One of the things which I saw were how black the water is in Gangotri as well as atleast 10 odd hydro power projects which are on the Ganga. Met loads of people on the way and has been very fascinating experience to say the least. The most beautiful place would be Badrinath for me as well as the Vasudhara Falls at Maya, the last town before the China border. There are some places you can go but you need special permission after that.

While this one would be finished within a week, I would come back and stay for few more days at places which I am curious/want to spend more time in. Till the next update

First of all an update on the last post. I came to know that after I left they painted the room and put out the beds and everything just after I left. For me the place at Kirpal’s Pink House has been excellent even if its few monies up.

Back to the death event. Yesterday, one of the places where I eat, a chai shop called Ram Singh’s guesthouse, the owner died. The owner, an elderly and respected gentleman of the village, Ram Singh, in late 70′s or early 80′s died after coughing. The doctors had given him 6 days.I felt like attending it hence attended the whole thing. Unlike in the city where the family concerned has to pay for everything, here money was collected from everybody for the same. The owner had three sons and one of the sons was 5 hours by road so they waited for him. As per custom all the male members of his side of the family tonsured their heads.

Then they took the body around 14:00 hours to a river called Kosi where they took 4 quintals of wood to burn the body. The river and its surroundings were beautiful for sure but then all around its beautiful. I have to say I was disappointed by the level of the water in the river. The burning took around 3 hours and as per custom there were no women present. The local liquor went around. When the body was fully burnt and nothing was left then the ashes were given to the river (arpan). After that, everybody had to take shower in the river and then couple of fruits were given to everybody. This marked the end of the whole thing and we returned tired at something like 22:00 hours.

a. There is a guesthouse in kasardevi where I was residing. The name of the guesthouse is laxmi guest house. In no uncertain terms I was told the first time that I was unwelcome as I’m Indian. Although they let me stay for a while but it wasn’t a pleasant experience. What was funny was to hear the son ‘Mukesh’ rambling about the hygiene of westerners and the unpleasantness of the whole thing while not being happy with Indians as well.

b. The other example is of a restaurant called Armellia Restaurant. This is at a place called Tranquility Lodge. I went there at 10 a.m. and was told the following .

a. We don’t serve outsiders.
b. The restaurant opens at 12:30 something.

I immediately went back to the menu in case it was something I missed. Instructions and rules like these are usually written on the menu, but unfortunately this time it was not. Not even ‘Admission reserved’ or ‘Admission by choice’ nothing.

Apart from these two small incidents I have been a good time. I just moved to a place called ‘Pink House’ . This place although slightly expensive at 170/- is a good deal as it offers a 360 degree view of everything around as well as a welcome/complimentary ‘hot shower’ with no racism.

I have also been enjoying the hospitality of a certain ‘Ram Kishan Guest House’ as well as the accompanying ‘Anand Library’ . I have just finished Clive Baker’s ‘Thief of Always’ a harry potterish kinda tale but told in an interesting manner. It was cool to know he was the egg head who wrote the ‘Hellraiser’ trilogy. That’s about it for now, next post from bageswar if the stars are right.

Yesterday I spent a better part of the day being in Almora. What astounded me was seeing how women are taking so much of an active role in the society here. Most of the women here apart from being homemakers are also taking an active part in running small businesses. I saw lot of policewomen too patrolling the streets as well. Most of the time they wear punjabi salwar kameez as its functional and practical while at the same time practical. The younger generation as everywhere else is pretty much fashionable wearing jeans, T-shirts and jackets Women of big cities wake up, the small town women are finally waking up and taking charge of their destiny as well. Good for one and all, sign of for now

After the kid left, the restaurant owner said he knows the kid’s family. They are very poor. To the people he’s going they are teachers by profession. If the kid remained with him he would be doing dishes the whole day and never be anything wiser. This place they have promised to give him food and board and Rupees thousand as salary (and even more ) and he would be doing some menial jobs. They would also try to educate him as well.

