A Sacred Journey

Lasting thoughts and last words...

2006-12-18T21:21:00.000-08:00

Namaste friends,
Currently we're in Delhi, the big crazy capital, enjoying the weather and honestly, the craziness as well!
Before we left the peaceful himalayas, I received a killer massage from my massage teacher, Mahinder, for free of course. Finally got rid of that "crick in me neck" caused by endless uncomfortable pillows! We a whole lot of shopping and consumming goods in Macloed Ganj and we even ventured out to Dharamsala, but discovered it was simply a busy, dirty town with nothing to do! We spent most of our time eating tasty Japanese food (Cory got food-poisoning from the Egg-Udon!) and hanging out around our hotel reading and sharing ideas and thoughts. Saturday, one of the first sunny days in the week, I headed out on my own and hiked down to the river bed, a steep but rewarding descent filled with cows, goats, village people and fascinating plants, some of which I think were mint. I met an India man cutting up rocks to build houses by the river and (because his English and my Hindi were limited) we shared Indian cigarettes while listening to the gushing of the small waterfalls between massive boulders. I picked a whole bunch of silver sparkling slate stones to smuggle back to Canada as a reminder of the beautiful river and the connection I felt to it.
Finally, the time came to leave this serene town and head to Delhi. It poured madly all day, resulting in slush and snow all over the road to the bus stand. We boarded the sleeper bus, which was truly luxurious I thought, although the beds were narrow. Lukily I only had to share with Cory and we're both small people. I slept well but Logan and Cory felt the need to paint the lower windows with Dal and Chapati from a few hours ago...I am so glad I don't get car sick...ewwww.
Our first day in Delhi was devoted to Cory's shopping needs since he was catching a flight to New Zealand that evening. It was difficult parting with him, even though we had been apart for 2 months previously and then only together for 2 weeks. He'll be in New Zealand for 3 months at least and I am so happy for him, what great adventures he will have. All good-byes are the start of new beginnings and therefore I welcome them, the foreshadowing of change.
So once again, it was just Logan and I in this wondrous country with about a week to spare before we fly home. We visited the zoo first (so nice to be with someone who considers zoos a major attraction not to be missed...kids at heart I suppose) and saw many animals for the first time in the Delhi zoo. It truly is a really nice place, huge enclosures and mostly happy animals, except for the escaped badger-type animals who tried to each our ankles!
Another day we visited the Jama Masjid, a huge, glorious mosque that some of you may have seen in movies or books. Logan sad and conversed with some Indians about politics while I wandered and had to turn down many marriage proposals! Soon it was prayer time (muslims pray 5 times a day) and all non-muslims had to leave (at least it was free to enter, so we came back later). After listening to the Imam's nasally, droning rendition of the Koran from outside the mosque, we headed over to the Red Fort. It's size was quite impressive, 4km I believe and the large, spacious water gardens were very inspiring.
Recently, we made the journey to South Delhi to the newly-build Lotus Temple. It is a Baha'i temple devoted to all believers of all faiths. Search on google for photos, there is a wonderful energy about the place. We were privileged to hear some chanting in the acoustically perfect dome which is usually silent. However, after visiting the Baha'i interpretive center, I kind of got the impression that their religion was slightly cult-like. There were prophets and great men who form the basis of everything Baha'i. Oh well, nice temple nonetheless.
My last few days have been mostly devoted to reading fiction and non-fiction India books while soaking up the Sun's warm rays on our lovely rooftop terrace while sipping Hot Ginger Honey drinks. Logan went out for a Delhi-mon snap adventure, which, like the video game, consists of hiring a cycle rickshaw to drive you around while you take photos of Indians, cows, markets, beggars and everything India.
We did a bit more shopping here, before realizing that we needed to tone it down if we were going to eat for the next few days! As we speak, a camel leather belt is being custom made. I designed everythin about it with the help of the shop/factory owner. (Don't worry, they wait for camels to die in India before taking their skin, otherwise it's illegal). I can't wait to see it!
Well, here it is, my last blog before returning home. A gruelling 48 hour journey it will be from the time we leave our hotel to when we land in Calgary, but I'm going to love every minute of it! I'm feeling better than ever, it seems my body has fully adjusted to India, what a shame I have to leave this beautiful land so soon!
I'll be back Mother Ganga, Sister Himalaya, Father Sky and Brother Desert.
I love you all very much and will never forget my experiences in this sacred land.
Thank you for showing me a part of this immense planet and with it, more of myself.

See you all soon!!
PS: I'm going to try and make it to the Solstice II gathering party on the 22nd. Hopefully the jet-lag's not too bad, I want to see everyone!
You're daughter/friend/sister/lover/fellow traveller
Dominiku

New Ideas, New Energy

2006-12-04T05:32:00.000-08:00

Currently it is raining in Mcloed Ganj, a small Tibetan town North of Dharamshala. It's getting cold here, especially at night when we couldn't make it without our 5 dollar space heater. It's supposed to snow soon say the locals, maybe I'll be used to the snow when I get back after all! This is also the place where the Dalai Lama (spiritual leader of the Tibetan Buddhists) has been residing since his exile when China took over Tibet in 1959. We were fortunate enough to see him when he was doing a talk...but it was all in Tibetan so we didn't understand a thing!

Back in Rishikesh, afetr an early morning yoga class, Logan and I decided to follow-up on a contact we got from a 60-year-old Danish man in Kathmandu. He was a wise man and claimed to have sustainable farming units in Australia and planned to buy and in Nepal. He also has a small ayurvedic garden just outside Rishikesh. Our hotel manager, after a crazy and wild motorcycle adventure, brought us to the home of Nautiyal. He spoke little English but we could feel he was very excited to have us in his home, us being friends of Dadu's (the old man), which he referred to as either Mr. Cook or my guru. His wife wipped up a fine meal (everything from their farming) and served us fresh lemon grass tea from the garden....so delicious! He talked about agriculture, Dadu and medicine. I was so fascinated, this man truly lived off the land. He then showed us Dadu's garden, maybe 100 sq feet, and explained that all that plants were for. I realized Dadu must have been a very healthy man! Seeing my enthusiasm, he took us on a 2km walk to the government herb garden up the road. I have never seen such a garden, almost a km worth of aloe vera plants. Everything that could grow in that climate was there, with little signs saying what the plants were and what they were used for. At that moment I realized that herbal medicine was my passion. I suppose I already knew this, but seeing it in action made me decide that, come this spring, I'm building a greenhouse and I'm growing things. There's something powerful about growing and watching a plant and then harvesting it. From there, the possibilities are endless. Teas, tinctures, infusions, concoctions, poultices, rubs, oils, capsules....oh I love it. I bought a book on ayurveda that all bookstores seem to recommend and can't wait to get home to do my research. (So Pa, this is why I asked for a greenhouse for Xmas, even if it's just a stick with some plastic!)
In our last day in Rishikesh (we wasted some days due to food poisoning...I think) we wondered down to the River Ganga...this was the last time we would be so close and it was the purest place other than the glacier itself. I collected some water, some sand (which was so sparkly silver) and several insteresting stones. I soaked my feet and watched the sunset, feeling like a lost child who finally found home. It's difficult to leave such a beautiful place, but once the sun sets it gets awfully chilly.
Onwards to Mcloed Ganj, it was another CRAZY trip. From a bumpy bus ride back to Haridwar then a night train to Pathankot, we were once again put to the test. (I love these little tests!) Thankfully, a large group of Indian teenage girls shared our space (there's 8 bunks per room) on the train and they sang beautiful songs and spoke good english. Logan sang for them (which, of course, they loved) and I declined and showed them some pictures I had drawn. they didn't seem to understand that people don't just sing to themselves in Canada like they do here and so I didn't feel comfortable singing in front of them. Really exposed my insecurities that's for sure. Then, realizing that we hadn't packed supper for the train ride (apparently most people just don't eat!) they pulled out some home-cooked chapati and curry and offered us a serving. Can't tell you how nice it was to eat some food that was made by this young girls mother...you could almost taste the love. Finally we settled (you know how it is with a group of girls!) and woke up at 3.30am to get off at our stop. Wasn't so rough until we found out that the bus to Dharmsala only comes at 630. So we sat around at the train station in the wee hours of the morning...hum, this is familiar, I thought! Three hours later, we go out to catch our bus and see it pulling away, apparently it was 6, not 630. Never trust an Indian who only nods his head. So instead of waiting for the next one, another hour, we splurged on a personal taxi. But after realizing how crazy the switch-backs were on the road, we were glad we opted out of the 4 hour bus ride for the 2 hour taxi. I honestly hadn't slept more than 1 hour the entire night so I was beyond exhausted, to the point were I was feeling sick. All-nighters are not very cool! We arrived at a cold hotel run by buddhists monks and stayde there one night until we found the place of our dreams!
It's on the edge of town, and has huge windows that look over the forest so it's very quiet. It's got a gas burner which is my favorite part, we can now boil our own water and even cook some rice and curry. all this for Rs.400. ($10) Actually, the very best part is that we get to share it with Cory, our long-time friend who decided to spend a few weeks in India before he goes off to New Zealand for 3 months. He's a wonderful cook, it works out nicely as I clean the dishes and pick the veggies at the market and he cooks some amazing dishes! Plus we always have tea on the stove!
We've been here for almost a week now and all three of us took a Indian cooking class, and Cory and I are taking a 6-day universal massage course. Our teacher, Mahinder, is such a good guy! We've been keeping busy with lots of reading, exploring our forest and doing some shopping.
Can't tell you how nice it is to have another person to talk to, just having a new energy around (especially Cory's!) is so refreshing.
On a side note, I want to say how amazing the mind is. I had convinced myself (and Logan) that we had giardia. All the symptoms were there so finally we brought some samples to the hospital to get them analyzed. turns out there's nothing there. This took me by surprised...but I instantly started feeling better, and by the end of the next day it had all cleared up. It's crazy how powerful the mind is.
We've also been doing lots of shopping...so many beautiful things!
So this blog was rather dull and narrative, but I'm feeling really good. Just trying to stay myself and interact with that world without judgement and pre-conceived ideas. Living in the now is just so much more fun!
Much love everyone!

