Hello from Delhi!!
July 25, 2024
It’s been an incredible last two days to end our trip. It was bittersweet leaving our beautiful home of Leh, and heading back to the big city. The mountains gave us one last wave goodbye as we stared out at them in awe and we flew away from our home for the past 2.5 weeks. We arrived in Delhi, where we were greeted with a lot of humidity and heat, and immediately hopped on the bus to head to Agra. Henry’s musical talent kept us entertained on the bus ride until we arrived in Agra late Wednesday night, with a giant dinner buffet waiting for us. Hunter and Maggie have also got the entire group hooked on friendship bracelets, which has become a favorite activity in passing the time on travel days! Along the way, Holtie, Steve, and Sanders managed to buy some traditional Indian pieces to wear to the Taj Mahal in the morning. We had a late night, but took our time with a solid second to last moonup, led by Hunter, Kate, and Sanders, before trying to grab a couple hours of sleep before our big day.
On Thursday morning, we promptly hopped out of bed around 4am and headed to the long awaited Taj Mahal for sunrise. It was absolutely incredible. We took more pictures than imaginable, and tried our best to take in every ounce of its beauty. After a couple hours of soaking it in, we headed back to the hotel for a breakfast buffet and a quick swim in the pool before heading to the Agra Fort. It was again a history rich experience, helping us to learn more about the history of the area. Louise and Palmer even got to feed some chipmunks at the fort! Afterwards, we headed back to Delhi for our final showers and banquet. We’ve been soaking up every last bit of our time here in India, and celebrated our grand adventure with a feast at a nearby restaurant that even allowed some dancing, spearheaded by our dancing king, Teddy, while we waited for our food. Austin and some of the boys busted out some fun, new outfits they had bought beforehand, as well! We just ended our evening with our final moonup, with music by special guests Kate and Nan!
Now, the bittersweet moment has come to officially say goodbye to this incredible place and the incredible people who took care of us along the way. What an absolutely indescribable experience and we can’t wait for your kids to give you every detail when they get home. We’re now about to hop on the plane back to America, and want to thank you with all of our hearts for sharing your incredible kids with us these past three weeks. Each of them are full of so much love and adventure, and we can’t wait to watch them change the world. See yall soon in America!!!
With all our love,
Jack and May May
Pottery, Hikes, and Rafting Thrills!
July 23, 2024
7/21: What’s up everyone! It’s Austin and Kate with a quick update about our day. We beautifully started our day at 7:30 for breakfast, which we all left clean plates. We embarked on our day at 9:30 by jamming to some tunes during the hour-and-a-half drive to our pottery class. After creating some stunning replicas of local wildlife, we cleaned up and made friends with some kittens at our class! It was great for the group to immerse ourselves in the generational tradition that Likir Pottery had to offer. We then hopped in the van again for another hour and a half before reaching Snow Leopard Lodge. We once again enjoyed another authentic Indian lunch in a neighboring homestay. The group then fell into sleep comas, intense games of code names, and memorable journal entries. We recharged with tea and snacks before heading out for our hike. Once we reached our destination of another Himalayan homestay, we were privileged with the opportunity to learn about solar water heating and the promotion of preserving snow leopard life. We watched Ibex through a telescope and took many photos of the scenic view. We took in some more amazing sunset views on the way back to the lodge where we eagerly waited for dinner.
7/22: Hey y’all! Louise, Henry, and Nan here with another update! Today we started our morning with a hearty breakfast at a homestay next to the lodge to fuel our hike. Sanders obviously greeted everyone at breakfast asking how we slept. Soon after, we started our beautiful trek to Juniper! Stephen made sure to keep everyone hyped up and set a positive vibe to get us up our last pass of the trip. After all that hard work, lunch and river-side relaxation were much needed. Hunter, Maggie, and Palmer decided to take the warmer route, sitting near the river journaling and admiring from afar. The rest of us faced the cold, rocky, fast-moving water. Teddy was the first to get in, dunking his whole body in the water, followed by a few shivers after emerging from the cold. As everyone started to get in the water… only one was left. Kate was sitting in the sun a little too comfortably, so obviously Holtie and Austin had to splash her, forcing her into the water. After our cold adventure to the river, we had the pleasure of checking out 2 monastery sights! The first one was a quick walk from the homestay and allowed for us to see the beautiful Buddha statue and learn about the traditions within that area. From there, we drove to a spot where we took a 30-minute hike to an entrancing cave and stupa. Teddy and Jack decided to race up to the top, which resulted in Teddy’s victory along with very heavy breathing. At the bottom of the hike, our experience was topped off with a beautiful sunset. Before dinner, we also went to the market to stock up on some snacks. Dinner was finished with banana fritters and clean plates before a bonfire for singing, dancing, and reflecting to get out the last bits of energy before going to sleep.
