L to R Nathan, Lisa, Julie, Craig, Jeni and Michelle from Rotary Canberra outside the War Memorial

We’re heading into day 5 of our grand adventure down under and what an adventure it has been to date. We nearly didn’t get to leave Phoenix because of a faulty door mechanism on the plane. Fortunately we did leave but later than anticipated which had us rushing through San Fran airport with a United employee to make our connection to Sydney — they had been holding the plane for us for about 20 minutes. We had plenty of time to rest though on our 13.5 hour flight to Australia. Once landing in Sydney we learned the meaning of the word queue – lines to us – as we stood in many of them, missing our original flight to Canberra. Even though we had some travel issues everyone has been in good spirits and having an amazing time.

Our hosts here in Canberra have been amazing and are sending us on very imformative and fun tours and vocational meetings. So far we’ve visited with folks in the Ministry of Toursim, the CEO of the chamber and visitor’s bureaus, the Environment, Energy and Resources Dept. and have even met the ACT senator — and that’s just the vocational side. We’ve also given a couple of presentations and everyone has been very complimentary of our style and full of questions.

We’ve had some unusual weather since getting here, like the worst duststorm in decades and torrential downpours. Today, however, is sunny and crisp so we’re off to the zoo and visiting a fellow Rotarian’s vineyard.

All the best to everyone!

 Lisa with her feet in the Ganges.        Village life

 Road trip to Delhi.      On the streets.

  Chai, chai?      Streets of Dharamsala.

 This is India. The old with the new all living together on the streets.

I tried to blog one last time before we left Rishikesh on the 7th but the town lost internet connection and my blog along with it — that’s life in India.

We were back on the train on the 7th and arrived late that night admidst the chaos of the Delhi train station. People everywhere and porters taking our group’s bags in every which direction. Yours truly finally had to lay down the law to the porters. I don’t think they understood every word but they knew I wasn’t happy. The group got split up and our group leader had her professional camera stolen on the train. It was quite a dramatic night and when we eventually settled into our oasis downtown we had about 4 hours to sleep before we jumped on the express train for Agra and the Taj Mahal.

Awaiting us at the Agra train station was a luxurious private bus and a room at the Hilton. After three weeks in mostly spartan furnishings the Hilton felt like we’d died and gone to heaven.  When we reached the Hilton it was off to the buffet for a proper breakfast and coffee. After that I walked down the street to the local mall — yes a real mall. I needed sunglasses and then found a tshirt, which then necessitated a new sports bra. The only store available was a Jockey store which was fine but it was odd buying it from a young Indian man particularly when he asked me if I wanted the matching panties.  

In Agra we did the traditional tourist thing visiting Agra Fort, a marble factory and an gem factory — a few of us opted out of this and headed back to the Hilton for drinks. That was much more fun!  

Early on the morning of the 9th we went to Taj Mahal. Its spectacular but somewhat disappointing because with the fog and pollution our view of the Taj was ghostly at best — except up close. After that it was back to the Hilton to pack up and head out for our bus ride back to Delhi.

We took a diversion to the Hare Krishna Ashram which was quite a feat for our bus driver with all the tiny roads in the villages. Once back on the main “highway” I put on my music and watched India pass by to Evanescence, KT Tunstall, Dixie Chicks and others. It was surreal listening to my American music and passing by camels, elephants, horses, sheep, people and cars. It was a bittersweet ride back and I said my goodbyes along the way waving to everyone.

Our earlier diverson almost cost a couple of people there plane back but we made it — barely. The arrival back at our downtown hotel was chaotic as are most things in India traveling with 16 people. I had my last Indian meal with few people in the ground at the hotel restaurant and then showered and repacked for my long journey home.

It was a sad return home as my Shih Tzu, Sage, that I’ve had for 14 years passed away while I was gone. I had the oddest feeling when I left home back in February that he might not be here when I returned.

I’ve been home for about 36 hours or so and  I’m still tired,  a little sick and somewhat spacey. I miss India — the chaos, noise, the food and the people. It was an amazing trip. The entire trip was serendiptious and it even followed me home. My first contact at a meeting Tuesday morning, the 11th, was with a business associate I hadn’t seen in a while — Nimesh who is from India and returns to his home in a small village regularly. He shared with me that there is a local group in Phoenix that supports the ashram I stayed at in Rishikesh; and that Pujya Swamiji visits here every summer. It seems like my Indian connection might just continue here in Arizona.

