Travel Blog

The Taj and Bus Antics

11/26/2011

Agra: The city where the Taj Mahal is located! I woke up super early to check it out, having heard the lines can get ridiculous! Unfortunately this past Saturday, all people got in for free due to World Heritage Week - unfairly enough it was still part of that week but the Indian Government was being its shiesty self, and charging money after the one day expired. At least during this time of year, DO NOT ARRIVE SUPER EARLY TO SEE THE TAJ. Why? You will not see it. Why? Due to the immense amount of fog clouding the atmosphere! I arrived around 6:15am to get my ticket, and was inside the Taj by 6:45am, 7 the latest. I had to go right in front of the buildings in order to see! Let's talk unfairness for a moment: Indians pay a mere 20 rupees (40 cents) and all foreigners are charged 750 rupees (15 dollars). How would you feel if you knew you were being charged 35 times the price that natives of that country pay? If you think of it in US dollars, in fact it is not a lot, and many of us can afford to pay that more than Indian citizens can. I can see it both ways, but again I speak from a fairness and equality standpoint. At least they gave a free bottle of water and shoe covers for going inside the buildings! So anyway, I explored the intircately designed center tomb where Mumtaz Mahal was buried and the mosques flanking them! The types of stones used varies and the amazingly detailed flowers make me realize why this complex was so expensive and took so much time to design! The huge pillars are even bigger in person than when viewed on the internet! The complex itself is quite large - a Western, Eastern and Southern gate! There are many cheap hotels to stay at in the Taj Ganj area and from there many restaurants have rooftop bars from which the Taj Mahal is visible. Catching an evening glimpse can be particularly pleasing to the visual senses :)

On another side note, there is a TON of theft in India. Who are the culprits? THE MONKEYS. Never leave your passport, wallet or any important documents out on a table, because there's quite a high chance that you might lost it to the hands of a primate when you are not looking. I heard of this happening to a Japanese girl (stolen passport) just recently. As Chris and I had breakfast one morning from the second story of a building, Chris saw a monkey creep down a stand where a vendor was selling various items. It yanked a loaf of bread away from the stand and immediately zipped up some poles onto the roof to bathe in the refuge where it could not be bothered, and enjoy the savory meal!

20 Years ago, some Indian restaurants were working with certain hospitals and cutting deals to send the people they poisoned (by putting poison into the food) to these select locations. An investigation was launched after two tourists died from the poisoning. Needless to say I was VERY careful where I ate there, and yet again shocked at how low people in this country would stoop for an extra few bucks...it's TRULY AMAZING what games people will pay when fighting poverty!

From the Taj we took a bus to Delhi! The busride was interesting I will say... When the gentleman collecting the money and handing out tickets told me it was 300 rupees, I questioned him. Then he admitted it was 150, but he printed two tickets and wanted me to pay for both. "Why?" I asked. "Luggage Charge", he replied. Unfortunately, this shady gentleman, clearly trying to pocket an extra 150 had picked the wrong tourist to f*&! with. I began getting irritated and louder as he smiled. I went to the back of the bus to see how much Chris had paid - 150, although the guy also tried to charge him 300. Then he came to the back of the bus, insisting I pay the luggage fee and I became louder and clear that I WAS NOT GOING TO PAY A LUGGAGE FEE, BECAUSE NOBODY ELSE WAS PAYING A LUGGAGE FEE! He then tried to have Chris and I split a "Luggage Fee Ticket", to which we refused. So I gave him 200 and he walked away without giving me the 50 after I was requesting it. Then, when he came back again, I began more heavily pressing him for the change, and he gave me 20, to which I sternly replied, "50." Finally, he handed over a 50 and the incident was resolved. There had been a gentleman translating next to me from Hindi the whole time, and I thanked him for his help. I HATE being treated unfairly and was not going to put up with this. So, lesson learned, ALWAYS check the ticket price first before paying and ALWAYS carry small bills with you, even for bus rides!

I was not initially thrilled about the idea of returning to Delhi, because being overcharged and dismissed from the city a month prior had left a sour taste in my mouth. HOWEVER, upon arriving and knowing our stuff, the blokes trying to gently separate us from our money have been in for a rude awakening! We got a bus from the bus station to the New Delhi train station instead of paying an absurd rickshaw fare. Then, after wandering for quite some time with heavy bags, we were able to find a decently priced place! Finally settled again...for the moment at least!

