Nomadic Life..

Gallery: Desert and the Dead Sea

simon_hennig — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:39:00 GMT

Gallery: Kibbutzim, Caves, Kinneret and the Jordan

simon_hennig — Thu, 1 Oct 2009 02:06:00 GMT

Gallery: Weddings etc

simon_hennig — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:17:00 GMT

Bedholim

simon_hennig — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:53:00 GMT

17/09/2009

Hasholin Hospital, Petah Tikva

With Racheli's wedding over, and her fever returning within minutes of our return home, Didi was looking decidedly ill. The idea that it was all in her head was fantastic for the duration of the wedding, but that theory now seems well and truly defunct. Her temperature at 3:00 am was 39.1, and the look of utter despair on her face told the story of how she felt. Unfortunately i was of no help - i passed out within seconds of my head hitting the pillow. Upon waking the next morning however, she had added severe nausea to her symptoms, and got Gabi to take her to the doctor. Some doctors are just plain lazy. As for this one, he would probably be a more effective member of this very Jewish society if he opened a Christian bookshop.. After claiming that she might have pig flu, and giving her some piss weak antibiotics, he sent her home. "If you don't get better in 2 days, just go to the hospital." Sterling advice. After 2 days of non stop fever and vomiting, Didi decided it was time. Dahlia and I accompanied her, and sat in the ER for countless hours as they took blood, did chest X-rays and whatever else they felt necessary. Since her local GP had thrown the pig flu possibility in there, the hospital obviously put a surgical mask on her immediately, which really added to the drama of it all. 5 hours or so later, they had confirmed that it was not pig flu at all, but some other strange strain of virus. Still serious enough to warrant a stay in the hospital, they stabbed a drip into her, and assigned her a bed upstairs in the hospital proper.

On arriving upstairs, the nurse on duty got a little worried, and called the ER to make sure that this was where Didi needed to be. Also, one of the patients in the ward was screaming 'Lo po, lo po!". (Not here, not here!) Since no one had advised her otherwise, Didi was still wearing her mask - it is amazing the fear that a mask on a patient can induce in people! For that simple reason (and because there was room), Didi ended up with her own private balcony suite, rather than being crammed into an 8 person suite with the other patients. After a terrible 2 days of fever and vomiting, some things just had to start going right..

So, i am now writing this while sitting next to a sleeping Adi, in the mentioned private suite. 4 litres of intravenous saline solution, 400 ml of I.V. penicillin and over 24 hours later, she is feeling a lot better. She will have to spend another night here, as they want to pump her with a lot more penicillin before they let her out, but at least the end is in sight. With the most important holiday of the year starting tomorrow (Rosh Hashana - Jewish New Year), it would be very nice for her to spend it anywhere other than here...

Wedding

simon_hennig — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:51:00 GMT

As you may have noticed, it seems that both my desire to write and my muse have deserted me on this trip. I guess that my first month here was all about meeting family and friends, experiencing the Jewish holidays, attending Racheli's wedding, and just living everyday Israeli life. But now, after a long hiatus, i am at least in front of my little Hackintosh again, and typing something...

Racheli's wedding was something special. It is obviously the first Jewish wedding i have attended, and to be honest i didn't know what to expect. I just knew that it would be relatively big. With over 600 people invited, it was certainly the biggest i had ever been to. Unfortunately, Didi had started to feel ill the evening before, and while driving to the venue in a 40 degree car, with me sweating from every pore in my body, Adi was asking to put up the windows because she was cold! Not a good start… Luckily the fever subsided as the excitement grew, and she pulled out some reserve energy from somewhere to make it through the evening.

And oh what an evening it was! The food was amazing, the alcohol plentiful, the people beautiful and the excitement palpable. It was more like a concert, or a massive party than what i have always known as a wedding. I'll give it to the Israeli's - damn they know how to celebrate! For me to not only see it all, but to experience it as part of the family, was something else again. The official photographers were more like paparazzi, and as a 'partner of the sister of the bride', i kept finding myself the subject of the videocamera's and flashes. For someone who likes to stay out of the spotlight, it was a bit intimidating at times! But with enough alcohol under my belt, i was soon in the thick of things, dancing traditional Yemmen dances, boogieing with the bride, and simply enjoying the excitement.

Before we knew it, it was 3 am and time to go.. Didi's fever kicked in again as soon as we got in the car - at least she made it through the night!

Gallery: Birthdays, Beaches and Jerusalem

simon_hennig — Mon, 7 Sep 2009 01:00:00 GMT

Friends, Family and the Goy from Oz

simon_hennig — Thu, 3 Sep 2009 00:26:00 GMT

03/09/2009

Wow. Things are happening so fast that i just don't have time to record them all. By the time i finish an amazing experience, or get back from a magical place, or even meet a new and wonderful person, i am already onto the next..

