visited my home stay family, found books for my research and ate delicious food, including an amazing hot chocolate with cinnamon, saffron and rosewater.
Today I came back to Mussooire, it was so nice to have the air on my face resemble a cool breeze instead of a hot hairdryer like it did in Delhi. After coming home, I found an amazing store, Prakesh's general store! Instead of an hour hike down (and then back up) the mountain to get to any groceries, I found a beautiful 15min hike up a shady path right behind my house to this general store with over 10 kinds of cheese!! Gouda, sharp cheddar, blue, ricotta, Cabernet, Gruyeres!! Homemade jams, olives, olive oil, granola, pretzels, spices like oregano and rosemary, pastas and pancake mix! I was really overwhelmed with happiness of all the things I will be able to make in the coming weeks. I was silly and did not bring much money with me (though I have plenty left over from my stipend), so I got some cheddar, homemade apricot jam, and crackers and had an amazing feast of one of my favorite comfort food combinations. I just felt so happy to find this goldmine.
I am now in full academic mode, trying to analyze my crazy experience and place it a theoretical and academic context. In combing through my copious notes, research, journals and comments from all of you, I am realizing that I actually have a lot of information and I am currently in the stage of figuring out how to incorporated as much of it as possible.
So I just wanted to let everyone know that I am happy and safe in the throngs of academia once again, but this time surrounded by the amazing beauty of the mountains and trails, just no longer snow capped. Thank you all for your supportive comments, I can't describe how much they helped me persevere.
After my two good friends met me in Rishikesh, I returned with them to Delhi where it was about 107 daily. I feasted on take out food, mangoes and coconuts. Katherine and my friend's apartment had internet and television and I indulged in as much as both as possible. The days flew by quickly as I visited my home stay family, found books for my research and ate delicious food, including an amazing hot chocolate with cinnamon, saffron and rosewater.
Today I came back to Mussooire, it was so nice to have the air on my face resemble a cool breeze instead of a hot hairdryer like it did in Delhi. After coming home, I found an amazing store, Prakesh's general store! Instead of an hour hike down (and then back up) the mountain to get to any groceries, I found a beautiful 15min hike up a shady path right behind my house to this general store with over 10 kinds of cheese!! Gouda, sharp cheddar, blue, ricotta, Cabernet, Gruyeres!! Homemade jams, olives, olive oil, granola, pretzels, spices like oregano and rosemary, pastas and pancake mix! I was really overwhelmed with happiness of all the things I will be able to make in the coming weeks. I was silly and did not bring much money with me (though I have plenty left over from my stipend), so I got some cheddar, homemade apricot jam, and crackers and had an amazing feast of one of my favorite comfort food combinations. I just felt so happy to find this goldmine.
I am now in full academic mode, trying to analyze my crazy experience and place it a theoretical and academic context. In combing through my copious notes, research, journals and comments from all of you, I am realizing that I actually have a lot of information and I am currently in the stage of figuring out how to incorporated as much of it as possible.
So I just wanted to let everyone know that I am happy and safe in the throngs of academia once again, but this time surrounded by the amazing beauty of the mountains and trails, just no longer snow capped. Thank you all for your supportive comments, I can't describe how much they helped me persevere.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
My Heroine's Journey
This has been quite an intense week, every day has seemed like an eternity of experiences. I'll try to give some of the peaks and troughs of my experience in this e-mail, I don't think I can make it exhaustive but it will still be long.
So last week Monday morning I left for Yamunotri with a wilderness first aid trainer named Anna and a guide named Harmeek. We drove for six hours and arrived at this little village called Rana Chatti, about 30 min from Janki Chatti, the town closest to Yamunotri. However, Rana Chatti looked like a ghost town, there was no one even walking around the streets and all but one little stall that sold gum and candy was closed. Harmeek had to ask a hotel if they would open for us because we needed a place to stay and all the other towns around were also closed. About 30 min later, we had an entire hotel to ourselves. Inside they were doing a lot of construction in the main lobby, I am guessing in preparation for the upcoming tourist season. Moments after we were let inside a hail storm ascended on us, it was quite cold. That night we huddled in the kitchen for food and warmth, and that night we slept under huge smelly blankets that countless tired pilgrims before had used with all of our clothes still on for it was too cold to take them off to change.
