Back where I belong

As my time in India slowly winds down, I am attempting to spend as little time in Delhi as possible and to get out into the field and see some more of the country. This is also inspired by the 110 degree heat and unrelenting smog that is the magic of Delhi in the spring. Our bosses are currently considering replicating our study in a second state, and we are in the midst of trying to choose said state. Our first state, MP, is currently baking like a desert while it awaits the monsoon in July. We figure just about anywhere else in India will be a step up. Fortunately for us, number one on the list for state number two is Himachal, which just happens to be one of the most beautiful places in India. This small state sits to the north of Delhi and borders Tibet and the Himalayas. Its gorgeous scenery and cool temperatures make it a top tourist destination in the summer months. As the dutiful research assistants we are, Jack, Aakash, and I figured we owed it to our bosses to reluctantly leave the heat of Delhi and check out this new state.

After a few days of legitimate work, we were able to take three days to do some hiking and camping, which was an amazing break from the crowded mess that is Delhi. Note to self: as cool as chillin with the models of Delhi might be, it can't compete with sitting around a campfire with some good friends. Unfortunatley, as any of your who have camped with me know, the real reason I go is for the marshmallows, which were desperately missed on this trip.

We started off in Dharamshala, the home of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in exile. Although the town has its charms, it was a little too full of dreadlock-sporting tourists for our taste and instead we took to the hills for some serious hiking and camping. Well, a serious as it gets for some out of shape city kids anyway. The pictures I have here just don’t do the beauty justice, I’ve never seen anything quite like it. The mountains we were in actually reminded me somewhat of the Sierra Nevadas in northern California. The only difference is here those are just the foothills, and the Himalayas rise majestically above them. On the second day we made the big push to make it up to the snow line and touch the Himalayan snow. I’m not gonna lie, after we reached the snow, huffing and puffing and full of blisters, I couldn’t help but notice that Himalayan snow feels oddly similar to the snow in Maine I could touch by stepping out the experience.

And of course, no trip in India is complete without at least one event that completely throws you off and reminds you that you still don’t understand this place at all. In this case I managed two of these events back to back on the taxi ride from Dharamshala to the train station in a neighboring town. We were winding along a one lane highway on the edge of cliff when we took a quick “chai break” at a roadside dhaba when our driver joined us and proceeded to pull out a joint the size of a pencil. We tried to give him the benefit of the doubt and asked him if it was a cigarette. He assured us it was “the good stuff”. Fortunately, after some convincing he agreed to wait until he was done driving us along the edge of cliff before he got high. And they say professionalism is lost.

Next, we came across your typical Indian village, made slightly less typical by the huge crowd gathered around in a circle in a park. Not wanting to miss anything good, we had the now sulking cab driver pull over so we could check it out. It turned out the entire male population of the village had gathered around to watch about 12 guys wrestling each other in their underwear. I’ve had several instances in India now – on the road at night or in a bar in a smaller town – where I’ve been the only woman surrounded by a sea of men. While I’m always slightly phased in these circumstances, this was the first time I actually had to abandon the guys and wait for them at the edge of the park. Somehow, after the beauty of the Himalayas, watching a bunch of chubby middle aged Indian men in tightie-whities wrestle each other to the ground just wasn’t on my list. For once, I really don’t think the women were missing out on anything.