From Brahma to Buddha, Fall 2008

Tsangma-la Jullay!

Greetings to everyone from SECMOL in Phey, Ladakh where today was a busy day of English Conversation class getting to know our new friends here on campus in addition to our first round of washing clothes by hand and getting 'geared' up for our 10 day trek in the Markha Valley. I'm enjoying watching the students connect to the SECMOLpas in this amazing community.

We'll not have internet access regularly for about another 12 days - so, thanks for everyones' patience! We'll be communicating back to the states via John and the NYC office over the phone while we're out milling around the Zangskar Mountain range. We'll climb two passes - Kanda-la (15,000ft) and Gongmaru-la (17,300ft) during the course of the 10 days, but even more inspiring will be the fall landscape in these sunkissed valleys of the Trans Himalaya. We'll camp each night after walking 6-8 hours each day and share lots of reflection time about our trip together this far. We'll also learn about Leave No Trace ethics, interact with the villages near to our campsites, and of course (this is my favorite part!) share bedtime stories about Ladakhi culture written by Abdul Ghani Shiek, a well-known author and member of the Muslim community here in Ladakh. I think the excitement is outweighing the nerves at this point after Justin and I checked through everyone's gear today and we're all looking very prepared.

We all hope everything is well in the states despite the news we're hearing about the economy.

More soon,

Tracy