Letters from Russia - Following Tolstoy


Russia Photo Album






I travel light!

So - back in early March I find myself sharing a train compartment with a Frenchman, we are on our way to Varanasi, India. We start with the usual casual chit chat typical of 2 travelers just getting to know each other… where are you going, where have you been so far, where are you from… the simple back & forth that quickly led on to more interesting & in depth topics while we passed many more hours crossing the countryside of Uttar Pradesh. Though we had a great conversation of all the things I was stuck on was that he had flown Aeroflot via Moscow to get from Paris to New Delhi. Hmmmm I kept thinking… Moscow… Russia… wonder what that would be like, it sure can't be too far away then!

One of the great aspects of my travels this past year is having the opportunity to receive inspiration from a wide variety of sources about potential destinations.  I may hear about a country that I know little about… perhaps some unique cultural traditions, perhaps a specific location or an interesting creature or feature of wildlife.  I just pull out my smartphone & pull up Google Maps to see where this potential new destination may be. A similar situation happened when I met an Israeli & was then inspired travel a bit in the Middle East. Now Russia - Moscow, St. Petersburg!  I can do that!

St. Basil Cathedral at Red Square, Moscow

The transition from Delhi to Moscow was intense! I left the 110 degree Fahrenheit temperature of crazy chaotic crowded Delhi to land in the incredibly civilized organized predictable city of Moscow. Every day has been such a pleasure getting around on efficient metros, walking along spotlessly clean streets & canals (believe me - there is no trash, not even a plastic bottle or plastic bag laying around anywhere!). The weather has been mostly in the low to mid-60's F with a day or two in low the 70's.  The sky is bright blue, no smog, & no haze. The streets are quiet - no horns! - just occasionally I'll find musicians playing in the metro stations or on the street - everything from pop, to jazz, to classical music. The sidewalks & the streets are wide & large size cars are typical (motor bikes & scooters are rare).  People seem to enjoy strolling so weekends are festive with families & young people filling the metro & buses, the streets, restaurants, & the sidewalk cafes. 

The Russian people seem to enjoy the historical sites - probably mostly tourists from around Russia - and there are so many palaces, museums, & monuments to visit. I don't see too many modern buildings in the central part of the cities - as the older buildings are beautifully restored but updated with all the modern conveniences of electricity & plumbing on the inside. The shopping malls here are very high end, with all the very best international designers & brands. And yes the imports are very pricey.  Even ibuprofen - $8USD for 12 tablets!!  Oh - but the rooms are heated & there is great hot water & ample clean public bathroom facilities (remember, I have just spent almost 3 years in developing countries so the availability of those luxuries still surprise me). My hostels have been warm enough so that I only need the duvet provided & not a mound of blankets as I did in the mountains of India.

Moscow to St. Petersburg over 400 miles in 4 hours

Moscow & St. Petersburg share many similarities but there are few easy to spot differences. Moscow does seem more upscale in terms of the style of the local people whereas the people of St. Petersburg like to say they are more relaxed & casual than the Muscovites.


Typical street, Moscow

Typical street in St. Petersburg
In anticipation of my visit I finished reading Dostoyevsky's Crime & Punishment & I have almost finished Tolstoy's War & Peace. Tolstoy's depiction of Moscow & St. Petersburg is easy for me to see as a tourist. I can follow the streets he mentions as the members of the Bezukhov, Bolkonsky, Rostov, the Kuragin, and Drubetskoy families move between Moscow & St. Petersburg, country home & mansion, and boudoir & ballroom.  The number of palaces, mansions, & majestic state buildings that line the streets, rivers, & canals is incredible - the stereotypical Soviet bloc buildings must be located in the outer reaches of the cities as they sure do not mar the beauty of the cities. The love of the French esthetic from those early days is apparent in the architecture & furnishings - the Russians seem to value the grandeur as so much seems to have been restored to its original state.

The Orthodox Cathedrals though are uniquely Russian & they are so many throughout the cities. The fanciful onion shaped spires with whimsical colors & patterns create an impressive contrast to the baroque & neoclassical architecture of the private & public buildings. The artwork inside the cathedrals is incredible - intricate mosaics & paintings create realistic depictions of the religious figures in the icons that adorn the walls; there are very few statues like what we would see in Christian & Catholic churches.

All the art in this cathedral is mosaic


Bolshoi Theatre where I saw an opera by Mozart!
There are more than enough historical sites, many that have been converted into well-stocked museums - it would take weeks & weeks to see everything. The Catherine the Great's Hermitage in St. Petersburg & the Pushkin Museum of Art in Moscow are exceptional - both of these have very impressive collections of Impressionist artists, while the Hermitage has an extensive collection of the old European classical masters of the 1500-1700's including Rembrandt & Da Vinci. Though slightly smaller in scale than the Louvre, the Hermitage collection offers the palaces as a backdrop for the art. The rooms that you pass through have been restored to their original splendor (though I had to avoid dwelling on the opulence & how that was all acquired!).


At the Bolshoi - small theater


Picasso at the Pushkin Museum, Moscow
Hermitage, St. Petersburg
Hermitage

Faberge Egg at the Faberge Museum in St. Petersburg

Moscow Metro Station

Though I have really been awestruck by the beauty, organization, & cleanliness of Moscow & St. Petersburg - I have missed getting to know the Russians I meet casually. English is not well spoken here at all in spite of the socio-economic status - so it is very difficult to have a conversation with people I meet. It's often very difficult to do much more than point to something I need or want - I use Google Translate for even simple exchanges. Fortunately a few folks have been come forward to help in in the Metro stations when it was painfully obvious I was having trouble. 

