Gratitude is my mood...
If anything I've learned from travel it is that we are all family in some way
sucked down by gravity to walk this land
And on Thanksgiving 2010 with you, my brothers and sisters
gratitude is my mood
when you glow as you write and wrestle and wrestle and write with your journey, Amanda,
you alight inspiration
and gratitude is my mood
when you dance and dance then sit for hours discovering deep friendship with your own soul, Andi,
you alight peace
and gratitude is my mood
when you turn over and over the secrets of all spiritual paths with wonder and curiosity, Dylan,
you alight wisdom
and gratitude is my mood
when you open your heart again and again to connecting, laughter-filled, explorative conversation, Eli,
you alight true friendship
and gratitude is my mood
when you subtly yet powerfully and thoughtfully carry great care and concern on your shoulders for this family, Jefe,
you alight integrity and beauty of character
and gratitude is my mood
when you assert your goddess power- in observant eyes, strong voice and kind smile, Nelle,
you alight meaning of true leadership
and gratitude is my mood
when you extend your warm soul to encompass in love and mystery and music those in your sphere, Nico,
you alight transformation
and gratitude is my mood
when you happily transport your sitar across Northern India and mesmerize yourself with thanka, Trevor,
you alight discovery and growth
and gratitude is my mood
when you kindle lights of humanity with every being you meet with your welcoming smile, Tiana,
you alight hope
and gratitude is my mood
when I lay my head down each night in utter exhaustion
having bathed in new waters
explored rainbows of tastes
gained friendships
ignited more questions
discovered a new nugget of inner and outer mystery
and melted with another sunset, Mother India,
you alight life
and gratitude is my mood
for Carpe Diem India Fall 2010
Amanda Joy Rader
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Hey!
The Deer Park Institute. A place built up in our minds as the home to five days of bone-chilling buddhist-style silence. Five days with few, if any interactions with the other carpe diem group members we have grown to love and hold dear. Five days of mindful nothingness.
Upon arriving at the institute, all these intimidating perceptions were thrown out the window. The atmosphere was far less strict than that at Phool Chatti and the expectations set out by Deer Park for our group's participation in the program were met by the mere act of us showing up. Deer Park is situated in the quaint mountain village of Bir (pronounced like the beverage we have contractually guaranteed Jeff and Amanda we would not drink). Any plans we had to keep silence were lost, with the exception of meal times and during meditation.
The meditation program taking place during our time there was rather rigorous even though we were not expected to follow it religiously. The program involved seven, hour long sitting meditations per day with walking, tea, and chanting meditations and lectures sprinkled in throughout. It was not apparent to me how exhausting it is to sit in the same position for sixty minutes until I tried it seven times a day. The monk teaching the course (whose name I can't remember, everyone just called him "Venerable") was trying to get us to live in the moment. He said that our thinking mind can only exist in the past and the future. In order to escape suffering, we must be mindful of what we are doing, while we are doing it. It's a concept that we all struggled to fully comprehend.
The food at Deer Park was some of the best I've tasted in India. This made it hard to eat slowly and mindfully, like we were asked to do. The institute was very environmentally responsible. The food was locally grown, the hot water came from solar panels, and the that trash could be, was recycled.
On the fourth day of our stay, most of the group made its way to a hot spring about an hour away from Bir despite warnings of torrential rain. After an hour hike through mountains and a wild cannabis field, we arrived at some jacuzzie-style hot springs. They were really hot. While the group was boiling in the natural baths, it began to hail and eventually the rain we were promised began. We took this as our cue to head home.
It is strange to think that the end of our stay at the Deer Park Institute meant that there is less than a month left of trip. See you all soon!
Eli
The Deer Park Institute. A place built up in our minds as the home to five days of bone-chilling buddhist-style silence. Five days with few, if any interactions with the other carpe diem group members we have grown to love and hold dear. Five days of mindful nothingness.
Upon arriving at the institute, all these intimidating perceptions were thrown out the window. The atmosphere was far less strict than that at Phool Chatti and the expectations set out by Deer Park for our group's participation in the program were met by the mere act of us showing up. Deer Park is situated in the quaint mountain village of Bir (pronounced like the beverage we have contractually guaranteed Jeff and Amanda we would not drink). Any plans we had to keep silence were lost, with the exception of meal times and during meditation.
