The past few weeks have been some of the most active we’ve seen since moving here. Activity Week — the school’s way of getting students and staff engaged in the outdoors and the nearby communities — as well as traveling has gotten us out of the house (and neighborhood), and we’re back with pictures.
For Activity Week, I was on a trip with 22 sophomores and 3 other adults that included 4 nights of camping and 5 days of hiking and traveling by bus. The name of the trek is in honor of its highest point: Dayara Bugyal, a meadow (“bugyal” means “meadow”) at 12,000 feet elevation.
The week started with a 9-hour bus ride to reach our starting point, then it was camping and hiking until our return on Friday. We experienced some cold weather at night, as well as hail, snow, and rain, and I was glad to get back to civilization by the end. (Side note: We didn’t have access to showers or restrooms all week. We could only use nature as our bathroom, sans toilet paper. #LeaveNoTrace). We were definitely grateful to our guides who also served as kitchen staff. Their food was prepared in a tent on-site (a different site everyday). It was delicious, mostly traditional Indian food, but the kids’ favorite snack was maggi — aka, a brand of instant ramen. While I trekked with the sophomores, other groups from the school had age-appropriate activities such as visiting vendors in town (3-5 year olds), visiting a national park (grade 8), rafting down the Ganges (grade 9), and doing various community service works in schools and villages.
Leandra went to Rishikesh (more on that below).
Hey, all. Leandra here. :)
While Cameron bravely faced Himalayan hailstorms, I decided to stick to the lower hills and spend a few days in Rishikesh. This Ganges-adjacent city, which has a reputation as the world's yoga capital, is just a 2.5-hour taxi ride from our home in Mussoorie/Landour. On a whim, I made a hotel reservation, split a taxi ride with a friend, and arrived with no plans whatsoever.
It was magical.
How to explain my time in Rishikesh? I knew it would be good. I'd been craving an escape from our hilltop. I'm no yogi, but I'd heard about the open-air cafes, the riverside walks, and the fresh vegetarian food (I do eat some fish, but in a country with menus split between "veg" and "non-veg," I opt for the former at all times). I had vague expectations of a refreshing time away, but what I got was a reminder of how much I love traveling. There's nothing so life-giving to me as a new place and experiences. Plop me down somewhere with a view, give me a coffee or wine, and let me watch the world go by. That's heaven. Usually, I feel most at home in airports, but Rishikesh gave good ol' O'Hare a run for its money. ;)
Rather than unspooling my messy thoughts and feelings about exploring "the Rish," as Cameron calls it, I'll sum up a few things I got to see and do:
Take off my shoes. Many restaurants and cafes in Rishikesh required shoes to be left at the door. Patrons padded around in their socks or bare feet, then sat on floor mats to enjoy the food. Visions of foot fungus aside, I loved it. It was new and different — but as someone who grew up in a no-shoes-in-the-house family, also strangely comforting.
Finally enjoy some tuk-tuk rides. Tuk-tuks are three-wheeled, open vehicles that are a public transportation mainstay in India and much of Southeast Asia. They’re quick, affordable, and a bit of an adrenaline rush when speeding through chaotic traffic that consists of trucks, cars, pedestrians, motorbikes, dogs, and cows. We only have bicycle tuk-tuks on the far side of Mussoorie (about an hour’s walk from our house), so I was thrilled to finally use them in Rishikesh.
See Ganga Aarti. Aarti is an ancient Hindu ritual that involves communal prayers and a ceremony of lights. Aarti takes place at sundown on the riverbank. A few places in India are famous for Ganga Aarti (aarti on the holy Ganges River). Rishikesh is one. I’ll be honest: I had no idea what to expect. I attended Ganga Aarti with a friend who’d been there once before, which made the process smoother, but since neither of us is Hindu, we were just along for the ride. :) We paid for front-row seats, which meant we also unwittingly signed up for a personal blessing ceremony. There was coconut cracking, marigold crushing, and holy water sipping (My Western stomach is weak. I only pretended to drink.). We got to hold some of the lights, and a woman nearby kindly reminded left-handed me to switch the flame to my auspicious right hand. I’d love to read a bit more about the meaning behind all of the rituals so I can go back and understand what I’m watching.
There’s more to write, but I’ll leave it at that. Next week, I’ll return to Rishikesh and experience a different side of the city while staying at a spa resort for work (tough job, but someone’s gotta do it).
Then Fall Break happened! This was important and different for us, as this marked the first time in my teaching career I had a completely open Fall Break. This also meant we could properly celebrate Leandra’s birthday on the actual day. We packed our backpacks and flew down to Goa, which we’ve dubbed India’s Florida. It’s an understatement to say this was such a nice change of weather and pace for us. It was also special as we traveled during Diwali, a hugely important Hindu holiday that is celebrated by the masses in India, Hindu or otherwise. This “festival of lights” is akin in importance to Christmas in the West (although with totally different histories). We were delighted to see lights strung out on homes, fireworks on the beach, and families out and about.
Winter Break is now quickly approaching, and we’re counting the weeks until we can travel back west during the Christmas season.
Some photos of Activity Week:
And Quarter Break/Fall Break in Goa:
That’s all for now, folks!
Happy Birthday Leandra,
Thanks to both of you for sharing your adventures! I love the pictures, it's like being there myself!
Thank you for the updates, love the stories!
Happy Birthday Leandra!!
Love to both of you!