gone trekking...

I just wanted to let you know that there will be no posts within the next 3 weeks as I am going trekking... I am doing the Annapurna circuit and it takes 2 - 3 weeks, and is the distance of 200km's... It is going to be a huge challenge for me as it contains a lot of uphills as you can imagine - being the Himalayas and all - but i am up for the challenge. I would be lying if i said i wasn't scared, but as Pema Chodron says 'feel the fear and do it anyway'. So i am doing it anyway... I have a graduation interview on 18th of May, so I will be back in time for that... until then... be happy!

Jungle Blog...

  the view from the top...
  Waiting for something... anything... this is the place where i saw the snake...
  Evidence that Leopards do exist in the park...
  view of inside the National Park

Well, I have spent the past few days in the Jungle of Nepal, at a National Park called Bardia. Yes, Nepal has a jungle! The south side of Nepal borders India, so it has a lot of animals that I imagine are indigenous to the Indian sub-continent. This is also the Jungle area of Nepal, and the northern section of Nepal is the part containing all the high mountains, including Everest.

For some reason it is possible to walk around this park that contains Leopard, Tigers, Rhino and Elephant, and all the guide carries for protection is a bamboo stick...I just can’t imagine doing that in South Africa, it would just be like offering yourself up as food to the lions. Maybe if they had lions here it would be a different story.
At 6am I had a ride on one of the domesticated elephants through the jungle. I don’t usually condone such actions(supporting the domestication of wild animals), but i was being selfish and wanted to get close to the elephants. The ride lasted an hour, wading through jungle and rivers. It was an interesting experience, though one i don’t feel i need to repeat should the opportunity arise. Afterwards I went on a whole day trek through the jungle, in the 40degree heat, and we saw... footprints of Tigers, Leopards, Rhino, the remains of a tigers meal (now the meal of a million flies)... and at the end of the day we saw a lone elephant bull. At this point I was in a bit of pain and the elephant was far away, so I didn’t even bother taking out my camera. The couple i was walking with wanted to follow the bull, so we went off chasing it. We did manage to catch up with him as he was grazing, but the grass is really high – like 8ft high (no exaggeration) – so all I could see was his outline, and by this point i just wanted to get back to my room and take a paracetemol. They also have domesticated elephants, and we saw a few of those being taken out to graze, but that doesn’t really count as a sighting of wild animals. The park haa amazing bird life, so I saw a few blue Kingfisher, a hornbill, and some others which I don’t know the name of. I thought I saw a snake coming out of the side of a river bank while i was sitting close by in a tree... I continued to sit in the tree, hoping it would come out again... but it didn’t. As it is really sandy, and a very fine sand, the animals leave a lot of evidence of their existence, as a result, we later saw evidence of a python – but didn’t actually see the python itself. What we also saw were peacocks, deer and monkeys, and loads of beautiful butterflies. It is quite a beautiful jungle with such a strange mix of creatures.
The place where I have been staying is called the Bardia Jungle Cottage. Now i am not sure if they are calling it the Jungle cottage because it is next to the jungle, or because of what they are growing around the property... it appears that I have been staying amidst a marijuana plantation. Which makes me wonder what the owner put in the medicinal tea that he gave a Dutch couple that were staying here...?

Crossing over...

