Last Thursday, Brandon and I headed up north to the state of Himachal Pradesh. We stayed at foothills of the Himalayan Mountains...in an area called Dharamsala. Basically, the Dharamsala area consists of a few tiny towns dotting the hillside: Dharamsala, McLeod Ganj, Bhagsu, and Dharamkot, each ascending upward by 2-10 kms. This area is best known as the home of the Dalai Lama, as this was the place he claimed asylum following the Chinese invasion of Tibet. The culture here is quite different from the other parts of India that we've been so thus far; obviously there is a HUGE Tibetan influence here: Buddhist monks dressed in full maroon and gold robes, people everywhere carrying around and counting their mala (rosary) beads, Tibetan language all over fliers and signs, as well as different foods like momos and Tibetan butter tea (uhh....when in Rome, right? I tried this type of tea, and pretty much it was a huge mug of hot, liquid butter. Let's just say that I had two sips and passed on the rest...YUCK!).
We stayed passed Dharamsala, passed McLeod Ganj...all the way up a steep, steep, STEEP incline...up to Bhagsu...but then, even more...up another 176 STEEP stairs to upper Bhagsu, where the clear views of the mountains and valley lay. AH! GORGEOUS! We had a 360 degree view of everything from the roof of our guest house, Swami's Guest House. And literally, after the craziness and pollution-filled week we had before, I honestly felt like I was in heaven. The blue skies against the bright green trees, with the sun shining in my face...inhaling the fresh mountain air! Pure bliss.
What the Lonely Planet guidebook didn't tell us was that the Dharamsala area (especially Bhagsu) is filled with Israeli tourists!! The internet cafe guy, who we befriended, told us that at any given time, Bhagsu is 90% Israeli! Haha! Who knew that I was going to get to practice my Hebrew in India! :) Plus, we had some DELICIOUS humus, falafel, and pita (a nice break from all of the spicy Indian food), and even hit up the Chabad House (there's one in Bhagsu & in Dharamkot) for a shabbat meal in the Sukkah. Such a fun/funny/random experience to get to know so many Israelis over the last week...but I guess Debbie Friedman is right, "Where ever you go, there's always someone Jewish"...even in India.
Even though we were only here for about a week, I know for sure for sure for sure that I have to go back to the Dharamsala area...there is SO much to do (which I'll write about later), and it's just so freaking beautiful!! I hope you all make it there one day!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
First Round of Pictures!
So...after a million hours slaving away at the internet cafe (remember dial-up? yea, it's freaking slow)...I've got my first round of pictures up for your viewing pleasures.
Don't be surprised if half of them are upside down or if my eyes are closed in them...I just wanted to get them up! So, please excuse the lack of editing.
Check them out:
Don't be surprised if half of them are upside down or if my eyes are closed in them...I just wanted to get them up! So, please excuse the lack of editing.
Check them out:
Thursday, September 23, 2010
India: Week One
Whoa...and what a week it has been! We've covered 4 cities and 3 states so far!
Delhi Population: 12.8 million
After arriving late last Thursday evening, Friday was spent organizing our trip with a government travel agency and doing a little bit of touring around the city. The hot spots included:
1) Humayun's Tomb: a 16th century Persian-style (the first of its kind!) tomb built by the Mughal emperor Humayun...it's completely made with red sandstone and white marble, which is said to symbolize the merging of the Persian and local cultures. Needless to say, it was beautiful. And...oddly enough, there were Jewish stars lining the entire structure. Queen Esther was a Persian Jew...maybe it was built by her grandfather?!?!
2) India Gate: this HUGE gate commemorates the 90,000 soldiers of the British Indian Army who lost their lives while fighting for the British Indian Empire (AKA: the British Raj in World War I & the Third Anglo-Afghan War). I probably would have enjoyed this more had I not been battling the growing nausea...phew, thank you for that free bathroom in the neighboring park! However, the India Gate did provide our first opportunity to talk with Indian friends...tourists from a southern state called Kerala. This older couple were so fascinated with us--probably because we were one of the first white people they've ever seen.
Agra Population: 1,321,410
Agra...geez...I thought Delhi was hectic. Agra was like a humid sauna, heated at 115 degrees, that left me feeling exhausted before we even started the day. But, of course, it was well worth it because Agra is home to the ever spectacular Taj Mahal!
1) Taj Mahal: Our driver Sunder set us up with a tour guide (most likely a business partner of some sort...meaning, Sunder probably got a cut of the money we paid for the tour), Dean. Dean (obviously not his real name...but that's what he told us to call him because his Hindi name was WAY too long & hard for us foreigners to pronounce) was a pretty knowledgeable guy and showed us all of the great picture spots. What I can tell you about the Taj Mahal is that it is even more shock & awe than you imagine it to be. The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who actually built this mausoleum as a memorial for his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, said of the TM: "it made the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes"...and, after seeing it, I believe it!