After catching up on sleep, and getting over my jetlag, it was time to meet some friends, and see some sights. We caught up with Dror - a good friend of Didi's and part of her little circle of friends, who had only just arrived back in Israel. He had just returned from Croatia, where he is heading again in a couple of weeks to begin study. With not much to do before then, and eager to enjoy as much of his last summer in Israel as he could, he became the perfect companion for some ‘close to town’ adventures. We have spent a lot of time at beaches since i arrived – the most memorable being Appalonia. It’s a bit of a drive north, and also a bit of a trek to get in there - unless you have a 4WD.. Luckily for us, Dror has one - nice! We headed out there and scooted around the cliffs in his little Isuzu, ending up on a beautiful little rocky beach. The water was clean and warm, and the pebble shore a perfect place to setup our umbrellas and enjoy a relaxing afternoon. So very different to most Aussie beaches i am used to; stones instead of sand, and water that is so warm it is hard to believe! I really didn't expect such a quiet beach could exist so close to the city. But in hindsight, i guess everything here is relatively close to a city. There is only so far you can drive in Israel before you hit the water or a border - it is less than 700kms from north to south, and at times less than 150kms east to west. Growing up in Australia, such distances are almost trivial. Close to the city or not, i guess it is the walk that puts people off, and leaves us with such a wonderful private beach a mere 30 minutes from Petah Tikva..

I have managed now to meet the majority of Didi’s friends – Dean the old school psy-musician and his wife Moran, crazy Izhac and his partner Adar, the beautiful Oshi and Benzi, Nirit and Idan, Maitar and Maor, Lena and Eran (and of course their boxer Jesse), Dudu the shaman, Dror, Gadlam of Jerusalem with the bulletproof Nissan, Orad and his sister Lidar, the brothers Shai, Etai and Daniel – and of course Noam, who i knew from Australia.. It has been an amazing couple of weeks!

I won't bore you with specifics of everything i have been up to. I am simply not up to writing it all down anyway! Suffice to say, it has been a rush of birthday parties, matcote, beach soccer, meeting new friends, meeting family, meeting extended family, a quick trip outside Jerusalem (in a bulletproof jeep, no less), Sabbat dinners, family do’s – the list goes on and on! Put simply, i am thoroughly enjoying Israel, its people, its culture, its places and, life in general. And this is before i have really travelled anywhere more than 45 minutes from Petah Tikva! I find myself with a host of new friends - not just because i am Didi's partner, but because her friends are truly amazing individuals (why am i surprised - they are friends of Adi!) willing to share themselves and whatever else they can offer.

I also find myself being welcomed wholeheartedly by a truly amazing family – it is hard to describe the generosity, the warmth and the genuine acceptance that everybody has showered me with. Not only do i feel welcome in their home, i honestly feel loved and accepted as a part of their family and of their lives. I cannot begin to explain what incredible people Adi’s family consists of – i have a wonderful relationship with them all (immediate family and extended), regardless of cultural, religious or language barriers, and i feel so at ease it is hard to believe. Obviously i wondered how i would be greeted and what my reception would be like before coming – not simply meeting my partners parents and family, but doing it in a foreign country, where i am not a part of their religion, don’t have their cultural heritage and lack even a basic grasp of their language – you can obviously imagine how it could have gone... But, as you see, i couldn’t have asked for anything better. I feel so happy to have been accepted and welcomed the way i have, and i feel honoured and privileged to be associated with such special human beings. A pretty damn good feeling for a Goy from Australia... (Goy — Non-Jewish person. Technically, in the Bible, anyone living outside of Israel, a foreigner.)

So, you can see how happy i am, and even being this far out of my comfort zone, i am feeling exceptionally comfortable and (dare i say it) at home.

And, before anyone asks, yes i am still coming home in november!

Gallery: Arriving

simon_hennig — Tue, 1 Sep 2009 18:49:00 GMT

Petah Tikva, Tel Aviv, Appalonia, Deans Birthday..

Tel Aviv

simon_hennig — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 20:52:00 GMT

27/08/2009 Tel Aviv.

As mentioned, i spent Wednesday exploring Tel Aviv with Adi. The goal was not only to get out to check it all out, but to at least buy myself some underwear – after nearly 3 days, i was still awaiting word on my bag...

Tel Aviv is a beautiful and bustling little city, with a wonderful vibe and relaxed atmosphere. It may be the busy centre of Israel, but its location lends it an amazingly relaxed feel. Situated right on the coast, and with the summer heat creeping to a touch over 30, you can imagine the number of people enjoying the beach. Sweating and a bit parched from our bus trip in, my first objective was a beer... Sitting under that Heineken umbrella, enjoying an icy cold Gold Star (Israel’s VB equivalent) and listening to the ‘clack, clack, clack’ of matcote (beach tennis - the Israeli’s are nuts for it) i began to wish for a beachside bar in Oz... While we have surf lifesaving clubs and all manner of cafes near the beach, we lack a real bar on the beach. Standing at the bar here, your feet are still in the sand. No dress codes, no rules, no regulations. Just walk from the water to the bar and order your drink. Nice indeed!