The meditation program taking place during our time there was rather rigorous even though we were not expected to follow it religiously. The program involved seven, hour long sitting meditations per day with walking, tea, and chanting meditations and lectures sprinkled in throughout. It was not apparent to me how exhausting it is to sit in the same position for sixty minutes until I tried it seven times a day. The monk teaching the course (whose name I can't remember, everyone just called him "Venerable") was trying to get us to live in the moment. He said that our thinking mind can only exist in the past and the future. In order to escape suffering, we must be mindful of what we are doing, while we are doing it. It's a concept that we all struggled to fully comprehend.
The food at Deer Park was some of the best I've tasted in India. This made it hard to eat slowly and mindfully, like we were asked to do. The institute was very environmentally responsible. The food was locally grown, the hot water came from solar panels, and the that trash could be, was recycled.
On the fourth day of our stay, most of the group made its way to a hot spring about an hour away from Bir despite warnings of torrential rain. After an hour hike through mountains and a wild cannabis field, we arrived at some jacuzzie-style hot springs. They were really hot. While the group was boiling in the natural baths, it began to hail and eventually the rain we were promised began. We took this as our cue to head home.
It is strange to think that the end of our stay at the Deer Park Institute meant that there is less than a month left of trip. See you all soon!
Eli
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Home of the Golden Temple
Hi Everyone,
Tiana here, ready to give you all the 411 on our time in Amritsar; which wasn't much... and note that most of our time spent in Amritsar was mostly free wandering on our own, but I will do my best to include everyone. Lets’ see... We were there for a total of 3 days and were lucky enough to find a decent hotel right around the corner from The Golden Temple. After pretty much starving for some hours on the train ride (who ever keeps track anymore), we all decided to try and find a bite to eat even though it was around 10:30 pm. All the restaurants were closed, so our options were street foods or a shop that might be open. It's difficult to navigate around an area you haven't been in before and it's dark, but Nelle and I decided we would go around the block and see if we could at least find something to drink. We found a shop called "Lucky Refreshments"... lucky us. Before coming across this place we were telling each other how we felt Amritsar was a lot calmer compared to other places; peaceful and how it seemed a little safer... Then when we walked up to the shop, this guy kept harassing me asking where I was from, my name, and how he was single. We were ready to pay and leave, but on the way out; I tried to pass another man who was in front of me staring me down. He put his hand up to not let me pass in front of him and stepped forward. So I decided I would try to walk behind him, and as I did he rubbed his hand up my backside. I felt so violated and angry, but was so exhausted I didn't know how to deal with the situation. Another man on the walk back was shouting inappropriate remarks at us and we just couldn't believe all this was happening in the 20 mins we had been in Amritsar. Just when we were saying how we thought this place had such a calm and nice vibe to it. We spoke way too soon.
Besides that incident on first arrival, we had a pretty early morning the next day moving from the hotel to accommodations at the Temple. The place was full of backpackers, and pretty much a room made to burn people alive. It was poorly ventilated so it was always ridiculously hot inside. However, it was doable for the next couple days and it gave us the opportunity to meet and chat with other travelers. That day we all decided to wander around and see the city. Some went to see the temple or eat there; they served free food all day! How awesome is that. Others went shopping, to see other temples, and I went for coffee and to find some Chicken. Amritsar happened to be one of the few cities we have come across where people actually eat meat! Jeff, Trevor, Dylan and I were crazy excited. Or at least I was.
All day I had gone on a long search to find this place that served chicken, but no luck. It wasn't until later that night that Andi and I finally got our hands on the Lonely Planet to look up a restaurant. We found this place called Aurah which was supposed to be pretty far, but we were determined. It ended up being a girl’s night out to dinner because we had convinced Nelle and Amanda to go as well. So we hopped in a rickshaw and it took us a good 30 mins to get to our destination. It was worth the drive because besides the time it took, taking a rickshaw always is a nice way to see parts of the city you may not see otherwise on foot. Also the food was amazing! We were so stoked, not only because this place was so nice and had great food (and dessert; warm and gooey fudge brownies), but there was a subway right next door! Who would have ever thought you would find a subway here, I know we didn't. We told the boys our secret place the next day and had no choice but to go (Eli loves subway; we have photo documentation). The subs were definitely still an Indian version just like any other food not originated from India, but it fills the void.
