luang prabang.

the hills and clouds of a summer in laos.

after a very windy bus ride - during which a tiny laos woman continuously vomited so very quietly, so very politely, into a paper bag next to india - bryn & india arrived in luang prabang. knowing very little about the place, they had borrowed a lonely planet guide from a british couple on the bus and had scribbled down some suggestions in to their notebooks. they headed towards the main stretch of street, th sakkarin, and dipped into a few guest houses before finally deciding on one for 40,000 kip (or about five u.s. dollars) owned by a sweet single mother and her three children. retrospectively, bryn & india are still amazed by this: for a mere five dollars a night, they slept in a clean room with a ceiling fan, a strong shower, a television equipped with cnn and bbc, and were greeted each morning by a smiling and fussing family who offered sturdy umbrellas and cheap laundry service. incredible.

luang prabang was the first part of laos that bryn & india were able to truly feel the french influence on the country. the buildings resembled those in the french quarter of new orleans - skinny balconies, bright wooden shutters over every window, tall double doors leading into grand entry ways. the food was seafood with french flair; delicious buttery white fish caught fresh from the mekong river that wound its way around the peninsula city. the wine was warm and fruity. the weather was sticky. and the art was detailed and bright. bryn & india immediately fell in love with luang prabang.

wine and fish on the french boulevard. 

their days were spent roaming the tiny town, dipping into dozens of buddhist temples that dotted the emerald and sand colored city. the details of wat xieng thong particularly spoke to them; each hand painted wall showed pictorial stories of the history of both the religion and the city. the open air gardens smelled of the fresh river that flowed around it and smokey incense that was pitched tall in each temple. the mornings were spent in a discovered coffee shop, saffron, founded and owned by a northwest native. he had single handedly replaced the opium fields with coffee fields and was buying exclusively from the laoian plantations he had helped facilitate around luang prabang. the afternoons were spent swimming in waterfalls with new friends, ankles nibbled at by tiny biting fish. bryn was taught how to properly rope swing into the watery abyss while india remained in the sun, nursing her fish bitten feet. evenings, the two ate the most delicious mekong fish they could find - each restaurant grilling butter and herbs on fire fueled grills on the sidewalk. after, full and tipsy, bryn would barter hard for hand painted art and silk bedding in the night market - the best that they found in all of asia.

an interior of a temple in wat xieng thong.

mingling with the locals.

french boules played next to the mekong.

practicing meditation.

bryn learns to rope swing properly.

afternoons at the waterfall.

 after a slow week of quiet days, writing and reading and lounging and exploring, practicing their french and avoiding the night monsoons, bryn & india discussed their next move. back to thailand and trek the north? head south to cambodia and find ankor wat? spontaneously, the two booked a flight from the tiny luang prabang airport headed for hanoi, vietnam in hopes of finding hot bowls of pho and some scuba friendly beaches.

the most beautiful airport she'd ever seen.

vang vieng.

after a boat from koh tao to the mainland, a luxury bus to bangkok, a sleeper bus through the north of thailand, a stopover at the laos border for visas and fees, and a public bus up through the mountains, india & bryn arrived at their first official stop in laos: vang vieng.

boats on the nam song river in vang vieng.

here is must be said: vang vieng is exactly what you think it's going to be. like shasta lake on memorial day weekend, or vegas on new years eve, vang vieng is a non stop party, a rustic disneyland-like natural adventure park for twenty something travelers. it is, truly, a different world.

bryn & india arrived knowing very little about vang vieng other than it being party central. the majority of what the knew sounded like an urban legend: rope swings over rivers, homebrewed booze flowing, loas hospitality bursting at every open cafe, each equipped with old televisions that blared fuzzy viewings of your favorite american sitcoms.

turns out, that's exactly what it was.

making friends with the livestock on the side of the road.

bryn & india were dropped off in the middle of the six block stretch of road that made up vang vieng. they walked three yards to the first hotel and booked a space - a creaky corner room with big windows and a lavatory that held the toilet in the very middle of the tiled room. they paid about 50,000 kip (or 6 u.s. dollars) a night, and were pressed to take off their shoes at the entrance, as keeping the floors clean kept the maids happy.

after a breakfast at one of the dozen cafes on the street, bryn & india followed the small but steady crowd of white tourists to the rent-a-tube station in the center of town. here, they paid 8,000 kip each (or about 10 u.s. dollars) to rent an industrial sized black rubber inner tube and hitch a ride in a crowded truck towards the start of the float. perhaps two miles up river, bryn & india were dropped on a muddy bank among a thick green jungle, and dove into the rushing brown river.