Wow, Delhi has McDonalds, KFC, Dominos, and best of all - PIZZA HUT! I was SO HAPPY about this and ate there the other night! There is no McCafe in the McDonalds, however there is a small kiosk located in KFC which is called "Krushers". This joint serves up chilled drinks such as Iced Coffees/Mochas and other interesting concoctions...definitely on my list of things to try here! There are also restaurants that double as bars here, WHOA! And it's somewhat cleaner...AND THERE's A METRO SYSTEM! Actually, there are certain seats reserved for women, and whole cars reserved for them! Must be because of the problem with Indian men groping women in inappropriate places, and Western Girls reading this, I hate to inform you but you must expect this to occur in crowded places in India. Whether you choose to ignore it or knock a dude out is your choice :)

A friend and I met some locals and were taken for some great Raja Chavel (Rice and beans!) After that, SAFFRON ICE CREAM, MMM! The girls insisted on paying so for the first time in India, I felt treated instead of tricked, a rather nice feeling :) One of the girls explained that she lived in a house with 17 rooms! You would think she must be rich right? Guess again - she lives with here ENTIRE FAMILY, including her grandfather, her family and her father's 5 brothers and ALL OF THEIR FAMILIES...now consider that for forced family bonding... Overall the girls seem a bit less conservative here, more of them dressing in jeans and more approachable to have a conversation.

The outskirts of Delhi (which I saw from the metro) seemed to contain a lot of slums...many buildings looking as though they were about to crumble to pieces and many "huts" or tents you can say, setup where people were residing...the overpopulation issue here is huge, and unlike China there is no "One child per family" rule or anything of this nature, so there is currently no method/s in place to control this issue. Let's see what the future brings, but if nothing changes then India is set to outpace China for the most populous nation in the world in a par of years!

Aside from the region in the North and Connaught Place - where all of the Western food places were found..I had not yet been anywhere else. Today, we explored Old Delhi! We took the metro to Kinari Bazaar and saw all the glimmering gold and silver and other things being sold. It was not as impressive as I thought it might be, and certainly not as hectic! This was after viewing the Red Fort (enormous) from a distance! After seeing the Bazaar, we walked to Chowri Bazaar and took the road to Jama Masjid - India's largesst mosque. It was there that we encountered a strange goat that had weird patterns adorning its skin, and a large nose, appearing to be the most human-looking goat I had ever seen! We then tucked into a back alley to have a meal at Karim's. "What is Karim's?" you might ask. Karim's is a restaurant established back in 1913 and still in business, with decendents from the owner/s during the Mughal empire either working or managing the place. It was BUSY, and the prices looked EXPENSIVE! Chris and I managed to get some cheap stuff though - the Dal was perhaps the best I had ever had, along with his Tandoori Roti and another style Roti. My paneer (like tofu/cheese) paratha (stuffed chapati - chapati is a circular piece of bread) was excellent as well! After that, we returned to the area where we are staying, Paharganj!

India is certainly having more problems such as suicides in certain rural areas, where the government has very few regulations and is unfair in the treatment of farmers. Many of the farmers have killed themselves with pesticides, due to owing seemingly insurmountable amounts of money to the government without any logical way to pay it back. I could only imagine how terrible it would be to live in a place like that!

Jaipur is next on the list, entering the old kingdom of Rajasthan where Rajas and rulers used to precide! From December 1-11 I will not be allowed to have contact with the outside world so don't be offended not to hear from me - nobody will. I will be engaged in a Vipassana course, where I will be meditating in chunks of 2-3 hours each day for a total of 8 hours (I believe). All meals and lodging are included. The course is free.