That day some of us decided to see another temple called Mata Temple, which is a Hindu temple. It was interesting... think of at first walking into a colorful and beautiful hall and then you are directed to go up a staircase on the side to find that this temple has a fun house of mirrors, murals, and gods. You walk through caves and ankle deep water to get to the main shrine, which I believe was the huge head or mouth of Shiva..? Not sure. There was a lot of confusion on my part, but it was still an interesting experience. Later that day we also had plans to go to the Pakistan border to watch the showdown that goes on there. Or at least we thought it was... Basically it was a fancy way of closing the border gates. Both sides have members of their military marching for a good 20 or so minutes. The marches are cool I will give them that and when they all have marched their happy high kicking selves to the gates, they do a synchronized bringing down of the flag, the end. It was interesting because they do this every day and it is amazing really the volume of people that come to see this event. There were waving flags, chanting, loud music and dancing which most of the group joined in on. In the end I personally was mostly impressed by the hype and enthusiasm the people have from both sides. I think that is what made the experience.
Another cool opportunity we had was the chance to stay overnight in the temple which has been said to be a spectacular experience. The downside is that the chances you will actually get sleep is not likely. Amanda (leader), Andi, and Nelle had already done this the second night and they said it was great even without getting much sleep. I suppose we had similar experiences except... before hand they forgot to mention how the temple is never really closed. There was constantly people walking around and worshiping, all night and all morning. Then at 3 in the morning you get woken up by the people cleaning the floors of the temple. So you are forced to move to the outer areas if you want to continue sleep. The up side is they do offer you chai all night/morning as well, really good chai too. The view of the Golden Temple at all hours of the day is amazing because the way the light hits the temple every hour changes the golden gleam dramatically. However, at 3 in the morning the view is even more magical with the moonlight. The Golden temple is definitely magnificent. It makes lying on that cold marble floor and getting soaked with freezing water early in the morning the experience of a life time.
Well I think I will stop here since this covers most of the key events (besides the old school shades shopping rampage we all went on), but I hope this gives you some insight into our adventure in Amritsar. Stay Well!
T. Woods
Friday, November 12, 2010
Dear avid readers,
Hello.
I am currently faced with the task of blogging about our week at the Ashram in under 15 minutes so I can get to the Pakistani boarder in time for the show. And even I was stricken by the sheer weirdness of that last sentence. The week took on completely different meanings for each one of us as we all trekked through mountains and walked across beaches in silent meditation, visited waterfalls and tiny idyllic villages resting on mountain summits, ate chapatti after chapatti, bathed in the Ganga, and received ashtanga yoga lessons from Lalita Gi. Ah, Lalita Gi, this woman presented herself as one of the most serious human beings to ever walk the planet dressed in bright orange, until about day three or so when her stern countenance gave way to tiger pose ( a particularly sensational assana from laughter yoga) and the explanation that the reason Shiva can get high whilst us mere ashram-dwelling mortals cannot is because "Shiva can breathe and destroy the world, I cannot do that."
