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Anyone Been to India?

Burt

Well-known member
Veteran
Namaste-can you arrange a multi-day boat rides?
that is what I wanna do-go down the river smoking a ton of malana and giving
thanks at the temples every morning :rasta:
 

strained

Member
is it malani thats known for their "cream" or manala? i know that theyre in the same region but that malana. ive heard that malana is alot more isolated of a community and that they also produce charas and hash .
 

rangers

New member
namaste..nothing is impossible in this incredible India.
Flow or fly....low or high....
get the cream from Himalaya and flow like river to the Indian ocean.
who wana be a pond?never..ever.
 
G

Guest

I'm saving up lads!.BTW i wont be goin to goa!
 
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tintala

Member
Train is great and so is bus, my opinion a little dangerous, goa yes , but only to go to Kerala to the backwaters and take a sloooww relaxing floats down these waters, it's incredible. but by far, Nepal blows india away, Both have liberal cannabs laws in fact one day a year is devoted to smoking on Shivaratri. Day of shiva.. So tourist dont usually wind up in jail for ganja it's the dealers who go. Alot of cops knwo alot of dealers, but yeah there are government shops you can go to to get charas or bhang lassis. bhang lassi is made with ganja and yogurt and cardomon a small one will rip your brain in half. But like I said Nepal is much better than India, it's just more laid back and not EVERY indian guy is trying to steal , rip you off or con you , LOL, in Nepal it's way casual. I used to study indian music in India and live in Nepal still. I have a house and a nepali wife, so obviously i am biased about Nepal, but you have to go to India first to know this.
sorry just wanted to chime in with my 2 rupees. which is 43 to the $ and 64 to the dollar in Nepal.


 

rangers

New member
Nothing comes to close to India in colors, smells and diversities .Its like many countries put into One big sub continent.
A good smile..and open mind along with patience is the BEST CURRENCY here.

Always imagine AN ELEPHANT when think of India..slow and steady,,yet sure.

laid back atitude helps than too much planing.

wishing miles of smiles.



:jump:
 

ngakpa

Active member
Veteran
"Nepal is better than India" - haha, sorry I have to laugh - and "my Dad's better than your Dad" pfff, honestly

Nepal is Nepal, India is India - they are both fcuking amazing let's face it...

I think the only thing that needs be said on this topic is size - i.e. that India is utterly mind-blowingly vast when compared to Nepal:

Nepal - 147,000 km squared
India - 3,300,000 km squared

now I think that puts into some perspective how silly it is to generalise about these places - the Subcontinent is so vast and diverse it doesn't just beggar description, it buggers it, royally

btw for people who like me are into unexplored mountains it is worth giving a thought to India - with the exception of Dharamsala, and the Kullu and Parvati valleys (all of which are in the one mountain state of Himachal) very, very few tourists make it any of the rest of the Indian Himalaya... a handful to Sikkim and Darjeeling, and the rest is pretty much left untouched by aagrese... Himachal itself is about 75% unvisited e.g. Chamba, Kinnaur, most of Kangra ... i.e. three of arguably the most beautiful parts of the state

on that note however, Western Nepal is now crying out to be explored...

anyway - main point is don't listen to anyone who tells you that they know these parts of the world (including me) - about 0.00001% of travelers who visit Asia ever bother to step off the beaten track, esp. stoners, most just follow the same old banana pancake reggae bar routes and repeat whatever they hear other people saying...
 
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Shifer

New member
.........................................................................
 
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tintala

Member
ngakpa said:
"Nepal is better than India" - haha, sorry I have to laugh - and "my Dad's better than your Dad" pfff, honestly

Nepal is Nepal, India is India - they are both fcuking amazing let's face it...