With our thirsts quenched, we then did the shopping i needed (cheap jocks) and sat down to an amazing Israeli lunch – chips and houmus. I really believe there should be a law preventing Australians calling that muck we have houmus. Until you try the real deal, you just wouldn’t understand... Oh, and the tahina – wow! But, enough about the food. Anyone who knows me knows that i will eat almost anything, and enjoy the vast majority of it. No exception to the rule, here i am still yet to find something i don’t like...

While in town, we caught up with Didi’s big brother Doron, and headed out to his house in Gi'va Time. He and his wife Maya had parent teacher night, and asked us to babysit for them. Firstly, what great people! I guess i should have known that – of course Didi’s family would be just as amazing as she is. After meeting her parents, Gabbi and Dahlia, i had proof enough that this is a pretty special family. As for the next generation.. Whoa! Watch out little Lilsa, i seem to have another young girlfriend! At 5 years old, Eli is a pretty amazing kid. I thought looking after Lilsa could be difficult enough – imagine a 5 year old that speaks a different language! We managed to get by with sign language, facial expressions and repeated gestures (and of course the occasional translation by Adi) – playing games of Guess Who and Dora the Explorer’s balloon game. I didn’t think i’d ever escape..

But, escape we did, and finally got back to Petah Tikva and our comfortable bed. It was my first big day out, and coupled with my lingering jetlag, it saw me fall in to said bed and immediately pass out. Thursday was full of minor plans and people to see, but only 1 thing was on my mind... Where the hell is my bag!! I knew that there was a flight the night before from Hong Kong, so it had to be on it... And sure enough, by 2 or 3 pm, it was delivered to our door. Oh ye of little faith, Simon!! Happy to see all of my belongings, i could now relax and begin to really enjoy Israel. Didi has now printed out a calendar covering my time here, and it is filling up fast. So many people to see, so many places to go – 3 months sounds like a long time, but written down on paper it no longer looks quite long enough!

Israel!

simon_hennig — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:57:00 GMT

26/08/2009

Petah Tikva.

And so, it begins again. What would i have to write about if there were no drama's, hey? After a hellishly long flight, i arrived at Tel Aviv airport LATE monday evening. With Adi awaiting me outside customs, i was itching to get my bag and get out. After spending over 27 hours either in a terminal or on a plane, i was hanging for some real, non-air conditioned air and (i know it doesn't go with the clean air) a cigarette. But, as usual, the arrival hall was slowly emptying out, and my bag had still not arrived. My bag always seems to come out last, so i wasn't too worried, simply agitated, and dying to get outside. And yet, the bags stopped arriving, and mine was still not amongst them. Mmmm. I wandered over to the baggage counter, where a lovely gentleman asked my name.

"Ah, Mr Hennig. Yes your bag didn't make it onto the plane - it is still in Hong Kong." Damn. "Simply fill out this form and we will send it to you when it arrives."

Sounded easy. After wading my way through the paperwork, i turned on my phone to get Didi's mobile number out as a contact. To my surprise, it locked onto a local network, and started beeping with messages. All from a worried Didi who had watched everyone from that flight exit; all bar me! I finished the paperwork, went to customs to get it signed, ran back to the baggage counter, handed it in, was presented with a small overnight toiletries bag to cover my loss, and told i should see it tomorrow. Great! With only a single set of spare clothes on me, that was welcome news!

So, i wandered out through customs, to find my beautiful lady awaiting me.. Almost in tears, and thinking i had missed my flight somehow, wow was she happy once i emerged! We enjoyed a brief reunion, before heading out into the 28 degree heat (yes, it was 12:30am by now, but still 28) to find Gavriel (Gabby), her father. So very happy to meet me at last, i felt at home the second he grabbed me in a big bear hug! A long story that some of you may know, is that Didi lost her license last week - hence her father having to come to pick me up. Since he works from about 7am till midnight, i was extremely grateful for it.

But anyway, this is all beside the point. It is now Wednesday, and still nobody knows where my bag is. I just had El Al airlines call again to ask what my bag looks like. Yes that's right, the baggage number is not enough, and they seem to be clutching at straws now. What colour is it? Are there any identifying marks? Ra ra ra ra ra. I have even called Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong, who said to keep chasing it with El Al. I have a very bad feeling about this... I am now wearing Gabby's clothes, and wondering if i will ever see my stuff again! I am now wishing i had covered ALL of my belongings on my insurance. I only put down my trusty eee PC. Not the peripherals, not my camera, not any of the other shit in there. Damn!!! Of all the countries i have visited, i have only flown into a western country a couple of times. Once to Italy, and now to Israel. Both times, my bags have disappeared! I have flown into some very poor and seemingly disorganised countries - Vietnam, India, Nepal, Zambia, Sri Lanka - never have my bags been lost. Yet here i am, for the second time, with nothing but what i am wearing. At least this time i have somewhere to stay. My Italian adventure saw me sleeping on a beach in Sorrento for a night...