Reading was one of the main activities for almost all of the group, Herman Hesse being a general favorite with three titles currently in circulation amongst group-members. Other groups were also an important of this week as Carpe Diem and Leap Now! united with travelers from all over the world (seriously, I'm still wondering about the acrobatics doing, non-English speaking, exotic miniature instrument playing Russians) to make this week a meditative affair to remember. Actually, I'm still wondering about most of the souls that embarked with us on this journey and about the cosmic fiber that brought us together at this time in our lives and for this peculiar experience. Ashram life revolves around the yogic path in all eight of its incarnations and had us breathing, cleansing, meditating, serving, eating, renouncing, and developing a more intricate understanding of ourselves, together. The underlying belief of the path is that everything in existence is a manifestation of a single consciousness, a higher entity to which all beings pertain separated merely by the distraction of living, and the ashram was the optimal place to silence the distractions and dwell on our inner selves for a while. One big thing that suddenly commanded the attention of many group members was our individual relationship with food. Due to the emphasis placed on the ritual of eating, a silent and solemn practice at the ashram, our attention was brought to how we nourish ourselves and blessing our food and meditating on it before digging in is now a widespread practice. Nourishment, inner nourishment, I could say, became the central practice of the ashram as our greatest interaction became purely with ourselves for most of the day. The beautiful landscape combined with a supreme sense of self succeeded in opening the gates to a somewhat new mindscape that will continue to take form as we move on to our next challenge: a completely silent five day retreat. But before that is Amritsar, of course, home to the Golden Temple with its supreme beauty, overflowing and raucous kitchen, and BABY SIKHS!...all kind of Sikhs for that matter. Oh, and Dylan is still with us, for those of you who were wondering.
Reading was one of the main activities for almost all of the group, Herman Hesse being a general favorite with three titles currently in circulation amongst group-members. Other groups were also an important of this week as Carpe Diem and Leap Now! united with travelers from all over the world (seriously, I'm still wondering about the acrobatics doing, non-English speaking, exotic miniature instrument playing Russians) to make this week a meditative affair to remember. Actually, I'm still wondering about most of the souls that embarked with us on this journey and about the cosmic fiber that brought us together at this time in our lives and for this peculiar experience. Ashram life revolves around the yogic path in all eight of its incarnations and had us breathing, cleansing, meditating, serving, eating, renouncing, and developing a more intricate understanding of ourselves, together. The underlying belief of the path is that everything in existence is a manifestation of a single consciousness, a higher entity to which all beings pertain separated merely by the distraction of living, and the ashram was the optimal place to silence the distractions and dwell on our inner selves for a while. One big thing that suddenly commanded the attention of many group members was our individual relationship with food. Due to the emphasis placed on the ritual of eating, a silent and solemn practice at the ashram, our attention was brought to how we nourish ourselves and blessing our food and meditating on it before digging in is now a widespread practice. Nourishment, inner nourishment, I could say, became the central practice of the ashram as our greatest interaction became purely with ourselves for most of the day. The beautiful landscape combined with a supreme sense of self succeeded in opening the gates to a somewhat new mindscape that will continue to take form as we move on to our next challenge: a completely silent five day retreat. But before that is Amritsar, of course, home to the Golden Temple with its supreme beauty, overflowing and raucous kitchen, and BABY SIKHS!...all kind of Sikhs for that matter. Oh, and Dylan is still with us, for those of you who were wondering.
On a final note,
May the Long Time Sun Shine Upon You,
All Love Surround You,
And the Pure Light Within You,
Guide Your Way On
-Andi
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Remembering Rishikesh..... Ahhhhhh yaaaaa....
Hello!!!!! It's been a while! Your blogger today will be me, Trevor Jermasek. This is my first blog on our trip. Actually, I think this could be my first time ever posting a blog. Period. So please please, bear with me, I'm trying. And I know that Amanda already put a little somethin somethin down about are travels up in those holy hills, and i cant say that I'll do much better, I don't know if you noticed, but Amanda really likes blogging.....
But To get back to the point, we were in Rishikesh. I guess I'll just start from the being, though its been a while. We arrived in Hardawar, an hour down the Ganga from Rishikesh. After emerging from the train ( 17 hours from Varanasi to Delhi, a 6ish hour "lay-over" there, and a 7 hour trip into Haradawar... All in all, a whole lotta travel. A little old woman curled up on my feet somewhere around one in the morning on the train to Delhi. I sat for about thirty minutes, stuck in a bit of bewilderment, thinking to myself, "WHO DOES THAT!?!" India does that. So i started to poke her like crazy. This made her only crawl further into her shawl. The woman across from me intervened, pinched the little shawl woman so hard she shot on to the floor of the train. All and all, another successful encounter with the Indian people......) ....emerging from the train a cold breeze hit our faces. WHOOOOOOO! We had made out of the hot sticky air of the plains, finally back into the mountains. The change in climate could not have made me any happier at that moment. The train station was quiet and sleepy, which I think was a first. A little later, me Jeff, Tiana and Andi were sitting in a rickshaw/bus, colored in this strange red light. The owner of this ridiculous machine cranked his equally ridiculous Indian music to eleven, and we took off. This was one of the most unerving rides that I think I've experienced, and have we had some sketchy rickshaw adventures... I kept daring myself to look out the road, only to be met with complete darkness. Our headlight barely making a dent, we charged into traffic head on, this guy was out of his mind yet so at ease, "shooting the gap" every minute or so at 50. Like always... we made it! A warm bed was just what we needed...
