The end.

The time has come. Day 140. Last day in India. Not sure how I feel; my emotions are all over the place. Here's the last post from India. (Blogging has become such a routine that you might be reading about what I have for breakfast next week!)


On the 27th, we flew from the small Dehradun airport (near Rishikesh) to Delhi. Had wanted a train, but reserving two weeks in advance wasn't enough. All full. Quick 2 hour flight, then cab back to RAK Hotel in Paharganj, where I stayed in January and where papa and I stayed when he arrived. I'm a regular. Did a little shopping that afternoon, only bought a dozen or so more books. Papa tried to stop me this time, but was not successful. (I'm pretty sure I'm still under the luggage weight limit for the plane. We'll see in a few hours!) There was rooftop movie at the resto we had dinner at, so we decided on a relaxing evening of The Darjeeling Limited. I saw it years ago, but it was much more fun watching it while in India!

Alarm went off at 5am the next morning, for our 6:15 train to... the Taj Mahal! Great 2-hour ride to Agra, quick taxi drop-off at one of the many gates, 1km walk to the ticket counter (20 rupees for Indians, 750 for foreigners!), then as we were about to go through the arch bringing us to the view of the Taj, papa closed his eyes and asked me to lead him through, so he could open them when it was in full view. I think he liked what he saw. I thought about not even going since it's such a touristy place and I've seen it in photographs so many times, but of course, it's just not the same when it's right there in front of you. The majestic white marble monument of love (Shah Jahan had it built for his beloved 3rd wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died while giving birth to their 14th child) is definitely a sight to see. However, we thought it would be a full day visit, but it took only a couple hours. We were done by noon. Our return train was at 8:30pm. Hmmm, how to spend 8 hours in Agra. We could have stayed longer on the Taj grounds, wandering the gardens, reading under a tree, but the stifling heat made that an unattractive option. So we checked the guidebook for an AC resto nearby and got a cycle-rickshaw ride there. Stretched out lunch and dessert for 2 hours, then went on an internet search. Stopped first at a fancy hotel, thinking they might have AC web, but there was no web at all. 2nd place was a hole in the wall with 2 ancient computers which wouldn't even turn on. Finally had mild success at the third place, which had a fan on the ceiling, but unbearably slow internet. Only strayed 10 minutes. Had hoped the web stop would pass an hour or two with blog writing and e-mails. Spotted a Cafe Coffee Day, modern spot that always has AC. It was about 3:00 by then, still 5 hours to spare. Went across the street to a bookstore and each got a magazine to bring to CCD to pass time as we sipped our drink. After an hour there, we decided to head back to the train station early and see if we might be able to get on an earlier train. No luck. All full. It was almost 5. Walked around the station looking for a decent place to sit, and found, upstairs, the retiring rooms. These are rooms you can rent for a day if you have a train layover. So we haggled a price two hours, and checked into a strange but large and cool room (AC!) that had bed, fridge, couch and bathroom. We both had a little nap, exhausted from the heat, and papa even managed a bit of a shower. Left the room shortly after 7, and wandered the train platforms for an hour. Finally, our train arrived and we were on our way back to Delhi. After the onboard dinner and a chat with our neighbor, papa created the IPPPLC (International Pickle Packet Pealing League Competition). Long story. IPL is the name of the cricket league here, so the Indian got a kick out of this. Lights out by 11:30 last night.

We hadn't planned much for today, but ended up doing quite a bit. Showered and packed this morning, then got a tuk-tuk ride to Jama Masjid, a famous mosque in Delhi. After being at the Taj yesterday, it was hard to be impressed. We had to remove our shoes, of course, and the ground was so hot at some places that the burning under my bare feet brought me to tears. These may have been also partly caused by my strange emotions today. Back to hotel, then delicious Indian lunch. After a bit of web, we took the metro (modern, squeeky clean, and AC) to Lotus Temple, a Baha'ai House of worship. Even after the Taj, this one impressed me. It's a huge dome-like structure in the shape of a white lotus flower. Inside, there are hundreds of benches under a very high ceiling. We sat for a final meditation in India, then hopped back on the metro. Brought our packed bags down to the lobby of the hotel, did some final souvenir shopping, and now I'm here, writing my final blog. It's 9:15, we are leaving for the airport at 11. Papa's flight is at 3:30am, mine is at 4:50am. It's going to be a long night at the airport... luckily I have plenty of great books to choose from! 

Oh, by the way, I mentioned heat and AC quite a few times in this blog. And it's not without reason. Today's weather in Delhi: high of 44, low of 30. Can't wait for June in Montreal!

I still have yet to write about Papa and I's time in Rishikesh, so I guess I'll have one blog left to write from home. And I find it fitting to end with Rishikesh, the place where my love-affair with India began, and the place I know I will return to many more times. 

Last quote. Rabindranath Tagore, an Indian poet, beautifully described the Taj Mahal as, 

"A teardrop on the the cheek of eternity." 

Dharamsala Part 2

Well, I didn't get 2 hours of sleep, I got 20 minutes. And it wasn't cool as I'd hoped. But I'll get to that later.


After breakfast with the kids from the school of life, Papa and I walked through the small center of Dharamkot then still further up the hill to the Tuschita Meditation Center. Definitely at the top of my list for places to come back to for a longer stay. Up in the woods, a quiet, peaceful haven of mindfulness, Buddhist practice, inspirational reading, fascinating documentaries, and when I walked out of the library/bookstore, it was with a bag of, you guessed it, more books. I'll give you the final tally when I unpack at home. On the way back down, stopped at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, where we could hear singing practice, then had a delicious snack at a lovely organic cafe nearby overlooking the mountains. We continued all the way down to McLloyd Ganj, where we went to the Tibet Museum, a great exhibit outlining the history and struggle of the Tibetan people. I knew very little about the situation, just the basics, but after the museum and the documentary on the 10th Panchem Lama we watched upstairs (followed by a 7 minute amateur video of recent self-immolations in Tibet), as well as all the other Tibetan centers we visited since arriving, I have a much greater understanding and appreciation of the slogans, "Free Tibet" and "Tibet will be Free!" Just outside the museum, there was the Buddhist bookstore. Yup, I did it again. (Papa isn't doing a very good job of helping me control my compulsive book buying! Probably because he likes my choices and is counting on borrowing them all one day!)


(Thought I'd have time to finish this post from Rishikesh, where I started it yesterday, but internet wasn't working well last night, and we're already in Delhi! Good quick flight here this morning. Here's the continuation.)


After buying my Buddhist books, we walked along the main road and I bought a few souvenirs. Walked down to Lung Ta, a non-profit Japanese resto, whose profits go to helping an organization for Tibetan ex-political prisoners. Delicious food, amazing terrace with beautiful view of snow-capped mountains. Not wanting to leave when we finished our meal, we ordered some Japanese green tea and read some Pema Chodron and Tich Nhat Hanh. Lovely evening. Nice walk back up the winding road to Bhagsu, where it was not quite so lovely. Return to the noisy young partiers who we had to block out with iPods and earplugs. Won't be sleeping there next time I'm in this neck of the woods.


Up at 7 the next morning, packed bags (bus that night), tea on on the balcony, then up to the sunny rooftop to lead papa in a one hour Trika yoga session. Grabbed a couple brioches at a nearby bakery to eat on the way down to south McLloyd Ganj to attend a second dharma lecture next to the Tibetan Library. That day's monk wasn't quite as enjoyable to listen to as the first one we saw, and the flow of his teaching wasn't very smooth since he had to be translated, but he did have some interesting points to make. Among others, there was this: "Do not be fooled by temporary, 'fake' joys and happiness. Suffering is most delightful." Hmmm. Ok. Really? It's little out of context here, but it actually kinda, sorta made sense when he explained it. I'll save the explanation for the book or for verbal chats when I get home. Apple cider and lunch at neighboring canteen again, then back up to the center of MG for a little more shopping (no books! But I'd like to say, here, that monk #1 told us that all the powerful and and necessary teachings can now be found in books. So there.) In a little shop off the main road, papa bought me an amazing early birthday present. I had been eyeing singing bowls on the side of the road and wanting to buy one, and the very kind shopkeeper here knew a lot about them, giving us a demonstration and mini-lesson on their use and healing properties. Papa bought me a set of three. Can't wait to use them! Then it was back up to our guesthouse, where I had time to write Dharamsala Part 1 before heading to the bus.