tubing is for lovers #1

tubing is for lovers #2

because this is why tourists come to vang vieng: about ten years ago, a pair of australian boys (or british? or american? is it urban legend?) came to vang vieng and saw the potential of it. it was a tiny native community with zero tourists but beautiful scenery - and a river perfect for tubing to boot. they built a river side bar where inner tubes were rented out and the rest was history. today, about two dozen bars dot both sides of the murky river for about a five mile stretch. some have rope swings, or gigantic slides, that will push you back in to the water after a few beers, a few shots. some will hand you a pre-rolled cigarette filled with dry marijuana if you purchase a fifty cent beer. whichever ones you stop at, you'll meet friends and have fun. (though favorites are inevitable: bryn & india were fond of rope swings, power slide, and 'slingshot bar'.)

beer pong at the first annual 'tubefest' on the nam song river.

one of the many rope swings.

the rope swing before an impressive cannonball.

team u.s.a. - clearly a dominating force.

two days of tubing left the pair exhausted. beer pong tournaments, shared shots of warm liquor, countless jumps from the rope swing, high fives between new friends, buddhist blessings for safety in the form of colorful bracelets.

for a brief moment, after making friends with a brit who had been there for months, india & bryn entertained the idea of staying in vang vien. work in my bar! i'll pay you in room and board, and you'll drink whatever you like, whenever you like. but as the liquor wore off, the charm wore off, and as gorgeous as the surrounding jutting mountains were, bryn & india left on their third morning, exhausted by the tourists and the alcohol.

view from the pitstop on the bumpy bus into laos.

koh tao.

after a long night celebrating the full moon on koh pha ngan, bryn & india and their friends zach, tracey and aric returned to their hotel on the next island over, koh samui. exhausted but determined, the five celebrated a crazy last night together on the island before all parting ways the next day. tracey and aric headed up back to bangkok to catch their flight back home to toronto. zach was also homeward bound; he hopped a ferry south to phuket and then on to sydney. bryn & india, ready for a serious detox, headed north through the bay of thailand to the warm island of koh tao. 

on the ferry over, boys bombarded them with pamphlets for different scuba resorts, packages of hotel rooms, scuba lessons, and breakfast options. but india & bryn were determined to learn at ban's resort, a scuba resort recommended to them by their friends liana and tristan and recently visited by tracey and aric. both teams had nothing but good things to say – so, upon docking, bryn & india jumped in the back of a pick up truck with a bright yellow ban's scrawled on the side, and set off for the beach.

mango smoothies on koh tao.

ban's was like disneyland – a picture perfect paved village in the edge of the small island. there was restaurants with traditional thai and overpriced americana cuisine. there were movie nights and glow parties at the bar. there was a 24 hour mini mart that sold grilled cheese and 20 oz. chang beers. everyone was barefoot, most were shirtless. everyone was tan and crunchy from the saltwater. and everyone was happy. the pools were filled with laughing and the staff at the bar poured shots for themselves when you bought one for your friend. bryn & idia were happy. they signed up for a three day open water diving course.

winding paths cut through ban's lush gardens.

their diving instructors, jimmy and jessie, were from ireland and england, respectively, and took bryn & india, and their 11 other classmates with patience and encouragement. after a classroom session and a night of homework, bryn & india took to the water immediately, and passed their water certification easily. they swam with schools of orange clownfish and pairs of bright butterfly fish. after five dives, the class took their final written exam, all passed, and celebrated by having a long night of partying on the beach.

staying warm on the boat after a stormy afternoon dive.

the beach at ban's lights up at night.

over their three day open water course, bryn & india got to know a nice irish boy named A who had been living in koh tao studying to be a diving instructor. after months of the island life, he had grown tired of it and had decided to move back to the u.k. it was his last week on the island and with his encouragement, and the promise to be their diving partner again, bryn & india signed up for the two day advanced open water diving course.

the next two days, bryn & india were spent back on the boat in rocky waters. the sun had given way to monsoon season, but under the water, bryn & india could have cared less. they swam 30 meters deep, did a night dive using only flashlights to see, and dove guideless, just the two of them, floating in the underwater world. it was a surreal and wonderful feeling; breathing underwater, swimming so deep you couldn't tell up from down, was like being the most alive you've ever felt while totally disconnected from the world.

