Crystal and Clinton in India

Greetings friends and family! We are still alive and doing (fairly) well. We are learning to adapt to changing circumstances. We went on our big trip to the nomad festival lakes high up in the Himalayas on Friday, but Crystal started to show signs of acute pulmonary edema (serious altitude sickness) so we came right back down the next day. All is well now, so don't worry!

Clinton witnessed a major donkey fight today, and Crystal had quite the cross-cultural experience in a "nail salon". We are going to attend a local festival for the Dalai Lama's birthday tomorrow, go to a day-long meditation workshop the next day, and then start our long journey home. We love India even with its charming peculiarities and do hope to come back again soon! Still, we look forward to being home in Durham (near sea level!!!!) Bye for now.

Clinton and I have spent 4 amazing days in Manali, India in the state of Himeshal Pradesh. It is difficult to explain what a unique and odd sort of Eden this place is! Heavily forested mountains, rivers of crystal-blue snow melt tumbling over boulders and Tibetan locals in brightly colored wool and weathered brown skin carrying impossible basket-loads of fruit up the dirt paths. Generations of Western hippies have left their legacy of homemade muesli and creative fresh juice concoctions on the local cuisine. We've been enjoying fresh trout fish and fresh fruit and Nutella pancakes! Today I swung in a hammock while sipping fresh apple juice from the nearby orchards with the snow-capped Himalayan peaks all around me, listening to cow bells as the herds ambled up the hill. We also did an awesome yoga class this morning.

Good morning from Old Manali! Clinton and I were just in a small cafe eating prantha and drinking chai for breakfast when an enormous shaggy beast walked by on the street. He had a saddle and bells on. Looked like something out of Star Wars. We are off to get some warm clothes from Ladakh (northern region of India where we'll be camping later this week) and find out where to paraglide. Later!

So much to blog about! We don't have a lot of time online, but here are a few highlights from the past 6 days.

• Clinton achieved his life-long goal of touching a monkey. In addition, a curious monkey leapt on his back, grabbed his nerd-strap on his glasses, and leapt off, nearly giving both of us a heart-attack. 
• The overnight train ride from Mumbai to Delhi was amazing and was perhaps the best transportation experience either of us has ever had. 
• Constant snacks, meals, and tea combined with sleeping to the rumble of a train make for a great ride. 
• Chai masala! We have had possibly 100 cups already and can't get enough. 
• The amazing views from all over Himachal Pradesh. We have never seen such beautiful mountains and valleys. The narrow roads hug the mountain sides and the buses careen around them at high speeds, making for an adrenaline-filled experience. 
• Finding a secluded rural Hindu temple and being welcomed by the old temple keeper even though we didn't know what to do. He showed us how to pay our respects to the god in the shrine and gave us orange paste marks on our foreheads. 
• We are having a great time eating the food. We are ordering things off the menu even though we don't know what they are and have loved every meal. Prantha with local cheese and butter is the best breakfast food ever! 
• We have learned how to get around on local buses like pros, even during rush hour when we are squeezed in with 100 other people. 

Old Manali is a real discovery. It's heavily forested and surrounded by fruit orchards, but its narrow streets are filled with young people and old hippies from all around the globe, and there are shops and restaurants catering to all their desires. Tonight, we had pizza and fresh juice at "Shesh Besh Fresh 'n' Funky."

Racing about the house doing last minute tasks and getting the teeny backpack ready for the airport this morning! Clinton is so excited he is nauseous. It is also (finally) starting to sink in for me that I am about to be on a grand adventure.