departing the subcontinent

wishing india farewell was the task today. i roamed a few bazaars, haggled over goods i had no interest in buying, and devoured my fill of samosas and chai. arriving in new delhi this morning, my mind was buzzing with the many adventures that took place in three short months.

my desert experience began in rajasthan, and continued himalayan style in
zanskar and ladakh, the northeastern most section of the country. riddled with buddhist gompas and neverending smiles, the town of leh and its surrounds gave me a bit of hope for humanity. kind, genuine people do exist. now the mission is preventing tourists from ruining their culture. i tried to do my part by yelling at bengalis who carelessly threw rubbish on pristine ground. i also showed a little ladakhi girl that bags of empty chips reside in rubbish bins, not next to streams. i wonder where she got her idea from?

LEH

AH, NICE MARMOT

through a great organization, i had the lovely opportunity to spend four days trekking through the ladakhi wilderness, while staying with ladakhi families in mud-and-wood homes. the food was hearty, and the families were so full of love the seams were cracking on the homes. the language barrier, once again, proved to be insignificant. it seems the linguistic differences between ladakhi and english washed away in the tide of warmth and kindness. a glance at a picture or a full-blown dance gesture - the means of communication are multiplying with every interaction.

LADHAKI MAN

DONNIE DARKO?

after 2 weeks soaking up the sun in the desert, i moved on to infamous kashimir. my experience there was distinctly different from leh, but the natural beauty never ceased to amaze. i spent a few days lounging around on a houseboat in srinagar. reading, jamming on guitar and finding lunch were the most pertinent tasks. a very similar situation also presented itself outside of dharamsala, the residence of the dalai lama in exile. an israeli village about 3km from the temple served as a wonderful place to relax, listen to drum circles and overhear yogaheads chatting about the day's positions.

SRINAGAR

KASHMIR VALLEY

DALAI LAMA'S PAD

HINDU BATHING SPOT

tomorrow ill be back in bangkok, ready for more SEAsian fun. a return trip to laos may be in order, but the southern swoop through thailand, malaysia and indonesia is certainly on the docket. nothing there, however, will compare to the absolute mayhem of new delhi streets; rocking with rickshaws, people, cars and cows, or the snow-capped himalayas; both the desert and green kind. india! a place that gets inside you and grows. hopefully the food finds its way out.