Mountain goat

Since my last post I have been living a little more literally up a mountain. A night’s planning, an attempt to get to bed early and then a morning four hour trek up the local mountain to get a proper view of the Himalayas.

To say the trip was beautiful would be, well, true. The first night promised some kind of ‘big party’ but by the time we had reached the summit point with the couple of obligatory chai shops and then gone even further up to find a vacant cave, we were so exhausted we decided to stay put and make our own party.

So, we took our own cave and we bonded. A few more came and joined the team and we all become each other’s servants. My American friend, Rhythm did a good job of being the motivator and entertainer and key keeper of the fire. Avi, an Israeli friend, having just completed a reiki course was on hand to cure any aches and pains. Vanessa and Caitlin from the States and Canada respectively did a marvelous job of doing food runs and generally making everybody laugh a lot. Tea was made ritually – something I was fully on. Music was required, and guitar was on hand to aid me in inventing some ridiculous songs. Chillum was arranged and of course, Asaf, an Israeli guy was there ready and able to deal with this.

From the first night onwards I was able to experience the loving warmth of (sigh) an Israeli girl, Effie. It’s amazing how quickly intimacy breeds in cold temperatures and while staring at the simplicity of the snow-capped mountain. It feels like basically nothing else in the world could possibly matter. Why not hug the girl next to you? She’s cute.

The first two nights that I slept I was clinging to Effie desperate for human warmth, lying on an uneven bit of damp grass and unable to get much satisfying rest. But the third night we decided to go a bit further and we slept on a rock directly staring at white peaks, shining and lit up by the power of the full moon. It was incredible. And to awake with the sun and this sofa view of the peaks and the clouds while watching eagles and hawks swoop through the valley?

Sweet.

So on a diet of bread, biscuits, cheese, chai and boiled eggs, we smiled our way through three days of bliss. Then everyone else left leaving myself and Effie the cave to ourselves. Another beautiful night but sleeping inside the cave as we hid from a thunderstorm.

And then we left the following day and got caught in a thunderstorm on the way down. Thankfully there are chai shops on the trek. Thank God for Chai.

In the chai shop that we rested at, I got my guitar out and to continue the silly mood I played a rocking version of Snoop Dogg’s ‘Gin and Juice’ with the refrain ‘Rolling down the street smoking endo, sippin’ on gin and juice, laid back with my mind on my money and my money on my mind.’ It also has the words ‘I got bitches in my living room getting it on and they ain’t leaving till six in the morning.’

Basically, it’s a funny song. Did I get anything from these wet travelers? Nothing. Just a token of bland appreciation at the end of the song. Losers.

So I just went to go check out the Dalai G himself. Mr 14th Incarnation the Lama of Lhasa. There were rumours circling that he was on the make in Dharmsala. But I just went and checked and he’s nowhere to be seen. Pesky Lama. Damn you, I will hunt you out and you will become the ultimate India travelling story.