Every day now I'm getting up early, around 6-7 o'clock and do my Yoga routine (yes, it's true Dixie). By Indian standards, at least up in Kasol, it's too early. When I come for breakfast at 8.30 to the only place that is opened, they are cleaning the restaurant and making it ready. All shops in the village are closed and I don't see any other travelers up. After, I go down for Internet and the guy tells me that I'm very early, the time is now 9.30.. This is very odd for me, I'm usually the late sleeper! Life in India goes slowly, no stress.
The Estonian team has decided to come and visit me in Kasol on their way to Manali. The day after their arrival, we head off to some trekking up the mountains. Driving the car to the end of the road, we walk for 4 hours up through a small, winding, hill side path. As we walk through a pine tree forest, I felt very much the resemblance to the forests I know in Sweden, but here there are the many small tea huts that are very welcoming on the way. The scenery is amazing with a river passing the narrow mountains, we pass several waterfalls and as you look up you see the clouds covering the snowy mountain tops. We started the day late, so when we finally came up to Kiriganga village, we collapsed for a few minuets and then made a bee line to the natural hotspring baths that is there.
The baths are as usual separated for the sexes, probably to protect the men from the women's peeks. While the women has theirs in a wooden shack, the male pool is outdoors and laying rather steep, so you have an amazing view over the green fields and mountains surrounding you. As we came up, light was quickly getting less and we could still read, or rather, make out some of the random text graffitied on the sides and a little here and there. It said things like no sandals in bath, take shower before bath, no bath at night and no bath between 5am and 7pm (?) and stuff like that. A middle aged, skinny Italian was the self appointed pool guardian as we came and he told us to shower before going in. A group of 6 Israelis came a while after us, when already it's turned dark. They showered and jumped in. As they were siting there, an Indian guy saw that two of them had their flip-flops on inside, and told them off with words like bastards and such. It was a bit thought less and disrespectful maybe, but it was dark and they said they didn't see the signs. It was a rather big deal, because in India, your footwear is considered very dirty, both mentally and physically. This was comparable to walking in with muddy boots into someones bathtub. The Italian pool police, with his funny colorful hippie hat, rang his sirens and blew off some steam, 'You bloody people have no f*cking respect!'. As he grew more and more psychotic, he started to jump up and down and yelling 'va fan culo' this and 'you f*ckers' that! As the small crowed was sitting still with our mouths open due to the over reaction (and this was even before the Italians got whooped by the dutch in football!), he started to run around, a dog got kicked, he grabbed 3 pairs of Israeli sandals and threw them up in the air, down the hill side into the dark. Now, the mad Italian must have been around 170 tall with half my weight and the 6 Israeli's were big boy's and everybody was waiting for an Israeli lynch mob retaliation. But everyone was shell shocked, and one of them even started yelling he was sorry for everything, with a tone like his birth was included! Soon after, as me and the Estonians silently made our way down, we saw some shoe less people stumbling around the hillside with lighters looking for their sandals.
So, this is how it can go if you don't learn to respect the culture you are in! You get thorns in your feet!
Being out in the bush, I was afraid I was going to miss the opening of the Euro 08. But no! A satellite dish and Tv had been brought up and powered by generator, all people cuddled up together in a restaurant and enjoyed the games... Forca Portugal and Sweden!!!
The Estonian team has decided to come and visit me in Kasol on their way to Manali. The day after their arrival, we head off to some trekking up the mountains. Driving the car to the end of the road, we walk for 4 hours up through a small, winding, hill side path. As we walk through a pine tree forest, I felt very much the resemblance to the forests I know in Sweden, but here there are the many small tea huts that are very welcoming on the way. The scenery is amazing with a river passing the narrow mountains, we pass several waterfalls and as you look up you see the clouds covering the snowy mountain tops. We started the day late, so when we finally came up to Kiriganga village, we collapsed for a few minuets and then made a bee line to the natural hotspring baths that is there.
The baths are as usual separated for the sexes, probably to protect the men from the women's peeks. While the women has theirs in a wooden shack, the male pool is outdoors and laying rather steep, so you have an amazing view over the green fields and mountains surrounding you. As we came up, light was quickly getting less and we could still read, or rather, make out some of the random text graffitied on the sides and a little here and there. It said things like no sandals in bath, take shower before bath, no bath at night and no bath between 5am and 7pm (?) and stuff like that. A middle aged, skinny Italian was the self appointed pool guardian as we came and he told us to shower before going in. A group of 6 Israelis came a while after us, when already it's turned dark. They showered and jumped in. As they were siting there, an Indian guy saw that two of them had their flip-flops on inside, and told them off with words like bastards and such. It was a bit thought less and disrespectful maybe, but it was dark and they said they didn't see the signs. It was a rather big deal, because in India, your footwear is considered very dirty, both mentally and physically. This was comparable to walking in with muddy boots into someones bathtub. The Italian pool police, with his funny colorful hippie hat, rang his sirens and blew off some steam, 'You bloody people have no f*cking respect!'. As he grew more and more psychotic, he started to jump up and down and yelling 'va fan culo' this and 'you f*ckers' that! As the small crowed was sitting still with our mouths open due to the over reaction (and this was even before the Italians got whooped by the dutch in football!), he started to run around, a dog got kicked, he grabbed 3 pairs of Israeli sandals and threw them up in the air, down the hill side into the dark. Now, the mad Italian must have been around 170 tall with half my weight and the 6 Israeli's were big boy's and everybody was waiting for an Israeli lynch mob retaliation. But everyone was shell shocked, and one of them even started yelling he was sorry for everything, with a tone like his birth was included! Soon after, as me and the Estonians silently made our way down, we saw some shoe less people stumbling around the hillside with lighters looking for their sandals.
So, this is how it can go if you don't learn to respect the culture you are in! You get thorns in your feet!
Being out in the bush, I was afraid I was going to miss the opening of the Euro 08. But no! A satellite dish and Tv had been brought up and powered by generator, all people cuddled up together in a restaurant and enjoyed the games... Forca Portugal and Sweden!!!
1 comment:
Hi Cloud.
It really sounds like you are having the time of your life. I am pleased you have joined my yoga world.
How unfair is it that you have 2 teams in the Euro and I have none....
Lots of love
Anja
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