It is 4:30 a.m. here in Rishikesh, India and I have been awake since 3:00! It is a 12.5 hour time difference so my sleeping pattern has been slightly disrupted. It doesnt bother me however, because I am excited to my very core and have been since I first stepped foot onto the ginormous Continental Airlines plane that flew me into New Delhi.
Since my arrival I havent needed to sleep that much as there seems to be a pulse of energy this place and its people has to offer that replenishes my spirit and keeps me going: Every set of eyes that doesnt stray away from mine, each wild animal I see roaming free, the many smells that fill the air from curry to cow pie to bodies to flowers and incense... these provide me with the nourishment I not only currently need, but also have long desired.
My flight over Afghanistan was my first amazing sight. The desert hills rolled like chocolate mouse, mixing snow, salt, and sand together in a massively whipped walnut merangue of sorts. The perfect combination of delectable and dangerous Id say! I snapped pictures with my camera out of the window from an altitude of 35000 feet and they came out crystal clear!
I arrived in New Dehli and the first thing I noticed was that their airports are carpeted with elaborately decorated warm colored patterns of reds and golds. The restroom gender seperation was indicated not by a little white man and little white woman against a black backdrop but rather, an over-sized high definition color photo of a seek with his head wrapped and likewise a beautiful Indian woman looking dignified and fierce. Above my head was artwork of large golden hands, each holding a flower in their palms with fingers bent to form various shapes of Om and Namaste.
I found my driver, Hamaad, standing in a long line of drivers, all holding signs with different names and then we were off for the type of adventure whos only safety preparation would have been to never have come to India at all! The roads here are INSANE! I dont even know why they paint lane dividers or have stop signs or lights. Seriously! If there is room for a car- then that is where the closest car will go irregardless of what direction the flow of traffic is headed. There were skinny pedestrians,hard working bicycle riders, brave mopeds rollers, tasseled and painted city buses, over stacked vegetable distribution trucks, blue and white taxi cabs, and personal vehicles that were packed to the hilt with many many many- Indians! Forgive my memory for I may have overlooked a few more roadway participants! That was just on the road! That night was the world cup for the international sport, cricket, which apparently India was competing in against Sri Lanka for the title. It was all the buzz and every car or handheld radio was tuned into the game loudly. Every point scored there were blazes of horns and hoots and hollers of celebration. Fireworks were being set off and the streets were alive with vigor and excitement! India had won!
All along the highways there are restaurants and huts where you can grab a snack or meal and socialize. These places appear pretty seedy and I certainly wouldn't go to any of the myself. Their American equivalent is probably a truck stop, biker gang, and vagabond ridden string of gas stations and diners! Nonetheless, I found myself in the car outside of one waiting for my escort. Just then two cars full of men pulled up behind me and all hopped out and peered into my car. I was nervous but tried to remain calm. I probably looked just as strange to them as they did to me! Well, there was a tree about 30 feet in front of my car and apparently that was the mens bathroom! So one by one each of the men walked over and pulled their pants down and took number 2's! Unbelievable! Just squatted right there directly in front of me and went and wiped and went on with their bad selves! I was soo stunned I almost took a picture but then I came to my senses and reasoned that would probably be rude and may even get me into trouble! So I refrained. I did snap a picture of the shop across the street however. Eventually I found a place where there was an enclosed space with a toilet and to my utter dismay it was a terribly dirty tile floor with a hole in it and no toilet paper! Luckily I had a hand wipe in my purse and I just figured, this is how its done here so I better get used to it!
Back on the road we passed through various towns, all of which were closed and the streets were virtually empty save for the handful of men that were out enjoying the nights cricket victory as well as the homeless population sitting in their buggies, aka: beds. Its true when you hear that India is dirty. Although I would describe it more as grimy and dusty because there really isn't trash anywhere or litter like in the states. Its just that buildings dont get washed and its really old school here so there is thousands of years of wind blown sediment and animal dander covering everything, including now my head which was hanging out of the car window in awwe! The smell in the air changed every hour or so ranging from the pungent scent of spices to the bright aroma of flowers to the mild stench of manure and sandalwood oiled bodies.
We arrived in Rishikesh around 1:30 am and parked the car on one side of a long man made rope hanging bridge and we walked from there about a mile to my final destination, the Krishna Cottage. I was given a key for my home to be for the next 6 weeks, #114, accompanied by a padlock which was to serve as my lock and that was that!
The next morning I awoke quite early around 6:00 am ready to see what was outside and I heard the sound of many different birds, cows mooing, and people chopping and building and bustling around. I snapped pictures of my bathroom with is better described as a lavatory since that is where you use the loo, wash your body, your clothes, and anything else that needs a good scrubbing! No walls separate any of these areas its just one space. At first I was unsure about how to approach the situation when it came time to wash but I just shut the bathroom door and turned the water on and went for it! Water sprayed everywhere, over the toilet (which I am grateful to have!), over the sink, all over the floor... it was warm water and nothing beats that!