In spite of the language barrier seeming to put some distance between me & the local people I meet - I do see people in the streets & cafes as very warm & charming with their friends. And, again because this is not so typical in Asian & African countries, I see so many couples on the streets holding hands & being very affectionate - it is as if the beauty of the cities just brings out that romantic nature.

I am really so happy that I made this short 2-week trip to Russia. Who knows where our politics will take us - but for me it was a lovely spring adventure in a beautiful beautiful country. 


Matryoshka - traditional Russian wooden nesting dolls

Classic Borscht ` beet soup





Letters from India - The Mountain Trail


I often dread writing - though I force myself to write something each month - it takes some discipline to keep up these narratives that I write to stay connected to friends & to remind me of the places & people I have come to know. But I had a long cold day in Leh, settled in my hard hard bed but with a spectacular view of the Himalayas so I decided to get this started and then it just seemed to write itself. The challenge in writing about India is to be honest about the challenges of being a traveler here while still trying to convey what an incredible country this is.

By the time I leave India I will have been traveling 10 months - even when I write these posts I find that the days & weeks spent in various countries & places is becoming a blur. I look back at the simple snapshots I have taken to help me remember some amazing adventures. If all goes well I will be able to get a visa from the Russian Embassy in Delhi & will take off for a week to Moscow on May 13 & then travel to St. Petersburg by train for another week. Yes - I still want to keep this crazy lifestyle going longer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now into my second month of travel in India, over 1,300 miles so far, I was feeling fairly comfortable with the ins and outs of travel in northern India - even taking in stride, as an example, the overpacked, overnight 108 miles (174 km) local bus from Dharamsala to Kullu that would take almost 8 hours (gives a good example of how slow the mountain road trips are). I thought I would miss seeing the beautiful mountain scenery by traveling through the night - but actually bus trips mean just a constant barrage of towns along narrow roads with little scenery to see.  At least travel by night gives one a chance of getting somewhere without the constant surge of traffic & pedestrians that happens amid blaring horns during the crazy pre-midnight hours. Between 8 pm & midnight, depending on the size of the town, the traffic eases up as the shops & street vendors have packed up & everyone is heading home.

India surpasses all the Asian & African countries I have visited so far in the intensity of homes & businesses & vehicles & people & cows & dogs competing for limited space along existing, incredibly narrow & poorly maintained roads. Without sidewalks, pedestrians & animals have to weave among the cars & rickshaws & motorbikes & food stalls with their vats of boiling oil for samosas & pots of boiling milk tea. There is little to no difference between the roads within towns & those that pass between towns - it's a maze of pot holes & irregular surfaces with piles of bricks, dirt & rock for construction heaped just about everywhere. The rule of the road is the game of chicken as drivers dare each other to see who will pull over or back up at the last minute to let the other pass. To say the Indians drive aggressively is an understatement. It's a given that there will be shouting on both sides for minor accidents that are basically just shrugged off as who wants to get insurance companies & police involved. Pedestrians understand they have zero priority but they play the game of chicken too & ignore the vehicles which causes drivers to lean fiercely on their horns. And so it goes. I seldom enjoy going for walks here because it is such a struggle dealing with the traffic, the constant blaring horns, & the uneven roadways with little place for escape.

Like most of the developing countries I have visited in Asia, one really has to wander far off the main transportation lines by private car or take an overland trek to a remote village to find something even close to what we might call charming; as in the sense of an old colonial village in Mexico, an indigenous village in Lesotho, or a medieval village in Spain. In all but the most rural & rustic hamlets, there seems to be little preservation of the look & feel of traditional neighborhoods. Newer buildings are crowded in wherever they can be fit. Everything takes on a shabby look as it seems there is little regard for maintaining - anything. Advertisements are painted onto buildings or posted on makeshift signs. Dirty windows, unfinished buildings, shabby restaurants & hotels, small shops selling the same chips & sodas line the streets; it's all a repetitive blur. Trash - yes, the bane of developing countries, is everywhere.


So how can you understand or appreciate India if you can't go past what you see on the streets? It is a challenge to everything we know & love about our (mostly) clean, well-organized, predictable western world. India is a challenge more than any other country, because there just so many people & the chaos is accepted. The volume of life here is so intense & so overwhelming. And so I am constantly intrigued by what I see when I am out. The craziness that I feel is just what is "normal". If the people around me are stressed or annoyed by the blaring horns, the traffic, the chaotic-seeming manner of "non-queueing", the yelping dogs, the on again off again electricity - they sure don't seem to show it.

I don't want to assume that I understand the culture but… the chaos of the outside world does not seem to be reflected in the individuals that I have met or observed. Whether Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, or Buddhist there is certain calmness, a peacefulness and genuine kindness that I can easily feel when I talk with individuals & small groups. People here struggle with the economy & lack of resources but they don't seem to struggle with life. It seems too simple to say but maybe there is a safety net that the extended family & their religion offers & that helps maintain some equilibrium & perspective. There is so much apparent energy - people seem to work hard & are productive - the shops & markets are always so full of "made in India" goods - abundant fruits, vegetables, eggs, & milk products (the best fresh yogurt!), finely crafted cotton & woolen garments, beautiful hand crafts - rugs, weavings, embroidery, wood & metal work, to name a few. And of course super creative & prolific literary, music & film artists. But so many people also seem to take time for their spiritual life as well - even if just to stop by a temple for a quick prayer or touch their hand to the threshold & then their forehead in a sign of respect.