Tuesday morning we got up early to make our way to Yamunotri. Yamuna is perhaps the second most sacred river in India. Yamuna is the twin sister of Yama, lord of the underworld, and it is thought that to bathe in her waters will ensure that you will be exempt from a painful death. She is also closely associated with Krishna since he grew up along her banks. We stopped in Janki Chatti and started to climb up the mountain. Because of the hail/ snow storm the night before, the path was covered with snow and because it was a clear day we got some amazing views of the newly powdered peaks. However, recovering from a fever, acclimating to high altitudes and not doing any exercise since arriving in India is a bad combo for trying to tackle a hike, even a fairly easy one. The climb up was rough for me. Anna just whizzed up there, I don't think she stopped even once. I tried to keep up with her, but realized it was futile. I think this was my first mistake because I blew out quickly. The rest of the climb up Harmeek patiently stayed behind, asking to carry my bags, if I needed medication or if I was okay. I stubbornly wanted to carry my own burden, this was the first day of my pilgrimage and I wanted to make it to the top, even though I was sweating bullets in the snow. I had a whole gambit of thoughts as I pushed my body farther than it wanted to go, wanting to give up, doubting this whole crazy pilgrimage business, questioning whether I should just return to Mussoorie and alter my project. Harmeek's comments that this was an easy hike and that it wasn't too high and urges to hurry up weren't exactly helping either. Eventually with the help of grabbing huge chunks of snow to suck on once my water was done, I reached the Yamunotri temple. At the site there was said to be hot springs, however the tanks were empty (this might have been for the best, I heard that the female tank was below the male tank and just had all the water from the male tank spilling over). The main temple was closed, but there was an adjacent temple that was open. I went inside and bowed to the black statue of Yamuna and her company of other deities. The Sadhus invited me to sit down and gave me some chai. Of course now that I finally got to sit down, all my sweat began to evaporate and my clothes were all wet, and I was absolutely freezing. I tried to scribble as much information as I could with my shivering hands. I was told that the old man in the corner was 108 years old and had been praying here for 40 years. After not too long I was hurried out so we could get down the mountain. Again Anna sprinted down, this time with the force of gravity working with me instead of against me I thought I could keep up. However by this time the sun had started to melt the snow, creating a parallel Yamuna along our trail we had to wade through as we descended. At some point I lost my footing in the current and began to run down the mountain trying to regain control of myself, I was moving too fast though and at a switchback I slammed into the railing that was fortunately there. I hit the railing with such force that my red Wesleyan water bottle was catapulted out of my bag. I held on to the railing out of breath as I watched my red bottle against the white snow fall in slow motion where I surely would have gone. A little shooken up I continued my decent, a little slower now not really caring if Anna had to wait. Harmeek reminded me a few times that it was a good thing that railing was there, I didn't know how to reply besides nodding my head. Across from Janki Chatti is a small village that Mr. Alter told me to visit called Kharsali. After eating a parantha, we headed across the river to this small town. In a much more relaxed manner I wrote about two temples I saw there, one to Shiv and another supposed built by Shani (Saturn) and without much more explanation but that. At the Shiv temple I didn't bring any money with me, so when the priest asked me of an offering I gave one of my bangles that had broken when I slammed against the railing. In return the priest gave me a flower blossom and told me to take it to Gangotri, to Yamuna's sister for Yamuna. There were some really beautiful wooden carvings around the village, and then we headed back to the car. Back at the hotel I was exhausted and a little overwhelmed by the experiences of my second day, Anna went off for another hike. We again had dinner in the kitchen. I forgot to mention that there was in frequent electricity as well, so our dinners were by candle light.
In the morning my body ached and I was apprehensive about continuing the journey alone when with helpful companions it had already proven itself difficult. Harmeek and Anna dropped me off in Barkot where I was put on a local bus to Uttarkashi, the largest town in this area. The steaks of old vomit down the sides of the bus from the windows was not encouraging, but I made sure at least I was by a window. I however felt grateful for all the construction even though it was destroying the land, just because the bumpy roads were able to ground me enough so that the curves did not make me sick. I arrived in Uttarkashi, tried to find some food but everything was closed. I found a hotel near the bus stand and asked for some dal and rice. A French couple bolted in as I sat down asking for food. They got the same thing as me. I found out they were going to Gaumukh, the glacier where Ganga comes from, and the same place I was planning on going. However they relayed to me the many difficulties of trying to get permission to go, including paying $500 US. After they left I went to my room and consulted with Mr. Alter and we decided with the weather and present conditions it was too dangerous and difficult for me to go to Gaumukh, plus I didn't have anyone to go with and after my little spill at Yamunotri I decided I did not really want to hike anywhere alone. I tried to sleep, but my sore body wouldn't let me.