So, apart from my baggage woes, i have done not much but sleep. Meeting all of Didi's family has been a blast, and i feel not only accepted, but at home. Family here is always the number one priority, and the warmth being extended to me is amazing. Regardless of my lack of Hebrew, we seem to be able to communicate well enough - firstly because their english is so much better than my Hebrew, and secondly because Adi is such a good translator! Bagless or not, i am here and happy. And today the exploring begins - Adi and i are off to Tel Aviv for the day. Beach, sun, cafe's and fun.. I am excited! In my mish mash of borrowed clothes, i am ready to take on the city...

And soon, it will begin again...

simon_hennig — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 11:13:00 GMT

And soon, it will begin again...

For those of you who don't yet know, I will be heading O/S again in about a month. After being back in Oz for 8 months, I am itching to get out and about again. Where to you ask? Israel!! The fact that it was never on my list of countries to visit actually makes it more exciting. It is now time for Didi to show me around her hood, and time for me to meet all of her friends and family!

Didi flies out tomorrow, bound for Tel Aviv after 9 months away from home. As you can imagine (while of course she is sad to be leaving me), she is damn excited about going home! I have another month of work here in Melbourne until I can free myself, so won't be joining her until late August. Our plan is 3 months together there, travelling, holidaying, visiting friends and family, and of course, attending Didi's sisters' wedding. While we would both love to continue our journey elsewhere after Israel, we will be coming back to Australia together in late November. My hope is that I will have some work lined up in Melbourne, and can start to recoup the cost of some of these plane fares.....

And to top our travel plans off, Didi was yesterday granted “Temporary Permanent Australian Resident” status. 24 hours before her flight out. Talk about cutting it fine! Finally, we have negotiated the maze of paperwork and required documents, and jumped through all of the hoops our illustrious Dept of Immigration and Citizenship asked of us... FINALLY!! So, now Didi will actually be allowed to re-enter Australia with me in November..

So, with 3 months to kill in a country no bigger than Victoria, you can be sure that I will be keeping this journal up to date. I have recruited a new eeePC for this journey (smaller, better, faster!) and will endeavour to fill it with stories and pics. I am looking forward to so many aspects of this trip – the countryside, the cities, the atmosphere, the food (oh the food!), the melting pot of religion and culture, and of course Didi's friends and family... I want to be going now!!

But, unfortunately, that's it for now. Expect a bit more from me over the coming months though - the next entry will be from downtown Petah Tikva..

Love to all,

Simon...

Gallery: Beyond Kheer Ganga

simon_hennig — Sun, 2 Nov 2008 01:18:00 GMT

Cello India.

simon_hennig — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 01:11:00 GMT

17/10/2008 - 02/11/2008

Cello India.

After Kheer Ganga, i feel that i have nothing more to say. Without a doubt the best 10 days of my year, everything now feels like a wind-down. For the simple reason that it is! I leave on the 3rd of November, bound again for Thailand to enjoy two weeks of beach and visit my old friend Claude before returning to Australia on the 16th or so. I do feel sad to be so near the end of my trip, but my plans for the future require me to return with at least some money... 4 and a half months has been a fantastic journey, and while i could quite easily continue travelling, there are things to be attended to in Oz. Plans are still hazy, but i may just end up living cheaply on the Gold Coast, learning to surf for the 2 months until Rainbow Serpernt. I figure if i vocalise it enough, and especially write it down, it may just happen. Here's hoping anyway..

We parted with the crew after a chillum, chai and cookie break on the walk back, us heading to Kalga again for the night (where we had stashed some of our unecessary belongings) and the others to Manikaran and Kasol. After another pleasant night in Kalga and some more chats with BJ, we walked to Barshani and jumped a bus to Kasol. I think i must have become fitter while in Kheer Ganga - I managed my own fully loaded pack to Barshani without too much effort! Considering how i felt on arriving, it was a vast improvement. We managed to delay our goodbyes another 3 nights, us staying in Kasol to visit Manikaran and get used to life after Kheer Ganga. Manikaran is an amazing town, and we spent a day wandering around, making a few purchases, and enjoying the sun. We said our farewells to Ade, Roberta, Ed and Shakti, which is always hard after travelling with such a good group of people. But as i have said before, the world is smaller than we imagine and maybe, one day, we will again share a meal and spliff...

From Kasol it was to famed Manali, but our excitement wasn't evident. While it is a very nice place, and beautifully quiet due to the off season, it doesn't have the charm of Parvarti. Much, much larger, it is a city in the mountains rather than a village in the hills. There are plenty of places worth walking to nearby, but with our time frame now falling within a week, it is time time to take a big breath, and get ready to 'cello India'. Our plan was to visit Darahmsala after Manali, but we have run out of time. 2 or 3 days there is simply not worth the travel times involved, which is a huge shame - it was one of the reasons for me coming up this way. But, there is always next time, and i have vowed not to leave it quite so long till my return. We would have had time, but since arriving in Manali, we have spent 4 days trying to sort out our tickets out of here! Luckily, it is now all done; i have a cheap ticket direct to Bangkok, and Didi has managed yet another 2 week jaunt in Israel. 2 weeks on the beaches of Koh Tao for me and a wedding in Israel for Didi, then we wil meet up again on the 17th in Melbourne.

