Journey of One

Leaving India, and Beyond.....

walkingabout2 — Sat, 5 May 2012 23:41:00 GMT

While in Rishikesh, I had to make some decisions about the next part of my journey as my India visa was due to expire in about 9 days (I acquired the visa in November before I left the U.S.) I had originally planned to fly to Nepal, then on to Turkey and make my way through Europe. I anguished over this a bit, because I want to see everything and love to travel, but I need some time out after India. I have seen so many monuments, temples, historical sites, and it's been incredible but I don't feel like I have the energy or desire to travel through Europe at the peak of the tourist season. I also don't want to deplete my finances.

So I changed my course -I'm returning to the States to take advantage of the relative freedom that I'm enjoying at this point in my life. I have a strong desire to keep going, but this time I'm going to be doing a lot of retreats, spending time in nature, and exploring some places in the U.S., then I'm considering continuing on to South or Central America, but this time I'd like to go as a volunteer. I'll be looking into different opportunities and possibilities and will post my onward journey here as it takes shape.

Rishikesh

walkingabout2 — Sat, 5 May 2012 23:35:00 GMT

I arrived in Rishikesh early in the morning via overnight bus from Delhi. The bus drops you off at the Ganges across the river from Swarg Ashram. I walked along the ghats to the footbridge to get to Swarg Ashram; this was no easy feat as I have accumulated an incredibly heavy burden of stuff. It was a beautiful walk though; Rishikesh is in a beautiful setting surrounded by mountains, nestled in the foothills along the swift-moving, sparkling Ganges. I finally made it to the Ashram I thought I'd be staying at only to find that it was full; then next one I tried was full as well. So I found a guesthouse, unloaded my stuff and went looking around. It was crowded, and by noon was very hot. There were a lot of pilgrims, sadhus, tourists - Indian and otherwise. And where there are tourists, there are vendors selling stuff; so the town is packed with shops, wagons and stalls which is nothing new - but mixed in with the merchandise, were signs offering yoga, meditation, auryvedic treatments, etc. - so this was refreshing as I'd come to Rishikesh with all that in mind. I walked around a lot, dangled my feet in the Ganges, and had some good food at one of the many cafes overlooking the river. The next day I was able to get a room at the Sant Sewa Ashram; I was lucky as there was one left with a balcony right on the Ganges. It turned into a personal retreat, actually, as I found the meditation and yoga on offer too commercial. Everything in Rishikesh started feeling very tourist driven, though the spirituality was definitely there, and the many Sadhus added to the atmosphere - the constantly blaring horns, the trash, the persistent and ever-present flies, the focus on souvenirs- did somewhat mar an otherwise magical place.

Rishikesh was not what I expected, or maybe I just didn't find what I was looking for there. I seemed to have this experience in common with the other travellers I talked to who were looking for something more authentic, a break from the usual commercialism.

Photos: Rishikesh

walkingabout2 — Sat, 5 May 2012 23:28:00 GMT

Photos: The Beaches of Goa

walkingabout2 — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 16:08:00 GMT

Goa, India

walkingabout2 — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 15:44:00 GMT

I almost bypassed Goa after hearing about how crowded it was and how you get so pestered by beach vendors. I guess going at the end of the season (beginning of April) is the way to go then, because - while hot - the beach is breezy, beautiful, and not at all crowded! The vendors are annoying, but you can get some good buys if you visit their litttle makeshift stores; some of them are packing up to leave and are willing to sell anything for 100-150 rupees ($2-$3).

So anyway, I caught an overnight bus from Hampi to Goa. Since I wasn't sure where to get off, I opted for the last stop in Mapsa which put me arriving after sunrise. Once in Mapsa, I had some chai at a cafe at the bus terminal and contemplated my next destination. I opted for Vagator and hopped on a bus going that way. I was dropped off on the side of the road and just started walking in the direction of the beach. I found a great place to stay, unloaded my stuff and headed to the beach. It was very pretty with cliffs and rocky views; it was also laid back though the vendors on the beach were a constant companion or irritation, however you want to look at it. I ended up agreeing to a pedicure and a "threading" - this was actually quite nice to lounge on the beach and have this done, and they did a wonderful job. Threading is the process of plucking the hair off your legs (or wherever) using a simple thread. It works and isn't even painful!

I started relaxing in Vagator. I have found India very stressful for the most part - so much noise, pollution, trash, animal welfare issues, so many people wanting money from me-either begging or wanting me to buy something; it can be exhausting, overwhelming. I've learned to step over the trash (though I refuse to litter), and I make a motion of empty pockets to beggars more often than not (after I've given away as much as I can afford, and sometimes because I think they're professional beggars, and I never give money to children) and after awhile it's easy to ignore pleas to "just take a look at my shop". I just walk on. That's the downside of India, of course, - the upside, the thing that makes me keep wanting to love India is on a deeper level, though perhaps even on the same side of the coin - I appreciate the rawness of humanity here, and the spiritual side which is so prevalent in everything.