Ok this was a really long day. At about 5 am I woke up to find a bus to Gangotri. I needed to stop at two little villages along the way as well, Harsil to see ganga's winter home and Lanka where another myth happened and there was a big gorge. A guide from Ladhak I had met the night before happened to be awake and helped translate for me. Because Gangotri, like Yamunotri was closed, there were no buses. Instead I found a share taxi that agreed to take me to a town called Dharali (i had never heard of it). I got in trusting it would all work out. Sandwiched between the window and 4 other men as approximate 19 other guys jumped in and out of the trunkish area, I eventually made it to Dharali. After having a cup of chai, I asked around for someone I was supposed to meet there, but apparently he was in Uttarkashi still. It seemed like the entire village had gathered to help solve my predicament, or at least to see what was going on. So I started to ask for people willing to give me a ride to Gangotri. one man offered, but as soon as he offered he came back and informed me that his car was out of oil. I was led to another guy, who as soon as he was asked closed up his shop and took out his motorcycle. I asked if anyone else had a car, and the villagers replied no. I hesitated, but decided to go for it, Gangotri was essential to my project and I wasn't going to come this far to not go. Strangely I also felt an re-kindled strength and resolve to go to deliver the flowers. I was given a mission and for whatever reason felt the need to complete it. I jumped on back, and it was the most beautiful ride of my life. Instead of trying to squeeze peaks of the mountains through old men's heads, I was freely able to look all around me. Because it was closed, we literally didn't see anyone else on the road. The air was fresh and clean, free from any car exhaust and smelly men. When we arrived, i could tell Gangotri was used to catering to a lot of people on a daily basis, but again no one was there. It was like being in Times Square with all the signs up, but all the shops closed and not a single soul on the streets in broad daylight. My driver friend (Mukesh), took me around to the temples and sights, and even took me to find the Pandava cave (where the Pandavs stayed for awhile). On the way back he pointed out a Sadhu sitting on top of this beautiful waterfall, he said I will meet. We hiked up to the waterfall, and this Sadhu smiled as she continued to finish her passage in the Ramayana. I was first surprised to see she was female, the first female Sadhu I had seen in India. When she finished her passage she closed the book and told me it was Hanuman's birthday and she was reading a special passage for him; she spoke fluent English! I spent about two hours with her, Bhakti Priya was her name. She spouted to me her philosophies on life, her embrace of her foolishness because it brought her peace, and the miracles she had witnessed (mostly of Hanuman). She apparently used to be Mukesh's English teacher, and assured me he was a good boy, but to be careful in India traveling alone as a female, she warned me it was dangerous. As we said goodbye to Bhakti Priya, the clouds started to gather again. On the way down it started to hail again, on the motor bike this hurt. I found out that ganga's winter home was actually in Mukhba, a town right across the water from Dharali, not in Harsil. So when we got back, we had some chai to warm up and then hiked up the hill to get Ganga Darsan. There really wasn't a path to Mukhba, there was only the semi-dry water way to follow up. When we arrived at the winter temple, we found out it didn't open for another 3.5 hours. I decided to stay, but informed Mukesh he didn't have to stay. It got really really cold. I tried to scribble my experiences but had to frequently take breaks to warm my hands because they were shaking too much. I did a bit of jogging around the town, but still could not warm up. After waiting for 2 hours, it started to get dark, and I decided I couldn't handle it anymore. I also figured that the waterway was getting more slippery and I needed the light to get down. I apologized to Ganga, felt guilty for not seeing the main deity of my project when nothing but a door and time was separating me from her, but I also decided that this project was not worth my health or safety. I made it back to Dharali, where I found out that the taxi I came in was the last taxi back to Uttarkashi for the day, so I got a room above the tea stall. I came down to get more chai and try to warm up. The villagers built a fire and gave me a prime seat, however every part of my body that was farther than a few inches from the flames was still freezing. I eventually ran up to my room, piled the two 5 inch thick blankets on top of each other (since I left my sleeping bag in my room in Uttarkashi because I thought I would be coming back the same day), put them both over my head to try to use my own breath to help warm up my cave. I still shivered for a few hours and again slept very little due to my aching cold body. However it was a great day.
In the morning I caught a share taxi back to Uttarkashi blaring some Om Krishna songs from a tape, repeating the same 3 songs the entire time. In Uttarkashi I asked how to get to Devpravag. Though I got many different answers, I got the consensus that some bus left in the morning, but there were no more for the day. I spent the day exploring the temples in Uttarkashi and called Mukesh's friend Ganga to show me around, Ganga was perhaps a couple of years younger than me and she was very amused by the fact we both had brown hair and wore glasses. She hurried me through the temples a bit faster than I wanted to go, but also showed me many temples I wouldn't have found on my own. She also took me home to meet her family which was very nice. Afterwards I went back to the hotel, exhausted. I prepared for my journey the next day. At 10pm as I was falling asleep there was a knock on my door. One of the servants in the hotel who had come many times before. He said something like "me sleep here?" I thought it was a misunderstanding at first, I shook my head and said no figuring anything he was asking I didn't want since i just wanted to sleep. But he insisted, "me sleep here please? with you, sleep." After a "what?!" or two from me, I began to close the door, but he stuck his foot in and started to try to push his way in. I had to physically shove him out and lock the door as quickly as I could. I didn't sleep much this night either.