The bus. The first half hour was decent. It was relatively cool and papa and I chatted about the two monk lectures. But we descended so fast that the coolness didn't last long at all. In no time, the lowered altitude brought intense heat. And speeding down a bumpy road is much more uncomfortable than slowly climbing it. Our bus driver, like most in India, was a lunatic. The road could be described as a series of u-turns, with very minimal straight driving in between. Most sane drivers tend to naturally slow when approaching sharp curves, but I'm pretty sure our driver actually sped up. No need to pay a hefty price for amusement park thrills here. Not only was the speed-junky at wheel flooring it down the mountain, but the road was so bumpy that our bodies shook quite violently, and the lights in the bus kept flickering on and off. Sometimes, when we were going particularly fast over a particularly large bump, those lucky ones of us at the back of the bus would be ejected a few inches off our seats, letting out a collective moan upon landing. This went on for several hours. Bus left at 7:30pm and stopped for dinner at 10:30. After dinner, it continued. Papa and I shared earphones to listen to music for a while, and had to put the volume nearly at the max to hear anything over the loud rattling of the bus speeding down the bumpy road. Next time we stopped was for the 3:30am tea break. Hadn't slept a wink yet. I didn't get off the bus, but ate the Twix bar I had in my purse. Maybe chocolate wasn't the best food for bringing on sleep. But it worked! Last time I checked the clock was shortly after 4:30, and then, somehow, I slept. Ahhh, what bliss. When I groggily opened my eyes and checked my phone for the time, it was... 5:03. Got a satisfying 20 minutes of sleep. Listened to some music, ate some crackers. The road was still bumpy, but the smooth stretches became increasingly long, and each time we were on them, I wondered if I had gone deaf and numb. No rattling in my ears, no rattling of my bones. For the last hour or so, we were on a decent road, and finally, around 8am, we reached Rishikesh.


Voila. That's it for Dharamsala. So what's left? Just Rishikesh and Delhi! I have about 6 days of Rishikesh to cover... don't know if I'll get to it before coming home. Heading to the Taj Mahal tomorrow, so I'll definitely be writing about that next. Stay tuned!     

Dharamsala

One hour to spare before heading to the bus station. Just enough time for a blog post. So here's Dharamsala in one shot.

Well, I say Dharamsala, but we haven't set foot there. We refer to this area by the main city name, but in fact, over the past 5 days, we have been in Bhagsu, McLloyd Ganj and Dharamkot. MG is where the residence of the Dalai Lama is located, but unfortunately he is Europe at the moment, so we were not able to see him speak. B and D are a short hike up from MG. 

We left Rishikesh (which I will write about tomorrow, our last day there) late aft on Sunday, taking an overnight bus to MG. The Rishikesh heat was stifling, and the bus had no AC. There were small fans above each set of two seats, none of which worked. And this was a private, "deluxe" bus. Wonder what the regular government bus would have been like. We stopped at 10:30pm for dinner - a very normal dinner time for Indians - and when we set off again 45 minutes later, the heat was still pretty unbearable. The road had been quite nice till then, but from midnight on, it was hot and bumpy. So you can imagine how much sleep we got. We finally started the ascent towards Dharamsala in the wee hours of the morning, and our sweat gradually dried. We were in MG around 7am, thankful for the cool, fresh mountain air.

Got a taxi ride to our guesthouse in Bhagsu, but had to wait a few hours for check-in time. Papa dozed in the resto; I went for a couple walks to explore town. We both rested a bit after check-in, then walked to the nearby waterfalls and hiked up along the path to the top. Great view of the towns below and Dharamsala far down. After dinner that night, I came here to type the conclusion of my trek - 2 hours of writing - and when I clicked on publish, nothing happened. I got worried, clicked save, nothing happened. Blogsite was not responding. Clicked on refresh, and unfortunately, that did work. When the refreshed page appeared, it was blank. Blog post gone. Two hours down the drain. My blogsite usually saves automatically every 30 seconds or so, and I'd never had any problem with it. Until then. I was furious. Stormed out of the web room, but then reminded myself to take a few deep breaths, think yoga thoughts, and relax. Easier said than done. Settled my rage over some banoffee pie at our guesthouse next door, regained my composure, and came back more calmly to the computer, ready to start over. Didn't want to go to bed with the unfinished trek posts on my mind. Rewrote it in about an hour (quicker the 2nd time), and finally went to bed around 11.

Started the next day with tea on the terrasse, then walked down to MG for breakfast at a little cafe in town. Walked further down a winding road to the area where the offices and buildings of the Tibetan government in exile are located. In a nice hall next to the library and public archives, there were free daily lectures on dharma given by Tibetan monks. Great talk, charismatic monk who, like many Buddhist monks and the Dalai Lama himself, are constantly chuckling at the their own jokes. Went for some yummy Tibetan momos and apple cider at the canteen next door, then browsed the library and archives. A short walk away was the museum of Tibetan healing (medicinal plants and practices) as well as the Astro-Medical Institute. All in all, great combo of lecture, food and visits. Mid-aft, walked back up the hill towards MG main town, stopping at a stunning European-owned cafe/bookshop overlooking the mountains and valleys below and playing classical music. Quiet, clean, peaceful... didn't feel like India! Continued our walk up the hill to town, stopping next at the main temple, where I spun my first prayer wheels, repeating the Om Mani Padme Hum mantra. While walking around town, met my first Montrealer since I've been in India, who told us about a talk being given that evening by a Tibetan ex-prisoner. He was on his way there, so we followed. Interesting account of the horrors Tibetans endured in prison-camps at the hands of the Chinese. Glad to be learning more about this cause. Back at our guesthouse, I read a bit from the books I bought at the Euro cafe/bookstore. Yes, more books.

Wednesday morning, papa and I both slept in till 9:30! We were pretty shocked when we saw the time. Guess we both had some sleep to catch up on. Did some yoga that morning after a very long break (since Blaire and Jim were here I think!). Felt great, did a whole set of Trika warm-ups, sun-salutations (with the Himalayan rays beaming down on me), and a final relaxation. Why don't I do this every day?? Went for a breakfast of mango cake and organic green tulsi tea at a nearby cafe, browsing the books on the shelf (which, thankfully, were not for sale), and papa and I shared spiritual passages we liked from what we read. For the rest of that day we decided to do... nothing! When traveling and visiting new places, it's easy to over-pack your days and to forget how important it is to stop and just be. Just breathe. Just take it all in. So we returned to our lovely balcony with a great view and nice table and bench just outside our room, and spent the afternoon reading, chatting, napping, breathing. Our guesthouse is prefect except for the loud music and young, noisy crowd at night. The peaceful day was a little broken, and they made it difficult for us to fall asleep, but we did.

Of course, after a day of doing nothing, we had to make up for it with a jam-packed Thursday schedule. Up at 7, chai on the balcony, then walked up the hill to Dharamkot. Realized this was where peace and quiet were to be found. I even decided on the guesthouse I'd stay at next time I'm here. Stopped at a tiny temple for a morning meditation facing the mountain peaks, then breakfast at the guesthouse I spotted, where we chatted with a traveling family who had been on the road for 3 years. Kids were home-schooled (or should I say travel-schooled), and our time spent interacting with them convinced me that the school of life produces far greater results than our typical educational system. Actually, I've been convinced of this for a very long time; those kids were just proof.

Oh boy, already time to go... so you'll get the Dharamsala conclusion from Rishikesh tomorrow. Off on the overnight bus again for a journey of at least 12 hours. I can hope for maybe a couple hours of sleep. At least the ride will be a little cooler from up here :)  

Trek Part 3 - Conclusion - Day 5-8

I really must finish these trek posts. We've arrived in Dharamsala (Bhagsu to be more specific), and I'm still blogging about a week-old trek (and haven't said a thing about Rishikesh yet!). So here goes - day 5-8:


Day 5 (May 10th): Morning tea arrived in our tent at 6:30am; went out for a very cold morning pee in the snow; sleep was so-so. I was looking forward to the day ahead of us: no trekking! We were going to spend the whole day relaxing in Tapovan - the most beautiful place on the trek - and sleep there again that night. The sky was blue and sunny, the snow on the ground was melting. I thought giddily about laying out in the sun on a rock and just reading and meditating all day. Well, it was a nice thought while it lasted. Turns out two people from the Indian group had acute mountain sickness last night and headed back down around 4am (as the lower altitude usually cures AMS quite quickly). This, combined with the concern about possible bad weather that night - making the steep descent the next day more dangerous than it already was - led Negi, the main trek guide, to decide on packing up camp that very morning and heading back down. Papa and I were quite disappointed. It was a stunning spot and we both were really looking forward to staying there and relaxing for the day, giving our legs a much-deserved rest. We tried a few negotiations, but only got a couple extra hours. The Indian group would leave right after breakfast, but us two, plus Rohit and one porter, would head down around noon. Papa wanted to explore the area a bit more and go see more glaciers. I walked with him and Rohit a little ways up some rocks, but wasn't motivated to hike much before the long descent, so when we arrived at the top of the rocky hills, I found myself a nice spot to sit, listen to yoga music, and meditate. As I got comfortable, took a deep breath, and looked around, it became very clear why I persisted through cold, pain and fear - it was for this moment, for this view. Words can't quite describe it, nor will the photos. I was surrounded 360 degrees by stunning snowy peaks, rocky Himalayan mountains, and a vast blue sky dotted with bright white clouds. The view, the location and the soothing music made for a moment of perfection. Alas, the time came to leave, and awaiting me was: descending the terrifying gully. I had dedicated part of my meditation to gathering enough courage for a peaceful descent, then protected myself with the Reiki power symbol, and to my own astonishment, was down in a matter of 10 minutes, without so much as a moment's hesitation. I was convinced we had taken a different route to come up, but Papa and Rohit were convinced I had simply overcome my fear. By 5:30pm we had reached our campsite for that night. Knees and ankles were a bit sore, but big toes were severely aching from the pressure of hiking down. Haven't regained complete sensation in them since. Papa and I both had pretty ridiculous sunburns in pretty ridiculous places by the end of the long afternoon hike in strong alpine sun. Sunscreen and hats apparently weren't enough protection. Early dinner in our tent, then early sleep.