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An Evening Stroll, Indian Tomfoolery Part 2, Arranged Marriages and Breaking Bad Habits

11/19/2011

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I have been thinking for a while now, that for those following my experiences via the blog are getting somewhat of a picture but not at all the experience that I am getting. All I can do is try my best to put all of what I see, touch, smell, taste and hear into words! On the stroll home after using the internet at this awesome healthy Ayurvedic Cafe (where I am now about to consume the world's BEST chocolate chip/banana pancakes in this world...who would have thought I would find it in India?? I feel so lucky to have the ability to taste the delicious chocolate, mixed with the cream and bananas while listening to great music at the same time! This cafe even has Mate, which is a tea commonly taken among friend in Argentina!! If you visit Varanasi, you MUST go to Aum Cafe, located just above Assi Ghat - you will definitely see signs for it!)I saw MANY things. Strolling past, I stopped to watch another cremation at a smaller burning ghat. Again, feeling lucky to be alive on so many levels! Also wondering, "what comes after death?" "Is there anything more afterwords?" "Does our soul leave the body at any point, or remain everpresent inside?" I passed sleeping dogs and piles of feces (most likely cows but a mixture of all really), along with many puddles. The puddles can be human urine, any cows' urine, remnants from food and drinks washed away, or just water. Stairs up and down winding around the river, proving to be quite a good and healthy walk, avoiding cow pies and whatnot. The dirty stairs make way to the filthy and littered streets, where cows are up at all hours eating food, the containers of food and whatever else they can find without any regard to what it is really.

By the way, numerous cremations are taking place at the same time and this phenomenon is publicly visible 24 hours a day. At the burning ghat the other night, I felt it was so sad that these people need to be so tricky to get your money. A gentleman approached me, telling me how there are many fakes out there asking for donations after taking you to the "widows' house". They were even trying to sell me drugs at the cremation, HOW WRONG! This scam was also confirmed in a warning to us at our guesthouse, however during the cremation ceremony, the gentleman came over and told us we could not be standing where we were (falsely) and then asked for a donation from us HIMSELF! How could he possibly expect any money out of anyone after telling them about the scams and then doing the same thing! The essence of this event however, is used quite often in India, where someone will approach you and tell you about the scams, and talk to you for a while, asking what country you are from and other basic questions to "get to know you". Then, after convincing you that they are different than the rest, they will pull their works on you. This does not apply to all of course, but I have already seen it enough times to expect the worst, still always hoping for the best though! :) :)

About Arranged Marriages in India: Arranged marriages happen quite frequently here in India and in Hindi culture it is normal. I met a gentleman on one of the buses that I took who was getting married soon and invited me to the wedding! I asked if he had met the girl and he responded, "yes." The interesting thing however, is that he had only met her once, and for 30 minutes and apparently this is quite normal! They had a brief conversation about the type of family they each wanted, kids, etc. In this meeting was where either of the two had the opportunity to express not being ready for marriage, or reveal any relationship that he or she was in to the other. Apparently this is not acceptable to tell to the parents, but it can be discussed among the two soon-to-be newly weds. If either party was not ready for marriage, it would not take place, which is comforting. It is interesting the independent attitude of the West versus what I experienced there. It is a family (and not even the child's) decision here. I can see that the parents' opinion is important, and that they do have more experience. Here, they would see the child choosing their own marriage partner as selfish, whereas in our society I think that many of us would consider it selfish of our parents to try to decide who we should marry. Perhaps the independence attitude of Western countries is what contributes in large part to the higher divorce rate! I can see both styles, but overall choose the Western style as more comfortable and as making more sense to me (perhaps largely due to the fact that I grew up there!).

I have noticed that due to the filth of the streets and atmosphere I had stopped biting my nails! I clipped my finger nails for the first time in MY ENTIRE LIFE the other day....WOW! Strange isn't it? I know, but hey at least it has helped me to kick the habit! Also, the meditation and yoga have been helping me with this - staying mentally and physically healthy! I have been eating a bit healthier and have been overeating less -waiting a bit to see if I feel full rather than stuffing my face! Off to the Taj Mahal later today, more updates from Agra!

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Freedom and The Last Journey of Life with a side of Indian Etiquette