Rishikesh!!!!! A good breakfast of eggs and toast did the trick the next morning. The view from me and Eli's balcony was amazing, something that I could really get used waking up to, and we basked and lounged in its glory for morning. We walked down into Rishikesh as a group, got our orientation in white water rafting, and then had the day in town to ourselves, Which included the discovery, maybe I was the only one excited by this, of samosas... FILLED WITH FRUIT. So tasty, so life changing. We walked Rishikesh up and down, losing ourselves in its back alley ashrams, and making friends with its tiny, miniature hairy cows. Nelle and Eli made an attempt at the waterfall down the road, a little too late, and ended up having to turn around before reaching the big one (No worries, we got redemption a few days later). A guide warned us of the dangers of lions that prowl the mountain by night. Whether or not that was true at all, it was really dark, so we headed back home. The night ended really nicely, with good food and good company. Me and Eli then retired to our bachelor pad.....
Rapids!!!!! The day begin with an early rise and a scenic drive up the river. We got the low down from are raft guide from Colorado, Jedidiah I think? We did some drills and jumped in the water. This day actually went by pretty fast, it all just blends together into one great time. We hit wave after wave of water, but never got thrown. That was actually my one goal, get unintentionally thrown from the boat. But it never happened.... Well, at least not in my boat.... In fact, now that i remember, Dylan and (leader) Amanda got tossed on the first rapid.... The day ended, soon enough, group happy and soaked. I realize i've really gotten caught up in this blogging thing..... Sorry sorry, i'll finish up.
I cant speak for everyone, but the next day was extra special for me. Me Eli and Nelle (once again) made the push for the waterfall up the road in the morning, and finally made it. It was unbelievable. The waterfall was perfect, pouring into a crystal clear, blueish pool of the most unbelievably refreshing cool water. A bit of a rock climb up and there was another even more spectacular pool, the rocks created a sort of cave-like shade. It was wild, sitting up there, to think that somewhere so beautifully had been sitting next to us, for two day, undiscovered. We spent some amazing hours up there, swimming and relaxing in the jungle, and came down satisfied and content... So that pretty much sums up rishikesh, or at least my rishikesh... You might be asking, hey Trev, what about the Ashram, and didnt you just get into Amritsar last night?!?!?! Not my job people! its up to Nick and Andi to give you the low down, but let me assure we have been having some great, amazing experiences. Anywho.... Know that we are all safe, happy and heathy, sleeping under the Sikhs holy Golden Temple tonight, and know that we all love and miss you!!!!!!!! Thanks for all the emails/comments/love that you've been sending our way! Keep it comin'!
Trevor
But To get back to the point, we were in Rishikesh. I guess I'll just start from the being, though its been a while. We arrived in Hardawar, an hour down the Ganga from Rishikesh. After emerging from the train ( 17 hours from Varanasi to Delhi, a 6ish hour "lay-over" there, and a 7 hour trip into Haradawar... All in all, a whole lotta travel. A little old woman curled up on my feet somewhere around one in the morning on the train to Delhi. I sat for about thirty minutes, stuck in a bit of bewilderment, thinking to myself, "WHO DOES THAT!?!" India does that. So i started to poke her like crazy. This made her only crawl further into her shawl. The woman across from me intervened, pinched the little shawl woman so hard she shot on to the floor of the train. All and all, another successful encounter with the Indian people......) ....emerging from the train a cold breeze hit our faces. WHOOOOOOO! We had made out of the hot sticky air of the plains, finally back into the mountains. The change in climate could not have made me any happier at that moment. The train station was quiet and sleepy, which I think was a first. A little later, me Jeff, Tiana and Andi were sitting in a rickshaw/bus, colored in this strange red light. The owner of this ridiculous machine cranked his equally ridiculous Indian music to eleven, and we took off. This was one of the most unerving rides that I think I've experienced, and have we had some sketchy rickshaw adventures... I kept daring myself to look out the road, only to be met with complete darkness. Our headlight barely making a dent, we charged into traffic head on, this guy was out of his mind yet so at ease, "shooting the gap" every minute or so at 50. Like always... we made it! A warm bed was just what we needed...
