I want to take you higher

Up to the Himalayas.
Where to begin when what I want to describe is still shifting in kaleidoscopic visions behind my eyes, and hard for even me to make sense of.

Jonathan and I woke bright and early to 6am sunshine just licking the tops of the picturesque mountain ranges outside our guesthouse window. Our room view alone was enough to make me crave high altitude views on a regular basis. We went out into the brisk morning ready for adventure. We took a quick and easy rickshaw ride to Manali proper {we are staying in Vashist} to meet our new friends, Dan and Alenka, whom live in Slovenia and came to India for a quick 3 weeks, where we waited for our driver to come and pick us up. To get up high around here, you need to rent a car and a driver, as the trek up is no easy feat.

The four of us piled into our massive jeep/land cruiser and off we went. The ride up and up and up took about 2 hours. Two wildly bumpy, roller coaster galore, rainbow streaked hours. I thought I had bounced around a lot on the bus to Manali, but this ride gave me a six pack. My abs were contracting with every bump and dip in the under loved road. Some of the way was paved..poorly, with pot holes and landslide remnants, and some was pure gravel madness. It was a if I was sitting on a trampoline that was manipulated by a very large person, resulting in my lithe being flopping all over the place!

As we zigzagged higher and higher the view just got more and more overwhelmingly gorgeous. We must have seen dozens of waterfalls spouting white capped water and glistening red orange yellow green blue and purple streaks. The pine trees and other foliage clinging to the mountains side and over taking valleys were colossal and breathtaking. For the most part the rode up was big enough for 1 car only. There were many moments when our car had to leer to the side, grazing the very edge of the road to let a giant bus or truck pass going in the opposite direction. This ride is certainly not for the faint of heart or stomach. Luckily we had good conversation to help keep the focus and keep the never ending nausea trapped inside our bodies!!

Once up top, and after our first few gasps of thinned out air we slowly, and I mean slowly went on a 2 hour hike as far as our lungs and legs would take us. The pace we were moving was extra strange for me, since I am used to working it out and being a fast walker. Up here though, every step is like lifting your leg with weights strapped to it. The temperature this high up is also very intense. The wind was whipping my delicate skin, and numbed out my fingers quite easily. It was cold to say the least. On our ride up we had seen many stands renting the most horrible faux fur coats. Ankle length, teal blue, ruddy brown, faux fur. Akin to Burningman faux furrie looks that are so too featured in Black Rock City, and are completely hideous, AND that I despise!!!! I was glad to at least have on a hoodie, jeans, sneaks, my sunhat, and a scarf. I could have gone for another layer, but the furry look was out for me!!! The sun is also no joke when you are that high up. Many of the locals, including our driver now have permanent discoloration and a leathery texture to their skin from the wind and sun.

The exhaulted feeling of being on one of the tip tops of the world though, is worth every wind chill, and bump to get up there. About 1/2 way through the ride up we passed the tree line, and at the extent of our hike we were facing snow capped mountain peaks that reach to other galaxy's above and beyond us. There are also many prayer flag art pieces, as I like to think of them. The sound of the wind flapping through multi colored flags preserving and shedding good fortune and all things lovely was awe inspiring. I really wanted to wrap myself up in the flags like a web of magic, but that would have just been inappropriate...ztztzz.

The Serenity and overall feeling of being alive is so omnipresent. Every strained breath reminds you that you are alive, and that this earth is bigger than you on so many levels.

All the drama it took to get here was worth it.

xoxooxox
Alicia Claire