Leaving Spiti

(Fri. 6.15.06) Stuck in the snow atop Rohtang La Pass (13,051') en-route from Kaza to Manali. What an incredible ride this has been so far! We left before dawn and had the pleasure of watching the sun rise over Spiti Valley. The road continued up + around through areas that continued to remind us of the American Southwest. (Imagine if there was a one-lane road hugging the walls of the Grand Canyon, about halfway down the rim, but that the rim was at around 12,500' and there were enormous snowy peaks rising above to 23,000' and a pale, milky blue river flowing below!) As we continued up + over to Kunzum La Pass (14,931') the peaks just seemed to SOAR overhead with fantastic glacial views. Descending to Batal on the Chandra River, the valley floor was littered with GIANT boulders that dwarfed our bus. The only signs of life were the few shepherds with their flocks of beautiful, long-haired goats. After a quick chai break we headed back up through the gorge of sheer black granite where greenery was taking hold wherever it could. High, thin waterfalls flowed down through thin crevasses, falling far below - Beautiful, crystal ribbons set against the dark backdrop.

(Later) For an hour now we've been stopped at the pass, caught in the traffic of Indian tourists come to see their first snow. Outside the bus window, a man sits on the frozen ground under an umbrella, bundled against the cold, selling roasted corn for a hard-earned 10 Rupee (20 cents) an ear. Stalls rent faux fur coats in all styles + colors for the ill-prepared tourists - Too weird! Little do they know that just a bit further on they could see some of the BEST views they could ever hope to see in their lifetime! I'm sure thankful I did!

(Still Later) Are we actually THROUGH this mess?! Almost? After 3 Hrs. it seems too good to be true! These Indians, so focused on the snow, just park and block the road at will and the road is just BARELY wide enough to pass. We finally arrived in Manali some 13 Hrs. later - cold, tired hungry. Grabbing our sleeping bags off the roof of the bus, water literally POURED out despite the rain covers. The worst casualties were three water-logged books, but everything else just needs to dry out. Bus travel here is NOTORIOUSLY slow and most road conditions are poor, but that's just one of the hurdles to cross if you want to experience India. So many times I find that the most difficult journey ends up being the most rewarding. At least thank God for that!

Hre's a "link" to current photos

What We're Missing

Yes, I will admit, not working and travelling around the World is pretty freaking cool! We know that we're EXTREMELY fortunate to be in the position to be able to do this. Every day feels like a gift and we try to make the most of each and every one. It feels important to me to try and communicate these experiences to inspire all of you to get out and travel too, for as long as you can find the time to do it. Yes, the U.S. counts, even though I firmly believe travelling in the Third World will do ALOT to broaden your horizons and it's something EVERYONE should do.

The flip side is that there is alot we're missing out on at home. Many of you have been doing a GREAT job of keeping us up-to-date on your lives - Sending photos, e-mails, e-vites, news links. There are so many BIG events we've missed out on already - New babies, new jobs, new homes. It's difficult knowing that we can't be there for encouragement, the joy + the tears... let alone dinner parties + dancing! So suffice to say, we think of you often and appreciate the continued encouragement flowing this direction, and we'll continue to do our best to return the favor :)

Tradition vs. Tourism - Part 1

OK, I'll let you all in on a little secret that I'm not going to share with many people - The Kinnaur + Spiti Valleys are MAGICAL! Travelling here is like stepping into the pages of a National Geographic and exploring a way of life you'd thought had died out long ago. Why am I keeping it secret? Because I don't want it te be spoiled. Sangla, Nako + Dangkar were SPECTACULAR and the photos just don't do them justice. You'll see though that the people are mostly Tibetan and they're all super-sweet, and dare I say "innocent". They also have alot of pride in their culture + keep their villages MUCH cleaner than we've seen anywhere else in India. It's here that we've gotten our first glimpses of HUGE snow-capped peaks and even headed up into them a bit. The road here is long, winding and VERY precarious and there were numerous times when I could not see the edge of the road with my cheek pressed against the window, only a crumbling rock slope extending FAR below to the river, and left deep half-moons in Darin's leg!

The payoff though is that you end up in places like THIS, fabled Shangri-La's. What a dichotomy that we as tourists walk through these towns and covet the simple, timeless + poetic way of life these people have when they in turn want to be westernized. This is maybe not AS true with the older generation that hold their heads with pride, but TV has certainly swayed the youth and I wonder what will happen as they grow up, become educated and no longer want to farm. They see tourism as the way of the future, but if they foresake the old ways and draw more tourists in, the villages will then lose their charm. Nako is trying to manage this by having few guesthouses set a little apart from the village itself. Dangkar allows people to sleep in the Monestary or in people's homes. If both limit tourism to this extent it may help, but for how long will it last?

I feel so fortunate to have been able to experience this and I yearn for more experiences like it, but I also feel a pang of guilt that I might be contributing to a downfall. You watch these people live + work and they ALWAYS have a smile on their face. They have a strong sense of community and are always willing to help their neighbor. One man we stayed with told us that he just "borrowed" wood from another man in town to build his house and he would only need to repay it whenevr the other man needed wood again. We've been invited in with open arms, given food + tea, a bed, and have been told to merely "pay as you like". I ponder what I can repay that will actually benefit them in the long term...

Here's a "link" to more photos

Are We Still in India?

(Sat. 6.10.06) Or should I say - Are we in Western Tibet? After the craziness of Delhi + Haridwar things have gotten more + more chill/shanti + Tibetan as we've continued Northeast. We're now in the hilltop monastic village of Dangkar where we've decided to attempt spending the night fairly spur-of-the-moment. Now we find ourselves staying in a traditional family home, have been given our first cup of butter tea and just NOW find out that tomorrow is both the Birthday of Buddha and one of the twice-yearly festivals of the full moon to celebrate the planting. All day, the elder women will not speak or eat and the rest of the village gathers together for a communal feast and reciting of prayers. Later in the day, many men will don traditional costumes for themselves and their horses and make a pilgrimage to a lake above town. How can we not stay?!

You just never know how things will pan out - That's just one of the wonders of independent backpacking and having the luxury of more time + flexibility. Darin was just joking that from a distance, you can plan for two months in the Himachal Pradesh region, but that in actuality you may end up in just the small areas of the Kinnaur Valley or Spiti for that length. As we continue through these borderlands and then to the city of the Tibetans in exile, Dharmsala, and even later to Tibet itself, it will be interesting to see how the people have changed + coped, and where the REAL Tibet now lays.