Day 6 (May 11th): Up around 6am after a typically so-so sleep. Last day of trekking today. Variable path conditions and variable weather on the way. When the sun was out and the wind was calm, we were perspiring; but when the clouds blocked the rays and the wind picked up, we shivered. Trekked from 9-3, our longest break being a 20-minute lunch stop. The day started beautifully, but the sky was grey by mid-aft. We did the last half hour under a drizzle that turned to heavy rain. Celebratory high-five as we crossed the park gates and headed towards the guesthouse we had stayed in before setting off. Delicious and warming chai was delivered to our room moments after arrival. Couple hours of rest followed by a much needed wash with the bucket of steaming hot water we requested. Good dinner in the minuscule guesthouse resto then 20 minute walk around town. Back to room for some creaming and oiling of our burns, then pre-bed pee in an actual bathroom - no freezing, snowy walk and squat tonight! A little self-Reiki session and a great sleep.


Day 7 (May 12th): Morning chai room delivery followed by delicious pumpkin puree and chapati for breakfast. Went for a 2 hour walk around town, then packed and headed to the van. We were off by 11:30, but didn't get very far. There was an insane traffic jam at the exit of town. And endless stream of cars and buses wanted to enter and exit the village all at once, but the narrow road made circulation flow impossible. Hundreds of Indian pilgrims and tourists visit this holy site every day at this time of year. After hardly moving for an hour, we finally made some progress, only to be stuck at more jams along the way. Weather was gorgeous that morning, but turned grey and rainy in the afternoon. The already bad mountain roads got even worse: water flowed across the road at many parts, we drove through mud and rocks, saw tumbling rocks that we were lucky did not hit our vehicle, saw roadwork machinery that fell over the edge, and simply had to have a lot of faith in our driver. Thankfully, he got us safely to Monal, our lovely guesthouse up in the hills of Uttarakasi. It was quiet and peaceful with fabulous local scenery. Above our room was a great rooftop area which we used for reading, meditation, and my first session of Qigong. Papa has been taking courses for about a year, and was happy to give me a class. I enjoyed it very much and look forward to further exploring this Chinese art of cultivating and balancing our life energy. Delicious dinner at Monal resto (mattar paneer my favorite dish at the moment), then wonderful sleep in comfy bed.


Day 8 (May 13th): Breakfast, pack, and on the road by 9. Stopped at the Uttarakasi market for a bit, and then it was several several hours of hot, bumpy driving. Quick stop for lunch at a roadside stall, then more heat and bumps. Stopped to share chai and sweets with Rohit and his father late aft, and then it was the last stretch towards Rishikesh. Thanked and said good-bye to our kind and helpful guide and driver when they dropped us in RamJhula, and with that, the trek posts are done - finally!  

Trek Part 2 - Just Day 4

Day 4 (May 9th): Up at 6:30 after a decent sleep, just a few wake-ups which are to be expected for cold tent sleeping. Indians chatted loudly long after my dad and I tried going to sleep last night, and they woke us around 5am with more animated yapping. The cold and discomfort seemed not to bother them much. (Three of them, however, - mother, father, daughter - turned back on day 2, as the father had mountain sickness and the 6 year old child constantly needed to be carried by a porter.) Feet started bothering me a little by the end of the previous day - "Cadillac" boots pretty good but not perfect. (In fact, my two big toes are still numb, and have been since mid-trek. We've now been back for 5 days. Look forward to feeling them again.)

Very cold morning, did a few warm-up exercises with the Indians, and set off around 8:30. Gorgeous blue, sunny sky, but still have 3 layers of pants, 5 layers of tops, mitts, hat and scarf. Met Maximus along way, an Italian living in a London ashram who came to India and became a Sadhu (those who renounce to all material possessions, and generally have long dreads and wear long orange robes). Papa had an interesting spiritual talk with him, as I photographed them from behind. Pit-stop around 10:30, where we decided to split from the group of Indians. We were near the Gomuk glacier at this point (where we had walked to yesterday), and had two choices for reaching Tapovan: we could cross the rapidly flowing river, knee-deep in icy-cold water, and take a steep "path" up to Tapovan valley; or we could walk across the glacier a little further, which would take about an hour more. What drew papa most to this trek was being able to walk along the glacier, so he was set on the second option. I agreed, as I was not interested in the cold river-crossing, nor the ridiculously steep hike on the other side. The Indians all opted for the shortcut. Since we had our own guide, we were able to split from the group. We watched the entertaining process of their river-crossing, then headed towards the glacier. Even with a guide, we weren't always sure exactly where to go. You must be very careful on a glacier - to avoid falling in a crevasse or walking on a piece of ice that could break off. We managed pretty well, and better than the sherpas who came this way. They thought they spotted a good path, but it only led them to a huge crevasse that could not be crossed. They had to backtrack quite a ways. We all eventually made it safely across the glacier, but what came next would prove a little more troublesome - at least for me.

We stopped for lunch around 1:30, at the bottom of the last stretch of hike before Tapovan. I was a nervous wreck just staring at what was ahead. A quivering lump of fear had lodged itself in my throat. I was looking at a long vertical gully, the only "path" leading to the valley where our camp was set up. It was basically a ditch in the mountain face, created from running water and erosion. It was similar to the path that was awaiting the Indian group after their river-crossing. I thought our glacier walk was leading us to a more reasonable way up to the valley. No such luck. I tried to gather a little mental courage after lunch and began the climb. I was trembling from the very start. You'd think a few years of rock-climbing would have prepared me for this, but the difference - a very crucial one! - is that I was not attached to any rope here. A wrong move when rock-climbing is not so bad when you have a rope to support you if you fall; but a wrong move while going up this gully could mean a long a painful tumble a long way down. Almost every rock I attempted to hold onto was unstable and would break away from the ground as I tentatively placed my foot on it or grabbed hold of it. I managed - shakily - to get partway up, but at one point I was standing vertically in a star position, both hands and both feet on rocks that rested loosely on the sand and earth, seeing no possibility for my next move. I stayed there, frozen with fear, as I heard and saw large rocks rolling down the gullies to my left and my right. I couldn't bring myself to move, and the tears started flowing. I was terrified my foot holds would slip and I'd go tumbling down the ravine, or that a rock from above would start tumbling towards me. Papa and Rohit were a ways ahead, apparently much less bothered by the precarious hike than I was. A few mountaineers who were heading down noticed my frozen state, and called up to Papa and Rohit: "Someone should come down and help her, she's not moving." Rohit, being our guide, came to my rescue. It took him quite some time to convince me to make a move, but after several tentative and teary attempts, I finally took a deep breath - and Rohit's outstretched hand - and stepped up onto what was anything but solid ground. I didn't go tumbling down. Well, that was one step of progress, but we were still far from the top. I'd get stuck several more times, with trembling legs and nearing hyper-ventilation. Papa had time to get all the way to the top, put down his heavy pack, and come back down to meet me about halfway. There was a small waterfall where we met, which was quite a relief, as my throat was so dry from the heavy breathing that I could hardly swallow. Papa and Rohit tried to calm me down, but it was hopeless. They kept suggesting that I stop and take deep breaths and quit crying (the blurred vision from the tears didn't help matters - couldn't see where I was going... not that I really wanted to). I didn't want to stop, all I wanted was to get to the top. The whole hike from bottom to top of the gully can take about 20 minutes. It took me well over an hour.