11/19/2011

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I felt an arm on my shoulder. "This is the last journey of life", he said. When I turned around, the white-hair-bearded Indian man was gazing into the same flames as I. Initially strange, and not the most pleasant of things to watch, but enlightening once you realize how important this tradition is to Hindis. I was not sure what to feel exactly as I stared around, multiple fires burning, several containing the remnants of those human souls who had just left the earth not 24 hours prior. Location: Manikarnika Ghat (Ghat in this case refers to the area containing the steps leadng down to the river), the main burning ghat located in Varanasi, India. The tradition is as follows: when a Hindu passes away, it is the utmost of holiest of traditions to bathe the body in the Ganges (Ganga in Hindi) River for the final time. It is also holy for baths to occur throughout the lifetime. It is believed that the beings come from this river, and so those lucky enough to end their journey here as well release good karma and become free of the caste that binds them in modern day society. Before the body is carried to the water on the bamboo stretcher, it is wrapped in a series of different ornately decorated garments. The color used symbolizes the caste (a social hierarchy system that still has its grip in modern day India, although to what extent I am not entirely sure...) that the person belonged to in their lifetime. The location of the cremation along this ghat (and a smaller ghat several minutes walking distance away) is determined by the caste. The body placed on top of pieces of wood which are carefully weighed and the type of wood used carries different costs. Several powders and what appeared to be herbs or something of that sort are sprinkled on the body before more wood is piled on top. Then several people involved in the ceremony walk around the body 5 times before letting the flames engulf the entire stack of matter. I felt...blessed. Blessed to have been given the gift of life. Numb...numb to the problems in my life, all seemed to fade away with the smoke, realizing the bigger picture of this journey I am on which I entitle, "life." For all those who thought I was embarking on a vacation, I state again - I am currently on an out-of-the classroom learning experience. This is real life, and something you cannot soak up from a book or the internet, rather something you have to see with your own eyes in order to fully take it in and understand.

The Hindu Wedding Ceremony which I witnessed in Rishikesh also involved the officials of the ceremony walking around the two people in a circle 7 times...each time symbolizing something different. Also, the couple sits in front of a flame and throws herbs and spices in, after going up to the "alter" we'll call it to place Hawaiian-looking leis around one another's necks. I assure you that it all made sense when it was being explained, but unfortunately I cannot remember all of the details as to what each part of the ceremony meant.

The other day, while walking along the Ghats, Chris and I walked past a bunch of birds all caged up in quite tiny cages being hung from a wooden stick, carried by a gentleman of anywhere from 17 to 21 years of age. Chris, being an animal trainer was really disturbed and could tell by the way this small owl was panting that it was on its last legs. So, he opened the cage and let it free! ...however the young man was charging a price of 300 Rupees to "give good karma" by releasing the bird. Chris insisted on not paying, so the gentleman followed us, yelling obscenities and yelling to others to tell what had happened, while Chris was telling him that there is not price for giving the bird freedom because it should be free in the first place. The gentleman became quite hysterical, picking up a rock at one point, and doing nothing with it, and demanding the money. Finally a deal was reached in that Chris paid 100 rupees and the boy left us alone. It was a strange cultural clash, because I agreed with Chris that the birds should be free and that there should not be a price for their liberation. I could also see how this guy could be in some serious trouble for coming back to his master at the market with no birds and no money...in the end it is the boy's job, regardless of if the thought of animal cruelty has even crossed his mind. It is likely it has not, as I have seen a horse's feet tied together, along with Monkeys chained around the neck to a strange-looking guy who is charging money for photos. I almost took a photo, but he wanted 20 rupees. Looking back on it I feel bad and would not even want one now. To me this is animal cruelty, and it is hard to watch, much harder for Chris I am sure. I appreciate the cleanliness and many other things more and more in the US, but even more its animal protection laws now.

It is super common that I am followed by Indians, trying to sell me something. The normal routine consists of an offer for something strange like a haircut, then a massage, and then drugs...? Many of these people are quite harmless, but creepy nonetheless. They will not leave you alone easily, so Chris and I have invented some rather unorthodox and interesting ways to deal with the situation:

1) The Bindi Money Routine - A Bindi is that dot that Hindi women wear on their forehead symbolizing that they are married, and for males I believe it is a sign of good luck. Chris and or I make a weird motion with our hands and then tap the unlucky culprit on the forehead and then begin requesting 10 rupees of them. Some play along with the routine, and others are weirded out that you are being stranger than them and leave you alone.
2) Being Super Weird - Not making sense, and speaking quickly and or in slang terms with them.
3) The Silent Treatment - Hoping that not making a peep will either convince them we do not speak English or give them the hint that we are not interested.
4) Gentle Pushing - A tactic that I have used on numerous occasions to get these pests out of my face
5) Speak Another Language - Spanish is highly NOT understood among Indians, I should use some Portuguese tonight or tomorrow!
6) The Party Boy - SUPER excited for this one! Chris and I have been saving this for the right time and will use it on the next super annoying person to enter and not immediately leave our atmosphere! We will surround the felon from either side and party boy (bump our stomachs into him while waving our hands up and down and yelling some strange gibberish) him until he decides he has had enough.

