Monday, October 13, 2008
Varanasi, City of Shiva
In many areas powerful hoses and generators are out hosing out large piles of mud and sediment which deposits itself during high river time. I would imagine the operators must uncover some interesting discoveries from within the deposited mud, probably much bones and parts of bodies. I had heard that those who can't afford cremations are often tied down which heavy rocks or other apparatus and tossed into the river after they have died. Often times these corpses wash ashore when they have decayed enough to loosen out of whatever was holding them down. I never had the experience of seeing any bodies floating around however. Others I have spoken to have talked of seeing dogs gnawing away at the riverbank on decomposing corpses.
The busiest, most colorful, and probably most spectacular of the ghats is Dashashwamedh Ghat. A group of priests daily perform various pujas, or religious cermonies, in the evening at this ghat, including "Agni Puja" (Worship to Fire) wherein a dedication is made to Lord Shiva, River Ganga, the Sun, Agni (Fire), and the whole universe. It was quite fascinating watching these performances during the evening, as crowds of devout Hindus and as well as tourists flock to the ghat to observe the performances lasting for over an hr. In a center area next to a guardrail sit countless beggars and medically downtrodden, many looking plagued with leprosy and deformed or missing limbs. Pretty much all of them sit with begging pots or outstretched hands asking for money. The levels of poverty and those living in the streets are staggering. Even if you give change to one person you have hundreds and thousands more asking a moment later. Mixed in with the people on the gnats are the everpresent cows, goats, dogs, and occasional monkeys making quick raids for food. The visual stimuli is overwhelming, not too mention the noise and everpresent strench of the place.
The primary burning gnat is Manikarnika Gnat, located a little bit north up the Ganges from Dashashwamdgh Gnat. Here 24 hr burning of corpses is going on, with constant smoke and activity surrounding the area. Walking the narrow lanes in the blocks surrounding the gnat is it quite common to bump into processions of men carrying corpses on their way to their burning location. Apparently only certain lower caste and untouchable men are employed in the process of carrying the bodies. Huge piles of wood are stockpiled and waiting to be used to burn up the bodies. Apparently it is a very precise operation how much wood and what kind to be used for each body. Wood gets quite expensive so it is weighed out carefully and the exact amt needed is used. Those with more money can pay for more expensive and desireable types of wood as well.
I was walking around in the narrow alleyways and lanes surrounding the gnat when an Indian offered to show me where the bodies were burnt. I knew there had to be some kind of catch involved but I decided to follow him on the way to the burning gnat anyway. I was taken to a bld overlooking the burning grounds. Here I was immediately approached by another Indian asking if I wanted to take pictures of the burnings. I had interest in taking some pictures as it was such a unique and surreal experience, with the wrapped up bodies smoking away on the wood stacks. The guy was unfortunately asking crazy amts of money to take photos, like over $10 US a pic, saying that the money would be going towards the cost of wood or other associated costs. This I hardly believed for a second, as many Indians I have found to be masters of conning and creating ploys to make money for themselves out of unsuspecting tourists and visitors. I stuck around for a few more moments before I had an everpresent older woman approaching me with her hands out begging for money, at which point I decided I had had enough and it was time to get out of the place. Apparently the Indian wasn't pleased with me not handing out money and tried to get in my face and grab my arm as I was walking away. When I ripped it away and and headed for the steps to get out of the place, he followed me and made as though he was going to attack me or something. I felt for no second scared or intimidated by this fellow, as he was a bit smaller and wouldn't have had much chance against me. However with the seemingly infinite crowds of other Indians nearby it wouldn't have been a wise choice to start anything. Later on I heard from other Indians that it is a somewhat common occurance for fights and other altercations to occur in the burning ghats areas between tourists and aggressive solicitors. There is also a presence of organized crime and mafia in the area which I read about in Lonely Planet and heard more about later, contributing to a culture in this area as wel as the train station.
One other burning gnat in town, although of lesser importance than the Manikarnika Gnat, is the Harischandra Gnat. At this gnat I experienced much less hassle and aggravation than the previous one. I met two Indians here alongside the river and was invited up to a small Hindu ceremony a short walk away, for a small fee of course. The one Indian was supposeably a Swami or something of that nature. Before the ceremony he jumped in the Ganges and bathed with soap, attempted to clean himself in the sacred yet filthy waters. Then I was led up to a balcony area adorned with a Shiva figure and several of his tridents, along with a group of other Indians. There was a small fire going on in which began wiping ashes on various areas of himself. The Indians whipped out a chilam, an Indian style smoking pipe made of what seems like clay. Here they inserted a combination of hashish and tobacco. I decided to be polite of course and take one hit on the pipe. However I am not a big fan of tobacco as it makes me nauseous and didn't feel like getting particularly high on hashish. It was suggested that we get some bhang and made some lassis, or bhang milkshakes. Bhang is a type of Indian marijuana concoction derived from the leaves, flowers, and buds of the plants being mashed down. It is legal in Indian and can be seen sold in various locations, sometimes advertised as Official Govt Bhang Shop. At the store we went to it was sold in small pastry like balls called 'golees', similar to the little donut balls sold in the west at Dunkin Donuts. To make the bhang lassi other ingredients are added to make the shake, including either milk or water, sugar, spices, etc. I wasn't sure exactly what bhang was although I had heard much about it and didn't know much more about it other than it being derived from cannabis. Apparently it is an intoxicant and its preparations and uses are regarded as sacred to the Gods, particularly Shiva. Varanasi, being the holy city that it is, is sometimes referred to as the 'City of Shiva.' It is a very popular drink here along the ghats and is often used as boost for meditation and to help achieve transcendental states, particularly among the sadhus. After drinking the concoction is took about 30 mins before I starting feeling the effects. Everything felt amplified and it was quite amazing walking through the narrow alleys and streets and experiencing all the sensory input in the altered state, not that one necessarily needs anything to feel like they are in an altered state while in Varanasi, as otherworldly as it it. I only drank one small cup of the concoction to be on the safe side, while the other more experienced Indians had no problems helping themselves to multiple cups. This small cup turned out to be enough for me and I feel fortunate to have been able to experience such a sublime and unique Indian experience.
