Although in previous visits I’ve wandered from one end of Monterey to the other, I stuck close to downtown this time. But, that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the view or the water. It’s just a few minutes' walk from the conference center to Monterey’s Fisherman Wharf. In addition to the marina, there are restaurants, souvenir shops, sea gulls and sea otters here. From the wharf there is a bike and walk path that runs for miles, along the water. According to the brochures there are places like Cannery Row, the world-famous Aquarium and all sorts of shops that are required sightseeing stops, but somehow in about five trips, I’ve been content to stay close to downtown with its small cafes and restaurants, theaters and a book store. I was surprised to see that one of those theaters this year was showing…yes, those are Hindi movie posters! Imagine that, Mangal Pandey in Monterey.
On Tuesday evenings, downtown Monterey is transformed into an old-fashioned marketplace. It was too dark to take photos but a picture couldn’t capture the hustle-bustle, the sounds and aromas that fill these three or four city blocks. The streets are blocked off to vehicles so that local merchants may set up their stalls for the farmer’s market. But, fresh produce and flowers aren’t all that’s on sale. There’s usually one stall that has desi skirts and kurtas, others with jewelry, handmade soap, knick-knacks, art, music and food. All kinds of food. From barbecue and tandoori chicken wraps to pies and cookies and other sweets. The camaraderie between the merchants who set up shop week after week (and year after year!) is apparent but it’s also clear that it’s a meeting place for neighbors and other locals.
Headed north from Monterey toward the San Francisco Bay Area and the Silicon Valley, Highway 1 swings away from the coast into flat farmland. I’m not too sure what was growing on either side of the road but seeing all the leafy greens, I figured it surely must be healthy. I spent an afternoon at a nature preserve close to where I used to live. Not in the proper attire to walk for an hour or so in the hills (not to mention, also a bit out of shape and full from a meal at a desi dhaba) I thought I’d just sit and gaze at the view. But it wasn’t enough. I craved the peace I used to feel once I climbed into the hills, into the trees and clouds.
Not too many people were around in the afternoon and I noticed some changes since the last time I was here two years earlier. For one thing, there were many more warning signs than I remembered-warnings about mountain lions and rattle snakes. I was beginning to wonder whether a solitary walk was a good idea! But, all hesitation vanished as soon as I hit a familiar trail. It took a bit longer to navigate the hills than when I used to do this three or four times a week, but the walk was going to have to last me a year or more, so time really wasn’t an issue. There are fantastic views of the Silicon Valley from some of the trail’s higher point, nothing that transfers well to photos, but I’m glad I did take some photos this time. I was lucky enough to see deer cross my path, the clouds hung low and but across the Bay, the sun shone on the East Bay. While it felt odd to be clicking photos like a tourist (I wasn't, just a homesick visitor). Who knows, maybe a time will come when the images in my mind of this place, as well as Big Sur and other places I’ve seen on this trip—the images may become fuzzy or disappear altogether. That's when I'll pull out (or, I suppose, pull up on a screen) these photos and re-live a pretty wonderful few days.
The drive back from the Bay Area to Las Vegas was fairly uneventful, but it worked out as planned--my car, my music, the landscape--not a bad way to celebrate life...and a birthday.
Ab ke baras vo haal hai laga gazab ka saal hai...