I woke up a full 2 hours before I was told the bus left, thinking I just wanted out of this hotel as soon as possible. It was a good thing too because the bus to Devpryag was left 1.5 hours earlier than what i was told. I got my seat, was told it was a 5 hour bus ride and by 30 min into the ride, the three people surrounding me were throwing up out the doors and windows. A woman actually started to sit on me because I didn't want to give up my seat and stand, and she wanted to be near the door. I won a lot of instant merit giving drammine pills to those around me, and in another hour everyone stopped throwing up. However the bus ride was still long, more like eight hours, and it was rough. The claustrophobia of having so many people hovering over me and around me, as well as the better paved roads made it a rather uncomfortable ride for me, and I began to contemplate the price for cheaper things in India. Eventually I made it to Devprayag, the confluence of the two rivers and where the river Bhagirathi becomes known as Ganga. I asked some old man where the rivers were. Our understanding was limited, but eventually he started to lead me. He took me down, I dipped my hands in the cold waters and then asked if he could help me find a guest house. As we started to climb back up the stairs with my huge backpack in the now getting hot sun, a Sadhu came out of this cave and invited me inside. I told him I would come back but I needed to find some place to put my bag down. He assured me that I could stay at his ashram free of charge. For whatever reason, though I was feeling pretty guarded from the night before, I decided to trust him. I spent the day in his cave, meeting many foreigners and locals that dropped by. He continually called this cave my home, my temple and offered me to come back at any time. After watching the evening ceremony, I walked the 2km to his ashram. It was a beautiful, a room that was built into the cliff so half of the room was still rock. Though there was no bed, the room was lovely and cozy. He fed me some rice and dal, and I went to sleep. In the morning he gave me lemon, ginger honey tea and let me take my time to wake up and meet him back at the river. I kept expecting him to ask for money, but he never did. Eventually I offered him some money as a thank you for feeding me and taking such good care of me, he was shocked at this offer. Even though I had watched for hours the previous day almost everyone offer him money and him taking it freely, when I offered him, he pushed it away and instead gave me 120 rupees "for my trip back home to Mussoorie." After a long conversation, he eventually agreed to take the money back. I was just so touched by his unconditional giving of me. He made a large bucket full of Roti dough, handed me a very large ball and led me to a perch in the rock and told me to break of little pieces to feed the fish. I sat there for perhaps 30 min slowly picking off pieces and feeding the many insatiable mouths of the Ganga in the form of fish. When I finished to say thank you and goodbye, he handed me another large ball. I spent a total of over an hour feeding these fish. I thanked him many times over and then found my way back to the bus stand. I couldn't go straight to Mussoorie, instead I had to go through Rishikesh. I decided to stop by and find Agni for lunch in Rishikesh. When I arrived, I was completely overwhelmed by the number of people, of white people and English signs! I eventually find Agni's abode called the Last Chance Cafe. I decided to spend the night because I was utterly exhausted. However the misquotes at last chance were an issue in the night.
In the morning one of the guys from Last Chance helped me find my way through Dehra Dun and back to Mussoorie. I made my last hike up a mountain with this particular backpack and load. It was a little over an hour when I surprised the family i was staying with with my early return. I took a very cold shower and washed up before meeting with Mr. Alter and retrieving my computer. I repacked my bags and prepared to leave for Haridwar the next morning, the place where the Ganga leaves the mountains and spills onto the Indian plains. I heard there was two Devi temples, so I made that my first stop. Haridwar was really hot, like really warm. The breeze from the car windows just felt like a hairblow dryer on my face. When I arrived at the entrance for the first Devi, Mansa Devi--a wish giving deity, I was totally shocked to see a long list of prices for cable cars and packages. I decided to embrace the tourist aspect of my pilgrimage. I took a cable car up the mountain past manicured gardens and past tons of stalls selling offerings, music videos, knick-knacks, ice cream, sodas and more. I decided this was like a Devi Disney land. The attractions and concessions continued, complete with rides and even little statues of mickey mouse. I saw the Chandi devi as well as another Anjuna Devi. I was completely overwhelmed. Because I had re-packed I was carrying a lot less and still hadn't found a place to stay. Some other people had warned me that Haridwar was a little seedy. Though I felt fine, when the taxi dropped some people at the bus stand I decided just to go back to Rishikesh since I would be going there first thing in the morning and it was a short ride (40 min). I arrived in Rishikesh and surprised Agni yet again as was welcomed back by everyone else at Last Chance.
Today I spent the day here, reading and relaxing for the most part. I caught up on my field journal and took my first full immersion into the river Ganga. Tomorrow I will hopefully complete my research in Rishikesh, take the weekend to enjoy with some friends from the program coming from Delhi and then picking up some books I need in Delhi before returning to Mussooire to write my paper. My head is still whirling with my experiences. I think overall I had a good experience. I am not sure what I learned yet, but I know I have a lot of reflections to sort through. Much love always and just wanted to let everyone know I survived. Much love,
~Tara
So last week Monday morning I left for Yamunotri with a wilderness first aid trainer named Anna and a guide named Harmeek. We drove for six hours and arrived at this little village called Rana Chatti, about 30 min from Janki Chatti, the town closest to Yamunotri. However, Rana Chatti looked like a ghost town, there was no one even walking around the streets and all but one little stall that sold gum and candy was closed. Harmeek had to ask a hotel if they would open for us because we needed a place to stay and all the other towns around were also closed. About 30 min later, we had an entire hotel to ourselves. Inside they were doing a lot of construction in the main lobby, I am guessing in preparation for the upcoming tourist season. Moments after we were let inside a hail storm ascended on us, it was quite cold. That night we huddled in the kitchen for food and warmth, and that night we slept under huge smelly blankets that countless tired pilgrims before had used with all of our clothes still on for it was too cold to take them off to change.
