(We are now just east of Mumbai visiting with my epal of 5 years. We arrived last evening and met Suri and his wife Vinny for the first time - it was a joyous occasion! But, more about that later ... first here's a blog I wrote a few days ago)
They say you can learn a lot about a person by perusing his/her personal library, and if that is the case then the owner of Mountain Ridge is a man with most eclectic tastes.
As I mentioned in a previous blog, Mountain Ridge Homestay is owned by an Englishman named Piers. He has built a most attractive house on a very high peak amidst the hills outside Udaipur. It's peaceful rural calm hits you immediately you immerge from the auto rickshaw which has brought you along the bumpy rocky road from town.
Immediately, one starts to wonder how an (almost) elderly Englishman came to be living here in this remote part of India, what is the story which brought him here?
(Whilst in the tiny village of Bundi we stayed at a lovely haveli owned by an Australian lady. We had heard about her from our hosts in Jaipur - such is the unusual nature of her circumstances - and she met us upon arrival. A very tall lady of advanced years, she had sharp yet not unpleasant features, calm professional demeanor and a long gray braid snaking down her back. Later, her cool exterior softened and she seemed to warm to us, and I started to wonder what her story was, why was she here and what brought her? Maybe a left-over from the hippy haydays of the 60's & 70's? Did she marry an Indian man and followed him to live here? I seem to doubt the latter as she didn't seem to be the type to follow anyone, yet, one never knows where love will lead you. Before we left I decided I must engage her in conversation to try to find out a little of her story - but alas, she was not at the desk when we checked out, so she remains a mystery to me ...)
Now, I was faced with yet another Brit with probably just as interesting a story to tell. But, Piers was in Nepal when we arrived, and would not be returning for a few months! Darn it!
However, Mountain Ridge Homestay was being run most capably by a young 25 year old man named Amrit, and a 22 year old fellow named Padam. They were assisted by an assortment of others, none of which seemed over 15. Both young men spoke English, Amrit's being the best. He chatted with us the first day we were there over a pot of chai masala tea (to which I am now addicted!) and told us a most extraordinary story.
It seems all these young people are from Nepal, and Piers was very good friends with their business
man father. Unfortunately, their father died suddenly 4 years ago of a heart attack, leaving the family of 4 children with no-one to care for them. Piers adopted them all ... from a young girl of 7, a boy of 12, a girl of 15 and Amrit of 25, and they all make their home with Piers at Mountain Ridge. Then, there is Padam, another Nepalese young man, whose father died just 2 years ago after falling from the top of a bus. (We have watched with awe and horror the buses, with men piled on the roof, chugging along the roads ... and have wondered how many accidents occur from such situations. Apparently, they are all villagers who travel into the towns for daily manual work, and the riders far outnumber the buses available, so the men actually prefer to ride on top than be squished inside!)
Anyway, poor Padam's father was killed in his fall, and Piers took Padam under his wing also.
Now, my curiosity about Piers was really peaked! We asked what he was doing in Nepal and found the story deepened ...
Piers had bought the Mountain Ridge hill property and built the house in 2006, but Indian laws do not allow a foreigner to own property so it has been listed in a friend's name. Circ7mstances have now changed and he now had a family to care for and wanted to make them his heirs, so he has had to buy similar property in Nepal, and is presently building small guest cottagers there. When complete he will be forced to sell this gorgeous piece of rural India and move his Nepalese family back with him to their country of birth.
Amrit and Padam speak of Piers in almost hushed tones, such is their love for this man. There are framed photographs on the sideboard of Amrit and Padam's fathers, and the young family clearly consider Mountain Ridge their home. Piers has written two books about the rural area for trekkers and other tourists to try to increase visitors to the area, with lavish photographs from his own collection, and the writing is clear, intelligent and with a folksy tone. So it's saddening that someone who has done so much for the neglected rural area is forced to leave it ... but, perhaps I don't know the whole story ...
Anyway, it started us thinking seriously about Nepal as a future travel destination - and maybe we'll finally get to meet Piers and hear the full story for ourselves!
