Beyond
I cannot describe it, what I feel in here.
Ladakh. Ladakh. Ladakh...Flying in here over the Himalayas, over the first snowy ridges, followed by glacier-licked valleys, after which empty polished redish-brown mountains and on the horizon K2...
Coming out of the plane it struck me so, wobbly-legged I climbed to the ground. It must have been the combination of being awake for 24 h, the coffees that I had, the thinness of air and the absolute beauty and serenety of the place. Never have I seen anything like it before. Dumbfounded and stupefied, I am.
Leh-dry high altitute desert, Indus slowly flowing from Tibet towards Pakistan; air cool, almost mintfresh, sun glowing, oven-warm. Tomorrow the Ladakh festival will start. To my surprise Dalai Lama will be here. I will go to listen to his lecture.
Darjeeling-Agra-Delhi-Leh
N6ndaks. L6puks 6nnestus mul t2na hommikul Taj Mahal ka 2ra n2ha. Sikkimis on k2idud, ehkki 2 p2eva, mis ma seal veetsin, on t6esti h2biv22rselt v2he selle vaikse kena kohakese jaoks. T2na l2hen edasi Delhisse, kust homme varahommikul lendan Ladakhi, kus n2htavasti zoomin n2dal aega ringi, ja siis hakkan vaikselt m2est alla tulema Delhi poole.Kahjuks on mu kallis Mumbai korterikaaslane, kellega pidime koos Ladakhi minema, haigestunud kurit6ppe, mist6ttu saan ka selle viimase otsa yksi teha. Tegelikult pole yksi reisimine siin sugugi yksik, kogu aeg kohtab inimesi, kellega koos ringi s6ita ja h2ngida. Nii olingi Rajastanis koos yhe India poisiga, Agras ja Varanasis yhe prantslasega, vahepeal poolakate ja rumeenlastega ja Sikkimis/Darjeelingus kahe hispaanlannaga. Nyyd saan Agras kokku veel yhe korterikaaslasega ja oma saabastega:) Jehussussuu, nagu ytleb Setu prints.
Darjeeling
Darjeeling, teeistandused
Oh, nutt ja hala! J22vadki m2ed mul n2gemata, sest Darjeelingi m2gilinnake, mis on pitsitatud yhte v2ikesesse maanurka Nepaali ja Bhutani vahel, on r66msalt mattunud tihedasse udusse. Mis siis ikka, l2hen ostan natuke kohalikku teed ja vaatan, kuidas ma siit Sikkimi, India v2ikseima osariigi, poole s6ita saan.
Siin on ka tervitatavalt jahe - ainult 16 kraadi. Peangi sandaalidesse paar sokki ka toppima!
Sikkim Bengali mussoonis
Varanasi
Pyha j6e 22res. Hommikune
puja, kymblevad ja p6levad hindud.
Veepinnal ujuvad turiste t2is paadid. Vee all mudastes veevoogudes surnud, kivid kaelas....osade 6hkpaisutet riideid poidena paistmas. Allavoolu, allavoolu, j6esoppidesse teistega kohtuma, kust kohalikud "parvepoisid" nad n2htavasti lahti lykkavad. Korraga.
Thari k6rberalli
Ma ytli! Ei maksa kaamelit usaldada! On kyll pika kena kaelaga ja toredate ripsmessilmadega kyyrik, aga vahetevahel poevad neile k6rbekuradid sisse ja siis pole enam t8rtsugi treineeritust j2rgi! N2iteks niipea kui istud selga, kadjab minema, kaameliajaja silkab vaid j2rg ja pyyab nurjatut Papu't (mu kaameli nimi) suksutades kinni pyyda. Siis virutab mulle vahetevahel jalaga. Kaamel, mitte kaameliajaja. V6i m6tleb "Haa, rodeo!" ja viskab yks hetk varjulisse kohta lihtsalt maha , nii et mina seljas sajan. Kaamel j2lle, mitte ajaja.
Ei saa usaldada elusolendit, mis/kes on yle 2 m k6rge, ma ytli!
