Photos are IN!!!

Okay folks. I just posted 4 albums for India/Thailand in Facebook. Just look me (Kristen) up on Facebook and you'll see all 605 photos. Yes...that's a lot, but I DID narrow them down from 2,500 so be grateful for that. If you don't have a Facebook account, find someone who does! Enjoy!

And thanks to all who were faithful blog readers!

Much love, Clay & Kristen

Last Hurrah!

Our last official post: coming to you from Korea.

We last left you in Ao Nang, where one of the highlights was getting an hour long Thai massage for 150 Baht ($4.50). There are tons of massage stalls set up along the beach, and we had gotten a recommendation to go see "Tik-Tik" in stall 11 and that she would give us the locals rate instead of the tourist rate (We affectionately started call her "Tic-Tac"). Out of shear luck we ran into her straight away and she offered us the locals rate, plus a free manicure for me. For Clay she trimmed his toenails. Haha! The Thai massage is a phenomenal full body massage, including some stretches and joint/knuckle popping. Then afterwards they give you a complimentary pineapple and a mat and towel and tell you to go lay on their section of beach. It's very posh. We finished off the day by eating seafood by the beach at sunset!
From there we took a bus and a ferry to the island of Ko Phangan. We arrived the day before the legendary Full Moon Party, so the ferry was brimming with throngs of tourists and party pilgrims. We decided to escape the crowds and head to the opposite side of the island, the north beaches, to a Chalok Lam. It's a little fishing town that doesn't have any resorts. We found our perfect bungalow: good price, clean, a few feet from the water's edge, and a porch with a hammock. It was right down the road from a restaurant that advertised a "Greek Buffet" that only happens once a week. After looking at, and talking to the cooks...we were convinced that they knew what they were doing. So we checked it out and both agreed that it was the best Greek food we had ever eaten in our lives, hands down.
Our next step was to rent a motorbike, which is by far the most cost effective and fun way to move around the island. We rode the 40 minutes to Hat Rin the following night for the Big Event: Full Moon Party, December 2011!! There was much hype going into the party, and we were not disappointed. Everyone had swirls of body paint and neon clothing on. There was jump-roping with the rope on fire (we tried it...doesn't hurt) and many locals expertly spinning fire poi and fire batons, all the while with deafening thumping music and tons of people milling about. It was definitely a fun experience, and we were definitely glad to be able to retreat back to our secluded beach bungalow for the rest of the week.
The rest of our time was spent exploring the island via motorbike, hiking a few jungle trails, building sand castles, reading in our hammock, and eating really good coconut curry with fish. The motorbike turned out to be a hilarious endeavor because 1) it was a girly bubble-gum pink Fino scooter, and 2) it wasn't powerful enough to make it up big hills with two people. So one of us would frequently have to jump off and walk up the hill while the other waited at the top with the bike. So much for looking hard-core.
The high-speed ferry back towards Bangkok was interesting in that the waves are big and the ferry goes against them, making for the choppiest boat ride of everyone's lives. The boat attendants just hand out puke bags the whole time and make jokes like, "The bag is free if you use it, but if you don't then you have to pay 100 Baht!" We heard from one attendant that a few days prior, the waves were so bad that 60% of the people on the boat were vomiting. Disgusting, right? I don't even know why I told you...I just thought it was crazy.
All in all, it was an idyllic end to our island getaway...although we are excited to get back and see friends and family!

You would all be jealous of our tans!

Wow...Thailand is worlds away from India. This is truly a vacation, and we are glad to have visited India first and Thailand second. First we headed to Krabi, which is mostly a launching point for catching a boat to one of the islands. But I will say that Krabi has a fantastic street market where you can get a vast array of really yummy food for cheap. The day we discovered it, we ended up eating one massive progressive meal that lasted all day. It was great to eat constantly, which sounds horribly gluttonous...but in our defense we were also walking all day, and everything was in small portions. Let me just give you a run-down of the day's smorgasport:
banana. coffee. yogurt. chocolate BonBon. ice cream. fish kabob. corn-on-the-cob. chicken kabob. fried bananas. pad thai. chicken kabob again. veggies and rice. iced tea. spring roll. shrimp kabob. egg pancake. more chocolate BonBons. And then after all that we got invited to a birthday party where there was tons of free food just sitting around waiting to be eaten. Dang...