Tuesday morning we got up early to make our way to Yamunotri. Yamuna is perhaps the second most sacred river in India. Yamuna is the twin sister of Yama, lord of the underworld, and it is thought that to bathe in her waters will ensure that you will be exempt from a painful death. She is also closely associated with Krishna since he grew up along her banks. We stopped in Janki Chatti and started to climb up the mountain. Because of the hail/ snow storm the night before, the path was covered with snow and because it was a clear day we got some amazing views of the newly powdered peaks. However, recovering from a fever, acclimating to high altitudes and not doing any exercise since arriving in India is a bad combo for trying to tackle a hike, even a fairly easy one. The climb up was rough for me. Anna just whizzed up there, I don't think she stopped even once. I tried to keep up with her, but realized it was futile. I think this was my first mistake because I blew out quickly. The rest of the climb up Harmeek patiently stayed behind, asking to carry my bags, if I needed medication or if I was okay. I stubbornly wanted to carry my own burden, this was the first day of my pilgrimage and I wanted to make it to the top, even though I was sweating bullets in the snow. I had a whole gambit of thoughts as I pushed my body farther than it wanted to go, wanting to give up, doubting this whole crazy pilgrimage business, questioning whether I should just return to Mussoorie and alter my project. Harmeek's comments that this was an easy hike and that it wasn't too high and urges to hurry up weren't exactly helping either. Eventually with the help of grabbing huge chunks of snow to suck on once my water was done, I reached the Yamunotri temple. At the site there was said to be hot springs, however the tanks were empty (this might have been for the best, I heard that the female tank was below the male tank and just had all the water from the male tank spilling over). The main temple was closed, but there was an adjacent temple that was open. I went inside and bowed to the black statue of Yamuna and her company of other deities. The Sadhus invited me to sit down and gave me some chai. Of course now that I finally got to sit down, all my sweat began to evaporate and my clothes were all wet, and I was absolutely freezing. I tried to scribble as much information as I could with my shivering hands. I was told that the old man in the corner was 108 years old and had been praying here for 40 years. After not too long I was hurried out so we could get down the mountain. Again Anna sprinted down, this time with the force of gravity working with me instead of against me I thought I could keep up. However by this time the sun had started to melt the snow, creating a parallel Yamuna along our trail we had to wade through as we descended. At some point I lost my footing in the current and began to run down the mountain trying to regain control of myself, I was moving too fast though and at a switchback I slammed into the railing that was fortunately there. I hit the railing with such force that my red Wesleyan water bottle was catapulted out of my bag. I held on to the railing out of breath as I watched my red bottle against the white snow fall in slow motion where I surely would have gone. A little shooken up I continued my decent, a little slower now not really caring if Anna had to wait. Harmeek reminded me a few times that it was a good thing that railing was there, I didn't know how to reply besides nodding my head. Across from Janki Chatti is a small village that Mr. Alter told me to visit called Kharsali. After eating a parantha, we headed across the river to this small town. In a much more relaxed manner I wrote about two temples I saw there, one to Shiv and another supposed built by Shani (Saturn) and without much more explanation but that. At the Shiv temple I didn't bring any money with me, so when the priest asked me of an offering I gave one of my bangles that had broken when I slammed against the railing. In return the priest gave me a flower blossom and told me to take it to Gangotri, to Yamuna's sister for Yamuna. There were some really beautiful wooden carvings around the village, and then we headed back to the car. Back at the hotel I was exhausted and a little overwhelmed by the experiences of my second day, Anna went off for another hike. We again had dinner in the kitchen. I forgot to mention that there was in frequent electricity as well, so our dinners were by candle light.
In the morning my body ached and I was apprehensive about continuing the journey alone when with helpful companions it had already proven itself difficult. Harmeek and Anna dropped me off in Barkot where I was put on a local bus to Uttarkashi, the largest town in this area. The steaks of old vomit down the sides of the bus from the windows was not encouraging, but I made sure at least I was by a window. I however felt grateful for all the construction even though it was destroying the land, just because the bumpy roads were able to ground me enough so that the curves did not make me sick. I arrived in Uttarkashi, tried to find some food but everything was closed. I found a hotel near the bus stand and asked for some dal and rice. A French couple bolted in as I sat down asking for food. They got the same thing as me. I found out they were going to Gaumukh, the glacier where Ganga comes from, and the same place I was planning on going. However they relayed to me the many difficulties of trying to get permission to go, including paying $500 US. After they left I went to my room and consulted with Mr. Alter and we decided with the weather and present conditions it was too dangerous and difficult for me to go to Gaumukh, plus I didn't have anyone to go with and after my little spill at Yamunotri I decided I did not really want to hike anywhere alone. I tried to sleep, but my sore body wouldn't let me.
