A Long Walk through The Himalaya

Hi and Namaste! 

I apologize for the back to back posts but I want to write about this while it is still fresh on my mind! Our trek was simply amazing- quite possibly my favorite thing we've done thus so far in our travels. Both it and Nepal have been above and beyond what Dan and I had expected, and I can't wait to tell you about it. 

The last few days we have been anxiously awaiting our trek in the lakeside town of Pokhara. There are a variety of treks that one can do here. Every village and town in Nepal is connected by trails- you could walk across the entire country if you so desired. There are a lot of green hills here- and they are very lush and alive with vegetation. Butterflies, huge, hand-sized spiders, and wild orchids await around every corner. 

Above these hills to the north lie the Himalayas, which stretch across the country. One can go and hike to Everest base camp, or any mountain base camp for that matter. There are loops and sanctuary trails around the Annapurna range- high altitude walks and low jungle journeys. On the main trails, there are towns with "tea lodges" every hour or so, so you can go as little or far as you want and rest in knowing there will be a bed, fire and food wherever you decide to stop. Knowing it was the busiest month of the year, Dan researched and found a trek that spent half the time on the main Annapurna circuit, and half the time on a new, empty trail with home stays instead of tea lodges. It was a perfect mix of things and I am so glad we did it that way. Ok now for the details!

Day 1: We set out with our guide, Shiva in a taxi up to Kusma, outside Pokhara. Stopping on the side of the road, we swooped our 21 yr old porter, Samcer, and headed on our way. Tension built as we weaved up the mountain side, white, snow covered mountains towering above us. Finally we were at our starting point. We headed up, traversing through villages and across huge ravines on metal suspension bridges. We stopped for lunch by knocking on a little hut's door and asking them to cook for us. Dal baht, or rice with curried veggies- what would become our staple food for the next 7 days.. As they say here- "dal baht- 24 hr power." It was here that shiva let us know we would be walking up to 10 miles a day... We thought it was going to be more like 6. Rah row. Up and up we went on stone steps for what felt like hours. We passed many villagers walking home from the city for Dasain, the biggest festival of the year. Everyone was in great spirits and the children always stopped to ask for pens and chocolate, of which we sadly declined. The sky started to turn a more golden color as we hit the top of a ridge, stopping to look at the faint town we had started at in the distance. We had made it!! Our first homestay in Banu, a high mountain village with amazing views of Dhaulgiri, 8167meters, and it's surrounding peaks. We put on our warm clothes, watching the sun set. The people were happy from celebrating Dasain all day, immediately offering us Raksi (millet wine), while the host mom fried up special water buffalo meat for dinner in our dark little hut kitchen. Cold and exhausted with a belly full of Dal baht, we retired to bed.. A piece of particle board on four legs with a straw mat on top. Thank goodness for our warm down coats and last minute $3 wool hats!!! We slept like little beebees :)

End of day 1 with Kusma in the background

Views of Dhaulgiri from Banu!

DAY 2: Shiva told us it would be a long day, but with the majority of the uphill in the first hour or so of the trek. Our tired legs were grateful for an easier route and we set out as soon as Dhaulgiri turned white with the risen sun. Walking along a ridge, we had great views of Annapurna Fang, Annapurna south and the Himal all the way down to kathmandu. People sat on their porches drinking Raksi with neighbors and offering namastes as we passed. At one high point, an elderly women wandered out from her yard where she was cooking and cleaning vegetables. Her hands curled but back straight, a large gold ring through the middle of her nose, she struggled to focus her pale eyes and see who had walked by. Shiva told us she was over 100 yrs old and always said hi- an amazing high altitude picture of health and ancient Nepali life. We walked through fields of pink buckwheat and yellow millet, through lush forests with waterfalls that gushed over the road and through lollipop shaped pine tree patches with soft bristles blanketed the forest floor. It was beautiful. We arrived to our second destination Phalamadhana, and took in views as the rain started to trickle down..

