India Summer 2017
Mumbai 6/15/17 to 6/16/17
Sitting in the van on our way to Dulles International Airport, all I could think about was that I finally made it to summer. This year was so hectic and busy that part of me just wanted to stay at home and do nothing for once. However, if you know my family, you know that “doing nothing” is never the case for summer. I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that I would be in India for close to a month, because for the last three years we only went for two weeks at a time. Once we finally reached the airport, things started going awry. Every time we have big trips which include connecting flights, the flights always get delayed to the point where we start freaking out about being able to make it to our destination. On the other hand, we sometimes just miss the main flight all together. Flying can be a very stressful experience, but once you reach your destination, no matter how much stress you endured, it all becomes worth it.
Mumbai 6/17/17 to 6/18/17
After about 16 hours of flying, we finally reached my grandma's house in Mumbai. The next morning, I just sat by the window with a cup of chai in my hand and listened to all the morning sounds. The aroma of typical Indian breakfast dishes wafted through the air around 7am and by 9am everyone was out and about, cars honking, dogs barking, and the people clamoring. This is Mumbai and I love it. The downside is how hot and humid the summers can be, but everyone else in this country seems unbothered by it, they continue with their lives. "Life finds a way."
Delhi 6/19/17 to 6/20/17
Traveling domestically in India is an experience that you'll probably never forget. First of all, the concept of a line or waiting your turn, unless its for baggage check-in and security, does not exist. It's hilarious because everyone is so desperate to be number one, that they'll resort to pushing and shoving to get there, even if its just for the bathroom. The same thing happened when we were waiting to board the flight to Delhi. Unfortunately, all the chaos did not end once we got on the flight. In India, you'll never find babies and toddlers with pacifiers in their mouths and no, its not because they don't cry or whine. This made for a very noisy two hours, but not something that couldn’t be fixed by a pair of headphones and twelve different Spotify playlists. After all the commotion, we finally made it to Delhi, a city best described as an assault on your senses. The pollution and dust content are extremely high, the smell of food fills every street corners, and the traffic is much worse than Mumbai. The local markets in Delhi, like the Delhi Hatt, are most definitely worth a visit. You can find really ethnic, colorful, and crafty items and clothing which are true to India’s style and culture.
Dharmsala 6/21/17
After flying for over an hour to Dharmsala, the pilot turned us around to Delhi, because the weather was not safe for landing. And then, within fifteen minutes of going in the opposite direction, the intercom comes back on to tell us that we will be going to Amritsar to refuel and wait for the weather to clear out. Everyone on the tiny, crammed flight groaned in unison at the thought of having to stay in the metal box any longer. Once we landed in Amritsar, we weren’t even allowed to change flights, all we could do was walk up and down the isle or stay in our seat. At one point, everyone was so anxious and claustrophobic that they just got off the plane and stood around on the tarmac. In the United States, this would not pass at all but here in India, anything goes. The angry flight attendants ushered everyone back on and soon, boxes of food were brought onto the plane, greeted by cheering and clapping. What surprised me the most was how the people on the flight were helping the flight attendants hand out the boxes of food. Even a small, ten year old girl was pitching in. Thanks to the collected effort of the crew and passengers, we were up and running again. Getting off that plane was one of the best feelings ever. We were swept off our feet by a pleasant cool breeze and by the view of the gorgeous, stoic mountains in the distance. It was a drastic change from Mumbai and Delhi, and it just goes to show how diverse every part of India is.
Dharmsala 6/21/17
The first thing we saw in Dharmsala was a Buddhist temple right next to the Dalai Lama’s residence. As soon as you enter, you see half of the monks sitting cross-legged and quiet on the ground. The other half were hovering over them, almost arguing in a sense. After what seemed like a couple of sentences, they would clap. This was absurd to us, we had no idea what was going on. It seemed as though the monks were venting all their anger out at each other. It turned out, that they were actually debating and would do this everyday as an exercise. The clapping removed negative energy from the debates. It was amazing to watch, almost mesmerizing in a way. Even though we didn’t understand what the monks were saying, we could still feel their emotion and passion regarding the topic. There were also many elderly, Buddhist women in the temple. They walked all the way up the mountain and would then spend 15 to 20 minutes performing Surya Namaskars. Surya Namaskars are a form of praying and yoga that involve energy and stamina from the entire body. No wonder these women were so healthy and fit. After a couple more sightseeing stops, a huge traffic jam occurred when we were on our way back to the hotel. It wasn’t moving at all and our driver informed us that it would take hours to reach the hotel by car. So what did we do? We got off and began walking through the jam. It was so stressful, because the cars would suddenly start again and move closer together, almost sandwiching us between them. The walk, however, was refreshing and the air was so fresh that with each breath, you could feel the oxygen flowing through your veins.