The Indians love of country & heritage is also very apparent. Outside of major cities like Delhi, I rarely come across western (American) fast food joints (thank god). Each state has a clear identity that is apparent through unique, brilliantly colorful traditional dress, language, & delicious food. Indians enjoy being tourists & traveling to regions often at great distance from their own state; they bring their kids & extended family & often take up several rooms in the hotels. During most of my trip I have spent more time with locals in hotels & have found they treat the hotel like their homes. They leave their doors open so family members can move in & out to visit & share meals. Life happens in the hallways too - it's not uncommon to find someone walking around the hallway brushing their teeth in their jammies. And, they are always kind & friendly to me - much more so than even foreign travelers who are often in their own bubble of isolation. I can't even count the times I have been given a business card by an Indian father traveling with his family with a heartfelt invitation to come for a visit should I travel someone's home state.

It is very easy to meet local Indians here & I have visited with numerous families in their homes. When someone invites me to come to their home - they are being genuine & sincere - there is no hidden agenda. The visit will include tea & I'll bring cookies & sometimes I can pull out a balloon from my bag for the little kids. With an array of parents, in-laws, adult & young children, cousins & neighbors there is always someone who can speak even a little English or be fairly fluent. Even if we can't speak more than a few simple sentences, friendship & hospitality are clearly communicated.

Eleven weeks in India, covering an additional 4,000 miles, has passed at a very slow pace. I have had the chance to see & experience so many different regions, some like Kashmir & Ladakh that I knew I wanted to visit; others like Varanasi & Dharamsala that I never imagined I would; & still others like Khajuraho, Orchaa, the Kullu Valley, & Amritsar that I had never heard of.  Looking beyond the craziness & disorder can be a challenge but once I do the magic of India is right there to enjoy. The heritage of India, led by the Moghuls, shahs, & religious leaders, found incredible ways to blend man-made elements with the natural beauty of India. Palaces, forts, temples, stupas, & monasteries were built in harmony with spectacular settings. The princes of Varanasi built noble palaces, gates, & walkways along the sacred Ganges River to pay homage to the gods, yet allow access to the river for all worshippers. Khajuraho is home to the intricately carved Jain temples & tombs silhouetted among beautiful gardens.  Leh's Buddhist monasteries are built on rocky crags rising over the barren plains with stunning views of the Himalayas; but the Hemis monastery, the largest in Ladakh, was built in hidden niche of the Himalayas at 12,000 feet.

Northern India is rich in waterways & fertile soil. Being here in the spring I've been able to watch the slow transformation of the farmland as farmers prepare & plant the fields & tend the orchards. In the mountain region of Kashmir I enjoyed the full bloom of the tulip gardens & watching the fruit & nut trees bud & then blossom. Over 3 short days camping in Naranag, Kashmir I was able to watch the signs of spring taking back the land from ice & snow. Our camp sat along a fast moving river - runoff from the melting Himalayan snow - that had begun to chip huge chunks of ice from the frozen remains of the winter's avalanche that not so long ago had stopped the river's flow & backed up the river high onto the rocky banks. I am sorry though that I'll miss the blooming of Kashmir's saffron fields in October - when vast stretches of land turn purple & fragrant. I'll also miss the hatching of the baby hawks whose nest I watched their parents build in a tree just outside my window in Srinagar.

Though I travelled generally in the north & covered a lot of ground - I have always felt safe. It's as if the Indian people placed me in a protected bubble.  I always have had the sense that people have kept an eye out for me, not because they feared I could be hurt or threatened but rather because they saw I was alone & felt I needed the comfort of their family.

Though I have many stories to tell about my experiences over the past 4-5 weeks, here are just some highlights.

Kullu & Manali, Himachal Pradesh
Two smallish towns in the Kullu Valley at the base of the Himalayas. Manali even has a small ski resort & offers tandem paragliding. I spent over a week in Manali visiting the nearby hamlets & taking walks up to a very old wooden Hindu temple above the town. In Old Manali I met a friendly fellow who invited me for tea - we sat on the rooftop terrace of his hotel with the best view of the valley possible. He is a musician & had many stories to tell about performing locally & in Europe. He even hosted an even with Anoushka Shankar (daughter of the famous sitar artist Ravi Shankar) in Manali. Well - I like to believe most of what he said was true!







Amritsar, Punjab
An important center of Sikh culture & home of the Golden Temple. I have read that the Golden Temple receives an average of 100,000 people a day, more visitors per year than the Taj Mahal. Fortunately I arrived in the early evening to be there for the sunset so it was not too crowded. I only had to wait in line about 30-40 minutes to get into the very small temple where the sacred books are held. Sikh priests play traditional instruments & sing the verses night & day (broadcast all day on national TV). The pilgrims who come to the temple from great distances are clearly in awe & spend the day in prayer in the open areas that surround the temple. This temple is reported to have the largest kitchen in the world; serving a complimentary meal to all visitors who come to the dining area. I took a day tour of the city that brought me to the India-Pakistan border for the grand ceremony where the border guards retire the national flags for the day. A real spectacle & show of national pride on both sides of the border. High stepping, decked out soldiers - prance & preen at each other in a showy display of might as they open & close the ceremonial gates to retire the flags. The grounds are set up with a stadium that seats several thousand people (more on the India side) to watch the nightly event. 



Kashmir, Jammu-Kashmir
This large sprawling city sits along the banks of several rivers & a couple of beautiful lakes & is rimmed by the Himalayas - a very scenic location. It's population is over a million & overwhelmingly Muslim. The Kashmiri have a very different look about them - they say it is more of a Persian rather than a Hindu appearance. The city does not have modern buildings, rather, most building are no more than 5-6 stories & quite worn down. It is the summer capital of the state of Jammu-Kashmir & the site of numerous Mohgul palaces & gardens. My home was the cozy & comfy Kashmir Inn for almost 3 weeks. The owners, brothers Fayez, Riyaz, & Niyaz, & staff, Khursheed, Riyaz, & Adil, became my buddies who looked out for me.