One other memorable ghat I visited was the Meer Ghat. Nothing particuarly noteworthy about the riverfront portion, but to the side of the Ghat was a Nepalese temple featuring Kama Sutra type carvings and sculptures. The sculptures essentially showed sexual type situations and erotic positions, which is supposed to be the only temple of its type in the city.
A great experience I had one morning in Varanasi was taking a boatride with several guys I met at my guesthouse on the Ganges as the sun was coming up. It is a popular thing to do at dawn as many pujas, or religious ceremonies, are taking place up and down the river. Arriving at the river about 5:30/6am, the city was much more peaceful and calm before the masses wake up and everyone hits the streets. At the river the 3 of us, 1 guy from Australia and the other from England, I don't remember their names, piled onto a boat with another Indian rowing us along. We rowed up the river past observing the riverfront come alive and masses of Indians making their way to the river for cleaning and prayer. Even though the Ganges river is considered sacred by Indians, it is still amazing that they go to the river for cleaning and other purposes and don't get violently sick. The river is outrageously polluted and filthy and there wouldn't be a chance I would step foot in this portion of the river. Apparently countless sewer lines dump huge amts of raw sewage into the river. Business industry and factories along the length of the river have no problem deposting waste, chemical and biological, into the river as well, creating an absolute cesspool of bacteria and potential disease. However none of this seems to perturb or put off Indians getting into the river. Occassionally you will see a foreigner with white skin swimming through the water, god knows whats going on in his mind.
It was beautiful seeing the sun coming up over the horizon and lighting up the day. It one area there were a large group of yogis dressed in orange practicing yoga and doing sun salutations at this time. All along the stretch fascinating looking sadhus, Indians which have renounced worldly life and devote themselves to spiritual enlightenment, could be seen out around the banks meditating. Their were many of boats moving through the water carrying tourists up and down the banks. One noticable boat was filled with Thai monks dressed in their orange monk garb. Activity along the banks become more busy by the minute as Indians made their way to the river.
After the boatride, we were driven to three main temples in the city, these being the Durga Temple, the Rama Krishna or Tulsi Manas Temple, and the Hanuman Temple. The Hanuman Temple was the most interesting as scores of the macaque monkeys were all over the place. In the Hindu religion Hanuman is the Monkey God, hence this temple was in tribute to him and monkeys were given free reign within the place. Typically u don't want to get too near these particular red-butted monkeys as they can be quite tempermental and will threaten attack if they feel threatened. However here they were a bit more easy-going as they are treated with the reverence of a god.
Another spot on the outskirts of Varnasi I visited was the village of Sarnath, one of the four main pilgrimmage sites for Buddhists to visit. Here the Buddha supposably made his first sermons after he reached enlightenment in Bodhi Gaya, about 6 hrs from here on train. The site was full of ancient ruins and many temples, many representing various Buddhist countries including Thailand, Tibet, China, Japan, Myanmar, etc. There was a large museum which was unfortunately closed this particular day. About 30 minutes away from Varanasi, it was a nice escape from the constant noise and chaos of the city.
I had hoped to visit Bodhi Gaya and get a glimpse of the supposed tree that the Buddha achieved enlightenment nearly 2500 yrs ago. It is not the actual tree in which he gained enlightenment, as this tree is said to have been removed to Sri Lanka. From Sri Lanka a segment of the Bodhi tree was cut off and brought back to Bodhi Gaya, and has apparently grown back to a full-fledged tree. I would have been able to get a train ticket to Bodhi Gaya, but there were no tickets from Bodhi Gaya onward to Kolkata with the exception of an expensive 1st class ticket which I didn't feel like spending the money for. Bodhi Gaya is half way from Varanasi to Kolkata, and I didn't feel like traveling to Bodhi Gaya, and back to Varanasi, then all the way back in the same direction to Kolkata.