Rishikesh!!!!! A good breakfast of eggs and toast did the trick the next morning. The view from me and Eli's balcony was amazing, something that I could really get used waking up to, and we basked and lounged in its glory for morning. We walked down into Rishikesh as a group, got our orientation in white water rafting, and then had the day in town to ourselves, Which included the discovery, maybe I was the only one excited by this, of samosas... FILLED WITH FRUIT. So tasty, so life changing. We walked Rishikesh up and down, losing ourselves in its back alley ashrams, and making friends with its tiny, miniature hairy cows. Nelle and Eli made an attempt at the waterfall down the road, a little too late, and ended up having to turn around before reaching the big one (No worries, we got redemption a few days later). A guide warned us of the dangers of lions that prowl the mountain by night. Whether or not that was true at all, it was really dark, so we headed back home. The night ended really nicely, with good food and good company. Me and Eli then retired to our bachelor pad.....
Rapids!!!!! The day begin with an early rise and a scenic drive up the river. We got the low down from are raft guide from Colorado, Jedidiah I think? We did some drills and jumped in the water. This day actually went by pretty fast, it all just blends together into one great time. We hit wave after wave of water, but never got thrown. That was actually my one goal, get unintentionally thrown from the boat. But it never happened.... Well, at least not in my boat.... In fact, now that i remember, Dylan and (leader) Amanda got tossed on the first rapid.... The day ended, soon enough, group happy and soaked. I realize i've really gotten caught up in this blogging thing..... Sorry sorry, i'll finish up.
I cant speak for everyone, but the next day was extra special for me. Me Eli and Nelle (once again) made the push for the waterfall up the road in the morning, and finally made it. It was unbelievable. The waterfall was perfect, pouring into a crystal clear, blueish pool of the most unbelievably refreshing cool water. A bit of a rock climb up and there was another even more spectacular pool, the rocks created a sort of cave-like shade. It was wild, sitting up there, to think that somewhere so beautifully had been sitting next to us, for two day, undiscovered. We spent some amazing hours up there, swimming and relaxing in the jungle, and came down satisfied and content... So that pretty much sums up rishikesh, or at least my rishikesh... You might be asking, hey Trev, what about the Ashram, and didnt you just get into Amritsar last night?!?!?! Not my job people! its up to Nick and Andi to give you the low down, but let me assure we have been having some great, amazing experiences. Anywho.... Know that we are all safe, happy and heathy, sleeping under the Sikhs holy Golden Temple tonight, and know that we all love and miss you!!!!!!!! Thanks for all the emails/comments/love that you've been sending our way! Keep it comin'!
Trevor
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Rishikesh: Rafting and Relaxation.
Greetings from Rishikesh, the world's "capital for yoga," not to mention some incredible white water rafting, mini cows and an array of other great wildlife. Rishikesh sits on the beautiful ganga, sparkling brilliantly and clean (as clean as it gets here in India) as it makes its way through this beautiful canyon. Yesterday the crew took a day trip down the river, rafting with a company called "Red Chilli." Our guides were awesome, the scenery was breathtaking, and the water was perfect. Monkeys of different size and color dotted the landscape. We even had the honor of viewing two massive vultures with a wingspan that would put Michael Jordan to shame (it might be a close call as to whose is bigger).
