I remember the first time I watched The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I watched the old movie, of course, where Mr and Mrs Beaver were people in beaver costumes, and the section where the children ride on Aslan was old-fashioned animation, to put it mildly.Yet, I loved it so much that I still remember much of it word for word. I remember the white witch saying, "How dare you come alone?" I remember "Turkish delight? For my little prince?" I remember the faun Mr Tumnus saying, "Always winter, and never Christmas!"Narnia is magical.And I could not stop thinking about it as we stood there in the magical Yumthang Valley. Frozen waterfalls, a blanket of snow, snow on trees all around us.When Pempa picked us up, determined to take us to Yumthang Valley, my heart gave a little leap. It was impossible! Everyone else had left, and it was still snowing. How were we going … [Read more...]

It was a bright, cold day. Bundled up in thermals, sweaters, mufflers, gloves and coats, we set off for Yumthang, famously known as the Valley of Flowers. In spring, a carpet of flowers rolls over the valley, and in winter, a blanket of snow.As we shivered with cold and excitement, we hoped we would be allowed all the way to Yumthang. The previous day, vehicles had been stopped because the roads were slippery, but perhaps today would be different. The day was clear, and our driver and guide Pempa, who belonged to Lachung, was optimistic.All along the road, we saw patches of snow huddled under rocks, hiding from the sun. As we moved further, the snow grew bolder, not crouching under the rocks, but showing itself above. Snow spread its fingers over trees and branches, bringing to mind the cotton wool we use as children to decorate Christmas trees.And yaks! What delightful … [Read more...]