In many ways I felt like I'd left Delhi and time warped back to my childhood of hiking in the Rocky Mountains with my family. Here's Isaac & Graham on a horse led by Mr. Salaam. It was a day of constant horse-changing (Graham: "I don't wanna ride the horse. I want you to carry me!").
But I should note here that hiking in the Himalayas is not exactly like hiking in the Rocky Mountains, though the mountains themselves look very similar. The first major difference is the green grass everywhere that looks like it's been freshly mowed that you can flop down in as if you were in your neighborhood park.
It HAS been freshly mowed--by the cows and sheep and goats that roam around everywhere. And fertilized by the presents they leave in that beautiful grass! The other major difference is that you are never alone.
No, all of those animals have gypsy owners who herd them through the mountains during the warmer months and live in crude stone and mud homes built into the mountains. They are quiet folk, but not shy. More than once I'd turn around and one of them (usually a child) would be a few feet away and I hadn't heard them approach. This can become quite uncomfortable when you are searching for a place to relieve yourself!
Isaac spent a good amount of time on this trip whittling a walking stick with a pocketknife. Serious work for a serious boy!
Who needs toys when you have sticks (a.k.a. light sabres) and rocks?
Graham spent a lot of time at this camp spot playing in the stream that ran a few feet in front of our tents. Our guide/cook took his cooking very seriously, which meant that we had a lot of downtime while he was cooking. Complete relaxation. Another major difference: we were backpacking with almost no work.
Enjoying a DELICIOUS meal in the cook tent with our guides Uncle-jee, Salaam & Ram.
Each meal started off with a yummy vegetable soup with plenty of oil/ghee in it, and then was followed by rice and a vegetable dish or two and a meat or chicken dish. Then something for dessert. At this meal it was green mangoes!
Even if you're not packing your own stuff and cooking for yourself, hiking in the Himalayas can be pretty exhausting!
But I should note here that hiking in the Himalayas is not exactly like hiking in the Rocky Mountains, though the mountains themselves look very similar. The first major difference is the green grass everywhere that looks like it's been freshly mowed that you can flop down in as if you were in your neighborhood park.
It HAS been freshly mowed--by the cows and sheep and goats that roam around everywhere. And fertilized by the presents they leave in that beautiful grass! The other major difference is that you are never alone.
No, all of those animals have gypsy owners who herd them through the mountains during the warmer months and live in crude stone and mud homes built into the mountains. They are quiet folk, but not shy. More than once I'd turn around and one of them (usually a child) would be a few feet away and I hadn't heard them approach. This can become quite uncomfortable when you are searching for a place to relieve yourself!
Isaac spent a good amount of time on this trip whittling a walking stick with a pocketknife. Serious work for a serious boy!
Who needs toys when you have sticks (a.k.a. light sabres) and rocks?
Graham spent a lot of time at this camp spot playing in the stream that ran a few feet in front of our tents. Our guide/cook took his cooking very seriously, which meant that we had a lot of downtime while he was cooking. Complete relaxation. Another major difference: we were backpacking with almost no work.
Enjoying a DELICIOUS meal in the cook tent with our guides Uncle-jee, Salaam & Ram.
Each meal started off with a yummy vegetable soup with plenty of oil/ghee in it, and then was followed by rice and a vegetable dish or two and a meat or chicken dish. Then something for dessert. At this meal it was green mangoes!
Even if you're not packing your own stuff and cooking for yourself, hiking in the Himalayas can be pretty exhausting!
1 comment:
WOW! I love that the grass is like that. All of the views are so beautiful..including the gypsy children. What an amazing adventure.
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