Still feeling seriously exhausted and with a sensitive stomach, I took a cycle rickshaw, over the very bumpy road for the 4km’s to the border post. During this time my rickshaw guy got a puncture in his front tyre, and his one flip flop broke... he was only too happy to dump me onto another rickshaw, who tried to convince me that they would take me the 6km’s into town. In protest i just sat down and said no. They took me the 300m to the Nepali checkpoint where i told them to just leave me and my bags – i was tired of people just wanting to make money from me. Maybe if i was feeling better I could have played their game just a little bit better – they me my grumpy side.
The Nepali checkpoint is totally missable, it is a tiny little office with a couple of desks and two officials. With them was sitting another Nepali local who was very chatty – though he didn’t quite get that I did not have the energy to chat – so I sat there for a while after they had done the formality of giving me a visa – a very expensive US100 for 3 months... ouch . They were happy for me to sit there as long as i needed and in the process they managed to tell me all the information I would need for banks, they even exchanged my Indian money into Nepali money for me. Manoz, my friendly Nepali guy, said that he could help me with my bags and take me to a hotel in town. This was like an angel being sent to help me, and so I accepted gladly and just followed, while he carried my big backpack and did the organising of taxis – which was loads cheaper than what the rickshaw guys were trying to get me to pay. Then the 10 minute walk to the hotel, in the heat, i was willing myself to just make it there, when what i really wanted to do was just curl up an die. I decided to take a room with aircon, as i needed to recover and a ceiling fan was just not going to be enough. I didn’t count on the electricity being off most of the time, so i was still overheating a lot, and having to continually jump into a cold shower, but the water on me dried quickly, so i would head back into the shower. I managed to stomach a place of old looking chips, and some buttered toast before heading back up to my room to go back to sleep. The aircon was on most of the night, and despite the noise of it, i slept well. Feeling much better this morning, I decided to head on out to Bardia National Park, which is about a 4 hour bus journey from the border. Manoz came to wake me up, saying that if i wanted to travel I should leave in the morning, otherwise it would be too hot, so i got up went to get some money and a sim card before finding a minibus taxi that would take me to Ambassa. The journey went well and I was met at the bus drop off by someone who had been told about me from Manoz. So word travels fast. I felt a loyalty to this guy as he had helped me, so I decided to go with Krishna on the back of his motor bike... with my two backpacks (one big, one small)... in the 40 degree heat... on the bumpy road... with no helmets.... In spite of all that, I arrived safely at a nice enough lodge, where I will be spending the next 3 nights.

Like a rolling stone

From Bir I caught a bus back to McLeod, which was meant to be a short stop over so that I could catch an overnight bus down to Derhadun. Well, when I got to McLeod i was told that the busses only go every second day, so i would have to spend the night in McLeod – which I did after a very long and exhausting day. Friday was spent waiting... and then the bus, it was an overnighter and went surprisingly well, despite the bumpiness. There were hardly any people on the bus, so I could spread myself out over 4 seats, including my luggage, so there was space to spread my legs.
I had no idea what was in Dehradun apart from the Sakya monastery which is the seat of Sakya Rinpoche (the one that blessed me in Dharamsala), and I had no guide book to say where a cheap place to stay was. So when I got off the bus, there was a monk who was heading in that direction, so we shared a taxi and i was dropped off at a nearby guesthouse. But the guesthouse was full, so they sent me to another one down the road, they were too expensive though so I kept walking... I tried to book into an ashram, but they said i had to be devoted to the ashram in order to stay there... so I passed on that one. And then I decided to just leave town and go to Rishikesh instead. So i hopped on a couple of busses and arrived in Rishikesh and hour later. By this time i was tired from interrupted sleep on the bus, as well as from the heat and not having eaten (because I was on the bus), so i just walked to the first guest house that looked inviting and stayed there.
Rishikesh was hot and busy. It was the end of the Kumbh Mela and there were a lot of Indian people streaming in to do a pilgrimage to the temples, as well as to take a bath in the Ganges. It was hot, I hadn’t quite acclimatised, and i was irritable (i think that was because i was hot). I didn’t really meet any people, i didn’t feel like doing yoga – and if there is any place to do yoga, Rishikesh is the place – so no yoga, no relationship of any kind to the place, so I decided to leave after 2 nights. If it was cooler and less busy I probably would have given it more of a chance, other people seem to love it, but it was not for me right now.
So I hopped on a taxi, and then on a bus, then another bus... and 12 hours later, 42degrees, and a lot of bumpy roads travelled, I arrived at the border town of Banbasa. I managed to not get sick the whole way – and i thought that i had done so well in ‘training’ myself, really focusing.... And then came 8.30pm and time to get off the bus.... I was suffering from heat exhaustion motion sickness combined – not a very pretty combination. And I happened to book into a guest house with a greedy manager that had zero compassion. And to speak of the room, it was like an oven all night and noisy 24/7, with the generator kicking in at 5am. So, suffering from heat, motion sickness and no sleep, i picked myself up in the morning determined to leave.
I needed to get passport photos for entering the Nepali side of the border, so i dragged myself down the road looking for a place that could do the photos for me. I found the place, after first stopping at a pharmacy type place that gave me tablets called ‘Vomit Stop’, after first trying to give me cough syrup... LOL! Everyone seems to have generators as the electricity supply is few and far between. So in order to do my passport photos the guy had to start the generator, but then he noticed that the fan belt was too loose, so he had to change the fan belt. Then after doing that, the engine restarted, he took my photo from the distance of half a meter on a really low megapixel camera, and the printed result – well, it could be anyone. For 3 photos I payed IR25 (35p, R4), and surprisingly they accepted that at the Nepali border.