So the big question, "WHY Do this to these people?" If we did not have fun with them, we would go INSANE. The Indian people can be very pesky and will not leave you alone easily. For girls (especially alone and in crowded areas) it is worse. They get touched, groped, etc.

On another note, these people are INCREDIBLY sly and clever. They will go as far as to bring you to a guest house that is a knock off of a popular one listed in a book such as the Lonely Planet for a commission. Result? We do not pay. Rickshaw drivers will attempt to charge at times, 3-30 times the price of the taxi ride. Answer? We set the price beforehand. Actually, I thought I was getting a good bargain back in Rishikesh for the prices we were paying and then was informed I was STILL overpaying by a lot! Due to all of the tricks I have encountered, I am VERY careful in what I believe, as a guest house owner could easily try to get an extra 100 rupees out of you, claiming that he only has a triple room rather than a double. I am a pretty non-confrontational person, but had always had gripes on which situations to confront. Being put into India has been the best situation for me, because I am constantly forced to be on my toes, and am being OVERLY confrontational, which will help me to find my balance when interacting in my culture and others outside of India :)

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Orange Robes, Animal Antics, Insane Yoga Teachers and Garbage Dumps

11/14/2011

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So I write this post from the Last Chance Cafe and Guest House...Awesome! I finally found some kind people here and I am using internet for free for the first time! The food here is great too, and there are jam sessions! The Ayurvedic Cafe is another awesome spot overlooking the Ganges River and the food is healthy and FANTASTIC! SO flavorful! So, reflecting on and comparing to food from my native land, we find more flavors here. More zest and smaller portions, aside from a more natural style - eating what is found on earth, and less meat! Nothing processed really... Why is this nice and helpful for me? It has allowed me to eat vegetarian and I am feeling more natural and better about myself doing this. Smaller portion sizes have proved to me that I can feel full without actually needing to stuff my face until my tummy feels bloated! I have also been embracing some techniques I have picked up from yoga and meditation classes, along with what I have read in an amazing book that Chris bought about meditation to do about 20 minutes a night. It will better prepare me for the Vipassana course I intend on doing in Jaipur on December 1st. More to come about that soon... Aside from connecting better with myself during meditation, I have been noticing a better posture and better habits. For the first time in my life, my nails are of considerable length. i have been restraining from biting them, which is great!!

Interesting how schools and universities and classes teach us the knowledge we need to interact with the external world; the skills we need for the workplace. How many classes offer you a way to find yourself? How much time do you spend getting to know yourself? You probably spend a whole lot more time getting to know other people and places, don't you? THINK about this for a while, it's truly fascinating...This is why meditation has been nice for me so far, and time will tell if it is a path I will continue to stay on :)

So onto the train escapade! Chris and I knew that the overnight train we wanted to RIshikesh was full, but there is always a back door in India. We went at 6:15am on the 13th to get a ticket for an overnight ticket on the 15th because at 8am the counter opens and one can acquire an "emergency quota" ticket. We were able to do this, and Chris offered a bit extra of an incentive the night before, so after waiting to speak to the gentleman first thing in the morning, then waiting for our number on the line, and then returning 20 minutes later, we were invited into the office to take care of the transaction. There we settled the ticket and wouldn't you believe what a little extra cash incentive will do for a hardworking guy! He seemed stressed throughout the process, but the Indians were even more stressed...pushing up against each other in a line where personal space was totally available...but that's not their style. There was even some yelling and harsh gestures going on - thought there may have been a brawl...crazy around here - people don't just patiently wait in line here :)

I bathed in the Ganga River, which is the holiest River for the Hindus. I did it here and not in Varanasi for reasons I will discuss soon! Bathing in this river is believed to get rid of your sins and cure diseases I believe. Also, bathing in certain parts on certain occasions are supposed to do interesting things like wash away 7 years of sins. Many gods here like Shiva, and the one with an Elephant's head (forgot the name) are believed in, and these two contribute to the superstitions many Indians have. The "Ohm" symbol is also prevalent here which looks somewhat like a "3" with a moon and sun to the upper right hand side. It is a very popular sound or mantra used in meditation. This symbol is quite powerful and goes much beyond what I write here, and its hard to express all of its meanings, so google it for more info if you'd like!!