The rickshaw drivers, both motor and foot-powered, were constantly pulling along side of you if u were walking and asking if u needed their services. One of the rides on the main road leading to the busy Dasaswameth gnat from near my guest house was perhaps the craziest and most exciting ride I ever been on in my life. With the crowds and traffic near bumper to bumper capacity, the driver expertly swerved and turned, stopping mere inches from bumpers and pedestrians and each time expertly avoiding any contact or accident. Essentially he was driving no different than every other driver out there, but the Indian drivers have perfected the art of driving in this chaotic and superdense environment. I just held on tight to on eof the rails in the back seat and enjoyed the ride. I don't think the two guys from my guesthouse were as thrilled with the ride as I was. Perhaps it was too intense or scary for them. The rickshaw drivers are masters in navigating through the extreme entanglement of traffic and I had total faith in our driver. I'm sure accidents occur quite regularly but I didn't feel any fear. Afterwards I told myself I was going to have to take another one of these rides, even though I typically prefer walking as I enjoy walking and being on my own two feet, plus saving my money.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Jodhpur and Udaipur and Jaipur
As always it was fun walking throughout the narrow alleyways and lanes in the old city, checking out the local life and see the bizaares. People here seemed quite friendly, more so I perceived than in other spots in India. There was some amazing shopping available in areas of the city, particularly near a huge clock tower. Textiles and spices seemed to be the big items of appeal. I bought a few nice items to hang on my wall when I get a new appt back in Denver. Some very good prices and beautiful handicrafts, although I'm sure I could have done better pricewise if I had been sticking around longer and taken an excursion into one of the nearby craft villages. The clocktower seemed to be the epicenter of the current old city with tons of shops and a fair number of tourists there. There was an awesome omelette shop selling masala spiced omelette sandwiches at the great price of 15 rupees apiece - less than 50 cents - which included 2 sandwiches. It can be quite easy traveling in India to put on weight eating cheap and delicious food, particularly when your not sick and throwing up or practicing yoga consistantly each day, even if I am walking hrs and hrs a day.
Also nearby at very good prices were freshly squeezed juices, of which I gorged on too replenish myself of vitamin C and other nutrients which I was probably lacking. There were some other palaces and sights I would have liked to check out in the city, however time was not on my side. I stuck around the city for a day and a half and it was time to get moving along to my next stop. After reading up Udaipur and Pushkar, two other notable cities in the state of Rajastan, and seeking opinions from other travelers, I decided to head south to the city of Udaipur even though it was a bit out of the way.
Arriving in Udaipur after a 7 hr long busride south, I was a bit annoying after having been lied to by the Indian I purchased my bus ticket from. Nothing major but I still hate it, although I should be used to their constant attempts by now, when I am taken by the Indians. I just need to shake off these occurances and not let them get to me. In this situation I was first off promised a solo seat next to a window, of course winding up with a neighbor in my cramped seat. Then I was told it would be a 5 hr trip, which turned into another 7 hr trip. Finally I should have shopped around a little more for my ticket, as I found out later that I had overpaid just a little for my ticket. Ultimately I paid no more than .75-$1 more, a miniscule amt not worth being annoying about but a decent amt in rupies. It is the whole business of getting lied to my face which gets most annoying. However to survive in India one needs to accept the reality of Indians constantly inflating prices for tourists and trying to squeeze as much extra money out as possible. When one looks at the drastic poverty and squalor most Indians live in I suppose the over charging and double standard for a few extra rupees becomes a bit understandable. It is getting lied to that makes me most annoyed.
I was expecting a truly magical and unique city in reading the write up of Udaipur in the Lonely Planet guide. Written up as a city "watermarked by whimsey and splendor, the Venice of the east holds strage as one of India's truly seductive cities," it sounded like a very desirable city to check out. A huge lake, Lake Pichola, lies amist the city with the floating Lake Palace sitting in the middle of it. It is quite an amazing palace, with rooms apparently available for rent at upwards of $1000 a night, quite a price for India let alone anywhere in the world. It is spectacular enough that a James Bond film 'Octupussy', was partially filmed here. As a result the film is shown nightly at dozens of guesthouses and other venues throughout the city.
Another amazing destination in the city is the immense City Palace, towering over the lake and filled with balconies, towers , and lots of beautiful rooms. I took a tour of the palace and enjoyed looking at much interesting artwork and other antiquities common to the place. High up in the palace I got great views of the surrounding area and city, particularly the nearby hills closing in on the city. It was a remarable palace but I didn't find it as stunning or beautiful as the Meherangarh fort in Jodhpur.
In spite of these interesting and beautiful palaces, I found Udaipur a bit disappointing and not quite as stunning as I was expecting it to be. The major factor was the extremely low levels of the Lake Pichola. It was much more dried up than I was expecting, as much less than ideal monsoon rains had struck the area in preceding months. Large areas of the lake were covered by unsitely algae growth, while in other areas the water was so slow the bottom was exposed creating abundant grazing area for roving cows. Garbage and litter filled areas, making for a bit of an eyesore. It is a shame Indians don't take a little more pride in their treasured cities, allowing garbage and other filthy to accumulate so freely in areas. It is such a permissive culture in which littering is generally not given a second though. It doesn't help that garbage cans seem to be relatively non-existent from what i have noticed. In the street it seems to be swept up regularly. However in common areas such as lakes and rivers trash, sewage, and refuse generally collects unimpeded. Apparently several yrs ago there was record rainfall and the splendor of the lake was renewed. I was hoping there would have been a similar situation this year but that didn't turn out to be the case. I would like to come back another time when the lake and city is in better shape.