Thanks everyone for taking the journey with me. Stay tuned if you’re interested as life after India unfolds.

Namaste.

Parmarth is where I’m staying here in Rishikesh. As I mentioned in a previous blog this is a holy place and home to many ashrams. This particular ashram is headed by H.H. Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji Maharaj or Pujya Swamiji for short. Normally ashrams are fairly quiet places where one can go and do service and study all forms of yoga. This week however, hundreds of students, teachers and swamis have gathered from all over the world for the yoga festival.

In the States we’re really only exposed to one form of yoga, asanas or the physical postures. Asana is the most basic — beginner stage — of yoga allowing one to begin understanding how to quiet the mind. Here at the ashram I’ve been exposed to all kinds of breathing, chanting and meditation yogas. The art and science behind yoga is quite old and very detailed. I’m just beginning to grasp even the most basic concepts.

Today, myself and a couple of hundred people participated in the Yoga Aid Challenge in which we did 108 sun salutations in support children around the world. I didn’t have time to sign up for fundraising before I left but check out the web site and if you feel compelled give what you can. A little bit goes a long way in this part of the world.

It’s an incredible experience to be here and listen to swamis who can quote scripture from all religions, economics, poetry, etc. These people are not just mystics but wise sages promoting peace and love through yoga. It’s humbling to be in their presence.

I’m oddly comfortable here though and haven’t experienced any sickness. It’s serendipitous that I decided (prior to deciding to take this trip) to become a vegetarian. I think it’s helped with the transition these past few weeks.

It’s difficult to convey what I’m feeling here; it’s dirty, smelly, polluted, crowded, poor and at the same time happy, vibrant and rich in all things cultural. As Dorothy would say “We’re definitely not in Kansas Toto.”

Om shanti, shanti, shanti

(this is a mantra we sing, loosely translated as one in peace)

I left Dharamsala on the evening of the 28th for an overnight train to Rishikesh. It was nice to have sleeping cars but I also had to fight off cockroaches all night. Despite that I managed to get a fairly good night’s sleep. I also dehydrated myself sufficiently so I didn’t have to use the hole in the train that’s called a toilet.  

Arrived in the holy city of Rishikesh on the banks of Mother Ganga and in the lap of the Himalaya at the ashram for the International Yoga Festival. Today, March 1, is the first official day of the festival.  I attended a 6:30 a.m. Power Yoga class, 8:15 to 10:30 Vinyasa, a 11:15 lecture on finding your inner divinity through yoga and my first chanting/meditation class in the afternoon.

Yoga Nidra is a guided meditation where the yoga master gives you certain things to focus on to guide your thoughts ie. make your body very heavy, now make it very light, etc. I maintained a fairly alert state but my mind did wander a few times, however I was able to pull myself back without judging my lack of concentration. At a few points I experienced some out body phenomena like seeing myself floating above my body and the face of someone in my traveling group. It freaked me out a bit and I snapped back to consciousness.

I’m looking forward to the break at the ashram. Life on the streets here is a bit chaotic — noisy, smelly and constantly tearing down any facades I have at home. I have been near tears at many points during this trip because its putting me face to face with a side of humanity I rarely see at home. Despite the disparity that exists here, I find myself falling in love with the country. I see a devotion here to family, God, tradition and rituals that I rarely see at home. Mostly, at home, I am trying to BE more and DO more.

I don’t think the full impact of what I’m experiencing is going to settle in until I return home. I’m trying to soak it all in, stay present and be open to whatever shows up. Things are becoming clearer and the clearer they get the more afraid I become. Heavy stuff to deal with thousands of miles from home.

On a lighter note, I’ve managed to stay healthy and lose weight. I’m not sure how that’s possible. Maybe its because most of the food is fresh, all vegetarian all the time, very little fat, very little sugar and definitely no Starbucks.  As one American put it here we’ll have to re-tox to go back to the states.

Peace and love from India.