Lunch spot day 2

DAY 3: Rain rain rain!!! Shiva gave us 3 options- stay where we were, go 2 hrs and change our whole trek, or do the whole 7 hours and hope the weather would shift. We chose the latter, and suited up in rain coats and backpack covers. And it just kept pouring down, but we were strong and made good pace through beautiful rain forests  ravines, forging two rivers and climbing straight up through terraced rice paddies. Totally drenched and afraid we would get cold, we urged shiva to skip a lunch stop, but he insisted. We came to a small hut and sat down on the floor, immediately chilled to the bone. A group of people sat in the kitchen, performing ceremony and prayer (Tikka) for Dasain. The women saw me shivering, and immediately moved me near the stove, concerned over my soaked clothing. So kind and sweet, they offered us hot tea, sticky rice pudding and marinated mushrooms they had picked the day before, with hot lentil soup, and pulled my wet hair back from my face. Immense gratitude washed over me for these small gifts from these kind people, and the little bit of fire to warm my bones. I'm not sure I would have made it without them. Pulling ourselves up, we continued on for the final 3 hours. Paths and steps were muddy and slick, and we started to notice little brown leeches crawling up our shoes and into our socks. As if we needed another thing to worry about... I felt it would never end. Finally, over two fences and a big, loud dog barking like a beacon of light in the distance. We had made it! Our smiling host and hostess in the yard welcoming us, helping us to remove our clothes and leading us to a fire. I was ushered out to a wood shack, a bucket of boiled water waiting for me for my shower. Perhaps the best shower I've ever had, and the most memorable and surreal day of our adventure. A few cups of warm Raksi, Nepalese pizza, and it was off to bed. 

DAY 4: The day we were suppose to trek to poon hill, the big famous viewpoint, and pick up on the main trail. We decided to wait it out and stay another night in hopes of clearer skies the next day. A welcome respite, we read, journaled and painted as neighbors came in and out and the Nepalese played cards. A nice quiet day by the fire to recharge our batteries and get a big glimpse into the peaceful, happy high mountain Nepali lifestyle. 

DAY 5: Clouds and mists rolling in like smoke and we had no choice but to continue on. It took us about an hr in rain and leeches to get to Poon Hill and take in the... Gray skies. Alas- we had still made it- and we felt good. We quickly picked up on the main trail and boy did we know it. 4 days with the trail completely to ourselves, we were now walking with huge tour groups and families, like its a small world Himalaya addition. Finding lodging can be competitive, and at times it felt like racing down the trail. We had a long day today up and down many times and our legs ached as we came up our last stone staircase. We'd finally made it into tadapani in the late afternoon, and hoped for the much talked about Annapurna views. Our first tea lodge experience, we sat around the fire and chatted with families and hiking groups, all of whom had endured rain and told tales of their own adventures. Up in the clouds a bright pink tip of Annapurna glowed for a minute- everyone running out to snap a pic before it disappeared again. I smiled at shiva across the room, grateful for him after seeing some of the silly Billies others had spent days with. 

DAY6: We woke to a clear towering Annapurna shimmering in the morning light- so close you could touch it. Finally some views!!! A sigh of relief that all had not been lost mountain view-wise for our trek. It was pretty much downhill from here and we only had 4 hrs to go to our last destination- Ghandruk. Dan and I were in good spirits and we walked slow, taking pictures and enjoying a mellow pace that we missed out on in days prior. The scenery changed as we came down a canyon along a river and tons of waterfalls. Purple orchids stuck our from dark corners and moss covered lime green trees snaked through the forests like Medusa's hair. We stayed in a family lodge this evening- and enjoyed talking to others there. The biggest shock was an Indian who had had his first drink of life, Raksi, the night before, hated paan (red chewing tobacco almost all Indians chew), and said he would never go in the Ganges. A rare breed, he gave me quite a chuckle- but we talked of wild India and danced to my favorite Bollywood song- Chaiiya chaiiya. Spirits were high and we sat around laughing- feeling proud and accomplished from our perseverance and positivity, and grateful for such an amazing experience! 

Annapurna South

So there it is my friends and family. Our trek. I highly recommend Nepal to anyone- and trekking as well. I hope we will be back someday. The people are absolutely lovely and so kid hearted, the prices reasonable, and the scenery beyond beautiful. It was everything we missed in India. 

And so we are halfway through our journey and off to Thailand in a few short days! Hard to believe. I miss you all so much! Enjoy the beauty of fall, the pumpkin ales and carving, and the family times! Next time we talk - ill be in tropical paradise :)

Xoxox love love Sarah

From India into Nepal!

Oh my goodness- so much has transpired since I last wrote! I'm sorry it's been so long. I'm going to wrap up India and then I will write another post detailing our amazing trek. 

Let's see.. Dan and I's last two weeks in India were probably the most memorable, as we visited the two "must sees" of the country. First, THE Taj Mahal. It was a long train ride in and another one out that night but it was worth every minute. It was every bit as beautiful, magnificent and awe inspiring as people had told us it would be. We spent nearly 5 hrs on the grounds, watching differing cloud backdrops change the translucent marble from blues to golds to white. 

From afar it almost looks fake, but as you draw closer you see all the minute details that make it what it is. Floral inlays of jasper, carnelian and other semi-precious stones create gorgeous mosaics and sacred words.