The rapids, mostly mid threes, gave us a great ride and left us plenty satisfied. We even had the opportunity to jump in and swim the rapids, a refreshing soak as we floated the surface of the river. Rishikesh has definitely made it to the top of the list within my favorite destintions in India (and perhaps the world?). With its layed back atmosphere, beautiful landscapes, fabulous shopping and, not to mention a destination that could be described as 'rafting meets spirituality' at first glace, I could call this place home. There's even a pretty good mexican food selection at many of the restaurants. Yes, Mexican food, here in India! Alright, it's not quite like home when you bite into a quesadilla that is made up primarily of cucumbers, but it's a start.
Tomorrow we head out for Pool Chatti ashram, located about 5 kilometers from where we are currently staying. The week will consist of quiet reflection on the banks of the ganga in between mediation, yoga and a variety of programs aimed at improved self-awareness.
(Btw, this is just an exerpt from my blog, so you can read the full version at http://thirdeyeactivist.blogspot.com/2010/11/ganga-cleansings-and-monkey-business.html)
Hope everything is going well back in the states! We miss you and love you very much!
Much love,
Amanda
The rapids, mostly mid threes, gave us a great ride and left us plenty satisfied. We even had the opportunity to jump in and swim the rapids, a refreshing soak as we floated the surface of the river. Rishikesh has definitely made it to the top of the list within my favorite destintions in India (and perhaps the world?). With its layed back atmosphere, beautiful landscapes, fabulous shopping and, not to mention a destination that could be described as 'rafting meets spirituality' at first glace, I could call this place home. There's even a pretty good mexican food selection at many of the restaurants. Yes, Mexican food, here in India! Alright, it's not quite like home when you bite into a quesadilla that is made up primarily of cucumbers, but it's a start.
Tomorrow we head out for Pool Chatti ashram, located about 5 kilometers from where we are currently staying. The week will consist of quiet reflection on the banks of the ganga in between mediation, yoga and a variety of programs aimed at improved self-awareness.
(Btw, this is just an exerpt from my blog, so you can read the full version at http://thirdeyeactivist.blogspot.com/2010/11/ganga-cleansings-and-monkey-business.html)
Hope everything is going well back in the states! We miss you and love you very much!
Much love,
Amanda
Friday, October 29, 2010
Ganges
Yesterday I took a walk down the bank of the Ganges with Nelle, Jeff, and Amanda Ji. It was a walk that won't leave me for a while.
As we began our stroll we immediately came across a Bollywood style dance scene being filmed on the steps leading to a temple that sits on the edge of the river. Indian music was blasting from a speaker as ten dancers, half of whom looked confused and overwhelmed, moved to the screaming narration of the director. Taking all we could from the uniquely Indian moment we had stumbled upon, we continued our walk. Perhaps it was naive of me to accept the bollywood dance as the most outlandish scene to be seen on the side of the Ganges, because just one hundred feet down river came our next adventure.
Each year, during the Monsoon season, masses of silt are washed up onto the Ghats situated next to the Ganges. This mud can be as much as five or six feet deep, and is nearly impossible to walk across. An unfortunate cow found this out the hard way. One of the countless thousand pound beasts that roam the streets of Varanasi had walked into a deep part of the silt, only to sink to a point where only its head and back were above ground. There were five Indian men pathetically attempting to pull it out with a couple of ropes. We were eager to help, but at a loss for how to do so without getting covered in a thick layer of Ganges mud (a hotbed for hepatitis B and dead body remains). Eventually, the five men working on freeing the animal, tied two ropes around the cow. One rope around its torso and another around its head. They then beckoned us down to help pull. Nelle, Jeff, Amanda, and I found the least muddy place to stand by the rope, and began to play tug of war against the mud. The cow groaned and rolled its eyes to the back of its head, which made it hard to feel very good about doing what we thought was best for its well-being. After toiling with the rope for five or ten minutes, we successfully pulled the cow out of its dirty captivity. It immediately ran away. Just as everyone felt the relief of having saved this holy Hindu creature, another began to walk to the same place where the first one had gotten caught. This cow was firmly wacked with a large stick. Crisis averted. Taking a moment to regroup and wash our hands, we set off for more excitement.
