From Rishikesh to Amritsar to Mcleod Ganj
21 mei 2017 - McLeod Ganj, India
Namaste,
Last week has been a crazy week, again. I think in India it coudn't be anything but crazy. Boring is a word they probably don't know. And many beautiful people we met, again.
In Rishikesh we had such a good time. One time during lunch we met Ladu Baba, a goeroe, an extrodanary man who doesn't describes hisself as a teacher but others do. He weares an orange outfit with an orange tulband he is about 75 years old. Every evening he walks to the fire ceremony in the Ganges and he asked if we wanted to join, one evening we we joined. It's a Hindu cermony with prayer, singing, music, and people letting their fears go and cleaning their soul. People can make a smal boat with some flowers, put them on fire and let it float away in the Ganges. The ceremony self was a bit boring. But to walk and talk with Ladu Baba going there and back was a nice experience. As he was teaching us about temporarity of things, how objects and beauty doesn't matter since one day it will be gone, feeling bad over lost objects, beauty, things you did or didn't do it will only be effecting yourself. How everything will come when it's ready and being inpacient isn't helping anyone. (Pacience is a thing I definetly need to work on!)
In Rishikesh I did 2 yoga classes, after the class he asked "Is this your first time?" Made me feel se bad.... being so stiff. Then I thought I should do yoga more often... but after Rishikesh I didn't not even once. Oeps. The yoga teacher is ready to work at a circus, this tiny man has power, wow it's insane!!
Rishikesh, or the beautiful place where we stayed (next to Rishikesh) has one small street where so many people walk, and many cows, and many many cars and motorbikes. In India al vehicels know to use their horn all the time, but Rishikesh is another level. Maybe the driver thinks pedestriens lost vision or I don't know but in that small street hearing the horn like 30cm away from your ears... it makes anyone stressed in this yoga capital of the world. One day we thought we could escape by going to the big bazar, a market, but this might have even be worse.
From Rishikesh by train to Amritsar. Not sharing a sleeper but we both got our own seat (only 6 Indian hours) Amritsar is a beautiful city. Capital city of the Sinkh people a beautiful religion where everyone is equal (even women!) and they aren't trying to convert anyone. In this city they have the Golden Temple, this temple is the most important temple in the world for the Sinkh people, with holy water and a holy book. This religion is only 500 years old. People meditate to feel that there is a god.
We went to the golden temple, people can sleep there for free and eat there for free. As a result they provide 10.000 meals a day depending on volunteers and donations. We had a small look in the kitchen and got a very nice meal as well. Like Indians do pushing, cutting in line and trying to be the first in the room to recieve food. People walking around with buckets filled with curries, chapati's and dessert giving this out to everyone. 10.000 meals a day and somehow so delicious!
The holy book has a ceremony as it goes to sleep every night and wakes up every morning. This ritual is putting the book in his blanket, in his bed and carried by an escort of several guys to another house which gave us the oppertunity to have a peak in the golden temple itself without being in line for 2 hours.
Sinkh people have many traditions like after being baptised they're not allowed to cut their hair so long beards and mustaches are the result. They wear tulbands of different beautiful colours where they can keep their wapons to protect themselves. A knife around their waste, a bracelet to remind to be honust unless the truth is painfull, and 3 other things I already forgot.
Another day Vicky (a tuktuk driver) brought us to the border closing ceremony between Pakistan and India and to a very funny temple.
The ceremony was like a theater play, where guards of the border march and like a stadium of people around it. This ceremony is very interesting since the history of these countries isn't so pretty. And in the play they try to show some of the history.
Vicky, the tuktuk driver is the funniest Indian guy I've met and together with other nice people from the hostel we learned a lot about Indian culture. Learning why all Indians have a mustach since it stands for being a man and "no mustach means no penis". A deeper understanding to why it can be dangerous to smile at an Indian guy "That means you like him" and if you by accident smile how to make them understand you don't want anything from them by calling them "brother".
Yesterday we went to a village, milked a cow to make chai and after breakfast (fried onion) we played a local sport close to wrestling. And I was the only girl so they would be gentle to me.... well I don't know what Indian meaning for gentle treatment is... but this wasn't my idea of gentle! After some scratches and bruses (I didn't score a single point but did had a lot of fun) we went back to the house and got to wear a tulbant and got a dance class, dancing + 35 degrees + a tulband = overheating, but is was so much fun!
Now we are in a bus to Mcleod Ganj, Dharamsala. Hopefully we'll arrive in 5 hours western time. But I gues I have to be pacient again. :-) We'll have nice mountain view and will get out of this extreme heat, or thats the plan at least.
And maybe we'll meet the Dalai Lama.