7/23: Yooooooooo. Your LOD’s Maggie, Stephen, and Holtie are here with a little update on the day. We started the morning by waking the birthday boy, Teddy, up with a group rendition of Happy Birthday in our cozy homestay. We then headed down to breakfast where Kate had a devious plan to ensure that everyone got their morning fix of Nutella. Soon after, we hit the road for an hour drive to the rafting center where we enjoyed some tunes and catching up on sleep. On the ride over, Louise got on aux and made sure plenty of birthday songs were played. We got fitted up with our wetsuits and drove 20 minutes to the starting point of rafting, followed by a very extensive safety briefing by our raft guide. Holtie and Henry led the charge in their respective boats, creating a rhythm for everyone to paddle simultaneously. Throughout rafting, there were multiple water fights amid the frigid glacier river temperature. After a quick start to intense rapids and multiple falls into the water, the group finished rafting only to discover Nan’s now former fear of rafting, which was conquered today. We had a quick riverside lunch before hopping into the van to head back to our home in Leh. We rested up in our hotel rooms before ordering some fries, getting some tea, and then eating some pakora (an Indian street food specialty.) The group then hit the market to pick up some souvenirs. A common purchase amongst the group was “real” North Face fleeces that everyone seemed to love. Austin in particular loved to haggle and got some of the best deals in the city. The group then migrated towards dinner which was a massive success. An amazing view from our table, a massive amount of appetizers, great entrees for everyone, and a delicious chocolate cake were a great way to wrap up our last full day in Ladakh, and Teddy’s birthday. See ya later gators.
Until next time,
Mystery A
Trek of a Lifetime in the Himalayas!
July 20, 2024
There aren’t enough words in the English language to attempt to capture the beauty we were witness to over the past ten days. I took about 2000 photos of our trek but even those feel like a poor representation of the enormous accomplishment our group achieved. Hiking a single peak over 14000ft is a big deal, but spending nine days never going below that and reaching a top altitude of over 18000ft is something not a lot of people can say they’ve done in their lives. There were of course lows with the highs, valleys with the peaks, but it is in the face of adversity that we are able to redefine our capabilities and even our characters.
Looking back our trek feels like a blur, one that will inevitably take quite some time to fully comprehend and process.
On the first day of the trek we camped near a small settlement called Rumtse where we met our team of over a dozen porters who would soon feel like family. From the instant we stepped off our bus we realized just how beautifully scenic our trek was about to be and seized the opportunity to take a short hike near camp and back to explore the camping grounds.
In the morning it was time to begin our journey through the Indian Himalayas after meeting and greeting the twenty plus horses that would be helping us carry everything we would need for our adventure. No one was happier than Sanders to know we’d be spending the trek with such an impressive harras of horses. Hunter and Austin, our LODs for the first full day of trekking, led us fearlessly on into the majestic mountains that we would later discover to be filled with regal Kyang, precious pikas, goats, yaks, and more!
There is something unique that happens when you spend more than just a few days living in the wilderness, a normalcy that lures you in, allowing you to become one with the surroundings, a sense of home even in the most foreign of lands. Over the next eight days we hiked a little over 57 miles in total and created a routine that simultaneously pushed us to our limits and helped us become closer than ever with each other. We were spoiled rotten with gourmet meals prepared for us each night and with Henry’s comedic acting chops it was like having a daily dinner and a show!
One of the top highlights of the trek came around half way through the trek when we reached the beautiful high altitude salt lake named Tso kar. While the changes in climate have resulted in the lake shrinking significantly over the years, what was left still wowed us and provided an incredible backdrop for some photos and a much welcomed break from hiking on a long day. Both Palmer and Louise were eager to pull out their cameras and begin having a fun photoshoot while I ran around with my own trying to find the perfect angle to capture even a fraction of the beauty of the lake.
Of course, being that we’re in a country notorious for being a bit of a challenge for western tourists and our delicate stomachs there have been some tummy aches, some bathroom dashes, and some moments of reminding ourselves what is normal cuisine here is far from normal back home. While we persevered as best we could, unfortunately on day 7 of our trek Kate’s stomach was reaching a limit so her and MayMay headed back to the city of Leh to be safe and avoid any unnecessary risk while the option to take a ride was still available to us. These kind of decisions are hard but when we’re in an area as remote as this and carrying such precious cargo (in the form of your children!) We take even small issues as seriously as we can. Thankfully once getting back to Leh, Kate felt much better and both her and MayMay took full advantage of being back in the front country to rest up and prepare for our next section.
Meanwhile, as a newly ‘single dad’ I continued on with the rest of the group deeper into the mountains and fell deeper in love with both the group and the amazing ever changing scenery. I asked Pando, our guide, if there is a Ladakhi word for the way the clouds so uniquely dance on the mountains and paint a layer of depth so consistently stunning that each time we see them it blows our minds. I was hoping there would be some mystical word like the Japanese have for how light filters through the leaves in a forest – komorebi. Surprisingly there was no word but Pando did tell us about how the white scarf that was placed around our necks when we first arrived represents both the snow and the clouds.
On the evening of the 7th day of trekking hiked into semi-nomadic communities and had were able to witness up close the end of day return of thousands of sheep and goats with their pristine pashmina coats, hearts of yak infiltrated our camp and some late returning goats even stopped right beside us creating the perfect opportunity for another photoshoot.