So then we got a long-tail boat to TonSai Bay, which is the mecca of climbing in Thailand. It's a bay that feels like an island, because it's cut off from the mainland, and consists of one dirt road loop, a bunch of bungalows, and bamboo restaurants. It's a 4-for-1 deal, because you can hike 30 minutes through the jungle to 3 other beaches that are also cut off from the mainland. They all have their own feel: Railay West has the expensive resorts and sky high prices. Railay East is similar but for a slightly cheaper budget. Pra-Nang is a small beach that has food boats that you can just swim up to and order food. It's the ultimate in vacation laziness...sunbathe, swim, eat, repeat. And all without having to move more than a few meters away. TonSai is the opposite extreme in that it has dirt cheap prices and is full of backpackers and climbers, so naturally it was calling our name. It is very small, so within 4 days we had met nearly everyone and all of a sudden we were scheduling our time with dinner and climbing dates. BAM! Just like that we have a social life again. It was refreshing.
It was hard to not have our climbing gear with us, but we forked over the money to rent gear for a few days. The climbing is really aesthetic, with massive limestone cliffs jutting out of the sea and the shoreline. You get to climb up really great rock, maybe hang off of a stalactite on the way up, and see really epic views from the top. Some of the climbing areas you have to walk to at low tide, or you can get stuck there when the water comes back in. We also did a day of deep water soloing, which is where you take a boat to one of the limestone pillars out in the sea and climb stuff that overhangs the water. You don't use a rope, but just jump in once you get high enough for it to be too scary...which doesn't take too long.
Our bungalow was simple, and we slept with a mosquito net, and fought off mosquitoes every morning and night with our incense mosquito coils. We also had a major ant problem. Everyone has heard of a bear hang for your food when you're camping, right? Well, we had to make an ant hang...which sounds so pathetic, but it was absolutely genius, so we could keep some food in our hut. There was no electricity from 8am-6pm, but it would come on every night. Our reception area also had a ping-pong table, so that was amazing. We played our nightly matches and Clay only won once.
While there, they had the biggest rain any of the locals had ever seen. Even during monsoon season. We were lucky enough to be on Railay East, having dinner with some Austrians, and got stuck there. It took us an hour of trudging through the jungle and scrambling over rocks to get back, and we were totally water-logged by the time we returned!
My dream of learning how to spin Poi has been resurrected, as everyone here knows how to spin fire poi. We saw a fire show done while on a slackline, and were totally impressed. I will post the video when I get back.
Yesterday we arrived to Ao Nang, which is another launch pad for other cooler places...although we are loving it here too. We leave tomorrow for an island that has world famous "Full-Moon" parties of 30,000 people. We shall see how that goes! Internet triples in price on the islands and beaches, so the next time you hear from us...we will either be in Bangkok on our way home, or home. Wow...how the time has flown! Thanks to everyone for your comments and emails and skype calls. It has meant a lot to us!

Thailand!

Just a quick post to let you all know we made it to Thailand and are currently trying to figure out which of the numerous islands to bask in the sun on.

Nothing else to blog about just yet, so we'll leave you with some fun facts about our time in India.
In the past 2.5 months, we...

* Can count the number of times we've eaten meat on one hand
* Have not worn a seat belt
* Formed a new definition of an awesome bathroom: (toilet paper is present). And "best bathroom in all of India" definition: (toilet paper plus soap).
* Learned how to roll a cigarette on a camel
* Realized how much $ we're willing to fork over for a good cup of coffee
* Become oblivious to maneuvering around cows while walking the streets
* Increased our attention to feet placement while walking, but still managed to average stepping in poo once a week.
* Found the cheapest airport food in the world in Malaysia. (2 months of cheap food in India and we were still excited at the deals we found in the Kuala Lumpur Airport)

"No Woman, No Cry...No Chapati, No Chai" ~Bob Marley spoof as sung by our hostel owner

We've re-entered Indian culture in a big way, emerging from obscure Himalayan towns to the pulsing bigger city tourist scene. A startling contrast, especially after 10 days of serenity and solitude. Quite overwhelming.  Honestly, we are a little burnt out on India and some of its repetitious behaviour, but overall we have absolutely LOVED India. It has been such a varied experience, with each place holding its own special character. We constantly felt like we chose good places to visit and good things to fill our time, and were really lucky with all of those results. Currently, we sit in Dehli, awaiting our flight to Phuket, Thailand...from where we really have no clue where to start when our plane lands.