I stayed at Vagator Beach for a few days then headed down to Anguna Beach, maybe 20 minutes south. There was a lot more going on at this beach, very good vibe with trance/chill music galore. I liked that beach even more and stayed for another 4 days. I had a great room there, but the morning that I left I discovered a scorpion sitting on the toilet tissue when I reached back to grab it. I'm not sure who was more startled, me or the scorpion. I jumped up and the scorpion made its way back into the rocks of the wall with its tail up in the air. Up until this point, I've been reaching very casually into my pack, feeling around for sometime, throwing on clothes without really looking at them, stumbling in the dark to the bathroom...but no more! I was sufficiently traumatized by that to be a little more aware of what might be lurking in some of these places. I was especially horrified at the thought that perhaps the scorpion crawled into my pack or onto my clothing while I was wandering through the desert landscape of Hampi and then crawled out at some point during the night or day. In any case, I wasn't spending another night in that room. So I made my way further south to Palolem Beach, which I like even better than the other two beaches. I am glad to be here at the end of the season; the crowds have thinned, it's hot but breezy at the beach and the huts on the beach are available and affordable. I'm writing this from the beach, during an open mike at one of the many bar/restaurants in the sand. My room is a hut overlooking the sea; the waves sound like they're right outside my door. I was going to stay here for 3 days; and I have, but I'm liking it so much I think I'll stay another 3 days. I bought a plane ticket to Delhi that leaves Goa on the 17th of April, so I have made a deadline for myself. My next destination is Rishikesh, a shortish bus ride from Delhi.

Photos: Hampi

walkingabout2 — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 15:29:00 GMT

Hampi, Karnataka

walkingabout2 — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 15:27:00 GMT

When I left the ashram I headed for Bangalore knowing that I could go anywhere from there. I took a bus and arrived in Bangalore on a Sunday afternoon. As I made my way from the bus terminal looking for a room, I was plagued by a persistent tout - I looked at the ratty room he had to offer and declined, carrying my heavy pack in what seemed like 100-degree weather. Not finding anything in the immediate vicinity of the bus terminal, I caught an autorickshaw to the YMCA guesthouse that was recommended in the Lonely Planet guidebook. This turned out to be walking distance to the bus station, and was an incredibly good deal - a huge room with 3 ceiling fans, hot water, spotlessly clean, and very cheap. I went looking for a place to eat but just about everything was shut up tight on Sunday. I wandered around the quiet streets, checked out the Indian Coffee House and headed out (gratefully) the next day via bus to Hampi.

Hampi was intriguing from afar - described as a strange place of rock formations and ruins. I had to see it. And that is exactly what it is - interesting, and incredible; you can wander through the ruins and rocks at your leisure, though it was quite hot at the end of March. The locals live in some of the ancient buildings, and there are ruins in the river - everywhere you look, if you look closely, you'll find something quite old. For instance, it was strange to look down and see that a long row of plates and bowls had been carved into the stone - it looks forgotten but will be there for as long as the rocks endure. It's easy to imagine the story it contains. I visited at the end of the season, so just about all the sites were deserted; I hired an autorickshaw for the day and he took me all over, waiting as I explored - mostly completely alone among the ruins. The desert-like atmosphere of the boulders blends with tropical banana plantations and green fields near the river. The town very much caters to the backpacking crowd with stalls selling the usual fare of colorful clothing and cheap jewelry. There are guesthouses everywhere, all in competition, so prices are low at the end of season (about $6 a night for a good private room). It was hot, but not unbearable, though I left there craving the beach. So when I saw all I cared to see, I caught a bus to Goa.

Amritapuri Ashram, Kerala

walkingabout2 — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 15:25:00 GMT

I have to start by saying that this was my first real ashram experience in India. This was one of the stops that I'd wanted to make when I was planning my journey as I've admired Amma and have been curious about her for years. I'd seen film clips of her hugging people who come to her by the droves, but I didn't really know that much about her other than those vignettes. I never expected to meet her, or be "hugged" by her - but I was lucky, as she was in residence at the ashram when I visited. Her ashram is huge and in a gorgeous location sandwiched between the sea and the river. My room was on the 12th floor of one of the several very tall buildings - there is room for everybody who wants to visit (or stay), and it appears that they are expanding even more. My room cost 500 rupees (about $10) a night, and this included 3 indian-style meals.