To be continued ... (only one more week in India :-(
They say you can learn a lot about a person by perusing his/her personal library, and if that is the case then the owner of Mountain Ridge is a man with most eclectic tastes.
As I mentioned in a previous blog, Mountain Ridge Homestay is owned by an Englishman named Piers. He has built a most attractive house on a very high peak amidst the hills outside Udaipur. It's peaceful rural calm hits you immediately you immerge from the auto rickshaw which has brought you along the bumpy rocky road from town.
Immediately, one starts to wonder how an (almost) elderly Englishman came to be living here in this remote part of India, what is the story which brought him here?
(Whilst in the tiny village of Bundi we stayed at a lovely haveli owned by an Australian lady. We had heard about her from our hosts in Jaipur - such is the unusual nature of her circumstances - and she met us upon arrival. A very tall lady of advanced years, she had sharp yet not unpleasant features, calm professional demeanor and a long gray braid snaking down her back. Later, her cool exterior softened and she seemed to warm to us, and I started to wonder what her story was, why was she here and what brought her? Maybe a left-over from the hippy haydays of the 60's & 70's? Did she marry an Indian man and followed him to live here? I seem to doubt the latter as she didn't seem to be the type to follow anyone, yet, one never knows where love will lead you. Before we left I decided I must engage her in conversation to try to find out a little of her story - but alas, she was not at the desk when we checked out, so she remains a mystery to me ...)
Now, I was faced with yet another Brit with probably just as interesting a story to tell. But, Piers was in Nepal when we arrived, and would not be returning for a few months! Darn it!
However, Mountain Ridge Homestay was being run most capably by a young 25 year old man named Amrit, and a 22 year old fellow named Padam. They were assisted by an assortment of others, none of which seemed over 15. Both young men spoke English, Amrit's being the best. He chatted with us the first day we were there over a pot of chai masala tea (to which I am now addicted!) and told us a most extraordinary story.
It seems all these young people are from Nepal, and Piers was very good friends with their business
man father. Unfortunately, their father died suddenly 4 years ago of a heart attack, leaving the family of 4 children with no-one to care for them. Piers adopted them all ... from a young girl of 7, a boy of 12, a girl of 15 and Amrit of 25, and they all make their home with Piers at Mountain Ridge. Then, there is Padam, another Nepalese young man, whose father died just 2 years ago after falling from the top of a bus. (We have watched with awe and horror the buses, with men piled on the roof, chugging along the roads ... and have wondered how many accidents occur from such situations. Apparently, they are all villagers who travel into the towns for daily manual work, and the riders far outnumber the buses available, so the men actually prefer to ride on top than be squished inside!)
Anyway, poor Padam's father was killed in his fall, and Piers took Padam under his wing also.
Now, my curiosity about Piers was really peaked! We asked what he was doing in Nepal and found the story deepened ...
Piers had bought the Mountain Ridge hill property and built the house in 2006, but Indian laws do not allow a foreigner to own property so it has been listed in a friend's name. Circ7mstances have now changed and he now had a family to care for and wanted to make them his heirs, so he has had to buy similar property in Nepal, and is presently building small guest cottagers there. When complete he will be forced to sell this gorgeous piece of rural India and move his Nepalese family back with him to their country of birth.
Amrit and Padam speak of Piers in almost hushed tones, such is their love for this man. There are framed photographs on the sideboard of Amrit and Padam's fathers, and the young family clearly consider Mountain Ridge their home. Piers has written two books about the rural area for trekkers and other tourists to try to increase visitors to the area, with lavish photographs from his own collection, and the writing is clear, intelligent and with a folksy tone. So it's saddening that someone who has done so much for the neglected rural area is forced to leave it ... but, perhaps I don't know the whole story ...
Anyway, it started us thinking seriously about Nepal as a future travel destination - and maybe we'll finally get to meet Piers and hear the full story for ourselves!
To be continued ... (only one more week in India :-(
2 comments:
I, too, will be saddened when you leave India. It has been so enjoyable to make this trip with you through your blog.
Thank you that we did not have to wait for your return to enjoy your experience
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