I think the only thing that needs be said on this topic is size - i.e. that India is utterly mind-blowingly vast when compared to Nepal:

Nepal - 147,000 km squared
India - 3,300,000 km squared

now I think that puts into some perspective how silly it is to generalise about these places - the Subcontinent is so vast and diverse it doesn't just beggar description, it buggers it, royally

btw for people who like me are into unexplored mountains it is worth giving a thought to India - with the exception of Dharamsala, and the Kullu and Parvati valleys (all of which are in the one mountain state of Himachal) very, very few tourists make it any of the rest of the Indian Himalaya... a handful to Sikkim and Darjeeling, and the rest is pretty much left untouched by aagrese... Himachal itself is about 75% unvisited e.g. Chamba, Kinnaur, most of Kangra ... i.e. three of arguably the most beautiful parts of the state

on that note however, Western Nepal is now crying out to be explored...

anyway - main point is don't listen to anyone who tells you that they know these parts of the world (including me) - about 0.00001% of travelers who visit Asia ever bother to step off the beaten track, esp. stoners, most just follow the same old banana pancake reggae bar routes and repeat whatever they hear other people saying...
again you have degraded one of my post, what is it with you mate? Your ego got the best of ya. Your talkng about mountains and unexplored jungle, Nepal is the fuking heart of that , try the HIMALAYA, you say stoners and same ole bannana pancake reggae bar routes, wtf who are you to stereotype, I thnk you got the wrong end of the stick yo. Do you live in asia, have you ever? I can say that I do and own a house here so you should stop blastn your toursity egotistical crap. sheeesh whatever they ehar about other ppl talk about. Western Nepal is UNEXPLORED, I HAVE BEEN there, have you? Nepal is part of the Indian sub continent, and they listen to the same languages, and wathc the same goddamn movies, except Nepalese speak Nepali and HINdi. I was wondering if I put in some comments here if you wouldnt rake it down, and I'll be damned if you didnt!!! Lol your ego! Dont go stereo typing others who aren't part of your little experienced asian spew.I'm far from your predictable universe. You have no idea. HONESTLY!
I would also like to add that Nepal , china, is where GANJA was discovered.
 
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petal

Member
anyone considering an India trip may find indiamike dot com helpfull, it's not a canna friendly site regardless of any stories of special present / spices for the mind posts. But it is a usefull resource for people planning a trip.

regards

petal
 
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Bulénath

Member
Parvati is still put off by a lot of people because many of the most prominent guide books talk about dangers, etc... and I was supprised to meet many peple who didnt know anything about the chara porduciton at all! anyway a lot of parvati is still not visited much by westerners, like the manyremote backkwood villages that take hours and hours of walking up god knows what foot path to god know where. The main road villages are kinda crappy but Mateula was really cool, even though it is supposevly popular these days. I stayed there for two months because it was really nice and I made some great friends.
I plan on going back to live there for a while and hang out before and after my pakistan detour. Sikkim is great and all but its alittle too liniar compared to himichal in my opinion, especially granted the stupid permits that last for onlky like two weeks max! I think the eastern states would offer great off-the-beaten-path places with-lots-of-ganja too. Especially after reading what Mriko had to say, and some others...
I sitll cant belive after all these years it was a thread on OG just like this one that started my life-long journey into the east. I really hope I get to meet up with some of you ICM crew out there one day.
Anyway, is anyone of you guys plannig a trip into the mountains in November?? I know its kinda late season, but thats when i should be heading into Pak and possibly Himichal first to break into a two year+ journey. It would be cool to cross paths. Last time I met this kid who was a Japanese OverGrower from Japan. It was him, who in the middle of smoking out one evening in Mateula vilage, told me that OG died! But it was pretty cool that he became my best friend out there and was another OG member.
 
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mriko

Green Mujaheed
Veteran
especially granted the stupid permits that last for onlky like two weeks max!

Actually I've recently found out that you can renew it up to 4 times (free and quick)! so it is possible to stay up a whole month ! Sikkim stuff is pretty special and made a special way as far as I know.

Anyway, is anyone of you guys plannig a trip into the mountains in November?? I know its kinda late season, but thats when i should be heading into Pak and possibly Himichal first to break into a two year+ journey.

me ! if money allows, I should be around between mid-late Sept. to Late-November and plan to spend some time in Himachal & Kashmir, plus in Pakistan as well ! That should make Sept in Kashmir valley, first half October in Himachal, second half October in Pakistan, First half November in Rajasthan, second half I don't know yet !

















Irie !
 