Yes, I made it to the top. No rocks fell on me, and apart from a few minor (albeit adrenaline pumping) slips, I was always moving upward. I have never been so relieved to walk on flat solid ground. As papa and I made our way along the path (no quotation marks required here!), I was so overwhelmed with relief and emotional - much more than physical - exhaustion that my eyes welled up with tears again. Just minutes later, we could see our tents in the distance, and the terrifying hike suddenly became absolutely, 100% worthwhile. Ahead of us was a spectacular open meadow, a kilometer wide, surrounded by high snowy peaks, the path leading to our campsite dotted with tiny bright purple alpine flowers. Ahhhhhh, beauty. Even with with the grey sky and light drizzle that had begun when we reached the top of the gully, the sight was still breathtaking. When we got to camp and people asked us how the hike went, I was perfectly honest. By the time we got our daily late afternoon tea and cookies, the drizzle had turned to snow. And by dinner time, the ground and the tents were covered in a white blanket. We sought shelter in our tents for the rest of night, where papa decided to have a "shower": washed as much of himself as he could with a few wet wipes. That's as good as it gets when you're in a tent and it's below zero outside. I was so bundled up for bed that night that I had trouble zipping up my sleeping bad. Felt like the Micheline Man.

Day 4 of the trek was on May 9th, the anniversary of my mother's death. Papa and I had a beautiful moment of emotional music meditation in her memory. My mind was finally beginning to calm from the day's events. But as I tried falling asleep that night, it all came rushing back. My mind distinctly recreated the sound of tumbling rocks and I couldn't help but imagine my feet slipping and my body falling. These thoughts tormented me as lightning cracked and thunder roared outside. Unbelievably enough, I managed to fall asleep that night. There was high-pitched ringing in my ears and I had a pretty severe headache, but the sleep was decent and I was thankful not to have had any nightmares about tumbling down a gully or being crushed by falling rocks. Small gratitudes in times of despair.            

Spectacular Himalayan Journey - Part 1

Have an hour to spare this afternoon, so here's the first part of the trek post. Hope you're not in a rush ;)

Day 1 (May 6th): Up at 6ish after a pretty sleepless night. Mosquitoes, tossing and turning, a little stressed about making sure we had thought through everything for the trek. Quick snack breakfast on our balcony with great view at Narayana Kunj, then grabbed our trek packs, bringing all extra luggage down to the basement in the Children of the Ganges classroom, where Swati kindly agreed to keep what we didn't need on the trek. Walked across the RamJula bridge to the tuk-tuk stand where we were meeting our guide, Rohit, and our driver (his father) at 8am. Yummy masala chai at a roadside stall while we waited. The four of us were on the road at 8:15, quickly moving up into the mountains. About ten hours later, around quarter past six, we were at our destination for that night. Long day of driving, with only a few short stops for gas, pics, pipi (in a roadside stall that not only didn't have a bowl, it didn't even have a hole in the ground; you just went in and added to the pile - just lovely), and lunch. Papa and I both felt a little carsick before lunch, but the food helped settle our stomachs. Saw our first snow-covered peaks in the distance mid-afternoon, and had to slow down along the way for the crossing of cows, horses and buffalo. Passed several gypsy camps, makeshift low black tents on the roadside, perched right on the edge of the mountain cliff. Lots of variety in the road condition: nice smooth asphalt, muddy earth, watery rocks, sandy ledge. Some pretty precarious road segments, held my breath a few times, such as when our van wheels were no more than a foot from the cliff's edge. Drove through several mountain villages that were much bigger and more populated than we expected for mountain towns. (There are, after all, over a billion people in this country.) Got cold and windy late aft as we approached Gangotri, the village we would sleep in before starting our hike the next morning. Cute guesthouse perched on a hill with fabulous views. Tea and biscuits were brought to our room as son as we arrived, while Negi explained trek details to us. (Rohit was our personal guide, but we were joining a group of 20 Indians from Pune, near Mumbai, for the trek. Negi was the experienced mountaineering guide who was the main organizer of this trek.) We then walked down to the temple for the evening Ganga Aarti (river worship as I had experienced in Haridwar), and returned to the guesthouse for an outdoor dinner with our full group (sweaters, fleece and tuque necessary). More tea was delivered to our room before bed, and alarm was set for 7am. Lights out around 10pm.

Day 2 (May 7th): Great sleep, comfy bed, warm blankets (it had been so long since I covered myself to sleep!). Awake around 5:40, up around 7. Papa went for a short morning walk to explore town, then outdoor breakfast with group again - gorgeous day, but cold in the morning. Packed and ready to go around 9am. We were about 40 people in all: 20 Indians from Pune with their guide; Rohit, my father and I; Negi with his crew - a dozen porters (for tents, sleeping bags, cooking equipment, kerosene...) and half a dozen helpers (cooks, dishwashers...). We were setting off from Gangotri village for the Gomuk-Tapovan trek (Gomuk is a glacier, Tapovan is a large, elevated mountain valley). This trek is a popular pilgrimage for Indians, and the places are very significant in their mythology (very interesting stories, but I'll save those details for the book). Stopped for lunch around 1pm, after finding a waterfall stream for mid-day hydration. Delicious, cold, fresh snow-melt water. (Around 10am, when we got to the park gates, I sat in tree sap, and at our lunch pit-stop, I leaned my elbow into animal poop on the rock behind me - clothes pretty dirty pretty quick.) Energy a little low by lunch time, and easily out of breath at this altitude (over 3000 feet). Warm afternoon walk, shorts and t-shirt sufficient. Passed some mules carrying provisions or people. Papa in awe of the hanging glaciers we could see up near the mountain peaks. Arrived at our first camp area around 3pm. Stunning views from the river, just a few minutes down from our tents. Weather gradually cooled as camp was being set up. I collapsed on the ground and rested while papa went down to the river again. Rohit brought tea and cookies to our tent around 5pm - warm and delicious! Did a few back stretches and applied cooling gel to papa's lower back which started bothering him this morning. Went back down to the river around 6:45, just missing the sunset. Soup and snacks at 7:15, outdoor dinner at 7:30 in the dark. Delicious rice pudding and hot chocolate for dessert (we were very well fed!). Settled in for bed at 9pm; too cold to change into PJs, slept in my day clothes with several added layers.     

Day 3 (May 8th): Up at 5:30, woke up many times during the night due to cold and discomfort. Morning tea delivered to our tent; tired, stomach pains. Took antibiotics right away - usually I would wait it out, but on the trek I wasn't taking any chances. Papa was on meds too. Packed up and left camp around 9, short pit-stop an hour later. Meds worked, feeling better mid-day. Stopped for more delicious fresh cold stream water, and crossed small river on wobbly logs. Scary walk at times - some signs for falling rocks, crumbling pathway, sandy ledge not much more than a foot wide (with the mountain face on one side and a cliff on the other). We were already at our campsite around 11 am, not much hiking today. Tiny village - a small ashram and a few small buildings for tentless trekkers to stay in. Gorgeous views (another beautiful day), as we set up camp. Took a short riverside doze while waiting for lunch. We were about an hour's walk from Gomuk, the glacier, which we would be passing by tomorrow, but since we had the afternoon free, we walked over with a few Indians from our group (who would be taking a holy dip... water way too icy for Papa and me) to spend a little time there rather than just pass by tomorrow. It was great to walk bagless that afternoon, just brought some water and the camera. Along the way, Rohit, our guide, told me all about the mythology behind these holy sites, and we talked about astrology, reincarnation and souls. Fascinating stuff. People used to be able to camp right at Gomuk, but because there is now concern about about ice breaking off the glacier due to higher temperatures, we can no longer sleep at the site. Back at camp by quarter to six, regular tea and cookie tent delivery. Filmed the sherpas (porters) playing barefoot shotput in the cold with large rocks. Of any human manifestation of strength I've ever seen, sherpas impress me the most. The shotput was quite something to watch, but I'm referring mainly to the loads they carry on their frail bodies - and how they carry them. It's unbelievable. And their footwear - I bought a pair of $250 Scarpa boots for this hike, which the salesperson told me were the Cadillac of hiking boots, and here were the sherpas, carrying loads way bigger than what I had on my back, walking through rock and mud in flip-flops that looked like they'd fall apart at any minute. These men (and boys - one was no more than 15!) are super-humans. We ate dinner in our tents that night, due to the rain, hail, wind and cold outside. Shared some cake with the Indian group, it was one of the guys' birthday. Bundled up for the night, every evening getting increasingly cold. At this point, with a backache and shivering body, papa is beginning to wonder what the heck we are doing here!

On Day 4, I'd be asking myself the very same question. For papa, the question was posed due to physical discomfort. For me, it would be due to terror... stay posted for Part 2.

Safe Return

Just a quick note to say that my dad and I have made it back to Rishikesh after a nerve-wracking but breath-taking drive and hike in the Himalayas. Will blog details when/if I have time... busy busy with papa in Rishikesh!

Trek

Just a very quick post to let you know my dad and I are leaving on the 8-day Himalayan glacier trek tomorrow morning. Would have liked to write a bit about our day today, but it's 10pm, I can hardly keep my eyes open, I'm not done packing, and we have to get up around 6am tomorrow. So I'll backtrack to today in my next post when we return.
Should be an amazing hike... expect a long read on Monday the 14th!

Papa - Rishikesh

I've returned home - to Rishikesh! - and sharing the place I love with my dad :)
He arrived as planned on Wednesday night after a few flight problems that luckily were solved.