I arrived in time for the 5pm orientation tour; it begins with a film that shows all of Amma's humanitarian works, awards, recognition, etc. The film is quite moving and by the end you feel a bit awed and amazed to be in the presence of this great person. But she's not just a great person - in the eyes of many she is a saint, or the Holy Mother in the form of a person, Her person. Her image is everywhere, on everything. Indians and others from all over the world come to receive her darshan (hug/blessing) which she gives 4 days a week, nearly non-stop. To see her, you have to take a number (or token), so to speak - of the international guests, she receives new arrivals and people leaving first, others have to wait - darshan can go on until late in the night. Everybody staying at the ashram gets at least one 30 minute chance to sit on stage and watch her in action; this is a spell-binding experience and I never missed an opportunity to be on the stage and watch her up close. I was perhaps as -or more- moved by the people who came to her as I was by her. They come to her as they would come before God - full of needs, tears, love, sincerity; openness and belief. They kneal before "her lotus feet" like children; and she encourages this path of devotion to her as a way to the divine within. There were hundreds of people coming and going each day, and there are around 2 thousand people living at the ashram full-time. There's no required dresscode, though she and all of her devotees (which is just about everybody) wear white, so to conform and show respect, most people who are just visiting end up wearing white too. I was originally only going to stay for about a week - but signed up for a sanskrit class and paid in advance for 2 weeks, but then ended up staying for just 10 days. While others worshipped the ground she walked on (literally), I found myself falling away and couldn't connect with (or worship) her in that way though I read her biography and 3 of her books and completely admire her humanitarian works and her wisdom.

Photos: Backwater trip from Ft. Cochin, Kerala

walkingabout2 — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 15:17:00 GMT

Photos: Ft. Cochin, Kerala

walkingabout2 — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 15:12:00 GMT

Kerala - Ft. Cochin and the backwater

walkingabout2 — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 15:08:00 GMT

I decided to fly from Udaipur to Kochi, Kerala - I'm finding that booking a train within a few days of when I want to leave is hit or miss - mostly miss - as all the seats that are reservable are reserved, and I haven't been brave enough or willing to take my chances with the unreserved class as I possibly wouldn't have a place to sit for the entire journey. I've been taking buses since I started this journey in Vietnam; I've had good and bad experiences with them - on the one hand, it allows you to mingle with the locals and see the countryside through an open window, and some sleeper buses can almost be comfortable. On the other hand, buses can be bumpy, crowded and sometimes dangerous with crazy, daredevil drivers. For long journeys, it's so nice to be able to fly, and domestic flights are pretty inexpensive, fast and so worth it!

So I made my way to Ft Cochin via taxi shared with two other travellers - the taxi dropped us off at the ferry landing, and from there we caught the ferry to Ft. Cochin for about 2 rupees. I actually landed in Kochi with a rough idea but no definitive plan - this is the way I've started travelling - just flying by the seat of my pants which seems to come more naturally to me anyway. I went to Kerala with the intention of seeing the backwater, and was going to stay somewhere for the night then make my way further south for the quintessential backwater experience - viewing life from a canoe along the many waterways snaking through the green, lush place that is Kerala. But since the other travellers were heading to Ft. Cochin, I decided to go there too and at least check it out before heading south. I thought I'd just stay a night or two, but I ended up staying there for about 5 days. I really liked it - though at first it seems quite touristy, there is a laid-back, artistic vibe and plenty of opportunities to experience the Indian art, theater, dance and music scene. There was something interesting to do every night, and by day there is the backwater to explore, and the river to wander along, and of course - shoppping, although I think everything was way overpriced and all I bought was a flute made out of a gourd sold by one of the many street peddlars. He could make some very nice tunes with the thing, but I haven't quite got the hang of it yet. I'm hanging on to it though as it hardly weighs anything and doesn't take up much space, so I'll keep lugging it around along with the ravanatha that I bought from the gypsy guy in Pushkar - I'll likely never be able to play that either, but it has a soul of its own, and a story to tell; I have to keep it - I'll eventually get home with it, but for now it feels like an albatross.

Since I did and saw so much from Ft. Cochin, and since the backwater experience - while incredibly beautiful - is also incredibly touristy (meaning yours is not the only boat on the river), I decided to spend some time at the Amritapuri Ashram (Amma; a.k.a. - the "hugging saint"), so I reserved a room there online then caught a bus to the nearest town a little further south in Kerala then an autorickshaw the rest of the way to the Ashram.

Photos: Holi, Udaipur

walkingabout2 — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 15:02:00 GMT

Udaipur, Rajasthan

walkingabout2 — Sun, 1 Apr 2012 13:15:00 GMT

I can see how Udaipur gets its reputation as "the most romantic city" in this part of the world. There is a "floating" palace and several other structures in the lake - it's all lit up at night and is absolutely gorgeous from one of the many colorful (and cheap) rooftop restaurants in town. The winding streets are full of enticing shops, guesthouses, internet cafes and restaurants - and tourists, lots of tourists. But then, I was there for the Holi festival - so it was probably busier than usual. The constant traffic whizzing and honking through the narrow streets was in stark contrast to the tranquil views of the lake.

