Side trips

So I ended up taking a side trip to Nepal with two really good friends of mine. It was absolutely fantastic. We had about nine days, which was just enough time to fly to Katmandu, bus to Pokhara, and then trek in the "hills" below the large Himalayan peaks in the Annapurna region. The circuit we hiked took us up and down what the Nepalese call hills, but easily pass for mountains back in the states. A good 11,000-12,000 ft above sea level. Imagine you are craning your neck to look up at the peak of the tallest mountain you have ever seen. Now imagine standing on top of said mountain and still casting your eyes high into the heavens onto a much, much loftier peak. That is what the Himalaya are like. Unbelievably tall with valleys deep as the abyss. In the depths the climate is tropical and the valleys are a patchwork of rice patties. As you ascend you travel through forests of rhododendron trees. The tree line extends far above those of mountain ranges in the United States. Far into the heights above sheer, glaciated peaks pierce the skies. I barely even scratched the surface of what the Himalaya are.

One of the most interesting things about trekking in the Himalaya is that you are not wandering on mountain trails only accessed by mountain goats and yaks. No. The paths you tread have been used by the Nepalese for hundreds of years. They have painstakingly created stone staircases running up and down along the mountains for miles. As you trek you meander through village after village and observe their simple life. I have rarely felt more peace than I did in the tranquil villages and teahouses that dotted our path. The people of Nepal have literally carved a life for themselves out of the mountains themselves. Terraces and gardens run nearly from top to bottom of the hill sides and extend to the edges of sheer cliffs. The people are also wonderfully hospitable.

On our last day we descended down hours of stone staircases to the valleys. For some reason Nepal was on strike that day and there were no taxis, buses, or any other form of transportation to Pokhara besides our swollen feet and battered knees. So we walked. We were followed by gangs of singing, begging children. We walked for hours in driving rain that soaked us through. We walked until we could not stop, because if we did we would not be able to start again. Near the outskirts of Pokhara we finally found a car that would take us the rest of the way to Pokhara. The next day we took a bus to Katmandu, and the next day we flew back to India.

So long

My time here in India is steadily drawing to a close and this will probably be my last post. I have a few days left working at Maitri and then I hit the road. Not the road home yet. No. There is still far to much to do and see here. In a few days I board a train bond for Haridwar in Northwestern India. I am going to the elephant reserve, the yoga capital of the universe, and the mountains. After that I am off to Nepal with some friends. It will be a few weeks before I board a plane for the States. I would like to be able to summarize my experience here into a few bullet points about what I have learned. But that would be like trying to summarize India itself in a few sentences, and that is impossible. Its roots are too deep, diverse, and intertwining. I am a little aprehensive about returing to the States; where we have so much. If we determine the validity of a reality by how many people are experiencing said reality and would agree that it is how the life is, then the reality experienced by those living in India is much more real than the one I have grown up in. One sixth, probably more, of the world population lives in India. Reality as experienced by Indians is proportionally much more real than my American life. If we ride this trian of logic to its conclusion then spending your days in the fields under the hot sun is much more real than working at a desk in an office. Cooking your meals over smouldering patties of cow dung that you have pressed yourself is much more real than sitting in a nice resturant and being waited upon. Squating and releaving yourself in a field, behind a building, or on the sidewalk is much more real than indoor plumbing. Poverty, disease, abuse, and neglect are much more real than abundance, health, care, and nurturing. Not that everyone suffers in India. A great many are healthy and happy regardless of their economic status. But it makes you think for sure. Perhaps I, we, should be more grateful for what we have. Or perhaps we do not need all that we have. Or maybe what we have is not what we really need. There is a lot of goodness in the world. Here in India you will find kindness and hospitality from the poorest of places. However, there is still a lot of room in the world for more kindness and brotherly/sisterly love. There is great need for it.

My gratitude and thanks to all the Winnie Ma'am, General Sir, Sonal Ma'am, the Maitri staff, and all the people of India. This has been incredible.

Music

Have you ever heard the music in the rain? Listen closely the next time it rains where you are. Listen to the distinct sounds. Each drop of rain has its own sound determined by its size, how hard it falls, and where it lands. If you listen you can hear the subtle whispering of the light, thin rain on a lake. Or the heavy, thunderous crescendo of fat, fast drops upon the leaves. Perhaps as you listen your mind will be riven in two as lighting sears across the darkened sky accompanied by thunderous booms as if the clash of a thousand cymbals. Or maybe you will wake up in your bed to the rhythmic tapping of a steady rain on the window. If you listen closely you can hear its beat. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. Fall and drop...Plip and plop...Yes there is nothing quite like music made by the rain. Often it does not come with just one song. Sometimes it comes with a multitude of voices. A choir, a symphony, a heavy metal rock concert. Sometimes falls and flows in expected patterns. Familiar melodies from childhood days spent staring through summer windows on drenched play fields and splashing until equally drenched in puddles and gutters. The soft rain followed by the heavy rain diminishing to sprinkling rain. But sometimes it comes in such variety that you never know when the beginning came or when the end passed by. Or if it passed at all. Forever is it starting again and renewing itself in greater fury and tempo than before. And then it stops. Quickly as it began. All that remains is the metronome drips from leaves and ledges. Falling forever in time. One. Two. Three. Four. One. Two. Three. Four. As echo and tribute to the passing music of the rain.

