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 [View with PicLens] 123456► I always seem to linger a little longer than I plan in Shiyong, and this trip was no exception. It was nearly a week after Aoling before I finally tore myself away from this pretty hill top village in northeastern Nagaland and the hospitality of Phejin and her family. [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234…91011► We left the quite village of Shiyong making a day trip into Mon town to view the official Aoling celebration, a program of traditional dance organized by the district government. While not as intimate as the village celebrations, the mass of dancers made for good photography, and we as [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234…678► Fresh off the Meitei festival of Yaoshang, in Imphal, I headed further northeast to my friend Phejin’s village of Shiyong in Nagaland, to partake in another festival, the Konyak festival of Aoling. Being so close, a relative term in India given that it took a day and a half [...]  I haven’t really put much practical information in my journal posts but since I do get a number of people asking about more practical details, I’ll start a new “Do it Yourself” segment for destinations where there isn’t a lot of info out there. Of course much of this information may eventually go out [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234567► Halangkar concludes with a dance by the young women from the locality around the Bejoy Govinda Temple. Dressed in hooded white dresses speckled with pink dye, hiding their faces, they traditionally perform the last dance of the festival. After which the idols of the Bejoy Govinda and Sri Govindjee [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234…789► The festival of Yaoshang (Holi) in Imphal ends spectacularly with Halangkar. While the opening day festivities are held at the Sri Govindjee temple, the final days events take place at an open field adjacent to the Bejoy Govinda Temple. The idols from both the Sri Govindjee and the Bejoy [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234…678► The days of Yaoshang are a festive time in Imphal. The entire city is caught up in the celebration. Young girls man ropes across the streets demanding a small “tax” to pass, while marauding groups of young boys and teenagers roam the streets armed with water balloons, buckets, and [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234…678► From all across the Imphal valley buses, cars, minivans, and trucks carry men and women to the Sri Govindaji Temple on the first full day of Yaoshang (Holi as celebrated by the Meiteis). Clad in their traditional attire carrying drums and banners they dance in the hall opposite the [...]  [View with PicLens] 123► During the fist day of Yaoshang the streets of Imphal fill with runners (and walkers) of all ages. Each locality of the city begins there Yaoshang sports festival with a torch lighting ceremony. The fire is brought in a running procession through the streets from either the Kangla (the [...]  [View with PicLens] 12345► The Indian spring holiday of Holi is kind of a big deal in Imphal. Unlike elsewhere in the hills of the Northeast India where the tribal communities are mostly Christian, the Meiteis of the Imphal valley are Hindu and celebrate the spring holiday of Holi, know locally as Yaoshang, [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234…789► When I headed to the border town of Moreh, with Deepak, Robin, and Sarah I didn’t expect that I find myself facing down rifle brandishing member of the Burmese Junta. But I guess that is one of the great things about travel you never know what new experiences a [...]  [View with PicLens] 123456► We were all excited to finally get out of Imphal into the surrounding hills. We had chosen the destination of Ukhrul a town in the northeastern hill region of Manipur inhabited primarily by friendly Tangkhul Nagas. Few foreigners make it to Imphal and even fewer to Ukhrul. Three foreigners [...]  [View with PicLens] 12345► Our friend Deepak was responsible for organizing the Manipur auditions for a talent competition reality TV show, to be aired on Indian TV. We went along to watch as it was an opportunity to see cultural groups perform traditional Manipur dance, and martial arts. Unfortunately interspersed among theses more [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234567► Imphal’s substantial polo ground stands near the western gate of the Kangla at the heart of central Imphal. The ground is a testament to the games importance to a state that prides its self as the origin of modern polo. While originating in ancient Persia, the modern game polo [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234567► The principle attraction of Manipur from a tourist perspective is Loktak Lake. It is one of the most impressive geographical sights in the Northeast. Unfortunately the security situation makes it difficult to adequately explore the vast lake. The picturesque floating islands of reeds and grasses are also used as [...]  [View with PicLens] 123456► Deepak took us to a meal at one of the local Temples. Meiteis are Vishnavite Hindus, and several of the Hindu temples in Imphal put on a daily meal for there devotees in the late morning. Deepak assured us that this particular temple, the Shri Shri Narsinga Mandir, was [...]  [View with PicLens] 123456► I retraced the route along the 405 Freeway to LAX International Airport I had taken nearly 4 months prior, this time with a bit more weight (a result of home cooked food, good wine, and good beer), and a bit less hair. After about three years of letting it [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234567► I had connected with a fellow Moorpark-ian, Gene, who was now an ex-pat teaching at an international school in Delhi. In a “small world” encounter, he had been at Moorpark High the same time as me (though a year ahead), later he took a class on South Asian history [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234567► With my flight back to the states a day away I had finished my requisite Christmas shopping. Despite shopping 2 months before Christmas I had managed to get the holiday shopping experiences anyway, as I had unknowingly scheduled my flight on the Indian holiday of Diwali. In retrospect this [...] 10/30/2010 to 10/31/2010 | Himachal Pradesh , India  [View with PicLens] 12345► My final stop in the Chamba Valley, before I headed back to Delhi, was the regional capital of the same name. Set down in the valley its setting isn’t as impressive as Bharmour’s, but like Bharmour it has an array of impressive temples dating from the 10th to 19th [...] 10/27/2010 to 10/29/2010 | Himachal Pradesh , India  [View with PicLens] 1234► I had come to the Chamba Valley with the intention of trekking to Manimahesh Lake, a lake holy to Hindus set in the high Himalayas at 4,080 m (13,390 ft), and dominated by Manimahesh Kailash. I was hoping to add this Kailash to my Kailash collection, which now included the grand [...] 10/25/2010 to 10/26/2010 | Himachal Pradesh , India  [View with PicLens] 12345► After 3 years and 9 months to the day on the road in Asia, I had decided to return home to visit my family in California for a few months over Christmas. I cashed in my remaining frequent flyer miles, and booked my first international flight since I had [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234► Before the long journey back to Delhi, I stuck around in Shiyong to see the inauguration of a new community center built with the help of the Assam Rifles, unit of the Indian Army. Anxious to boost their image in the region the Assam Rifles had built the community [...]  [View with PicLens] 12345► After a bit of rest, and rice beer,* back in Shiyong, Phejin, her sister Bonglih, and I paid a visit to the nearby village of Chingphoi about 3 hours walk away. In Chingphoi we stayed with another relative of Phjin’s in their traditional bamboo built house. Perched out on [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234567► One of the reasons I had returned to Nagaland was to visit some of the more remote villages along the Nagaland-Myanmar (Burma) border. One of Phejin’s cousins had married a man from Shianghawamsa, a relatively remote village close to this northeastern border. We accompanied the cousin’s sister, still living [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234…678► I parted ways with Tam, Kip, and Jen hiding out in Shillong while I got a new Nagaland permit, before returning to for more explorations of Konyak country. It was my third/forth time in Nagaland, depending if you count my permit run to and from Shillong as a new [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234…789► Back in Delhi I arranged a Nagaland permit for Tam, Kip, and I as well as another of Phejin’s friends, Jen, a pointless bit of bureaucratic nonsense that would thankfully be abolished in 2011. I met up with my friends Tam and Kip on the excruciatingly long and inevitably [...] 8/30/2010 | India , Jammu & Kashmir  [View with PicLens] I spent a day in Jammu and that was about enough, after the cool climate of Ladakh and Kashmir the heat of Jammu was a shock to the system. My mood was not improved by the overpriced lodging in the city, and I spent longer than I would have liked [...] 