Manali 6/23/17
The drive from Dharmsala to Manali was only supposed to take six hours, despite it being 250 km (155 miles) away. However, it took us twelve fun hours of driving. When I say fun, it’s half true. The roads were super narrow and rocky, but thankfully we had an experienced driver named Bablu. Sometimes there were traffic jams where all movement seized to exist. We were stuck in this type of traffic for hours at a time. When you’re just sitting there, taking in the beautiful view of the mountains, watching people live their lives in these remote areas, and inhaling the fresh air as it tickles your face ...twelve hours doesn't feel so long. Road tripping in India can be really enjoyable, because even though it may take three hours to go 60 km, there is so much to see and take in around you. Despite the enjoyable drive, Manali was quite a disappointment. It was one of the most crowded places that I have ever been to. There were people everywhere you looked, the pollution penetrated your nostrils making it hard to breath, and the honking was deafening. Thankfully we only had one night there and boy, were we happy to leave.
Jispa 6/24/17
One of the best road trips we have ever done was the segment from Rhotang Pass to Jispa. It was so unreal and breathtaking that I almost forgot we were on earth. On the other hand, the drive to Rhotang Pass was probably the worst segment of the day. There were hundreds and hundreds of cars, buses, and trucks, which were all headed to the pass. Here in India, many people never get to experience snow, which is why they all flock to Rhotang Pass to see it. It’s heartwarming to see how happy everyone gets with just a little ice. However, coming from the US, where it snows a ton, we were underwhelmed. It just goes to show how sometimes the things we take for granted can bring someone else a lot of happiness and joy.
Unfortunately, the amount of snow that covered the ground was overshadowed by the litter that covered it too. It was upsetting to see how the trash took away from the natural beauty of the place. In the US, they make sure to take good care of the nature and monuments in order to preserve it for more generations to admire.
We did not know it then, but the translation of Rhotang Pass in English is "Dead Body Pass" since many have lost their lives to the dangerous, icy, narrow roads where one side of the mountain drops straight down into a valley. After Rhotang Pass, everything cleared out and it was just us and the mountains for a good four hours. Listening to my acoustic playlist and taking in the once-in-a-lifetime view, put a smile on my face. This was a day and drive I’d never forget.
Leh 6/25/17
Usually I like long car rides, but fifteen hours can a be little too much for me. The drive from Jispa to Leh was one of the hardest road trips we’ve ever had to do. I’ll probably never want to sit in another tempo traveler (mini bus) again, but the beauty of the nature and the magnificence of the mountains has changed the way I look at the world. The first sight we saw was Deepak Lake, which sat at 16,000 feet above sea level. It was as if time stood still, as if people did not exist, as if it was only us and the mountains. The lake may have been breathtaking, but so was the altitude.
With each 1000 feet we ascended, we would get more and more light headed, nauseated, and unwell. It was rough, but we were motivated to push on. After lunch we continued onto the second highest motorable road in the world at 17,582 feet, known as Tanglang La Pass. At first you don’t feel the effects of such a high altitude, because the thing you are focused on is what’s around you. It’s as if you are a mountain yourself, gazing over the peaks of the others below you. It’s an out of body experience that you may only experience once in your life. Sometimes, we turn a blind eye to the beauty that exists around us. We are so enveloped in ourselves, that we forget about what lies beyond the horizon or across the ocean.
Leh 6/26/17
Finally after many days of running around and making our lungs work hard, we used an entire day to rest and to regain our strength. It felt nice to sleep in, have clean sheets and a bathroom which actually had toilet paper. For lunch we went to a traditional Tibetan restaurant called The Tibetan Kitchen. Our hearty meal consisted of a variety of momos, Chinese chopsuey, a traditional Tibetan soup with a spicy broth, chicken, and noodles called Thukpa, and lamb and chicken pancakes. Everyone was in a food coma but after a couple hours we forced ourselves to go to the local market. Many items appealed to us but the one word going through all our heads was “Thangka.” It is a hand painted, extremely intricate religious piece of artwork that depicts aspects of Buddhism. The real ones are made by the monks who use a single yak hair and grounded stone to do all the details and to add vibrant colors. The most challenging part about shopping for Thangkas is finding one that connects to you in a spiritual way. It took hours of searching until we were pointed in the direction of a small, hole in the wall shop, where an elderly man was selling just what we were looking for. That day I realized that you don’t choose the Thangka, but the Thangka chooses you.