I greeted him at the airport at 11 pm, and he requested his first Reiki treatment that very night when we got to our room! I couldn't say no. We spent the next day around Paharganj (Delhi district), walking, doing errands, resting, eating. As expected, some comments and stunned looks from my dad were directed towards the driving. I've gotten used to it by now, but I remember the feeling when you first witness the road madness.


This morning, we were up at 5:30 to catch the 6:50 train to Haridwar (4 1/2 hours), half an hour from Rishikesh. Once there, we were picked up by Hari, who is organizing our trek through Route du Monde (www.routesdumonde.com), and he took us on a great scenic drive into Rishikesh. 


Papa is now sleeping in our room at Narayana Kunj (www.narayanakunj.com), still adjusting to the time difference. Earlier this afternoon, we went for a meal at Oasis, went to see Sudesh (the guesthouse where I lived), stopped at Amit's (Swati's husband's) stationery shop on the way to Swati's. Everyone was thrilled to see us, and also very happy when they heard Papa say "Pleased to meet you" in Hindi. We took a short walk through town, went down to river, and made our way back to the hotel.  


We have tomorrow to relax and see a bit more of Rishikesh before leaving on the trek at 8am Sunday morning. (You'll have an 8-day blog break!)


I continue to practise Reiki each day, and have been reading my new Reiki book with a lot of interest. Here's a passage to give you a little glimpse:


"The practice of Reiki amounts to a powerful personal Declaration of Independence from the crutches and clutches of the typical passive consumer approach to well being, still predominant in this country and throughout the westernized world. With Reiki you are, in effect, boldly stating that you are (or at least have direct access to) the very energy you yourself and the entire cosmos are made of, and that, furthermore, this energy will henceforth be the main source of your health and happiness."
(from Appendix C: The Reiki Declaration of Independence, in Reiki - 108 Questions and Answers)

2 days in Delhi

The wait is over - heading to the airport in 3 hours to meet Papa :)

Not much excitement in the last couple days. Spent a lot of time on my photo-blogs since I probably won't have much time for that when my dad's here. Went to Connaught Place for some errands yesterday and today. For those who live in my neck of the woods, it could be compared to Dix30. A large outdoor shopping complex - but less modern, with the shops built into an old circular ring-like structure with a colonnaded facade. Not sure if that painted much of a clear picture. Stopped into a bookshop, and I'm afraid I did it again. Left with a book on Reiki, a set of Indian Tarrot cards and accompanying book, and a magazine. I'll just have to start carrying things on my head like the Indians do!

Well, geez, that's about it... this is way too short. Hmmm, what else can I come up with... Had a great coconut-flavored ice-coffee at Cafe Coffee Day both afternoons at CP... Weather is pretty decent - hot sunny afternoons, but reasonable nights. Beautiful bright pink and white flowers are in bloom... Ummm, ok, I'll stop if I have nothing else to say. 

Looking forward to seeing papa tonight :)  We'll be in Delhi tomorrow then off to Rishikesh on an early 4-hour train Friday morning. So excited to be going "home"! Two days in Rishikesh then off on an 8-day Himalayan glacier trek to the source of the Ganges - amazing! Then a week in Rishikesh when we return, and the rest is yet to be planned. Flying home on the 30th... less than a month left!

So there. If I don't have time to write when my dad's here, you'll have an idea of what we're up to!

A quote to end, that was on the bookmark that came with my book purchases yesterday:

All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become.  -Buddha

Varanasi to Delhi

Well, I'm right back where I started. Same city, same street, same hotel... slightly different girl. Definitely walking the streets more confidently than when I first arrived! Just had lunch at the German Bakery, the resto at which I had my only actual meal at here in 3 days in January. Backtrack...


Saturday night I had my best Indian pizza yet at the nice Hotel Surya resto, a paneer tikka chef's specialty. Brought leftovers back to my room, ate them while watching a movie, then did my night reiki session and went to bed. And in the cool comfort of my room, I finally broke the many days streak of taking 2-3 hours to fall asleep. 


Packed, read and relaxed till 12pm checkout the next day, staying in my AC for as long as I could. Then it was off to internet for more photo-blogging, and over to the pool for reading, swimming, and sipping a delicious chai tea martini. On my way out, I stopped at the resto for a dessert I saw on the menu and wanted the night before, but was too full from the pizza: freshly-made toffee-sesame dipped apple cubes with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream... mmmmm! It was as good as it sounds :) Got changed, posted one more photo-blog, then shared a taxi to the train station with a Belgian girl who was also getting a train at the same time. (She was doing a one-year international study program, 4 months in Belgium, 4 in India and she was off to the last 4 in New York!) Walked up and down long flights of stairs with all my luggage, to the furthest platform in the station to get on my train. I had the upper bunk again on the same side as usual, and this time the little girl who was assigned the lower bunk (whose family was just across the aisle), offered it to me since I had so many bags. She was very sweet and spoke good English (her parents spoke none), and after making sure she didn't mind the upper bunk, I accepted her offer. My first lower bunk for my last overnighter :) Good thing it started positively because the rest wasn't so great. Read a bit and had some snacks, then prepared my bedding and lay down. The train had been swaying quite strongly since the beginning, but I felt it more when I was lying down. And I  also realized how hard the "bed" was. Like a plank. The pillow-case was damp and smelled moldy. When I lay on my back, the aggressive side-to-side rocking of the train was nauseating and nearly threw me right off the bunk. When I lay on my side, I could balance a bit better, but after a few minutes my hip and rib bones were in pain from the solid mattress. The AC would go on and off, and when it did, my skin would go from icy-cold to sweaty within minutes. People around me snored, coughed and farted. Result: I got even less sleep than the 3 hours on the way to Varanasi. But I'm glad I continued reading Life of Pi, because no matter what situation I find myself in, I now always compare it to Pi Patel's predicament, and feel a little comforted. So I lay there, rocking not-so-gently  side-to-side, listening to The Best of Leonard Cohen, and watching the half moon out the window for hours, noticing it inching across the sky, and getting brighter and brighter as the sky grew darker and as the train lights went out one by one.


Woke from one of my short dozes at 6am and sat up. Undid the bedding, had a sip of leftover 7up from last night, got a chai as the train wallah came by, and read. Watched the kids goof around across the aisle, snapped a few pics of them, and 5 hours later, we were in Delhi. Got a tuk-tuk and saw some of Delhi by day for the first time. (In January, I stuck to just the street my hostel was on until going to Rishikesh.) Checked into my room, had a shower, and headed out for lunch.


Papa arrives in two days, and I don't want to do too much sight-seeing without him, so you can expect more photo-blogs shortly :) 


For now, it's back to my room for a nap... my meager sleep is catching up to me.    

Reiki Certified & Hotel Surya

Well, I am now officially certified as a Reiki healer! I went for my first practice yesterday evening, after which my guru signed the certificate and handed it over to me. The woman I practiced on (his wife?) thanked me and told me I had very powerful energies in my hands... but I imagine she says that to all students who practice on her for the first time.  Next week it will be time to practice on papa while he's here, then I'll get an appointment book for practicing on you guys at home! I'm supposed to do a session on myself morning and night for 21 days, and also 30 days of distance healing... good thing I'm unemployed at the moment! After 200 or so treatments, I can go for my master level... maybe while I'm back here next year! Stopped one last time for a delicious salad and mint iced-tea at Brown Bread Bakery, then headed home for an early night of reading and reiki.


To celebrate my new accomplishment, I booked my last night in Varanasi at Hotel Surya (http://www.hotelsuryavns.com), a beautiful building which was originally a Nepali king's palace, built in 1818, and which is away from the frenzy of the old city. It comes equipped with a great restaurant lovely pool and terrace. I headed there almost immediately when I arrived, needing refreshment after walking 15 minutes with my ridiculous amount of luggage through the narrow old city lanes up to the main intersection where I could get an auto-rickshaw. (I vowed in a previous blog not to add any weight to my bags in Varanasi, and what I bought at Open Hand Cafe weighs less than the ashes I dispersed, so I actually left a tiny bit lighter than I arrived.) Pool was great, perfect temperature, even felt a tad chilly in the nice breeze when I got out. Varanasi, like Kolkata, seems to have gotten hotter by the day during my visits. And here, like in K, even the locals are complaining about the heat, still wondering why tourists come at this time of year. (The glacier trek up north with Papa will be fabulous -  bring on the ice!) Speaking of cold, the AC in my room works so well that I was actually able to have a hot shower - forgot what those feel like, and how much I like them!
Relaxing at Surya today and tomorrow, reading, swimming and reiki-ing, before getting aboard my last (yay!) overnight train to Delhi tomorrow night. Once there, I putz around for 2 days, then greet papa at the airport :)


Still loving India, happily and gratefully embracing all the amazing opportunities that present themselves.