8/27/2010 to 8/29/2010 | India , Jammu & Kashmir  [View with PicLens] 1234► With Tam and Kip’s departure by air that left me the sole guest remaining at the Tsavo Guesthouse. I was well looked after by Zangmo and Angchu but most of the restaurants and shops in Leh had closed early for the season due to the exodus of tourists following [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234…789► Tam and Kip had given up on a road exit from Ladakh and booked flights to Delhi. There departure date left them time for one last trip in Ladakh. We managed to hook up with a brother and sister from Britian and an Israeli girl to share a jeep [...]  [View with PicLens] 12► One of the reasons Tam and especially Kip had come to Ladakh was to do some trekking in the high mountains. The rains that brought such havoc on Leh had also washed away many trails and had swollen rivers to the point that they were impassable, not to mention [...]  [View with PicLens] 12► By the 14th of August the tourists in Leh had thinned out dramatically with most taking flights out town. The roads to Manali and Srinagar were still closed but the roads to some nearby villages especially to the south had opened and bus services had begun again. Having been [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234567► The day of the flash flood in Leh was supposed to be a day of celebration, it was the day that a young lama the 20th Bakula Rimpoche, Thupstan Ngwang Norbu would be brought from his birth place in the Nubra Valley to his monastery at Spituk (near Leh) [...]  [View with PicLens] 123456► I remember thinking these houses are not made for this kind of rain. The flat roofed traditional mud brick construction of many of the houses in arid Ladakh provides excellent insulation against the extremes of hot and cold but is less effective against the force of water. The rain [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234567► I first met Zangmo and Angchu when my Latvian friend Santa took me to one of the family style dinners held nightly at their Tsavo guesthouse when I was in Leh last year. I was impressed with the warm family atmosphere created by the Ladakhi couple in their guesthouse. [...] 7/24/2010 to 7/28/2010 | Himachal Pradesh , India  [View with PicLens] 12345► I’ve been through Manali often but I’ve never spent much time in the place. I’m usually on my way up to Ladakh or Spiti anxious to reach my destination. Malali has never really attracted me much though it’s a very popular destination for both Indian tourists and western backpackers. [...]  [View with PicLens] 123► By the time I finally left Nepal, 4 months after I had arrived, the subcontinent was in the midst of the monsoon. I have generally managed to avoid traveling much in the Indian monsoon. A time when city streets are flooded with overflowing sewage, cloths never dry, mold thrives, [...] 3/29/2010 | India , Uttar Pradesh  [View with PicLens] 1234► With the exception of Delhi, which is “the Rome” of Northern India where all roads or in this case rail lines lead, Varanasi is the Indian city that I’ve been back to most often. Ironic since it took me until my third trip to India to finally visit this [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234► I smiled politely on the outside but I cringed beneath the facade of my face as a couple of my fellow train compartment companions struggled to close the heavy brass bracelet I had just been given around my wrist. Sarah looked on with amusement from the bench opposite me. [...] 3/23/2010 to 3/25/2010 | India , Uttarakhand  [View with PicLens] 1234567► (warning above galleries contain some nudity, not the good kind) I didn’t expect to return to Haridwar but having been thoroughly impressed by the atmosphere surrounding the Kumbh Mela. It was something I thought any visitor to India should see given the opportunity. So before working our way towards [...]  [View with PicLens] 12► I’ve passed through Delhi countless times during my past few years on the Indian subcontinent. Most of the time I use my stopovers as opportunities to fill up on nihari, kebabs, and Biryani in the maze of streets that surrounds the Jama Masjid in old Delhi. It’s kind of [...] 3/17/2010 | India , Uttarakhand  [View with PicLens] 1234…678► As I walked along side one of the channels of the Ganges that ran through the camps on the Eastern edge of Haridwar I noticed a small group of Sadhus gathered by the river. Some were chanting others just stood watching. I would find out after the small crowd [...] 