India and all its colors
My treat to completing 2 years of Peace Corps in a Muslim village is a trip to India. I want all the greenness, all the colors, all the spices, and all the laughter that abound in every single Bollywood film. It's only been a week in India so far, but I already have a list of favorite experiences:
Spicy curries and freshly baked naan.
Trying dosas (southern India dish) for the first time.
Staying with a friend in Amritsar who lives in a hotel suite and doing laundry in his bathtub.
Getting naked with the locals in Manali - I went to the thermal hot springs inside the temple, stripped down, and attempted not to wince at the extreme temperature of the water that gushed from the thermal springs in the mountains just above us.
Watching the Pakistan-India border crossing ceremony in Amritsar and laughing at the bravado of it all.
Drinking chai masala every single morning.
Taj Mahal - wandering around, gazing in awe at the whiteness of it all, enjoying the people watching at the temple, and getting chased by the monkeys that live in the garden.
Eating momos (Tibetan noodles), watching Tibetan parents walk their kids to and from school, and seeing friendly smiles in the Tibetan faces of McLeod Ganj. I love Tibetan culture.
Wandering through markets and bargaining.
Hiking in the mountains through McLeod Ganj, avoiding humongous slugs that were on the trail, and realizing what it's like to be in a cloud.
Running through monsoon rain.
Tibet Museum - realizing the true story of China's occupation of Tibet and Tibet's disappearing culture.
Eating more naan and curries.
Tomorrow, I leave for a 5-day hike in Himachal Pradesh. It's my personal training for trekking in Nepal. I've heard horror stories about AMS and about hikers being assaulted on the trail, but I'll be with a horse, a cook, a guide, and another American who I'll meet tomorrow and has been described to me as a true mountaineering man. Still trying to absorb everything that India throws at me and trying to take advantage of all the wonderful outdoor opportunities that Himachal and Leh offer.
Spicy curries and freshly baked naan.
Trying dosas (southern India dish) for the first time.
Staying with a friend in Amritsar who lives in a hotel suite and doing laundry in his bathtub.
Getting naked with the locals in Manali - I went to the thermal hot springs inside the temple, stripped down, and attempted not to wince at the extreme temperature of the water that gushed from the thermal springs in the mountains just above us.
Watching the Pakistan-India border crossing ceremony in Amritsar and laughing at the bravado of it all.
Drinking chai masala every single morning.
Taj Mahal - wandering around, gazing in awe at the whiteness of it all, enjoying the people watching at the temple, and getting chased by the monkeys that live in the garden.
Eating momos (Tibetan noodles), watching Tibetan parents walk their kids to and from school, and seeing friendly smiles in the Tibetan faces of McLeod Ganj. I love Tibetan culture.
Wandering through markets and bargaining.
Hiking in the mountains through McLeod Ganj, avoiding humongous slugs that were on the trail, and realizing what it's like to be in a cloud.
Running through monsoon rain.
Tibet Museum - realizing the true story of China's occupation of Tibet and Tibet's disappearing culture.
Eating more naan and curries.
Tomorrow, I leave for a 5-day hike in Himachal Pradesh. It's my personal training for trekking in Nepal. I've heard horror stories about AMS and about hikers being assaulted on the trail, but I'll be with a horse, a cook, a guide, and another American who I'll meet tomorrow and has been described to me as a true mountaineering man. Still trying to absorb everything that India throws at me and trying to take advantage of all the wonderful outdoor opportunities that Himachal and Leh offer.
