From Ajay's travel blog...pretty similar to my own, except my pictures have about 3x more people!
Yesterday was another interesting day in Dehradun. Waking up for our last full day here, we thought we'd make a lazy day out of an internet cafe session, coffee shop relaxing, and other in-town pursuits.
Of course, that's not what happened. We did do all of the above, but we also made an impromptu trek to Sahastradhara, a cool sulfur spring embedded in the mountains. We had no idea what to expect, really, but in my mind I pictured a series of clear, deserted pools emitting a faint scent of boiled eggs.
Sahastradhara is neither clear nor deserted (come on, this is India), and the smells are of sweaty people, not sulfur. The pools themselves are undeniably beautiful (though probably not their natural color anymore), situated among mountain ranges and punctuated by big boulders. They ARE arranged in series, like a waterfall. But like Mussoorie, Sahastradhara has become a crazy tourist attraction full of food stalls and souvenir shops, trash, and PEOPLE.
The best part of our trip was the ride up the mountain. We took a bus, which, if you've never been in one, is quite an experience in Idnai. I got to know a LOT of people in that bus, if you know what I mean. You get stepped on, sat on, rubbed up against...ahhh, there's nothing like it. The views, as always, were gorgeous. Nature never disappoints; we humans are what deface things.
To treat ourselvse for finishing the last tourist attraction in Dehradun, Sej and I went to the haven that is McDonald's and got well-deserved junk food. It felt like imminent rain, so it was hot and humid as we walked the long walk back from the bus depot to our section of Rajpur Road (where we're staying). As soon as we got back, it started pouring. It's still coming down strong today. Monsoon season!
Now for the public health related part. Dehradun is located in Uttaranchal, and happens to be home to one of the two most prestigious prep schools in India. However, the fledgling state of Uttaranchal has just definitively banned school-based HIV/AIDS education because of traditionalist thinkers who fear talking about HIV in schools will encourage earlier sexual behavior among children.
Ironically, this is the same state that's pushing for IT and e-literacy for all in the next few years. What do you think children do on the internet? Not everyone looks up gossip and sports. I can tell you from my time spent in cyber cafes (where cookies are unfortunately not always cleared after use) that sex education is definitely taking place on the internet.
The UN has declared that school-based sex education actually deters early sexual behavior among youth; why, then, is India (and the world) having such a hard time with it?
As usual we are, foremost, victims of ourselves.
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