Reiki & Ashes

I have just completed my second level of Reiki! This evening, I will go perform my first practice on a patient and receive my Level 1 and 2 certificate. Lucky papa, arriving just in time to be my guinea pig for daily practice :)

The night of day 1, level 1, where I received a balancing and cleansing, provoking the release of negative bottled up feelings, I fell asleep with tears rolling down my cheeks. At the end of day 2, level 1, where I received my first attunement, the channeling of positive energies from master to student, I fell asleep with a smile on my face. Such is the power of this simple yet miraculous medicine.

Yesterday afternoon, after class, I ventured further than before along the ghats. I was headed to Assi Ghat, and asked the man at the front desk of my guesthouse whether walking along the ghats was the simplest way to get there. He said, "Sure, if you're willing to walk in this heat!" It was a 40-minute walk, peek sun, and I did it both ways, but not without a litre of water in each direction! I went to Assi ghat since it's one of the more famous ones, but also because the Open Hand Cafe was there. It's a cafe/boutique that sells goods made by underprivileged locals. Couldn't resist a few purchases. Along the sunny, hot walk there and back along the ghats, I saw a wedding, 3 cremations, a squatting man's dangling penis and balls, and a peeing sadhu. "Unapologetically indiscreet" indeed!

Last night was a very special evening. As you may remember, I have some of my grandmother's ashes with me. Back in Goa, I put a small portion of them in the ocean, as I swam in the waters of the most peaceful, serene beach I had been to. Then, last night, more ashes were offered to the sacred Ganga. I took a dusk boat trip along the river, my wooden boat rowed by the friendly 16-year-old Rahul, who was on summer vacation and rowing for pocket money (I tipped him as much as the one-hour ride cost, Rs100 - $2). First stop was the famous Manikarna Ghat - the burning ghat. This is where families from all over India bring deceased loved ones to be cremated and have their ashes put into the holy river. It is believed that if a body is cremated here, the person will receive instant Moksha, liberation form the cycle of birth and rebirth. Cremations here are quite expensive, at least Rs10,000 ($200) to buy the wood. Therefore, a little further up the river, there's the electric burning ghat, which is cheaper. (This was started in part to avoid half cremated bodies floating along the water - families who didn't have enough money to buy all the wood necessary for cremation. Yikes.) So there I was, sitting in a wooden row boat with Rahul, as darkness fell over the city, watching several cremation fires burning at Manikarna Ghat. It felt like a very bizarre dream. Incredibly surreal. Next, we boated a little further down to an old Tibetan temple, before turning around to head up towards Dasaswamedh Ghat for the 7 o'clock Ganga Aarti - river and fire worship. It was on the way there that I spread Grand-maman's ashes along the river, saying prayers for her as I did so. Rahul, who had been quite chatty up until then (giving me a lot of the info I just shared), gave me a moment of silence. And a beautiful moment it was. As I finished, and we approached Dasawamedh Ghat, I lit the small flower floater I bought from a little girl on the ghat before leaving, and set it afloat with the hundreds of others like it on the Ganga. We stopped, along with dozens of other boats, to watch Ganga Aarti being performed on the ghat (where hundreds of people were sitting), and I just took in the moment. Its energy, its vibrations, its sounds, its magic.
 

Photo-blog

See new photo blog posts: erika-india-pics.blogspot.com

Fascinating Reiki

Well, although I can't say I love Varanasi, I am really falling for reiki. Went for my second class today, and have decided to go on to level 2.

First, a bit about yesterday. Forgot to mention that I woke up at 5am and couldn't fall back asleep, so I took advantage of the situation and went out onto the guesthouse balcony to watch the sunrise over the Ganga. Beautiful, of course. Went back to my room and managed to fall back asleep till 9, then moved into room #2. After my first reiki class that afternoon, which ended, as I said, with a cleanse and balance of my energies and chakras, I felt every emotion very strongly. At my core, I felt a deep sense of calmness, but at the surface, was acutely aware of the emotions that arose. They were mostly negative, which sometimes felt a little overwhelming. This is normal, my guru told me today, as after a cleansing, the negative emotions we are holding onto must be released. Guess it was working! Today's class wasn't really a class, it was my level 1 initiation (or attunement). It's more or less the channeling of energies and healing powers from guru to student. It lasted over an hour, in a dim room with candles and incense lit. At the the end of the session, I was given the reiki level 1 booklet to read. I was fascinated and hooked. Reiki healing makes so much sense to me, and I had felt exactly the way the book said one might after a cleansing and initiation. My guru had said very little about what was going on during the class, and I was initially a little confused and skeptic. But reading these notes, everything is coming together. Level 1 and 2 are done in 4 days, so I have 2 left, finishing on Friday.

Ventured a little further along the ghats today than I had before, discovering new sights and spots. And getting lost in the narrow lanes many times. Didn't think I'd find my way back. But I did.

The intro to Varanasi in my guidebook describes it perfectly, so I'll end with that today.

"Brace yourself. You're about to enter one of the most blindingly colourful, unrelentingly chaotic and unapologetically indiscreet places on earth. Pilgrims come to the ghats lining the River Ganges here to wash away a lifetime of sins in the sacred waters or to cremate their loved ones. Most visitors agree it's a magical place, but it's not for the faint-hearted. Here the most intimate rituals of life and death take place in public and the sights, sounds and smells in and around the ghats - not to mention the almost constant attention from touts - can be overwhelming. Persevere. Varanasi is unique, and a walk along the ghats or a boat ride on the river will live long in the memory."

Like I said, I don't love this place. Its narrow lanes and crowds make me feel a little claustrophobic. The stink, the flies and the dung everywhere are a little irritating. But it does feel a little magic, and it's most definitely unique.     

Day 2 and 3 in Varanasi

Don't have a whole lot to write about today, so I'm going to go back to a few notes I didn't get a chance to share about Kolkata. Can't let you off with a 2-minute post ;)

As much as I loved the city, boy was it ever stinky! I often found myself taking very short breaths, taking in only what was needed to oxygenate my body and prevent me from passing out. Garbage cans aren't very popular in India (except in well-maintained parks), and therefore there is garbage everywhere on the streets. The heat and humidity make the odors particularly, um, fascinating. There are flies, dogs and cows eating from the piles of junk, then shitting it out a few steps further down the road. I also inhaled carefully small amounts of air when I walked by open street-side urinals. So yes, the city stinks. But the stereotype that Indians and their food smell bad is completely off. In fact, I've never seen anyone take such meticulous care of their hygiene as Indians. And I say that because I see it every day. They don't feel too strongly about privacy while bathing! If I'm in a city, I see people at the junction of street and sidewalk vigorously scrubbing their partially covered bodies with such intensity that I wonder how they have any skin left at all. With a bucket of soapy water, they wash away every inch of dirt. And if I'm in a town like Rishikesh or Varanasi, the cleansing takes place on the banks of the Ganga, where sin, as well dirt, is washed away. Teeth-brushing lasts at least five minutes, and clothes washing is just as thorough and public. And as for the food, no India does not stink of curry (and since when does curry smell bad?). When it doesn't smell like rotting garbage and dung, the smell of brewing chai or blooming flowers fills the air.

An item more particular to Kolkata is foot-drawn rickshaws. I had seen and been in plenty of auto-rickshaws (tuk-tuks), had seen many but only ridden in one cycle-driven rickshaw, but in Kolkata, they go one step further. No motor, no bike, just feet (often shoeless). Huge cartwheels have a small bench lodged between them, and two long rods of wood protrude forward from the center of the wheels. The small, skinny, glistening Indian man wraps his hands around these rods and speed-walks or runs through the chaotic streets of Calcutta. It's really quite something to see for the first time (picture the cover of the City of Joy movie if you know it).

Finally, the heat. Kolkata is scorching in April. It wasn't bad the first day I arrived, but that was just the city greeting me with a little mercy. It's so hot that even the Indians are sweating through their clothes and fanning themselves, wondering why someone from Canada would come to their city in the summer. And the men and women who carry umbrellas for a little reprieve don't make pedestrian circulation any easier. The sidewalks - when there are any - are crawling with people, and the low height of locals makes it dangerous for the eyes and face.

Ok, that's it for the Kolkata wrap-up. Back to Varanasi.

Took it easy yesterday, relaxing in my cool room, going out for narrow-lane walks, working on my photo-blog, and booking a level 1 Reiki course which I started today. I'm getting a 3-day private course with a smiley, friendly, oldish Indian man. 

At ten this morning, I transferred my bags into a cheaper, simpler room (only treated myself to AC for 2 nights). There's no bathroom (shared), no TV, no AC, no private balcony overlooking the river. But the room itself is actually much nicer, with shiny, tiled walls and a comfier bed and pillow, and it manages to stay relatively cool considering the heat outside (which actually isn't as bad as I was expecting). Instead of looking out over the Ganga, my room opens up onto the leafy, shady inner courtyard with benches and fountains. Not too bad at all.