two days more of that, of movie viewings on projection screens, of fresh mango smoothies and coconut milk curries, of nighttimes walk with A, and they never wanted to leave.

scuba is sexy.

india and a: ah! real monsters. 

unfortunately, bryn & india's 30 day tourist visa they had received when they flew into thailand was about to expire. and to renew a short term tourist visa in thailand, you needed to leave the country and re-enter. so bryn & india kissed their friend A goodbye, swam in the warm turquoise waters around koh tao one last time, and headed back to bangkok where they boarded a bus bound north for laos.

on koh tao, the bartenders pass out condoms with the drinks.

koh pha ngan.

full moon is an experience.

highlights of our party included the following:

1. an afternoon spent swimming in the hot water of the ocean with tracey and aric, their tans set in to a burnt marshmellow coloring.
2. drinking whiskey out of sturdy blue plastic cups as the sun set.
3. watching thai boys poi and juggle with burning instruments, their hands seeming to fly with fire.
4. painting their bare feet and faces with glow in the dark paint; everyone's feet showed glowing bones of their skeletons.
5. the whole beach being filled with people of every color, age, shape, nationality, humor, personality, scent.
6. house music. everywhere. forever.
7. rain storms in the middle of night night, short bursts of hiding from the pounding water under flimsy umbrellas.
8. morning arriving, the dim light purpling the sky, at six in the morning.
9. falling asleep on the five dollar speed boat ride back to koh samui at seven in the morning.
10. very few photos.

#1.

#2.

#3.

koh samui.

searching for monkeys in krabi.

koh samui, the biggest of the three coastal islands in the gulf of thailand, beckoned bryn, india & their friend zach for a few reasons. first, they had been promised elephants. secondly, bryn & india were excited to reconnect with their friends tracey and aric whom they had met a few weeks before in krabi. and thirdly, koh samui would be the groups base camp for the epic journey to the island of koh pha ngan for the full moon party at the end of the month.

bryn, india & zach rode a large ferry into the port of koh samui, playing card games and drinking coconut water. after finding a map and reorienting themselves, the group strapped their backpacks to the top of a pick up truck and hopped in the back, speeding along to the hotel that they had previously booked. walking into the lobby of the chaweng lakeview condotel, the three whirled. a sky blue pool surrounded by flowering trees. a collection of couches overlooking the nearby lake. when they were shown to their room, the three knew they had found the best deal on the island. the apartment was gigantic; a full kitchen, a large balcony, towels folded like swans on the bed. the owners were bubbly, fussing over the group, bringing up an extra bed and chair for zach, making sure we felt as at home as possible. india blushed over all the attention. the three felt like movie stars.

that night, the three explored their neighborhood, a stretch of road that curved around the lake. they stopped in the sole second hand shoe shop on the island; rows and rows of leather cowboy boots and dusty adidas charmed them. they ate at a korean grill, where vegetables were thrown into a pot of boiling savory liquid and cooked fresh soup at their table. and they found a bowling alley, where they bought a tower of chang beer and india beat both the boys. (that's... a lie.)

        

great form, sir.

india upon defeat.

the next morning, bryn, india and zach took a long stroll towards chaweng, the long stretch of white sand beach, to find a rent-a-scooter shop. when they found one, bryn was reminded of renting a scooter in goa in india: no drivers license check, no 'have you driven one of these before?' unfortunately, the group learned the importance of practice as, minutes later, vroom vrooming down the street, zach's wheels got caught in a rut and he was thrown from the scooter.

here was a moment in which everything could have gone wrong - and the thai people made everything right. immediately swooping around to tend to their friend, bryn & india were already moments too late as a group of shopkeepers had come rushing into the street as soon as they saw zach fall, roll his scooter up into their shops, assist him into a chair, tend to his cuts with neosporin and band aids, and forced two bottles of water in him. so often these guys must see tourists without the proper skills renting scooters and jumping on, you would think they would be sick of saving them! but these study and sweet thai men took such good care of zach, the group left them feeling relieved.

the traveling trio poses on a break from the scooters.

india took over the scooter and the three zoomed around all day, discovering rolling hills dotted with palm trees and shops set up along the deserted dirt roads selling fresh tropical produce. india grabbed some mushrooms, peppers, and spices and the three went back to their hotel where they cooked up a delicious noodle soup in the kitchen in their room.

