August 8th, 2009....a date that I'll always remember.... Part 6

The rain at this point is in full force. I'm wearing a very breathable light long sleeve training shirt, and Matt's wearing a t-shirt and shorts. He luckily had an umbrella so that helped a little even though the rains were coming all which directions. We made it to another top of the hill when THANKFULLY I see in the distance the village we saw from earlier. Of course to get to that village, there was this opening of flowing rapids and puddles galore. With water flowing rapidly beneath our feet towards the village. We slid down some rocks and into the puddles, not even thinking about leeches at this point, just trying to get to the village. We SPRINT through the rapids and make it to this stone wall out of the water. We walk down a path towards the first house we see, and I walk past first and see no one there so I keep moving forward. Luckily Matt was a little ways behind and calls me back, cause this man is at the door inviting us in. We walk up their path and under their roof. He had a wife and kid, probably all wondering who are these two and why are they walking in this weather. But this family in my eyes are saviors. They invite us in like we're family. They set out these stools and invite us to sit. Both Matt and I, out of energy sit down and just collapse. Exhausted. After a minute or so we remember to check for leeches on our feet, running through the water like that. Of course we find just a few..... we take the flashlight shine it on our feet and one by one we start pouring salt on the leeches. Luckily I brought some. I had 5 on my right foot, 1 huge one, the other just getting settled. I had 4 on my left foot, 2 huge ones already sucking blood, and 2 others trying to get settled. I had one on my upper leg and one under my right knee. Matt had a ton on him as well. So we each one at a time went outside and started to pour salt on them, watch them curl up, then immediately grab them and fling them off, stepping on them once they landed on the ground. After that I dared to take off my hiking boots and socks, sure enough 3 more leeches (big ones) were on my right lower part of my foot, all well established and making huge divets in it. QUICKLY poured salt on them and then checked my left foot. Luckily only found 2 little ones trying to establish sucking. But it's crazy to think all they need is the smallest of holes and they can get in their like "that!" I mean these leeches went through my hiking boot, then through my sock, and finally to my skin. And you don't even feel them doing this. After we have sat and napped a little bit, this man comes back with cookies. We didn't know what to say we were so speechless with thanks. We tried signing thank you to him, of course he only spoke Hindi, but an attempt that I think worked. I slowly ate mine, feeling the signs up vomiting if I ate them to fast. But Matt luckily had the stomach he could eat with ease, which is all I cared about at that point cause I know Matt was struggling with the food. Once he had that in his system he took over with the lead. Asking if I was alright and trying to strike up convo. All I could muster was hmm mmm. But I could get 2 cookies down. Then the man turned on the tv and we watched a really cheesy Bollywood movie with the main guy shooting up everyone. That brought smiles to our faces, not big ones but enough to calm our nerves a little. We did constant leech checks every 5 minutes, and sure enough every time we found a couple here and there, trying to establish on our skin. The power went out, and we lost all lights and tv, so I went outside (by this time it was night, about 7:30pm) and I saw the GREATEST thing we've seen in the past 6 hours!! THE LIGHTS OF MUSSOORIE!!! We asked the man earlier and pointed to Mussoorie and we knew it was somewhere over that hill, but seeing those lights at night made us feel so much better! We attempted convo with the man again and found out his daughter went to school in Mussoorie and he knew of Woodstock! So now the confidence is slowly coming back, if this man knows of both Mussoorie and Woodstock School!! He asks us if we want rotti (bread) and some other foods we didn't know what they meant. We said yes yes yes yes yes, thank you thank you thank you. His wife started the meal, while both Matt and I tried getting in a quick nap in the chairs. Matt commented that you know when you're exhausted when you can fall asleep in a stool bent over, which was very true. So we caught up on some much needed rest while they made dinner. The smell from the next room smelled soooo good. While it was cooking he came back in the room with clothes. Now this house was 2 rooms, and was barely filled with materials. This man who didn't even know us offered the clothes off his back to warm us up, we couldn't say yes to that. But just the gesture was so amazing and powerful. Then they brought in the most delicious meal we've had in 6 hours. It was rotti, some type of dal, and chai tea. Now the tea we didn't drink just because it could possibly be tap water, and no good there. But everything else was fair game. All I could eat was 2 pieces of rotti, which when nervous and focused I'm not a huge eater, so I knew that would be okay. I was just happy Matt was going to town on his food cause I knew he needed it to reenergize. So Matt was getting reenergized I was still focused on the trip home. The man then came in with blankets and sheets to start making a bed. Now he was offering us a place to sleep. This was truly a miracle and the nicest/kindest thing that anyone could ever do for another human being. We declined the bed and sleeping cause we knew we had to get back tonight otherwise some may get worried if we didn't make it back that night. So we said no no no to the bed and waited for the rain to stop. Another motivator that had us not stay the night was this HUGE spider right above us by the light, did not want that crawling around us in the night. Finally the rain started to simmer down, not end but not a downpour at least! In the distance I heard this man doing some late night prayers, I checked my watch and sure enough it was 8pm, and it was the same chants I hear everynight at home!! Then we heard the dogs!! So both were unbelievably comforting sounds and again grew our confidence!!:) It was around 9pm when the rain finally stopped. We knew this was our only chance and had to take it. I gave the man 1500 rupees for their troubles. We packed up, checked for leeches and followed the man with his flashlight to his path. He pointed to Mussoorie and shook hands and he was very grateful, but not NEARLY as grateful as we, and we wished so much we could communicate with him how much thanks we had, but I think he may have gotten the point...hopefully. We head down the path and within 10 minutes we see the greatest thing ever: CEMENT road!! A sign of civilization and close to a real town!! Not shortly after we see this single headlight coming down the path, it was a scooter, another great sign of things to come! We head up the path and to the Langdon School, which is what he said we would end up at, he also said bazaar/marker would be there too. We enter town just relieved to be in some type of civilization with other people around!! We walk up the path and more zig zags, but this time we don't care aobut the zig zags! When we reach the top, Matt quickly recognizes where we are, the MAIN BAZAAR close to the Clock Tower!!!! Walking towards the split to both the main bazaar and my house, we give a big man hug to each other and congratulate a HARD fought battle mentally and physically to get home and couldn't help but think what would have happened if we chose left way back there and not right! We didn't even want to think about that outcome at all. After we split our ways I headed straight towards the Clock Tower Cafe, knowing a LARGE PEPPERONI PIZZA was waiting to be eaten by me!! I didn't know if they were open or not but it didn't matter I was headed there to find out! I see the clock tower, I see the cafe and BAM it's open!! I walk in to the greatest smell in the world, baking dough!! I sit down just exhausted, even the waiter came up to me and asked are you tired? I explained to him I just hiked with a friend from Tatur and left around 1! Before I did anything I took off my boots and quickly put on my sandals that were packed in my backpack, luckily! That felt soooo good! My boots were soaked and a little blood soaked from the leeches! Cause after you take off the leech the hole that it creates still has blood coming from it, you can pour salt on it to neutralize it, but minus the slight burn pain it still doesn't stop it completely! Went to the bathroom and washed my hands for 5 minutes! They were a LITTLE dirty from the hike! Dinner and Sunday cont....