The Mountain Cultures Semester (MCS) 2007 is wrapping up the Vermont portion of the Program. We have spent the last five weeks studying Buddhism, eco-tourism and its effects on communities and the environments, cultures of the Himalayas, descriptive writing, the histories of Sikkim and Ladakah, (and practicing) meditation. The following is a log of our trip which will be updated as we travel throughout the Himalayas of Sikkim and Ladakah.
Photo Journal (Click on the "album browser" in the lower right to select entries by date.)
March 8th, 2007 Departing Sterling College on March 8th we flew to Boston, then on to Milan, Italy and finally arrive in Delhi, India. We are excited to immerse ourselves in a new country and new cultures. Our group is composed of: seven Sterling College students, one University of Vermont student, one College of the Atlantic student, Ned and Susie Houston who are returning to lead their 5th MCS program, Locky (an Australian skipper), and me (Marijke Riddering).
March 28th, 2007 We are off to a great start in Sikkim, India. We recived warm welcomes from our India guide and coordinator Kalsang. As our bodies are exhausted from the change of night to day. We spent a restless night in a Leh Monastery guesthouse located just outside of Delhi. In the morning we transited to Bagdobra in West Bangal and proceeded to load all our duffles onto three Jeepish vehicles. We drove 3.5 hours to the biggest city in Sikkim (which is quite small in comparison to other Indian cities). It was at this point that the reality of being in India registered. Driving on the roads has become a daily experience that while at first was shocking, we come to accept. There are no observed driving rules, the road doesn't have to be big enough for two cars to pass each other, road work is never done, and your only choice is to trust your driver. Long drives across the steep valleys have become quite enjoyable. Beyond the road we have now trekked through remote villages for 4-days. Visited countless amazing Monasteries, Gompas, and Chortens. Mani stones can now be interpreted by many of the group members. And we enjoyed a visual treat of "The Dream", an fantastic and colorfully carved model of Buddhism that filled the third floor of a monastery. Monklettes are abundant and always curious about us. The are willing to play games and happily embrace every free moment they get. The students also endeavored on a 4-day home stay at a Tibetan refugee settlement outside of Ravanga La. Evenings were spent with families cooking, trying to communicate, and sharing cultures. Days were spent exploring the area, listening to the ongoing prayers happening at this time of year, playing cricket, visiting neighboring towns, and learning about the local agriculture. On the last night we were treated to a performance by the school children that included inspiring songs and dance... all dedicated in honor of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Overall the group is doing well. With the exception of routine illnesses generally encountered while traveling, we are in good health. The trek pushed us to develop new physical strengths, and implement hiking plans to keep things in order. We have indulged in sweets, hot springs, nights out, talks with high Lamas, and lots of rice, noodles, and momos (Tibetan dumplings). We will be in touch with more updates soon!
April 4th, 2007 Leaving Sikkim behind we went to West Bangel, the Indian state immediatly to the south, we spent four wonderful days living in a Lepcha tribe reserved area before we left. The Lepcha are a tribe that are quickly losing their culture due to immigration, economics, and politics. We spent our days walking through cardimon fields, to waterfalls, and down to a river with seven proposed dams! We ate local food, attended a cultural show, and watched a movie about the village we were staying in. The Lepcha people live below Kanchenjunga (the 3rd highest mountain in the world), and are endeavoring upon a eco-tourism business to try and bring more financial sustainability to the area. Our time there was enjoyed by all. We are now in Darjeeling (famous for their excellent tea!) getting ready to leave on a trek. Our plans have changed and we are going to be traveling on the Singalila ridge that overlooks both the Kanchenjunga range and Mt. Everest. Hopefully we will encounter less snow then our was planned on our orignal trek! We are short one member of the group who has been slowed down by a knee problem, but will be joinging the group again after the trek. In the mean time she will be spending her time with the girls at the Happiness House, a home for young girls in Gangtok. Thus far we have explored the streets, resturants, and shopping of Darjeeling. Today we visited another Tibetan refugee settlement where some of the residents are involves with a variety of handicrafts. We saw rugs made from scratch, tailors, knitters and painters. We also visited the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and the Darjeeling Zoo.
April 15th, 2007 We spent six days trekking through Singalila National Park on the eastern end of the Himalayas along the border of Nepal and India (West Bangel). The weather was cloudy and difficult to even see where we were for the first three days... but finally it cleared up. We were able to see Ketchenzonga clearly, and catch a glimpse of Everest in though a couple holes in the clouds. The group pushed on despite a constant sickness that plagued several members of the group. Jenn left early traveling on a little house, but joined the group at the end of the trek in Rimbek. On the trek we celebrated Locky's birthday, played cricket, enjoyed full and fabulous meals, and some took a dip in a frigid mountain stream. Academically we were able to observe and discuss many of the obstacles and values of tourism and eco-tourism. Firsthand we experienced international trekking on the highways that many trekking routes have become. Should westerners expect the comforts that we get at home? What is our responsibility? Can all trekking be labeled eco-tourism? We were fortunate that we had a great group of guides, cook crew and horsemen. Overall it was a positive experience! After the trek we spent a night in Serangeli where we celebrated Katelyn's birthday with a proper birthday party at next to our hotel pool. The next day we (with a little help from our guides) navigated the train station and got on the express overnight train to Delhi. After a short night in Delhi we got on a early morning flight to Leh, Ladkah where we are currently settling in. We are apapting to the high elevation (11,400 ft), and dry weather here... and visiting many of the local sights around Leh. The mountain surround us, void of any vegetation... with snow ridges in the distance. The Ladakhi people are warm and welcoming, with a joyful "Julhey!" (hello) as we walk past them on the streets. We will leave in two days to start a village trek in Apricot Valley.
May 3rd, 2007 During our time here in Ladkah we have endeavored on several adventures. Our first challenge upon arrival was adjusting to the altitude. Leh, Ladkah is located at an elevation of over 11,000 feet... which can take quite a toll on body that is not well acclimated, especially when traveling form low altitude city of Delhi! Our bodies in shock, we spent the first few days visiting the market, traveling to gompas, and taking in the arid landscape. We trekked, for four days, through many small villages on our way form Lakir to Khaltse. The villages where filled with new crops, budding apricot trees and welcoming locals. The trek was thronged with vistas of sweeping deserts, yawning canyons, and towering mountains. We then traveled to Lamayuru and Alchi. After returning to Leh we set out on an two day excursion to the Nubra valley. The Nubra vally is an extension of the silk road and in antiquity would have had up to 10,000 horses passing through in a year. The landscape here was even more barren then what we had previously passed though. The people living in this area have somehow managed to carve out a life sustained by the small amount of water that trickles down from mountain glaciers. During our stay in the Nubra vally we enjoyed camel rides. We joyously celebrated Ned's 60th birthday on top of a 18,000 foot mountain pass. The highlights of this five day trek included: crossing of a 16,000 foot pass, seeing a snow leopard scale a cliff, crossing the Zanskar river on cable car, and horse rides on our day off. Tomorrow we are returning to Delhi, traveling to the Taj Mahal, and finally leaving India to return home.
If you are interested in participating in Sterling's Mountain Cultures Semester and you are not a Sterling College student, contact Ned Houston, MCS faculty member.