Although Manali was all about organising our exit from India, a highlight was certainly the Festival of Light. Again, i didn't manage to glean the exact meaning of this celebration, but it seemed all about fireworks. Guy Forks and NYE have nothing on this... Imagine everybody in the street and at home (and i mean EVERYBODY) wielding armfuls of fireworks and explosives, and letting them off at random all over the valley. We heard the first explosions in the morning, but i'm not talking the pissy little 'tom thumbs' used for Chinese New Year... I'm talking fist sized things that sound more like demolition explosives than fire crackers. Walking down the street, you never quite know where one has just been lit - it could be mere meters away! We ate dinner in a Old Manali restaurant overlooking part of the valley and the dazzling show which never stopped, surrounded by a cacophony of booms and bangs. After walking home on a street littered with stripped paper, piles of black powder, ash and remnants of failed attempts, i eventually managed to drift off to sleep despite the incessant noise. And even as sit here at 9:30am drinking my second chai there is still the occasional boom reverberating up from New Manali - someone obviously still has a few left...

But now, all i really have left in India is a couple more days relaxing here in Manali, a 17 hr bus to Delhi, 3 nights there doing some shopping, a flight to Mumbai, then CELLO!!!!!!!!!! My time here has vanished all to quickly - in some ways i feel like i've been travelling for ages, yet in others, it seems like i left yesterday. Time is a strange beast when living out of a pack, and the last 4 months have passed in what seems like a heartbeat. But regardless of how long it has actually been compared to how long it has seemed, i know and feel that i have grown. I have talked about India and the lessons it teaches, and my journey this time around was no exception. While i would have trouble telling you what i have learnt or how i have grown, i certainly feel changed. And i leave India again with that same burning desire to return which afflicts so many travellers here. I stand by my prior statement that people either love or hate India; no-one travels here then goes home to say "Yeah, it was OK". And my personal opinion certainly hasn't changed, a long 8 years after my previous visit; India to me is an extremely unique country, brimming with life, colour, beauty and faith; a country with so much religous, cultural and geographical diversity from north to south, east to west; a place where religion and spiritualality are paramount, and where tolerance and acceptance are practised, rather than talked about. Of the 10 or more countries i have travelled or spent time in, none has affected me quite like India. And i know that without a doubt, i will be back.

Gallery: Kheer Ganga

simon_hennig — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 23:28:00 GMT

Kheer Ganga

simon_hennig — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 17:28:00 GMT

07/10/2008 - 17/10/2008

Kheer Ganga - Heaven on a hill.

We awoke on wednesday morning to more biting cold and a light drizzle. Needless to say, we went back to sleep. Upon waking at 10 though, the sun was out, and the cold was disappearing. We walked outside to an incredible sight - we could see the whole of Kheer Ganga's grass and rock hillside, surrounded on all sides by the majestic pine forests, barren cliff faces and towering snow capped peaks. At the top of the hill shrouded in a veil of steam was the temple and baths, their naturally hot spring water cascading down the hill in creeks, steam rising in the morning sun. What a stunning part of the world to be in! We had certainly made the right choice in coming, this being the most beautiful and serene place i have visited so far. Maybe now our 4 days will turn into more...

Encouraging us to stay longer also, was the fact that we had secured a room at the Ashram. There was a mass exodus of Israeli's headed to Kasol for Yonki Por - a jewish fasting day to do with the new year. So after that one damp, cold and miserable night under a tarp, we now had a room; complete with a personal tandoori, split firewood everyday, chai's to the room and of course, a real roof, floor and walls. Very rustic and simple, but also effective and functional. And to top it all off, the questionable weather suddenly turned into six days of glorious sunshine; clear and crisp autumn days, where the only clouds looked like a puff of smoke from Shiva's chillum. We had met a fantastic group of long term India-addicts: Ade and Roberta from Italy, Shakti from Germany and Ed the mad Scottsman arrived the same day as us, also planning 3 days or so up the hill. Their Indian friend Charman had walked them up, and was staying also. Instantly, we all got on, and were soon sharing dinner, chillums, bongs, spliffs and baths. So with good company also, leaving wasn't something anyone wanted to do.