India did not disappoint. Just a few minutes away from the cow, lived a colony of monkeys. They were climbing, jumping and running all over the buildings overlooking the Ganges. They climbed up and down and jumped from one building to the next as effortlessly as a human crosses the street. They are tricky animals. We watched them take things from open windows of houses. When the owner of one of these houses would come out to shoe them away, they would hide, just out of sight, but close enough to resume their mischievous work when the home owner retreated. Even monkeys lose their novelty after a while, and so we continued down the holy river.
Passing water buffalo and religious men, kite fliers and boat drivers, we reached the final destination: a burning ghat. We sat quietly on a bench, humbled by the sight of a human body being engulfed by flames. There was no attempt to hide what was occurring. Gradually the body's expressionless face melted away into the ash below and its limbs and torso turned into an unrecognizable, charred mass. Goats, dogs, water buffalo, and cows meandered through the burning ghat, actively looking for scraps from the fires. Occasionally a worker would hit these animals with a wooden branch, but only if they got in the way. By in large the animals were left to live in harmony with the death around them. After over an hour, we were asked to leave, to make room for mourning families. And thus ended our trek down the bank of the Ganges.
-Eli
As we began our stroll we immediately came across a Bollywood style dance scene being filmed on the steps leading to a temple that sits on the edge of the river. Indian music was blasting from a speaker as ten dancers, half of whom looked confused and overwhelmed, moved to the screaming narration of the director. Taking all we could from the uniquely Indian moment we had stumbled upon, we continued our walk. Perhaps it was naive of me to accept the bollywood dance as the most outlandish scene to be seen on the side of the Ganges, because just one hundred feet down river came our next adventure.
Each year, during the Monsoon season, masses of silt are washed up onto the Ghats situated next to the Ganges. This mud can be as much as five or six feet deep, and is nearly impossible to walk across. An unfortunate cow found this out the hard way. One of the countless thousand pound beasts that roam the streets of Varanasi had walked into a deep part of the silt, only to sink to a point where only its head and back were above ground. There were five Indian men pathetically attempting to pull it out with a couple of ropes. We were eager to help, but at a loss for how to do so without getting covered in a thick layer of Ganges mud (a hotbed for hepatitis B and dead body remains). Eventually, the five men working on freeing the animal, tied two ropes around the cow. One rope around its torso and another around its head. They then beckoned us down to help pull. Nelle, Jeff, Amanda, and I found the least muddy place to stand by the rope, and began to play tug of war against the mud. The cow groaned and rolled its eyes to the back of its head, which made it hard to feel very good about doing what we thought was best for its well-being. After toiling with the rope for five or ten minutes, we successfully pulled the cow out of its dirty captivity. It immediately ran away. Just as everyone felt the relief of having saved this holy Hindu creature, another began to walk to the same place where the first one had gotten caught. This cow was firmly wacked with a large stick. Crisis averted. Taking a moment to regroup and wash our hands, we set off for more excitement.
India did not disappoint. Just a few minutes away from the cow, lived a colony of monkeys. They were climbing, jumping and running all over the buildings overlooking the Ganges. They climbed up and down and jumped from one building to the next as effortlessly as a human crosses the street. They are tricky animals. We watched them take things from open windows of houses. When the owner of one of these houses would come out to shoe them away, they would hide, just out of sight, but close enough to resume their mischievous work when the home owner retreated. Even monkeys lose their novelty after a while, and so we continued down the holy river.
Passing water buffalo and religious men, kite fliers and boat drivers, we reached the final destination: a burning ghat. We sat quietly on a bench, humbled by the sight of a human body being engulfed by flames. There was no attempt to hide what was occurring. Gradually the body's expressionless face melted away into the ash below and its limbs and torso turned into an unrecognizable, charred mass. Goats, dogs, water buffalo, and cows meandered through the burning ghat, actively looking for scraps from the fires. Occasionally a worker would hit these animals with a wooden branch, but only if they got in the way. By in large the animals were left to live in harmony with the death around them. After over an hour, we were asked to leave, to make room for mourning families. And thus ended our trek down the bank of the Ganges.
-Eli
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