Just as quickly as we were celebrating our trek with some locals in Kasol, we quickly realized that we only had 12 days left before our flight. So we traded the blissful mountain air for the hot desert to the West. Making a mad dash for Rajasthan State, we found ourselves in Pushkar...30 hours and 5 buses later. The long bus trip was made tolerable by the fact that we found and ate at a Pizza Hut in Jaiper, just as we were reaching our max with buses.
Pushkar is a small holy city with ghats that surround a lake. Gandhi's ashes are scattered at one of the ghats. Every year they host an annual Camel festival and we arrived on the evening of the last night, so naturally, there was chaos. The festival includes all types of wild carnival adventures from walking on coals to camel racing. There were 5 ferris wheels and other rides, games with prizes, greasy food, and of course a cotton candy man. All the makings of a legit fair. Camel drivers and tourists come from all over to see the madness and to buy, sell, and trade camels. On top of that, it is also a time when hundreds of Hindus make a pilgrimage to bathe in the holy water. So needless to say, the place was hopping when we staggered into Pushkar at 9pm, carry our packs and weary from clocking 30 bus hours. We just wanted a hotel and a bed. Glad to have missed the full throng of people and the sky-rocketed hotel prices, it was still exciting to see a bit of the action, as the carnival stayed in full swing for an extra day.
Next we headed to Udaiper, which is dubbed as the "Venice of India". There are 2 islands with palaces on them in the middle of a small lake, visible from shore. City Palace is huge and looming on shore, and every other structure in the area is beautifully painted white, full of arched windows and domed rooftops. The city was especially magical viewed at night from one of the many rooftop restaurants, when all the palaces were lit up like a fairly tale backdrop. We were informed that Shakira was there to do a private concert for the 80th birthday of an outrageously rich Indian business man. He rented out an entire island and invited 400 guests at $40,000/head...including Ricky Martin and David Beckham. The newspaper showed throngs of young men gaping from the shores during Shakira's concert, even though the island is far enough away to barely see or hear anything!
Udaiper's major claim to fame is that part of the James Bond movie, "Octopussy", was filmed here. Nearly every restaurant will roll out a TV for you to watch the movie with dinner...so we figured we'd better get on board and watch the infamous movie as well, which we did while consuming an absurd amount of food! Also, embarrassing as this is, it was my first James Bond movie as well.
Lastly, we headed to Jaisalmer for a look at the golden sandstone fort, which is slowly sinking its way into the earth. The fort itself was a beautiful maze of narrow streets with intricately engraved temples and havelis (ornate homes). Then, as a last hurrah for India, we splurged on a camel. Meaning...we did the slightly cheesy camel safari that everyone and their brother offers in Jaisalmer. It was only 2 days and one night, but it was enough to give us saddle sores, and a great way to end our time in India.
Every place we went in Rajasthan, there were rows and rows of market vendors with beautiful handicrafts to buy. So now our bags are popping at the seams, and we just hope to make it onto the plane with only carry-ons! Next time you hear from us...it will be from the beaches of Thailand!

Pin-Pavarti Pass Trek: Check!!

We made it! This trek made our last one look like child's play. It was one of the most challenging backpacking trips either of us had ever been on. For one, the cold...we had fairly good rental gear, but nothing like what we would have normally brought for winter camping. Firewood, we knew, was scarce to non-existent after Day 2, and we didn't know what the weather had in store for us. We were totally okay with the knowledge that any number of factors could force us to turn around at any time. So, we took it day by day, became familiar with the weather patterns of the valley, and scavenged for resources. It was like detective work, problem solving with the environment to allow us safety, shelter, fire, and wind protection. In general, everyday started sunny, wind would really pick up by about 3pm, and light snow started by 4:30 depending on the direction the clouds came in. We would try and find camp, get firewood, and set up by this time...warm ourselves and cook on a fire...then clean pots, make a hot water bottle for the sleeping bag, and crawl in bed by 8:30 where we would shiver and hopefully sleep and not leave that spot for the next 12 hours until the sun came over the ridge again. Inevitably, we would have to pee at some point in the night and that was always The Worst.
The valley we followed was littered with small caves that shepherds sleep in during the summer months. These caves made for some miraculously enjoyable and snow protected evenings. Whenever we passed an abandoned fire ring, we would scavenge for remaining firewood and carry it with us. This tactic allowed us to actually have a fire and hot meal every night and almost every morning.
The actual 9-day trek follows the valley up and up in elevation until it goes over the 5300 meter pass on day 7. Then you end up in a small village on the other side and have to take a 12 hour bus ride on a sketchy road to loop back to your starting point. The problem is that the road closes this time of year because of snow, and while it was still open when we started the trek...we didn't want to risk getting stuck on the wrong side of a very high mountain pass. So instead we decided to do the 6 days in to the Pass, and then double our mileage on the way out (with delightfully lighter packs and downhill gravity on our side) and get out in 3 days. I broke down each day for those of you whom I know love the detailed accounts of things.
Day 1:
Took a bus to Barsheni and hiked 10 km up to some hot springs called Khir Ganga. This hippy place was hopping! There was actually a few small restaurants. We were very excited about the hot springs, but by the time we got there it was getting dark and we were way to cold to think about stripping down and getting wet, even in hot springs.
Day 2:
We left the hot springs, and that was the last time we saw any other people for 8 days. A dog followed us all day. We felt sure he would turn around after hours of hiking, but he faithfully stayed by our side. We named him "Hobo". I lost my sunglasses somewhere on the trail which is a bummer because they are the only expensive pair of polarized sunglasses I've ever bought. We made it to the next official camping spot, marked by 7 cascading waterfalls, and we had to reach it by crossing the river over the worst lopsided bridge I've ever seen. We actually crossed it one at a time, it was that bad. It started snowing pretty heavy and we freaked out because we were already above tree line (so not alot of good wood) and no shelter. So we backtracked 45 min to a 3-sided cabin we had seen that was back in the pine trees, and stayed the night there. Hobo stayed with us through it all, and we felt bad and fed him some oatmeal.
Day 3:
Got up and the sun was shining. Most of the snow actually melted so we decided to hike up one more day and see where that got us. We carried some firewood, just in case. We ascended above tree line and found there was little scrub bushes that we could burn if we found dead ones. We re-crossed over the sketchy bridge, and later had to cross the river again by cable car. That was a rush! Hobo was afraid of the cable car, and he howled and howled as we left him on the other side of the river. We felt horrible. Found a small cave that faced away from the wind and protected us from a light dusting of snow that came that night.
Day 4:
Sun shining again and melting all the snow at ground level, so we press on...carrying more firewood but always finding stashes of more along the way. Crossed the river two more times via huge boulder bridges. The landscape turned really arid and there was nothing but grasslands and rocks with huge snowy mountains all around us. We found one pile of huge boulders and within them a HUGE cave. Very sheltered and awesome fire! Also, found a broken pair of sunglasses and fixed them with duct-tape.
Day 5:
Made it to Mantalai Lake, where there is a small Hindu shrine to Lord Shiva. So beautiful here. Glaciers all around, and we found a small cave by the water to stay in. Too small to set up our 2-man tent, so this is the first night we sleep without it. My coldest night by far. The cave blocks ALL the wind, and we spent a glorious hour in the afternoon basking in the sun and being really warm. Later, we got smoked out because there is no place to have a fire in there without all the smoke going in and gagging you.
Day 6:
Woke up super early and hiked with only light packs with water and food up to the Pass. Scrambled up an ice-fall where we would have loved a pair of ice axes. Made it to the Pass and it was gloriously beautiful and so serene. We had lunch in the sun, taking in the Himalayan views. Then it started snowing, we started hiking down fast, we lost the minuscule trail. We finally found it and made it back to camp wet and cold. We realized that we needed to move our camp to where we could actually make a fire to dry off by it, so we packed up and moved to a different cave we saw earlier that morning, farther down the lake. En route, Clay slips and drops all the sleeping pads he is carrying, and they fall into the glacier water of Mantalai Lake. This is the WORST time for this to happen. I drop my pack and run back along the trail to try and save the pads with my trekking pole, but quickly realize this is stupid because the river is about 20 feet wide and my trekking pole is 4 feet long. Panicking, I look around for anything longer and all I see is the flagpole on top of the Shiva Shrine. I feel horrible to have disgraced the shrine, but I dislodged the pole and ran to the river, praying the pads would float by on my half of the river. The pole barely reached, and Clay sacrificed one foot in the water to make the final snatch...but we got our sleeping pads back, and were able to dry them off later that night!
Day 7:
Left Mantalai Lake and starting hiking back. Went a third of the way back, no cave to camp in...but stopped at a place with lots of leftover firewood. Weather was super clear and beautiful.
Day 8:
Hiked back to our beloved cabin and beloved pine trees. Collected so much firewood and had a fire for many many hours! I was about to crawl in my warm sleeping bad and realized that the hot water bottle had leaked. So we spent the next hour drying out the bag, sleeping pads, and fleece liner. Very frustrated at the bottle.
Day 9:
Hiked back to Khir Ganga and this time arrived around noon. The place was nearly deserted, everyone having left for the winter. The sun and lower elevation made it super hot in the sun, and we soaked ourselves in the hot springs pools for a long time. It was, literally, amazing. Then we made a small fire and some spaghetti, and hiked the final portion of trail back to Barsheni. We caught the last bus back to Kasol, and made it back in time to get a phenomenal meal at our favorite restaurant in town. Then we slept super-well under 2 wool blankets each and didn't get up until the sun was streaming in through our windows this morning.