I simply don't know how to describe either my time in Kheer Ganga, or the place itself. Words, and especially my words, fail to describe the beauty, the serenity, the calm, the quiet... To sit alone in a hot sulfur bath atop a grassy and sunny hillside surrounded by forest, cliffs and the snow capped Himalayan mountains; it is an experience i couldn't seem to get enough of, and will certainly never forget. If i thought my soul was calm in Kasol, here my incessantly chatting mind has all but stopped. With nothing to do but eat, sleep, bathe, explore the forest and smoke copius amounts of charas, i think that Kheer Ganga has taken the prize for the most shanti place i have ever visited. And believe me, it is not ALL about the smoking.. Although that is the way of life up here, it is the majesty of the area, the isolation of the habitation, the stunning beauty of the mountains and the unhurried way of life which gives Kheer Ganga its charm.

And it was this charm which ended up keeping us all there. Didi and i had planned to stay 4 days, but had extended our plan to 6. Ade, Ed, Shakti and Roberta, packed and ready on their 4th day, suddenly (with a small degree of convincing by Didi) decided to stay another day. Charman had already headed down the hill a couple of days earlier. After all of our false starts, broken plans and indecisions, we all stayed for the full moon, keeping us there for a total of 10 days. Charman even came up again to make sure the others were OK! We got to experience both the warming, incredible sunshine and the cold, damp rain and fog, bringing the snow line down to the trees, a mere walk away. We played outdoor pool (yes, there was a pool table up there - no slate of course), ate incredibly good fresh food (brought in by horses every 3 days), took walks in the forest (Didi and i spent 7 hours exploring up the valley further - breathtaking in so many ways), enjoyed time with new friends, time alone...

Again i will say that no mere words can express to you the peace i feel after my time here. They say that Shiva's son did penance here, meditating for thousands of years. Shiva struck the ground with his trident to protect both the area and his son, and it was then that Kheer Ganga began to flow. Maybe it is the hundreds, if not thousands of years that the people have held this place in reverence that i can feel; maybe it is the natural beauty; maybe my soul just resonates with the area. Whatever it is, i know already that i will be back here one day. I would love to explore even further up the valley - to the natural rock bridge over the river, which in winter turns to an ice bridge; up to Mantalai - a mountain lake at 5200 meters fed by glaciers, and in turn feeding the Parvati River. Whatever life throws at me, i know that eventually, i will return. I have felt something very special in these mountains, and will treasure my time here forever.

In the end, forcing all of us to leave was a lack of cash - with no roads, power or phones, you can guess that there was no way to get money. In the end i traded our way out with a combination of $US, $AUD and rupees.. The others all chipped in to help eachother out, and by lunchtime on the 17th, we were ready to leave. The weather had turned nasty too; it not being a good day to walk. An ongoing paradox - when the weather is good you can't leave because it is so nice. When the weather is bad you can't leave, being forced to sit by the tandoori, drinking chai and smoking spliffs... But with no money left, it was time to break the paradox. We convinced our one porter to go even after his protestations to stay, and left 'heaven on a hill' the same way we arrived - in the cold and wet. Our host Ashu and our cook Anush had declared that in one more week they too would go - shutting up shop and going to work in Goa, or somewhere else for their season. Kheer Ganga has left it's mark on me in ways i can feel, yet can't describe. It has been the highlight of my trip, and i will sorely miss it. It was really a sad farewell, all of us looking back over and over until our grassy hill was out of sight.

Barshani - Kheer Ganga

simon_hennig — Tue, 7 Oct 2008 17:24:00 GMT

05/10/2008 - 07/10/2008

Barshani to Kalga, Kalga to Kheer Ganga.

We disembarked our Mahindra 4WD at the end of Barshani. We were quite high up from the river, and the road seemed to keep going down, but the driver assure us that he could go no further. And the view from the hill wasn't very encouraging. Unfortunately, through the spindly flowering buds of all the pot growing at the top, all we could see was a wasteland of dam construction - tin sheds lining the river, trucks, earthmoving machinery, cranes, barrel upon barrel of grease and diesel. They were in the process of creating the Pulga dam and hydro power plant. And because no one was actually there working, it really looked like a wasteland. It wasn't what i had imagined Kalga to look like, especially after the recommendation from Shai. But i guess, we weren't in Kalga yet. We started to wander down the road laden with our packs in the only possible direction other than from where we had come. Soon enough we were at a boomgate, with a very friendly policeman guarding the way. He insisted we rest in the shade, then pointed out the way to Kalga. From our vantage point, we could see the way quite clearly - he indicated the path all the way down to the river, then across the bridge, then past all the trucks and grease, then all the way up that path. The path led to a plateaux, well above our current height. So high, all we could see was the roof of one house near the edge.

"That's Kalga", he said. "Half an hour, or thereabouts".

Thereabouts. I started to do my own calculations as we expressed our thanks. Half an hour for a young fit mountain dweller maybe. Probably even for an elderly local carrying 3 boxes of apples (yes, we were overtaken numerous times) but not for us. By my reckoning at the time, we'd be lucky to make it in 2 hours.

