Chai please

Leah wanted to take him home

Locals love fireworks (Diwali)

Rishikesh

How to get your Kayak around in India

 

Truck loaded for the Himalayas

First camp

Nema our guide serving lunch he carried for 5 hours on his back

 

 

Leah - So, we are back from the mountains and after camping in minus degree temperatures, waking up to frost on the ground outside of our tent,and walking up and down mountains for 7 hours in a single day, we feel as prepared as we can be for Nepal. So, we leave Rishikesh tomorrow and head on a 36 hour journey via taxi, train, rickshaw and bus to Pokhara, Nepal.

Our trekking/camping trip in Northern Uttarakhand was fantastic, the views were out of this world and the Himalayas make the Alps look small. Our tour guide, Nema was a legend who knew so much about the mountains that we quizzed him constantly about trekking in both India and Nepal. One day whilst walking we encountered a dog with a very large metal collar and asked what is was for, Nema's answer was 'to prevent a tiger getting hold of it's neck'! It wasn't until we were leaving our camp site on the last day that it hit home that there were tigers roaming around the mountains when we saw a mule lying half-eaten at the side of the road...scary stuff. Also, the vultures circling above us as we drove down the steep mountains roads gave the distinct impression that there was an abundance of food around...um.

So, there are dangerous animals in the mountains but thankfully we didn't see any of them. My biggest concern since being in India is getting trodden on by a cow on the streets as they roam around freely, and poo everywhere!

So, we near the end of our India trip and we’ve been here for just over a month now. There is still so much to see in India.  One day I think we'd both like to return to venture to Leh, Kerala, Darjeeling, Agra, Varanassi, The Andaman Islands, the list goes on.......

Nepal here we come.