Soon we head to the hot weather in Rajasthan, where we spend our last weeks in India.  

Happy Diwali!

And the winner is...Rishikesh! We decided to head there, not really knowing what to expect. What we found is the Sedona, AZ of India. For those of you who aren't familiar with Sedona, that means it was a town full of spiritual gurus, crystal wands, yoga classes, ashrams, and all around general enlightenment...often aided by smoking weed. We actually loved Rishikesh, because it was full of excellent food, great traveler community, and chilled out Indians. We saw more white people in 3 hours than we've seen on this entire trip. The town itself is separated by the Ganga River, and there are two pedestrian-only bridges connecting the two sides. So it was extremely quiet on our side of town, and every night we could walk out our door and watch the sunset on the beach. Right next door was a cheap restaurant called "Namaste Cafe", and we ate there every night, because each meal kept blowing our minds. They offered everything from hummus with homemade pita to lasagna, ornate salads, and pastries. And they put so much into the presentation! It literally fulfilled so many of the food dreams we've been having while in India.
While there, we took a one-day white water kayaking class. It was really good and eye-opening. We learned that it's much trickier than it looks, and that it is terrifying to be sealed into a kayak and upside down underwater with not the skills to flip over again. We have much more respect for our kayaking friends: Forrest and Lyndie!
Also, the nation-wide celebration of Diwali happened while there. People everywhere set off fireworks and lit candles. It was beautiful to watch, especially over the water. These were like serious fireworks too...we would never be allowed to buy them in the States! Our guest house host, Dori, invited us to his Diwali party with his friends. The night was filled with peanuts, whiskey, drumming, and singing...and it was great to be able to take part in the celebration with the locals.
So then we bus hopped for 17 hours and found ourselves in Kasol, a minuscule town in northern India. It is nestled in a valley with mountain views out both sides. We are gearing up for a 10-day trek in the Pavarti Valley tomorrow, and spent most of the day today gathering rental gear and buying food. It will be VERY cold. Most people don't do this trek this late in the season, but we will be good if the first snow doesn't hit. So we're going to go for it, and we can always turn around. The Pavarti Pass stands at 5300 meters. So, we're off to eat a good meal and mentally prepare ourselves for the cold weather!
In other earth-shattering news: Due to the lack of fruit variety in most of India (apples and bananas), Clay decided to attempt to overcome his phobia of bananas. I'm happy to report that this morning, he ate his very first banana since he was 5 years old, and he LIKED IT!

