Nanda Devi

Hello.

This is getting to sound ridiculous, but I believe that every day we see something more beautiful than ever before.

So, to catch up... (it's hard to write because I keep glancing out the window and seeing huge mountains)...

We left the Dharamsala area after getting glorious Tibetan acupuncture treatments and massage (wow), and took a 13 hour bus ride through the night to reach Hardwar, in Uttaranchal. And I know I overuse superlatives, but man. Was this the most beautiful bus ride ever (even though the fare collector man didn't like me and kept telling me "MISS! NOT ALLOWED!" throughout the night) It happened to be a special day for Ganesh (the elephant-headed god) and there were a few small colorful processions with baskets of live rice placed on peoples heads and trumpet-like horns and singing. We then passed through the hills heading into sunset, and meandered through green pastures, rice patties, small villages... women gathering at the wells to draw water and carrying it on their heads... pots of bright silver, copper, red clay, and even colorful plastic; all of the pots effortlessly stowed with graceful posture....(all the time wearing their beautiful saris. even harvesting rice in bright pink, orange,lime-green )... i think i was entranced and that's why my foot kept falling into the isle and consequently caused me to draw the constant "NOT ALLOWED!!" (...I'm still fuming over that man.) but then the sunset bathed all of this in the warm reds and yellows that only the sun can, and i was brimming over with -- what? what do you call it when something is so beautiful that it hurts??? the sunset sky seemed soooo expansive and endless... I don't know why I ever thought I'd get any reading done on these long trips.

hmm... and then Hardwar. We stumbled groggily into town at 5 am, fell off the bus and into a hotel, and slept in to a glorious hot shower! So nice. Hardwar and Rishikesh (30km apart) are situated at the official spot where the Ganges flows out of the mountains onto land, so it is therefore one of the major pilgrimage sites for Hindus. To bathe in the Ganges at this precise spot is sacred and does wonders at washing away lifetimes of bad karma. There is also a major temple to Shiva (one of the main triad of Hindu gods), high above the town on the mountainside. We had heard about monkeys stealing things on the walk up, but sure enough, I was carrying a coconut "offering" and it was mercilessly grabbed out of my hands in a split second by a cunning group of monkeys... gosh are they good. One had me distracted on one side of the wall, and then another one ran up from behind and ripped the whole package open. He had the rice packet in his mouth before I could even turn around!! Those buggars are quite entertaining.

And then of course we walked by a snake charmer on the way up... (oh yeah -- I think I forgot to report that Jamie and I visited the "Snake Farm" in downtown Bangkok, where they collect all of the poisonous snakes and milk them for venom, and then make the antivenom to distribute all around Asia... anyway. We both held a Burmese python around our neck--kind of thrilling to feel it curling its long tail around my knee and hissing at my neck!!)....sorry for the digression.

So yes, the temple was very interesting, lots of small shrine areas for the other gods as well as Shiva, like Ganesh and Hanuman and other local gods as well. At sunset, we made our way down to the Ganges, where it is almost like a festival every night. Sadhus and other holy people, all coming together at this sacred spot, so reverent. Children sell little bowls made out of banana leaves (or some large leaf) and fill it with fresh roses, and a tiny clay pot with a wick. You then light the wick and place perfumed wax in the pot, and sent the whole bundle floating down the river, and it floats a ways and you can see the river dotted with little rose-light-bowls. Very cool. The river was rushing so fast... I was suprised at the force with which it was flowing. We all dipped our feet in, so I suppose I have washed away a portion of my sins, but perhaps I should have dipped in farther!

Anyway, not to poke fun, it was very beautiful and powerful to be there. Definitely the only white people for miles around... we are beginning to realize how rare it is for Americans to visit some of these places--I didn't expect to see no other white people for so many days. But its understandable considering all of the comforts of the senses that you have to forgoe in order to see the beauty of this place. We've heard many stories of Westerners landing in Delhi, getting freaked out, and then changing their whole trip and leaving India all together. It's definitely not for the weak-stomached.

So the next morning we caught a 5am bus (12 hours) and headed up the Alaknanda river valley (which is one major source for the Ganges), deep into the Himalaya... again wow. THese roads are gnarly as all get out. I cannot believe these rickety old run-down buses make the trip up here, day after day (reminds me of Mexico, mom)... we climbed about 6,000 feet before reaching our current home: Joshimath. HOly cow. This is insane. Definitely jaw dropping whichever direction you're facing. THese mountains are freaking HUGE. There's really no way to describe it... makes the north cascades seem like wee lads among strong men. These guys are burly, and people live all the way up here in whatever they have, some living in make-shift tents made from tarps.... goats, cows, wandering all over the mountain roads, as if they weren't already hard to navigate!! But people just heard their goats on the highway, no problem. That's one thing about people in India. They get it done. They have to accomplish some task, and whereas I would hem and haw about what gear to use, what procedure to take, who to hire, what website to visit... they just DO IT. for instance: you have a 200 pound sack of grain to get across town? no problem! put it on the back of your bike!! or just grab your buddies and a rope, make a pulley system, and hoist it on top of a city bus, all in about 30 seconds, (with a lot of cool shouting too). Anyway, its impressive. I realize how frickin lazy I really am.

We decided to splurge here on a hotel and pay $4 a night, so that we could have an awesome view up on the hillside, and even a cute little rooftop from which to watch the sun dip below the mountains and sip chai. We had planned on hiking into the Valley of FLowers Nat'l Park, but learned that the flowers were mostly done blooming, so instead opted for a cable car up to 10,000 feet, to catch amazing views of HUGE glaciered peaks, one of them Nanda Devi, clocking in at an impressive 25,600 feet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Need I say more. It's icy blade slices the dark blue sky like nothing I have ever seen. I can't speak any more about it.

Okay, time to sign off for now! My health remains great; I somehow escaped the bout of sickness that the other three girls caught. I think it's those Emergen-C drink mix packets I've been drinking. Does being happy keep you healthy? Maybe.

Oh yeah. This brochure about the local glaciers is entitled "Frozen Delights." Isn't that the cutest?

Love to all, Mand.