Gulmarg & Pahalgam
Day trips outside Srinagar included visits to the hill towns (mountain hamlets is a more descriptive term) of Gulmarg & Pahalgam that pass through farms & orchards to reach impressive mountain gorges & high peaks streaked with numerous waterfalls & whitewater rivers. In Gulmarg it was entertaining to see the Indian tourists from the south playing in the snow for the first time. Many of the local tourists were decked out like snow bunnies after renting full snow gear from the stations along the road who catered to mountain novices from the tropics.






Naranag Mountain Trek
Riyaz (staff) is a guide during the summer months & I was his first client for the trekking season this year - he was my guide for a 3-night trip to Naranag in the mountains. The first night I slept in his rustic home (tiny open hearth for cooking, no heating, no running water except a faucet for the squat toilet) in the "gypsy" village (his term) where his family lives. The mountain areas have so many rivers with extremely fast moving white water coming from the incredibly steep peaks above - I remember thinking as we came into the area that there must be quite a few injuries & deaths since the villagers rely on the rivers for fish, water, & driftwood. As we came into his village we found out that just that day a 2-year child had fallen into a stream near his home & drowned. The child's family lives right next to Riyaz's family & so from my guest room window I was able to watch as the child, wrapped in a shroud, was brought back to the house from the hospital (which is almost an hour away). Over the next hour people from all over the village - some from higher up on the slopes - came pouring into the family compound to pay their respects & attend the funeral. The child was taken into the home, bathed & wrapped again, while a grave was dug just outside. The child was buried within an hour. Throughout the day, evening, & into the night, the village imam, local leaders, family, & friends kept vigil with the boy's parents. The whole village mourned.  The next day we "trekked" only a short distance along an easy path to our 2-night campsite; pack horses carried all the provisions.  Riyaz was cook, guide, friend, & tent mate (it was a huge tent) who treated me like a queen - making sure I was always warm & well fed. It rained intermittently & so I kept to short walks on the trails along the river with Riyaz's son & his friends for company.





Sufism in Srinagar
One of the brothers, Niyaz, kept me entertained. He invited me to accompany him to meet his friends & attend Sufi gatherings. There is an easy hospitality in India that makes befriending strangers so natural. Sufi-ism is strong in Kashmir, it is a variation within the Muslim faith characterized by strong sense of self-knowledge & personal peace gained through meditation & spiritual poetry & music. Unlike the dervish of Turkey, the Kashmir Sufi don't seem to incorporate dance in their prayer. I was invited to a couple of Sufi events where spiritual songs are performed - and I was the only woman attending (only possible because as a foreigner I don't break cultural taboos that separate Muslim men & women). The first was a smallish event of about 30 men and the principle performers were talented but considered non-professional. This event was during the day & we stayed just a couple of hours. The second event of about 40 men was hosted in honor of a local "baba" (spiritual guide) who is highly respected by his group of followers, of which Niyaz & his friends belong. We met first at the baba's very simple, hermitic home with a small group of followers & then we all went on to the home of the family hosting the event. This gathering was a demonstration of devotion to & respect of the baba. A full wazwan (traditional Kashmiri dinner) was served. The Muslims in Kashmir eat meat unlike most of India's Hindi - and the Kashmiri Muslims love meat!! We sat along the wall on the floor covered in carpets, I was given a seat of honor next to the baba (I took it as it had extra cushions!!). Long stretches of fabric were spread in front of us to serve as a table cloth. First a helper comes along with a basin & pitcher to pour water over each person's hands to wash and then the procession of food began. A large plate of rice is placed on the cloth for groups of 4 to share; then at a slow & comfortable pace servers come with large metal urn-like containers filled with meat stews of various types; mostly mutton & some chicken. The stew is placed in the center of the rice, which is replenished generously as needed, so that we can all scoop up a bit with our fingers (right hand only of course). One dish after another comes - maybe 6 dishes in all. The helper comes back at the end of the meal with the water for washing hands & to pick up the table cloth. Finally, we have sweet milk tea & everyone settles back to relax a bit before the music begins. For this event a group of professional performers was hired to play for the baba. The music started at about 11 pm and did not end until 5:30 am. The music & singing was constant - no breaks between songs & only 3 short breaks for tea the entire night. For these Sufi - it is interesting to note that hashish plays an important role in these events. The bowl of the shisha (the hookah water pipe) is filled with loose tobacco & a bit of hash & passed around. An alternative, especially for large groups, is tobacco/hash cigarettes. The hash is just an aid in the spiritual experience. During one of the breaks I was invited to go upstairs to the family's living quarters to meet the women. It was a party of greetings & selfies until the younger women stole me away to meet with them separately in their own room. The host came to collect me though to return to the music. The whole event was beautiful! By 4 am I was nodding off so someone brought me an extra pillow for my head & I vaguely remember someone putting a blanket over me as I nodded off almost immediately.



Ladakh, Jammu-Kashmir
Sometimes you just have to go south to go north! Though I had hoped to drive or fly directly east from Srinagar to Leh (less than 45 min by air) it was just not possible. This year the winter snow was particularly heavy & the road between the two cities was not yet open. And - for some reason, there were just not any flights available so I had to fly south back to Delhi, spend the night, then take a flight early the next morning north to Leh, Ladakh. I had come to India to see Leh  and had been traveling slowly the last couple months so I could reach Leh when in spring - so I just had to make it!

