All Those Who Wander Are Not Lost-Just Searching...

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I am settling in nicely here and may stay for up to a month. I cannot imagine a more scenic and peaceful spot. I have cleansing treatments in the morning and then in the afternoon I trek around and see what I can see. 

The area is criss-crossed with footpaths. The footpaths meander through tea plantations, open fields, conifer stands, small villages. It is easy for me to get lost at this point so each day I go a little further and I am slowly establishing an internal compass of the area. 

Here are a few highlights from a recent walk. I followed some rocky stairs and found this sylvan hide-away. Water was delightfully trickling from one of the many Himalayan fed streams. The swaying vines provided a cool breeze. The juxtaposition of colors, textures and shapes of leaves was fascinating.

Another favorite place of contemplation is this outcropping of rock that affords an expansive view of the valley. The walk to reach it is through conifers. The way is thickly padded with fallen needles. The seed cones that one finds here and there are quite large!

Although I am enjoying myself here, I am always thinking of my dog Lucky back in the USA. I wish he could be enjoying the views as these dogs are.

On my return home from one of my meanderings I came upon this delightful group of boys. They were collecting some little red seed like fruits. Several of the boys were high up in the trees. They were happy to pose for me.  I was able to exchange some words in Hindi with them successfully. However, their native tongue is Kausani- a local dialect associated with their village of Kausani nearby. India has more than 22 major languages and over 700 dialects!

For my final photo today, I am happy to share the view from my room yesterday morning! The Himalayan peaks of Trishul, Mrigthuni, Maiktoli and Nanda Devi are visible. They are all around 7000 meters ( 22, 000 feet)