Ok this was a really long day. At about 5 am I woke up to find a bus to Gangotri. I needed to stop at two little villages along the way as well, Harsil to see ganga's winter home and Lanka where another myth happened and there was a big gorge. A guide from Ladhak I had met the night before happened to be awake and helped translate for me. Because Gangotri, like Yamunotri was closed, there were no buses. Instead I found a share taxi that agreed to take me to a town called Dharali (i had never heard of it). I got in trusting it would all work out. Sandwiched between the window and 4 other men as approximate 19 other guys jumped in and out of the trunkish area, I eventually made it to Dharali. After having a cup of chai, I asked around for someone I was supposed to meet there, but apparently he was in Uttarkashi still. It seemed like the entire village had gathered to help solve my predicament, or at least to see what was going on. So I started to ask for people willing to give me a ride to Gangotri. one man offered, but as soon as he offered he came back and informed me that his car was out of oil. I was led to another guy, who as soon as he was asked closed up his shop and took out his motorcycle. I asked if anyone else had a car, and the villagers replied no. I hesitated, but decided to go for it, Gangotri was essential to my project and I wasn't going to come this far to not go. Strangely I also felt an re-kindled strength and resolve to go to deliver the flowers. I was given a mission and for whatever reason felt the need to complete it. I jumped on back, and it was the most beautiful ride of my life. Instead of trying to squeeze peaks of the mountains through old men's heads, I was freely able to look all around me. Because it was closed, we literally didn't see anyone else on the road. The air was fresh and clean, free from any car exhaust and smelly men. When we arrived, i could tell Gangotri was used to catering to a lot of people on a daily basis, but again no one was there. It was like being in Times Square with all the signs up, but all the shops closed and not a single soul on the streets in broad daylight. My driver friend (Mukesh), took me around to the temples and sights, and even took me to find the Pandava cave (where the Pandavs stayed for awhile). On the way back he pointed out a Sadhu sitting on top of this beautiful waterfall, he said I will meet. We hiked up to the waterfall, and this Sadhu smiled as she continued to finish her passage in the Ramayana. I was first surprised to see she was female, the first female Sadhu I had seen in India. When she finished her passage she closed the book and told me it was Hanuman's birthday and she was reading a special passage for him; she spoke fluent English! I spent about two hours with her, Bhakti Priya was her name. She spouted to me her philosophies on life, her embrace of her foolishness because it brought her peace, and the miracles she had witnessed (mostly of Hanuman). She apparently used to be Mukesh's English teacher, and assured me he was a good boy, but to be careful in India traveling alone as a female, she warned me it was dangerous. As we said goodbye to Bhakti Priya, the clouds started to gather again. On the way down it started to hail again, on the motor bike this hurt. I found out that ganga's winter home was actually in Mukhba, a town right across the water from Dharali, not in Harsil. So when we got back, we had some chai to warm up and then hiked up the hill to get Ganga Darsan. There really wasn't a path to Mukhba, there was only the semi-dry water way to follow up. When we arrived at the winter temple, we found out it didn't open for another 3.5 hours. I decided to stay, but informed Mukesh he didn't have to stay. It got really really cold. I tried to scribble my experiences but had to frequently take breaks to warm my hands because they were shaking too much. I did a bit of jogging around the town, but still could not warm up. After waiting for 2 hours, it started to get dark, and I decided I couldn't handle it anymore. I also figured that the waterway was getting more slippery and I needed the light to get down. I apologized to Ganga, felt guilty for not seeing the main deity of my project when nothing but a door and time was separating me from her, but I also decided that this project was not worth my health or safety. I made it back to Dharali, where I found out that the taxi I came in was the last taxi back to Uttarkashi for the day, so I got a room above the tea stall. I came down to get more chai and try to warm up. The villagers built a fire and gave me a prime seat, however every part of my body that was farther than a few inches from the flames was still freezing. I eventually ran up to my room, piled the two 5 inch thick blankets on top of each other (since I left my sleeping bag in my room in Uttarkashi because I thought I would be coming back the same day), put them both over my head to try to use my own breath to help warm up my cave. I still shivered for a few hours and again slept very little due to my aching cold body. However it was a great day.
In the morning I caught a share taxi back to Uttarkashi blaring some Om Krishna songs from a tape, repeating the same 3 songs the entire time. In Uttarkashi I asked how to get to Devpravag. Though I got many different answers, I got the consensus that some bus left in the morning, but there were no more for the day. I spent the day exploring the temples in Uttarkashi and called Mukesh's friend Ganga to show me around, Ganga was perhaps a couple of years younger than me and she was very amused by the fact we both had brown hair and wore glasses. She hurried me through the temples a bit faster than I wanted to go, but also showed me many temples I wouldn't have found on my own. She also took me home to meet her family which was very nice. Afterwards I went back to the hotel, exhausted. I prepared for my journey the next day. At 10pm as I was falling asleep there was a knock on my door. One of the servants in the hotel who had come many times before. He said something like "me sleep here?" I thought it was a misunderstanding at first, I shook my head and said no figuring anything he was asking I didn't want since i just wanted to sleep. But he insisted, "me sleep here please? with you, sleep." After a "what?!" or two from me, I began to close the door, but he stuck his foot in and started to try to push his way in. I had to physically shove him out and lock the door as quickly as I could. I didn't sleep much this night either.