LehThe flight coming into Leh, which sits at 11,500 feet, passes along the Himalayas & is gorgeous. Rather than the forests & rivers of Kashmir, Ladakh is a moonscape more reminiscent of Tibet - a high desert without much sign of life - but beautiful in its own way. Ladakh is a predominately Buddhist district with only 30% Muslim. There is a strong Tibetan refugee element but still the majority of the population has an Asian appearance that is so unlike the Hindu population. Like Tibet, stupas, monasteries, prayer wheels, & prayer flags seem to be everywhere. The architecture is Tibetan with typical traditional Buddhist painting & wood work inside & outside monasteries, homes, & businesses. Unlike the typical Indian city - Leh appears to managed by city planners! There is a pleasant central market area that is closed to traffic. At one end is a lovely mosque & the whole market area is situated under a scenic view of two monasteries perched high above. Work is under way to improve the roads & flow of traffic & there are a lot of cars here! Signs to keep Leh clean & beautiful are everywhere as are garbage cans (very rare in other cities)! The city streets & neighborhoods are really very clean. Leh is small & cozy - no high rises but lots of guest houses & hotels. Their success with city planning is likely due to the strong economy derived from eco-tourism & trekking. The roads in/out of Leh are completely closed off for 3-4 months each year. Only 2 roads, one from Srinagar & one from Manali, service Leh. All other transportation is by air until snow plows clear these 2 roads. I was here for a week in late April during the shoulder season & I saw very few foreigners as the trekking season would not start until the roads & trails open towards the middle of May. I was the only guest at the Dorje Guesthouse &  was well pampered; 3 meals a day, frequent servings of tea, & lots of attention. The first few days were lovely - clear blue sky & great starry nights. The weather changed as mountain weather does but even when the clouds came I had great views from my room with floor to ceiling windows on two walls. I had plenty of opportunity to get out & see the sights - mostly monasteries - but I never seem to tire of the artwork that is so important in Buddhist temples & of course the views of the mountains that change each moment with the available sunlight.




Nubra Valley 
A highlight of the visit to Ladakh was a visit to the Nubra Valley just about 80 miles east of Leh. To get there means crossing the Khardung La pass which is one of highest motorable roads in the world. Though the signpost at the summit boasts the altitude is over 18,380 feet, most references report the altitude is just a mere
17,582 feet. My driver for the 2-day trip to Nubra was Stanzin, a sincere young man who, in spite of driving a little fast, actually drove much slower & more safely than many of the vehicles who passed us. He had a funny habit of talking out loud to himself and I only hoped his choice to play Buddhist chanting while we crossed the high winding roads was a good omen. The road is narrow & with the heavy snow traffic much limited to one-way traffic. The traffi is controlled well before the pass in each direction; vehicles must pass the checkpoint before 11am heading toward Nubra and returning vehicles can only begin the journey after 2pm - this minimizes the flow of 2-way traffic. The day was bright & sunny & the snow pristine as we drove eastward across the pass. Stanzin put chains on & took them off at the right points; unlike some drivers who risked the roads without chains. Thank goodness for the chains because even with them we hit a few icy patches & slide around a bit - I had great views of the very steep drop-offs over the low berms that created the only barrier along the road (ok - I admit it, I closed my eyes a lot!). With all the stops & starts, those 80 miles took us over 5 hours! Our planned stops along the way included the requisite photo opp at the summit & we stopped for lunch along the way at an outpost town for momos (Tibetan style veggie dumplings) & nice hot, sweet milk tea. There was still time after arriving in Nubra to go out to visit the dunes that cover a good portion of the valley floor & see the changing mountain light as the sun setting behind the immense mountains & gorges that have created the valley. The mountains show off very active & diverse geological changes - some layered ridges pushing up at dramatic angles, other steep mountains letting fine sand slide down from incredibly steep heights, & winding & flowing along - a shallow but clear & blue narrow river. To please us travelers, wooly Bactrian (2-humped) & long skirted yaks graze along the banks of the river. All very impressive & beautiful. The next morning we left in time for me to explore the 14th century Buddhist monastery that sits in an auspicious location partway up a mountain ridge with an impressive view of the valley.  As usual, I
17,582 feet. My driver for the 2-day trip to Nubra was Stanzin, a sincere young man who, in spite of driving a little fast, actually drove much slower & more safely than many of the vehicles who passed us. He had a funny habit of talking out loud to himself and I only hoped his choice to play Buddhist chanting while we crossed the high winding roads was a good omen. The road is narrow & with the heavy snow traffic much limited to one-way traffic. The traffi is controlled well before the pass in each direction; vehicles must pass the checkpoint before 11am heading toward Nubra and returning vehicles can only begin the journey after 2pm - this minimizes the flow of 2-way traffic. The day was bright & sunny & the snow pristine as we drove eastward across the pass. Stanzin put chains on & took them off at the right points; unlike some drivers who risked the roads without chains. Thank goodness for the chains because even with them we hit a few icy patches & slide around a bit - I had great views of the very steep drop-offs over the low berms that created the only barrier along the road (ok - I admit it, I closed my eyes a lot!). With all the stops & starts, those 80 miles took us over 5 hours! Our planned stops along the way included the requisite photo opp at the summit & we stopped for lunch along the way at an outpost town for momos (Tibetan style veggie dumplings) & nice hot, sweet milk tea. There was still time after arriving in Nubra to go out to visit the dunes that cover a good portion of the valley floor & see the changing mountain light as the sun setting behind the immense mountains & gorges that have created the valley. The mountains show off very active & diverse geological changes - some layered ridges pushing up at dramatic angles, other steep mountains letting fine sand slide down from incredibly steep heights, & winding & flowing along - a shallow but clear & blue narrow river. To please us travelers, wooly Bactrian (2-humped) & long skirted yaks graze along the banks of the river. All very impressive & beautiful. The next morning we left in time for me to explore the 14th century Buddhist monastery that sits in an auspicious location partway up a mountain ridge with an impressive view of the valley.  As usual, I followed my nose to the rustic kitchen area to watch phe monks making momos & enjoying the tea they offered me. We were at the checkpoint at exactly 2pm to begin the return trip in plenty of time to beat the sunset. What a change a day in the mountains can bring! As soon as we passed the checkpoint big gray clouds began to gather & we found ourselves behind a long train of vehicles constantly having to stop & wait while a caravan of 10-15 army trucks slowly plodded along the road between frequent stops to dig out of deep trenches. I only hoped we would be back on the paved road before dark.  It seemed iffy to me - I was not looking forward to spending the night in the car - but maybe with a little help from the Buddhist chants we made across the summit & Stanzin was able to take the chains off once we reached the paved road & the trucks were moving freely again.  We were back at my lovely little Dorje Guesthouse by 8:30pm - more than 9 hours of travel!