Pindari Glacier Trek

We are fresh off the trail of the 6-day Pindari Glacier Trek, which begins and ends in the town of Song. We were led to believe by our trusty Lonely Planet Guidebook that we could get info about the trek and arrange guides, porters, and supplies in Song. We weren't planning to hire a guide or porter, but we did want to pick up some food, maybe rent another sleeping bag, and definitely get some info about the trail route. While waiting for a jeep in a town 38 km from Song, I happened to see a small guide service, so I went in to see if they had information. They were able to sketch me a map of sorts. Great...I did something useful with my time. Little did we know that when we arrived in Song, there was little waiting for us but a dirt street with a dusty snack shop. Obviously confused and not sure what to do, we asked where the trail started, and the locals pointed us to a path leading "up". So we inadvertently started our trek much sooner that we expected, carrying everything we brought to India, and armed with only a hand-drawn map of the trail. We DID know that there was huts to stay in along the way, and some kind of food available there, and the distances between those checkpoints.
We lumbered up the trail, asking anyone we met if we were heading the right way. We eventually found a man who offered us a place to stay for the night, and cooked for us. He also let us keep some of our extra weight luggage at his place for us to pick up on the way out. The next day we plunged into the mountains, and were met by a HUGE landscape of jagged cliffs and a rushing glacier fed river. There was water everywhere, so we never had to carry more than 1 liter on us at a time. The sun filtered through the dense greenery, and the rocks all glittered when the sun hit them (much like the vampires in 'Twilight'). I know this is three movie references in two sentences, but we decided that the scenery was like 'Jurassic Park' meets 'Fern Gully'!
Out on this trail, it is all about supply and demand. Huts were cheap enough to spend a night at, but food was definitely pricey and limited. We have now eaten enough rice and potatoes to last us a lifetime. Vegetables are rare, and fruit is unheard of...but the one thing you can always count on finding at the end of the earth in India is a cup of chai. The chai was amazing, especially for all the chilly nights we spent huddled in our sleeping bags. Another interesting thing was that everywhere we stopped, the hut host was literally pleading us to sell him our headlamp. Mine is an old one with a crack that I would perhaps sell, but we need them for our next trek. We turned down offers left and right. Finally, on one of the last nights of the trek, one man kept upping his offer to Rs. 700 ($14) plus he'd throw in his own hand held flashlight. So we finally parted with the cracked headlamp. Supply and Demand! So a tip to anyone ever trekking in India: bring a bag full of old headlamps, and you will make a profit AND be everyone's best friend along the trail. They are all the rage in rural Himalaya!
Anywhere we stopped, we were always asked, "You have no guide? No porter?". It was nice to be on our own, and in truth the trail was very easy to follow, and we hardly had to carry anything since food and huts were available. The trek lead us into a sanctuary of snowed capped peaks, where we climbed a small hill and sat basking in the sun for 2 hours, surrounded by the beauty. This trek was exactly what we were looking for, and it was a good warm-up for our next one, which we hope to be longer, more remote, and carry our food and rent a tent. So, 90km and one broken Chaco later...we are back in Bageshwar, where we are still deciding which bus will we get on tomorrow morning at 5 am. Joshimath or Rishakesh...I'll let the suspense of that one hang with you until next time!

Bobble-head Indians and Hotel Haggling

What is with the Indian head bobble?!? It is starting to drive us crazy. It's this side-to-side head shake in response to a question that could mean "yes", but it could also mean "no". So we try to rephrase our questions and are met with the same response: A blank eye stare and that side-to-side head shake. Argh!