that night, bryn & india's friends tracey and aric (from toronto, who they met in krabi) showed up and the group headed off on their scooters in search of an interesting bar. down a sketchy alley in a dark area of koh samui, the group found an open air bar owned by a sweet british guy and his thai wife, who served them cold beers and rolled them harsh cigarettes and talked with the group over pool for hours.

the next few days with the five friends on koh samui were spent on the scooters. zach quickly gained his confidence back and tackled the rough road. the group rode a gigantic elephant, through the jungle of palm trees, taking turns riding the elephant's neck. after their ride, they fed her gigantic sugar cane stalks and whole bananas and pet her trunk and gushed over how gorgeous the 47 year old elephant was. the group hiked some lush mountains alongside beautiful crisp cold creeks, perfect for swimming. they visited big buddah, a giantic gold homage to the god, surrounded entirely by water, where they got caught in a rainstorm and was forced to wait it out in a rickety cafe with wooden shutters. they lounged on the beach, populated with henna artists and volley ball courts. they ate bowls thick with spicy noodles and drank snowy glasses filled with cold thai beer.

channeling the jungle book.

our elephant was as old as the hills.

warm hikes and waterbugs.

after a few days in the very modern jungle island, the group began to prepare for their next big adventure: the full moon party on koh phangan.

koh phi phi.

after a long journey that included a nauseous ferry ride, a quick sleep back in krabi, a van ride, a bus ride, and another ferry trip, bryn & india and their travel buddy zach arrived into the turquoise waters that surrounded koh phi phi, an island in the south china sea that is often called thailand's most beautiful southern island.

the three amigos understood why immediately.

sunset on koh phi phi.

the small island was surrounded by lush green forests that crawled up into the center where a short hill stood overlooking the town. the town itself, one of skinny sand covered roads that allowed only pedestrians and bicyclists, was big enough to cover on foot in ten minutes. with barely any enclosed buildings, the town of phi phi looked and felt more like an open air market than an actual city. grocery stores resembled the dioramas you made in elementary school - a ceiling and three walls with the forth torn away so one can stare in and observe it all. the boutiques and scuba shops were concrete walls with tarped ceilings. and the restaurants never closed - because none of them had doors. zach and bryn & india walked through the curving alleys for ten minutes before they found a cheap guest room with big beds for 200 baht a night, dropped their bags, and headed off to find lunch.

with the recommendation of their friends liana & tristan in mind, the three oregon friends wandered until they found breakers bar, a wood paneled, picnic bench filled, beers-on-tap restaurant that was opened by two portland boys. covering the walls were oregon license plates, pictures of autzen stadium, and plenty of university of oregon memorabilia. after almost six months of traveling, india & bryn felt like they had arrived home. pineapple chicken and pints were consumed and, feeling very northwest and very full, the three walked down to the beach.

only zach and bryn are allowed to park in breakers.

as the sun set pink over the water, the three waded out into the bay. the ocean was so still, so protected from wind because of the curving mountains, that the group felt like they were swimming in a giant jacuzzi. when the night had finally set in, bryn, india & zach dressed and positioned themselves on low leaning chairs at the front of a bar. stomachs still weak from the previous days food poisoning, india and bryn opted to share a sweet smelling hookah while zach sipped bright girly drinks. india was taught to poi by a dreaded thai boy, and zach got drunk and lost in a game of musical chairs.

poi is the new juggling.

early the next day, the three joined a crew of fellow tourists for a boat tour of the island. the three made friends with an older couple from toronto who admired india's trailblazers jersey and the group sucked on pineapple and watermelon in a longtail piloted by a man who spoke no english whatsoever. every thirty minutes, the boat would stop, the driver would spread his arms wide over the water, and the five adventurers would don flippers and masks and jump into the water. they swam over shallow coral reefs, dodged cloudy jellyfish, and searched endlessly for a turtle. exhausted after three snorkel stops, their driver found an empty stretch of beach, and handed out styrofoam bowls packed with luke warm fried rice. india sunbathed, zach and bryn played cards. they played with monkeys. at the end of the day, their driver pulled them into maya bay, a part of the island hidden from the oceans view where leonardo dicaprio filmed 'the beach'. the three watched their driver catch a baby shark with his bare hands and swam and swam and swam. back to the dock by six pm, sunburned and sleepy, the group took turns showering before returning to breakers bar for another taste of home.

sunburned and happy.

the walk to maya bay.

snorkeling superstars.

maya bay - there's leo! look! right there!

that night, the three slept on top of the sheets with the fans on their faces. the next morning, they returned to the pier, bought bracelets and shared dragonfruits and boarded a boat bound for the mainland.