Dehli
Leaving Leh was a little iffy too! Though the vast majority of my days in the mountains had plenty of clear sky & weather, my departure day started with rain & wind & I sure hoped the storm would pass before my 10:30am flight to Delhi. But - the mountains just seemed to comply & the weather began to clear & after only a slight delay the plane took off & I made it safely to New Delhi & the 100+ degree temps.  Fortunately a buddy I made in Srinagar (the one who introduced me to Sufism) was coming into Delhi & we arranged to meet with a friend of his who owns a lovely cottage about 30 miles outside of Delhi. We passed a couple great days there enjoying the pool & a variety of interesting locals & foreign travelers coming to enjoy the pool under starlight.

My last few days in Delhi are simple & easy but I'm limiting time out in the heat - thank goodness I have already spent plenty of time sightseeing here in the past!  I submitted an application for a visa to Russia & will pick up my passport & visa on Friday so I can fly to Moscow on Saturday May 13. I have a few days in a comfy hotel with AC & wifi so I can try to do some planning for a trip to Colombia & Ecuador in September-October.

My visit to India has been wonderful - long & fulfilling. Taking the slow road has given me so many opportunities to experience life in such a wide variety of Indian cultures & to have met & befriended some very kind & interesting people. I'm not sure when or if I'll be back to India & Asia - there is so much more to explore - but for now I am satisfied with my travels here and am looking forward to returning to the western world of Russia & Europe & eventually on to the Americas. 

Letters from India - The Pilgrim's Trail

India Photo Album

I left Vietnam on February 25 for another long, multi-stop series of no-frills flights for India. I am getting better at the very unglamorous routine of traveling budget airlines & finding ways to entertain myself in various airport terminals during incredibly long layovers. With my 6-month India visa in hand it felt great to be unencumbered by the series of 30-day visas I had in Southeast Asian countries. However, in Southeast Asia I was motivated to be on my way out before the really hot, humid weather was expected to begin in March. I had my sights set on the cooler weather in the districts northeast & northwest of Delhi; I figured I would see what I could see in about 2-months' time. I checked into Workaway volunteer options but the most common options for the eastern areas were yoga teacher or meditation guide - uhhhhh neither of those quite fit me. Other than farming, the options were limited.




Realities of Traveling in India

My timing was not great though as late winter is way too early for the northern mountains so I knew that I would need to explore some more of the north eastern areas, south of Himalayas, while waiting for the weather to warm & the roads to clear of snow before heading to Jammu-Kashmir. I think of myself as an experienced traveler, especially since in recent years I lived in Lesotho & traveled solo & independently through parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.  I felt I should be prepared to wing it, but was I really ever prepared for solo travel in India?

I thought I was getting off to a great start on the "new-in the last 9 years" Delhi metro until I disembarked underground at the main central station…but then the full frontal crush of India fell over me… so many meters below the city streets. The volume of people, platforms, exits, & options was really overwhelming. Not surprising it did not take long before a "friendly" "station agent" offered his assistance to get me to the rickshaws/tuk-tuks on the streets above. Though I'm used to touts & tricksters that prey on tourists - sometimes I find it just makes sense to get "caught" in their net & get pulled along, which in this case, if I hoped to ever get to the street, I figured would be the best option. The sad (but protective) thing is that I really can't tell, initially, if someone is being friendly & helpful or trapping me in a tourist scam. The result is that I'm generally distrustful of everyone.  But, better to be caught up & out of the metro than flopping around like a fish out of water. It never ceases to amaze me just how wide the tourist net extends. But, making it to the street was hardly any better than the chaos of the metro station. It still bewilders me how people can function in such a state of random motion & cacophony of sounds. The Indians just seem to take it all in stride, seeing the logic & flow so that they can weave along to their destination without much effort or angst.

My friendly "agent" found me a tuk-tuk (no tip required!) & I presented my hotel's address & directions - but the routine when a driver catches a foreigner is to take the tourist directly, "do not pass go", to a travel agent. Well, at least I was prepared for that & actually a bit relieved… after the experience in the metro, the reality of solo travel in India seemed daunting (just buying my metro ticket was challenge communication & crowd control). The end of this story actually worked out well for me.  After a brief explanation of my interests & timeframe I think the travel agent sized me up pretty well, or maybe he just offered up what the stereotypical older, female, solo traveler is looking for…a little bit of the "Eat, Pray, Love" experience. He took into consideration the time needed to elapse before arriving in the far north & he gave me a fantastic route that I would not have figured out so easily on my own. Sure I paid a commission but we do say "time is money" and for me it was "predictability versus chaos" and so far the itinerary the agent worked up for me has been perfect. He solved the problem of transportation by pre-booking my transportation on trains, buses, & flights, station drop off & pick up, & hotels.  I still travel independently & solo and I don't have to worry about figuring how to get from point A to B.  After 7, now 8 months of travel, it was easy to accept a break from all that day-to-day planning & struggle, and that was in significantly less chaotic countries (relative to Africa not Italy!). Since I have several overnight trains, one of the best features is that someone will meet me at the train station to take me to my hotel & again when I leave, I am driven back to the station. Most of the transport between station & hotel is quite far & mostly pre-dawn & late evenings. I'm not following the backpackers ethic but heck it's such a treat to be relieved of having to find & negotiate everything every day.  The upside/downside of the particular budget hotels that were arranged for me is that for the most part I am staying in hotels more typically used by Indian tourists & not in the usual backpacker/independent traveler hotels  that can be found in Booking.com & HostelWorld. The good news is that I meet a lot of Indian travelers - they are super friendly & love being tourists & traveling about their own country, the bad news is that I sometimes miss the socializing that comes from staying in backpacker places offered up in the commonly used Booking & HostelWorld hotel booking websites.