After several days in Udaipur it was time for some long trainrides heading east across the country on the way back to Kolkata for my flight back to Thailand on Sept 30. First was an overnight jaunt up to Jaipur, the capital of Rajastan and known as the pink city. Apparently in 1876 the entire old city was painted pink by the reigning ruler. The colors are supposed to come alive most vibrantly at dusk, particularly from certain vantage points I would imagine. Unfortunately my stay in Jaipur was only for about 7 hrs during the morning and early afternoon. During my stopover in Jaipur I decided to rent out a rickshaw to take a minor tour of the city. I was also hoping to check out some of the shopping bizaares the city is known for and perhaps look for some good deals. From what I saw the bizaares hadn't really got going at that time of the day. The beginning of the ride through the city I was taken to some noteworthy sites which I don't recall the name and glimpsed at quickly. After this I was taking to a jewelers shop by the rickshaw driver where about 3 or 4 manager/owners tried to aggressively persuade me into smuggling or fronting sizable quantities of gems back into the states. Promising great profits for me with next to no risk of course, they didn't seem to quite comprehend my issue of not knowing nor trusting them. Perhaps I was walking away from a lucrative career in the transportation of prescious gems back to America, at any rate I got the hell out of the office as quick as possible. It seemed like some a shady operation and they wanted me to start signing off on papers immediately, perhaps hoping they could blinding me with hopes of easy money while eliminating any time for rational thought or reflection on their proposal.
I boarded my next train shortly before 4pm on the way to Varanasi. I was expecting a 16-17 hr trip. This of course turned into a 21 hr ride, arriving at the Varanasi train station around 1pm. The train stopped about 1 km short of the train station and waited for over 1.5 hrs before resuming the remainder. I had no idea the train station was so close or that the wait would be for so long. Some British travelers in the seats across from me found out that we were allegably 1 km away from the station and we decided to jump out and walk the remainder on the tracks. Of course 1 min into the walk the train resumed moving. I decided to jump back on the train and escape the sweltering sun.
During the course of the ride I woke up in the morning with a nasty swollen eye, apparently having been bitten by a mosquito or something. I didn't feel a thing during the course of the evening as I slept soundly through the night in relative comfort, enjoying the benefits of imbibing a slight amt of opium I had acquired previous in the wk. Otherwise sleeping in the cramped up and dirty sleeper seats are not exactly much comfort, although they do allow the benefit of lying back and not having to sit upright the entire time.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Bikaner and holy rat temple
The floor of the premises were definitely quite dirty although it wasn't quite as littered with fecal matter as I thought it may be. I still did my best to kind of tip toe around or at least mnimize my foot contact with the soiled floor. While their were many thousands of rats throughout the temple, along with a generous supply of pigeons, I was told they really come out of the walls and their hiding places after dark. I was their around noontime, avoiding absolute rodent mayhem apparently. I was told there existed 3 white rats amongst their brown pack that were considered particularly lucky or auspicious to see. Hence I was keeping my eyes open for these lucky white rats. At one point in one of the dirty corners of the facility there was a small mob of Indians trying to peek around a fenced corner, apparently in effort to see a rumored white rat. When the group scattered I attempted taking a peek myself around the corner, which was next to impossible unless I stuck my camera out and took a picture using the flash. I didn't see anything but piles of dirty brown rats and filth.
A short time later several young Indian girls who were standing in a slightly different area by themselves caught the attention of an Indian man next to me. We walked over and looked where the Indians girls were pointing and sure enough, there just happened to be a filthy white rat sleeping on a pipe or something squeezed in amongst the rest of its brown brethren. It was no doubt a white rat, although a bit discolored from dirt and other grim caked onto its holy fur. I was thrilled to be able to see one of these rare specimens and surprised there weren't more people clamored to try and get a glimpse of it. I was able to get several pics of the rat before it woke up and disappeared back into the bowels of the temple. My luck has not been too bad lately, however hopefully this occurance will add an extra punch of positive benefit to my life. I think at least if I believe in the power of the holy white rat something of fortune will happen for me. I feel lucky enough to be able to travel to such an amazing country as India and experience such moments. Perhaps also some extra luck will keep me from acquiring some obscure disease from walking around in the bizaare atmosphere and filthy floor. I was the only tourist or white person I noticed at the temple. While Bikaner and Deshnok are a bit off the beaten track, I was surprised not to see any fellow Europeans or other travelers. For such a bizaare and unique temple, one would think more travelers would make an effort to check out such a holy place.
My second night in Bikaner I wound up in a guest house in one of the neighborhoods of the city. I would up being led here by an Indian guy whose name escapes me I met at the restaurant below my guesthouse of the first night. After walking several hrs in the fascinating old city with its narrow and congested alleys, lanes and bizaares, I took a rickshaw along with my new friend to my new guesthouse. It turned out to be a nice family house several blocks in from the chaos of the noisy main street, and not too far from the bus station where I was to move on the next day. The guest house was also in the biz of leading camel safaris into the Thar desert, although I had to disappoint them in saying no to their sales pitch of such a trip. Sounded like it would a memorable experience riding a camel in the depths of the Thar desert, however I don't think it would be quite as much fun doing it by myself. Next time I am fortunate to make it to this part of India with either some friends or a nice lady I would definitely take part in one of the camel safaris. They are quite popular in this part of India, particularly in the city of Jaiselmer west of Bikaner.