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Bulénath

Member
Mriko, it would really be cool to meet you one day, not only because your posts and pictures back on Overgrow where part of my original inspiration to traveling the himalayas (not to meiton my future travels to pakistan and consequent trips thereafter), but also becuase yor heading in the same direction at the same time.
I recall reading your posts about Tosh village when I made the final decision to go to India, and it was by coincidence that ended up there at 1:00am after walking from Manikaran(!) and getting picked up by a Tosh local man who owns a nice car, and some Drunk french guy tripping acid! Half way up this tiny little path, and not to meition I has dysentery at the time, the drunk guy on acid starts running down the dark little foot path, trips over a rock, and goes flying head first over the cliff! I thought he died! But he ened up knocking hiself unconcious and splittig his head open, luckily after landing on the foot path, and not over the mountain itself! For some reason he wakes up with a bad attitude, and starts getting verbally violent with me, saying "give me your fucking water bottle, now"... and im like... "okay, here you go"..
Hes uses all my water, then yells "give me more water, now"...
im like "I dont have any man"
"Thats because YOUR A FUCKING AMERICAN"... and he proceedes to chew me out as he lay with blood all over his face, in the freezing cold, on this tiny dark foot path somwhere between Vailshali and Tosh!
So we end up getting to the Tosh local man's house, that looks almost identical to the third pciture down in Mriko's post above, and this drunk man gets so crazy I take off alone, as the local indian man yell's "friend, do not go into the village its dangerous." But I really didnt give a fuck at the time, for I was sick, cold, tired, etc...
The village was dark and silent and no place was open. I started to regret leaving the house but it was too late to turn back. I found a large stone platform and was ready to camp out on it, when some locals who just happened to be up at this early hour opened thier front door, and I ran up to them! Luckily I didnt sleep on the stone platform, because it was thier special "holy place"! hahaha. Well they took me in, and it turned out to be a resturant! They eventally let me sleep on thier floor for an entire week, and wouldent accept any money in the end! I had to kinda forcefully hand them couple hundred ruppes and walk away, although they were like "its cool just pay when you come back next time!" ... After atleast a week of eating and sleeping there( it wasnt a guest house, only a resturant)! The cool thing was they DID have the best charas in all Parvati, just as Mriko one said! They always sold different stuff to the tourists that came in, mostly the Israleis, but the stuff they smoked they sold to me! That was pretty cool, and in my whole time in India and Nepal I never smoked better stuff:)
I just remember laying on their floor all day, unable to move!
After that I fell inlove with Parvati and ended up staying in Mateula village for two months, only leaving because my visa was ready to expire. I met some cool people, even this hot israeli girl who kept getting me naked in bed but kept kept refusing to put out! Hahaha go figgure:p good times!

Last year I was planning the same trip, but ended up breaking my ankle and finger, then months later my knee all from riding bmx. Im still healing from the knee injury but it should be ready to go by November, as I am back in the wood hiking at the moment.

Anyway, my Pakistan plan is to kinda weave in and out of the KKH depending on the scene. Im definately planning on the Kalasha vallies, swat, dir, hopefully all throughout the Azzad Jammu and Kashmir valleys, up through the northern areas and hopefully to Kashgar in China! But I dont know if ill have enough time to make it to China with a 6 month visa starting in November, for it might be too bitter a cold hostile winter!
Though I still cant believe how intricate Pakistan's NWFP is. I have never seen so many little valleys in such a small area! I even bought the LP Pakistan to better comprehend the valley's there, and I still cant mentally map out the HUGE labyrinth of mountain sides and valleys after much studying!

There are two places I am sure to be out there.
First is wong dhen guest house over in Majnu Ka tilla in Delhi, thats the place I will stay when arriving.
The second is when in Parvati Valley I will be at the village guest house above Jari in Mateula. Just that I am really inlove with that village and it really became that special place where I was finnaly comfertable to live and settle down... I know Kashol has some really nice, hidden places away from the main parts of town, but I never had the incentive to find them, becausse kashol always killed my buzz, even with the good food and chocolate pastries.
 
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mriko

Green Mujaheed
Veteran
Bom Bolenath !

Mriko, it would really be cool to meet you one day, not only because your posts and pictures back on Overgrow where part of my original inspiration to traveling the himalayas (not to meiton my future travels to pakistan and consequent trips thereafter), but also becuase yor heading in the same direction at the same time.

I for sure would be glad to ! Would be a great thing ! I'm glad that I've played some role into making you go there, thank you ! After all that's my goal when I talk about my travels, just to make peple there ! 'cos it's so great experience !

I recall reading your posts about Tosh village when I made the final decision to go to India, and it was by coincidence that ended up there at 1:00am after walking from Manikaran(!)

muh ? you left Manikaran at night by foot ??? that's not a thing I would do myself eheh...