Back in India!

2006-11-19T00:17:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone...can't tell you how nice it is to be back in India again! I missed the craziness...I really did.
Let's backtrack a bit first. Back in Pokhara, Nepal, I felt like I had the same stomach bug as before (pain and bloating) so I went and bought some meds (same meds for giardia as dysentery)...took them...and now I am cured once again. I believe maybe it was giardia this time... But that was over a week ago and I've been feeing fine since. Don't worry, medical help is very much availabe here and I'm a tough cookie! In our last few days in Pokhara, we bought the Tao of Pooh (good easy book) and the alchemist...i's nice to be able to read and think all day in the sun. We also bought journals...to record thoughts and ideas. We hiked up to Sarangkot (4hr) and found a nice homely place to stay in someone's house for the night. We were able to watch the sunrise over the Himalayas the next morning from 5500ft up. Chilly, but glorious. Check out Logan's blog for details on this awesome trip.
Finally we decided it was time to get out of Nepal and go back to India...we took 2 buses (12hrs total) back across the border and caught a train in Gorakhpur, India. After much confusion and spending a fortune to get a bed on the train (and meeting the highly auspicious train conductor personally)...we found ourselves on the wrong train!! Lukily we were able to get off at the following train station and wait for the right one (which was 5 hours late). Scary stuff...we sat on benches until 4am at a chilly train station in the middle of nowehere where no one spoke english. Through we were cold, hungry and tired we managed to say in good spirits. Shaddy characters came up and just starred...Logan and I took turns sleeping while clutching our bags. Scariest moments in India for sure...definetely learnt the meaning of courage when I had to go wander and find a place to pee. Had to avoid showing people that I was a foreign woman...and never let anyone see you're scared...
Finally our train came and my friend the train conductor came and showed us to our seats...I knew there was a reason for our first meeting. The entire next day was spent on the AC train eating Thali, sipping Chai and conversing at length with fellow Indian passengers as we were headed for Haridwar, in Uttar Ranchal. (we were on the high-class train so most were doctors and engineers who could afford he train) Once in Haridwar we stayed in a shitty room...but wait...it had a TV with satellite. (We never had a TV till now) The next three days Logan and I had a movie binge and just relaxed. The Ganga river runs through this holy town and so it was so nice to see it again. There were ghats and so many sadhus everywhere. There was also a huge golden Shiva statue several stories high where we met a pilgrim who proceded to tell us all about Hindu mythology until the sun set. Reminded me of Religious Studies 201 at University except taught by someone who truly believes it all. Since this town was not touristy, people didn't try and sell us things everywhere we went...nice change. However, at one point while walking on a bridge over the Ganga, I was singled out and bombarded with female and children beggars. As they often cut you off, I tried to walk around. Once off the bridge I went to pull out my change purse to help an old sadhu. The pocket was unzipped and the purse gone...maybe 700Rs worth to a lucky woman/child. That is enough for a family to live off for weeks! But to us, it's only about 20 bucks! I didn't mind very much, I just hope it found itself into the right hands. Serves me right for being such a tight-ass sometimes! (I rarely give to beggars...Logan often does) We stayed there three days before taking a 30minute local bus ride to Rishikesh, where the Ganga crashes into the plains from the glaciers. It is colder here and the sun doesn't come over the mountains until 930 or so. It is the yoga and meditation center of India and here are many many foreign people who live here. Good to see.
This morning I took in a 3 hour yoga class at 830am and wow do I ever feel good. We're planning on hiking up the river Ganga sometime and taking a swim...this is where it's cleanest!
For everyone wondering, I'm feeling great! Bought a whole bounch of awesome veggies yesterday for less than a buck and, after cleaning them all with filtered water, made a yummy salad for us. It's nice to have raw veggies again!!
I can't say I really miss Canada...I love it here. I simply wish I could take everyone I love and bring them here...what a peaceful existence here amidst the mountains and the river. Been conversing with folks from Australia, Israel, Austria, Holland, Chile and more and found that they all have such great spirits. In a way we are all pilgrims far from home seeking something beyond. I love hearing different views and experiences. All of it makes me realize how much I love Canada and how fortunate we truly are.
With that, I've been loving all the emails from home and from my sister Danielle who is currently in Thailand. (even hough I can't answer them all) It's amazing how close we are Dani...I'll send you energy in the mornings, as it is plentiful here and I am exploding with love. In every moment I wish to cry and yet I wish to laugh. I want to hug every beggar and tell them they are loved. So from this computer I send these vibes to you all, be open and you'll feel it, it is aways there. Maybe it's hormonal...but for once I really enjoy the excess of emotion. (I did a shoulderstand for 10 minutes this morning and the teacher says this posture increases hormones...)
I realize my writing is all over the place and somewhat dificult to follow but it's all in my head and my experience is so much more than I can explain.
Logan and I are getting along, but everything is so different, our ever-evolving selves find new meaning in each other. This idea of non-attachment to each other and to our relationship is so exciting. Letting things happen and take their natural course is fundamental. Sometimes I slip up and struggle a bit, but that is all part of the journey.
Through all this, I find it very important to keep an inner awareness. Travelling can be stressful...but once you focus on the now, incuding all the "obstacles", that's when you can gain insight into your true self. You (the ego) is only your reactions to environment and thus is not your true self. It is based on the past and impedes your progress. All there is is now. We get carried away thinking about destinations and the future. This will never come. Every moment is the destination and the future does not exist. Trying to create it is futile. These are my scattered thoughts of late.
I hope that makes some sense, I can explain better to those interested, but I can't fully make you understand as any truth must be learnt alone, individually, personally.
So many truths...I will never stop searching as it is the only journey I'm truly interested in, all else is an illusion. The toughest part is committing to growth, because sometimes it hurts. Working out all my inner problems and issues has gotten easier and easier as I let go of who I think I am and embrace what's left. You can't build a palace on a poor foundation and you can't fill a cup that is already full. It's all in my hands.
I'm rambling now...
Peace to all from the land of love...