I immediately made some friends. There is S'ra from Australia, Tatianna from Russia, and Patricia from Australia.
We spent the day together exploring part of Rishikesh that day. The streets were alive, the sun was out, and there was simply so...much...color. REALLY. Its like a dream. Women wrapped in florescent sari's, bejeweled and tattooed. Men dressed in orange robes with long beards and prezzled on the sides of roads begging for money. Street vendors stamping you with powder as you walk by and all sorts of locals and foreigners alike draped in the ever famous textile prints of India. Food is cooking around every corner, all vegetarian and delicious. We ate samosa's and drank Chai tea at a little place on the deck overlooking the Ganges river. You take your shoes off whenever you go inside of any place and there is always tapestries covering the floors so you can sit. Then we went by an Ashram and saw some monkeys and statutes.
Cows are everywhere as are dogs and monkeys. Animals are absolutely a part of the crowd and we dont minds them and they dont mind us! Just watch where you step and its all good!
We wrapped up our day with an Ayurvedic massage with special oils after a good ol' pulse diagnosis which rendered me as a "fire" body type which angers easily and cools just as easily. I should stay away from spicy foods was my reccomendation for taming this wild flame! The massage was fully naked and quite vulnerable. The lady rubbed my stomach aggressively for an hour and afterwards I was bloated for hours but by the next day the swelling went down and I released the buildup which was there and felt much better! S'ra and I went to Mother Ganges (pronounced, Ganga here) and dipped our feet in the sacred water for a while and drew pictures in the soot of the sun and moon. The soot is soo soft and silky, the water was crisp and refreshing and I felt very connected to the earth as I peered at the Himalayas and spoke of things with my new friend.
Afterwards we ate on the rooftop of a small place overlooking the Ganges and each shared a little about ourselves.
That night back at the Ashram we had our first innitial ceremony where prayers, mantras, and sutras were read in our honor to request that we be blessed with knowledge and hard working spirits to see us through the course and that the teachers have the energy and vigor to see us through. Gifts were given to the goddess, Shiva, such as sweet cake, flowers, apples, mango's, rice, candles, incense, and oils. We each then got our foreheads smudged and our wrists tied with red and yellow string to serve as reminders to try our best and to be our best.
Since my arrival I havent needed to sleep that much as there seems to be a pulse of energy this place and its people has to offer that replenishes my spirit and keeps me going: Every set of eyes that doesnt stray away from mine, each wild animal I see roaming free, the many smells that fill the air from curry to cow pie to bodies to flowers and incense... these provide me with the nourishment I not only currently need, but also have long desired.
My flight over Afghanistan was my first amazing sight. The desert hills rolled like chocolate mouse, mixing snow, salt, and sand together in a massively whipped walnut merangue of sorts. The perfect combination of delectable and dangerous Id say! I snapped pictures with my camera out of the window from an altitude of 35000 feet and they came out crystal clear!
To my surprise I was able to see little colonies of people nestled in between long stretches of desert and I just had to wonder how they even got there in the first place. I mean, these people were out in the middle of NOWHERE and I doubt any animals or water exists in the places where I saw their villages and yet, there they were, living like it was nobodies business!
I arrived in New Dehli and the first thing I noticed was that their airports are carpeted with elaborately decorated warm colored patterns of reds and golds. The restroom gender seperation was indicated not by a little white man and little white woman against a black backdrop but rather, an over-sized high definition color photo of a seek with his head wrapped and likewise a beautiful Indian woman looking dignified and fierce. Above my head was artwork of large golden hands, each holding a flower in their palms with fingers bent to form various shapes of Om and Namaste.
I found my driver, Hamaad, standing in a long line of drivers, all holding signs with different names and then we were off for the type of adventure whos only safety preparation would have been to never have come to India at all! The roads here are INSANE! I dont even know why they paint lane dividers or have stop signs or lights. Seriously! If there is room for a car- then that is where the closest car will go irregardless of what direction the flow of traffic is headed. There were skinny pedestrians,hard working bicycle riders, brave mopeds rollers, tasseled and painted city buses, over stacked vegetable distribution trucks, blue and white taxi cabs, and personal vehicles that were packed to the hilt with many many many- Indians! Forgive my memory for I may have overlooked a few more roadway participants! That was just on the road! That night was the world cup for the international sport, cricket, which apparently India was competing in against Sri Lanka for the title. It was all the buzz and every car or handheld radio was tuned into the game loudly. Every point scored there were blazes of horns and hoots and hollers of celebration. Fireworks were being set off and the streets were alive with vigor and excitement! India had won!