As I had just experienced the beginning of Holi in Pushkar, I was expecting something similar - but it couldn't have been more different, at least the first day. I guess you could say that Holi is much "holier" in Pushkar - traditional; for real, not staged for tourists - at least not of the Western variety. So I was surprised when the first day of Holi consisted of watching a guy dressed as a woman dance around on stage to indian pop music - culminating in an invitation to tourists to get on the stage and dance too - which they did, of course, and had a good time - but it was so odd standing in the huge crowd of indians watching a bunch of white western people dance on the stage. Then there was a little rap segement where some boys did break dancing. Finally, it was time to light the bonfire - the moment everybody was waiting for. First, they lit fires and set off firecrackers in various corners of town. Then came the grand finale -the torching of a huge haystack held together with wooden poles that was positioned in front of the temple and surrounded by hundreds of people. They cleared the immediate area and people moved back which closed in the crowd until we were packed so tight we had nowhere else to go. A series of deafening firecrackers went off around the perimeter of the giant haystack, then whole thing was set ablaze. It was an amazing sight, and fire was shooting out everywhere. I was in a crowd just outside the perimeter and everybody started pushing and ducking because fire was flying through the air. A guy in front of me ducked down a little too far then couldn't get back up - and he nearly got trampled but I managed to help him up, or at least stop the flow long enough for him to get on his feet. We were all terrified for those few minutes and moved with the crowd whether we liked it or not. After the inital blast, the sparks finally subsided and I managed to hold up my camera and get a few pictures. So that was the first day. The second day every place in town was closed, and people started dousing others with colored powders and water around 11 am. After getting smeared (and smearing others) with colored paste (usually on the face) you hug and say "Happy Holi". It's actually a joyful and beautiful expression of unity and people were hugging one another everywhere you looked. After awhile, the colors turned to mud and the dousing was officially over at 5pm. I was very ready to take a long shower and find something to eat as food was nowhere to be found all day. A couple of not-so-popular restaurants in town opened so they probably did 3 months worth of business in one night.

I got up at 4:30 a.m. the next day to catch an early flight out - next destination: Ft. Cochin, Kerala.

Animal Aide Unlimited, Udaipur

walkingabout2 — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 01:46:00 GMT

While in Udaipur I visited one of the few animal shelters in India. This one was started by an American family about 10 years ago and since then they have treated over 130,000 animals. Most of the dogs in India live on the streets, in fact, I've been told that keeping the typical mutt-variety dog as a pet is relatively uncommon and adopting from a shelter is almost unheard of. None of the dogs pictured have ever, or likely will ever have a home, however, those dogs who are paralyzed or legless will be able to stay on at the shelter for the rest of their lives. The other dogs - those that come in with wounds, mange or other problems - will be treated, given a rabies vaccination, spayed/neutered and then set free back into the wild streets where they came from. The only animals that are euthanized are those with serious issues (such as rabies) or those who are suffering with no hope of relief. There are puppies born at the shelter - when the mother is healthy enough to be released, the puppies will go with her. They try to drop the dogs off in a part of town where they're likely to have a better chance of survival.

I love animals, especially dogs - so this visit was very difficult and will likely haunt me forever. I spent most of my time there just petting them, one after another they'd drag themselves or hop over to be to be petted - they were all incredibly sweet and so hungry for attention. A thin little dog with big sad eyes huddled under my leg while another rolled on her back and closed her eyes while I scratched her belly, like any dog might do; affection from humans is rare on the street, but the dogs still manage to desire it. Most of the animals end up at the shelter because they've either been run over, abused, injured in a fight, or are profoundly emaciated and/or mangy. This shelter has made a huge impact in raising community awareness and involvement, so most of the animals were picked up after receiving an anonymous tip, although they also dispatch a vehicle and look for animals in need. Painful as it was, I actually think this was one of the most profound experiences I've had in India so far.

Photos: Animal Aid Unlimited, Udaipur

walkingabout2 — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 01:20:00 GMT

Photos: Udaipur

walkingabout2 — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:51:00 GMT

Photos: Pushkar

walkingabout2 — Tue, 6 Mar 2012 03:14:00 GMT

Photos: Jaipur

walkingabout2 — Tue, 6 Mar 2012 03:06:00 GMT

Photos: Varanasi

walkingabout2 — Tue, 6 Mar 2012 02:51:00 GMT

Photos: Bodhgaya

walkingabout2 — Tue, 6 Mar 2012 02:30:00 GMT