I'm now one month into my two month+ journey. I have managed to figure out the train stations fairly well - even when the electronic board listing trains & platforms is not working (not infrequent); the trains - knowing which end of the very long train my assigned coach will be located (the trains are super long); and the sleeper berths - how to manage sleeping in the top or the bottom bunk (the top always seems to sway more), & that I actually won't get sick if I order a chai (tea) with milk and a dinner that will be picked up along the way by the coach attendant. I have also managed to refine my techniques for ignoring or putting a stop to touts, tricksters, & hawkers.

The street beggars are a different story & I think I'll never feel untouched by the many poor souls I see. It's possible, in many cases, to distinguish between the professional beggars who live on the street from those who seem genuinely destitute, hungry, often disabled, & in need of a handout - there is more than you would imagine of each. There are just so many street people here without the family structure in place to care for needy relatives. Wheelchairs are rarely seen - it's not only an impossible expense but the streets & buildings just are not set up for them. I can't get over seeing the disabled who are incapable of walking due to injury or birth defect, scooting themselves along the ground using only their hands. Only rarely have I seen fortunate ones who have a little wheeled trolley to help maneuver themselves about.  The elderly & mothers with their tiny, skinny little babies are especially heartbreaking for me. I try to give a little something or a lot depending on what the circumstances are. For every "yes, I'll help", there are so many more that I have to say "no" to.  Certainly I know that there are many beggar scams - fake wounds dressed up in bandages covered in fake blood & children sent to work for money, & alcoholics just asking for change to "eat".  But really - seeing a little child that is clearly undernourished - well, that's something just too impossible to ignore.

The mothers who beg for their children, especially the babies & toddlers, will ask you to buy milk not just give a few rupees; they are so aware that we tourists are skeptical of scams. There was one mother & child so far, likely there been more, who particularly touched me. I did not quite understand at first - but then once she made it clear by coaxing me to follow her to a street vendor to point to powdered enriched milk - I realized I could help her at that moment on that day. The vendor tried to sell me milk for a child over 12-months. I looked at the child & said no way - you must give us milk for a baby under 12-months. A passerby stopped to help & asked the mother how old was the child - over 1 year said the mother. I could not believe this scrawny little baby could be that old - wasted little body, light as feather, thin little face with big eyes. Heartbreaking. I bought the milk, the mother thanked me kindly & we both wandered off separately.  I did not know if that mother would sell the milk or give it to the baby - but I had to hope she would do the right thing. A little later the mother found me to show me that she had prepared the milk & the baby was drinking it from a small bottle. I believe she really wanted me to know that her need was genuine & that she was a good mother.  Following that though came the next plea - she tugged at the babies dirty t-shirt, the only thing he was wearing - would I buy him some clothes.  At that point I had no problem - "let's go". She pointed to a clothing store. We started to enter & the shopkeeper shouted at her to get out (whether it was because she was a beggar or a lower caste - I did not know). I had to show him that she was with me. Our clerk was rude but we managed to pick out an inexpensive top & shorts for the little guy. Both mother & baby were smiling - again we went our separate ways, only I was followed by yet another mother asking for milk, but this one I did not help. It's really hard to order a cheap lunch or snack when I think about the hardships people here face. But - it’s all the more easy to offer some of what I buy, an orange or a snack, to someone looking like they would appreciate it.  I do see a few people giving money or food to the beggars - maybe they are less fearful of being scammed or robbed, or because they see, there are just too many & the need is so great. 