Drunk french guy tripping acid! Half way up this tiny little path, and not to meition I has dysentery at the time, the drunk guy on acid starts running down the dark little foot path, trips over a rock, and goes flying head first over the cliff! I thought he died! But he ened up knocking hiself unconcious and splittig his head open, luckily after landing on the foot path, and not over the mountain itself! For some reason he wakes up with a bad attitude, and starts getting verbally violent with me, saying "give me your fucking water bottle, now"... and im like... "okay, here you go"..
Hes uses all my water, then yells "give me more water, now"...
im like "I dont have any man"
"Thats because YOUR A FUCKING AMERICAN"... and he proceedes to chew me out as he lay with blood all over his face, in the freezing cold, on this tiny dark foot path somwhere between Vailshali and Tosh!
So we end up getting to the Tosh local man's house, that looks almost identical to the third pciture down in Mriko's post above, and this drunk man gets so crazy I take off alone, as the local indian man yell's "friend, do not go into the village its dangerous." But I really didnt give a fuck at the time, for I was sick, cold, tired, etc...

AAAWWW, very sorry to hear about that unfriendly time, what a sucker ! Damn, drunk on acid in Parvati, this kind of pig-fucker shoudn't be found there ! It's this kind of people who ruin places such as this one. Oh well, most important is that you've had great time afterwards and it sounds to be so !





Anyway, my Pakistan plan is to kinda weave in and out of the KKH depending on the scene. Im definately planning on the Kalasha vallies, swat, dir, hopefully all throughout the Azzad Jammu and Kashmir valleys, up through the northern areas and hopefully to Kashgar in China! But I dont know if ill have enough time to make it to China with a 6 month visa starting in November, for it might be too bitter a cold hostile winter!
Though I still cant believe how intricate Pakistan's NWFP is. I have never seen so many little valleys in such a small area! I even bought the LP Pakistan to better comprehend the valley's there, and I still cant mentally map out the HUGE labyrinth of mountain sides and valleys after much studying!

You'll love the Kalasha valleys, but I adivse you to treat you with pro-biotics during your journey, often people fell sick overthere. Not a big deal, but makes you loose 3 days or something.

Swat ? You want to go to Swat ?? Oooooh be very carefull my friend, I don't think it is currently the place for an American traveller, nope nope nope ! Last year I've been through the lower valley only a few days before Taleban took over the place. Fierce fighting followed for weeks and months. Situation has now been brought back to calm, but the dastards have managed to impose their rule in many ways and if I remember, last news I had read about the place was that Sharia was now applied there (CORRECTION : not yet actually, butt hat's what the militants want of course). If you want to go there, be sure to be informed about the latest evolutions of the situation there. Go to Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree and enquire, maybe some foreigners been there this year I don't know.

Dir ? Dir is interesting, but a bit hot too. Going alone in the country side is a no-no, you'll end up badly. You need local & armed guide. But there are great palces to visit around, it's very beautifull and the area was until a decade or so before an important opium producer. I know that in some valleys still survive some kind of sufi traditions implying opium and hash use.

NWFP is very attracting for sure, but that is hot area in those days. When media talk about Tribal Areas, they are actually talking about FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas). But real Tribal Areas extent way further. Up north til Lowari pass and Westward till the Indus. Swat and Dir are Tribal areas; South of Dir as well and the whole area is too hot for a lonely Americna traveler. Thousands of young went to fight in Afghanistan when the coalition invaded the country and most didn't make it back home. So there's a lot of ressentment. You need a guide to travel the area (well you can take the bus throught the area to Chitral alone, that's not aproblem).

Azad Kashmir ? err... I'm very sorry but here also not easy. Not especially hot area, but most of the state is off-limits to foreigners. You can go to muzaffarabad anda few miles further but youcan access only a fraction of the area. So sadd thing, sucha beautifull area and certainly great genetics !

For Kashgar you'll have to Fly there. Khunjerab pass close in November usually. Flight is from Islamabad and rather cheap.

First is wong dhen guest house over in Majnu Ka tilla in Delhi, thats the place I will stay when arriving.

Never heard about. I usually stay in Paharganj. Just a crazy & insane street I like a lot !

