Parvati Valley, in the hills of Himachal Pradesh, is popular amongst Israeli travelers, so popular that every restaurant serves Israeli food and most store signs have a Hebrew translation.
“Why do a lot of Israelis visit Parvati Valley?” I asked Aya.
“A lot of Israelis come here after they’re done with the army,” she said. “It’s a way to disconnect. In Israel, people are always in a state of darooch…ah I don’t know how to say it in English.”
“They’re tense?”
“Yes, tense. Always looking behind their backs. But here it’s so relaxed. You have the mountains. The charas. It’s peaceful. But it’s not peaceful in Israel. Everyone has to serve in the army. And those who were in combat have scars. I was a social worker and I loved my job. I don’t support what’s going on there at all, but what I got to do in my job was good. A lot of Israelis who come here disappear. They smoke too much and lose it. There’s actually a guy called Khilik who gets sent here to bring back lost Israelis.”
“What does he look like?”
“He has a big beard and deep dark eyes. But you don’t want to look him in the eye. It’s scary.”
This piece was originally published in my People in Parvati Valley photo-essay series. Read the entire series here.