All along the highways there are restaurants and huts where you can grab a snack or meal and socialize. These places appear pretty seedy and I certainly wouldn't go to any of the myself. Their American equivalent is probably a truck stop, biker gang, and vagabond ridden string of gas stations and diners! Nonetheless, I found myself in the car outside of one waiting for my escort. Just then two cars full of men pulled up behind me and all hopped out and peered into my car. I was nervous but tried to remain calm. I probably looked just as strange to them as they did to me! Well, there was a tree about 30 feet in front of my car and apparently that was the mens bathroom! So one by one each of the men walked over and pulled their pants down and took number 2's! Unbelievable! Just squatted right there directly in front of me and went and wiped and went on with their bad selves! I was soo stunned I almost took a picture but then I came to my senses and reasoned that would probably be rude and may even get me into trouble! So I refrained. I did snap a picture of the shop across the street however. Eventually I found a place where there was an enclosed space with a toilet and to my utter dismay it was a terribly dirty tile floor with a hole in it and no toilet paper! Luckily I had a hand wipe in my purse and I just figured, this is how its done here so I better get used to it!
Back on the road we passed through various towns, all of which were closed and the streets were virtually empty save for the handful of men that were out enjoying the nights cricket victory as well as the homeless population sitting in their buggies, aka: beds. Its true when you hear that India is dirty. Although I would describe it more as grimy and dusty because there really isn't trash anywhere or litter like in the states. Its just that buildings dont get washed and its really old school here so there is thousands of years of wind blown sediment and animal dander covering everything, including now my head which was hanging out of the car window in awwe! The smell in the air changed every hour or so ranging from the pungent scent of spices to the bright aroma of flowers to the mild stench of manure and sandalwood oiled bodies.
We arrived in Rishikesh around 1:30 am and parked the car on one side of a long man made rope hanging bridge and we walked from there about a mile to my final destination, the Krishna Cottage. I was given a key for my home to be for the next 6 weeks, #114, accompanied by a padlock which was to serve as my lock and that was that!
The next morning I awoke quite early around 6:00 am ready to see what was outside and I heard the sound of many different birds, cows mooing, and people chopping and building and bustling around. I snapped pictures of my bathroom with is better described as a lavatory since that is where you use the loo, wash your body, your clothes, and anything else that needs a good scrubbing! No walls separate any of these areas its just one space. At first I was unsure about how to approach the situation when it came time to wash but I just shut the bathroom door and turned the water on and went for it! Water sprayed everywhere, over the toilet (which I am grateful to have!), over the sink, all over the floor... it was warm water and nothing beats that!
I immediately made some friends. There is S'ra from Australia, Tatianna from Russia, and Patricia from Australia.
We spent the day together exploring part of Rishikesh that day. The streets were alive, the sun was out, and there was simply so...much...color. REALLY. Its like a dream. Women wrapped in florescent sari's, bejeweled and tattooed. Men dressed in orange robes with long beards and prezzled on the sides of roads begging for money. Street vendors stamping you with powder as you walk by and all sorts of locals and foreigners alike draped in the ever famous textile prints of India. Food is cooking around every corner, all vegetarian and delicious. We ate samosa's and drank Chai tea at a little place on the deck overlooking the Ganges river. You take your shoes off whenever you go inside of any place and there is always tapestries covering the floors so you can sit. Then we went by an Ashram and saw some monkeys and statutes.
Cows are everywhere as are dogs and monkeys. Animals are absolutely a part of the crowd and we dont minds them and they dont mind us! Just watch where you step and its all good!
We wrapped up our day with an Ayurvedic massage with special oils after a good ol' pulse diagnosis which rendered me as a "fire" body type which angers easily and cools just as easily. I should stay away from spicy foods was my reccomendation for taming this wild flame! The massage was fully naked and quite vulnerable. The lady rubbed my stomach aggressively for an hour and afterwards I was bloated for hours but by the next day the swelling went down and I released the buildup which was there and felt much better! S'ra and I went to Mother Ganges (pronounced, Ganga here) and dipped our feet in the sacred water for a while and drew pictures in the soot of the sun and moon. The soot is soo soft and silky, the water was crisp and refreshing and I felt very connected to the earth as I peered at the Himalayas and spoke of things with my new friend.
Afterwards we ate on the rooftop of a small place overlooking the Ganges and each shared a little about ourselves.
That night back at the Ashram we had our first innitial ceremony where prayers, mantras, and sutras were read in our honor to request that we be blessed with knowledge and hard working spirits to see us through the course and that the teachers have the energy and vigor to see us through. Gifts were given to the goddess, Shiva, such as sweet cake, flowers, apples, mango's, rice, candles, incense, and oils. We each then got our foreheads smudged and our wrists tied with red and yellow string to serve as reminders to try our best and to be our best.
Casie it is I, Mia lol. so first things first I MISS YOU!! but im so excited for you,just reading your blog made me feel sooo happy about everything your doing and experiencing.
ReplyDeleteYour a good writer. It really drew me in.
It has really inspired me personally to go out and have and adventure of my own :D
So you saw bunch of Indian guys pooping infront of a tree.... hahahahaha thats hillarius but for everyone that lives their its probably second nature.
Im glad youve found friends to share the experience with. I bet you all are in 'aw'. What a change of pass and scenery. its a breath of fresh air...kinda... compared to the states. OH CASIE IM SO EXCITED FOR YOU.
ok im at work g2g ttyl
loves kisses
MIa