Every part was beyond words beautiful- we spent the whole day taking her in. And, we felt so inspired by its grandiosity we decided to hit the 5-star hotel for dinner! Let me tell you- the shiny white bathrooms and fresh hand towels were worth the money alone! A memorable and decadent meal was had, only to be followed by a trip back to the chaos of the train station, and a quick reality check. 

In just minutes, we went from the finest, most luxurious place to a place full of impoverished people, most sleeping on the dusty, dirty ground, and covered in flies. A land of extremes- India is.

And so we sailed into Varanasi for what would be our last 7 days in India. It felt so good to stay somewhere for longer than a couple days and really get to know it. Varanasi is by far the most all encompassing city we explored. Said to be one of the oldest living cities on earth, it is full of life and death, beauty and spirituality. The River Ganges is the life source of the people. They drink from it, bathe in it, perform prayer in it, dump trash in it, and bid farewell to their deceased loved ones in it. 

Dan and I's favorite activity was walking down all the ghats (holy steps down to the water) and taking in the sights. Boat men, Indian graffiti, prayer ceremonies, and the bathing of both people and animal, were just a few of the things we saw regularly. One day, we came upon Assi Ghat to see hundreds of bright saris- like a rainbow sea of glittering jewel tones- as women performed prayer and song for their sons in the incense filled air. A favorite memory. 

And there were the burning ghats- where bodies are wrapped in cloth and laid upon wood to burn and bid farewell to the world. The Hindi people believe that leaving earth this way at the Ganges releases them from the cycle of reincarnation to rest peacefully forever. An indescribable and intense experience to watch, I felt intrusive coming upon these ceremonies and witnessing these goodbyes. Deeply impactful and moving to say the least. And one can feel this energy in Varanasi, like a million departed souls are drifting through the ethers and air. Strange, beautiful and intense- it was the most powerful and enthralling city that we visited in India, and one I won't ever forget. 

Big Man, Little Train

So Dan and I had planned to do a tiger safari and we found out the park was closed. We bought tickets darjeeling then violence erupted there and we had to cancel. After much ado, and a month exploring India, we decided to head to Nepal a week early. We had traversed across the width of India and back again, exploring Rajasthan, the desert, the Taj and had sailed the wild waves of Varanasi! This decision felt right. 

I can't say India is the easiest place to travel in, sometimes you have to dig real deep to find the diamonds in the rough. We saw the saddest of the sad, the most beautiful of beauty, and the spiritually inspiring and confusing; we felt frustrated and alive, angry and blissful, the whole shebang! But I wouldn't change the trip in any way- it just one of those totally unique places you have to see once in a lifetime- a place that can't be described, but only felt and experienced. As hard as it was at times, I feel warmly and tender toward India when I think of it, and it will always hold a special place in my travel repertoire and heart. 

Dan and I landed in Kathmandu on October 2nd and immediately welcomed the calmer energy and new scenery, sounds and food. We spent a week around the general Kathmandu area preparing for our trek with long hikes and walks, and recuperating from our wild ride in India. One of our first days was spent journeying up to our first big stupa, the Monkey Temple. The stupa was beautiful, and the monkeys, of course, provided hours of entertainment. 

We continued on to visit the medieval, Newari city if Bhaktapur, with ancient architecture and Nepal's tallest pagoda, it's wood carvings worn and weathered, but still so detailed and beautiful. 

And of course there was Boudha, with its glorious, pristine, white stupa. Such a mellow energy here, and Dan and I loved sitting high above the stupa watching Tibetans perform ritual and prayer at the base of the structure. Some much needed serenity post India!

Oh and I cannot forget the MOMO! Our latest obsession has been trying these delicious veggie steamed dumplings all across the country! A month later and the winner is?! Yangling! The first place we ate when we arrived to Nepal! We will miss these little hot pockets of love!

MOMOS!!!!

There is so much more to tell you. Our trek just may have been the best yet, but I won't yak your ears off- (Get it? Yak, Nepal... I guess you have to be here! ;). Stay tuned for more Nepal adventures! 

Love love love xoxox thinking of you all!

Sissy

A Roller-coaster Ride through Rajasthan!

Well well well- it's been a week and a half or so since I last wrote and Dan and I have now been in India about 2.5 weeks. With all we have experienced in this short time it feels like we've been here forever, yet at the same time its speeding by in a blur. We last left off as we were saying our farewells to Pushkar. Since then we have traversed through most of Rajasthan- visiting the small, working man's town of Bundi, the lake city and palaces of Udaipur, and the desert sandcastles of Jaisalmer.  We rest now in the bustling Blue City of Jodhpur, our last Rajasthani stop before we leave for other Indian states.