Nubra Valley 6/27/17
On our way to the Nubra Valley, we went through the Khardung La Pass which, at over 18,000 feet, is the highest motorable road in the world. It was unbelievable because along the way, there were locals physically laboring at that altitude. Whenever we saw a couple of them, we stopped the car and handed out some candy. It was touching to see how a couple pieces of candy could make someone so happy. Many of the workers would also wave out with a smile on their face. Despite the hard conditions that they work in, they didn't shy away from finding a reason to smile or from making someone else smile.
The drive to Khardung La was extremely bumpy. It literally felt like I was a piece of clothing in a washing machine. It was worse than a wooden rollercoaster and we didn’t even have seat belts. The road smoothened out after we descended from Khardung La into the Nubra Valley. There were two monasteries that we saw in Nubra Valley. One of them was smack dab in the middle of the valley and had a gigantic and colorful, gold statue of Buddha at the top of it. This was the Diskit Monastery, the oldest and largest one in the Nubra Valley. In the second monastery, one of the prayer rooms had a skull and two arms held by the White Mata. Legend says that Genghis Khan came to this monastery in order to take over the region, but when he walked into the room and laid eyes on the White Mata, he died. Not knowing what to do with the body, the Lama of the monastery put the body in the river. However, the next day, the body returned. After trying this two more times, the Lama realized that the only way to get rid of the body forever, was to cut off the head and hands and give them to the White Mata, who had killed Genghis Khan. After this was done, the body did not return. Even though no one knows for sure if the legend is true or not, it was still a fascinating one that adds to the history of the monastery.
Leh 6/28/17 to 6/29/17
After one night in the Nubra Valley, we drove back to Leh for another day of rest. However, on the 29th, we found out that we would have to cancel our trip to Pangong Lake since the roads were closed. Unfortunately, it is the number one destination in the Jammu/Kashmir region but due to the snow, the drive was risky. Instead of letting another day go in rest, we decided to head out to the Shey Palace and to see a couple more local monasteries. To see the Shey Palace, you first have to walk up about 60 steps. But when you’re at 11,000 feet above sea level and its raining and the steps are steep...it feels like you’ve climbed up Mount Everest. When we got to the top, we took five minutes to just enjoy the view and catch our breath. You could see a sharp line where the greenery met the desert sand, almost like the two had been cut out and glued together like a collage. Leh was full of various types of landscapes from snow covered mountains, to random patches of greenery that surround an oasis, to deserted flat land, to sand dunes.
The palace consisted of multiple prayer rooms dedicated to different Buddhist deities and Bodhisattvas. The interesting aspect about the prayer rooms in the palace was how they stayed cool on hot days and warm on cold days. The wood acted as an insulator when it was cold outside and it held in the heat. Each room in the palace was covered in very ancient yet well preserved paintings which depicted the relationship between good and evil as well as the Buddha in various poses. The work was very similar to that of the Thangkas, which makes sense as both were created by monks. You could see the amount of effort, thought, and time that went into each stroke and piece of artwork. After the palace, we visited two monasteries but my favorite was the Hemis monastery. It was grand and well preserved. In every room, the smell of antiques wafted through the air and it made you feel like you had stepped back a 1000 years in time. The monastery somehow managed to stay untouched by the world that continued to change around it.
Leh 6/30/17
These past couple of days flew by so quickly that it was already time to go back to Mumbai. Our last day in Leh was spent at the Indian Army’s Hall of Fame. It made me respect the Indian Army and all they do for their country. They risk their lives by staying in temperatures under negative 30 degrees celsius where the oxygen is half of what is considered normal and where the snow is knee deep. It really puts things into perspective because just driving through the passes at the high altitude made us feel sick. About 2/3s of the Indian Army is stationed in this region of India in order to protect the border from Pakistan and China. This is why you will see army camps and military personnel everywhere you go in the Jammu/Kashmir region.
It seemed like just yesterday we were on the flight from Mumbai to Delhi, getting excited about our trip to Leh and all the stops along the way. Time really does fly when you’re having fun.
Mumbai 7/1/17 to 7/10/17
As always, the smell of my grandma’s pork vindaloo greeted us when we got back to Mumbai. After the Leh trip, we all needed another vacation before heading back to the US. Our ten days in Mumbai were far more relaxed than the Leh trip but we still ended up running around a lot. Late night get togethers, shopping for traditional Indian snacks and sweets, getting clothes tailored by my mom’s childhood tailor, and eating at our favorite restaurants made up the Mumbai part of our India trip. As each day passed, the reality of leaving became more and more evident. Going back to the US meant getting back to work and our normal lives, while staying in India meant enjoying a stress free life and eating our favorite Indian foods everyday. But when we got onto the flight to head home, it felt like everything came to an end without us even realizing it. This was a trip we had been looking forward to for a long time but as one journey ends, a new one will soon begin.