This is quite possibly the hardest blog I'll ever write. Last week, after weeks of seeing next to nothing of the surrounding mountains, the skies and fog cleared and I was able to view the Himalayas, snow capped and all, for the first time. I didn't say anything about it then because I was heading to Yamanotri and expected that trip to really bring the Himalayas into perspective (as if the breathtaking view from the hotel wasn't enough). I may sound like I'm exagerating throughout this letter, but I won't be.
Yamanotri is one of India's most sacred sites. The true destination is a temple at the bottom of some falls that are glacier fed from unbelievable heights behind, but the trip to and fro is the real gem and serves to reinforce the saying that the journey is worth more than th
e destination. On the way to Yamanotri I did get the expected breathtaking views of rock faces and unique vegetation. The surprise was in the height of these mountains..and I hadn't seen anything yet. No pictures, no words, nothing can replace what I experienced on this trip. I hesitate to begin, let alone try, to explain all of this. As I moved closer to the first stop, a spot where I was to switch from a cab to a four wheel drive, there were the "normal" cloud shrouded, green peaks all around. The biggest difference between this place and Mossorie was the uncountable waterfalls for one, and the uncountable land slides. The height of the mountains and the clouds made some of the waterfalls appear to be falling from the sky. I passed over falls and through falls. And witnessed a landslide in action too. Many of you might recall that previously I considered the Sierra's to be the most spectacular place I had ever seen. You know, Yosemite, Kings/Sequoia, etc. Yamanotri put them all to shame. There isn't even a close runner-up. I still can't believe what I saw. And yet, I wasn't even there. The next day I hiked up to the temple. Clouds were hiding the glacier but you could still tell that these peaks dwarfed Half Dome and El Cap. The waterfalls all around tumbled 1000ft or more, and were everywhere. On the trail you see tiny little, mostly Nepalese, men carrying Hindu pilgrims up the mountain in baskets strapped to their HEADS, literally. These are the pilgrims unable to physically make the journey themselves of course. I participated in the ritual at the temple. This was crazy in itself. The water is freezing cold and you have to roll barefoot. If the Ganga didn't give me something, this certainly would! To further make my pilgrimage memorable I had left my only jacket in the damn cab a jeep ride and miles of hiking away. It was pouring rain. It smelled of donkey and human feces. The trail was flooded. Many pilgrims hiked barefoot or in flip flops. Drums and chanting greeted us, as well as faithful Hindus bathing in the icy waters. Somehow there are even natural hot springs in this holy place as well, and they heat the floors of the temple where the puja was performed.
After puja, I did what I was instructed not to do: attempt to reach the glacier by accessing the off-limits bridge nearby. I ended up in what seemed like an alien world, a cold rainforest complete with Spanish-like moss in the trees and glaciers. It didn't take long before I reached a point where ropes were a necessity and had to turn back...only to find a search party. I ended up with a personal escort down to the hotel. He was cool though and let me take in what I thought were the peaks of Yamanotri rising about 4000+ feet above the canyon floor. This was a true vortex if there ever was one. :) Then I bathed in the Yamuna.
The next day I received news of a few major landslides taking out my only return road. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise. This place is obviously divine. I w
as given even better views of the mountain that day, and the next morning hiked up a trail that led to who knows where but hoped would take me to this huge fall that I could see from my hotel balcony. This trail was one of the most beautiful I've ever seen, being in part a gently cascading waterfall itself. Approximately 6 miles and 5000 feet later I came upon a village that hadn't seen whitey in probably a century or more. I accepted an offer for chai from one of the locals in the community and tried to chat it up with broken English and Hindi with my friendly and curious audience. At one point I glanced up and noticed that one of the guys there had been part of the kitchen staff up 
at the last hotel!! This guy commuted what was a brutal 6 mile hike for us, and some, for work. Think about that. I had previously nicknamed him "Seis" (Spanish for six) because of his extra thumb. He was cool as hell though. I managed to get him to guide me further up the back side of this mountain after tea. My guides wanted to give up near the top of this ridge but I had the urge to push further. So I went solo. Maybe it wasn't too hot an idea considering the footwide path that was butted up against a 1000 foot cliff, but I found what I had been in search of this time, the waterfall, or atleast another fall and part of the source. Later I realized that I was in fact about a thousand feet above the big fall. I hiked back and got the rest of the crew to come up and we had lunch and rested for the return trip.