The act of meditation is where the body relaxes itself and the mind is focused inward on one thing (usually a mantra or sound) to keep it focused on just one thing. The goal is to keep the mind from wandering, not wanting to angrily chase away fleeting thoughts, rather ignoring them and letting them fade. Many exercises are used before for breathing through the nostrils and stretching for the body. Also a clean wash of the hands and body is usually necessary. The goal is ultimate focus and tapping into your unconscious, said to have been achieved by many famous yogis. I am still learning a LOT more about it, but find myself at least slightly understanding more about it now, and dispelling some myths an

So the other day, we went to the Beatles Ashram, which is just a few minutes off the beaten path past our ashram! It is not a huge tourist destination it appears, because it is located in the strip past where all are walking. The Beatles stayed here with the infamous Maharaji back in the 60s and studied with him; this was where the White Album was created. We saw nothing but trodden pathways overshadowed by ferns and plants, and rundown buildings with shattered glass and interesting steps leading up concrete structures, sometimes only extending out one side with no evidence of support...HUGE colorful spiders were abundant and black and white mosquitoes as well...

Animal interactions here are quite different because the animals are wild. Vicious dogfights are common and quite comical is what I will call the "accidental union" of partners. Here, instead of getting married, dogs engage in acts which you might think would satisfy their sexual desires, yet leave them joined together for a bit...all the while with a third canine not quite understanding or respecting the situation and trying to join in on the action...I will leave the details up to your imagination, but can tell you that watching this scene develop is highly entertaining!

Monkeys interact quite humanly with one another, until they decide to get wild and attack one another (usually over food) I saw one interacting with a cow, and it jumped behind another monkey and began a humping routine...strange! Usually, interactions between cows and dogs appear peaceful. It is funny to see people chasing cows away from their stores with sticks, being careful of course not to step in the fecal matter that the animals have left behind!

Swasticas and Stars of David are quite prevalent here, yet they do not carry any meaning relating to the Jews of Germans. I am still in search of the meaning...

I showed my Twix wrapper (I was craving one so badly) to a gentleman at a Tea Stall, asking if he had a garbage. He smiled, staring me in the eyes, took the wrapper and conveniently walked three steps in the opposite direction and flung it into a small disorganized pile of rubbish located nearby to him and turned to me and said with that same smile, "This is India". So, the need for a place to put all of this garbage would be great, because as of now it goes EVERYWHERE, except in trash bins because they seem to be nonexistent. The cows enjoy munching on the garbage in some of the pits that include a plethora of these tasty items.

Power Yoga: What is your first impression? Imagine one hour of a highly-enthusiastic, slightly overweight Indian man throwing his hands up and down, breathing quite heavily and yelling out different postures, along with other strange things. This was the first time that yoga appeared to me to be energetic rather than relaxing...although at the end of course we went through a relaxation process for our bodies...

A bit of advice:

1) Orange Robes are worn by many seemingly spiritual gentleman here, some of whom are crosseyed and quite strange-looking. It appears that many want to give you more than a spiritual journey, but expect some cash as well!

2) Beware of tuk-tuk drivers who will take you to hotels that they receive commissions from! They will go as far as faking a phone call to convince you that your reservation has been cancelled or taking you to a duplicate guesthouse as one mentioned in the Lonely Planet, which is not in fact authentic. Tourist Agencies charge high prices for houseboat setups in Srinagar (Kashmir) so set the houseboat up by yourself if you want to venture into Kashmir.

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Bros, STDs, Vijays and Spirituality

11/8/2011

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So I ended up on my way up the mountain in Srinigar to do some trekking, but felt a bad omen and for this reason just decided to head back to the houseboat and leave the next day. I arrived at the bus station the next morning and waited on two disorganized messes which might be considered lines here, until I met a Spanish gentleman and one from Washington State! They had both also been sent up to Srinagar on the "houseboat scam" - which in essence is expensive and the houseboat owner tries to bait you into staying a long time, but its not quite a "scam"...sketchy either way. We all traveled together to Jammu, where the Spanish gentleman went off to Dharmshala and Chris (the gentleman from Washington) went to Amritsar!

