A wonderful weekend in the beginning of March brought me through the rolling hills at the foot of the Himalyas to the Mukteshwar, a town in Nanital district in the state Uttarakhand.
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| A typical view of the hills. If it wasn't so foggy, the Himalayan peaks could be seen in the distance! |
Every year during this study abroad program, all of us study abroadians come together in Mukteshwar from our different internship locations to meet for a weekend for our Mid Semester Review. Basically, we get to all see each other, talk about what we have seen in India, our internships, etc. and what we like/don't like or any observations we want to share. Our two professors from Lady Irwin, Dr. Kumar and Dr. Capila, came, as well as our MSU professor, Dr. Mary Andrews, and her husband Harry. May I just make a quick note how awesome it is that their names are Mary and Harry? To make the story even greater, did you know they met in the 1960s when they were doing the Peace Corps in India...then got married after? They really are the coolest couple ever!
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| Me in my little nest in the back of the car |
My journey started with a SUPER long road trip with my professors from Delhi to Mukteshwar ( was the only one doing my internship in Delhi...everyone else is in Uttarakhand with NGOs). And by SUPER long, I mean almost 12 hours! I got a seat in the back of the jeep-type care, nestled between the luggage and vegetables that be picked up along the way. After stopping for some yummy food, using the bathroom (very necessary), and some fun conversations, we finally arrived at our home for the weekend: Somerset Lodge.
This beautiful cottage-type inn is owned by a family that knows Mary, Harry and one of my LIC professors, Dr. Anjali Capila. Dr. Capila had spent a lot of time with an NGO in the area, so actually everyone knew her. It was fun to be reunited with everyone, hear about their internships, and talk about what we have seen. Our days passed with bonfires, discussions in the sun, hikes to get a good view of the snow-capped Himalayan mountain peaks, and long walks up and down the hills.
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| A typical discussion in the sun |
On our last day, 4 of us woke up at 6:30am and left for an hour-long hike to a high point of the road to see the mountains - supposedly, they are clearest in the morning. What an amazing sight! Because of the mist, the peaks seemed to be floating in the sky over the hills. We could even see Nanda Devi, one of the highest peaks in India, as well as the range in Nepal. Luckily, we even got a ride back to the Lodge. What an amazing experience!
The weekend ended with a train ride back to Delhi with Dr. Kumar and Jeff. Papa was there to pick me up. I can't wait to return to the hills very soon!
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| I saw this solar lantern at a shop that was selling products made by the local women. It's a solar lantern...so of course I had to put it on my blog! |
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