Love at first sight...

So.... I'm in love. And I finally understand that feeling that you can't quite explain that sweeps you off your feet and before you know it, you've given away a piece of your heart that you will never get back... because you'll never ask for it. I've fallen in love with a tiny village carved out of the side of a mountain called Darjeeling. Its the most beautiful place I've ever seen. Thursday night we took the train overnight to the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains. Then we piled into a massive Jeep for a ride that would take us 3 hours of climbing up steep, windy roads, past forests and towns of brightly colored bungalows, windowboxes full of colorful flowers, and waterfalls coming out of the cliffs. We kept climbing till we could see the whole valley, green and glowing, stretched out beneath us. Then we climbed higher still til the only thing we could see was the white mist of clouds that surrounded us. (Anyone who went to Nigeria, just imagine the road up to the Jos Plateau, only for 3 times as long and the road never levels out at the end... oh yeah, and with a much more conservative driver!) Every time we thought we must have reached the top of the mountain, we rounded yet another bend to go higher still. Finally we reached the most picturesque town- it's so quaint and pretty and the view... well the view is just to die for (as well you might, were you unfortunate enough to have a reckless driver on the way up...) And it's all carved out of the side of this mountain- nearly unimaginable that anyone would choose to settle here, and yet I'm so glad they did so I could come and visit! (Anyone from Nyack, take the steepest hills in town, replicate them, and then put them all in one town- you want to talk about walking uphill anywhere you need to go!) The Indians here look almost Asian- we are close to the Nepalese border, but it is so much more of a country atmosphere. No one hassles you or is uptight, people walk very slowly- the city/country mentality is the same wherever you go! Everything shuts down shortly after 9 pm (almost like being back in PA!) but it is nice to have some peace and quiet and be out of the city for a while. I will post pictures as soon as possible, but I can already tell you they will never do it justice- the way the clouds rise up out of the valley before your eyes and enshroud the town in their mist, cloaking it in white as far as the eye can see, almost tucking it in for the night; and yet knowing that beyond that veil lies a panorama that will make your heart race.... sigh... you'll just have to see it for yourself.
From Darjeeling,
Karin


(p.s. the only thing funny and rather unfortunate about this: I hate the tea!!!!)