And i wasn't far off the mark. We'd left Barshani at 2:45, and we were sitting drinking chai at Kalga by 4:30. As much as i would have given to a porter to take our bags, it felt good to have made it alone. While sitting, staring, and contemplating our achievement, the clouds began to lift, and i caught a glimpse of where we were. With no sign of the dam from here, it was pretty stunning. Surrounded by pine forests and towering green hills, all topped by the awesome snow capped peaks in the background. Kalga is set amoungst an apple orchard, with quaint little cottages and houses dotted throughout. I seemed to be yet another step closer to heaven. As equally stunning as the sights around me, was the silence. No motors, no horns, no music, no yelling, no power tools - almost nothing. There was the occasional crow, a couple of insects and a distant dog barking. This seemed more like what Shai would have been talking about. A pity he hadn't mentioned the walking bit....

But, we should have been ready to walk anyway - the next towns up were inccessible by vehicle also. We met some Isreali's (who else?) who had just walked back from Kheer Ganga. 4 hours of up hill walking, but they had said it was definitely worth it. Close to the snow line, with a naturally spring fed hot bath... While Kalga was pleasant, it would be a dream come true for me to go wandering in the Himalaya's to a village up near the snow line. Out of my two windows here in Kalga, i can see snow capped mountains, the impressive pine forests, some of the village houses here, some of Pulga and even a bit of Barshani and the dam. While i could easily sit here for days, i think i would really rather get up into the hills a bit further. We are running out of time - i think there is maybe a week or two of the season left. Then Kheer Ganga is pretty much abandoned, the snow leaving it all but inaccessible for the winter. And the snow is certainly not far away now.

I awoke at about 6am and negotiated the 2 flights of dodgy stairs (more like ladders) down to the toilets, only to be confronted with a mind numbing cold, clouds all around and a sleety type rain. Maybe the snow was closer than i thought... It was a bit better when we got up for breakfast, but while sipping our chai, it really started to come down. The weather kept us in Kalga a day longer than we wanted but as i mentioned, it wasn't really such a bad thing. Using our new thermals to the fullest, we appreciated good food, time by the fire and chats with BJ, our host. And then, the next morning, out came the sun. It was a glorious day to do the walk, and after getting our shit together, finding a couple of porters and having something to eat, by 12:30 we were walking.

And what a walk! It was everything you would expect of a forest walk in the Parvarti Valley; wandering amid the huge pines; the roar of the Parvarti River reverberating its way up to us; eagles soaring above the cliffs of the opposing side of the valley; the sounds of the myriad birds and a few monkeys in the trees; both the sun and a light rain filtering its way through the needled canopy above - it was simply breathtaking. We walked in silence for most of the way, appreciating such an amazing day, in such an incredible place. Walking here instills an acute sense of just how small we are, and also of just how massive, powerful and amazing is the world where we live. About 3 hrs in, our "light rain filtering through the needled canopy" became a heavy downpoar. We gained the shelter of a chai stall, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, ordered 4 chai's, and sat down to rest. Unburdened by our packs, the walking is reasonably easy, but to sit down was heaven. We shared a couple of spliffs with our porters, and enjoyed hot chai as the rain turned to hail. Still an hour away, it was looking like we might spend the night on the dirt floor the chai stall..

But it did ease, and while we didn't get drenched, by the time we reached Kheer Ganga we were pretty damn wet. Unable to really see where we were due to the clouds and rain, we wandered around to find a guest house. The only real buildings there are a place called Ashram, and of course they were full. We settled on a packed earth and tarpolin construction, dumped our packs in our cold leaky room, and went into the common area to sit by the tandoori. Damn it was cold. It really felt like it should be snowing! And there wasn't much to see, since the clouds were all over us. Not really prepared for the extreme cold, we wondered weather we might leave in 2 days rather than 4...

Gallery: Kasol - Kalga

simon_hennig — Tue, 7 Oct 2008 16:32:00 GMT

Kasol - Barshani

simon_hennig — Sun, 5 Oct 2008 17:20:00 GMT

29/10/2008 - 05/10/2008

The buses were easy and we arrived in beautiful Kasol by early afternoon. We actually overshot it and had to walk back, but not far. I sat in a dhaba to drink a chai while Didi went searching for a place to stay. She found a lovely place, right on the mighty Parvati River, but while our room was nice it had no view. But there was nothing else - Kasol was packed, due to Rosha Shana - the Jewish new year. I have already said that Parvati is the number 1 destination in the mythical Israeli Planet. Well Kasol is the gateway town to Parvati for international travellers, and seems to exist almost entirely on Israeli's. The ratio here is back to 20-1 (Israeli's to Others). There's even a huge sign, written in hebrew in the blue and white with the Israeli flag (which of course Didi had to translate for me); "You're not Jewish if you haven't been to Kasol." Crazy. So of course, on the day we arrived, Kasol looked more like Jeruselem than an Indian town. Traditionally dressed jews heading to the river for the new years rituals, a huge marquee set up, hebrew signs everywhere - it was nuts!