Namaste
Last week has been a crazy week, again. I think in India it coudn't be anything but crazy. Boring is a word they probably don't know. And many beautiful people we met, again.
In Rishikesh we had such a good time. One time during lunch we met Ladu Baba, a goeroe, an extrodanary man who doesn't describes hisself as a teacher but others do. He weares an orange outfit with an orange tulband he is about 75 years old. Every evening he walks to the fire ceremony in the Ganges and he asked if we wanted to join, one evening we we joined. It's a Hindu cermony with prayer, singing, music, and people letting their fears go and cleaning their soul. People can make a smal boat with some flowers, put them on fire and let it float away in the Ganges. The ceremony self was a bit boring. But to walk and talk with Ladu Baba going there and back was a nice experience. As he was teaching us about temporarity of things, how objects and beauty doesn't matter since one day it will be gone, feeling bad over lost objects, beauty, things you did or didn't do it will only be effecting yourself. How everything will come when it's ready and being inpacient isn't helping anyone. (Pacience is a thing I definetly need to work on!)
In Rishikesh I did 2 yoga classes, after the class he asked "Is this your first time?" Made me feel se bad.... being so stiff. Then I thought I should do yoga more often... but after Rishikesh I didn't not even once. Oeps. The yoga teacher is ready to work at a circus, this tiny man has power, wow it's insane!!
Rishikesh, or the beautiful place where we stayed (next to Rishikesh) has one small street where so many people walk, and many cows, and many many cars and motorbikes. In India al vehicels know to use their horn all the time, but Rishikesh is another level. Maybe the driver thinks pedestriens lost vision or I don't know but in that small street hearing the horn like 30cm away from your ears... it makes anyone stressed in this yoga capital of the world. One day we thought we could escape by going to the big bazar, a market, but this might have even be worse.
From Rishikesh by train to Amritsar. Not sharing a sleeper but we both got our own seat (only 6 Indian hours) Amritsar is a beautiful city. Capital city of the Sinkh people a beautiful religion where everyone is equal (even women!) and they aren't trying to convert anyone. In this city they have the Golden Temple, this temple is the most important temple in the world for the Sinkh people, with holy water and a holy book. This religion is only 500 years old. People meditate to feel that there is a god.
We went to the golden temple, people can sleep there for free and eat there for free. As a result they provide 10.000 meals a day depending on volunteers and donations. We had a small look in the kitchen and got a very nice meal as well. Like Indians do pushing, cutting in line and trying to be the first in the room to recieve food. People walking around with buckets filled with curries, chapati's and dessert giving this out to everyone. 10.000 meals a day and somehow so delicious!
The holy book has a ceremony as it goes to sleep every night and wakes up every morning. This ritual is putting the book in his blanket, in his bed and carried by an escort of several guys to another house which gave us the oppertunity to have a peak in the golden temple itself without being in line for 2 hours.
Sinkh people have many traditions like after being baptised they're not allowed to cut their hair so long beards and mustaches are the result. They wear tulbands of different beautiful colours where they can keep their wapons to protect themselves. A knife around their waste, a bracelet to remind to be honust unless the truth is painfull, and 3 other things I already forgot.
Another day Vicky (a tuktuk driver) brought us to the border closing ceremony between Pakistan and India and to a very funny temple.
The ceremony was like a theater play, where guards of the border march and like a stadium of people around it. This ceremony is very interesting since the history of these countries isn't so pretty. And in the play they try to show some of the history.
Vicky, the tuktuk driver is the funniest Indian guy I've met and together with other nice people from the hostel we learned a lot about Indian culture. Learning why all Indians have a mustach since it stands for being a man and "no mustach means no penis". A deeper understanding to why it can be dangerous to smile at an Indian guy "That means you like him" and if you by accident smile how to make them understand you don't want anything from them by calling them "brother".
Yesterday we went to a village, milked a cow to make chai and after breakfast (fried onion) we played a local sport close to wrestling. And I was the only girl so they would be gentle to me.... well I don't know what Indian meaning for gentle treatment is... but this wasn't my idea of gentle! After some scratches and bruses (I didn't score a single point but did had a lot of fun) we went back to the house and got to wear a tulbant and got a dance class, dancing + 35 degrees + a tulband = overheating, but is was so much fun!
Now we are in a bus to Mcleod Ganj, Dharamsala. Hopefully we'll arrive in 5 hours western time. But I gues I have to be pacient again. :-) We'll have nice mountain view and will get out of this extreme heat, or thats the plan at least.
And maybe we'll meet the Dalai Lama.
Namaste
Geniet van al deze mooie ervaringen.
Dikke kus, Wieteke