whats Yeti?

The mythical big foot of Himalayas...  there is a unique camp site and cafe called Yeti near Kasol, Himachal Pradesh...

Kasol is generally considered a necessary evil, while travelling through Himachal Pradesh for trekking... but just 15 minutes of walk through a foot path, i reached Yeti camp, and felt like a mile away from any city scape...

fruit orchards all around, silence expect for birds, river and wind... majestic mountains glittering far away wearing snow caps... and some comforts of a cozy cafe...

it doesnt end there..  you can chase wild horses up the hills or play with friendly dogs, or search for a secret cave  down... star gaze or sun bath depending on your orientation..  a shanti culture evolved through closeness to nature..

and the people around, the type you could only imagine, the one's you would want around at night in a camp fire circle... letting you be whoever you are..  and to sing together, paint, or plant fruit trees..  all in a days happenings...  or a lone photographic exploration through own memories... where the weather changes like our emotions..

the tibetan prayer flags at Yeti's entrance had asked me on arrival, "are you ready to explore the Yeti in yourself?"..  i leave that question to you as well...    

Old man..

His shoulders were bit bent, but his legs trek up defying gravity, up mysterious mountain paths..

Nearest cafe is 3 km away, through circuitous stone paths among pine forests, along roaring river carrying millions of liters of water everyday to the plains, crowded with cities..

Firewood aplenty, fruits decaying on tree roots as it should be, wild berries teasing you through thorny mazes, and wild plants and cloudy mountains to stare at..

This place in winter is to be lived, he whispered, while removing wild mint tea from Wood fire of his fireplace, and pouring it steaming to his visitors...

I am living here alone, since last 40 years, don't think I have not seen your cities..

hey this is a wake uo call from reality, get your shit loose!!!!  (the visitors mind whispered back to him... listen)...

your cities spewing with waste and even water comes in a pack (bottle) and you have no idea where its coming from.   here you go to a river, thee plants provide me food and warmth, which you see around.  he cruhed some leaves and proceeded to make his post lunch chillum.  they came from englishstan and say, you cant smoke this... see around, its a wild plant here, how can they say that to me?

this house is made of stone, which i carried from the riverside...  had to chase wild animals away in those days, and here, where you can pick everything from nature in abundance, but its unforgiving as well, and without faith no mountain man survives...

and shiva is what i have faith in...  to know Bhole, bhang is essential, and preparing it and having it is done like a prayer..  

after filling, the holder is in receivers position, and above is the giver of the fire... respectful silence prevails, without greed it rotates, one pull person, without expectations the warmth is accepted, and serenity is explored...

a mountain of silence erupted...  shiva seemed to dance through the haze.  the receiver and giver connected in a shiva circle going right, where 'shivom'...  reverberating after each heavy breath... mesmerizing even the audience...

shakti is nature, shiva consciousness... and for mountain people, its an everyday awareness...  where you are closer to the heavens...  where rivers are created, where change is rapid...  all you have to do is just live here to understand...  he concluded with a crinkle in his eye, as he waved goodbye...

Origami

This blog's not about origami..

A paper bird, made for a child, in a cafe, ends up with a group of 5 ppl, and another person adds on and so on..

A lot of coincides seem to happen through the next couple of weeks, in mountains, where they stay in tents..

Foraging for fruits, trekking to get firewood to cook n keep warm, sharing in circles, laughing with abandon, discovering in secret, tolerating in silence, wondering in amazement...

But knowing they are labels, painting and playing music, jump to hyperspace, stare at the ever changing landscape around..

Stay cryptic..

So many changes...

Exploration of the unknown both internal &  external.. Along with a random group you met on the mountains...

Social experiments, sharing, trekking around, tripping but your group is with you in those climb ups, caring, laughing together..  Yes, I remember a lot of laughter booming..

Social experiments, self n other observation, accepting patterns n spontaneity..  Shedding conditions like bubbles (yes cy)..  Understanding colorless water and brown colored water equally..

J p pears on YouTube to drums, djambe, shaman, systems, shanti, and shanti times..  A hundred stories from cave to cake..

A time to chill...