Hi we are Joerik and Pauline from Holland!
We just completed our 18 months long trip.
Follow us.
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She said yes!!
After 5 days of relaxing in Rishikesh we decide to follow the Ganges river up stream. The trail to the source of the Ganges is for Hindu believers 1 of 4 holy pilgrimages. For Pauline and me is this place less sacred but, as it turns out afterwards, more than special.
We have to travel for 2 days by bus to reach the start of the trek. The first day we enjoy the view. We are getting deeper and deeper into the Himalayas. The monsoon is almost over en the nature around us is lush and green. Our image of India is expanding. How beautiful this nature!
The next day we travel by shared-jeep. And sharing we did indeed. When Pauline en I are in the back of the jeep together with four Indians, the rest of the car is filled with 7 others I start to believe that we reached the maximum capacity. But I’m wrong. Another 7th person joins us in the small back and two others are climbing of the roof. That makes us 17 people!! What a drive. Together we travel from 1000m altitude to the village of Gangotri at an altitude of 3000m. Here the Ganges is wild and ice cold.
At the altitude of 3000m its much cooler which pleases us. In Gangotri we arrange a guide which will luckily also carry our bags for the up coming 3-day trek, Before we get to sleep we read a bit about altitude sickness. From 3000m and up acclimatization is really a must. We hope 1 night will be enough. The next morning we leave. After two hours Pauline starts to complain about headaches. I also feel short-breath more quickly than usual. We are taking it more easy which helps. Its pretty cloudy and we can constantly see and hear the Ganges. En route we talk for hours about the past 3 and a half years. A nice conversation about the start of our relationship until now. Late afternoon at 3750 meters high we reach our stay for the night. We are getting welcomed by happy, child like, orange dressed small man. He runs the temple and the attached sleeping huts. In the evening we make music together and enjoy a hot meal. Pauline is laughing and giggling a lot this evening. We wonder if it's the lack of oxygen. Anyways we have fun!
On day two we reach the real source of the Ganges. A giant glacier. You can find a temple there where Hindus take a picture before returning. We follow our guide, crossing the glacier and walking higher and Higher. If you walk here without a guide you have the risk of falling into the deep ice-pits. The last 4 kilometers are deadly tough and we climb from 3850 to 4500 meters. The reward is amazing. We reach a beautifully green open valley with a slow water stream, Himalayas flowers, some mountain goat's and we are surrounded by tall snow caped mountain peaks.
There is one small self-build hut where we can sleep. Our host is a silent sadhu. He lives up there for 7 years. Luckily we can communicate a little. He doesn't speak but writes something on a notepad when he really wants to make something clear.
Pauline is taking some rest. I take my change and start exploring the valley. Its to bad the’re so many clouds but I can feel this is the right spot. I can't wait any longer! What Pauline doesn’t know is that the whole day I am carying a ring that is burning in my left pocket. I had bought the ring back in the Netherlands and have kept it hidden in a pair of socks.
Pauline is waking up from her nap en suggest going for a walk. This is exactly how i have pictured it. I was quite relaxed the whole day but now I feel the moment is getting closer i start to feel nervous. Pauline is enjoying the goats en it seems like hours before we can leave them. A few moments later we are standing at a beutiful spot. After I say what I wanted to say and Pauline still doesn't expect anything I take the ring out of my pocket and get on my knees.: Dear Pauline, do you want to marry me? The look on her face is something I will never forget. To get her out of her shock i softly add the word: please?? Then follows her YES, of course. We sit down not feeling the cold anymore and I start to explain how I planned everything starting 6 months before. The same very moment the sun burst true the clouds and we start to see snow-peaks around us. Perfect moment!
Friends of ours would comment: Marriage? I would have never expected you guys to get into a marriage. Yes and no. Pauline and I have agreed many times that a traditional wedding at the city hall with all its customs is nothing for us. On the other hand we strongly feel that we want to celebrate our connection in a special way. We will do that during our trip on December 12 on Bali. Just the two of us like we have talked about before.