3/17/2010 | India , Uttarakhand  [View with PicLens] 123456► A stream a Sadhus passed by me as I sat resting in the afternoon sun, immediately curious as to where all these holy men were headed, I jumped to my feet and followed. It turned out I had stumbled upon a lunch that was being put on for a [...] 3/16/2010 to 3/17/2010 | India , Uttarakhand  [View with PicLens] 1234…111213► The wide flood plain that harbors several channels of the Ganges on the eastern edge of Haridwar sprouts into a tent city during the Kumbh Mela. Temporary Ashrams, Naga Sadhu camps, and tented accommodation for pilgrims from various states cover the barren plains in a patchwork of canvas and [...] 3/16/2010 | India , Uttarakhand  [View with PicLens] 1234► Hari Ki Pauri is believed to be the point at which Ganges leaves the mountains and enterers the plains of India. It is the most revered site in Haridwar believed by Hindus to have been visited by both Siva and Vishnu. While this revered ghat was closed to all [...] 3/15/2010 | India , Uttarakhand  [View with PicLens] 1234…789► Until March 15, 2010 in Haridwar, despite having been to Varanasi and other sacred cities on the Ganga (Ganges) numerous times the extent of my contact with the river had been limited to washing my hands in the icy cold waters at Gomukh, the point at which the Ganges [...] 3/15/2010 | India , Uttarakhand  [View with PicLens] 123456► Somavati Amavasya occurs when a new moon falls on a Monday. On this auspiciousness day Hindus believe that a dip in a holy river will have especially good karmic results. During a Kumbh Mela this auspiciousness is amplified. The stream of Sadhus toward Hari Ki Pauri Ghat inching toward [...] 3/12/2010 to 3/15/2010 | India , Uttarakhand  [View with PicLens] 1234…121314► (warning nudity -not the good kind) Sadhus, Hindu holy men, are a fixture amidst the holy cities and temples of India. Normally wondering the road between holy sites or meditating in caves up in the Himalayas, once every 3-4 years they converge on the site of the Kumbh Mela. [...] 3/12/2010 to 3/15/2010 | India , Uttarakhand  [View with PicLens] 1234…789► As the Second Royal Bath (Somvati Amavasya – Dvitya Shahi Snan) approached, the banks of the holy Ganga(Ganges) at Haridwar steadily filled with pilgrims. In the mornings the pilgrims who had descended on Haridwar from across India would flock to the ghats, taking their morning bath in the holy [...] 3/12/2010 | India , Uttarakhand  [View with PicLens] 123456► From Nasik I would continue my festival hopping heading North via Delhi to the mother of all Indian festivals, the Kumbh Mela, which was taking place in Haridwar. Billed as the worlds largest religious gathering the Kumbh Mela is a bathing festival that rotates between 4 sites, Haridwar, Allahabad, [...] 3/5/2010 | India , Maharastra  [View with PicLens] 1234…141516► I put on my already color stained hole ridden shirt which I had worn for the Holi celebration in Hyderabad. I had saved this item that might ordinarily gone straight to the trash can for this particular day. I placed my camera inside my dry bag backpack securing the [...] 3/4/2010 | India , Maharastra  [View with PicLens] 12► It was the festival hump day in Nasik sandwiched between yesterday’s celebration of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj birthday, and Rang Panchami the day that Maharastrans throw color for Holi. I decided to take the opportunity to visit the nearby city of Trimbakeshwar, a pilgrimage city worshiped as the source of [...] | India , Maharastra  [View with PicLens] 123456► As I arrived in Nasik (Nashik) it was apparent there was something going on. There were statues set up on nearly every street corner and music was blaring at a volume that surpassed the speakers’ ability to render an undistorted sound in typical the louder the better Indian esthetic. [...] 2/28/2010 to 3/1/2010 | Andhra pradesh , India  [View with PicLens] 123► I had decided to stick around Hyderabad for Holi, while not the most exuberant place to celebrate Holi, I would get a chance to attend the Indian School of Business (ISB)’s Holi party with my friend Sunny. It was being held the day before Holi since classes were being [...] 2/27/2010 | Andhra pradesh , India  [View with PicLens] 1234…101112► The following morning I returned to the Charminar area for the procession I had been told about the night before. More and more people flooded in to the area opposite the Jamma Masjid on the street leading North to the Charminar. Some colored there faces with green sparkling paint, [...] 2/26/2010 | Andhra pradesh , India  [View with PicLens] 1234► We went down to the Charminar, the iconic center of Hyderabad’s Islamic old city center, on the eve of Malid un Nabi the day Muslims celebrate the birthday of the prophet Mohammad. It was a festive atmosphere as people stood along the streets waving flags and dancing, while others [...] 