I had my final yoga class and was briefly tempted to eschew the rest of my trip and take a month to do the course. Not because I would have any intention of teaching but I would love to learn at this guys feet. No, I said I was leaving today and I will. Oh, but just one more day couldn't hurt.
I picked up my paintings and had my final, so I thought, breakfast with Sarah. She walked me to the taxis in Rishikesh after the post office this morning. As sure as I was that this would be our last day together, she had a feeling we would see each other again. Sarah's smarter than I am.
It took me 7 hours to travel the 70 kilometers to the small village of Bir, which you will not find on Google maps. It's home to a Tibetan colony and near Billing, also not on the map, but where the paragliding records are set because of its intense thermals off the steep mountains and the idillic setting sure doesn't hurt. The bus ride was hot and crowded as they always are on local routes and the bus broke down as seems to be my custom. When I finally arrived, at the wrong spot, looking for a cab, I was thinking to myself this was a huge mistake until I noticed the tea plantations and realized that a bit of clean air and quiet will do me some good.
I was meeting Frank who I had met on a bus break down between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh three years earlier. At the time, he was traveling with this new wife and new son. After years of no contact he had noticed that my gchat status said Himachel Pradesh and reached out to me. Great, I'm coming over. Literally a chance to hit a spot off the maps.
Little Aloke was awesome, we hit it off right away. Frank had said that he's never seen him take to anyone so fast. My trick was to ask him to help me carry my bag, which of course he couldn't do but he held it as I carried it in. Aloke really likes to help. In fact his favorite thing to do is light cigarettes for people. I was chain smoking because he kept asking me to have another one. How do you refuse a three year old that encourages vice?
I picked up my paintings and had my final, so I thought, breakfast with Sarah. She walked me to the taxis in Rishikesh after the post office this morning. As sure as I was that this would be our last day together, she had a feeling we would see each other again. Sarah's smarter than I am.
It took me 7 hours to travel the 70 kilometers to the small village of Bir, which you will not find on Google maps. It's home to a Tibetan colony and near Billing, also not on the map, but where the paragliding records are set because of its intense thermals off the steep mountains and the idillic setting sure doesn't hurt. The bus ride was hot and crowded as they always are on local routes and the bus broke down as seems to be my custom. When I finally arrived, at the wrong spot, looking for a cab, I was thinking to myself this was a huge mistake until I noticed the tea plantations and realized that a bit of clean air and quiet will do me some good.
I was meeting Frank who I had met on a bus break down between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh three years earlier. At the time, he was traveling with this new wife and new son. After years of no contact he had noticed that my gchat status said Himachel Pradesh and reached out to me. Great, I'm coming over. Literally a chance to hit a spot off the maps.
Little Aloke was awesome, we hit it off right away. Frank had said that he's never seen him take to anyone so fast. My trick was to ask him to help me carry my bag, which of course he couldn't do but he held it as I carried it in. Aloke really likes to help. In fact his favorite thing to do is light cigarettes for people. I was chain smoking because he kept asking me to have another one. How do you refuse a three year old that encourages vice?
1 comment:
Had no idea you had such a natural way with children. charming
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