Off the Grid in India

I wasn't sure how to begin writing and sharing about pictures about India. India, for me, was such an incredible place. I loved India immensely. And, more than anywhere else I've been - I want to return. In fact, I would like to find a way to go every year for as long as I live. This trip that I recently returned from was two and half months in the North of India and I still feel like I barely scratched the surface. I didn't have a plan - other than to travel with an open mind and heart and to go North. I didn't know how far North or where in the North I just knew I wanted to be in the mountains. So I arrived in Delhi and immediately left. I guess I also knew I didn't want to be in any large cities. I spent 15 minutes in Delhi and that was at a bus station making a transfer. I will return to India and there will be opportunities to visit Delhi, but not on this trip. The stories are endless and still unraveling themselves to me. On this blog, I'll share snippets that have some food involved but, if your interested in hearing more or sharing your own stories of India, maybe one day we'll meet and talk and person. For now - here I go...

Upon arriving at New Delhi airport, I high tailed it to the bus station and hopped on a bus headed north. A nice young man sat next to me named Anu (he is in the one with the bright smile, in the front, in the picture above). It turned out he was going North too - to a small town - to visit his family. He invited me along and I joined. So after a 12 hour bus ride that was mind numbing and well numbing all around (I was sitting crouched next to some live stock) we arrived at Anu's cousins and sister's home (pictured above). Anu's cousin quickly prepared a nice meal that we all shared on their bed. This was my first meal in India. We had grilled corn which brought back fond memories of Ghana...

 ...and cucumber with cayenne pepper sprinkled on it - YUM!

....and chapati. Chapati I would have every night for the next 2.5 months.

Anu was a journey that I only learned about in our last hour together. He was meeting his fiance..for the first time. She was sweet and lovely and met us at the bus station. So this was the first time they met.

I didn't want to intrude on what is essentially their first date, even though they will soon be married - but they insisted I join them as they went to a temple, so I was the third wheel. Although they were both very shy around each other so I did most the talking.

Then...I went further into the mountains.