My room at the guesthouse was quite nice and peaceful without their being any other guest. I only noticed 2 rooms available for room in the dwelling. Otherwise there was the owner and his wife and 4 kids, along with my friend who stays there and elsewhere from what I gathered. The weather was a bit warm and humid in my room so I decided to give it a shot sleeping with the rest of the family on the roof. The father and my friend were gone at the train station till around 2am scouring the trains and crowds for tourists newly arrived and potentially looking for a room and a camel safari. Sleeping on the roof top on a cot was quite nice for a while as their was a nice breeze flowing through the air cooling things off. On top of that the moon was mostly full and shining brightly, 2 days ago it had been full, which added to the exotic ambiance of being far off city in the Indian desert. Unfortunately the mosquitos were out in abundance as well nipping away at my feet and legs. In addition the neighbors 2 houses down had decided it was a worthwhile wk to have themselves a kirtan in their backyard. This included a number of people singing on a microphone and playing various Indian instruments. It sounded nice to listen to at first but as the hours started flying by into the middle of the night it started to get quite annoying. By around 3am I had had enough of the racket and noisy sound checks on the microphone. For whatever reason the family I was staying with had no problem whatsoever with the kirtan going into the late hours of the night. I however decided to pick up my sleeping bag inner liner and head on down into the less noisy but slightly warmer confines of my room.
The next morning, after getting up and having some tea, I took a short walk with my friend to the bus station and was on my way to Jodhpur, about 5 hrs south on a bus. This was 2 wks ago at the time of writing this journal. Several days ago I read in the news that at the main fortress in town I had stayed near and visited there was a pilgrimmage that went horribly awry. Over 160 people were killed and countless others injured an exodus of people that went crazy after some bizaare circumstances involving a rock slide or something. One reads about this sort of thing happening all the time in India during religious pilgrimmages as tens of thousands of people are walking with little to no crowd control.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Tibetan Massage Course and yoga in McLeod Ganj
There are many practitioners in town offering reiki, ayurvedic massage, tibetan massage, and energy work and classes. Mr. Dhondup has about 20 yrs of massage experience he proclaims. He also states he has worked on one of the physicians of the Dalai Lama in the past. He is recommended in the Lonely Planet guide to Dharamsala/MG and seems to be highly regarded in town. The course entails 2 hrs a day for 5 days at 1500 rupees. Not a bad deal for about $37, a heck of alot cheaper than it would cost in the states. In spite of being dirt poor at the moment I thought it would be a worthwhile experience for my time in MG and a wise choice of my leftover money. I am now taking out cash advanced on my credit card since my bank acct is about zero. I will have to pay this off immediatley when I get home as to not incur huge penalties.
There are 6 of us in class to start off with. classes are a different subject or body part each day on a revolving sequence. Hence if there is space people can join any day. Of the 6 in class the first day, one man just happens to be from one of the massage courses I took in Chiang Mai over 4 months ago while taking classes with Pichet, the thai massage master. Funny how you bump into some of the same people over again. I had actually bumped into him the wk before while sitting in a coffee shop. He came up and asked if I remembered him, which I didn't immediately but remembered when he said from where. He is about 50 yrs old and from near Perth, Australia on the far west end of the country. Also in class are 2 American girls, one from California who used to live in Summitt County Colorado. The other girl is from the Smoky Mtns in North Carolina. There is also 2 guys from Korea.
The rest of the wk went by well enough. I was stuck with an American girl for the next 4 days. In her late twenties I believe, she was very hard of hearing and for some reason was not wearing hearing aids, which would have been helpful. It was next to impossible to communicate with her as I would have to literally yell in her face for her to understand. I don't know how she is able to get around traveling. It is difficult enough with language differences, far more so when u can't hear your own language. She said this was her 4th time in India. The 5th and last day she had some kind of cold and was constantly sniffling and then wiping her nose with her forearms. I was completely disgusting by and really had no way of communicating with her to be more clean without having to yell and embarass her. Hence I went to the bathroom and grabbed a roll of toilet paper for her to blow her nose into, which for some reason she hadn't thought of herself. Luckily a girl at the table next to me had some hand anti-bacterial lotion which she let my partner use.
The did learn some new stuff in the class but it unfortunately didn't get into the stuff I was most interested in, particularly his use of herbal packs and also postural analysis. I believe one has to take a more extended class or different course to get into these subjects. For the most part it was a beginners class, which can be useful in relearning basics. In 2 wks I go back to Thailand and look forward to taking a 2 wk Thai massage course at the Old Medicine Hospital. This course I held off till I am about ready to head home, this so the material would be fresh in my mind as I arrive home and begin practicing.
Vijay is also a very approachable person and seem to be very humble and down to earth. When class is finished he seems to make a point to make eye contact with each person and thank them for being there. I spoke with him after class one time and he mentioned to me that he may be coming to the states, possibly Denver, at the beginning of next yr. Perhaps the most important thing I learned while in his classes was his cue to keep my chest up, instead of letting it lag and collapse. In doing this I have discovered a greater energy in my chest and heart chakra and better and deeper breathing. It is amazing how subtle little cues that you hear often in class so often don't really register mentally or often not really heard. In the right circumstances or under the proper teacher the words can take on a different effect and meaning and effect oneself more profoundly.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Dharamsala/McLeod Ganj
Several kilometers up one of the roads from center McLeod Gang (MG) are the small villages of Bhagsu and DharamKat. It takes about 20 mins to reach each of these villages but along the way there are some impressive cascading waterfalls which are thriving during the rainy season. Large groups of Israeli travelers congregate in these villages. India, particularly this area, is a very popular traveling location for backpacking Israelis, many having finished their mandated military duties. Beyond these villages are trails leading higher up into and around the mountains. I hope to make it to a village called Triund, about 9 kilometers away, before I am out of town. Another hr or two beyond here is snowline from what I hear. I am fairly certain about the proper trails, which don't always have proper indicators and signs, and don't wish to hire a tour guide or anything as my financial capabilities are a bit hindered at the moment. Nor do I wish to get lost.