true luvz xxx.

krabi.

a coddle fish on the beach in krabi.

arriving on the andaman sea as the sun rose over the aqua ocean in thailand woke bryn & india up bright and early. as their bus zoomed along the coast line, the two kept their noses pressed against the glass in awe. in the same way that bangkok had wowed them with it's modern atmosphere and traditional people, the southern coast sparkled their eyes open and kept them that way until the bus finally stopped at an empty roadside cafe on the edge of krabi town. here, bryn & india hopped off the bus, grabbed their bags, and hailed a cab to the hotel that they had prebooked on the internet.

after twenty minutes of winding through coconut tree forests, passing remote open air restaurants facing the water, and families crowded onto smoking motor scooters, bryn & india were dropped off in front of the krabi tropical beach resort. is this right? their driver asked. bryn turned to the sign welcoming a misspelled mr. little and guest. oh yes, bryn said. this is it.

despite their early hour of arrival, bryn & india were immediately assured into their swanky room where they admired the towels folded in the shape of swans, tried on their terrycloth bathrobes and slippers, and bounced on the bed before donning their bathing suits and heading down to the pool.

the pool at krabi tropical beach resort.

bryn & india's first afternoon on the beaches of thailand was spent just like that: on the beach. the two swam in the pool, walked along the water, watched the longboats float out into the distance, their pilots off to catch dinner for their restaurants and their families. they sipped fruity cocktails and made friends with the few other guests at their hotel and, after bryn had properly scorched his freckled pale skin in the sun, the two showered, dressed, and began the walk to ao nang beach, the most frequently visited stretch of sand in krabi.

when bryn & india got there, they understood why.

the boardwalk at ao nang was a bizarre mix of international corporate fast food joints next to literal hole-in-the-wall bars manned by a teenage thai boy with a cooler full of chang beer. the small town feel mixed with the familiar sight of a starbucks reminded india of seaside, oregon. but, you know, totally tropical. the two walked hand in hand along the beach, dipping their toes in an ocean for the first time since goa, and felt comforted by being back on a coast again. they walked and walked until the beach ended against a steep brushy hill. here hung a sign warned against the feeding of monkeys. what monkeys? india wondered aloud. and then they saw.

across a wooden step bridge that hung over a small tributary hung a colony of lanky, chattering sand-colored monkeys, beckoning bryn over to them. hesitant at first, bryn was soon in the thick of things, the monkeys pulling at his thumbs with their tiny fingers, dangling from his hands, crawling up his arms and onto his head, preening his thick hair, kissing his sun burned ears. these were so unlike the growling territorial monkeys of india! the little guys of ao nang craved your attention and were shameless in their attempts to get it fully. for an hour, bryn & india sat in the setting sunlight with monkeys crawling all over them.

fighting over bryn.

mr. monkey man.

that night, bryn & india shared chips and salsa and a half dozen games of backgammon at a mexican restaurant on the beach called 'crazy gringos.' and after three strawberry margaritas each, that's exactly what bryn & india became. they crawled into bed that night in their fancy bathrobes and slept for 12 hours straight.

the next morning was cloudy but warm, and bryn & india put on their bathing suits for breakfast down in the hotel cafe. after munching on sliced dragon fruit and poached eggs, the two were approached by a blond and bronzed young couple in search of some coffee. aric & tracey were (like bryn & india's favorite travel partners in india, randy & avi) from toronto. after working in surfer's paradise in australia for three months, the two had flown to thailand for some asian travel before heading back home in the fall for graduate school. bryn & india immediately took a liking to these talkative canadians with matching stretched smiles. the four decided to adventure together for the day and, after breakfast, the four headed down the street to a pier where they rode a longtail for twenty minutes to the hidden beach of railay.

after being shoved off the boat into two feet of glass colored water, tracey, aric, bryn & india made their way through a sort of tunnel carved out of the rising limestone mountains. winding along the path, they were spit out into a curved bay protected from the wind by towering mountains on either side. here, thai women spread out coolers of beer, 20 baht a can, and set up table top barbecues that grilled citrus drenched shrimp and buttery corn. the four sat in the sand, sharing changs and leos, dipping into the wavy ocean, watching the tide roll in.

schmoozing on railay beach.

