Chelo Himalaya!
Today the sunrise was spectacular (see photos below!!!), with bright red streaks of clouds in the sky and the sweet relief of the early morning breeze. Indian tradition is to rise at 4am daily, and with this insane humidity, I realize that these hours really need to be savoured. Only in the last few days have I taken advantage.
Varanasi is an aggressive place. It is not for everyone. I find I must shield myself from its vast insanity, venturing only to the Ganga, the fruit market, and the jambe shop for music fun. This is the place for music, so musical instruments abound. We acquired a tambourine and a flute, both great fun to play with, and we’ve been taking refuge in a nearby jambe shop where everyone plays something. I play the tambourine and sing while others play various drums (jambe and tabla), guitars, yesterday a violin... Some of the drum players are fascinating to watch and I would love someday to get crazy with a drum…
In true Indian fashion, the electricity shuts off every morning around 11 to about 3pm. For the hottest, sweatiest hours of the day, everyone turns to jelly and everyone finds some way to get horizontal. Sweat is forever dripping down each and every bit of the body. Nothing ever dries. We move slowly through the stone maze of namkeen shops (snacks), samosa and chai shops, sweet shops, tailors sewing cheap clothes for tourists, small convenience shops, and my favorite, the bidi shop, where a sweet and silent older Indian man patiently hand rolls bidis, or Indian cigarettes. But it’s not a cigarette…bidi is a tightly rolled leaf filled with a tiny amount of tobacco and tied together with a tiny purple string. A package sells for 4 rupees. Tradition shows us that bidis are for sharing and enjoying, s every day we buy one package of bidis and sit in front of the bidi shop to share one. If a chai man comes along, it’s even better. The 2 rupee chai comes in handmade clay pots that can be easily smashed in the street for quick reintegration into mother nature. This is great fun for me, and I usually say “mozeltov!” when I smash mine…
The first time I decided to take a Ganga bath, I felt scared to touch the toxic water, but after I closed my eyes and felt the full power of Mother Ganga, there was no going back. Today was my sixth and final Ganga bath, and while the dead bull floating nearby for the last three days was definitely unappealing, it was not enough to actually forego my swim. I believe the next time I am fortunate enough to visit this overwhelmingly filthy, chaotic, yet strangely endearing city, I will swim across the Ganga.
The greatest thing about Hindu tradition is the fact that all Gods are welcome. Everyone can choose their own; so far, I have only really incorporated three: the Hindu Goddess of learning and music Saraswati; Santa Maria, Madre de Dios, and the moon, which has an undeniable effect on me since many, many years...
It appears my time with Mother Ganga has come to an end. Tonight at 11pm I will take a train to Gorakpur, where I will switch to a bus to Sunali, the town on the Nepali border where we will cross and, hopefully, catch another bus up the windy roads to Kathmandu. Personally, I am not a huge fan of Kathmandu, but the Himalaya calls…I will travel with a new friend, a Japanese girl my age who teaches yoga in Japan (does it get any better than this?). My feeling is that I would like to find a monastery to stay in for the monsoon, but only God knows what adventure I will find next…
Thank you Lord for protecting me always during this amazing adventure. Thank you Lord for blessing me with loving, understanding and supportive parents with whom I can share my adventures and lessons..
Namaste,
Con mucho carino,
LMA
PS Nepal is not known for easy internet access, but I should have access for at least the next two weeks…
Singing on a boat on Mother Ganga
In my room at Kumiko House: never so happy to live behind bars!
Checking in with home..after three months, it was time to get some serious talking done...
This is TODAY's spectacular sunrise! Thank you, God!!!!
Chai shop concerts in Hrishikesh
Scene from the 25 hours train ride to Varanasi
Sweating and passing the time on the train. We didn't ride, we rolled..
Playing around on the ghat in front of Kumiko House
Sunset from the opposite bank of the Ganga.
Checking in with home..after three months, it was time to get some serious talking done...
This is TODAY's spectacular sunrise! Thank you, God!!!!
Chai shop concerts in Hrishikesh
Scene from the 25 hours train ride to Varanasi
Sweating and passing the time on the train. We didn't ride, we rolled..
Playing around on the ghat in front of Kumiko House
Sunset from the opposite bank of the Ganga.
2 Comments:
Your quest is a reminder that we all have a spirit that calls to us. I have silenced my own for too long. Thank you for the courage you share that gives us all hope that one day we, too, will look beyond our earthly existence and faithfully seek that which remains, and ultimately, that for which we were created.
I love you.
Hi, I'm back--Le Grande Skeptic. Thanks for your response to my last question. I hope you don't mind that I continue along this vein.
In your reply to me, you said that "First, the term 'spiritual quest' is confusing, because God is inside all of us; There is no need to search." If that's so, or even if you simply believe it's so, why are you in India? Your blog certainly suggests you're there for something other than the food and to visit the Taj Mahal. In fact you indicate that your physical journey through the East is, in effect, a mirror of an internal search for truth, meaning, God, etc.
Speaking of which, despite your offer for me to simply accept or reject your beliefs--which is of course always an option--I'd like more info. Specifically, who or what exactly is God to you? You seem utterly convinced (as does my predecessor in this comment string) that there's a creator being (or beings?) of some sort, with a plan for all of us. Where is the evidence for any of this? Is it just a feeling you have?
Wondering....
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