I arrived in D/MG during the middle of the playing of the Olympic games being held in China. In the previous months various protests and uprisings had occurred in various spots throughout Asia, including Llasa and I believe Kathmandu. I'm not sure the extend to which demonstrations had occurred here in previous months, however with the large Tibetan refugee population located here there was much potential for significant protests to be held. I hear and read that protests and conflicts have occurred here in the past. While arriving in town flyers, posters, and banners were everywhere protesting the Chinese occupation of Tibet as well as the Olympics. "Free Tibet" posters, t-shirts, and flags etc are everywhere in town. It is interesting seeing how this all fits in with the Indians living here. However the Indians are a very tolerant people for the most part and I hear they have much respect for the Dalai Lama. Throughout the entire state Tibetan Buddhism is a large presence along with Hinduism, especially as one goes further north up into the himalayas and nearer the Tibetan border with India. During several of the evenings I was in MG during the Olympics the Tibetans did stage peaceful walks while chanting and carrying candles. I didn't stick around and follow the walks, which I believe were making there way towards the nearby Dalai Lama residence, but they were interesting to observe. Tibetans of all ages including maroon and saffron robed monks and nuns, and civilians along with some foreigners would be amongst those walking in the streets.
The Dalai Lama and the Tibetan gov't in exile had the choice of several locations in India during the late 50's when they were choosing where to headquarter there gov't. They ultimately chose this area and it is not hard to see why considering the areas great natural beauty. Speaking of the Dalai Lama, I had the good fortune of witnessing him in person on Sunday morning as he was making his way back to town from one of his extended trips teaching abroad. In looking at his schedule on his website one can see he maintains a pretty intense and regular schedule throughout the world. On the 24th of August he was making his way back through town on the way to his headquarters. The streets were lined with Tibetan monks, nuns, and civilians of all ages as well as other bystanders and curious onlookers hoping to catch a glimpse of him. It was definitely a charged atmosphere, waiting to see one of the worlds most admired and important spiritual leaders and teachers. I almost toally missed him as he was driven through the center of town. As him and his entourage came up a hill and into town there were about 6 cars in a row able to be seen. I had my camera ready and was hoping to get a good shot of him. I think I was expecting him to be standing in a jeep or something waving to the crowds, perhaps in the middle of the entourage of cars to provide a buffer. However this didn't turn out to be the case. I was watching the cars when my friend Dolma hollered to me too "look - there he is!" He was casually sitting in the 2nd car in the passenger seat waving to everyone with a big smile on his face. His vehicle was driven by about 10-15 ft away from me and passed by so quickly I barely had time to process the moment. It felt very surreal and powerful seeing him so close. Such a humble guy to be riding in a plain non-descript sedan without a hint of luxury. Hopefully it was at least bulletproof to protect against any possible would be assassins. I'm sure the Chinese would love to see him dead and could easily do so if they wished. Just as quickly as he was driven by the crowds on both sides of the streets dispersed and life on the streets went back to normal.
I met a very lovely and beautiful Tibetan girl in her mid-twenties by the name of Dolma who I have been spending time with. The way in which we met is definitely the most unusual way I have ever met a girl before. One afternoon the red-tinged monkeys with a meanstreak were running rampant throughout the hill and area where I was residing. My guesthouse is located on the edge of a large hill and has 3 floors with large porch areas with incredible views and connecting to adjacent dwellings. The buildings are all stuffed together quite comfortably yet separate. The monkeys were running along the floors and digging into trash bins looking for food. I was trying to scare them off with my umbrella when I bumped into Dolma running up the steps to her floor. We teamed up and ran off the remaining monkeys, then spent some time watching them as they sat off just to the side. We also had some fun trying to instigate some of the larger monkeys into making their menacing faces and gestures. It usually doesn't take too much to get their attention and get them to make threatening faces baring their teeth, or feigning that they are going to jump your way and attack. After tiring of the monkeys were talked for a while and i found out she had moved to India 11 yrs ago with her older sister, fleeing the communist Chinese occupation and takeover in Llasa, the capital of Tibet. She has not seen her parents since then, but is able to speak with them on the phone every so often. She told me about some of the atrocities and horrors she witnessed in Tibet and says she has to be careful in even calling her parents in Tibet, particularly during the time of the Olympics. The Chinese govt is very sneaky and could be listening in on her conversation. She doesn't want to put them at any risk speaking about something the authorities may find offensive or Pro-Tibet, which includes much.