I woke up a full 2 hours before I was told the bus left, thinking I just wanted out of this hotel as soon as possible. It was a good thing too because the bus to Devpryag was left 1.5 hours earlier than what i was told. I got my seat, was told it was a 5 hour bus ride and by 30 min into the ride, the three people surrounding me were throwing up out the doors and windows. A woman actually started to sit on me because I didn't want to give up my seat and stand, and she wanted to be near the door. I won a lot of instant merit giving drammine pills to those around me, and in another hour everyone stopped throwing up. However the bus ride was still long, more like eight hours, and it was rough. The claustrophobia of having so many people hovering over me and around me, as well as the better paved roads made it a rather uncomfortable ride for me, and I began to contemplate the price for cheaper things in India. Eventually I made it to Devprayag, the confluence of the two rivers and where the river Bhagirathi becomes known as Ganga. I asked some old man where the rivers were. Our understanding was limited, but eventually he started to lead me. He took me down, I dipped my hands in the cold waters and then asked if he could help me find a guest house. As we started to climb back up the stairs with my huge backpack in the now getting hot sun, a Sadhu came out of this cave and invited me inside. I told him I would come back but I needed to find some place to put my bag down. He assured me that I could stay at his ashram free of charge. For whatever reason, though I was feeling pretty guarded from the night before, I decided to trust him. I spent the day in his cave, meeting many foreigners and locals that dropped by. He continually called this cave my home, my temple and offered me to come back at any time. After watching the evening ceremony, I walked the 2km to his ashram. It was a beautiful, a room that was built into the cliff so half of the room was still rock. Though there was no bed, the room was lovely and cozy. He fed me some rice and dal, and I went to sleep. In the morning he gave me lemon, ginger honey tea and let me take my time to wake up and meet him back at the river. I kept expecting him to ask for money, but he never did. Eventually I offered him some money as a thank you for feeding me and taking such good care of me, he was shocked at this offer. Even though I had watched for hours the previous day almost everyone offer him money and him taking it freely, when I offered him, he pushed it away and instead gave me 120 rupees "for my trip back home to Mussoorie." After a long conversation, he eventually agreed to take the money back. I was just so touched by his unconditional giving of me. He made a large bucket full of Roti dough, handed me a very large ball and led me to a perch in the rock and told me to break of little pieces to feed the fish. I sat there for perhaps 30 min slowly picking off pieces and feeding the many insatiable mouths of the Ganga in the form of fish. When I finished to say thank you and goodbye, he handed me another large ball. I spent a total of over an hour feeding these fish. I thanked him many times over and then found my way back to the bus stand. I couldn't go straight to Mussoorie, instead I had to go through Rishikesh. I decided to stop by and find Agni for lunch in Rishikesh. When I arrived, I was completely overwhelmed by the number of people, of white people and English signs! I eventually find Agni's abode called the Last Chance Cafe. I decided to spend the night because I was utterly exhausted. However the misquotes at last chance were an issue in the night.
In the morning one of the guys from Last Chance helped me find my way through Dehra Dun and back to Mussoorie. I made my last hike up a mountain with this particular backpack and load. It was a little over an hour when I surprised the family i was staying with with my early return. I took a very cold shower and washed up before meeting with Mr. Alter and retrieving my computer. I repacked my bags and prepared to leave for Haridwar the next morning, the place where the Ganga leaves the mountains and spills onto the Indian plains. I heard there was two Devi temples, so I made that my first stop. Haridwar was really hot, like really warm. The breeze from the car windows just felt like a hairblow dryer on my face. When I arrived at the entrance for the first Devi, Mansa Devi--a wish giving deity, I was totally shocked to see a long list of prices for cable cars and packages. I decided to embrace the tourist aspect of my pilgrimage. I took a cable car up the mountain past manicured gardens and past tons of stalls selling offerings, music videos, knick-knacks, ice cream, sodas and more. I decided this was like a Devi Disney land. The attractions and concessions continued, complete with rides and even little statues of mickey mouse. I saw the Chandi devi as well as another Anjuna Devi. I was completely overwhelmed. Because I had re-packed I was carrying a lot less and still hadn't found a place to stay. Some other people had warned me that Haridwar was a little seedy. Though I felt fine, when the taxi dropped some people at the bus stand I decided just to go back to Rishikesh since I would be going there first thing in the morning and it was a short ride (40 min). I arrived in Rishikesh and surprised Agni yet again as was welcomed back by everyone else at Last Chance.
Today I spent the day here, reading and relaxing for the most part. I caught up on my field journal and took my first full immersion into the river Ganga. Tomorrow I will hopefully complete my research in Rishikesh, take the weekend to enjoy with some friends from the program coming from Delhi and then picking up some books I need in Delhi before returning to Mussooire to write my paper. My head is still whirling with my experiences. I think overall I had a good experience. I am not sure what I learned yet, but I know I have a lot of reflections to sort through. Much love always and just wanted to let everyone know I survived. Much love,
~Tara
Sunday, April 5, 2009
And Down the Rabbit Hole I go!
So I took my first plunge and got to Mussoorie. My house is beautiful.
It has a large sitting room, my own bathroom and kitchen as well as a
king sized bed in my own bedroom. There is a lovely balcony with an
amazing view. The only down side is the fact that it is not a 10 min
walk but more like an hour walk away from town, and it is not a hill, it
is climbing a mountain. Fortunately the people I am renting from are
very sweet and have allowed offered me rides to and from town. Mussoorie
is very friendly with amazing views everywhere you look.
