Chhat Puja

Diwali Household Puja

Trekking Notes

khati view sm
Originally uploaded by Sarah in Nepal.

Trekking is similar to backpacking. Probably the largest difference is that where backpacking leads you to secluded places far from civilization, trekking in India leads you past tiny villages. This certainly doesn't mean that it's not remote! Places that would be uninhabitable in North America are quite similar to places here where people have lived for thousands of years.

Trekking Notes... Kaphni Glacier

When I first saw the glacier I thought it was rock. Soon I noticed that it was dripping. The whole location was striking... one minute you're in green meadows and jungle, the next there's nothing but rocks, even sand. It seems like you just arrived on Mars. Mahima wanted to get close enough to touch it. She eventually turned back after our repeated screams that she was going to get beaned by one of the rocks tumbling off the top of the glacier and crashing around her. Just after she turned back a stone fell, then bounced right through where she was sitting in this photo with a force that would have taken her head off.

Trekking Notes... Path back from Glacier

For me it was a bit surreal. You're walking in "the middle of nowhere"and you bump into people along the trail. Part of our trek took us to the foot of Kaphni glacier. It was a 12 km (7 mile) walk. We saw absolutely no signs of human life on this walk, but as we were coming back a man appeared on the trail. He was dressed a bit odd. His short trousers were made out of something like a burlap sack. Our guide, Tara, immediately recognised him and they began chatting. After a minute Tara asked us if we wanted to have chai (tea). Mahima and I looked at each other with raised eyebrows and glanced around again to see if we had missed something. Nope, there was nothing but green jungle, a river, lot's of rocks, some lovely wildflowers, and maybe some goats. We gave Tara a confused look and he smiled and waived for us to follow him up the hill. We walked towards some large boulders. As we got close we saw steps were made leading up to one of the rocks, and beneath the rock was a small opening.

*cont...

Trekking Notes... Cave

We followed our new friend, who turned out to be Tara's uncle, into the cave. His 3 dogs greeted us with some mildly treatening barks, but settled down right away. He told us that they need to sleep all day because at night their job is to watch the goats and protect them from leopards and bears. Leopards and bears?? We asked. Oh, yes. Tara said he'd seen bear tracks this morning as we were walking. No wonder everyone up here has dogs, I thought. Tara helped is uncle get the fire rekindled then they put the pot on for chai. He apologized that there was no milk! Everything else he could possibly need was inside that cave in large burlap sacks - sugar, tea, flour. He spends 4 months each year at this cave, the rest of the year with his family. He works as a shepard.