Swingin' on Vines

2006-11-04T21:52:00.000-08:00

Hello!! Long time no post I see!!
Unfortunately Internet is very expensive in Pokhara so I'll have to keep this short!
Back in Kathmandu we visited the largest Tibetan Buddhist stupa, Bodhnath. We arrived around sunset, so I sat and solar-gazed in top of the stupa until it had disappeared behind the valley...what a glorious day. Haven't felt so peaceful in a while. Feels good. However, the next day, I decided I needed to see a doc. I had been having some stomac pain and just all around strangeness. I could easily have dealt with it for many more weeks...but I thought hey...it'll be awhile till I can get good care after we leave Kathmandu. Visited an American doctor (actually the guy who wrote the health chapter for the lonely planet guide book!) and got some test done. Turned out I had dysentery...ewwww. So I had to take 1 pill for three days and now it's gone! Hooray! I think I caught it in Varanasi...it's notorious for those kinds of bugs! Logan didn't seem to catch anything however...lucky boy! Although these bugs often take a few months before symptoms appears...wouldn't be surprised if I caught something else before we get back!! Thank god for health insurance!
A few days after being rid of dysentery we took an early morning bus to Pokhara, a smaller town 6 hours West of Kathmandu. Kept busy with books and sleeping, since Logan claimed that playing our Chess or Backgammon boards would have made him nauseous! Seriously tho, we've been playing of alot of chess...we'll be masters! (We're trying to invent our own game right now actually!)
As soon as we arrived, many, many touts tried to get us to Lakeside hotels... (becaue they get commision)( so lukily a Dutch man came and helped us) He showed us a killer hotel...150NRs for a large room with windows on 3 walls and with some good views of the annapurna range and the macchapuchare peak. So beautfiful in the morning! There is a large lake called Fewa Tal lake where we rented a row boat and explored an island that seems to have selectively breeded beautiful pidgeons that are all white or mixtures of brown, white, pink...so amazing!
I wanted to rent a motorbike to cruise around in with logan so I tried on out. Was doing alright until I had to turn around...and I turned too sharp and skidded out. Since I was by myself...many many Nepali boys came to my rescue as the bike weighs a ton...I just managed to escape it's grip. But lazy I noticed I lost some skin and hair on my leg...battles scars I guess. I still think motorbikes are wicked...but I won't be riding on here. We decided on cycle bikes for less than a dollar a day!
One nice thing about Pokhara is that we can filter the water...bottled water is hard to find and we're saving a bundle a bundle of money and plastic. (Trust me, I'm using a little more than necessary to purify, just to make sure!)
A few ago, we hiked a few hours in a steep forest till we came to the top of a hill where many cultures (Japanese, Indian...) got together and made a World Peace Pagoda (look it up for pics). Nice stupa, but even better views. We vowed to come back because we found some awesome vines (no joke!) that you could swing on. Yesterday we made videos hoping to post them...but once again we are limited by the poor quality computers. Darn.
We also visited a killer waterfall. Its the point where a river goes and plunges 100m and becomes an underground river. We got to explore a cave and see where it falls...caves are awesome.
So my sister Danielle is leaving for Thailand this week for a month...it's nice to know we'll be closer together! Just make sure you take lazy days...do nothing ya know? Also, to reduce/eliminate culture shock, leave your beliefs and habits at home. Culture shock is the result of attachment to your society...you are Not in Canada anymore. Very important...be open to it. Also, notice your thoughts and how limiting they are. Notice the words you use to express something and how they really don't say it all. Verbalization kills the moment...because the brain is busy trying to access words and convey them. Enjoy the sunset without saying, "that's a nice sunset" to your friend because, surely, they have noticed. Admire a tree without attaching words...it feels good. Just be. Enjoy yourself my sister. And smile a lot. Travelling is only one of the many ways to expand your being, take advantage.
Martine I miss you!
Still about 25 degrees here...but we'll be heading back to northern india and we'll have to wear our wooly jackets again!
Still feeling great, been filtering our water for 4 days now!
Oh Cory, see you in a few weeks!! (We may not be in Dharmsala till December due to how sweet Nepal is!!!)
Oh how I wish I could talk to all of you...not that I'm homesick, but human interaction feels so good! Especially with those you love!
Keep the emails and comments coming!
Om Mani Padme Hum

Happy Diwali

2006-10-21T23:59:00.000-07:00

Woke up this morning to clear blue skies and birds chirping, seems like the storms finally left us. Two nights ago it rained very hard and got quite cold. There was an amazing thunder and lightning show which is very fitting as it was also the first day of Diwali, the festival of lights. This festival is huge...reminds me of Christmas in ways. Everyone hangs string lights and sets up candles everywhere (unsafe places seems to be the preferred space!) and beautiful fresh marigold garlands that the women so careful string. There are carolers and dancers (some with music that makes your head spin) and firecrackers are heard near and far every few minutes. They sure party hard. The weather is still fairly nice in the day...it's like Christmas in the fall. Except of course, Diwali is the celebration of the God Rama coming back victorious from battle with the "evil demons". Way back before Jesus's time.
Our first few days in Kathmandu we simply oriented ourselves, scoped out the best and cheapest restaurants and we ventured to Swayambhunath. This is a large stupa (but not the largest) and a very important site to the Tibetans Buddhist refugees in Nepal. We hiked up a huge set of stairs (steeper than 50degrees!) and were rewarded by amazing views of the Kathmandu Valley (with mountains all 'round) and an impressive white-washed stupa. It was also nice to see, amongst all the tourists, shops and restaurants, some saffron-clad monks spinning their prayers wheels and making offerings. This temple is also known as the monkey temple, not because it belongs to the monkey god hanuman, but because it is full of monkeys. Definetely the highlight of the day. What fascinating creatures to observe, especially these ones. They were totally unfazed by us. We could get so close. Logan and I had bought some fruit for our day-trip and decided to sit down and snack. Next thing we knew, the monkey were on to us. Logan decides to feed a banana to the nearest monkey and in no time at all we had 5 monkey sitting right beside us on the bench, slowly imposing themselves on our large bunch of tasty plantains. So I got scared. A monkey grabbed my arm and I quickly got up and booked it...leaving the bananas. The monkey proceded to peel and gobble up about 8 bananas while the rest watched and scrapped the peels. Disaster averted I thought...but damn, those were good bananas! Gave us a good laugh none the less. I can see how the monkeys have stolen tourist's cameras and such!!!
A few days later we went to Patan, a smaller village on the south side of Kathmandu. We took some public transit...chaotic but efficient, as usual. We headed over to the zoo and vene though it was tiny and pathetic, it thouroughly loved it! Asides from the poor conditions some of these animals were in, it was quite magical. They don't seem to have to same safety standards so I got within 2 meters of a leopard. There were monkey and tigers, elephants and leopards, rhinos and hipposk, eagles and a huge selection of colorful birds. And all this within 300 square meters! What a day that was...I felt like I was 6 all over again, seeing some animals up close for the first time!
Many days have passed I see since my last blog but we're really been taking it easy. Logan's finishing his nasty cold (he's still half-ogre through) and I got a bit of a cough also. We've had to stay in on the cold nights but now that we're both got warm wool jackets, we're toasty! I'm still feeling bloated at times...but I discovered that doing very slow, stretchy, yoga after meals helps a whole lot. Wouldn't that be funny, all this time my body has simply been telling me it needs a bit of yoga!!!
We're doing a little more shopping but trying to keep it light.
In the next few days we're going to see Bodhnath, the largest Tibetan stupa and then we're off to Pokhara. If we're feeling up to it, we'll do some hiking for sure! We're really enjoying taking it easy. Not having to get up early, go to work, make breakfast or do anything really, is a great feeling. Not to rub it in or anything...
Oh I almost forgot, I got myself a 1 hour Thai massage here. It was quite amazing! Hurt a bit, but my muscles were pretty sore. I don't know if it's the beds or what, but both Logan and I have been having some nasty neck and back pain, so massages everynight is in order!!
Happy Diwali everyone! (And Halloween I guess too!)
Haven't heard from some of you guys in awhile...I miss you!!
Namaste

