relativelyLocal Trekking in Himalayas with Nikol (Nicole Jaquis) and Tara Giri

It’s been more than two years with no guests visiting me at Taptkund. The pandemic / lockdown shut down tourist entry in India since mid March 2020 and only reopened in February 2022. During Navratri in October 2022, my friend Tara Giri brought his two Russian guests to stay with me, relativelyLocal style. After a couple week of waiting out the end of the monsoon, we finally set out on our trek to Jhuni.

This was their first time in India.

It was their first few weeks in the Himalayas, and my first time having strangers as guests at Uma Giri Kutir at Taptkund. I set them up with a room at my neighbour’s house next door. They came to my place throughout the day for meals and hanging out. Initially I didn’t realize they were starting their YouTube channel on this trip (having left Russia to escape the war and potential draft).

This was the first time I was documented on a trek.

Not understanding Russian, I am not even able to understand their commentary of their experience hanging out here. At least you can get glimpses into what life is like, for two Russians in their mid 20s, traveling in India for the first time. And hear their impressions having their first guided mediation with me. Staying at Uma Giri Kutir at Taptkund was their fourth stop on their journey. Trekking in Himalayas was the finale of their visit with me. In this video you can see their impressions of their first time trekking in the Himalayas, camping in Jhuni, and visiting the waterfalls at the start of of the Saryu River, Sahastradhara.

Russians in India VLOG: Trekking in Himalayas with Nikol (Nicole Jaquis) and Tara Giri, Jhuni (the last village in Bageshwar District, Uttarakhand)

Format: English / Hindi / Russian / Russian Subtitles