After loving the quaint, spiritual vibes of Pushkar, (above), we decided a stop in Bundi would further our small town luck. Although the town was empty- we have come right before tourist season and its yet too hot for most - we could still feel the magic and authenticity of Bundi's narrow streets, colorful murals and peaceful mentality. An abandoned hillside fort and palace provided a morning of exploration, hiking and red faced monkey patrol, and we refreshed with the most delicious lassi afterwards: a yogurt smoothie with vanilla, saffron, cardamom, pistachio and raisins. (Bundi palace below).

It was all smooth sailing until a final meal the night before we left. Finally our game of Indian food Russian roulette ended with a bang. Delhi belly. With a full day of travel ahead and two train rides in the hot sun to reach Udaipur in front of us, we saddled up and headed toward the train station.  I'm convinced these kind days hit every traveller here... The days where mother India tests you - where she gives you a little taste of the suffering that many Indians, I presume, feel regularly. The morning train was fine... but hungry, ill and not prepared, we landed ourselves on a 3 hr locals train into Udaipur. Oh how I would kill for a pic of Dan and I staring out those open, grated windows- our little red, sweaty faces silently wondering if coming here was actually the worst.idea.ever. Alas we survived to tell the tale, and laugh- and collapsed onto our fresh bed in our beautiful room looking out on a sunset over the big lake in Udaipur. Yet another day in the land of extremes- this country elicits every emotion- happiness, sorrow, frustration, awe, love and rage. She has it all, ole India- and she doesn't apologize for it. Never have I been somewhere so authentically it's own, and with its own set of rules. Our camel safari man said : "you tell Indian not to throw the rock, they throw the rock." I suppose that sums it up.. Kind of. But truly there are no words to describe it and its hard to even make sense of what you are feeling within each moment. The sheer array of things coming at you at once makes it hard to decipher if you love it, hate it, can't get enough of it.. I've determined one just has to ride the waves. And that day on the train, as down trodden and mad at India as we were, we knew the storm would pass.

Needless to to say the waters have been pretty calm since Bundi. Udaipur was by far the most pristine city we have visited, with beautiful architecture, abundant green foliage and a general lightness to it that refreshed our spirits. 

Sunset in Udaipur from our room and Dan in our room after a long day of travel!

We took an evening sunset boat ride around the lake, sat on the roof of our haveli taking in the views with beers in hand, and did some serious shopping. I've been on a quest for vintage art prints of gods and goddesses and we happened into a little antique store one afternoon that was the gold at the end of the rainbow. A quick walk and we were now exploring rooms and rooms of Indian antiques at this man's house, and sorting through 1000s of prints. One of my favorite india moments thus so far. Four hours and a huge monsoonal rain storm later, and a box was on its ways to the states! I settled on a large 1950s print of Krishna and cow, embossed in gold and vintage glitter- to always remind me of the straying cows that wander the streets here, and the blessings of flute playing Krishna. So excited.

Our last night there, we journeyed by motorcycle with a man ( yes 3 adults on one) to Shashi's house for a 4-hr cooking lesson. We made three types of breads (naan and paratha), cilantro and mango chutneys, veggie and cheese pokhara; learned how to make paneers, curries, Indian style rice- you name it. Lingerings of our illness made for a bit of a comical scene when it came time to eat- but we tried to savor it and brought a little home for the buck-toothed hotel dog. Rest assured- these delights will be coming to a table near you this holiday season!

It was hard to leave Udaipur- our little German breakfast spot, our sweet rickshaw guy Shaheed, and the almost European feeling of the town, but sand castles in Jaisalmer called! Off to the far western deserts of India we went- by bus- overnight. Picture you are in a coffin, in the bed of a truck, on a dirt, pot holey road for 12 hrs. This was our ride- but nothing a little Dramamine cant help (an ole j.lo trick)! All the sudden we were there! Now.. Picture a sand castle city you make on the beach... now picture it life size! This is Jaisalmer. Everything, and I mean everything, is made of this golden sandstone- and in the middle is a fort with spires and a palace.

Surreal, unique and HOT! Wow. Temps right now average 102- 106.. But I recommend visiting in June when it's 125! No prob. Anyways- Dan and I spent one day exploring the fort and the next day in the desert and sand dunes. We also rode a camel. It's kind of a must to do this here, so much that they have a camel festival every year- but the animal lover in me of course felt sad. Those sweet faces and long eyelashes- I dreamt of sneaking out in the night and cutting them all free!!! Anyways- it was a ride- bouncy and not quite comfortable but another notch in the old belt. Our sunset dinner out in the dunes afterwards was the special part. Not only did a brilliant full sun sunset take shape before our eyes, we also had a full moon to the other side lighting up the sands. The silence surrounding us was the first we have had in two weeks, and the crisp air of the cooling desert sand felt glorious.  