If you can't guess it yet then I will just tell it to you straight. It rained today. Rain is a great thing. It renews the world and the soul. Never pass a good opportunity to walk in the rain amid a thunder storm. Especially if you have the chance the observe an elephant sheltering under an overpass and orange lightning splitting the night.

I have thought long and hard but I still cannot seem to find words that adequately describe the surreal charm of the city of Jaipur. It is a bustling city that sprawls as far as the eye can see. Located deep in Raghastan where it is much drier and desert like. It is an ancient, yet modern city. Case in point, across from my hotel there was a walled enclosure that looked several hundred years old. The walls were high enough that I could not see what was beyond them, even from my hotel's restaurant rooftop. However, poking above the crumbling walls was a satellite dish. Whatever, or whoever, is on the other side of those ancient fortifications has satellite cable. Go figure eh.

Jaipur has a tradition of painting its buildings pink. Though most of these have sun bleached to a fine tangerine orange. The entire walled off section that comprises the old city is this color and is full of all the shops you could imagine. I had my first real experience shopping in India in the bazaar lined avenues of the old city in Jaipur. The shop keeper will take you in the back of his shop and sit you in the most comfortable spot. He will insist that you take some chai (tea) and then proceed to try his absolute hardest to get you to buy something. They are pretty good to. I walked away with a few trinkets that will go to friends and family. Bartering is not my strong suit but I think I did alright.

One of the best things about Jaipur is the hills. Delhi, and just about everything for hundreds of kilometers around it, is absolutely flat. Honestly it drives me insane some days. I need some texture to my landscape. Jaipur is ringed by hills filled with the most amazing temples, hill forts, and lonely shacks occupied by Hindu holy men. I spent an afternoon wandering the cobblestone paths in these hills listening to the songs and prayers of the holy men as they were broadcast over loudspeakers. Eventually I found myself passing through the temple of the sun god and on my way to the other side of the hills to Galta. Galta is a temple complex devoted to Hanuman, the monkey god. It is inhabited by hundreds, maybe thousands, of monkeys. At first I was a little uneasy. Monkeys have big teeth. When I turned corners in the temples monkeys ran every which way. Eventually I got used to them and walked about freely. Except up one path. There was a large, and very aggressive monkey there attacking all the others. I thought it best to give him some distance. I am sorry there are no pictures of the temple of monkeys, but you need permission to take photos and the monkeys tend to attack cameras. You can see the temple off in the distance in the canyon the path leads to.

Across town and in the northern hills is the Amber Fort. It is a short bus ride there. By the way I love the local buses. It is so much more fun to be among the people than to be on a tourist bus being guided everywhere. Anyways. The valley the fort is in is ringed with defensive walls, which of course I climbed. Come on. It is a several hundred year old defensive wall on a high hill top. It has to be climbed. I hung out with the young India boys up there for a bit and then headed back down. The fort itself I did not see much of. I walked up the stone path to it with all the other pilgrims, past the snake charmers and trinket sellers, to the gates. But since it was a festival that day I decided not to wait in line for hours to get in and decided I had seen enough.

Another important thing to mention is the elephants. There are so many elephants up at Amber fort. Elephant rides are offered up to the fort, but I opted not to ride one out of concern for their treatment. Elephants should be free I think. Though sadly there remains little habitat for them to be free in. Of course I guess I am a hypocrite. Should not all domestic animals be free? Anyways, elephants are amazing creatures that need protection/some space where they can be left alone and thrive. I walked among and alongside them in absolute awe, but with some sadness. I hope they are being treated well.

A quick train ride later and I was back in Delhi. There is nothing like seeing the Indian country side at sunset as you hang out of a train. The safety standards are a little different here and it seems to be alright to stand at the door and watch the world fly by.

Yep

I mentioned a few hours ago in my last post about an approaching storm. Have you ever seen yellow lighting? It is pretty darn amazing.

With a Little Help From My Friend

The Beatles were onto something. Who doesn't need a friend? We all just need someone to love and someone to love us in return. Our associations with one another make life sweet. When the day is done and hardships overcome, we get by with a little help from our friends.

