Wanderlust Snippets – Spiti Valley
***
I reached Delhi.
I entered a coffee day and waited for my bus to Manali. I observed the people. Boys with a body showing that they go to the gym, but not quite there as yet, similar haircuts, clean shaved. Girls with a mix of ethnic and western clothes. They all have similar manners. We all look the same. The future of India. Stereotypes.
***
New Manali – a place to run away from immediately. Beautiful surroundings, but typical crowded Indian hill station.
Old Manali is hippy refuge. Good laid back cafés and one can have nice walks, but I could probably only stay here for a couple of days.
***
Coup de foudre à Kaza! A few guesthouses and a few cafés, but you visit a town where people live. It does not cater to tourist needs, but it caters to needs for the tourist who is willing to keep it basic and still be astounded by its imposing mountains.
A maze of small streets with white Tibetan houses in the middle of nowhere. A valley surrounded by dry brown mountains, clear blue sky, and wonderful sunshine. The Buddhist flags flitter with the wind. When I walk, I can only hear my footsteps. Here, under a tree, the songs of the birds and nothing else. Rosy cheeked Tibetan children smile as they walk past me. Wanderlust.
***
Sometimes, words are unnecessary. Life speaks. Maybe in true nature, there is only kindness and truth and the rest is a manifestation to deal with humankind and avoid boredom.
***
A solitary walk amidst mountains. 14 kms from Kaza, stands the astounding Ki Gompa where I was welcomed by three monks. One of them didn’t wish me hello, didn’t look at me and said “You have a cold and you’re eating an apple. The apple will make your cough worse”, he didn’t raise his head and went on to work on strengthening the breaks of his bicycle – my favorite monk. They invited me to lunch. I got a thali of dhal and rice. I sat on the floor and ate in the open sun, opposite the main temple. On the way back, I could not endure the sun, and so I hitched a ride back from a biker. My mouth is dry, my lips are cracking, I have a cold, my body aches, and yet, I feel wonder-full.
***
I reached Delhi.
I entered a coffee day and waited for my bus to Manali. I observed the people. Boys with a body showing that they go to the gym, but not quite there as yet, similar haircuts, clean shaved. Girls with a mix of ethnic and western clothes. They all have similar manners. We all look the same. The future of India. Stereotypes.
***
New Manali – a place to run away from immediately. Beautiful surroundings, but typical crowded Indian hill station.
Old Manali is hippy refuge. Good laid back cafés and one can have nice walks, but I could probably only stay here for a couple of days.
***
Coup de foudre à Kaza! A few guesthouses and a few cafés, but you visit a town where people live. It does not cater to tourist needs, but it caters to needs for the tourist who is willing to keep it basic and still be astounded by its imposing mountains.
A maze of small streets with white Tibetan houses in the middle of nowhere. A valley surrounded by dry brown mountains, clear blue sky, and wonderful sunshine. The Buddhist flags flitter with the wind. When I walk, I can only hear my footsteps. Here, under a tree, the songs of the birds and nothing else. Rosy cheeked Tibetan children smile as they walk past me. Wanderlust.
***
Sometimes, words are unnecessary. Life speaks. Maybe in true nature, there is only kindness and truth and the rest is a manifestation to deal with humankind and avoid boredom.
***
A solitary walk amidst mountains. 14 kms from Kaza, stands the astounding Ki Gompa where I was welcomed by three monks. One of them didn’t wish me hello, didn’t look at me and said “You have a cold and you’re eating an apple. The apple will make your cough worse”, he didn’t raise his head and went on to work on strengthening the breaks of his bicycle – my favorite monk. They invited me to lunch. I got a thali of dhal and rice. I sat on the floor and ate in the open sun, opposite the main temple. On the way back, I could not endure the sun, and so I hitched a ride back from a biker. My mouth is dry, my lips are cracking, I have a cold, my body aches, and yet, I feel wonder-full.
***
Surrounded by mountains, I sat on the window sill of my room in the monastery and read a book facing an apple orchard!
***
I roamed around the labyrinth of tiny white houses infested Tabo. At dead ends, I sometime stumbled upon a stack of mint scented plants, an old run down stitching machine, logs of wood, a greenhouse, or the Tabo monastery. Then, I sat on a step, smiled at people passing by and ate two chocolate cookies.
***
On a jeep full of cylinders with a family from Poh village who have never visited the Dankar Gompa. We gave them a free lift to Kaza and they showered us with delicious apricots. On our way, villagers waived their hands at the driver and shouted reminders at him not to forget their cylinder refills on his return from Kaza!!
***
posted by manu at 10:04 AM
3 Comments:
i like so much, so much.
moi aussi, les fotos super, et les monks encore plus
thank you for sharing these precious slivers of your trip. made me feel like i was there, even though i'm so far away. i can smell the mint, taste the apricots, apples, and chocolate cookies, and even, hear the monk's voice!
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