Then, at 11, I was off to my two-hour Reiki day 1 class. The first half hour consisted of an introduction to Reiki and basic technique. Then there was 15 minutes for questions, answers, and discussion. And finally, a one-hour cleanse and balancing of my energies and chakras. Pretty fascinating stuff. More about that tomorrow after my initiation.

Room relaxation early afternoon, then Brown Bed Bakery for a delicious "BBB Special Salad".

I've been feeling very creatively inspired here, and have continued to work on my community plans. And I can hardly contain my excitement! My ideas are piecing together beautifully. After much brainstorming and scribbling and scratching out, I've also come up with what may be the final name for the community and the title for my book... but you'll have to wait to find out what those are!

Be patient. You will know when it's time for you to wake up and move ahead.
That very acknowledgment will prompt change and carry you to the next step in your journey.
-Ram Dass      

Holy Cows and Holy Ganga in Varanasi

Arrived in Varanasi at 6am yesterday. Back to Saturday evening...

Didn't go to New Market after writing my blog, wasn't up for the crowds and chaos. Sat in Blue Sky AC for a snack, then gathered my bags at Galaxy. As I was preparing to leave, the friendly manager gave me a pack of mini chocolate bars for the train - how sweet! It takes so little to be warmly remembered. Got a taxi to Howrah station, found my train, found my bunk. Again, I was on the side that had only two bunks and for once, I had the lower bunk which I was happy about. But a guy sitting nearby told me his mother had been assigned the upper bunk but had problems with her knees and would I mind switching with her? Of course, no problem. So back to my regular upper bunk spot, piled my bags at one end, and lay down for some yoga music and Life of Pi. Still loving the book. I couldn't fall asleep when I tried around 10:30, tossing and turning, the bright fluorescent ceiling lights shining onto my upper bunk (forgot to put my eye-mask in my little accessible bag). But I didn't care. I didn't care if I didn't sleep at all that night. I was comfortable, the train AC was working well, and the antibiotics had taken effect. I couldn't have asked for more.

Only ended up sleeping about 3 hours that night. Woke around 4am and hardly slept again until the train arrived at 6. Having read about the rampant Varanasi tuk-tuk scams, I was very clear with my driver (despite his speaking no English) about where I wanted to go and how much I wanted to pay. A few minutes after taking off, we got stuck in a massive traffic jam going through a bus/truck lot (first real jam since I've been in India, not bad). My crazy driver aggressively swerved through the mess when he could squeeze by, getting honked at wildly, and turned the motor off when there was nowhere to go. Which was often. I was glad the temperature hadn't reached its midday peak yet - would have been unbearable. Finally got to the drop-off spot about an hour later (14km). Tuk-tuks cannot go into the narrow lanes leading to the riverside ghats and guesthouses, so I had a 15 minute walk to Ganpati GH. Luckily, people pointed me in the right direction, or I would have never found my way through the narrow lanes. Bags are now heavier than ever, and I am determined not to add anything to them in Varanasi. Had to stop several times along to the way to put some down and regain my strength. Finally made it, only to be told that my booking confirmation e-mail had not been received. I knew I had sent it, but there must have been a computer glitch. Neither their fault nor mine. But I was hot, tired, and therefore irritated. They had a few options for me: a non-AC room, a room in a neighboring building that also belonged to them, or wait until 10am to see if another non-confirmed guest shows up or not. If not, it's a room like the one I wanted. I said I'd wait. It was about 7am. Went to their lovely patio overlooking the Ganga (nice to be back by it!) and read some magazines that were lying around. Walked around to other balconies on different levels of the GH, and marveled at the amount of activity on the ghats. There were so many boats and people, so much color. Received a call from Meera, had a nice chat, then went to the rooftop for a glass of orange juice at the resto. Desk guy came to find me around 9, telling me they had received a cancellation, and I could have the room I wanted. Yay! Waited till 10 while the room was being cleaned, then collapsed on the bed for a nap. Went out to explore a little a couple hours later, stopping for lunch at Brown Bread Bakery, an organic cafe that supports a school for underprivileged children and a women's empowerment group. Walked along the narrow lanes - shit, flies, cows and garbage everywhere, and realized it was easier to navigate the streets of Calcutta than the tiny back lanes of Varanasi. Quick stop at internet before going back to my AC room for another nap - exhausted after last night's limited sleep. Relaxed and read before hiking up the many flights of stairs to the rooftop restaurant for dinner. It was dark, and the view of the river and ghats was beautiful. There were religious chants coming from the loudspeakers as Ganga Arti (candle-lighting as offerings to the river) was being performed at a nearby ghat. Had a yummy salad and rice pudding while reading Life of Pi. Back in my room, I read more about Varanasi in my guidebook, watched a little TV, observed the moth flying around and the several geikos crawling on the wall, then had a great long sleep. AC was mediocre, but at least allowed me to pull a sheet and light blanket over me while I slept. Felt great!

Up at 10 this morning, off for breakfast (Ganga view again) and internet, then a short cool-room break. (I only have the AC room till 10 am tomorrow, so taking full advantage of it. Then it's 5 days of heat.) Lots of time to explore this strange and magical city, described by Mark Twain as: "older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together".     

Last two days in the City of Joy

On the road to recovery, still not 100%.

Didn't end up having a meal after my last post, just grabbed a small bag of plain chips and a bottle of water. Went down well, felt a little bit of appetite. Went back to the Fairlawn Hotel outdoor lobby for the Thursday night display and sale of Calcutta Rescue handmade products. Picked up a few more fair-trade, recycled bags, and the lady thanked me for coming back. I smiled and told her it was a great organization and the bags were very good quality. Made my way back to Galaxy for a somewhat refreshing shower - even with only the cold tap turned on, the water is merely cool. Didn't set my alarm for the next morning, as I still wasn't feeling great, and had very little energy.

I was disappointed not to be able to go in for my last day, but glad I had at least made it once to both centers so I could see and experience them. I'm sure I'll be back on another trip. Slept in then went to a little cafe/shop that again sells hand-made products to support street kids. Bought a couple notebooks, then had some proper food - muesli, fruit and curd was all I could handle. Went home, relaxed, and despite feeling tired and weak, planned out my last afternoon and evening in Kokata. There were still a few things I really wanted to do and see. Since most of the people I've met here are other volunteers and were at work, I'd be on my own for my little adventure. First, I went to Blue Sky and sipped a Pepsi in the AC for 45 minutes. After that, I felt ready to go.

I walked about 5 minutes to the Park Street metro station, trying out the Calcutta tube for the first time. It would save me about a 20 minute walk down the sunny and busy Chowringee Road. The train itself was pretty old and rickety, but the platforms were clean and nice. Paid my 4 rupee (8 cent) charge for a one-stop ride, getting off at Maidan station. Maidan is the name of the park that is the pride and joy of Calcutta, like Central Park is to New York. It is huge, home to Eden Gardens (where I went for the cricket match), soccer fields, and golf clubs. Eden is at the north end, I was now near the south end. Walked through the park a little before making my way down Shakespeare street to my first destination: Aurobindo Bhavan. It is a center dedicated to Sri Aurobindo, who was an Indian nationalist, freedom fighter, philosopher, yogi, guru and poet. I had heard the name a few times since being in India. I walked around the beautiful garden area, stopped by the tomb and statue, then entered the small, quaint bookstore. A very friendly shopkeeper greeted me, asking, after seeing me wipe the sweat from my face with my shawl (which is kleenex-thin, but feels like a fur coat in this heat - I wear it to be respectfully covered), why I was in Calcutta in the summer. I smiled and shrugged. 20 minutes later, I walked out with 15 new books. And I got a 10% teacher discount! (Didn't mention to him that I quite my job.) Most of the books were just small paper booklets, so it won't be too tragic for my bags.