Tso Pema

  View from the bus in Mandi, where i had to change buses
  The decoration on the door frame of the Gompa
  Padmasambhava statue overlooking the lake
 

view from the top of the mountain...

I had been told that I should try and go to Rewalsar, so I did. I left my big bag with someone in Bir, and headed off with just a small backpack – the difference is big – I wish I could travel that way all the time... but no, I still need to shed some of my luggage to lighten my load...
I went by public transport, which is 15times cheaper than a taxi, so it cost me IR100 vs IR1500. That also means that it is more adventure packed than a taxi ride, as you have men squishing up next to you on the bus, you have bus drivers who are in a hurry and drive like maniacs on roads that are made for a single lane of traffic (but used by traffic going both ways), with a cliff on one side of the road. Then being dropped off in the middle of a town and needing to find another bus that is going to take me the rest of the way, and hoping that people are understanding what I am saying so that they can direct me to the correct bus, and then it is the whole thing all over again, high cliffs, narrow roads and men squishing next to me. I am quite surprised at the public transport, as it has been really efficient, as I have never had to wait long for a connecting bus – I found myself comparing them to the London transport system...
I arrived in Rewalsar (known as Tso Pema in Tibetan) to a thunderstorm and a bit of much needed rain. I found myself a bed for the night within minutes. At this point, what I think is a bladder infection, was at its worst, so I didn’t venture out for a couple of hours. What I think has happened, is that I have not been going to the toilet often enough, and so hence the difficulties. After a while I decided that sitting around was not helping, so I decided to head up the hill to the giant Padmasambhava statue that overlooks the lake, which is the centre point of the town. I was blown away by the size of this structure as well as the painting going on inside the temple beneath the statue. On my way back I popped in to a medical place and asked for some medicine. I was given something which felt very strong, as it kind of zonked me out for a while and worked really quickly. I think I am going to google it to check what it is exactly that I took...
I had dinner at a place called the Blue Cave, and had crispy vegetables and some Tibetan bread, then I walked once around the lake, seeing the different temples along the way. There are Hindu temples, Sikh temples and Tibetan Buddhist temples, and the prayers coming out of one of them can be heard from the top of the mountain (as I found out the following day). One of the temples had bright flashing lights all over the building, so at night time it looked like a Christmas tree in the shape of a temple. Feeling loads better the next morning, although maybe a little floaty, I decided to head up the mountain to see the caves where Padmasambhava is said to have spent some time meditating along with his consort. I had been advised to take the bus up and walk down, but being stubborn, i decided to walk up and bus down – I need the exercise anyway... I left quite early in the morning, as i was awake due to the prayers being broadcast around the village, and I got a bit lost about half way up, as the path connects with the road, so i ended up taking the road – which was the much longer way. It took me just over an hour to get up there, and by that time it was about 9am and boiling hot. I found a couple of the caves, and walked around a bit, and then decided to head down again in time to check out. I wasn’t completely convinced by the caves, and not by the ‘footprint’ that is said to have been created by Padmasambhava. It looks too big to be human, and it has the general shape of a foot without details, and it is quite high up on the rock. But it was interesting to see none-the-less.
I then headed back down the hill in a jeep (between a taxi and a bus in price), and then checked out and hopped on a bus back to Bir.
What I found so interesting is the number of people wanting me to take their picture, so I have a few pictures of some random people along the way...