I felt pity, both for myself and the kid as there is no way I could help him. A part of me is also circumspect of the various NGO’s working for child welfare. At the end of it all felt its a zero sum game with no end in sight

Stayed in the jungle for about a week near a place called Lohali. Then moved from there to a place called Kasardevi which is 10-15 kms. off Almora. Right now in Lala Bazaar, Almora. There is much to share but lots of things to do. Would be really settled in a day or more so would be able to share more. Till then Happy travelling

I’m not a superstitious man by nature. But sometimes things happen in such a way that one doesn’t know what to make of it. Couple of days before somebody told me that if a butterfly touches you/kisses you or anything like that it basically is a good omen. I let that pass not rubbishing it, nor believing it either. Yesterday, a butterfly came and sat on my shoulder for a moment and went away.
After that the whole day I was meeting friends, something from like 10 years ago and newer and also made some new friends. Something like 10 odd people, all in one day, mostly from Europe. And almost all the friends about whom I had been curious or they had been at the back of my mind, all of them I met yesterday. It was, I should say the most wonderful and the most craziest day of my life yet So should I/we believe in the butterfly story or should I believe in the co-incidence story, I leave that to your better judgment

Sayo nara for now

Sorry for not writing in some time. I don’t know if I described the beautiful pigeon I saw couple of days ago. It was a beautiful one with an orange colored beak, yellow rings around the eyes and a tail slightly longer than its own body. Today, saw one of those pigeons has a nest near the place I stay.

One of the other things which I got to know is the tree species I was talking about earlier. It turned out to be a pine tree and the change which is coming as its spring.

One of the interesting conversations on the same I had with a local friend Mandeep and Canadian friend John. What came to light is that in India pine and such kind of fine trees are expensive and hence they are being cut mercilessely while in Canada because there are not expensive they are not cut so much.

One of the other things which I observed is that locals now know that cutting trees is not good so they cut branches and then move on rather than cutting the whole tree which is obviously a good thing.

Another interesting observation has been seeing bunches of butterflies flying above the valley and they are beautiful. Of course, the question still remains what’s with the butterflies path?

Are they migrating from somewhere to somewhere? OR

Are they dying when they reach poing B ?

or do they mate at point B?

or is there a path or is it a general direction they go somewhere?

no ideas.

Last but not the least, have finally got the GPS device working. I hope to get atleast some GPS traces of where I have been in few days or so. The GPS device has been lent to me from srijan technologies so part of the credit should go there if things work out. There are still few things which need to be smoothened out but let’s see what works.

Here’s out for another beautiful day in bhagsu.

Yesterday found a very nice Punjabi Dhaba on the Jogiwara Road going down from the Post Office, near/around ROGPA on the 2nd floor above memory restaurant. Also found couple of cinemas also there as well. Would go to one of them to also experience that mini-theatre as well.

Also met an old yet new friend called Krishna. Krishna is a Reiki Master, Yoga Teacher and Massage therapist all rolled into one. We are on similar paths hence had a nice deep conversation. While conversing as it was cold very much also used alcohol. While I have taken alcohol many times in my life yesterday could actually feel the alcohol mixing in my blood and giving warmth and energy as I was drinking it.

Seeing beautiful women and getting heart-broken is the other order of business of the day and women here are just beautiful to look at.

That’s it on another beautiful day in Bhagsu, Mcleodganj

One of the interesting things which happened was couple of landslides which happened just before our eyes. I would say we were really lucky for had it been 2 minutes we would have been in pieces. It wasn’t a large landslide (as seen on TV) but the small one would have also done the job.

One of the other things which was interesting to see a tree species. It had drooping leaves (like porcupine spikes are but slanting downward due to gravity) and upturned few sticks which were like candles (almost like the candle chandeliers we see in old homes).

While going also observed a pool which had a bunch of tadpoles jumping in and out. Sadly the pool would not be good enough for even large frog.

After reaching Indrunag found there were couple of cafes. One is much better constructed then the other. Had delicious chowmein there and tea and lolled around a bit in Indrunag. Then as it started getting 16:00 hours went down walking down to Dharamsala .

While walking down an hour or so hit the small village/town called Dadnu. In Dadnu saw ‘Harmony through education special needs school, Dharamsala’ , Khando Chazotsang, White Gate. On inquiring further came to know this Special Needs School started operating few years back but now the Tibetans have taken it on rent. The school operates from 9 in the morning till 15:00 hours evening. Bang opposite this saw a Goan/Portugese architectural house which has been there for more than 40 years or so. It has couple of peaks and a small pyramidical structure at two sides. The owner was said to be some Colonel something. Tried to find a bit more about it but couldn’t

Going down to the main bazaar came across another Sony PS2 Playstation parlor. This time couldn’t stop myself and played ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ for around couple of hours. Then came to the main bazaar took a bus to Mcleoganj, did the 2 kms. walk up to Bhagsu and another km. till my place and slept like a log.

Another post from the land of mysticism, romance and samsara