Yaks - Finally

   We arrived back in Gangtok yesterday, and will be here tomorrow as well, then we will drive to Bagdogra and fly to Delhi on the 30th. We are staying in an adorable hotel called Mintokling Guest House. It has beautifully painted wood doors and windows.

We took a day trip to Tsom Go, a lake north of Gangtok, this morning. It was foggy on our way up the mountain and the fog turned to snow at the top of the mountain. May and I rode yaks while the snow flurried around us - it was pretty incredible. I had a moment of fear when my yak attempted to poke May’s yak in the rear with a gaily festooned but still pointy horn. Luckily, the yak missed and the driver was able to yank his head out of range before he made contact, so May rode on blissfully unaware of how close she came to galloping on her yak. Cute as they are, I’m not sure we are supposed to ride animals with big pointy horns.

I have a new appreciation for modern road making equipment, and I don’t think I will ever complain about the annoyance of road construction after seeing the crews of men and women building and repairing roads here. Equipped with tiny cement mixers, they hand pour and smooth the pavement while another crew meticulously hand places stones at regular intervals to provide traction. It’s one of the best things about travel- it reminds me every time of how lucky I am.