The second is when in Parvati Valley I will be at the village guest house above Jari in Mateula. Just that I am really inlove with that village and it really became that special place where I was finnaly comfertable to live and settle down... I know Kashol has some really nice, hidden places away from the main parts of town, but I never had the incentive to find them, becausse kashol always killed my buzz, even with the good food and chocolate pastries.

A friend of mine told me about in great terms as well. I'll try to find a little time to make a stop there and see by myself. Would be a good thing as I've never stopped in Jari area. I'll have to go to Tosh as to meet some friends there.

I should spend about 3 weeks of October in Himachal but will move around a lot. Rarely more than 2 nights in the same place I think... Then I'll move to Pakistan for about 3 weeks as well. So we should manage to meet somewhere !

Phir milenge !

Irie !
 
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rangers

New member
kalash valley

kalash valley

Hi
Kalash valley is my next step in himalaya ..will u plz desribe me more abt the region..places to hang out cool etc

jay Vole!
 

mriko

Green Mujaheed
Veteran
Kalash valley is my next step in himalaya ..will u plz desribe me more abt the region..places to hang out cool etc

Hey rangers ! glad to know you're heading towards Kalash valleys ! You won't bein Himalaya anymore, but right in the Hindu Kush, in what's left of the former Kafiristan kingdom. That isnot Indian Sub-continent anymore overthere, but Central Asia Plate.
If that's your next mountainous stop the I presume you will reach there (Chitral) from the South.
There are minibuses going from Peshawar, but the ride is hectic and can last anything between 12 and 24 hours.
Plane is worthy for sure, takes an hour and gives you great views of the hindu Kush and price is ok. I always do my best to fly in and out of Chitral. The minibus ride is something to do at least once, just to know eheh... And once you know, you think "next time I fly !".
Last year a airline was opened between Islamabad and Chitral, but I don't know if it's still in service (heard here was projects to suppres it). But Peshawar is great place to stop in and make nice meetings.

There are 3 Kalash valleys, Birir, Bumboret and Rumbur, all afew hours walk frm Afghanistan's border, in Chitral District. Bumboret and Rumbur are reachable by jeep in about an hour, Birir a small 2 hours. Birir (entry of the valley is 35° 40' 03" North - 71° 44' 57" East on Google Earth) is the less visited by foreigners. Although a large proportion of the people have converted to Islam, traditionnal Kalash life is still alive and people have kept their traditionnal life style. I have seen nice patch of wild weed growing there and was told about some foreigners who, a few years before, used to come regularly to the valley for charas hand-rubbing.

The entry of both Bumboret and Rumbur is at 35°43'05"N - 71°45'17"E on GE. There's a fork onward, left leads to Bumboret. I haven't been there, but it is the most touristy valley of the three and as a matter of fact has been somewhat spoiled. Many Punjabi go there for party and drinking (Kalash wine is famous in the area and beyond). Can't say much about the place except that if you want to see the real Kalash life, don't go there.
the right branch leads to Rumbur valley. This is the valley were Kalash life style and traditions are best preserved. Best is to stay in Balaguru/Kalash Grom. There's a man named Saifullah who has a guesthouse right in the middle of the village and it's life, great place to stay. From there you can also walk up the valley and visit Nuristani villages (such as Shekanandeh) as well (take a guide though) near Afghan Border. There are great hikes or small trek also, you can go from one valley to the other in a few days.

If going to Kalash valleys, I won't stress enough to get your stomach ready. Ideally, dose yourself with pro-biotics during your whole journey, and double the dose when you'r ein Kalash, or in Chitral as a matter of fact. Hygyena is not always top notch, and when you have nothing else then Pulau rice, mutton, chicken kharai or anything oversoaked in fat for days, one time comes when the stomach launch a protest eheh...



Chitral town and Tirich Mir ("Father of the mountains"7706m) in the background, highest peak of the Hindu Kush.



True Art on Wheel, amazingly painted Pakistani trucks, alas the old Bedfords are quick disappearing...


Ayun village, entry of Bumboret and Rumbur valleys



Rumbur valley, Grom village



Grom village



Hindu Kush sativa in Rumbur valley



At the Chitral Jeep Stand



Early Chitrali strain, pics was shot in May/June



Some Chitral Greenery





IRIE ! :rasta:
 
G

guest3854

Mriko , always a pleasure viewing pics from your travels . I look forward to your next installment ...

Be well an' stay safe my friend ,
Steele
 
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