#ilovespiti

[vbrahma]

#Repost @shivya (@get_repost) ・・・ Our InstaMeet at 12,000+ feet in Kaza on 8th September was quite a success! And ended in the (not so surprise) unveiling of an art installation we've worked on over the last 3 weeks - a lifesize "I love Spiti" made entirely with discarded plastic bottles, now installed near the Kaza gate / Rangrik bridge as a reminder to every traveller, local and business about the need to say NO to plastic bottles in this eco-sensitive mountain desert. . . We estimate that more than 3,00,000 plastic bottles are dumped in Spiti every season. Burning, burying and reusing them results in harmful chemicals being leeched into the groundwater and soil, and the nearest recycling centre is all the way in Punjab! Instead of drinking "Himalayan" water packaged in the plains, we can refill our bottles with clean, filtered Spitian water (with good minerals) at hotels across Kaza and in homestays in the upper villages. As part of this campaign, we are working with more restaurants and cafes to offer filtered water as well as creating awareness among locals on the ill effects of re-using these cheap plastic bottles to store water / alcohol. . . On a lighter note, after our afternoon of thought-provoking discussions around responsible travel and the inauguration of the installation, our InstaMeet was crashed by the MLA, ADC and their convoy who happened to be driving past 🤠 How often does that happen?! . . A big shoutout to the team @spitiecosphere, fellow volunteers @ibttu @aakashranison and everyone who stopped by to help in the days leading up to the meet, our artist Michael and installation leader Thanpa-ji, and everyone who showed up for the meet... in person and virtually on Instagram! Cliched though it sounds, I really think we can change mindsets and our impact on the places we visit if we continue working together 😇 . . #ilovespiti #theshootingstar #responsibletravel #wim17 #incredibleindia

[vbrahma]

#Repost @shivya (@get_repost) ・・・ A tiny village across the river from Kaza. Home to 5 houses, of which no one lives in one. Population, about 30. A nunnery with 15-20 nuns and 1 monk. Vast fields where the locals grow black peas for themselves and green peas to sell. A grove of trees that swish in the wind. The sound of the Spiti River below. A stunning golden sunset. Like a dot in the distance, Kee Monastery juts out on a hill. The nuns animatedly debate philosophy in Bhoti. Stars shimmer in the sky one by one when night falls. The lights of Kaza shimmer on one by one when night falls. A shooting star. Stark barren mountains all around. Such silence that you hear your own heart beating, the sound merging with that of the flowing river and the wind. Such silence that you hear your own thoughts. . . People keep asking me what is there to do in Spiti. Do nothing. Hear the river. Look up at the mountains. Count the stars. Take in the silence. Feel your heart beating. Drown out the noise we're constantly surrounded by and make space for your own thoughts. Aren't those the real luxuries of life? . . Astro-photography inspiration thanks to @ibttu 👽If you happen to be in Kaza before end of September, sign up for an astro photography session with him at Taste of Spiti / Sol Cafe; all proceeds go towards our campaign to reduce plastic bottles in Spiti! . . #theshootingstar #theworldisyours #astrophotography #digitalnomad #ilovespiti