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"The privilege is all mine.
Foreign footprints are almost as rare as Lakshmi's in the remote and
ravishingly beautiful foothills of Kumaon. Part of the newly
created, newly accessible state of Uttranchal. We will see no other
foreigners in the course of our four day hike; instead, a slice of
Indian life in which strangers feature as curiosities but also as
welcome guests, not merely sources of cash".
"Higher up are forests where Himalayan magpies flash through the
pines, and where scarlet-flowered rhododendron groves tower more
than 9 meters high, occasionally parting to reveal a background of
stupendous peaks..."
"....We picnic at village teahouses or by tiny wayside temples
painted in the brilliant oranges and pinks that only Indian dares
combine."
"A wimp when it comes to camping. I appreciate the feel-good factor
built into this sort of stunning trek."
"Apart from bringing welcome revenue, this kind of tourism has very
little impact on those villages through which we pass. Meanwhile, I
can enjoy the rugged bit...safe in the knowledge that at the end of
each day lies not only a clean room and a home cooked meal but a
rare chance to observe a remote mountain community from the inside."
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