Bir

 
 
 
 

I have been in Bir for about a week, staying at the Deer Park Institute. I had not booked accommodation here, and for some reason that really puts them in a spin – I think someone forgot to tell them this is India. It is run in a very western style, with rules – and on one level I really enjoy that, it is clean and very cheap and a lovely environment to spend time in. There are so many monasteries in this small area, and one of the big ones being Sherab Ling, the seat of Tai Situ Rinpoche. I had the good fortune to be able to attend the Red Hat ceremony last week,, where he also gave the Milarepa empowerment. I seem to be just following my nose and somehow am managing to land up with great experiences. I was really just looking to see what the red hat ceremony was about, thinking that it might just be some sort of festival occasion where they wear red hats. I managed to find my way to Sherab Ling from Bir, despite being advised to take a taxi because I would get lost – I noticed my stubbornness really come to the fore then... LOL! – I walked for an hour through villages, a school, wheat fields, rivers and a forest. It was a lovely walk. When I got there, the monastery was overwhelmingly huge and I was unsure where to go, so I asked an Australian chap if he knew where this ceremony was happening. He pointed me in the right direction but told me that it was not open to the public so I wouldn’t be able to attend. I decided to go check it out anyway, as I had walked all this way, I wanted to hang out there a bit even if I didn’t get to see the ceremony. When I got there I went to the registration office to ask if I would be allowed to attend this ceremony and they said yes and directed me to the fourth floor of a very new building. It felt like i was in a five star hotel, it is designed in a figure 8 with two semi-indoor courtyards. I say semi because they have a tent-like roof and the birds still have access to the ‘inside’. I stepped inside the shrine room and gently made myself a seat, being careful not to take someone else’s place who had been there for the teachings the whole week. When Tai Situ Rinpoche arrived, we all stood in respect, and those who do prostrations – which appeared to be everyone in the room except me – did their prostrations before sitting down. I was pleasantly surprised to hear the Rinpoche teach in English, as so far i had heard only Tibetan teachings, with the occasional translation. Tai Situ RInpoche has a sense of humour, and I found him quite funny and down to earth. The red hat ceremony was where they brought out these two beautiful hats to be worn by the Rinpoche, and he seemed to alternate between the two. The one hat was worn at the beginning and he kept taking it on and off because there was a thread on it that seemed to be annoying him. Then they brought out what I imagine is ‘the’ red hat, and he had to hold it on his head all the time to prevent it falling off. At the end of the ceremony we all lined up to be blessed by him and to receive the Milarepa empowerment. The whole teaching and ceremony lasted about 3 hours. I then walked back to Bir, through the forest and wheat fields, over the rivers, through the villages and school – and the boiling heat.
I have done a lot of resting while here, but I also taken a hike to the waterfall which is about an hour up hill – oh how I am learning to tolerate the up.... Once again, I had a dog following me the whole way. The waterfall was lovely, with clean water and a decent sized plunge-pool, big enough for swimming in, and freezing!!! But I got in, and managed to make use of my bikini. It is the walking to places which I find so interesting, as it takes you into the heart of the local villages, and you really get a good view of what life is really like. On some level, this walking through the local villages reminds me of South Africa. The people are really friendly and they appear relatively happy. The lifestyle is similar, and the vegetation is very familiar as well. So I am feeling at home here in a way.
One of the people i have met here convinced me that I should try and have an audience with the Rinpoche, so I called on my way back from the walk to the waterfall and his secretary said that I could come for an appointment at two – which was an hour and a half away. So i continued walking back to Deer Park, had a quick shower and then took a taxi to Sherab Ling. There was a long wait when I got there, and then when I got to see him, he was very tired, so I just offered a kata (white silk scarf), and greeted him briefly before leaving. Even though it was a very short meeting, it felt good that i had that personal time with him.
From Bir I took a short trip to Rewalsar (see next blog entry), then back to Bir for a catch up day, and then I will be heading back to McLeod to catch the bus to Rishikesh.

