The Himalayas
If you asked me 2 weeks ago if I would want to come back to India my answer would have been a dry 'maybe'. Sure the country is amazing, but I just think that I tired myself out of Asian travel.
Now my answer is an enthusiastic 'YES'. Not since the jungles of Loas has one spot captivated my interest and inspired pure awe of my environment and surroundings. My treking through the Kullu Valley amongst the Himalayan Range did this too me. But I tell you - this is no easy trek.
Usually a 3 hour trek that a local recommends takes me 1.5 hours of brisk walking through the various jungles or forests. The Asians have small legs, and tend to walk quite slow. Up here in the mountains, a 3 hour trek easily turns into a 5 hour one, challenging everyone physically and mentally to haul ass up to the next village nestled high up in the Valley. No roads lead to these places; legs and arms being the only vehicle up these steep climbing paths, and sometimes risky vertical ascensions.
The Villages were those of tradition make - with many Nepalese and Tibetan variations - as many refugees live amongst these Indians up in the mountains. Shooting out from the steep ridges, the front of houses sprung out on stilts to keep the house on an even slope. Traditional woodwork and stonecutting would make up the house, with centuries old elevated fields allowing vegetables and grain to be grown high up in the altitude. The nearby streams supplied the village with enough water, and their fields and trading amongst other villages supplied them with enough food.
These Villages were perhaps one of the most spectacular things I have seen. And again the locals - such beauty. Their skin tone is that of what looks like a mix between the Japanese and the Native American Indians that once roamed our plains. Red tones, tanned skin, and huge smiles.
Within these massive valleys and mountains there are a many of fresh water streams and waterfalls, created by the slowly melting snow capped mountains. Many of the Mountain passes, and in turn the villages, were inaccessible to me because of the massive amounts of snowthat stood in my way. The treking season starts in another month or so still, as the snow is just to difficult to pass. But I still made do and made it too a few villages where I stayed for a few days at a time, and enjoyed my peace and quiet.
I can only hope these words can display the pure awe these mountains held over me. It is truley another world up there, and I mark my words - I will be back. I urge every single one of you who is reading this to go out there and challenge yourself. I gaurantee that the experience willl change you forever.
And boy oh boy, I haven't even began to mention the quality of the strawberry fields up there - absolutely unreal.
Moving on, tonight I will be displeasing the travel Gods, for I am flying to London via Moscow with Aeroflot. This Russian airline is supposed to be the grim reaper of airline travel. But fuck it, it was the cheapest flight to London and so I took it.
I'll be staying with my old housemate Luke, from my Sydney Oz days. 5 or 6 of my other English housemates are coming down to London for the reunion too so I can't wait!! It's funny how the people that I first started out living with abroad are some of the last people I will see on my trip some 19 months later.
Now my answer is an enthusiastic 'YES'. Not since the jungles of Loas has one spot captivated my interest and inspired pure awe of my environment and surroundings. My treking through the Kullu Valley amongst the Himalayan Range did this too me. But I tell you - this is no easy trek.
Usually a 3 hour trek that a local recommends takes me 1.5 hours of brisk walking through the various jungles or forests. The Asians have small legs, and tend to walk quite slow. Up here in the mountains, a 3 hour trek easily turns into a 5 hour one, challenging everyone physically and mentally to haul ass up to the next village nestled high up in the Valley. No roads lead to these places; legs and arms being the only vehicle up these steep climbing paths, and sometimes risky vertical ascensions.
The Villages were those of tradition make - with many Nepalese and Tibetan variations - as many refugees live amongst these Indians up in the mountains. Shooting out from the steep ridges, the front of houses sprung out on stilts to keep the house on an even slope. Traditional woodwork and stonecutting would make up the house, with centuries old elevated fields allowing vegetables and grain to be grown high up in the altitude. The nearby streams supplied the village with enough water, and their fields and trading amongst other villages supplied them with enough food.
These Villages were perhaps one of the most spectacular things I have seen. And again the locals - such beauty. Their skin tone is that of what looks like a mix between the Japanese and the Native American Indians that once roamed our plains. Red tones, tanned skin, and huge smiles.
Within these massive valleys and mountains there are a many of fresh water streams and waterfalls, created by the slowly melting snow capped mountains. Many of the Mountain passes, and in turn the villages, were inaccessible to me because of the massive amounts of snowthat stood in my way. The treking season starts in another month or so still, as the snow is just to difficult to pass. But I still made do and made it too a few villages where I stayed for a few days at a time, and enjoyed my peace and quiet.
I can only hope these words can display the pure awe these mountains held over me. It is truley another world up there, and I mark my words - I will be back. I urge every single one of you who is reading this to go out there and challenge yourself. I gaurantee that the experience willl change you forever.
And boy oh boy, I haven't even began to mention the quality of the strawberry fields up there - absolutely unreal.
Moving on, tonight I will be displeasing the travel Gods, for I am flying to London via Moscow with Aeroflot. This Russian airline is supposed to be the grim reaper of airline travel. But fuck it, it was the cheapest flight to London and so I took it.
I'll be staying with my old housemate Luke, from my Sydney Oz days. 5 or 6 of my other English housemates are coming down to London for the reunion too so I can't wait!! It's funny how the people that I first started out living with abroad are some of the last people I will see on my trip some 19 months later.
posted by Matt Switzer at 3:29 AM
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