India was so nice that I had to see it twice. On this second visit, I stayed for about three months and focused primarily on the northern part of the country. My rough itinerary began with a stop in Rishikesh, which I used as a base before heading out to the Valley of Flowers. From there, I took a flight up to Leh, where I hiked the Markha Valley Trek and summited Stok Kangri. Next, I traveled down to Manali and then on to the geographically fascinating Shimla – a town perched on a mountaintop that served as the former summer capital of British India. From there I took the train to Chandigarh, then on to Haridwar, followed by the source of the Ganges trek, before I returned to Rishikesh. Next, I flew to Amritsar to check out the famous Sikh Golden Temple and the flamboyant border ceremony between India and Pakistan. After that, I headed to the mountainous Dharamshala, the home of the Dalai Lama, before returning to Amritsar one last time. During my arrival by bus to Amritsar the first time I decided to walk to my hostel and enjoy the sights and sounds of a new city. A young German man who had been on the bus asked if he could walk with me, as we were both headed in the direction of the Golden Temple. As we walked he opened up and revealed a terrifying story about his arrival to India, when he was befriended by some locals, went out drinking, and then next thing he knew he woke up at a train station and all his things were stolen. Apparently he had been drugged. Despite that horrifying experience he seemed to be in good spirits and I was glad to provide some friendly companionship and conversation for a few miles. I asked if he wanted to join me at the hostel or get food, but he decided to carry on to the temple and we parted ways. Experiences like his reminds me that it can be easy to fall into the intoxication (no pun intended) of travel and new experiences. While it’s important to be open to new things, that’s sort of the point, it never hurts to have a little bit of a guard up – some form of ‘trust, but verify’. After Amritsar, I traveled to Delhi for my flight to Thailand. This second trip had a much more laid-back feeling than my first, during which I spent most of my time in the bigger cities. While the Himalayas still have their populous places, they offered a completely different vibe. India truly has a lot of natural beauty to offer and much quieter pace if you seek it out.