While she lives in Delhi and most recently was working in Agra at a highend spa doing massage therapy and beauty work, she is escaping the extreme heat of Delhi and staying for a while here. It has been very nice to have her to hang out with and get to know. She has a television in her room which I have found myself checking out. Its amazing how popular American Professional Wrestling -WWE - is here in India. It is on almost every day and one of the big names is a huge Indian wrestler named the Great Khali. He is over 7'3" and 350 lbs, plays a villian, and can often be seen adorning Indians t-shirts. I would never watch the stuff back in the states but for some reason I find it interesting watching here. Typically I have to find creative ways to spend my time - reading, yoga, walking, coffee shops, etc - it can be nice to be a zombie and watch tv without having to think too much. Dolma also has a cute little puppy dog to play with and we have been playing gin rummy a bit lately. One part of traveling I have found difficult is meeting and really connecting with certain people for several weeks of time, then getting to that point where you have to move on with the possibility of never seeing that person again. I will really miss Dolma as I have found her to be a very sweet and simple girl with a very big heart. At least I will be able to keep in touch with her via the internet.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Yoga at Yoga Niketan Ashram
My initial experience in attempting to visit Y.N. and find out more about their program epitimized the ever occurring frustrations and difficulties in speaking with Indians using the English language. While practically all Indians seem to speak English to varying degrees of efficacy, their style and manner of communicating it can be quite frustrating. Upon walking up the flight of steps to reach the grounds of the ashram, there was a guard station overseeing checking in and out of the grounds. In speaking with the attendent at the station I attempted to express my desire to learn more about the ashram and find out who to speak to about pertinent information. Repeatably he would answer that "it is not possible" or something to that effect, along with the standard Indian bobbing of the head, which I have yet to figure out. I attempted to rephrase my request about 3-4 more times in more basic and simple language but was still met with "it is not possible." Finally after almost throwing up my arms in defeat and frustration he seemed to comprehend my purpose in being there and my desire to speak with the administrators, located at a bld about 50 ft further along a pass. I think initially he thought I wanted to walk through the grounds by myself and see things, which is not permitted. However at last I was admitted into the grounds and was impressed by the well maintained campus and very nice gardens. Apparently lots of work had been put into the place to make it look impressive.
As it took much uphill walking to reach the ashram from the street, it was located high up enough to provide excellent views of the Ganges River and the distant views of the festivities alongside other side of the river. I found out the minimum stay at the ashram was 15 days at 500 rupees per day, approx $12.50 a day. This included a room with a luxuriously rigid bed, good for the back and spine, 3 meals a day, and 2 yoga and meditation classes a day apiece. We also had access to a decent library during certain hrs of the day which had a nice collection of yogic and associated literature, as well as some magazines. First bell rings at 4:30am with meditation beginning at 5-6am followed by yoga from 630 -730am, then breakfast at 8am. In the evening yoga was 5-6pm, meditation from 7-8pm, then dinner at the late time of 8:15pm. Food was decent, traditinal Indian vegetarian cuisine referred to as "Thali." This consisted of white rice, lentils and beans, a cooked vegetable mix, fresh cucumber slices, and chapati, this being a thin, flat, circulate cooked dough. It was good stuff and very filling, but tiring eating the pretty much the same stuff each meal. Fortunately if u wanted you could leave the ashram pretty much whenever you wanted, as long as u back inside by 10pm, and eat elsewhere if you wanted some variety and didn't mind spending some more money. Breakfast was some kind of rice ghoulash which I didn't often portake in, although it wasn't that bad.
When I arrived at the ashram there were approx 25 people, or inmates as we are referred to on the ashram literature. An eclectic mix from the U.S., Europe, Australia, lots of Japanese, and some Chinese. Interestingly there were 2 people other than myself from Denver, CO. One was a hippie with huge dreadlocks who said he lived in LoDo and sometimes took classes at Corepoweryoga in town. The other was an interesting native Chilean who recently earned his PhD in electrical engineering and was now teaching at U Colo Denver. His current apartment in the capital hill neigh of Denver was a mere few blocks away from one of my previous apartments. He seemed like a cool guy worth keeping in touch with. He is also a big soccer fan and player who I can find out more about pickup soccer games. Other Americans included a woman named Sunshine from the hills of Georgia, a refugee from the Evangelistic Christianity of the south. She had some shoulder issues and asked if I would do some massage therapy on her after finding out I was a therapist back home. First time I had done massage in a while. Another guy, Adam in his mid twenties from Florida, arrived in India several wks ago and plans on staying for about a yr or so, primarily immersing himself in yoga and the spiritual of India. His yoga practice was very mindful and controlled, enhanced and shaped by several yrs of Tai Chi practice prior to picking up yoga several yrs ago. I hope to keep in touch with him through the yr to see what kind of experiences he encounters and recommends, as I would love to make it back to India in coming yrs. My time in India is much too short to get around to experiencing everything I would like to. Another woman from Ireland I felt sorry for as she broke her arm walking down one of the sidewalks of the ashram, attempted to break her fall when she slipped.
Another dude, Paul in his 30's from Ireland and I believe another engineer by trade, I had a chance to play chess with. This the first time for me playing chess since being in the islands of Thailand. He has an amazing time coming up for himself, as he is traveling throughout Thailand, down to Indonesia and Australia and New Zealand finding beaches to surf at. One of the Chinese girls, Unki in her late twenties, was one of the most beautiful Chinese ladies I have ever met. She does some kind of modeling work back in Shanghai China and while here practicing yoga is escaping the madness of the Olympics in China.