2/21/2010 to 3/2/2010 | Andhra pradesh , India  [View with PicLens] 12345► In Hyderabad I stayed with my Taiwanese friend Sunny at her student accommodation on the campus of the Indian School of Business. The school sits on the outskirts of Hyderabad in the midst of the sprawling campuses of multinational companies such as Microsoft. The Indian School of Business is [...]  [View with PicLens] 123► Somnathpur is home to the 13th century star-shaped Keshava Temple built by the Hoysala dynasty. These masters of sculpture also built the larger more famous temples at Halebid and Belur, which I visited in 1994 and 2008. I made an effort to visit this temple in part on behalf [...]  [View with PicLens] 123456► I somewhat reluctantly accompanied Sunny to the other major Tibetan exile settlement in Karnataka, Bylakuppe, near Mysore. When we were able to secure overnight train seats that made it more palatable to me at least compared with taking the state run bus overnight. We met up with Sunny’s classmate [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234► While the most well known Tibetan exile settlement is near the northern Indian city of Dharmsala home to the Tibetan government in exile actually the largest concentration of Tibetan exiles in India is in the south Indian State of Karnataka. It is in Karnataka where the great monastic universities [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234567► For weeks leading up to this day the massive wood cart parked at the end of Car Street in Gokarna had slowly metamorphosed into its present ornate configuration. Teams of laborers had constructed an elaborate canopy on the massive wood wheeled platform decorated with splendor fitting enough for the [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234…111213► With the arrival of Shivarati pilgrims poured into the sleepy sea side town of Gokarna. In addition to these pilgrims who blanketed the town beach in lingams out of sand and waited in lines that wound around the town for a chance to enter the temple on this auspicious [...]  [View with PicLens] 12► I left Agonda in a relative hurry as the landlords of the place Mohan and Carol were staying in suddenly began giving them a hard time about me being there, so I hopped on a train down to my favorite mainland beach in India, Gokarna. The beaches surrounding this [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234…101112► It was not a bad life sleeping on the roof under the stars falling asleep to the sounds of crashing waves, and waking to the sun shining through the surrounding coconut palm trees. A morning swim, a bit of website work for my friend Mohan, maybe an afternoon walk [...]  [View with PicLens] I typed in my PNR number again not wanting to believe what the computer monitor had just showed me. Same result waiting list #1 unconfirmed. My train to Goa was leaving in a little over an hour, the chart had been made there was no chance I would move up [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234…8910► A couple of the members of our group had made a promise to visit and perform a puja at the temple of Ambaji in Northern Gujarat, about an hour drive from Abu Road where we stayed the night. I decided to join them on their early morning pilgrimage, while [...]  [View with PicLens] 123456► After wedding I tagged along with Vinay and a number of his cousins including the bride and groom on a short 4 day tour of Southern Rajasthan (a kind of group honeymoon). The major places on the itinerary Udaipur and Mt. Abu I had already been, so it was [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234…91011► I spent a particularly uneventful, Christmas eve and morning on a night train to the Gujarati city of Baroda (renamed Vadodara), where I was meeting Vinay, a friend of mine from the states of Gujarati descent. Vinay’s family is from the nearby village of Bhadran, an origin which would [...] 12/21/2009 to 12/24/2009 | India  [View with PicLens] 12► I return often to Delhi but more out of necessity than desire. Delhi is the Rome of northern India all roads and rail lines seem to pass through here, and if your headed anywhere likely your going to be passing through Delhi. Many tourist desist the city often because [...] 12/16/2009 to 12/20/2009 | India , Uttar Pradesh  [View with PicLens] 1234…91011► Varanasi is a place that just keeps drawing me back every time I pass through this part of Uttar Pradesh. No doubt a combination of things draw me here, cheap comfortable accommodation at the friendly Tiwari Lodge in Assi Ghat, a couple tourist cafes with free wifi where I [...] 