This type of poverty is far less than I have seen in other countries; in India the volume is just so overwhelming & the level of need so deep; the truly needy, mothers with infants, elderly, disabled, may just be faced with no other alternative but to beg. It is an aspect of traveling in India that makes the inconveniences of travel here pale. It's something one just has to accept as part of the experience and we each have to find our own way of making peace with it. The poverty & disability people suffer is a fact of life here - it is not invisible, nor are the people. I find that as difficult as it is, I have to accept it as a condition of India - it's this sprawling stifling majestic dirty impressive colorful magical tragic place that draws you in & pushes you away all at the same time.

~~~~~~~~~~


Pilgrim's Trail

I can characterize my first month in India as the Pilgrims' Trail as I have visited some of the many sacred & revered  Sikh, Hindu, Jain, & Buddhist sites in this part of India. Each place has offered some unique opportunities to learn more about India & its people, but I'll try not to make this any more of a travelogue & just mention a few of the particularly interesting events that I encountered.


New Delhi 


Sikh temple & center for learning. Interesting for me to learn that the devout come to honor & listen to the words of their prophet, Guru Nanak, that are contained in books that are at the center of the temple. The "word" rather than icons, images, or statues are revered. The prophet's teachings are read aloud every day & the devout come to listen & contemplate.





Orchha, Madhya Pradesh 


Ancient Hindu temples & tombs. This small rural town is an important site for weddings & people flock to the Hindu Ram Raja Temple to get married. On some days there was a steady of weddings from morning until dusk. There is a great deal of fanfare for each wedding; family & friends create a procession, drumming & dancing all the way to the temple & afterward until the early morning.









Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh 


Jain temples & tombs famous for intricate Kama Sutra carvings (yes some of which are those sex & sexually charged poses you have heard the Kama Sutra is famous for!). There is a lovely park at the main temple site. 

After visiting all the temples, I spent the day reading in between frequent interruptions by Indian families wanting "selfies" with me (this happens all the time!). I always wonder what the heck they do with those photos. Khajuraho is surrounded by beautiful farmlands & small villages. 





The owner of the hotel where I stayed invited me & another hotel guest to his home for dinner. He made an incredible fresh chutney of minced ginger, green onions, & green mango to go along with the home-cooked all veg dinner.  One of the other guests was his friend, also a hotel owner who ended up befriending me & taking me on a couple of motorbike tours of the surrounding area, his family's farm, & the small village where he grew up. In the village he showed me examples of the types of homes associated with the different castes & we had a long visit with a family who farms his land. The homes are made of mud & dung bricks that are plastered over by a smooth dung mixture that is painted white. Each home has an entry that opens onto a small terrace bounded by work areas to dry grain, weave, & create tools; small rooms; & a cooking area. Every week it’s the job of the females to resurface the flooring of the terrace & rooms.  They coat the flooring with a dung mixture, smoothing it out until is as slick as a tile floor & then painting decorative edges in white. The walls & flooring don't smell at all & they create a smooth heat resistant surface to help cool the compound. While the rest of the family are working n the fields or gathering water, the matriarch & perhaps one nursing mother will remain at home to work. They seem always busy - drying & sorting grain, preparing meals, & cleaning & maintaining the compound.  On another day, one of the staff of my new friend's hotel invited me to his sister's wedding - an incredibly lively celebration with drumming & dancing & great food. The partying starts in the evening & goes on before the wedding which takes place in the wee hours. I skipped the ceremony so the family could party on without worrying about me.












Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh


 Ghats (broad step structures that extend for blocks along the river bank), crematories, & Hindu temples along the sacred Ganges (Ganga) River. This large city is amazing but over the top!! I limited myself to walks along the narrow cobblestone lanes just along the river in the oldest part of town. The number of cows, bulls, & dogs that wander along these narrow streets (wide enough for one motorbike in some places) is incredible; people just step over or around the animals & all that they leave behind (watch your step!).  This is a very important religious site & hosts thousands & thousands of pilgrims. Life just happens along the river. In Varanasi, wealthy noblemen & rulers built impressive gates & multi-stories temples & palaces along the riverbank. Along the ghats people are praying, bathing, shaving their heads to mourn their dead relatives who will be cremated at the river's edge, attending sessions with gurus, meditating, eating, celebrating, oh and doing laundry, eating, boating, all of life just happening on the riverbank. I had a sweet little room with a window looking out on the Ganges - fascinating from dawn to dusk.







Rishikesh, Uttarakhand 


Located north of Varanasi, also  on the Ganges, the center for teaching yoga & meditation in northern India with dozens & dozens of ashrams & schools. It's a lovely (as in Indian-lovely) small town with lots of foreigners, many on a spiritual  quest. I participated in daily yoga sessions that were held at my hotel. I happened to be there during the last week of a month long teaching event by the Guru Mooji Baba - Moojiji for short. A native of Jamaica, he lived much of his life in England but now has a center for teaching & meditation in Portugal. He has a large & growing following and his daily sessions in Rishikesh were attended by over 2,000 people. The sessions were quite comfortable & personal in spite of the number of people; I attended 3 days of 2-3 hour sessions - all very interesting. His message comes from a holistic perspective incorporating many religions & spiritual sources. At its simplest is (as I interpreted it) - let go of those things that are interfering with your happiness & ability to live at peace: jealousy, insecurity, hate, fear, narcissism, pride. Be in the moment with a clear head & heart. Easy message, common sense - hard work! He is a very charismatic teacher with a simple straightforward style of communication who appears genuinely interested in helping people achieve a more peaceful, "awakened" state of mind.   It was great to see this amazing little town that brings so many people together who just want to make a better life for themselves - some wounded, some recovering, some actually enjoying life (I put myself mostly in that later group).













McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh 


Set in the foothills (6,000 ft. in the "lowlands") of the Himalaya, it's the home of the Dalai Lama & the spiritual & administrative seat of the exiled Tibetan Buddhist community. Such a fascinating place! McLeod Ganj, just outside Dharamsala, is the center of the Tibetan community & a small town clinging to some very steep mountain cliffs. The general area brings lots of Indian tourists - more than foreigners - who come from all over India; perhaps because it is relatively easy to access the cooler temperatures of the Himalayas. There is an important, very old, Hindu temple honoring Shiva, the Buddhist monastery, & a waterfall but not much else. Most people come for one night & then move on. I was here for a week so had plenty of time to make a routine of visiting the Dalai Lama's monastery where I could enjoy the sun & the mountain views while reading my book.  I felt so lucky as one day I was able to see the Dalai
Lama returning to the monastery after attending a conference in another city. I was among a small crowd who had gathered to watch him pass by as his car drove him slowly past the compound's gate. Many of the Tibetan devout held prayer flags - I believe His Holiness was blessing us as he drove past with his hand raised & a very sweet grin for us. 





The first half of my trip has taken me across 1,300 miles. The second half of my trip, another 1,700 miles, will take me northward & deeper into the mountains!

Kullu, Himachal Pradesh > Manali, Himachal Pradesh > Amritsar, Punjab > Srinagar, Jammu-Kashmir > Leh, Jammu-Kashmir.