Well, the bus there provided us with quite the ride. India has quite a few "bros". That being said, let me explain. Chris and I kept seeing signs (official ones!) that said things like "Bro If Married Divorce Your Speed". It took us both a minute to realize that this meant that if you were going neck to neck with another vehicle, you ought to slow down and let it pass in order to avoid an accident. India is also plagued with the world's most STDs I have ever seen! In this case however, I am referring to signs which literally appear as "S.T.D", and not sexually transmitted diseases! Why? I'm not quite sure...but I am thinking it has to do with cellular communication. Also "vijay" signs are present and I am in search of the meaning of this one as well... The ridiculousness of the signs, aligned with seemingly non-important areas closed off and guarded by military and barbed wire, truck horns tooting all sorts of strange and unorthodox tunes, along with the sketchiness of passing through a town with just a few lights caused an outburst of laughter first on my part, and then on Chris' as well!

Amritsar itself received a visit from Chris and myself at about 3am, so by 3:30 we were done haggling over the price of one of the grimiest guesthouses we had been in...however it had a bucket which you could use to dump water on yourself in the bathroom (outside of the room of course), along with a few less cockroaches than you might find in a given guesthouse...not bad for India's standards. Hey, nothing seems to work properly and I like to say here "it could always be worse." I keep reminding myself that this is why I'm here: I WANTED a challenge.

Amritsar did not have much in it, aside from the Golden Temple, which is where people from all over the world gather to see this glittering mass of amazingness. I have seen many temples in China, so figured that these structures would not be my first stop. This temple however, was something unique, unlike anything that I have ever experienced before in my life. It is where the Sikh Religion's (google it, quite interesting!) holy book is held. These majestically yet modestly dressed humans have a full face of hair generally and rock a wicked turban! They also stay in the Golden Temple on rotations. There are always a few of them inside playing their ancient instruments and chanting their hymns (which is being broadcasted outside for all in the temple complex to hear). The temple itself is surrounded by a lake of holy water, along with a few other temple structures and a museum highlighting how the Mughals gruesomely tortured many Sikhs in the past! The scene is magical, and just as beautiful if not more during nighttime as it is during the day! The Sikhs do not require any fees upon entry of the complex or the temple itself; only donations are accepted. Food is served there and the complex remains open 24 hours! You must remove your socks and shoes to enter and you are given a token to get them back from the locker in which they are placed upon the termination of your visit. You must also wash your feet and hands in the water before entering to purify your body, and must cover your head with something (of course I came unprepared but they have bandanas outside for tourists lackluster in preparation such as myself...not going to think how many heads they were on)...Many people walking around barefoot, but not in comparison to all of the people (beggars and non-beggars alike) doing this!

Where is the sanitation here? I found China to be a rather dirty country, however the filth found in every alley, street and nook and cranny of this country is ASTONISHING. People seem to disregard the dirt on the streets, broken shards of glass, wet spots on the road, etc. draping their feet as they please (not the majority of course, and actually only a minority, but still many people)! Why is India so dirty? Perhaps because even fewer garbage cans can be found than in China, so where does the garbage go? Straight into the street and whatever is not eaten by animals like cows (monkeys are quite entertaining to watch, but are smart enough to only eat food and NOT the garbage associated with it..) stays there! For the first time in my life, I can SEE the filth as it accumulates under my fingernails and as it washes out of my clothing. (PS - Doing laundry on my own in Rishikesh, which I will get to a bit later in this post - a full two-week or so load was SO tiring! ..used to doing laundry but not manually and after yoga!)

So in Amritsar we also found a chain coffee house called Cafe Coffee Day, which I now love for their amazing iced coffees and ice-BLENDED coffees (ice mixed in!). They even have vegan shakes, WHOA!!! That and the Veggie Dominos (many restaurants are vegetarian only) are MUST trys. You can feed two people well for $7-$8 USD.

So after Amritsar we arrived in Haridwar by bus after Arriving late again and with little sleep from an outrageously bumpy bus ride, We found a decently priced guesthouse for the night and in the morning we walked around the town and to the Ganges (called Ganga in Hindi) River. This is the most sacred River to the Hindus, but MUCH more to come on this once I hit Varanasi. We found some strange festival going on to celebrate the 100-year celebration of some guru with many people walking around in tents (only a few foreigners...) and there was space for us! It seemed a bit extreme to celebrate something we did not really know, so we continued our search for ashrams in Rishikesh.