Our penultimate day of hiking saw us traverse two passes each greater than 17.5 thousand feet! But it was our final day of hiking that took us to the highest of highs and with our final pass being just 200ft short of 18000 myself, Holtie, Stephen, Nan, Maggie, Teddy, Austin, and Sanders all seized the opportunity to detour up a little higher and experience that next level of altitude! The air was thin and the pressure difference was noticeable but the ease with which we were able to pop up to such an enormous altitude was such a brilliant experience. That moment truly put into perspective just how much our bodies have adapted to the terrain here and how fit we have become living above 15000ft for 9 days.
The very last point of our trek was Tso Moriri and after taking in some of it’s beauty on our final night we stopped by another viewpoint the next morning before our drive back to Leh to shower and reunite with Kate and MayMay!
This trip has been nothing short of remarkable and we can’t wait to tell you so much more about it, but for now we are heading up toward Likir and Ulley for a few final days in Ladakh as our trip all too quickly nears an end!
MayMay and I continue to be eternally grateful to you for trusting us with your children and allowing us the opportunity to get to know them. We’re all sending you our love and will be checking in again in a few days!
We made it to India!
July 8, 2024
Mystery…Maharaja?
India?! The Himalayas!?
Talk about a WOW!
There were rumours aplenty, there were whispers and gossip, even the odd hypothesis or two… but the ‘Roof of the World’?? Lands of snow leopards, Nomads, Pashmina Goats, Yaks, ancient traditions and a melting pot of religions? Come onnnnn now!
Put another WOW up there for good measure!
Leading a moondance trip can have its challenges, most of them we welcome and even hope for, but there is so little I’ve found in the world that compares to the extraordinary gift of getting to spend 3 weeks with a group of humans who are full of intentional curiosity focused on a collective effort to lift each other up in every way possible. Yes, this destination is awe-inspiring and we couldn’t be more excited for what lies ahead but it’s hard for me to articulate how much fulfilment and joy there is in having gotten to meet our newly formed family of 14.
Before we revealed the mystery May May and I heard numerous jests that our destination was “Detroit”, “Right here in Atlanta”, or “Cleveland”. And yes, they were jokes, but we couldn’t help but smile and to a certain extent connect with knowing smiles that with a group like this (12 impressively open, fun loving, and caring young adults) it really wouldn’t matter if we never even got to leave the airport!
Ok maybe that wouldn’t be quiiiiiite as special as a trip to a place many of us never even dreamed we’d get to go, but you know what I mean. I’m sure you do, because if you’re reading this then you know at least one of us well enough to know how lucky May May and I are to have the genuine privilege of being the leaders for this group. It’s an incredible feeling to have a group of all star students who are all fully bought in to just how much you can get out of an experience like this if you dive in at the deep end.
From Holtie landing as our first student in Atlanta through to Teddy completing our squad our hearts got fuller and fuller as we began to form our family. After Henry and I found an immediate bond over theatre and he braved doing his best Scottish accent for me we all waddled our way through the airport and even managed to steal a moment for a mini moon up by our departure gate. Austin led the charge at the moon up and opened the floor for everyone to share their hopes for themselves on this trip. Many students spoke openly about their eager yearning for 3 weeks of disconnecting from their phones, learning more about themselves, and both Hunter and Maggie emphasised just how much importance they hold and awareness they have for the gift of being fully present in the moment. It was the perfect tone to set before taking off on the first flight of our trip to the other side of the world!
Sitting on the plane I was already nostalgically smiling to myself thinking about the contagious joy Sanders has instantly brought to the group, the powerful presence and intentionality of Nan and Stephen, and the nurturing maturity of Palmer. It’s hard not to want to start writing a novel about each and every one of them.
After a bit of a delay leaving Atlanta our connection in Doha didn’t quite leave us with enough time to explore the airport but it’s majestic and extravagant decor for us excited to pass back through on the way back! And the next thing we knew we were landing in Delhi! While we only had a few hours in the hotel it was enough for a much needed refresher and power snooze, and the truly luxurious breakfast buffet fuelled us up for the last flight of the opening travel. Louise, Kate and I all sat together seizing the opportunity to dive a bit deeper in conversation until it was time to fly from Delhi to Leh.
Even with the madness of travel over such a long distance we found ourselves bonding, laughing, and joking as we eagerly inched closer to the epic landscape of the Ladakh region. We met the primary guide for our group – Pando (which means warrior) and instantly took to his kind soul and deep love he has for his homelands. It has been compounding our excitement about the destination to hear how passionately and vividly he describes his birthplace.
Landing in Leh felt like a completely different world from Delhi and even though the guides told us that, it surprised us just how starkly different it feels to be surrounding by the imposing endless peaks of the Himalayas compared to the bustling streets of Delhi.
We’re now officially at altitude, just shy of 12000 feet and our primary goal for now is just to acclimatise safely. It’s hard to temper the desire to run off and explore but after we get a good night’s sleep tonight we will endeavour to write you another update before beginning our epic trek!
-May May and Jack
