My last night in Varanasi was emotion filled. I knew it signified the end of my journey as I would be heading back to Delhi with a quick detour to Agra before boarding my flight home. I ventured beyond the three stories leading to my room and climbed up to the roof of the hostel. I  watched as the sun set over the city and the crescent moon rose to take its place, glittering in the twilight. Dozens of kites danced over roof tops saluting the end of another day. It was a lasting image of India and reminded me of something I would have forever. I wasn't quite sure what I had learned from India or how it had changed me but I understood that it had. India broke me down physically and emotionally; the constant staring of strangers, the noise, the illness, the endless traveling. But it had instilled something new inside of me. My body was heavy with the weight of sickness but my heart was light and free like the the kites above me. I felt like I was flying, grounded by a thin rope. Trying to break free. 

The peaceful pretense is juxtaposed by the reality of thousands of people situated around one main road in Rishikesh. In actuality the city is loud and chaotic, bustling with rickshaws, motorcycles, pedestrians, praying, chanting, cows, monkeys and all sorts of liveliness. The north of India had been so quiet and seemingly sparsely populated in comparison. But this is India. Truly. And I felt awakened here in a way that I hadn't up north. The noise was startling at first but after acclimating I began to see the appeal of Rishikesh and shortly after fell in love with the city. 

In Dharamsala, we were fortunate to befriend a lovely Israeli-Swedish couple with similar travel plans. The company was welcome and they joined us on the next couple legs of our journey . From Dharamsala we headed to Kasol- a small villiage that, like Dharamsala, is situated in the Himachal Pradesh region bordering the Himalayas. The village itself is nestled into Pravati Valley along the river. The area is quiet, despite being a known destination among travelers. The beautiful scenery and rigorous mountainous trails draw many travelers and outdoor enthusiasts and the fields of marijuana plants draw another crowd. 

 Stepping off of the bus in Dharamsala and the neighboring towns of McLeod Ganj and Baghsu was like stepping into a traveler's paradise. We arrived in the early morning hours and the dew still clung to every surface. I stopped sweating for the first time in months, and I relished the feeling of the mountain air.  

Spending the weekend with my sister, I was able to enjoy the fast pace urban chic of Bangkok before taking the night train up north.