Once I reached the valley I decided to hike a side trail in an attempt to find a shallow pool in these other falls. This path was overgrown with some sort of plant common around here that when touched causes a nice burning sensation similar to icy hot in the wrong place or cayenne pepper in your eyes. You know what I'm talking about. Interestingly, a plant that cures this burning irritation is always found growing right next to it! I got caught up a couple times but eventually found my haven and hung out for about 45min just trying to take it all in. The hike out was hell, but worth it.
The next evening, still stranded by the landslides, the clouds cleared and offered as clear a view as one could hope for. Again I was shocked. Behind what I thought were the highest peaks possible was an entire ridge dwarfing the previous one. There is no way to explain it. I had taken the clothes I had on, plus a couple changes of underwear and socks. I was hand washing those, wearing wet clothing, sleeping in smelly ass sheets, getting next to no protein, taking icy cold bucket showers, dealing with irritable students, flys all up in my face and body, some sort of weird bite/blister oozing all over my calf, and somehow having the time of my life.
The trip home was not any less eventful. I was stopped for further blasting on the road to compensate for landslides but what happened an hour away from home was exhilarating, I guess. My driver had been inattentive and I was slightly concerned but just decided to roll with it since...well, since he still drove like an Indian. He rounded a corner as a jeep was flying down and rounding the same corner, you know where this is going. My cabby slams on the breaks and sends us fishtailing. When we come to a stop we are no more than 2 feet from the edge of a 1000ft plus drop with no guard rail. The lack of seatbelts wasn't even a concern at that point. Needless to say I've somehow managed to survive another trip.
This one was one of those that makes life feel so good, better than just surviving. Anyway, I want you all to know that I've been thinking about you and appreciating, not taking for granted, your love and friendship.
Yamanotri is one of India's most sacred sites. The true destination is a temple at the bottom of some falls that are glacier fed from unbelievable heights behind, but the trip to and fro is the real gem and serves to reinforce the saying that the journey is worth more than th
e destination. On the way to Yamanotri I did get the expected breathtaking views of rock faces and unique vegetation. The surprise was in the height of these mountains..and I hadn't seen anything yet. No pictures, no words, nothing can replace what I experienced on this trip. I hesitate to begin, let alone try, to explain all of this. As I moved closer to the first stop, a spot where I was to switch from a cab to a four wheel drive, there were the "normal" cloud shrouded, green peaks all around. The biggest difference between this place and Mossorie was the uncountable waterfalls for one, and the uncountable land slides. The height of the mountains and the clouds made some of the waterfalls appear to be falling from the sky. I passed over falls and through falls. And witnessed a landslide in action too. Many of you might recall that previously I considered the Sierra's to be the most spectacular place I had ever seen. You know, Yosemite, Kings/Sequoia, etc. Yamanotri put them all to shame. There isn't even a close runner-up. I still can't believe what I saw. And yet, I wasn't even there. The next day I hiked up to the temple. Clouds were hiding the glacier but you could still tell that these peaks dwarfed Half Dome and El Cap. The waterfalls all around tumbled 1000ft or more, and were everywhere. On the trail you see tiny little, mostly Nepalese, men carrying Hindu pilgrims up the mountain in baskets strapped to their HEADS, literally. These are the pilgrims unable to physically make the journey themselves of course. I participated in the ritual at the temple. This was crazy in itself. The water is freezing cold and you have to roll barefoot. If the Ganga didn't give me something, this certainly would! To further make my pilgrimage memorable I had left my only jacket in the damn cab a jeep ride and miles of hiking away. It was pouring rain. It smelled of donkey and human feces. The trail was flooded. Many pilgrims hiked barefoot or in flip flops. Drums and chanting greeted us, as well as faithful Hindus bathing in the icy waters. Somehow there are even natural hot springs in this holy place as well, and they heat the floors of the temple where the puja was performed.After puja, I did what I was instructed not to do: attempt to reach the glacier by accessing the off-limits bridge nearby. I ended up in what seemed like an alien world, a cold rainforest complete with Spanish-like moss in the trees and glaciers. It didn't take long before I reached a point where ropes were a necessity and had to turn back...only to find a search party. I ended up with a personal escort down to the hotel. He was cool though and let me take in what I thought were the peaks of Yamanotri rising about 4000+ feet above the canyon floor. This was a true vortex if there ever was one. :) Then I bathed in the Yamuna.