Next destination: St-Pauls Cathedral. On the way, I passed the Indira Gandhi statue (no relation to Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India) and the Calcutta Planetarium. Then St-Paul's was before me, a stunning white Gothic Cathedral. I went in, walked around, then sat on a bench under a fan to rest and cool off a little. Back out for my third and final destination: Victoria Memorial. It was incredible. If one was dropped in front of it, not knowing where they were, they might mistake it for the Taj Mahal (though I may take that back after having been to the Taj). A beautiful, huge, marble building dedicated to Queen Victoria. Walked around, took lots of photos with the gorgeous post sunset sky as a backdrop, then sat by the water to rest again. Ten minutes later, the guards frantically started blowing their whistles to get everyone off the premises. It was 6pm, closing time. I had read about a recommended sound and light show in my guidebook, which took place at 7:45. They were clearing the grounds to prepare for the Bengali showing at 6:45. Bought my 20 rupee (40 cent) ticket and headed back into Maidan Park to pass time. It was dark by then, so I found a well lit bench area to sit and read. Stomach cramps were on-and-off all afternoon, and I was becoming quite desperate for a bathroom. Walked over to the park guards, who pointed me in the direction of "luxurious" public "toilets". Despite the filth and stench, I felt much better after. Luckily I had toilet paper and Purel in my bag. On my way out, I heard Indian music, followed the sound, and found a free live concert in the park, where many people were seated on chairs or on the grass. I joined them, listened for a while, took some videos of the talented singers and musicians, then went back to a bench for a bit more reading. It was then time to head to the VM gate for the show. The Bengali version was just finishing, so I waited at the gate. There was no one else there waiting. When the Bengali show ended and I walked in, the guard told me I was the only one who had purchased a ticket for the English show that night. I laughed and asked if it was safe for me to go anyway. He assured me that it was. All entrances to the site are guarded, and there would be a site worker near me the whole time. I said ok, and walked to the building. There were a few rows of plastic chairs set up, I got a front row seat. The worker then removed the other rows, putting the chairs away for night. I got comfortable, had a cookie and some water, then watched a great show in a magical setting. There was an introductory video projection on a screen to the left, followed by surround sound and lights that accompanied the narration of Calcutta's past. Different parts of the VM lit up at various times, creating a beautiful scene. Video came on at various times throughout. The Howrah Bridge was magnificently lit up in the distance to the right. It was a pretty indescribable feeling, being there on my own, in the sprawling grounds of the Victoria Memorial, the majestic building in front of me, and the history of this great city being projected and narrated for my eyes and ears only. What a perfect way to spend my last night in Calcutta. A guard escorted me out when the show ended, I thanked him for letting the show go on just for me, and walked 10 minutes to Maidan metro station. As I walked, I was humming the "I Love Calcutta" theme song from the presentation, and Kolkata loved me back, providing me with a safe trip home. Went one stop north to Park Street on the metro, and walked five minutes from there to Galaxy. Home at 9, used the toilet, went out for quick internet, then back for shower and bed.

Up at 10 this morning, feel a bit better but cramps and diarrhea haven't stopped. Went to the medical store just down the road and showed the clerk the empty packets (which I had kept in my first aid pouch for this purpose exactly) of the pre, pro, and antibiotics that I had taken in Rishikesh when I was sick. He had what I needed, and I was able to get them without a prescription. Hopefully they will start to take effect before I get on the overnight train to Varanasi tonight. Had a small but real meal (veg and cheese wrap) which felt pretty good, and then, despite still feeling weak, headed off to the last destination on my list: the Park Street Cemetery which I had just missed last Sunday. Considered getting a tuk-tuk there, but ended up walking the 30 minutes in the heat. Turned out to be the most amazing cemetery I've ever seen, a huge tree-filled area with enormous tomb stones over the bodies of India's British colonial past. Walked around for about 15 minutes, wanted to stay longer, but again had to find a toilet. Walked back along Park Street until I got to Cafe Coffee Day, feeling very faint along the way, hardly able to hold my head up or walk in a straight line. I knew this place would have decent bathrooms and AC. Both felt great. Sat down for a refreshing blue slush that somewhat brought me back to life, before heading out into the streets again for the final stretch of walk home. 

It's now 4:30, my train is at 7:30. Might go check out the New Market just a block over - the only thing on my list that I've yet to do - then relax in an AC resto before getting a tuk-tuk to the train station. Next post from Varanasi, where it's even hotter that here! (Booked myself a nice AC room for the first two nights.)

Love is the only reality and it is not a mere sentiment.  It is the ultimate truth that lies at the heart of creation.

-Sri Aurobindo

     

Sick Days

Still not feeling great, but surviving. Back to Tuesday evening.

On the tuk-tuk ride home from Kalighat, I asked Donald how patients end up there. Do they admit themselves? Are they referred? He said most of them are brought by people who simply noticed their dire condition on the street. The Missionaries of Charity programs are very well-known around Kolkata. I'm surprised there weren't more patients there.

Got back to Sudder street, blogged about Shishu Bhavan, and went to Jojo's for some dessert. Before I started eating, I felt a little off. Back in my room, I had a cool rinse, wrote about my day, and watched a little TV. It was almost midnight by the time I turned the lights out. I set my alarm for 6 the next morning, again planning to go in for breakfast but not mass. I wanted to do both shifts, Shishu Bhavan in the morning, Kalighat in the afternoon.

Alarm went off at 6, didn't fall back asleep this time (even though, again, it took me forever to fall asleep the night before). But very tired and when I got up I felt nauseous and had bad stomach pains and hot flashes. And was sick. I considered trying to go in anyway, but after going to the bathroom 3 times in 10 minutes, I figured it wouldn't be such a good idea. Wouldn't be of much use, and we are told not to come in if we are sick. So I got back into my PJs, and was back in bed by 6:30. Besides a few quick trips to the toilet, I didn't get up again until 2:30pm. Body was shutting down on me and telling me to slow down. I listened. Relaxed in my room a little more before heading out to get some crackers and 7up to take to internet. Answered a few e-mails, took care of a few bookings, and went back to my room to lie down some more. I started mapping out plans for the community I hope to set up when I get home, which was very exciting and made me feel a bit better. Can't wait to share my ideas and see who's on board! Still felt very hot and sticky, which made the sickness feel even worse, so I headed back out to internet since it's AC and brings me back to life a little. Spent two hours writing my Kalighat blog, then headed back to Galaxy, planning to do a little laundry, but was exhausted when I got back and still didn't feel good, and could do nothing but lie down. All I ate that day were about 6 crackers, with some 7up and a bottle of water. Turned the lights out a 9, but kept the TV on (low volume, cricket match), as that sometimes helps me fall asleep. I was desperate not to take hours to get to sleep again. Having the TV on somehow puts less pressure on falling asleep, as it feels like it's not really bed time yet. When there's less pressure, things happen more easily. It's all in my head, I know.

It worked! (Or maybe it was just because I was sick and exhausted. Either way, I was thrilled to have found sleep quickly.) I woke briefly just before 1am to turn the TV off, then again at 5:45 to go to the bathroom. Sleep again till 8:15 this morning. Stayed awake that time, feeling relatively well-rested from my early sleep, but was still a bit sick. Thursday (today) is a day off for volunteers, and on every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month, the sisters organize a field trip for us. Today's was to go to a leper colony, to visit and see how they live. When the sister at registration had told me about this last Friday, I immediately signed up for the outing. It was from 7am to noon. But considering my state yesterday and last night, I didn't even set my alarm for this morning. It was disappointing, but I needed to rest, relax and sleep in. So I did. Got a bit of laundry done then went out for a bit of internet. AC was again a life-saver. Got home, hung up my soaking laundry, and got ready to head out to the Indian Museum. It was just a 5 minute walk away, right around the corner, so if I didn't feel well, I could easily come back. It was on my list of things to do in Kolkata, and time is running out. The museum was described in my guidebook as the biggest and oldest museum in India. Indeed, it was huge, and it was old. Rooms were dark, gloomy and dusty. There was the most impressive collection of fossils and dinosaur skeletons I've ever seen. There was also the lovely room with creepy stuffed animals, which, as my guidebook says, "look in dire need of a proper burial". Would be a great place for the filming of a sequel to Night at the Museum. Managed to look around for about an hour, but had very little energy (walking up the many steps to the second floor was not easy) and was easily irritated by the Indian guys who kept trying to make small-talk and "discreetly" take photos of me. Walked home grumpy and exhausted. Had a short nap and then headed back out to do something I've wanted to do back home but never have: go see a movie by myself. Figured it was a good option to pass time this afternoon, as I couldn't do much else. Got my ticket for the 3pm showing of Housefull 2, the biggest blockbuster comedy right now in India, and happily entered the AC theater. During the movie, I ate for the first time today: the other 6 crackers from the small pack I started yesterday. The movie was pretty terrible, but I was evidently the only one to think so. The whole theater was in hysterics, laughing loudly and clapping the whole time, at what was very stupid and corny comedy. Wasn't quite the right medicine for my irritated state. And to make things a little worse, the large man two seats down from me (there's was no one on either side, which was nice) kept taking off his shoes and wriggling his stinky toes over the edge of the balcony (first row of the upper balcony, good seats). Ok, so a little good, a little bad. Considered leaving at intermission (there's always a 5-10 minute intermission at movies here), but decided to tough it out. 

Quick stop at my room (for toilet, of course), before coming here to write, and I'm finally up to date. Might try having a small proper meal when I leave here. Tomorrow is supposed to be my 4rth (well, 2nd) and last day of volunteering, but not sure I'll make it. I'll see how I feel later tonight. I'll be quite sad not to see the kids and patients again if I don't make it. But every time I leave somewhere without finishing everything I wanted to do, I always remind myself that I'll be back in India many, many more times.