after soaking up the best sun they could through the fluffy gray clouds, bryn & india and their new friends waited patiently for a longtail driver to give them a ride back to ao nang. the thai people are a relaxed people. in thailand, with the small waves rolling and slow cooking food smoking around their feet, the pilots of the skinny wooden boats found no rush to leave the hidden coves of railay. after an hour of digging their feet into the cool sand beside the pier, the four were finally ushered into a boat and zoomed through the water to ao nang. here, still covered in sand with damp hair, the four found a happy hour and shared 'buckets' of gin and tonics. a few hours and a few drinks later, aric and tracey bumped into two british boys who they had met earlier in their thai adventure, and the six of them found an open air bar with a pool table where they made friends over drinking games which, in turn, gave tracey and india the confidence to take off into the dark ocean in the late night for a midnight swim. the evening concluded with india (in a burger king crown) dancing to four thai boys performing aggressive american classic rock songs in a dingy dive bar.

new friends share buckets.

bryn & india spent their last day in krabi lounging by the pool, reading their novels, making friends with their hotels employees. after saying goodbye to tracey and aric and promising to meet up the following week for the full moon party, the sun came out and prompted a series of death-defying launchings of india off of bryn's shoulders in the pool. more fruit salads, more sweet cocktails, and an impromptu viewing of a 'hot tub time machine' dvd purchased bootleg on the side of the street is how bryn & india recovered from their krabi party night.

early the next morning, the two set off on their first thai public bus ride over to the island of phuket.

the parvati valley.

a winding ride through the forest along the parvati river brought the group to a small town named kasol. the group hopped out of the jam packed jeep - feeling a little nauseous- in a ghost of a town at five in the morning. kasol was empty and no guest houses seemed to welcome the five-some. at least the rasta making beauty salon was open... "i don't need a got damn weave, i need a bed," explained bryn, as the group marched on across a bridge over one of the small tributaries into the parvati river and up a hill to find a guest house overlooking the city and river.

after slurping up some tea, taking in the views and finding a new puppy dog companion at guesthouse pick number one, india, randy & avi headed off to find something more reasonably priced, while jose and bryn napped. pick number two was considerably cheaper due to the shared bathroom & shower. since hot water flowed in the plenty from the shared shower head, the group was more then happy to pay the lesser price and stay at a homey guest house owned by a single indian mother of two who brewed fresh chai every morning for the group of backpackers who kicked it on the porch reading, smoking & playing music. the guest house had history and tradition, as seen on the walls scattered with retro pictures of large groups of israelis, american's, indians, and canadians hippying out in the valley that is parvati valley.

it should be said before the group continues their adventures in the small villages throughout parvati valley that the area is known far and wide for their mass production of "charas" or hashish. and as the group marched along the trails and rivers edges they couldn't go five feet without finding a fresh cannabis plant growing or hindu babas smoking the hashish that is widely known as the best in india.

the first day the group familiarized themselves with the town, eating at a few local restaurants, bargaining with street vendors, and avoiding the rain by playing cards inside a great little place with floor seating called greenhouse. greenhouse played a wide variety of music with the only similarity being the extremely sexually explicit lyrics. the group left the greenhouse giggling like fifth graders learning sex ed. slowly discovering that the parvati valley just might be one of their favorite stops in india.

that night the group hiked across the sketch suspension bridge over the raging river, all silently worrying about the bridge collapsing and being swept away by the tears of shiva that sped underneath their feet. with small flashlights, they continued along down the river towards the loud sound of trance music playing on a nearby hilltop. there, they hiked up to find a large tent cafe packed with young indians & foreigners; always a great combo. the group sat down with three indians in their early twenties from kashmir and the two groups got to know each other. each sharing knowledge of their respective lands, the five-some listened intently about kashmir and leh, as they all planned on going further north to visit these interesting areas filled with conflict. soon, the once welcomed trance music became unbearably loud and put an end to any conversation, so the five-some decided to find a different venue.

the next day, while walking through the city after lunch, randy and avi spotted their sadu baba friend who they had met in rishikesh. this specific baba had been honoring a vow of silence when they first crossed paths, so naturally they were very excited to learn that he was now speaking. and in decent english. the group was invited by the baba to come down to a special area that he and other spiritual figures spend their time eating, smoking and praying. so the group made their way off the trail, to a place that was mysteriously described to them as a 'cave near the river.' upon their arrival they found just that; a large, self cemented ground outside of a small cave about 20 paces away from the rushing river. the baba greeted them with open arms, a smile and a full chillum. they all sat in a circle, talked, and randy even indulged in the questionable looking tea brewing over the open flame. after they were all comfortable, the baba showed each of them around the small cave and the shrine inside. meeting many new indian friends and speaking the most broken of english, the group headed back to town, satisfied with another wonderful indian experience.