Majestic Nepal

2006-10-14T00:34:00.000-07:00

First off, Danielle you have got to go to Nepal!! Anyone with a love of mountains, valleys, jungles, waterfalls and the like must make this journey. It is glorious!!
The early morning bus from Varanasi to the Nepal border was brutal, however. They basically take one seat, split it in two and there you go...your seat! I didn't even fit in one seat and I was definetely the smallest tourist on the bus! Ten hours later (and much uncomfortableness and nauseousness) we got the Belahiya border station and signed immigration paper and obtained visas. Our overnight accomodation in Sonauli (border city in Nepal) was a major dive but the 7hr bus ride to Kathmandu the next day totally made up for it! So luscious! So calm and fresh! I love this place.
Logan and I found a decent deal at a hotel and proceeded to check out a book house. We picked up a lonely planet for Nepal, bought it, and instantly decided that Nepal is worth a few weeks of our trip, not just a week like we had planned. We're looking into trekking the himalayas, white-water rafting, doing a safari and Logan even mentioned bungee jumping (160m into a canyon). Not my thing, I think, perhaps I should do a smaller jump before attempting one of the largest in the world!!
Kathmandu city is very interesting. The people are not as pushy in their business and generally more friendly than the Indians (if this is possible!). Also, the men are much better looking and more mature!! The weather is nice but cooler, a jacket is nice at night. It's so nice to not be sweating profusely all the time. There is quite a bit of pollution and garbage, but you always know that you are surrounded by mountains on all sides. Shops are fairly cheap but in general things are 10-30% more expensive than in Inida. We're having to get used to the Nepalese Rupee which worth less than the Indian Rupee. Approx. 100INR=160NPR. Makes me think we need to find a cheaper hotel if we're staying here longer.
I had a pot of organic Nepali green tea yesterday and it brought tears to my eyes. It has been over a month since I've had green tea,let alone this delicious cup! I also had a salad (washed in purified water) and that made my day!
So I'll keep this blog short and I'll give an update once I know more-so what we're going to be up to here.
Our ideas for an itinerary are going all over Kathmandu, busing to Royal Chitwan national park and seeing all sorts of wildlife, staying there a few day then busing to Pokhara, further west and north. From there we'd do a few days of trekking in the Himalayas (checkout the annapurna range) and some rafting (class 4+). Then we'd exit Nepal through Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha. This is tentative, and dependent on the good deals we may be able to get. I am so thankful we decided to break our India trip for Nepal, it's a very nice change!
Health update: Mom maybe you can help. Since leaving Varanasi I've been feeling bloated all the time yet I'm not eating that much. I get somewhat painful stomac cramps in the afternoon and evening, especially after eating. It isn't really a problem, just uncomfortable more than anything. If it doesn't go away in a few day, I'll seek some advice. (Probably just a little gut bug) Logan is still doing great tho!
I thought I had much more interesting to say...but I have forgotten, I think I'll buy a notepad for such things!
Although I must say that I've noticed lately that all my insecurities are out in the open. There's no where to hide them really. Thus I am feeling a little low at times but I also realize I'm working through these things, which was one of my intentions in doing this trip. Oh the complexities!!
Hope you are all doing well at home and I enjoy hearing from everyone!

Just Chillin' and Being

2006-10-10T09:45:00.000-07:00

Hello friends.
Change of plans. We liked Varanasi so much we decided to postpone our
journey to Kathmandu and stay in Benares another 4 days. We are
starting to get to know the streets and where everything is. We've
been doing alot of chilling in our guest house room just reading and
talking. Due to being a white foreigner, it is difficult to find a
quiet place to read outside where you won't be bothered by someone
selling you something, children asking for rupees, or a tour guide
pressing his services on you and then demanding pay for it. We'd leave
our rooms for meals and generally went to the market everyday and
walked around. Finally the guest house stopped treating us like
tourists because they realie we have been there a long time and have
seen all the "sight-seeing". I am defientely exctied for a change,
however.
One morning we got up at 530 and experienced the sun rising over the
Ganga river (smoggy but beautiful) while sitting in a boat. I did a
puja (lighting a candle and letting it go in the Ganga) and thought
about all those I loved and missed and about the circmstances that have
brought he here. How lucky am I to eat a wonderful fresh-cooked meal
three times a day and stay in guest houses while just outside others
cannot feed or shelter themselves. Their dignity remains only in their
day to jobs and contributing to their small communities.
Logan gave several children some toys and they were so happy. There
couldn't have been much sleep that night as the next morning, bright
and early, about 7 children were laughing and playing with some plastic
race cars from MacDonald. It's beautiful but disturbing all at once.
Made some phones calls the other day...sorry about the boring one to
the entire family...so many people and the delay made me unsure of what
to say. My apologies for a disapointing call...I walked away realizing
that I really did not feel that I connected like I wanted to. Seems
like your reality is so far and so different than mine that
communication is difficult to do without formality and distance.
I awoke at about 5 am this morning feeling sick...but a few bathroom
trips later I seem to be doing better. Don't worry or anything...I
tried to eat well today...I want to be in good shape for Kathmandu
tomorrow. Well actually, Kathmandu won't be for two days as we're
staying the night at a hotel on the border.
Varanasi has been great. Logan and I are getting along better than
before (finally settled into travelling together) and we seems to meet
all the right people.
Due to a OSHO book I've been reading (The psychology of the esoteric)
I've been focusing on energy levels/centers and different phases of
consciousnesses lately. I like lying in bed and listening to the
never-ending sounds of the Indian night. My body falls asleep but my
mind is deeply involved in these sounds. Women talking, men yelling,
children crying, cows mooing, dogs fighting, distant hums of riskhaws
and cars and the drone of crickets is the basis. It's unbelievable the
patterns and sequences that occur. It's almost like music. It's
amazing trying to be aware of everything, in every moment. Something
new is constantly occuring, but this is only noticeable if you can be
conscious. Stop running tapes in the mind and simply be. Stop being
attached and you ease the let-down. Life is about compromise, you must
be un-attached. As Logan tells me often, "sometimes you must ride the
horse in the direction he's already going". I've realized that I have
some very obssesive aspects to my behaviour. Little things (like
Logan's stuff lying around) annoy me and I feel the need to plan our
days. I've been focusing on leaving these parts of myself and falling
in love with spontenaity and compassion as well as the silence of my
mind. Wish me luck!
Much love to all those who search for the truth,
the inward seeker is the only truth seeker.