I feel my pilgrimage began yesterday when I decided to walk to and from
town on my own. I went to town around 4pm, looked around and saw the
shops and restaurants, and then slowly made my way up the mountain
collecting vegetables, water and various other little things for my
dinner at home at the last shops possible so I didn't have to carry them
that far. On the way up, i brought my ipod to keep my company, but i
decided not to listen to it. Instead I reflected on my pilgrimage
project, what is added and what is lost by physically walking versus
taking buses or cars, and instead listened to the sounds of my own
breath, my heart pounding and the chirps of the animals coming out as
night fell. I arrived home absolutely exhausted. I could do nothing but
collapse in my bed, crawl under the covers, eat a few pringles and fall
asleep. I slept for almost 12 hours. Now I am still coming off my fever
as well as much emotional turmoil over this crazy journey of mine, but
this exhaustion over a couple of hours of walking made me nervous.
Today I met with Stephen Alter, my inspiration for this entire
pilgrimage and so in some ways my own personal deity. He invited me to
his home (another unexpected hike), and was so helpful. We created a new
itinerary that I feel very good about, answered all my questions and
gave me resources. It all just happened so fast. Not only does he know
like everything, he was also very supportive about me finding and
creating my own narrative as my journey ensues. He further mentioned to
not feel bad or even alarmed if I decide to come back to Mussoorie. He
said that there are many goddesses and shrines near Mussoorie with lots
of interesting folklore that he could introduce me to and get material
to write about, and that often one finds the best things in unexpected
places. Needless to say, he is my hero. He then mentioned that I could
go straight to Yamnuotri from Mussoorie and save a day and a half of
travel, and then added that he knew someone going that perhaps I could
get a ride with. After our meeting we met this person (anna) who said
yes she was going and would love my company, and that I can meet her at
10am TOMORROW!!! So it looks like I am starting my journey a day early!
I am currently running around getting water purifying tablets and warm
shawls and heading back home to back up, AHHHH!! What am I doing?? I
actually feel a lot better, I know I will be fine. I will seek out
others to travel with, my schedule is much more flexible now. I can't
believe this is happening so fast, but I am excited.
I will probably be out of e-mail range until I get back which will
likely be around April 21. I miss you all and looking forward to e-mails
from you when I return
It has a large sitting room, my own bathroom and kitchen as well as a
king sized bed in my own bedroom. There is a lovely balcony with an
amazing view. The only down side is the fact that it is not a 10 min
walk but more like an hour walk away from town, and it is not a hill, it
is climbing a mountain. Fortunately the people I am renting from are
very sweet and have allowed offered me rides to and from town. Mussoorie
is very friendly with amazing views everywhere you look.
I feel my pilgrimage began yesterday when I decided to walk to and from
town on my own. I went to town around 4pm, looked around and saw the
shops and restaurants, and then slowly made my way up the mountain
collecting vegetables, water and various other little things for my
dinner at home at the last shops possible so I didn't have to carry them
that far. On the way up, i brought my ipod to keep my company, but i
decided not to listen to it. Instead I reflected on my pilgrimage
project, what is added and what is lost by physically walking versus
taking buses or cars, and instead listened to the sounds of my own
breath, my heart pounding and the chirps of the animals coming out as
night fell. I arrived home absolutely exhausted. I could do nothing but
collapse in my bed, crawl under the covers, eat a few pringles and fall
asleep. I slept for almost 12 hours. Now I am still coming off my fever
as well as much emotional turmoil over this crazy journey of mine, but
this exhaustion over a couple of hours of walking made me nervous.
Today I met with Stephen Alter, my inspiration for this entire
pilgrimage and so in some ways my own personal deity. He invited me to
his home (another unexpected hike), and was so helpful. We created a new
itinerary that I feel very good about, answered all my questions and
gave me resources. It all just happened so fast. Not only does he know
like everything, he was also very supportive about me finding and
creating my own narrative as my journey ensues. He further mentioned to
not feel bad or even alarmed if I decide to come back to Mussoorie. He
said that there are many goddesses and shrines near Mussoorie with lots
of interesting folklore that he could introduce me to and get material
to write about, and that often one finds the best things in unexpected
places. Needless to say, he is my hero. He then mentioned that I could
go straight to Yamnuotri from Mussoorie and save a day and a half of
travel, and then added that he knew someone going that perhaps I could
get a ride with. After our meeting we met this person (anna) who said
yes she was going and would love my company, and that I can meet her at
10am TOMORROW!!! So it looks like I am starting my journey a day early!
I am currently running around getting water purifying tablets and warm
shawls and heading back home to back up, AHHHH!! What am I doing?? I
actually feel a lot better, I know I will be fine. I will seek out
others to travel with, my schedule is much more flexible now. I can't
believe this is happening so fast, but I am excited.
I will probably be out of e-mail range until I get back which will
likely be around April 21. I miss you all and looking forward to e-mails
from you when I return
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