We took the train as far as it would go Northeast, to Kathgodam, where we unfortunately got in at 1 am. The WORST...because you still have to spend money on a guest house room, but you are only there for 8 hours. Plus most businesses have already locked their doors and gone to bed. By chance, we saw a man on his balcony who had a seedy little room that he charged us Rs.500 for (Almost double our normal rate). So anyway...we left the rail behind for bone-jarring buses and crammed jeep rides, and started inching our way towards the Himalayan. Often the roads are single lane and hug steep drop-offs, so we frequently have to back up a ways to let someone pass from the opposite direction.
First we stopped off at Nainital, which we decided was the Breckenridge of India. It's a super nice vacation town up in the mountains that surrounds a half-mile long lake. There is even a cable car that climbs up to a resort and Himalayan view, and gondola-style boats that you can pay a boatman to row around the lake. The street food is glorious here, ranging from filled pastries and omelets to seasoned corn-on-the-cob and hot chocolate made with a steamer. It was also fairly packed. we searched over a hour for a room and the prices were insane. One guy showed us a room by the light of his cell phone because there was no electricity. A "selling point" of the room was that it had a TV. Then he quoted us Rs. 900 ($20). We tried to point out that the TV didn't count since there was no electricity, and that the room was definitely not worth his price but that we would indeed stay for something more like Rs.250 (still a rip off for this place). He didn't go for it. After much toil and a literal miracle, we found a charming cheap room. Our time in Nainital was spent exploring and hiking the surrounding mountainside.
After spending a night in Almora and enjoying Mango juice in the bottle and the sunset from a rooftop hotel, we went on to Kausani. Kausani is a miniscule but beautiful town. We were met at the bus stop with the usual hustlers trying to get us to stay in their hotels and such. One man was so insistent that we look at his resort that we finally consented, even though we had told him our budget. He showed us a gorgeous, clean room with a balcony and amazing view, our own bathroom, and hot water and told us it was only Rs.1500. We laughed and said we weren't kidding about our budget and we were sticking to it. We started to walk away and he started dropping the price like mad. Finally, in desperation, he shouted, "400! You stay for 400!" It was pretty much a no-brainer at that point...so we splurged and stayed at a legit resort, watched movies in our room, and got room service! (We've found that room hunting is much like buying a car...you just have to NOT need what they are trying to sell you.) Also here, we spent an enjoyable night around a campfire with an Indian family who just kept giving us rum and pakora, telling jokes, listening to music, and taking photos with us/of us so they could remember us always.

How many Indian family photo albums will we make it into?

The closer we get to Delhi, the more we become something of minor celebrities. We've been asked countless times to have our photo taken with Indians, and they don't hesitate to position us...shaking our hands or draping their arms over our shoulders like we're old friends. We tried making some money off of it, and telling them it will cost 'em 5 rupees, but they all just start laughing at our joke. The best was a few nights ago, while groggy and waiting for a train at midnight, a young kid comes up to us and pantomimes a whole conversation to us. Eventually we figure out that he wants our autographs and whips out a pen and scrap of paper!
Pachmarhi was an amazing retreat for us. We spent one day finding cave temples all over the hillside. They have makeshift ladders and little steps chipped into the rock at some places, just when you think you won't be able to make it up the next cliff band. The next day we rented bikes again, and rode 11km out to a peak that many pilgrims climb to the temple at the top. We were definitely given many strange looks as we were passed by jeep after jeep on the winding road up. People would tell us on the hike that they saw us biking, and they thought that was just great. Then they would find out we were from America and all of a sudden we would be shaking everyone's hand in sight. Our third day we were a little hesitant about, because we wanted to see this waterfall, but it would cost us 200 rupees each. That's a nifty little charge known to be called "skin tax". For example, this same waterfall would cost an Indian 15 rupees. Or the TajMahal: Foreigners pay 750 Rs, and Indians pay 20 Rs. So we are trying to figure out a way we can get fake India citizenship cards made or something! Anyway...we decided that we would scout out the entrance station to the waterfalls, and then try and bushwhack our own path into the falls. We didn't think it would actually work, but by some miracle, we did find the waterfall, AND discovered some amazing cascading rock pools of water and cliff overlooks by accident along the way!
We did see the TajMahal (in Agra) yesterday, and had to suck it up and pay the fee, although I can't say we didn't have a look at the North side, bordering the water :). Not even us would ever be willing to get in that water to save a buck. The Taj is every bit as beautiful and breathtaking as you hear it is. We went at sunrise to get and sun's first rays hitting the dome. The other good thing about Agra is the vast array of really cheap and really good food here! We found a place that serves a big cup of chai, 2 eggs, and 4 pieces of toast with butter and jam for 30 Rs. We've been craving this "Western Breakfast" for so long, and anywhere else it costs 5 times as much. Yesterday was also the end of the Durga Puja Festival. There were parades in the street all day, with statues of the goddess. Everyone was dancing and drumming and covered in different colors of powder. We inevitably got covered in powder and joined the parade down to the river, where all the statues were being thrown into the water. Loud speakers are constantly blaring in the streets here, with some type of anthem or song (it's a common occurrence and we are starting to not even notice anymore) but yesterday they brought the volume up a couple notches for the parades. Just when we thought India couldn't possibly amp up the energy! It was crazy!
I'll leave you with a fun irony that we've noted. India washes before and after meals, and yet other hygiene issues don't seem to be a big deal. Like the street stand that Clay bought some food at...minutes later a cow roamed by and started eating directly off of the plate he had just bought food from. The shop owner merely shooed him away and then tidied up the food pile, munching on a few pieces while he did it!
Tomorrow: off to Kathgodam, the gateway to the Indian Himalaya. For the sake of time, money, and distance, we sadly decided to forgo the Nepalese Himalaya and get our glacier treks in a bit closer.  

