Moments in Dirt and Ink

Uttarakhand, India <- Back to day two. We climb out of bed for a breakfast, including chocolate chip pancakes, and the last bit of hiking, climbing to the top of Chandrashila. The trail up the mountain starts a little way up the road, so we drove up to it. Buildings to serve all the needs of the average tourist stood empty so no one tried to sell us postcards of where we were about to go. The trail starts off paved until an area of temple and shrines about halfway up that also stands abandoned in anticipation of the coming winter. A couple of male Himalayan monals, the state bird of Uttarakhand. The paved path snaking up the mountain side.

Uttarakhand, India The women of Sari came up the mountain in the morning early morning light, passing our still lazy selves chatting. They headed into the forest ahead of us where they climbed the trees (in their saris) and collected wood for the household. We got up for breakfast and had hot water for washing. Luxuries abound! The lake had formed a thin layer of ice on the surface in places and I wondered again about the orange trees such a short distance away. After breakfast, we packed up our personal stuff and grabbed what we wanted to have with us for the day and followed the women into the forest. Chaukhamba in the well established morning light. A small tree hanging over Deoria Tal. The growth pattern of the trees seems a bit odd, perhaps influenced by all the growth on them.

Uttarakhand, India I went to India, as one does. One friend was having a wedding ceremony there and another had been demanding I should go at least once. Those brought me to Bangalore and Delhi and there were a few trips from each, but can you say you've been in India if you haven't been to the mountains? I had to find a way. Also, I had some encouragement from my friend in Bangalore who likes to run off to the mountains from time to time. She was trying to get us a set trip with a tour group, but in the end couldn't go herself. There was a couple going up on the perfect trip for me who were happy to have others join their trip, so I got to be a part of their tour. It is quite a different mode of travel than I am used to for a multi day walk. The trip started in Rishikesh and I was in Delhi, so I got myself a 2nd class ticket and boarded the sleeper train up to Haridwar. I wasn't sure how well I would sleep in such a setup or even what exactly the setup was....

Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India After wandering for hours around Taj Mahal, I walked over to Agra Fort, because it wasn't that far. Besides, the purely normal along the way would likely contain something new to me. From far outside the walls of the fort, looking to the many buildings within. The fort is impressive just to approach. Walls are built of brick and covered over in red sandstone that is quite striking. So far removed from thinking of the strategies of defending a piece of land, the many layers for defending armies to guard within, the slits to shoot from, the way the lowest wall is shaped to make repelling climbers easier all looks artistic. It all looks quite formidable, although it seems to have changed hands quite a few times. Plenty of grassy grounds around the formidable wall. More of the details of the outer wall.

Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India It seems to be the in thing to take a day trip to Agra and see a few of the sights. There are a number of trains leaving Dehli in the morning and arriving back in the evening. While the majority of most trains seem to be 3rd class, the one I was on had none and even served a breakfast on the way out and some supper on the way back. What luxury, but without the antics of 3rd class, how can it be a train in India? First stop for the day was the Taj Mahal. They all say you must go. The tuk-tuk driver of course offered to be my dedicated driver for the day for a flat fee, but I dislike such arrangements. Tickets are expensive for foreigners in comparison to citizens, but as Shachi points out we do not pay the national taxes that also go to keeping the place up. My camera did not also need its own ticket, an odd and all too common phenomenon in other places. Video cameras were forbidden. I almost failed at not pointing out that every still digital camera is c...