But of course it calmed down and we relocated to a place further up the hill in the trees, with an incredible view. We ended up enjoying 5 relaxing days, wandering the paths, staring at the snow capped mountains in the medium distance, and marvelling at the beauty of this place. Kasol is so picturesque, nestled amid the massive and majestic pines, the glacier fuelled Parvarti River pounding it's way past town down it's rocky bed, the snowy peaks in the background; just sitting here has put my soul at rest. I know that i have been travelling now for over 3 months, and some would expect my soul to be at ease. But travelling, there is always something new, something always a challenge etc etc. Here, i have found my calm. Also, since Rishikesh, i have been missing things about home. Not getting homesick, but missing the little things - working on my house, making a coffee for myself, cooking... Since arriving in Parvarti though, all of that has disappeared. I could quite happily sit here, staring at the river and mountains for a year. However, after 5 days of gazing at those peaks, we decided it was time to get a bit closer to them. Shai had told us that Kalga was his favorite town in the valley, which according to my hand drawn map wasn't very far away. Time to jump on a bus and see how far..

We got to Manikaran without a problem, but to get to Kalga seemed to be too difficult. No bus went there, and a taxi can't even take you all the way. While Manikaran was an amazing looking town, it was a lot busier than i was looking for in a place to stay - somewhere i would love to visit before i leave, but since we had an unknown walk ahead of us, today was not the day. I still had that itch to get a bit closer to the snowline, and it was already after 1 o'clock. After waiting 45 min for a bus which never seemed to come, we ended up in a taxi jeep with about 5 impatient locals destined for Barshani. It seemed we would have to walk from Barshani to Kalga. Opinions differed as to how far - 15min, 30min, 1 hr. I guess we were about to find out how far we could carry our packs...

Gallery: Rishikesh to Mandi

simon_hennig — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:40:00 GMT

Tatta Pani - Kasol

simon_hennig — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:23:00 GMT

25/09/2008 - 29/09/2008

Tatta Pani - Kasol.

The bus ride was again typical of Himachal - 2 and a half hours of crazy bus racing on the side of a cliff, dodging cows, goats, recent rockfalls, trucks, buses... It's really amazing that more bikes, cars and buses don't go plummeting down to the bottom of these valleys. A combination of luck, skill and some guidance from Lord Shiva, and we made it to Tatta Pani. A cute little town nestled in the valley by the river, with hot sulfur springs in the side of the hill. Very soon to be damned, since the area was soon to be dammed, the Trimurti Inn was in a right state. Our room had a constant leak into the bathroom whether it was raining or not, all the mould and mildew that goes with that, cracks in the wall - the list goes on. But it was cheap, and the staff were fantastic. No matter how nice a place may be, if the staff are rude or unhelpful, it ruins the stay. We were staying in a condemned shitheap, but were happy as can be. The food was fantastic, our waiter was funny and helpful, and the location was stunning. From our room, we had a huge bay window overlooking the bend in the river. It was a great way to break up the long way to Kasol and the Parvarti Valley.

So nice infact, that we ended up spending 2 very leisurely days and nights there. Time spent sitting by and staring into the turmultuous river, listening to its constant roar and being mesmirised by its currents; watching the birds flittering around in the glorious sunshine; reading; eating - quality, relaxing, unhurried time. And since it was a tip from Virender, and not from a guide book of any sort, we had it to ourselves. We enjoyed a slow start to our day, then asked our friendly host about the buses. He had said the best way to Kasol would be via the 6 am bus to Mandi. Since it was already 12, and our bags were packed, i asked how else we could do it. I ended up deciding to go to Kasorg, a mere 4 hrs away. I've mentioned my dislike of arriving places at night, especially unknown places, so it would be a night in Kasorg, then on to Mandi the following day. Kasorg was well off the tourist path again, but a hub for the local bus network. I have a knack for getting off the path, but it has given me a taste of India that your standard tourist misses - i have loved it. Kasorg was very interesting, our hosts seeming quite amazed to have international guests and fumbling around to acommodate us; buying water and breakfast in the main street was all via sign language, most common people not knowing or needing english; and of course, the stares and commotion we cause in small un-touristy towns, all adding to a rich experience.

And Mandi was much the same, but a much more beautiful city. We had met a couple of locals in a dhaba over chai who had helped us find a fantastic room overlooking the river and the town, right near the bus stand. After sharing a couple of spliffs of local charas, i even ended up buying my cheapest tola in India. Away from tourist areas, they don't know what to charge, and while i'm sure he made some money, i got a nice tola for half the usual price. Nice. Again, Mandi was tourist free and we enjoyed the solitude of our balcony just watching the bustle of the city below, in front and above us. After a fantastic breakfast on our private balcony, we put our lives back in our bags, and walked back to the bus stand for our next 2 buses - one to Bhuntar, then another to Kasol. Then we would be in the famed Parvati Valley; breath-taking scenery, towering mountains, a roaring river, alpine forests, reputedely home to India's best charas and the number one destination in the Israeli Planet...