Life in the Hills

I always tell J that India has this magical ability to catch you off guard and enfold you in its many complex folds that conspire to keep you safe/trapped in a comfy time warp. The past year has been like that. It has simply whizzed by. Married life has been fun and it has re-affirmed our friendship and love in many different ways. The husband's field work has gone well and I have enjoyed our quiet 'own' time in the foothills of the Himalayas.

Life there was slow yet intense at the same time. Like the winding mountain roads that we used to ride along on 'Anna' our scooter it presented us with many surprises and left us with lifelong memories.

We suffered for our pleasure as we shivered through the cold winter nights in our poorly insulated flat huddled by the inefficient heaters. We managed with our frustratingly slow internet and temperamental connection. We got used to the altitude and could walk up hills without huffing furiously like the tourists from the plains! We endured the dry and hot summer months with severe water shortages.The mountains turned arid and brown as the dusty air longed for water. We learnt to ration water and share our meager resources with our neighbours. Then came the incessant rainfall and sudden thundershowers which were a relief from the heat. The accompanying dense fogs and resulting mouldy walls over the monsoon period had to be scrubbed off the walls which was hard work! The dull monsoon wetness transformed into autumnal crispness which was the most pleasant time of the year. We survived daily manic rides on the pot holed, bumpy mountain roads, we lived with giant laddoo-eating spiders, we watched from our living room the langurs outside our flat, we chased the crafty monkeys when they got to our mangoes and the water supply. I survived the classroom teaching Frost and Marlowe to fresh faced youngsters. There was also a rumoured leopard attack near our house( apparently a calf was mauled outside on our driveway in the middle of the night). We contended with the dreaded Indian bureaucracy, an arduous trek to the top of Manimahesh and much more.

On the other hand we have had the privilege to live at the edge of a forest with striking valley views and stunning sunsets that would make anyone take up painting.The forest roads where we would go walking were great for getting lost in. The toy train would wind its way past our house before it disappeared into the long black tunnel and we could hear it whistling in the distance. When the white mist would hover over the wooded hills in the valleys that stretched beyond our vision and the sky would change into varying shades of pink before taking on a deep blue hue it was truly a delight. The lack of street lights also meant that we could see the starry night sky in all its glory. And the silence - it was for real and only broken by distant noises of traffic and birdsong. It was a lovely space to start off and would be a great place to retire to!

I miss it already - the bustling mall, the lazy afternoons spent drinking cardamom tea and watching the baby monkeys, us haggling over the price of vegetables, the ride into town on clear days where we could see the valley from different angles, the tall and majestic deodar trees, the tudor style architecture, the steep climb up to St. Michael and the friendly shopkeepers at Tutu market. I wonder if they think of us and wonder how we are.

But we are done there and have moved on to new things.

Here, we are in a new country, by the sea, where they speak a different language and its so cold that the sea has frozen over. We have found a lovely flat in the old medieval town and we even have a cat but shall we stay here for long! Who knows, that remains to be seen.

More adventures to follow.