Day 13: In the village (04.03.2017)

At 10 o'clock we started with a private taxi to an undiscovered farming village in the mountains. With only 4 residents, it was not a metropolis, but the view was breathtaking. It is worth mentioning that the residents have been following the hipster hype for a long time and grow all their food organically according to the 'grow-it-yourself' principle. Therefore, it was not surprising that it seemed to be the same food every day. A small extra income was earned through an unguarded kiosk, where only 2 people shopped daily. The small family of four, consisting of dad, mom, 2 daughters, and a lot of livestock, warmly welcomed me and served me a Chai tea with a sugar/tea ratio of 1:1. As a sign of respect, I only sipped a few times and took every opportunity to feed the poor dehydrated plants with water and electrolytes.

Relatively quickly, I set off with 2 out of the 3 teenagers who had accompanied me from the village to a high-altitude monastery, which was a 2-hour walk away from the village. On the way up, we met another part of the extended family at about halfway who, as expected, offered me Chai tea. Unfortunately, I was under full observation, so I had to enjoy the refreshing hot drink while the outside temperature was 35°C.

Finally, when I reached the top, I took out my phone and recorded the Facebook video that was released yesterday. The view was breathtaking. In the distance, you could see more peaks of the Himalayas. The air was clear and there was complete silence. Occasionally, you could hear the annoying honking of one of the numerous Tuk-Tuks in the far distance. Upon closer inspection, you could see some rafting boats on the Ganges River at the foot of the mountain. After 30 minutes of complete silence, the two Indian teenagers noticed my camera and asked me for a few snapshots. In the next 10 minutes, I didn't know whether to cry or laugh, but see for yourself!

Back in the village in the evening, dinner was served in a traditional nativity scene manner. I should have bet on it, because it was the same as breakfast and lunch, namely bread with dal. We sat in a small cozy mud hut, about 6 sqm in size, together with a cow on 5 cm high stools. My knees still thank me for this extremely advantageous seating position today. Unfortunately, I was the only one who struggled with the stuffy air and coughed my lungs out. But apart from that, it was incredibly beautiful, cozy, and idyllic. We tried to communicate with hands and feet. When I tried to explain with pantomime that I don't understand a single word, the words were either spoken louder or pronounced slower. After a short time, I just responded to everything with a smiling nod.

So far, the night was my longest and toughest. I slept on a carpet and covered with a light cloth. It was so cold that I couldn't close my eyes. Even though I kept my clothes on, I didn't know how I was going to survive the night. Only the next morning did I sprint out of the house to welcome the first rays of sunshine. All in all, it was a very beautiful experience.