the rest of the time spent in kasol was filled with eating, drinking, world cup football, and a whole lot of swimming in freezing cold rivers and basking in the sun when it showed itself. the group hiked up the river one day to find a nice little spot to lay out in the rays, read, and hollow out coconut bowls. avi and bryn plunged into the icy, fast moving water, fighting their way against the strong river as if attempting to conquer mother nature herself.

at the end of their last day in kasol, the group arrived back at their guest house surprised to find streamers, music, & dancing... an indian birthday party! their host's little nephew was celebrating his seventh birthday and they pulled out all the stops. the kids were having a blast and loved seeing foreigners file through.

although kasol was the main town in the parvati valley, the group had heard it was far from the best. and after getting their fill of kasol, the group left the bulk of their bags at the guest house, keeping the rooms they had previously rented and taking only a small backpack full of clothing and other necessities for the upcoming week of small village hopping.

taking a bus in the late afternoon, the starting five made their way along a very narrow road, squeaking around each corner, sending gravel fly into the surging river that lay 200 feet below. the allotted time scheduled for the bus ride was around one hour, but the journey was extended when the group found themselves in a lineup awaiting an avalanche cleanup. once off the bus, the five-some started walking along rocky dirt roads towards a dam construction site, around big puddles of muddy water and up through the thick brush of marijuana plants surrounding herds of cattle with supplies on their backs, until they found the first guesthouse filled with israelis, a pool table, picnic tables, and special chocolate balls.

indulging in some delicious chocolate goodies, mazzaa and arguing over the rules of pool started off the groups stay in kulga. feeling sky high after meeting the other guests and filling their bellies, the five got comfortable in their respective rooms that cost them 100 rupees a night per room, or about two american dollars. over the next couple days randy, avi, jose, & bryndia all continued meeting fellow backpackers, mountain locals, and watching world cup soccer. busying themselves during the day by hiking, finding huge cliffs, giant pot fields and seeing beautiful people working their land while loving life made their stay in kulga wonderful.

the small town of kulga was overly enjoyed for a couple of days so the fivesome decided to head over to the next small village of pulga. after taking some hot bucket showers, and getting directions from the owner of the kulga guest house the group hiked down one big hill and up another. bryn snagged some chocolate balls for the long journey and after a stop to take a dip, snap some amazing photos and enjoy the beauty surrounding them, the group found themselves at their next homestead in pulga.

the pulga guest house was a giant log cabin housing many other backpackers from all around the world. a restaurant owned by the guest house stoood right next door and both buildings looked out over the small village below. just past the guest house and the restaurant was a large open park area that continued on all the way to a waterfall and river. after eating a thali, the group started their hike to check out the forest and waterfall. they soon stumbled upon some other travels so the larger group continued toward the waterfall & enjoyed a quite afternoon next to the noisy waterfall.

pulga was a quite town but significantly larger then kulga. it was disconnected, removed from the business of modern life, in a very nice way. there were only two computers connected to the internet in the entire city and no cars anywhere. the world cup games were broadcasted via satellite, which was a nice way for the group to start and end the nights, while during the day they explored the city watching the people interact, work, and even pave a new road. everyone had their hand in helping the community and everyone had smiles on their faces.

when the furious five finished in pulga they had to say their sad fair wells to one of the greatest additions to the group, jose, the best ambassador of the south american country of columbia they had ever known. so after the hugs kisses and well wishes on his future adventure to china the group gathered their things and prepared for the long long hike to khirganga.

before heading out on the four hour hike, bryn began to feel pains in his stomach. passing it off as upset from breakfast, their journey would continue as planned. the group decision was made to make the trek on their own, avoiding the small cost for a porter to lead the way through the prickly forest. bryndia, randy & avi made great time until about halfway through when bryn's upset stomach turned into a stomach bug. the rest of the hike consisted of constant breaks where bryn would backtrack to rid his body of the bug in one of two ways...

