We hike up from the road 2 km to the main
buildings. There we have tea before heading up the hill to the
highest cabin. The altitude and our sedentary lifestyle conspire
to make us pause and wheeze many times on the way up to our cabin.
|
 |
Here our guide, Daya, is taking us on a walk
on the ridge above our cabin. We see evidence of barking deer, leopard,
wild boar, and we spot magpies, laughing thrushes, and green parrots.
Later we see a large buck Sambar (a deer), a pine marten (like a mink),
and a lot more sign of leopard.
|
 |
Here Julie is trekking on the ridge.
|
 |
| The view of the Himalayas. The skies are
beautifully clear for most of our time here. The view at dawn and dusk
are the most moving. |
 |
We hike to a temple and see a newlywed couple
perform a simple ceremony of bell ringing, and incense burning.
|
 |
We also hike to a nearby village and have a
meal at Daya's family's house. The terracing looks similar to what we
saw in the Vietnamese hills, but drier. I'm reading The Fellowship of
the Ring now and the paths and hedges look very Shire-like.
|
 |
Our other guide, Ramesh, leads us through the
many paths. The well-maintained ones are paved with stones and wide
enough for two cows to walk abreast.
|
 |
Daya leads us back up to our cabin after dark.
|
 |
Our lovely hosts, Steve and Parvati, and the
staff line up with the Himalyas behind them.
|
 |