Marwar
Mumbais m2ssavat taud nagu uudised r22givad, et inemised surevad ja eriti nendes piirkondades, mis ujutustes k6ige rohkem kannatada said. R66m/r66m/r66m olla sellest eemal. Muhkkatku ma ei vaja. Ei vaja/vaja/vaja...... praegu olen aga yhes r66msameelses sinises linnas, mida ymbritsevaid maid nimetati kunagi sama r66msameelselt: Marwar ehk Land of the Death. Vahest see seletab, miks Jodhpuri kindluse Mehrangarh'i kohal pidevalt kullid tiirlevad (their eyeses always on us!). Kangelased-kotkad... kange(kael)laslikkusest pajatavad ka vanad lood: kui oli teada, et vastane on v2gev ja surm kindel, siis enne s6tta minekut p6letasid Rajputi naised-lapsed end 2ra ja mehed p6rutasid oopiumivines s6tta, sest aukood yts: enne surm kui h2bi.
Mehrangarhi kindluse varakambrites leidus ohtralt lahedaid m66ku ja pistodasid ja muid torkeriistu; Jodhpuri t2navatel leidub ohtralt lehmasitta ja muud saasta; minus leidub ohtralt Coca-Colat. L2hen ostan natuke safranit ja kardemoni, ja veel yhe Sossa-Soola. Ja siis ehk l2hen vaatan seda lossi, kus Jodhpuri praegune maharaja elab...
Udaipurrr-purr-purrr
Mj2u, mj2u.
Oh mis sulnis - Udaipur on t6esti kena koht oma j2rvepaleede ja muu seesugusega.
Mj2u, mj2u.
Mul on puhkus, hihiii:)
Mj2u, mj2u.
L6ppenud on p2evad...
"Kas ma v6in paluda natuke juubeldamist?" kysis Melker.Pelle, kes oli ainult seitse aastat vana, ei teadnud, mida see s6na t2hendab ega osanud k2su peale juubeldada. "Tuleb myygida!" ytles Niklas kelmikalt.Igatahes t88 on nyyd l2bi. Jippiiii!!!:)
Eile toimus mul ka kaks lahkumispidu, yhest sain ma teada alles siis kui t88l keegi kysis, et "noh, n2eme siis 6htul!" Ooot, kuda 6htul, mis toimub?? "Sinu lahkumispidu, kas sa ei teadnud??"
Nii olnudki, et kallid kolleegid korraldasid mulle lahkumispeo, kuid unustasid mind sellest informeerida...v6i arvasid, et keegi teine informeerib. Oh, pyha lihtsameelsus!
Not to frighten you, but just to show...
So, I'm posting some pictures here that I sent to some of you already...about what is going on in Mumbai (and sorry for the repetition of what was already said in the last message in Estonian). These were taken (not by my humble self) on Tuesday-Wednesday last week, when 94 cm fell. Today and tomorrow more rain is expected. At least the local trains were moving when I went to see the situation in the slums today.(up) Dadar, one of the main rail junctions, the tracks under about a meter of water
The death toll in Maharashtra has risen to 1000 people now, most of whom drowned. In some areas officials are also afraid of epidemics breaking loose since there is no drinking water nor electricity, which means that people turn to desperate measures like washing their dishes in sewage... Also the carcases of drowned cattle were just lying around, garbage has not been (read: was impossible to clean) till now, I believe. 
Also about 16 died due to the stampede at Northern Mumbai: the rumours circulating about a broken damn/tsunami/tornado created a panic in Andheri, and frantic running away from the sea, where many families of Tamil Nadu origin reside. The latter was the Indian state worse hit by the tsunami in December, so obviously people didn't wait for the official warning. As if there would be one anyway - the officials did not see the floods coming either.
My colleagues were telling me, that this is the worse they've seen, that it has never been so bad... And the rains are not over yet. But not to worry: I'll stay put till it clears a bit and then get the hell out of this town :)
I cannot describe it, what I feel in here.