Monday night, Feb. 25, I decided to jump into a car with one of the owners of the Annex Hotel in Dharamsala to pick up the missing bags being held hostage in Delhi by the Maharani Guest House. After over a week without my backpack it seemed like the only way they would make in here before we leave for Rishikesh on the 28th. So at 10pm we headed off with a driver for a nine hour drive. The night drive was pretty uneventful save for the incredibly, sometimes non-existent bumpy road. We made it into Delhi on the morning of the 26th just in time for rush hour traffic — completely congested, unmoving traffic. After driving around for three hours trying to find the hotel we gave up, pulled over and picked up a city taxi to get to the Maharani. Long story short, I got two of the three bags, spent the night and had dinner at 5 star Indian hotel for my birthday. Not a bad trade off I suppose. The morning of the 27th I headed back solo. Unbelieveable crazy on the way back. Having come through the same roads in the dark I had no idea what I missed. The journey travels through village after village in the Indian countryside. Slow going with all the cars, busy villagers, sheeps, goats, dogs, monkeys, oxen and horses on the road… oh and roll over accidents and downed trees on the roads.

The best part of the trip was entering into the state of Himachal Pradesh and finally seeing the Himalaya in full sunlight. My previous entry in Dharamsala was overcast and the time I spent there the previous two days was rainy.

Now on to Rishikesh and the Ashram. 

The arrival in Delhi was chaotic to say the least. We arrived at least an hour late to then find out that three hundred bags didn’t make it from London –  so three hundred people basically stampeded the baggage claim area all at once. I didn’t have the hotel information and I couldn’t find my group so I had to figure out how to make my phone work and call home to find the hotel address. About 45 minutes later I had the paperwork squared away and my travel group had found me. British Airways was promising the luggage to be delivered in 24-48 hours. Thus began my trip in India.

Delhi was chaotic and crazy! Traffic lanes in India are suggestions more than a law so where there are three lanes driver’s were squashed into five lanes. Every possible form of transportation was on the road — cars, rickshaws, bikes, pedestrians, carts, donkeys, monkeys, elephants and oxen going every which direction.

We ate, shopped and did some sightseeing but mostly gawking and shooting photos out of the car windows. The colors of the native dress were beautiful and in stark contrast to the old run down buildings. It was indicative of the disparity of everything in India.

We also went to a couple of native music concerts which were amazing. I was struck by how music is something all peoples, races and cultures have in common. It seems like a simple idea but it brought tears to my eyes to see people’s heads bouncing to the music.

We were only in Delhi for a couple of days on the way to Dharmasala and unfortunately my luggage did not make it before we left.  So onward we went with me in the clothes on my back on and not much else.

Five days later in Dharamsala — home of the Dalai Lama esconced in the foothills of the Himalyas – I still have no luggage. It’s been quite frustrating and an exercise in giving up any attachment on needing to have my “things.” I’ve been borrowing clothes and buying the necessities. I’m still hopeful the luggage will still arrive, but who really knows. I’m on Indian time now.

Dharamsala is my place — a mountain town of extremes. It still has some of the chaos in its small streets but much more quaint. Listening to the Dalai Lama was inspiring. Today was a hiking day to a waterfall and some distant peaks finally showed themselves. Were hailed, snowed and rained on.

It’s hard to describe India in words to do it justice. It is 180 degree difference from the Western world. I’ve been very emotional since arriving here dealing with the disparity between the haves and have nots and how much we have in the US.

Heading into day six with still no luggage. More later this week.

I’m heading off to India today for a spirtual adventure. It seems to be something I do about every decade or so and since I’m heading into my 39th year it seems appropriate (I will actually celebrate my 39th birthday Dharamsala. I’m leaving with excitement and trepidation for the unknown but most of all with a mind and soul open to whatever comes up. I have no expectations of how things will or won’t be so here’s to three weeks of possibility.

I’m hoping to blog during the trip and maybe even upload some photos if I can function without my laptop. So please check back from time to time.

My itinerary is as follows:

Feb. 20 : Arrive in Delhi

Feb. 22: Travel to Dharamsala 

Feb 23-28: Dharamsala: trekking, Tibetan cooking class, attend Dalai Lama teachings, visit Palampur and Kangra

Feb. 29- March 7: Rishikesh, Parmarth Niketan Ashram: International Yoga Festival

March 8-9: Agra: Taj Mahal and other sightseeing

March 10: Back to the US

 More from the road.

Namaste.