Namaste

One of the Oldest living cities in the world; Varanasi

2006-10-05T05:03:00.000-07:00

Varanasi (aka Kashi, Benares, Baranasi) is wonderful! The bus ride to Jnansi was rather tedious and rough but we got it done. Luckily no one had to use the washroom however because the bus doesn't stop for a few hours! From Jnansi we took a night train to Varanasi and, surprise surprise, it was late. We got on (with some difficulty due to a very large box we had to carry...) and found our bunks. We manage to communicate with those around us so that Logan and I could sleep on nearby bunks instead of further! We locked our things up and had a decent sleep, it's amazing how smooth the ride is. It was about 10 hours I believe so we pulled into Varanasi around 12 noon. WE hitched a tuk-tuk and we to our pre-reserved Hotel India, very nice, but unfortunately everyone thinks we're rich because we're staying there. We managed to get rid of our large burden at the post office (finally!!!) even through we had to part with some hefty bills. But hey, as the Indians say,it's done, it's over, so forget it and be happy. And that we are!! PS: on that note, if a package arrives soon at Logan's house, wait till we get back to open it...it is top-secret!!
First thing we did in Varanasi was meet this very nice young Indian man, Raj. We had a tuk-tuk and showed us some good cheap restaurants. It's so nice to eat for under 200Rs again! The next day we ventured 30 minutes out of town on a bad road with the tuk-tuk (i swear my breasts will be down to my ankles by the time I return!!) to nearby Sarnath; the place of the Buddha's first teaching. Among the buddhist temples there was a Tibetan one, a Thai one, a Japanese one and burmese too! There was a huge park filled with ruins from the ancient monasteries that were setup after the Buddha's teaching there. This is where (for those who know some Buddhism) the Buddha first spoke of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold path.
There was a huge stupa on the spot where this happened. Unfortunately, like many things here, it is under reno and so pictures weren't so good. (It is just an old pile of bricks anyway). We fed some deer some sort of cucumber tomato veggie and I had to stop Logan from eating it himself a few times! After a nice museum of ancient (1-10th Century AD) carvings and architecture as well as many Buddhist temples, we saw the Bodhi tree, with the Buddha's teaching in about 20 languages all around it. But, hold up wait, it isn't THE bodhi tree were Buddha attained enlightenment but rather a clone of a twig that King Ashoka's daughter took from the real Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya. So here is a twice cloned tree and people love it!! Oh the enthusiasm is never lacking here! Back to Varanasi we got coned into seeing a silk factory and then their showroom. It's such a formula I tell ya!! We got away with some free drinks and some cheap stuff. After a glorious meal we headed down to the ghats, the stairs that lead directly into the large river, Mother Ganga.
We observed a ceremony (as it was a festival in honor of the god Durga, incarnation of Shiva) and then raj took up to a cremation ghat. We witnessed about 6 dead bodies burnt about 5 meters away. The heat was intense but in that moment you feel like you are watching something so sacred that you can't walk away, not that we wanted to anyway. They get the untouchables (usually young, dirty children) to build a pyre and then set the body (on a bamboo stretcher) on top. Depending on what fabric the individual died wearing and how rich they were, they are covered in silk or cotton and such then set on fire. And hey, it doesn't stink one bit. Raj says that's because Shiva blessed this ghat (2 creamtion ghats out of 80 ghats) and so it doesn't smell. He explained how the holy men are not burnt but rather sunk with some stones (along with those who died from leprosy and those who were pregnant) but those that died from Cobra bites (cobra is a sign of Shiva) are put on a floating banana tree and sent away on the river to be dealt with directly by Shiva. Wonder how often that happens...some shores must get a fair bit of dead bodies. The 2 cremation ghats in India run 24/7 with new bodies burnt every 3-4 hours, I guess that's how long it takes. When a body is burning, one of the fire keepers hits the skull 3-4 times to open it as the skull takes a long time to burn if it isn't opened first. Throughout the 3 hours, they poke and pry at the body to get it to burn correctly. When it is done, they take the remaining "strong" body part (a rib piece from men, a hip bone piece from women) and throw it into the Ganga. Then, the next body comes. What an amazing sight. Women of the deseased are not allowed to witness the burning as they apparently feel such grief that they'd throw themselves on their husbands pyre. This is called satee and was outlawed many years ago, but still happens to this day. Being a widow here is a great burden. It's unfortunate that certain aspects of the long-gone caste system are still in place and making life difficult for some Indians. The following evening (I apologize but I can't seem to remember things chronologically) we took a boat ride up the ganga to witness the end of the Durga-fest where they throw all their statues of Durga into the Ganga. What a sight. Dancing, music, chanting, shouting...so crazy! They sure party hard I think.

The next day, so yesterday I think, we ventured out and found the pilgrims book house...so nice. We got some more books and spend alot of time there having chai and reading books by the fountain. After our stint in fancy hotel india, we found a guest house at Rs.100 per night...with attached washroom...what a deal! The food is also cheap and delicious. However, I was awakened this morning first by a fellow tourist being very sick in the next room and then by a ridiculous amount of birds yelling at us around 7am. Oh well, that is life. Time to start the day. Get this, best breakfast ever, veggie omelette, banana porridge, 2 slices of jam and toast and tea, all for Rs.50!! Life is good, maybe we'll have enough money afterall. This is making me hungry...but we're always hungry.
During our meal an old man approached us and offered his massage services, and, having nothing to do during the hot afternoon hours, we accepted. Next thing we knew we found ourselves in just our underwear bottoms (me too!) receiving an intense full-body oil massage. Unexpected, but wonderful indeed. And very respectful of my female body parts, nice change from many of the men I've seen here who act as if they've never previously interracted with a female. Seriously, every man here is like 14. Even Raj, our 24-year-old friend was asking tips on how to get a girlfriend. Ahaha, he made me promise to bring you, Danielle, if you're still single when/if I return to India. haha.cute.creepy at first,but all in good fun.
We did some more wandering around and found this internet place, maybe we'll have dinner in their restaurant as well.
We thinking tomorrow morning we're going to wake up at sunrise (530am) and catch a boat and go North on the Ganga and see the other cremation ghat...but it is bad luck to take photos of this. Sunrise is good for photos, so I'm sure it'll be fun to catch people in the Puja in the scared river! Then it's off to the Hanuman temple (where we're sure to see more monkeys) and then we'll chill out and get ready to move on. Early morning of the 7th we're catching a bus to Kathmandu, Nepal. Longest ride we'll ever have I think. At least we get a free hotel halfway through it. Nepal is going to be so awesome. All the Indians are jealous that we have included this in our travel plans. Maybe we'll do some trekking, stay in an ashram or just soak up the vibes...who knows.
So health wise: Logan is doing very well, his hair is getting long and the hasn't shaved since he left...so you can imagine...
I'm feeling real good too, showered today (like 5th or 6th since Calgary;ya I know, that's gross) and i've never felt better. My nose is bit congested but I've convinced that if I take it easy, by body can battle anything. We're both eating alot more these days so that's good and we're dealing with the heat better. Although I must say the heat in Uttar Pradash if much more moist than in Rajasthan...we always keep a sweat rag handy!!
It's strange, I don't really feel homesick, but logan and I both dream about Calgary alot and especially about our families. (Logan says Kalan, his brother, is in every single dream he has, usually doing something silly) So yes, that says something.
I think that's all for now, I'll be calling home my time Monday morning (your time sunday night) hopefully.
Much love everyone

I Love / Hate India

2006-09-29T00:13:00.000-07:00

Hello friends,
Good news, Logan's illness was short-lived and the next day he bounced back to his happy, adventurous usual self!! We shopped alot around Jaipur (probably the first time we've actually enjoyed shopping together) and bought some more garb and gifts.
***Sorry about the comments not working, I must have messed something up by accident...you have no idea how depressed I was when I saw no one commented!! :( ***
Anyway, after Jaipur we went to Fatepure Sikri, further East and visited a mosque. Most beautiful mosque I have seen so far. It was strange, however, because they buried their ancestors in it and we were walking right over top their graves!
Afterwards we headed to Agra,a big, nasty city. Possibly the worst place ever. But I shouldn't say that because it was really just our experience that made it so crappy. First off, I felt soooooo sick in the car. But, as some of you know me, I'm good at suppresing that sort of thing. As soon as we got into Agra (town of the Taj Mahal) we tried to ship all our gifts home at the "government post office" and it was a disaster. The government sucks...Logan and I ended up commiting a federal crime right in the post office..haha, but that's another story I'll save for later.
So then, after much stress and me still feeling sick, we went to our fancy-pantsy hotel (all our hotel are Rs.2000+/night...but we didn't know it was going to be like that) and chilled. Then, for sunset, we went to the Taj. Nice place indeed. But unfortunately, sold to the dollar. Cost us Rs.1500 to get in. That's our budget for like 3 days. And we got ourselves a "government" guide and he wouldn't shut up.
Our trip to the Taj consisted of trying to ditch the guide and take silly photos as he kept saying "here, take photo of this", "take photo of her, there". The Indians must think all we want to do is take photos and that we need to be told what to take pictures of. Grrr.
After the Taj...hum...our driver insisted on taking us to another shop where the pieces were minimum Rs.20 000. As if. It was beautiful art similar to the art of on taj (all inlays of precious stones from around the world) but we weren't interested in the slightest. So we had fun being over-the-top interested (it became a game I tell ya) and soon we were gone. That night was stomach was acting up so Logan and I skipped dinner...it was the last night with Kumar and we knew it wasn't going to be an easy good-bye.
He had told Logan that a 10% tip is tradition. UGH. That's Rs.6000. We couldn't afford it. We gave him 1000 and there was some tears and anger and my god, tough times. I'd rather forget. We'll miss you Kumar but we're glad to be on our own again. That night, I was fairly sick (only threw up once though)...Logan rubbed essential oils on me all night until I fell asleep. I don't know what I would have done without him, probably died!
Next day, bright and early (that's 730 to me!) we headed to the train station and made way to Jnansi; a city south-east of Agra. It was a lovely 2hr30min ride with complementary tea, biscuits and water! Woo hoo!
Off the train we needed to get to Khajuraho, a small town 4 hours away. We couldn't take a bus because we had too many things (all the stuff we were supposed to ship in Agra) so we hooked up with a 50-something year-old lady from Israel travelling by herself (so cool!!) and shared a very crowded taxi. "Eveline" had already been to the North where we're heading and told us many great things. We shared an awesome lunch and she convinced me to try yogurt, which is soooo good. After much convo and sharing, we got to Khajuraho. I love meetings where it seems like it was destined you know?
So here we are in Khajuraho, a small town with 22 temples. Most of which have extremely erotic carvings of any sex act you can imagine. They are all about the tantra and kama sutra here. We will be visitng those tonight, when it's not so hot.
Yesterday (we arrived in this place on the 27 in the evening) we hung out with some boys and they took us to a beautiful river. We spend most the day just sitting, talking, swimming (not me though) and reading. (Logan and I picked up some books by Osho...crazy stuff...he's so controversial!) Then our Indians friend made us a home-cooked, wood-fire meal served on huge leaves from the jungle. A bit sktechy in terms of cleanliness and health but hey...we decided to just go for it. So tasty and we still feel fine today!!
I don't really feel like writting much, I'm sorry. My hormones have been acting up and I feel like a bit of a wreck. I've been a bit anti-social and irritable lately, I feel bad for Logan having to deal with it. I really need to harness my ridiculous feelings and emotions so it stops hindering my experiences. I do feel better today however...being female is so hard sometimes..:S
I've realized that, just like anything else, sometimes you love it, sometimes you hate it. India is definetely one of those things.
Well, tomorrow, we're busing back to Jnansi and the taking a train to...dum dum dum...Varanasi, one of the highlights of our trip. We'll be there for awhile. This is the city of Death (many people go to die) but also of life (as the River Ganges passes through).
Arh, one hour is up! Hope you're all doing well and keep the comments coming!!
Love you all.
Namaste