I wound up ultimately staying for 17 days. Would have been nice to stay longer but felt like it way time to get moving along. By the time I was ready to leave there were few Americans or other westerners left at the ashram. Mostly Japanese and Chinese. It was still nice to be around others speaking clear English and I could get to know some during the course of several wks. Feels like the past several wks or more I had spent much of my time alone, although I am always meeting curious Indians and Nepalese while in Nepal. My yoga practice definitely felt like it was strenghened while at the ashram. I went to a few other classes and teachers while in Rishikesh but didn't feel too compelled to continue to stick around with them. I look forward to heading up north to Dharamsala and Mcleod Ganj, the headquarters of the Dalai Lama and a large Tibetan community.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Rishikesh India
At the moment it is off-season for tourism and most of the yoga schools, so much fewer than normal tourists and travelers are in town, making my foreign presence stick out that much more to the Indians, who often look at me as though I am an alien. In recent wks the city has been besieged by tens of thousands of Hindu pilgrims making their way to Rishikesh and onward to some Shiva temple outside town. Most of the pilgrims are in their twenties and teens and in large groups, all wearing all orange attire shorts and t-shirts, emblazened with different images of Shiva. The first several times I passed them in I found them a bit threatening walking in their groups often with fierce looks on their face. However I have found out they are all quite friendly inspite of their occassional intense demeanor and constantly coming up to talk to me and find out where I am from and my name. Also constantly getting requests for photos, which sometimes can getting irritating. During the several wks of their pilgrimmage the town was absolutely swamped with pilgrims and difficult at times getting around through the crowds. Pretty noisy too as they are often chanting names of Shiva and other words I find incomprehensible. It did often sound like they were chanting words like "Bum Bum" in reponse to a leader in the front chanting some other words. This chanting and racket could often be heard late into the night as the pilgrimmage apparently didn't slow down for many during the nighttime hours. During the daytime many people take to the streets, the temples, near the river, and pretty much anywhere relatively flat to sleep and rest their bodies.. Can't be too comfortable sleeping on the asphalt over night, at least cardboard and other paper is often put down on the ground to lay upon, providing cover along with protection from the everpresent cow feces on the streets
The city is located right at the base of the himalayas, so some picturesque mountains form the backdrop of the city. Like every other Indian city, the place is noisy as hell with endless horn honking from the over abundance of cars, motor bikes, and rickshaws driving the streets and working their way through all the pedestrians and cows. Street signs and lights are relatively non-existence, with the exception of seeing some non-working traffic lights at a major intersection in the middle of the city. The vast majority of the ashrams, yoga centers, gnats, and tourist areas are several miles north of the actual city of Rishikesh. Two large suspension bridges, about a mile apart from each other, cross the Ganges and lead to separate sections of Rishikesh. Lakshman Jula is located at the north bridge, while Ram Jula is at the southern bridge. Monkeys can often be seen climbing the wires leading high across the bridge. Often they come down low to the side railings and attempt to steal peoples food. One time I put my camera up to within 3 or 4 feet of one of the agressive macaque monkeys and almost had it swiped.
Coming straight out of the mountains and likely from the glaciers, the water is cold and relatively clean, free of the pollution and sewage runoffs further along its path, particularly the Varanasi portion which is supposed to be quite filthy. Gnats are set up in many spots in the city, these being steps leading down to the river. Here many pilgrims and Indians go to bathe and clean themselves, swim, as well as fill up containers full of the holy water. During the early mornings and evenings there are ceremonies going on with singing, chanting, instrument playing and the setting off of flowers with incense and flame to the Ganges as prayer and offering. One particular substance within the flame is camphor, which is supposed to symbolize the burning of one's ego. There are actually some locations in various areas of the city with decent sized beaches to lounge at and go swimming. I took a walk one day down to one of these beaches, littered with huge boulders and errant cows with the possible intent of taking a dip into the Ganges. However, this became infeasible within minutes as small crowds of Indians started coming over to stare and talk with me. At least I was able to walk in the Ganges for a little bit and get some good pictures. Next time I will have to find a more remote spot further away from the masses.
Food on the streets is pretty good, particularly the chai tea. Although it is cooked up in filthy dark pots crusted over with old tea grinds and other residue, it pretty much always comes out tasting delicious and is super cheap, typically the equivalent of paying 10-15 cents a small cup. Ingrdients are basically black tea, cinnamon, cardamon, skin milk, water, sometimes some anise and ginger, as well as other possible ingredients tossed into the typically filthy pot, heated up, and then strained into a small glass. The pot doesn't seem to be ever cleaned and is put right back up on the stove, usually covered. It's also nice getting cups that u just watched the cooks cleaned out with their fingers.
So far I have been fortunate and haven't gotten sick at all during my time in India, about 1 month and a half. I was sick once in Nepal for several days with awful diarrhea and fever, and Thailand several times. I better tap on some wood be4 I jinx my luck. So far in traveling over 7 months I believe my body has started to acclimate itself to the bacteria and other microbes in the environment no present in the US. Doing lots of yoga has also helped to detoxify, cleanse, and protect my body against sickness. Has also been over 2 months now that I have eaten meat, with the exception of one time in Nepal. Rishikesh is a holy city and hence it is vegetarian and alcohol free. I do hear that there is a restaurant and Inn on the far side of town owned by some Pakistanis that offers meat, although I haven't been there. The mangos sold by the street vendors are incredibly juicy and delicious, usually costing me 25 cents apiece. Also available for cheap are potato samosas, which perhaps aren't the healthiest being that they are deep fried, but they are delicious and fill me up.