An ashram is a place where people can stay (usually) and yoga and meditation classes are offered. You can think of it sort of as a holy temple where you are living, eating and breathing spirituality (although this one is a bit watered down and catered towards more towards tourists). Upon arriving in Rishikesh, we found an ashram mentioned in Chris' Lonely Planet Guide Book. Normally I might not recommend it, but for India it is a good idea to have a copy due to lack of internet resources in many places! Shri Veda Niketan is the name of it, and we have been staying and living more spiritually for a few days and nights now! I have gotten up to attend early (YES EARLY!) meditation and yoga classes and I have actually felt quite refreshed for the entire day from doing so! The courtyard here is beautiful and has a small little pagoda-type area surrounded by a garden where many read or practice their newly-acquired yoga skills during the daytime when it is hot. It is filled with Westerners here, yet it is nice to be around them, providing a change from the India I had come to know for the past two weeks.

Our first room? Spiderwebs all over, concrete floors, spacious but utterly gross. Amount of nights spent there? Uno. Then we moved to another nicer place! ...that we later realized lacked a mosquito screen! Solution? Tape my mosquito net/tent to the wall with a few of Chris' many handy gadgets - in this instance a few large bandaids! Operation fail - by the morning the net had fell (though we protected ourselves with spray). We then jammed his sweatshirt in the vent along with my netting to fill the gaps, combining it into a somewhat legitimate mosquito net...NICE! This does not help however with the blasting bass of some convention, barking dogs, quarreling monkeys and voices outside the room, although we find a way to sleep at night :) Ironic that our gate closes at 10pm and we must be in at that time yet there is still noise!

The classes throughout the city consist of various types of stretching and breathing exercises, taught by many different masters and professionals of yoga. Even better: the classes (3 a day) are included in our stay. EVEN BETTER: there is a free yoga festival taking place here in Rishikesh right now, about a 10-minute walk from our place with LOADS of free classes all day and music at night! Speaking of music, Rishikesh became popular when the Beatles visited in the 60s, and a somewhat strange, incense-burning hippie vibe is still strongly present here!

103 Years old and MUCH more flexible than me!! Would you believe that this guy is with all of his teeth, not limping and in marvelous condition? Yeah, neither could I until I woke up at 6am this morning to see for myself! He was still loud and making lion noises (a lot of strange animal noises being made in this town, not only by animals but by humans too..), having a translator - well two actually - with him! Speaking of translations, I did the organizers of the event a favor and translated a class today into Spanish! This was my first experience translating! It proved to be interesting, however a did not meet the instructor until last minute due to a change in schedule and was not given many breaks between his sentences, proving difficult for me. I also forgot/did not know many words relating to the exercises being performed...all in all I did not feel like it went so well but better to give it a shot - that's how you improve! Also great practice for my Spanish!

How about sacred cows? You bettya! Not only do they not eat them, but these creatures are the freest I have ever seen...roaming around the streets taking holy sh*ts...literally :)

Sidenote: Buses can generally be gotten by just showing up at the station and asking, and any more planning than that is generally not advisable in my opinion. You will be told by some that a bus is coming at 5, by others that the bus will be coming at 10, and by others that there is a train only and no bus. BELIEVE NOBODY - many will take you to places where they are getting a commission from (mainly in reference to sleeping accommodations) - go see for yourself! Trains in this time of year seem to be a logistical nightmare in terms of securing a spot because of the amount of people traveling. Roundabouts 2 weeks in advance is necessary for booking most trains I would say, and avoiding the waiting list. The waiting list is essentially where you pay and hope that enough people to cancel for your ticket to become valid...not quite my style... a website called cleartrip.com provides a much more user-friendly website than does the Indian Government Railway's site.

Also, be prepared to enter a place and hear "Yes, please". I was confused at first, kind of thinking in the English I had learned...huh?! haha. I expected "Hello my friend!"...but instead found myself with the latter. I am also beginning to understand the head movement a bit more now. A slow nod in one direction accompanied with closed eyes and a smile is usually a confirmation, SCORE!!!!

We will become more spiritual for another 5 days here before heading to Varanasi, more to come soon! :)

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