The good, the bad and the ugly...

2006-09-24T00:55:00.000-07:00

Namaste y'all.
As the title suggests, this is the order I choose for this post.
First, a heads up to some folks:
Mom - Cad $1 = 41 Rupees in India (although the conversion we've been getting is around 38...darn)
Cassie - Hey, I appreciate all book suggestions, maybe I'll look for that around here to read while travelling. Hope you're doing awesome! :)
Danielle - So with all the crazy coup d'etat shit happening in Thailand are you still going to be able to go? We've been trying to follow the news however we can. The paper today said that although the president admitted he is no longer president things seem to be getting back to normal and the city is working again, even under the new military rule. I'll be looking out for more news...keeping my fingers crossed for you!
Cory – Email me back about the ride to Dharmsala/Rishikesh!! Sweet
All those who comment - Thank you. Much love is felt.

This morning, bright and early, we arrived in Jaipur...but I must backtrack a bit first.
Jodhpur, the blue city, was a very nice place. A fort we visited gave us a beautiful view of the city that really gets into the spirit and everyone paints their house blue... (not like at home where we can say, "ours is the blue one"!!) We stayed in a fancy hotel (well Rs1000 per night (CAD$25)is considered fancy)and everyone there seemed to hang out in the lobby and stare at the white folk, mainly us. Many people have asked about my "sadhu hair" (only religious men have dreadlocks here) and wondered if it means I am a holy woman. Logan says yes..tehe.
Even more people have asked what I have on my chin. I tell them it is a piercing like many of the ladies have on their noses. It amazes them that someone would do such a thing...if only they knew what other piercing I had!!! I even had a guy at a gas station today try and pick it out. Oh man, I made it very clear that I was not to be touched and was insulted. This was the first man who has tried to touch me...and Kumar said he was a stupid man that "did not go to school because his Hindi was very bad". He seemed like a scum-ball to me too. I quickly “Purelled” my chin and labret…ewwww.
Oh mom, you’ll like this. A few of the children have asked me “what happened to your face…mosquitos?” I them explain how in Canada and the US where people have white skin, they get pimples and its very common…like a disease but I can’t give it to them. They think that’s pretty odd. I did a puja (devotional cleasing…ish) in the Pushkar lake yesterday and the man helping me said all will be good, “good life, good family, good love, luck, wealth and even get rid of mosquito on face…” Muahahaha….sweet…I got God on my side now! Yes, the funny part is it’s been better than ever since we arrived in India…imagine if they had seen me a few weeks ago! Ok, enough about my face…
Jodhpur had a delicious retaurant called “on the rocks” where we went several times…looked like an exotic club somewhere in the Caribbean. Cheap too. We’ve noticed the best restaurants are the cheap ones…don’t know if it’s the food or our perceptions, perhaps a bit of both.
After two days in Jodhpur, our journey took us back East to Pushkar, a destination we were very excited for! It is a very spiritually-important place for the Hindus and all is vegetarian-only. Also, drugs and alcohol are banned. We stayed in a very nice hotel with a huge garden in the back. Mostly roses (used as offerings to pictures of Gods) but also chili plants, lime/mango/papaya trees and get this…eggplant plants!!! I have never seen these things before…it was awesome. Logan and I share a passion for growing plants and food. By the end of our walk around the garden, I had roses, eggplant flowers, hisbiscus flowers and other flowers I didn’t know in my dreadlock bun, care of Logan. T’was fun! There was a swimming pool at the hotel, but it wasn’t overly inviting…
Early in the morning in Pushkar, Kumar took us the base of a mountain and said, nice temple, Brahma’s wife. We weren’t sure what to expect but began the trek up this huge mountain. It took us 1.5 hours to climb the darn thing only to realize the temple was a brick house with a scary statue with LED lights all over. Very cheesy. But we made our offerings (given at the base) and took some great pictures. I believe it was about 1500feet up or something….going down was tough on the knees….but it was all worth it I say. Then we went to town and visited a Brahma temple. Also cheesy, but I can appreciate. We bought pomagranates (mmmm very delicious at Rs.10) and Logan got the juice all over his white pants. But, for any of you interested, grapefruit seed extract can do some amazing things. After much scrubbing, I got it mostly clean!
After the Brahma temple the men insisted we put our offering of roses inside the Pushkar lake. So we walked down and were separated (still close tho). A man made me recite a mantra after him and explained all the different things in a place I would be offering, color powder, rice, roses, marigolds, sugar and spice. It was very nice until he asked me to make an offering to the temple. I said ok, 200 rupees. Then, of course he said, no, 3 gods so 3 x 200 or 5 people in your faily so 5x 200. Ugh. I threatened to walk away and told him he was being pushy and so he stopped…for a bit. Then I made my offering to the dirty dirty lake (full of crazy-looking snake-like bugs and large fish) and gave my donation…but he insisted I said 300. I laughed and walked away…man, it’s annoying. Logan got suckered pretty good…but I’ll let him tell you himself. Later in the evening we walked to the lake and listened to some nice music and I bought an anklet that jingles every step I make. It’s fun…many ladies here wear them.
For dinner that night, since we knew if was Kumar’s son’s birthday, we celebrated and Kumar bought some beer (it had to be brought some elsewhere since no booze in Pushkar). Logan and I reluctantly drank it…and ate way too much… J
Ok, here’s the ugly. Logan seems to have gotten sick afterwards. The drive to Jaipur today was difficult for him. We had to stop every hour or so for him to “toss his cookies”. He is mostly dry heaving but that’s because he hasn’t eaten much. He always feels well after though, for a bit, which is a good sign. I got him a fruit salad this morning and he ate the bananas and apples…hopefully he can keep it down. He’s still in good spirits though. If this persists, we will visit a Doctor. We are still drinking a ton of bottle water and today we’re just taking it easy. I will sit outside and read/do yoga and he will sleep. I don’t want to worry you too much, I think it is a mixture of the alcohol, heat and food. I’ll keep you posted and make sure he takes homeopathics and all the other good stuff I brought. Perhaps we will call home soon. Oh, and I am feeling as good as always, just some nasty moon-cramps!
So I should return to the hotel and check on him…
Much love, Namaste