Unexpected Kindness

It seems that the elements are following us. Our last day in Varanasi, it rained a record breaking 295mm in 24 hr, which was enough to hem us into one section of the city because the main streets were full of rushing water up to people's knees and even waists! One big problem here is the city sewer system is inefficient and perpetually clogged, and so massive rains cause the sewers to overflow. Gross! We didn't think too much of it, but read in the paper the next day that in some areas it had caused sink holes, destroyed shops, and claimed lives.
We miss the serene side of Varansi. Watching a guru teach his disciples beside the water and inches from an entire herd of cows soaking in the river...Early morning chai vendors...Friendly chats with locals on rooftop restaurants.
On to Khajuraho. The small, traffic free town of Kamasutra temples. We rented bicycles yesterday and rode about 20 miles through the countryside to look at temples. I can't even describe how freeing it was to be on a bike! We checked out a cluster of Jain temples, and as we understand it, Jainism is a sect of Hinduism. The extremists renounce everything worldly, including clothes, for 12 years while they search for enlightenment. Then, after achieving this, they sit in the lotus position and starve themselves to death. Wow.
It seems in this town that we are magnets of attention. You walk out the door of the guest house, and are immediately asked if you need a rickshaw ride, or a want to give a child a pen or candy, or would like to have a cup of tea with someone. The repetition of it is about enough to drive you insane. Here's a typical conversation that we have about 30 times a day:

"Hello my friend"... "Hi"
"Where you from?"... "United States"
"Ah, America! I like to make some conversation with you"... "Okay"
"How long you coming?"... (a bit of confusion) "We are here for 3 days"
"Excuse me sir, what is your occupation?"..."I'm a nurse"/"I build houses"
"It's good. You are friends?"..."We are married"
"Oh! (varied responses from approval to shock) You like India, something like honeymoon!"..."Kind of"

And then they follow you around for as long as possible and usually have some motive. But then once in a while you meet someone like Bahli and his wife, Shauno. Bahli found us one day at a temple for sunset, and we had the standard conversation. Then he wanted to have us to his house for dinner. We said we had plans that night but maybe we would see him tomorrow. Sure enough, he was waiting for us the next day. So, with a bit of trepidation in our hearts, we went to his house for dinner. He and his wife and kids showed us how they make chai and dahl, showed us their garden and gave us seeds "so we could start our own in America". Painted my fingernails and gave us small gifts. They showed us their coin collection and artwork and schoolbooks. And we taught them some phrases in Spanish. (They have a whole phrase book they have been collecting from travellers for years). We went back today to say goodbye, and they fed us more food! All this and never a mention of money or even a hint of asking for anything. We were blown away. Never underestimate the generosity or the love that can come from strangers. It was a very good lesson that softened our hearts towards the people of India again.
So now...about to catch a bus to Satna, then train to Pipariya, then bus again to Pachmarhi. Foothills, cooler weather, and less tourism await us!

Cow patties, Hustlers, and the Best Lassi ever

We made it to Varanasi via two separate train rides, since we booked tickets late. Our first train was 2 hours late, so we missed our departure for the second train. But luck was on our side and our second train was just as late...and we made it! Classic. This train had our favorite array of trinkets for sale yet, from light up bouncy balls to hair straighteners. Yes...just what we need on a train in India. Also, this was the first train that lived up to it's legend, with the seats being overbooked and exploding with people who did not pay for a seat like you did. We sung the praises of the rail a bit too soon.
Varanasi is an extremely spiritual town, 60% Hindu and 30% Muslim. The streets are all about 5 feet wide and a total labyrinth of vendors, goats, and cows. Cow patties abound. Doors are purposefully small so that, traditionally, you have to bow your head in reverence as you enter a home. The town lies along the holy Ganges river lined with ghats (bathing steps). Our hotel is on the burning ghat, Manikarnika. Last night we were led right up to the temple area where the burning is taking place. We were stepping over bodies and right up against the fires. It was incredibly hot. The body is brought on a bamboo gurney with a processional through the winding streets.
The people here are friendly, but everyone has some kind of agenda or are part of some scam to get money. We were touted 3 times in just 2 hours. It was unbelievable. At every turn someone is asking to "help" you, and there is always strings attached. We had Hindi dots smeared on our foreheads, ceremony flowers shoved in our hands, asked to give a donation for cremation wood, and ushered into a silk shop to sit on pillows and be offered tea while tons of silks were tossed out before us.We were afraid of offending their culture by refusing to participate in things offered to us, but now we're more street-wise and 99% of the time they just want your money. It's sad, because it places a wedge between them and tourists, who become more and more wary and on-edge.
On our walk back to the hotel, we discovered the Blue Lassi. Lassi is a great drink made of homemade yogurt, ice, and flavoring. This is a little place just off the alleyway that has serves 29 flavors and serves them up in a ceramic pot with little garnishes on the top for just 30 rupees (about 60 cents)! The pot is handmade and smashed on the street after only one use! The drink and the sincerely friendly owners rejuvenated our spirits and we vowed to return there daily.
Our hotel has a man that will lead you around into all the different Hindu temples for tips. This was amazing and informative. We got to go into some places that we never would have known existed otherwise. Overall this place is vibrant and colorful. We plan to stay a few days, and learn a few new climbing moves from the monkeys that are always playing on the temple near our rooftop.

