This is the view from the Tibetan monastery we visited in Gangtok. I’m not sure who those people are, but their silhouettes are so lovely. The temple itself was also beautiful.
At the monastery we got to watch a bunch of monks get ready for dinner, which involved chanting and playing instruments. They didn’t offer us any food, but we were kind of eavesdropping so I guess that’s only fair, right?
What is Dinah so excited about??
Kittens!!! They were chillin’ in the corner of the monastery.
One of my favorite things to do in India is take pictures of random children. I saw this girl a few times on my walk into town from the Gangtok home stay.
(Not creepy)
A stand out from Gangtok, and really from India thus far, was our volunteer time at the Serenity Home. It was really hard for us to say goodbye to these inspiring men.
It was also hard to say goodbye to the animals, the dog finally warming up to James. There were bunnies at one point…they weren’t there the last day though. It’s still up in the air if we ate Penelope or not.
You could say we’re a serious bunch.
Another goodbye we didn’t want to make was to our home stay family in Gangtok. They were extremely kind and welcoming. They cooked some of the most delicious food we have eaten in India yet, and kept us stocked with peanut butter and honey.
Ugh and look how cute!
After saying our final farewell to the comforts of Gangtok it was time for the trek. Prepared as possible, we began in the rain, a pattern for us.
Here is Hangbah the horse, or as we knew him, Chester. Hannah got very familiar with this lovely animal, and I even got to ride him once! His master was a joy to get to know; this picture doesn’t show it but he has the warmest smile and is a bomb dancer.
Everyone who helped us survive the trek was amazing. They brought tea to our tents with big smiles everyday!
They also kept us extremely well fed. Here is one of the more colorful plates.
And here is a tub of cheese, or as I knew it, a tub of regret.
Jaimie, excited for our first clear view of the mountains.
SCENIC:
One of our new favorite activities is Taipan, a card game introduced to us by Dinah. Here’s Ian playing during a break with a random kitten sleeping in his sweater. The kitten originally chose Dinah to befriend, but we all got some love. It’s India, people.
A final group photo. You probably can’t tell, but we haven’t showered in four days. This is one of those moments I wish Smell-o-vision was a thing. You..you know what I mean?
For most of us the trek was a challenge, but well worth it. Unfortunately I got altitude sickness and couldn’t reach the highest point. Still, walking back down in two days what we had walked up in three really showed how much work we put in. And then the two days of soreness and my massive blister made it clear…
We are currently Rishikesh, where we are enjoying the gorgeous weather and Diwali spirit. Fireworks are constantly going off and buildings are decked out in bright lights. While we are loving the city atmosphere, we are also excited for our upcoming week at an ashram.
Another battle with Indian internet. I don’t think I conquered, but I survived. #worthit
Since this blog is one week past relevant here are some teaser photos:
With love,
Jane