On the silk route; Jaisalmer...and CAMELS

2006-09-21T05:06:00.000-07:00

Namaste my fellow Northern Hemisphere creatures.
So there was a power outage and I lost my previous post, so here I will try and re-create it.
Moving onwards from Bikaner into Jaisalmer, we’re getting deeper into the Thar Desert, one of the driest in the world. Jaisalmer was a stop on the old silk/spice route and definitely still holds a reputation as a major shopping center. First thing we did was attempt to visit a the Jaisalmer Fort or the Golden fort (because it is all build out of local yellow sandstone) Jaisalmer is often referred to as the Golden City due to all the sandstone. The fort sits high on a hill and would have been impenetrable in battles. It did not see many battles though because it is only 400 years old; build by a relatively recent maharaj. Interestingly, people actually live in the fort and merchants are a-plenty. Having already seen a retardedly elaborate fort in Bikaner (which I somehow forgot to write about) Logan and I were more distracted by all the shops. We found a great one with lots of Pakistan-style clothing and went crazy. Rs.2500 later we got ourselves 4 pairs of pants, 4 shirts, 1 skirt, 3 scarves, 1 purse, 1 headband and 1 water bottle carrier. When we left the shop it was dark so we said farewell to the fort.
But the next day, we went on a camel trek!!!!!! Oh I love Camels! At about 4pm we got into a jeep with a older, wealthy German couple, drove one hour West and were greeted by our camel guides who did not know much more English than “camel” and “water”. We boarded our camels (I got the little cute one) and headed out on a 4-hour journey, stopping only once to take pictures. The heat wasn’t too bad at all, probably due to my new light garb and head scarf, really helps keep cool. Being atop a camel is wonderful, they are so harmless and delicate, yet strong and intimidating all at once. They made strange noises and they’re farts are even stranger, yet not overly unpleasant. They were well behaved, well, mine anyway and had very furry ears!! We came across some huge sand dunes with very soft yellow sand and saw some crazy flora. Oh and bugs too!!
Eventually we arrived to a small flat clearing with a few small huts. From there the guides proceeded to make us a wonderful desert dinner with rice, chapatti (bread) and curried vegetables. It was delicious. Logan and I watched the sunset from a nearby sand hilltop and even had a Pepsi (crazy times huh?) Then we slept on cots right out in the open under the stars. You’d be surprised how many stars there are out there when there’s no light on. We saw the Milky Way, Gemini and many other constellations I’ve never seen before. Oh Glorious Heavens!
After a great night’s sleep we had a quick breakfast of bananas, tea and bread and departed. The trek back was about 2 hours. (We took the long way around before). I said good-bye to my wonderful camel and hello to some nasty soreness in my inner thighs, worse than ridding a horse. (but all worth it)

From Jaisalmer we headed to Jodhpur, back East.
At this point I’d like to say I’m still feeling great. I did have a few not-so-enjoyable trips to the washroom, but nothing worth complaining about as it passes very fast. I’ve used by first beday (fancy butt wash) as well as my first hole in the ground. Not so bad I say. I’ve also sat on a rock on the Thar Desert to do my business…who else can say that?
So now I shall be going…
But first, let me say we are now in Jodhpur, the so-called blue city, about to enjoy dinner. (I always look forward to food here!!) Earlier we visited the Jodhpur fort and saw great views of the city, it is actually blue.
Alrighty…good day to all and as our driver Kumar would say;
“OHM OHM OHM, very relaxing”

Oh Bikaner

2006-09-21T03:38:00.000-07:00

Whoa, feels like it's been awhile. Nah, probably just because so much happens in one day here. Going back a bit...moving on from Mandawa we went to Bikaner, a decently large city further west in Rajasthan. Incidently, if I haven't said so before, Raja means king and than means land. So Rajasthan in itself if the land of kings and boasts many palaces, forts and the like.
In Bikaner we were treated to a classy hotel (they even supply toilet paper!!) as well as a romantic rooftop restaurant. We had our first tuk-tuk ride (auto-rickshaw) around town and forgot to negociate a price first so we ended up paying Rs.200. ahahaha...
We visited the Old City in Bikaner (most cities have "old" sections I've noticed) which is before the British moved in build their shitty architecture. The details are so amazing, the Maharajs (great kings) really had good taste. Plenty of courtyards and intricate windows, balconies and door. We've learnt to respond with "Very nice" as this seems to be the only expression the Indians know. Any attempt at beautiful or even wow seems to draw blank stares. Speaking of blank stares, it appears some Indians have selective hearing. "No thank you" or "I don't want it" seem to go completely unheard by roadside vendors selling you things like there's no tomorrow. Annoying at times but mostly amusing.
We visited a glorious Jain temple as well. Of course, every square inch was carved and painted. Logan got some good advice about offerings, and, of course, I was not addressed for I am a white woman. But I'm ok with that. Apparently Rajasthan is known for the fact that "women are not heard nor seen". Hum...they must have thought I did too much talking...
We also visited the crazy rat temple. (Mom you would HATE it!!!muahah) Not only were there rats everywhere, but they were dirty Indians rats eating bad milk and rotten food. Best of all, pilgrims the the devout were barefoot and steping in all sorts of rat/pidgeon nastiness, as well as kissing floors and feeding rats. I kept my socks on of course and was satisfied with taking pictures. The devout believe that the rats are incarnations of the lineage of a certain great individual (name is eluding me) whose chose to keep his soul as long as as his decendants lives' were rat and human alternatively. Logan got to see the highly auspicious White Rat (once again because he's white and male...and also very lucky) and managed to get a shot. Everyone told him "very good fortune" and "lucky man" when he finally persuaded them it was true.
Many other adventures were had in Bikaner, but not those to be put up on the internet...perhaps over a bottle of wine when I get home huh? (haha, no worries mom, we're VERY safe) And to enforce that, we haven't had any safety problems whatsoever. Keep belongings close and nothing goes wrong. Always watch the credit card and ensure passport is always in money belt. All good.
Onward...

Mandawa, a city of magic

2006-09-16T04:17:00.000-07:00

On the evening of Sept 14 we arrived in Mandawa, a small town 6 hours west of Delhi. In reality it was about 300km but with India traffic and crazy driving and bad roads, it takes alot longer. As a rule of thumb, it takes twice as long to get anywhere in India than canada. The next morning, we met Ajer (names are as they sound), a 10-year-old boy who had succesfully learnt german, italian, french and spanish only by interactions with foreigners. His english he learnt at school and his Hindi was perfect. He became our guide (in both english and french with me) and showed us around havelis (decorated painted houses of the rich 250 years ago) and loved showing us the kama sutra paintings all over, always followed by a chuckle. He talked of Krishna, the love God with 6000 wives, saying he is "very lucky man, very busy man". We met many people from the small village (50 000 is considered small) and Ajer's aunt Shantos dressed me up in Saris, painted my nails and decked me out in henna, it was beautiful. The hospitality is beyond anything I had experienced. Everyone offered tea (which we graciously accepted) and wanted to converse even through we had an apparent language barrier. I learnt Danevag for thank you and Kamara nam Dominique. There were many more, but Hindi is difficult to remember. Most are already impressed when we greet them with Namaste.
Oh so many memories and we have only begun, if I were to return to Canada tomorrow, I would feel my journey has been full of joy, learning and understanding. There was a wise man who spoke of God's medicine, the only way to deliver yourself from the inevitable suffering. There were the children, who, having Fridays off of school, loved our visit. We gave them toys and took many photos. We spent most the day with them, it proved to be the greatest day yet. They liked dancing and even the women laughed when Logan danced. Probably thinking "look at white boy dance!!". A young girl, Chopra, maybe 14 or so approached me and asked "is he friend?" and I said no, he's my husband (as we are posing as married to avoid problems) and she proceded to giggled uncontrollably for minutes, blushing and all. Ajer always reminded me, "he good husband, you make good choice" and referred to Logan only as "young man". Although when Logan stepped near the deep well to take a photo Ajer comforted him, "Be careful, you die I take wife".
Oh the women here are gorgeous. They wear saris of rich and brilliant colors just to do laundry and cook. I feel underdressed around them. In Delhi, Kumar took us to a bazaar where I tried on several beautiful saris and dresses only to realize that they were about 5000Rs each, about CAD$125. They pressured me hard into buying a few...giving me a "good deal" of 9000Rs for a green and gold sari and a green dress. I said could not, it was too expensive. They asked how much I would pay, I said max 4000Rs jst to show them I wasn't interested. At first they seemed offended because it is true that alot of work goes into making and sewing fabrics. But then, a few minutes later, the manager comes out and tells me I can take them for 4000Rs. Shit! Now I have to buy them...no, I didn't want to. So I ran out. No joke. Lesson learnt: avoid fancy bazaars with air conditioning.
Scam 3: Averted
So anyway, we found some wonderful handicrafts in Ajer's dad's home and bought a few things...I think we're going to UPS a shipment of stuff home in the next few weeks, if we can figure out how.
At the days end, I showed Ajer and Kumar pictures of my family (thanks mom!) and gave Ajer 100Rs. for his excellent guiding skills. More good food on the the rooftop terrace (this seems to be common) at hotel Shavaswati and them Logan and I went to the highest terrace and spied on people with Logan's new crazy zoom lens. The stars are glorious out here. We did some laundry in the bucket provided for bathing and went to bed, we had to leave at 7am this morning for Bikaner, a larger town further West, towards Pakistan.
Health update: Still feeling good, great in fact. More energy than I've ever known. I got a few mosquito bites (no idea when) so I've doubled my anti-malarial homeopathics for good measure. Logan and I have noticed that after eating we are a tad bit nauseous for about 10 minutes but then it goes away. I think this is a result of both mild jet lag and possibly having to wait hungry for like, an hour, for your food to be freshly cooked. And it's soooo good, ahem.
We've decided to keep drinking bottled water for awhile, Kumar says Rajasthani water is really bad, worse than Delhi, he doesn't even drink it!
Good ol' Kumar (he's got the Gandhi look going on), always reminding me when to tip and what's a good deal and what's not. Plus, he's an excellent driver when you consider how crazy India driving is, it's like a constant game of chicken.
Wow, it's so hot in here...it's strange being to hot and sweaty all the time...but, good news mom, my face is looking clearer!!
So we'll try to get some pics on, I don't really know how...maybe next post.
Hey, by the way, all you people reading my blog, I'd really like responses, it's nice to make a connection when we're so far away in such a different place.

