May 26, 2014 Kasol, Himachal Pradesh, India

View from My Balcony

I took the local bus south to Bhuntar, where I made my connection for Kasol in the northern part of the Parvati Valley. It is the next to last town on the road with only a few small villages to the northeast. The sign on the bus read:

33% seats for ledies (ladies)
10% seats for children under 14 yrs.
5% seats for senior citizens
NO OVERLOAD ALLOWED!

Of course, as the school children and locals from the country going to town piled onto the bus, filling all seats and cram-packed into the aisles, I was grateful for my window seat. Both the Kullu and Parvati Valleys are known for their quality marijuana, which is not the same as the wild hemp that grows along the roads and rivers. Wild roses grow everywhere, mixing white with the many shades of green. As we climbed in altitude, I spotted the snow capped Himalayan Mountains and it reminded me of the fact that with each change of towns, I was going higher in altitude. I arrived in Kasol 3.5 hrs. later.

Himalayan Mountains

I checked into the Turquoise Cafe & Lodge, which offered a nice room with a private balcony, directly above the roaring rapids of a tributary to the Parvati River. I all but lived on this balcony for 2 weeks observing the activities of the local people. The sound of the river was a constant presence and conducive to writing, relaxing, and sleeping.

Local Inhabitants

There was a small shanty town on the opposite bank of the river. I observed their lifestyle as they gathered all the plastic water bottles in huge bags, hauled them down to their "yard", crushed them, and re-bagged them for hauling to the recycling facility to sell. I find the Indian people to be very resourceful in finding ways to live when they have no resources. I often thought that a trash system would be good.  As it is, they sweep it up in the street and burn it, or dump it down the banks of the river.

Kasol is known as the well established hippie hangout of this valley. The tourists consist mainly of Israeli youth who were recently released from the army, and are ready to party. The rest were a mixture of Indian & Western tourists, and other travelers. Many days I sat at the marble top table on the balcony, listening to the river and typing. The owner of the hotel, Pratibha, and I became great friends and shared time and tea many days. We still keep in touch, but I will miss seeing her.
 

Morning Nap

The birds soared high overhead, over the tall pines in this high mountain valley. Ravens...lots of them! They kept the town picked clean of edible waste, both on land and water. Every creature has its purpose in nature.

The hiking trails were well maintained as the locals made use of them in their daily lives. As I hiked, I observed a man with a small herd of pack animals, both horses and donkeys, taking a nap under an overhanging rock; animals were tethered and pack saddles thrown aside. This was more proof of the laid back lifestyle of this forested haven.