The next day I received news of a few major landslides taking out my only return road. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise. This place is obviously divine. I w
as given even better views of the mountain that day, and the next morning hiked up a trail that led to who knows where but hoped would take me to this huge fall that I could see from my hotel balcony. This trail was one of the most beautiful I've ever seen, being in part a gently cascading waterfall itself. Approximately 6 miles and 5000 feet later I came upon a village that hadn't seen whitey in probably a century or more. I accepted an offer for chai from one of the locals in the community and tried to chat it up with broken English and Hindi with my friendly and curious audience. At one point I glanced up and noticed that one of the guys there had been part of the kitchen staff up 
at the last hotel!! This guy commuted what was a brutal 6 mile hike for us, and some, for work. Think about that. I had previously nicknamed him "Seis" (Spanish for six) because of his extra thumb. He was cool as hell though. I managed to get him to guide me further up the back side of this mountain after tea. My guides wanted to give up near the top of this ridge but I had the urge to push further. So I went solo. Maybe it wasn't too hot an idea considering the footwide path that was butted up against a 1000 foot cliff, but I found what I had been in search of this time, the waterfall, or atleast another fall and part of the source. Later I realized that I was in fact about a thousand feet above the big fall. I hiked back and got the rest of the crew to come up and we had lunch and rested for the return trip.Once I reached the valley I decided to hike a side trail in an attempt to find a shallow pool in these other falls. This path was overgrown with some sort of plant common around here that when touched causes a nice burning sensation similar to icy hot in the wrong place or cayenne pepper in your eyes. You know what I'm talking about. Interestingly, a plant that cures this burning irritation is always found growing right next to it! I got caught up a couple times but eventually found my haven and hung out for about 45min just trying to take it all in. The hike out was hell, but worth it.
The next evening, still stranded by the landslides, the clouds cleared and offered as clear a view as one could hope for. Again I was shocked. Behind what I thought were the highest peaks possible was an entire ridge dwarfing the previous one. There is no way to explain it. I had taken the clothes I had on, plus a couple changes of underwear and socks. I was hand washing those, wearing wet clothing, sleeping in smelly ass sheets, getting next to no protein, taking icy cold bucket showers, dealing with irritable students, flys all up in my face and body, some sort of weird bite/blister oozing all over my calf, and somehow having the time of my life.
The trip home was not any less eventful. I was stopped for further blasting on the road to compensate for landslides but what happened an hour away from home was exhilarating, I guess. My driver had been inattentive and I was slightly concerned but just decided to roll with it since...well, since he still drove like an Indian. He rounded a corner as a jeep was flying down and rounding the same corner, you know where this is going. My cabby slams on the breaks and sends us fishtailing. When we come to a stop we are no more than 2 feet from the edge of a 1000ft plus drop with no guard rail. The lack of seatbelts wasn't even a concern at that point. Needless to say I've somehow managed to survive another trip.
This one was one of those that makes life feel so good, better than just surviving. Anyway, I want you all to know that I've been thinking about you and appreciating, not taking for granted, your love and friendship.