Until next time,
Namaste

India, my love

2006-09-16T03:19:00.000-07:00

Much has happened my dear friends.
The rocky start we encountered did not persist.
Off the plane in Muscat,Oman, the air was thick and warm, my nose ceased to peel and I could really breathe. Sleeping in the airport for half a day caused some confusion for my poor circadian rythms but upon our arrival in Delhi at 730pm sept.13 I felt I had a surreal amount of energy.
After customs we came face-to-face with the fact that we are white and thus, highly desiratble customers. Taxi companies started fighting over who would take us where. We decided to go with the "official gov." one but later noticed that many said this. 450Rupees later, we're driving to Paharganj, a busy bazaar in Delhi. But what ho, we stopped. Driver claimed we had to sign something in this tourist building...seems to me taxi don't required contracts. So as Logan picks up the pen I'm asking why and so they say we don't need to sign anymore. (My time here has already made my english simple) Then the man call our hotel (Vivek) and claim it doesn't have sapce, even though I made a reservation. He gives me the phone and I speak to a man...also involved in the scam. Being tired and having read about these scams I hung up and walked out telling them that I will go anyway. Obviously dissapointed, they made our driver take us to Vivek and we had a room waiting for us, just as I thought. Leaving the scam office, I noticed the man shaking his head to his partner in the back in dissapointement. He won't be sending these tourist to an over-priced hotel. Scam 1: averted.
Of course, then the Vivek hotel manager says our rooms are 800Rs. per night. I had to inform him that it was acturally 250Rs and then he settled for 350Rs. Scam 2: Mostly Averted.
I'm getting good at this.
Our Delhi hotel was right in the middle of a bazaar and had an excellent 24-hr rooftop patio. A good meal came to 130Rs (3$) for both of us. We ventured out into the market that never sleeps, bought water, and observed. The smell of India, as is often talked about, really isn't so bad. There are some wafts that are less-than-desirable but they don't usually last long. Smells like good food, B.O., incense and still water. Vivek was one of the nicer hotels in Delhi, but there were still some icky things. Our bathroom ceiling was peeling some sort of red nastiness and our toilet did not flush, which I realized, when I proceded to tell the hotel attendant, is not uncommon. That's why there's an extra bathroom on every floor, some with toilets, some without.
The next day, we wandered to find some phones to call home and came across a very friendly man who, after charming us, brought us to a gov. tourist office. There we met us with a good deal where we can have a driver take us through Rajasthan, have all our hotels booked and paid as well as our bus and train tickets. (to Varanasi, Jnasi, Kathmandu...) He was very nice and I did not believe he was scamming us to we went with it. Now we have Pavneer Kumar, our driver who only speaks a little english but has a large heart; alawys referring to us as family and that "your problem, my problem". It's nice to travel at our own pace and stop whenever we like. It also helps to have someone who knows the food and the customs so that we can actually understand what's going on. We drove for a long time, then stopped for lunch and I bought my first Indian garb, a dress/trouser combo that is tie-dye brown and tan. (I'm not ready to wear hot orange and pink yet)
Oh, one more thing; the food is sooooo tasty. I haven't felt sick and my BMs (haha) are as good as normal. Hopefully it's the homeopathics and all that oil of Oregano I'm taking.

So there, our journey continues West, to the desert land of Rajasthan.

Is London Calling?

2006-09-12T09:01:00.000-07:00

So after the somewhat chaotic ordeal of trying to find out how to get to London after our plane was cancelled from Calgary, we hopped a Toronto plane and then arrived in London at about 11pm. Crazily, there was enough time (and enough energy) to find our hostel, set-up, go out for tea and hookah and some good street walking. One thing I must say is that everything is really f**king expensive. It's about double. Who pays $4 (1.99pounds) for a whopper? Not that we had that anyway. We did decide to take the heathrow express from the airport, not realizing that that 15 minutes ride costs us about 30$ a person!!! So ya, I had to take out more pounds.
So we walked all over London today, not feeling too jet-lagged (yet!). At the current moment however, my stomach is unsettled and I had to buy some paracetamol to deal with some sinus pain. I hope it kicks in soon, Logan thinks I'm cranky when my nose hurts!
London last night seemed really cold, we tried asking for directions several times and no one even looked at us, just walked by. Even those we thought were sure-fires to help us turned out not to be. However, today was much better. People here really do keep to themselves...no wonder everyone thinks Canadians are so friendly, we're just not jerks! Haha, really though we had a great day looking at cool buildings, animals, parks and people. Oh, the trees are the best part!!! All sorts of growth I have never seen before, some of these trees have been here since before America was discovered.
So I like the history, our hostel is alright (nice on the outside but quite dumpy) and the food is less-than-heathly, but I'm not sure I could stay here for more than a week. The isolation and unresposiveness is hard to understand. A smile is returned with either a disturbed look or no emotion whatsover.
Strange
But now we have to leave for the airport so...
it's time for a crazy tube adventure.

Here I Am

2006-09-10T11:51:00.000-07:00

Oh beautiful beings,
Tonight, at 730, Logan and I shall be on an airliner heading East, with India being our ultimate destination. We have a two-day stop-over in London where we will be staying at a hostel near Buckingham palace, Hyde Park and Kensignton Palace. Then, on Sept. 12th we fly to Muscat, Oman and then to Delhi, India where will stay for 100 days in this sacred land. From there we will begin our circuit which includes Jaipur, Agra, Varanasi, Dharmsala and a ton more places I can't remember (or can't pronounce).
So here I am in Calgary, wearing my western clothes, eating my western food, driving my japanese car and wondering what will "freak me out" first. All these luxuries I may have taken for granted will practically dematerialize before my eyes! I know I'm in for a shock!
Either way, I'm looking forward to the sights, the people, the history, the good conversation, the magic, the food but also the challenges. I'm anxious to leave this comfortable existence in Calgary, along with all those I love to expose myself to a whole new reality. I'm excited to fly (airplanes are fun!) but also to see London in all it's glory before I head over and experience the immortality of India. But, through all these anticipations I remind myself that it is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.
I will try to always be aware that I am extremely fortunate to have this experience.
Here is my last day in familiar realms. I am ready, I am focused, but most of all, I am open-eyed/minded/hearted as there has never been better time to be ON FIRE!

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."

Namaste