We love our new umbrellas!

Our 10 hour train ride to Siliguri was overnight and, surprisingly, very comfortable! We had top bunks on a sleeper car with plenty of space to stretch out. The sad bit of news was that to reach Darjeeling, we still had to endure a 4 hour jeep ride, squished in with 10 other people. We were unlucky and got the very back seats which were insanely bumpy, the least leg room, and close to the roof of the jeep. I don't know if what we traveled on could be called a "road", or more just a steep washbed of rocks and jagged cement.
Darjeeling inself is a great little tiered town with more winding roads than we can make sense of. Green moss covers everything, and it hasn't stopped raining much in three days, giving the place a very misty magical Jungle Book kind of feel. The few moments the fog has cleared rewarded us with phenomenal 360 degree views of the green valleys below and the distant Himalayas. You can see for miles and there are villages dotting the hills everywhere.
Yesterday evening we were strolling in the market and suddenly heard a huge rumble and felt the earth start to shake. It was like nothing we've ever experienced before. The normally subdued Darjeeling-ites started running around the streets in a panic. From the looks of most construction tactics around here, we expected a shower of concrete and bricks at any moment. The shaking went on for awhile and the electricity went out. The streets here are confusing enough, and we were far from our hostel...so the darkness totally disoriented us. We got lost, but after an hour or so of walking, some help from the locals, and the light of our UV water purifier (yes...it doubles as a light source! amazing!) we finally found our way back. We found that the concrete slab in our bathroom had snapped in half and one window was broken. We heard from the locals that the earthquake was a 6.9, the biggest in decades! The epicenter of the quake was not too far from here, in Sikkim. The electricity is still not on, but the town is using battery and generators. We are thankful to have avoided any danger, but it was definitely exciting to experience the earth move under our feet. 

Endless Sweating, Endless Chaos

We arrived in Kolkata and took a taxi to Sudder St., which is where most backpackers go. The 16 km took us a good 1.5 hours because traffic is ridiculous. The air is filled with nonstop honking and most of the time we could reach out and high-five the person in the next taxi over. Our hostel ended up a grubby little concrete cell with a ceiling fan and a barred window, with shared squatty toilet holes for everyone.
Within a few hours, we quickly realized that we wanted to get out of Kolkata as soon as possible, but still had a day to kill. Waking up at 5:00am, we took to the miraculously quiet streets. It was quite a sublime experience to walk the same sidewalks minus normal chaos. I don't think I realized just how many of the street vendors and rickshaw drivers slept on the streets. People everywhere were just waking up, and it was interesting to see them in this much more vulnerable state.
Tonight we head for Darjeeling, a much smaller mountain town, on the train. Even in India we find ourselves fleeing from the big cities. So far this place has far exceeded what everyone told us it would be in terms of in-your-face noise, crowds, and poverty. It has also overwhelmed each of our senses and given new thought to what is aesthetically pleasing. 
P.S. We also started using our UV light water purifier. Clay affectionately refers to it as his wizard's wand. It's kinda like birth control...you're not convinced it's working at first and just have to trust it and see what happens.  

Airport Apathy

Well, we don't have too much to report yet, but we happen to have all the time in the world right now. 14 hours of flying and 20 hours of layovers later, we have made it to Seoul, Korea. Yet to conquer are two more flights with another 12 hour layover in between. We have walked many miles of airport, Clay has already vomitted at least six times, and otherwise found entertainment in the smaller things of life. For example:

* Asian cop on a segway scooter wearing a bike helmet and patroling the food court
* Monks chillin' with Monster energy drinks
* walking the streets of L.A. with our packs, from the airport, just to find a good beer to sip.
* Asiana Airlines: all the normal amenities of international flights like personal movies, meals, and pillows...but ALSO slippers, toothbrush/paste, continual serving of coffe, tea, wine, & beer (free!), cheesecake for dessert, hot towels for your face/hands, and the happiest flight attendants we've ever seen.
* Seoul Airport: constant live music from opera, flute, strings, and even a "traditional" cultural parade that occurs every 4 hours. Sadly, we have seen every parade today. Plus, free computers with internet so we can blog our brains out.

Gearing up for the Big Trip!

Well friends and family...the time is nearly at hand for our voyage to Asia for the next 3 months. Due to a high demand from the peanut gallery for travel updates and emails of some kind, we've decided to try our hand at this thing called "blogging".  Never done it before. We cannot guarantee frequent or even entertaining updates while abroad, but we will do our best to make this blog an enjoyable experience for you to read. 

So, basically we leave on Monday, the 12th. We plan to fly into Bangkok, Thailand. Then we have a flight to Kolkata, India. We don't know how long our layover is, because there is no mention on the ticket of AM or PM. So we either will spend 2 hours in Bangkok, or 14.

Until then, we are honing our bricklaying skills in Carlsbad, NM with Massey Construction Crew!