It seems that 2011 is the year to come to India. A buddy of mine that I tutored grade school kids with in Salt Lake dropped by this weekend. He is here for a national outdoor leadership school (NOLS) mountaineering course in the Himalaya. I can't help but be a tiny bit jealous. What a trip he is going to have. And what kind of friend would I be if I left him nameless? His name is Chris. He flew in a few days early and spent the past two days here in Delhi with me. It was really good to see someone from back home. We really did not do much to be honest. On Friday I helped him get his bearings and then he went roaming around Delhi while I went to work. We made some good Dalh and Roti for dinner that night. Today we wandered the streets of old Delhi and visited Gandhi's resting place. On a side note I have to say it was fun switching from English, Hindi, and Japanese as I interacted with people we came across on the streets. Then he hopped in a cab and was gone. It was short, but it was sure good to see him and spend hours talking about adventures in the outdoors and gear. It was also really interesting to see his reaction to India. Being with him made me realize all the "Indianisms" I have picked up. The body language. The manner of speaking. The famous, and debatably hilarious, head bobble.

Today is the Crickett World Cup. India vs. Sri Lanka. The country is closed down. I can hear the cheering from the crowds gathered together to watch the match. I am sorry India but I find Crickett to be one of the most boring sports I have ever witnessed. Hah. I am glad they love it though. Wednesday was India's victorious match against Pakistan. I have never seen so many fireworks. The city skyline exploded with bursts of red, green, and white in all directions. From roof tops and street corners the celebrators let rockets fly. Bands played and marched through the streets. It makes me wonder what would have happened if India had lost. Riots.

What interests me the most though is the approaching storm. It is bringing cool winds and rain. There just might be a show of thunder and lightning tonight. Just imagine what that will look like with celebratory fireworks accompanying it if India wins tonight. Should be something worth seeing.

India found

I feel like I have finally found India. It is a hard thing to grasp, India. It is a constantly changing chaotic mass of tradition, modernity, humanity, and nature. It would take a life time to fully experience and understand. However, I feel like I came closer to comprehending the soul of India this week than I have in the past three months. Over the weekend I joined two of Maitri's staff members, Priyanka and Anita, and returned to Vrindavan. I wish I could sum up the experience in a orderly way. Perhaps with a single statement. But just like summing up India in a single sentence, that is impossible for me to do. I will just have to share the events as they occurred. With no common theme running through them.

On the morning we arrived I was blessed to find a spare hour in which I could wander. Those of you who know me well know that I love to wander. I found myself walking down a dirt road that led out of town. In no time I was on a country road far away from the noise and pollution of the city. It was just me, the occasional farmer tending his field, water buffalo bathing in the waterholes, and the peacocks. Ah the peacocks. There is something magical about a peacocks cry. Mournful in a way. Even though I was only able to walk that road for a brief forty minutes I found peace there. I felt the stress and wear of three months time fade away. I felt connected with the world.

We went to the Ashram were some of the widows live that Maitri supports. Bless those wonderful mothers. Wonderful women. They are so much more than the label of marginalized widows implies. They have such a wonderful sweetness about them. They are filled with humor and good nature. Their souls are bright. Although I was able to serve them food again, the majority of my time was spent taking pictures of the widows for Maitri. How they love getting their picture taken. Smiles spread across wrinkled faces as they see pictures of themselves. One reached out to me and embraced me.

I was blessed to spend the night at the home of the man who runs the projects in Vrindavan. I apologize ahead of time for not knowing the spelling of his name, but will update this blog as soon as I know it. He lives in a village a good 50K from Vrindavan. It took us a bike rickshaw ride, auto-rickshaw ride, and bus ride to reach it. He introduced me to his mother, sister, wife, and sons. They are a wonderful family. He and I slept in the guest room. When the morning came I woke up to the cry of peacocks. In no time my host began introducing me to the entire village. They were such friendly people. So hospitable and eager for me to return. I hope I am able to. That was India. Even though great historical events have occurred. Empires have risen and fallen. Cities and economies grow. India is in the villages and has been for thousands of years.

If you have been following this blog then you by now probably know that I have developed a love for camels. They are fantastic animals. Much bigger than I ever imagined. They walk with a sort of grace they I did not expect. Very chill. I was lucky enough to ride one. There was some kind of fair happening. The camels were out. Ferris wheels and other rides filled the market. The smaller ones were powered by young men. The small childrens' roller coaster had no brakes besides a young man who grabbed it a stopped it by planting his heels into the platform. Later in the night we joined a procession with the God Vishnu. There is a massive walled temple in Vrindavan. Once a year Vishnu is brought out and his taken through the city to meet the God Hanuman. We joined the singer priests, musicians, holy men, and worshipers in the night procession.

On a minor note I fought a monkey. Not the monkey in the picture. I just thought that one was interesting because he has one blue eye and one green eye. Monkeys are everywhere in Vrindavan. The Monkey decided he wanted my banana. But I was hungry and wanted my banana for breakfast. He jumped up and pushed me in the chest. I chased him around. After minutes of staring each other down we shared the banana. By the way, the monkey in the picture is not behind bars. It was my first time looking at a monkey where I was the one behind the bars.

I went running later on in the week and I ran into a man taking his elephant for a walk. Have you ever pet an elephant? They have the toughest skin I have ever felt. Absolutely amazing creatures. Camels, monkeys, peacocks, elephants, and cows. (I pet some cows too) What an amazing place.