Yogi's, Yogi-mummy and incense

  The yogi-mummy
  The incense maker
  incense drying
  Stupa with bhodi tree arising out of it

I stayed at Tashi Jong for a couple of nights. It is a monastery founded by Kamtrul Rinpoche before the invasion of Tibet, so i am told is the 1st Tibetan monastery in India. That Kamtrul Rinpoche has passed on, but his current incarnation is in residence. When the previous incarnation passed on, they placed his remains in a stupa beside the temple, and out of it arose a Bodhi Tree.
While I was trying to check my e-mails on very intermittent internet, I met a guy that I had met in McLeod, and I mentioned to him that I hadn’t yet seen where they make incense, so we arranged a time for later in the day. When the time came, he advised me that he was unable to show me, but he had instead asked one of the Lama’s to take me along with two other Australian girls (they were young, and giggly...). So I sat around and we waited for it to get cooler before we headed up the hill. It was a steep hill, so I stayed at the rear... We went inside, and this is when I realised that I was not going to see them making incense, but instead i was visiting the Yogi-mummy. We went into a room at the top of this house, and a shrine was built around the Yogi, with carpets in front – so tea was brought up to us and we sat on the carpets having tea. It was quite a bazaar experience to say the least. I am pleased to report that I did not see anything other than a shape draped in cloth – for this i am very grateful!! This yogi died about 3 years ago, and instead of cremating his remains, they decided to mummify him. Later in the evening I did see one of the living Yogi’s who is resident there.
The Following morning I made the journey up the hill again, this time avoiding the main house and just heading straight to the incense making place. It was quite interesting seeing them making the incense, although I would get extremely bored where i the one making it.

Farewell to Dharamsala...

Today i left Dharamsala. It was so hard to do as I had been living there for nearly 5 weeks, and had really started to enjoy life and the people there. I met some lovely people, so the leaving process was reminiscent of when i left Karuna and when I left the UK. The only difference was that I was controlling my own schedule, so I didn’t need to get a lift with someone or catch a plane, so it didn’t feel as traumatic as the other two experiences were. I took my time to pack and say my goodbyes, and then i walked down the hill very slowly with all my things – and yes i have way too many things!! I stopped off at the library to take a picture of a picture – i will post when the internet is less sketchy – there is such a beautiful photo of Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama taken by Francisco Little. I also had lunch there in the canteen with my Hungarian friend Brigitta, and then headed further down the hill to catch a bus to my next destination....
I arrived at my next destination – Tashi Jong – in the evening, after a long walk up the hill with all my stuff – yes i am going to be getting rid of some of it before i leave here!!! It is a lot hotter here, as we are not as high up as McLeod, and i hear that it is just going to get more hotter the further south i go.

Momo's with Sangmo

  BK, Chong, Sangmo, Rasel and myself
  a self portrait of Rasel, by Rasel
  Rasel on shoulders
 

Sitting on the floor eating momos...

On Thursday night Sangmo invited me along with some other volunteers to her place for dinner. Sangmo is a Tibetan woman who is the manager of the coffee shop where I volunteer, and her daughter Rasel (aged 5) pops into the shop every day after school.
For dinner we had momo’s. This is a traditional Tibetan dish which I would describe as being pastry parcels with various ingredients inside ie. veg or curried potatoes – i still have to take a photo of them... These pastry parcels are traditionally steamed, and on occasion you can find fried ones... the fried ones are my favourite as they are crunchy, although the steamed ones are tasty as well. And yes, although i am quite fussy with food, i have managed to try some new things while being here... LOL!
Sangmo lives in a single room with her daughter, and it reminded me a lot of when i was growing up, as I lived in similar circumstances. We all sat on the floor eating our momo’s – me without the chilli sauce!! – and drinking herbal tea. Sangmo managed to get the Korean guys to sing songs in Korean, and as she was working her way around the room – convincing everyone that they should sing – I pointed out that if she kept going, eventually we would have to sing as well, so she stopped – phew!
It was such a lovely evening, filled with lots of laughter and momos!