Our guide, Devi, has been leading desert trips since he was 14. He has spent countless nights under the stars there showing foreigners his land. Not a bad gig, I would think. And he was so sincere. We have longed for more genuine interactions with the Indians (most view us as $$ signs), and it was refreshing to connect, hear his story and get a small window into life in India.

We are now at our last stop in Raj, jodhpur, and have found a lovely little oasis outside the city that feels like staying in a botanical garden. Flowers, trees, butterflies- we know now that its worth it to pay slightly more for the peaceful, relaxing guest house. Touristy places in india are not a bad thing, and roughing it here- is truly roughin it. The serenity of a nice place keeps us sane.

 Tomorrow we train all day into Agra- to see the mighty Taj ! Stay tuned..

Xoxox love you all- thinkin of my boulder family, so grateful you are all ok! This too shall pass, my friends.

Love, Sarah

Hello India! Nice to Meet You

We made it!  All it took was a 16 hr non-stop flight from Chicago to New Delhi and the courage to step on the plane. Our flight was the first test for India. A lot of yelling to organize everyone in line to board the plane and long discussions with attendants regarding acceptable luggage. Crammed into our seats, a minority before we even left American soil, airline Indian food for every meal presented by mysteriously disappearing flight attendants, and crying babies( it truly wasn't as bad as I make it sound.. All for the sake of drama). Stepping of the plane you are welcomed with a smack to the face of dense heat and pungent smells, which combined with jet lag does not make for the most pleasant of arrivals. We persevere in the name of exploration and adventure. Our hotel pickup was waiting, hurray!!!,  and swept us away through the throngs of rickshaws, motorbikes, cabs, and any and all modes of transport with wheels, plus cows.  We quickly retreated from the busy main bazaar street of vendors selling all manners of clothing, jewelry, Ayurvedic medicine and everything in between, to a roof top restaurant and sanctuary.( Where the above photo was taken)

 

Still dealing with our jet lag we ventured out to see the sites that Delhi has to offer. Everyone says that if you stay in Delhi more than a day you must be an idiot , but we knew better than jumping straight into additional travel without getting our feet a little wet. The old Red Fort dates back to the splendor of  the Mughal reign and I am glad we got there early in the morning, as it was still hot but yet to be scorching. It felt as we were the only ones there, a beautiful respite from the chaotic city outside. There was green grass and gardens, which were being cut by hand with garden scissors and reapers, and it was a glance into the architecture and  many grandiose forts/palaces to come. Excited to taste what Indian food has to offer, (we both love our Boulder Indian restaurant Sherpa's), we sought out a restaurant recommended by a nice kiwi women who has been coming to Delhi for twenty plus years on business. We find it with little trouble,  a restaurant called Anand, it boasts a delicious butter chicken that does not disappoint, along with delectable tandoori tikka paneer and naan. The highlight of  our time in Delhi was spent at Humayuns tomb, (pictured above)- The colorful array of tones in the sky during sunset, the call of evening prayers from a nearby mosque, birds of all kinds filling the dusk air, and a moment to reflect on our day's experiences. With trash everywhere imaginable, smells of who knows what, (mainly poop, human or cow?), never before witnessed levels of poverty, and a whole array of other shocks, I am always thankful for my existence and happy humanity. Ready to leave all that was Delhi behind, and feeling anxious to be apart of the "real" India, we departed via train to Pushkar. 

We found what we wanted in Pushkar, a holy Hindu city,  Pushkar surrounds a holy lake created by Shiva's tear. Fifty bathing ghats line the banks where Hindus from all over gather to wash their sins and bodies clean. It's hard not to feel it, the energy here, with welcoming hellos and namastes greeting you from all sides. We are no longer swarmed by people every time we stop to examine our travel guide, or Indians wanting to add their advice as to how we should proceed, and are no longer being herded and corralled in each direction being told to buy this or that. A city of hilltop temples, we climbed to that of Saraswathi, one of Brahman's wives ( picture above is from said temple looking back  on town), and witnessed a celebration of Ganesh. * the video of this will be put on fb as it will not work to load here from my phone* All topped off by the beautiful haveli that we are staying at, aptly named Inn Seventh Heaven. Next stop Bundi.

Til next time. Namaste