12/13/2009 to 12/15/2009 | India , Uttar Pradesh  [View with PicLens] 12345► Ayodhya was another place in eastern Uttar Pradesh that I had been meaning to get to and hadn’t. I had passed through it once on a bus to Lucknow and was impressed enough by the temple lined riverfront that I decided then I should stop at some point. That [...] 12/12/2009 to 12/13/2009 | India , Uttar Pradesh  [View with PicLens] 12345► Having just been to Lumbini I had now been to three of the four main pilgrimage sites associated with the life of the Buddha, Lumbini (birthplace), Bodhgaya (site of his enlightenment), and Sarnath (site of his first sermon). Only a couple hours by bus from Gorakpur the main Indian [...] 10/18/2009 | India , Uttarakhand  [View with PicLens] 123► I had decided to stop in Champawat on my way to the Nepali border. I knew little about the town only that I had been told it was a historical place with ruins of some old temples dating from the 16th century Chand dynasty who once made their capital [...] 9/22/2009 to 10/16/2009 | India , Uttarakhand  [View with PicLens] 1234…789► Descending from Kinnaur via Shimla, I passed through Delhi, on my way back up to the mountains of western Uttarakhand. Not the most direct route when viewed on a map but the quickest and easiest when the topography of the region, roads, and bus quality is taken into account. [...] 9/17/2009 to 9/22/2009 | Himachal Pradesh , India  [View with PicLens] 1234…8910► “How will you know the way, the weather is bad, there is a lot of snow,” the senior officer said. “I’ve hiked all over the Himalayas, I hiked the Pin-Paravati pass in a snow storm,” I retorted. “Ok, I’ll give you the permission if you write a statement that [...] 9/7/2009 to 9/15/2009 | Himachal Pradesh , India  [View with PicLens] 123456► Is it possible to be simultaneously both jinxed and lucky? I think I may fall into that category with respect to my travels to Spiti and Kinnaur. Last year a the snow storm stranded me in Kaza for nine days and prevented my planned visit to Kinnaur, however I [...] 9/5/2010 to 9/6/2010 | Himachal Pradesh , India  [View with PicLens] 1234567► Leaving Mud and the Pin Valley behind I stopped for a day at Dhankar a beautifully set high above the Spiti Vally with a old Gompa perched on a rocky crag above the city. 9/1/2009 to 9/5/2009 | Himachal Pradesh , India  [View with PicLens] 1234567► I left Ladakh for the Spiti Valley for the second summer in a row; though this time I would go by bus rather than hike in as I had on my last trip. My previous trip to Spiti was ended by an early snow storm, I hoped this time [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234567► I returned to Leh in time to catch one of Dalai Lama’s public teachings, the last in a series of five. The teachings in Leh are held in a large outdoor ground in nearby Choklamsar home to large community of Tibetan refugees. The atmosphere the massive gathering reminded me [...]  [View with PicLens] 12► Arriving to Kargil in the early afternoon, gave me a half day to kill, since the bus to Leh departed early the next morning. Not a great town by any stretch, but mildly interesting for being much more like Kashmir than the rest of Ladakh. It is a heavily [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234…101112► I arrived in Panikhar from Sanko in time to hike up the ridge behind the village, catching the setting sun illuminate Nun and Kun for my first of what would many impressive views of the twin 7000 m peaks. I also found a nice family run guesthouse in Panikhar [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234► There is something satisfying about hopping off a bus full of tourists at a small little known village and walking off into the mountains on your own. In this case the bus was bound for Kargil nearly half of those on board were foreigners headed to see the Dalai [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234567► After a day of rest and recuperation in Korzok following my previous climb, I still had another day before the tri-monthly bus to Leh. The weather had improved over the last two days and I was eyeing the peak directly to the north of Korzok, marked 5098 m (20,000 [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234…789► There are several 6000 m peaks within easy striking range of Korzok. But when it came down to deciding which peak I would attempt first there was really no question, I had my sights set squarely on 6622 m (21,725 ft) Chhamser Kangri (also spelled Chamser Kangri). After all, [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234…789► We had arrived in Korzok for the annual monastic festival held at the local gompa. Another Tibeatan monastic festival with the requisite Cham dances, trumpets and drums. While the Cham masks were not as spectacular as others I’d seen, the main interest for me were the locals who flocked [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234…111213► After a week of rest in Leh, following the departure of Karin and Jeff, I returned to the trail. This time would be a new experience for me, as I would be accompanying a trekking group organized by my friend Mohan. I was going in the capacity of an [...]  [View with PicLens] 123456► I looked at the massive yellow duffle bag at my feet. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I thought, “The thing is bigger than my backpack; maybe it’s not as heavy as it looks.” I lifted it into the waiting taxi. Nope, it was as heavy as it looked. [...]  [View with PicLens] 123456► The next morning we gave our legs a break and took a bus from Shang Sumdo to Hemis. The monastic festival of Hemis is the largest and most well known of the many monastic festivals that take place throughout Ladakh and Zanskar. Its fame, proximity to Leh, and timing [...]  [View with PicLens] 123456► I had already done the Markha Valley Trek on my previous trip to Ladakh but it is a good short trek and easy to do without camping equipment so it was the trek I decided to take Karin and Jeff on. In addition we would finish at Hemis in [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234…8910► I was excited to leave Delhi for Leh, not only for the obvious weather considerations, and I was certainly anxious to leave the heat of Delhi for the cool crisp mountain air of Ladakh, but rather to see sister, Karin, and brother-in-law, Jeff, who were coming to visit. I [...] 6/3/2009 to 6/10/2009 | India , Uttar Pradesh  [View with PicLens] 1234► Is this Hell? No it’s the UP (Uttar Pradesh) in June, a slight variation on the “Field of Dreams” line that has gone through my head these past few days. My journey started out promising, boarding a micro (mini-vans that ferry people around Kathmandu like city buses) nearly as [...]  [View with PicLens] 123456► May and I returned to Shillong where we met up for a last time with Phejin at her sisters’ place. After a few days of rest and relaxation May and I headed off to see one last wonder of the northeast, the living root bridges near Cherrapunjee. The villagers [...] 5/4/2009 to 5/12/2009 | Arunachal Pradesh , India  [View with PicLens] 1234…678► The Mechuka valley sits nestled against the border with Tibet north of Along. Unreachable by road until very recently this region is still very untouched by mass tourism. The only place to stay is at the government power and water department rest-house. Although that is about to change, a [...] 4/29/2009 to 5/3/2009 | Arunachal Pradesh , India  [View with PicLens] 1234…8910► Daporijo was not either of our favorite places in Arunachal, even less so for May, who the moment we stepped off the jeep into the dusty market town was looking for a way to get out. I thought it had some possibilities in a kind of “wild east” type [...] 4/24/2009 to 4/28/2009 | Arunachal Pradesh , India  [View with PicLens] 1234…131415► We only spent a night in the characterless capital of Itanagar, arranging a shared jeep to the Ziro Valley home to the Apatani people. The Apatani women were a historically famed for there beauty, unfortunately this made them prized brides, consenting or not. Reputedly the neighboring tribes would raid [...] 4/15/2009 to 4/23/2009 | Arunachal Pradesh , India  [View with PicLens] 1234…131415► Tawang is the most visited region of the little visited state of Arunachal Pradesh. A state which is seldom visited not because it lacks attractions, but more for the bureaucratic hurtles involved in visiting the state. A very sensitive area for the Indians, ever since the Chinese routed them [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234…101112► May and I left Shiyong, leaving Phejin to recover from her busy week preparing for and coordinating the television shoot, for Shillong the capital of the state of Meghalaya sandwiched in the hills between Assam to the north and Bangladesh to the south. We stayed with Phejin’s sisters who [...]  [View with PicLens] 1234…141516► I hopped on the Northeast express at Mughal Serai station just south of Varanasi for the long hall to Guwahati, very long, considering the train was 6 hours late by the time it reached Mughal Surai and it only lost more time after that. I was headed back to [...] 3/23/2009 to 3/29/2009 | India , Uttar Pradesh 
3/20/2009 to 3/21/2009 | India , Madhya Pradesh 
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