Spitti Valley - a different world altogether
I'm back to what most people would call the civilized world. The last 5 days I spent at one of the most incredible places I have been been: Spitti Valley in the North of India, right in the middle of the Himalayas! I feel I have returned from a completely different world: a world that I hardly knew it existed.
Spitti Valley is a desert in the middle of the Himalays, an area that is open to foreigners only since 1992. Up to 6 months of the year it is cut off from the rest of India, because the mountain passes are closed. To get there we had an adventures drive over two mountain passes: one being 3900 and the other one 4500 metres high. The roads are simply "breakneckish"- they are hardly worth being called roads. My neck still hurts from being thrown around in the back of our jeep, everytime we hit a bigger hole- something that happens quite frequently on this road.
Since this valley once used to belong to Tibet about 50 years ago, the Tibetan influence is still very strong: Tibetan houses, Tibetan people, Tibetan monestaries.
We spent 2 nights in Buddhist monestaries, where we were not only visiting but also taking part in their religios ceremonies. Three words come to my mind to describe what I've experienced: spiritualism. peacefullness.amazement. This is a place where there is no materialistic distraction, just beauty and roughness of nature. It makes you think if we need all these materialistic things to be happy. I took lots of time to think- not only in the monestary but also on small hikes through Tibetan villages and during hours of long drives up and down Spitti Valley.
Life there is very basic. Electricity and warm water are NOT a given. A lot of people are poor, but their friendliness and hospitality is great! I fell in love with that place and the people.
The most basic meal-Dal and rice- tasted better than many things served in a five star hotel. I wish you could have been there and experienced it yourself.
We are 5 people on this trip: one Mexican, one Polish, one Dutch and two Swiss. A mixed bunch of people who have a great time together! Now we have one day rest before we continue for 4 more days. Then it will be time to head back to Delhi, where we will seperate. Sybille and I will continue for Rajastan for one more week.
I will keep you posted. Hugs from Vashisht (near Manali - for those looking on the map)