finally at the mountain town of khirganga the group made there way up the grassy hill to the first guest house where they would spend the next four nights. calling khirganga a village is a stretch. the place is more of a collection of tarps piled together to resemble shelters at the top of a treacherous climb. there are, as jonathan nicholas might say, more cows than people in khirganga. the people like it that way. 'so, most likely, do the cows.' the holy animals are the only life form consistently moving in the space. for a lot of the day, the few people who live there permanently are hiding in their homes or wandering mysteriously throughout the thick forest that surrounds the place on three sides. climbing up the hill, you pass three guest houses, a collection of tents and tarps serving as homes for residents, and one solitary 'store' that sells, really, toilet paper, candles, and oreos. at the top of the tiny path lies the draw of this tiny town: the hot springs. pouring from an unseen source on the mountain comes scalding hot water, rushing fast into a large pool dug and paved by the residents. within the pool, one corner is walled completely with rotting wooden planks eight feet high. this private section is where the women were allowed to soak, hidden from the scathing eyes of scandalous men.

the guest house was agreed upon immediately. fifty rupees a night for a part of the long roofed tent divided into rooms by stretched tarps. in the middle was a large open air room containing three iron stoves that the guests would gather around during the day. the group dropped their belongings off and headed straight up to the hot springs for a soak after their hike.

here, they found raya and shani, two israeli girls who randy & avi had been consistently running into around india and nepal. they confirmed that they were, also, staying at the cheapest guest house, and would meet the group for dinner in the communal room that evening. for the next hour, india soaked her tired body in the privacy of her own special hot springs while the boys talked shop in the larger part of the pool.

exhausted from the hike, and feeling sicker than he wished to admit, bryn excused himself early and fell into a deep fourteen hour sleep. india, being the doting girlfriend that she is, joined him. and although bryn woke up feeling refreshed and healthy, india woke up with bed bug bites all over her face and neck. needless to say, she switched mattresses the following night.

on that first morning in khirganga, the thick storm clouds rolled in. and for over 48 straight hours, it didn't let up. not for one moment. the sound became a constant humming on the tin roof of the communal room. the solitary sweet french woman running the guest house temporarily, as a favor to her indian boyfriend who had hiked down into town for supplies, became overwhelmed quickly by the fact that her boyfriend was stuck down in kasol due to flooding, and her two dozen guests could not leave because of the dangerous condition of the steep, wet path. the two full days spent on the mountain passed leisurely. card games. conversations. india finished two full novels. bryn beat avi at backgammon too many times. raya celebrated a birthday with chocolate cake baked by india and their french hostess. and each and every guest house guest shared their story and their journeys in a sort of stranded camp fire style desperation. oh, and, of course, the hot springs were continuously visited.

finally, in the early afternoon of their fourth day, the rain began to let up. deciding to be brave and take the risk on the potentially flooded solitary path down (more because of the fact that india & bryn had a flight to catch in delhi in a matter of hours than anything else), avi joined bryn & india in the journey down the mountain, while randy remained to wait out for a little sunshine.

despite all the desperate warnings of their wonderful french friend and her sherpas, the three made it down the path quickly and easily. the landscape had changed dramatically. where only a few days before had stood a green canvas of firs as far as you could see, the mountain was now dotted with dozens of newly formed waterfalls, cutting through the foliage, creating a whole new system of streams and rivers. avi & bryndia crossed them carefully but excitedly. the rushing water beneath dry skies was a refreshing change.

reaching the pass to kalga, bryndia hugged their friend avi goodbye, as he had to return for a night in kalga to pick up belongings he had left there earlier in the week. bryn & india made the last leg of the trek on their own, eventually finding a man with a car who agreed to drive them the last thirty minutes to kasol. here, they returned to their familiar guest house where there were excruciatingly disappointed to learn that the cities water supply was off due to the storm that had hit them, as well, over the past few days. the seven days without a shower was beginning to take a toll on the two of them. begrudgingly, bryn & india packed their heavy bags and walked into town to watch a late world cup game and wait for the early morning meeting they had arranged with a taxi driver who would drive them the ten hours to delhi.

unfortunately, the english to hindi language barrier came into full effect that night. for whatever reason, their driver did not show up at the meeting spot at their planned two am departure time. panic hit. the two would miss their flight if they didn't leave by six am at the latest. and with no phone, and no contact number for their driver, bryn & india felt very, literally, stuck. back to their guest house, the two tossed and turned restlessly until the first light shone in their window. grumpy, dirty, the two put their bags back on their backs and trudged towards the meeting spot with no plan and little hope. without an excuse, a reason, or an apology, their driver was now sitting in his car at the spot, quickly loaded their belongings in to his old van, and the three began a hot and uncomfortable drive to the new delhi airport where they would leave india, despite their extreme desire to stay, and begin their explorations of southeast asia in thailand.