India

Namaste

This was the perfect way to see India. John Ricci (from Wandrian Adventures) guided us through the scary parts, while letting us explore when it was safe. Thank you, John! And of course, we stayed safe and were well taken care of by our Indian guides, especially in the mountains. Pujan and Rohan rock! All part of an outstanding crew from Shakti.

Delhi. What a sight. We were there during the Commonwealth Games, and the city was buzzing with excitement. We visited Gandhi's memorial, visited the Red Mosque and took bike rides through Old Delhi. And some shopping on the way out, of course...

Then we took to the road towards the mountains. Actually, we took a train heading North, then drove for hours - of course, it seems longer when you don't know the distances. They had just had the worst rains in 20 years, some roads were washed out. And there was traffic, trucks, buses and humans on a very narrow road.

Ok, that last one was on a hike. Anyway, we stayed in some very unusual places, but they were all about confort. The cashmere throws was a welcome surprise, since it was cold at night. We stayed in renovated village houses and also in a spectacular place called Leti 360. The 360 refers to the view, it was truly amazing. It's down as one of my favorite places in the world. At Leti, Steve got to try cooking with the chef, an ex-monk from Tibet. Boy, did he cook great food!

And you needed a good night sleep, because the next day, it was hike, hike, hike. We walked through rice fields, through pasture and small forests. It was increadible and at the same time eye opening. There are people living even at the most remote places, and monkeys (evil creatures) just standing around and scaring us. And John made sure that we took plenty of breaks, with lunches at the most unusual places, always well catered. Did you expect anything less?

We realized that Indians take their religions very seriously, and the temples, no matter how old, are still used. We felt the spirituality all around us. It came crashing down with some of the signs...

After all that trekking, we drove down to the Cobert Tiger preserve, and although we didn't see a tiger, we saw plenty of evidence (check out the paw print!) and took elephant rides. We also went fishing. I was not required to have a fishing license (women don't count, I guess) but I was the only one who caught a fish - a beautiful golden trout.

We then drove to go rafting in the Ganges River. Yes, that one. Of course, we were in the part BEFORE the place where they dispatch the ashes of their loved ones... We then visited where they DID put the ashes in the river. Amazing place.

It was truly a unique experience. Steve let his appreciation be known at Leti 360. What a trip.