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