The TM took 22 years and over 20,000 people to complete. It consists of three different types of building techniques: in-lay, embossing, & screens. Walking through and drinking in the magnificence of the Taj, I couldn't help but be humbled by the intricate and detailed work of all of those Indian and Central Asian workers who dedicated their lives to this piece of art.
Besides the actual tomb site, the TM also includes 8 gardens (fully symmetrical), a mosque and a guest house. The place was crawling with tourists, both local & foreign...but the best were the lawn maintenance crew cutting the grass with SHEARS! Can you imagine?!?! No tracker lawnmowers here!
After our Taj tour, we got a private demo on the in-lay work. And unfortunately for me, I got sucked into buying (what turned out to be) $118 Taj-like marble coasters. Oy vey. Lesson #1: never do that again. Dad & Debra, hope you like your gift!
2) Agra Fort: originally intended as a military structure in 1565, but later turned into a prison where Shah Jahan's son locked him up for 8 years! Geez, talk about lack of respect for your elders! Overall, a pretty sweet fort...plus, we got some great views of the Taj here as well. I will say that the BEST part of our time at the Agra Fort had to be the 30 minute wanna-be conversation with Kailash, an Indian guy (probably about our age) who was from a small village. He tried so so so so SO hard to speak in English with us...but overall it was just a bunch of sign language, smiles, and head nods. We did get his picture though and he wanted ones with us.
On a side note: here in India, as a white person, you're either the target of intense, piercing stare-downs (especially for me--as a white woman), or the paparazzi. I swear, once you give the ok to have your picture taken with one Indian, a swarm attacks you with flashes of the camera. They want you to hold their babies, to pose with their wives, or to take individual shots. It's hilarious! You'd think we were Britney Spears and JT!
On the way to Jaipur...
1) Fatehpur Sikri: Population 28,750
Here we had a roadside stop to tour the Jama Masjid mosque (and there is also a palace, but we were too overwhelmed with the Indian paparazzi and the rain that we cut our touring short). This mosque was built in 1571 to commemorate Emperor Akbar's military victory in the Indian state of Gujarat.
2) Monkey Temple: This temple complex was built to honor the Hindu deity, Hanuman http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanuman...and is home to a gabillion monkeys! We bought some peanuts and feed them right out of our hands--and atop our heads & shoulders!
Jaipur Population: 2.63 million
Everything in Jaipur...all of the buildings, homes, restaurants, etc. etc. are painted salmon-pink--a color apparently associated with hospitality. It's just as much of a hustle and bustle as Agra & Delhi: touts trying to sell you things everywhere, street food vendors (we had our first experience with street food here...samosas! Delicious!), and kids following you for half an hour trying to convince you to give them money (yes, a little girl--probably about 9 years old--stuck to our sides for half an hour, with her hand out and puppy dog eyes, begging for money. Aye, that was hard...really hard).
1) Amber Fort: (Shout out to Amber Tacke! What what! Thought about you a lot here, girl! Hope your ACL heals quickly!) Definitely my FAVORITE fort we've seen so far! It's a massive maze-of-a complex that we took elephant rides up to get to the top (two elephant rides in one year, not bad...not bad at all!) that was built in 1592 by Maharaja Man Singh, the Rajput commander of Akbar's army. We could have spent all day exploring this HUGE fort...but alas, more sights were yet to be seen!
2) City Palace: a palace complex including courtyards, gardens, and buildings full of exhibits containing royal costumes, shawls, weapons, and ceremony halls. My highlight was getting my palm & face read by a older gentleman who learned the trade from his father, and his father before him. He told me some pretty spot-on stuff...and answered some questions I have about my future career (yes, I am going to get a job after all of this travel!), and marriage. According to his predictions, 28 will be a big year for me and my husband-to-be!
3) Bazaar: Block after block of shawls, kitchen utensils, shoes, purses, clothes, fruit stands, and camel leather products...So my bargaining skills have definitely improved! I'm trying not to buy too much (considering I'm traveling for 6 months and my backpack is already full enough!) but I couldn't pass up an elephant wall hanging! :)
4) Hawa Mahal: In the "Top 1,000 Places To See Before You Die" book...YES! Love crossing stuff like that off my list! Feminism at it's best, well, for 1799 at least...Maharaja Sawaj Pratap Singh constructed this five-story structure to enable to ladies of the royal household to watch Jaipur life and the processions of the city. It's only decorated on the front side...but it's absolutely stunning. Millions of tiny glass windows and delicate shutters. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawa_Mahal
5) Jaipur Blue Pottery: Jaipur specializes in blue-glazed pottery with floral and geometric designs. I could have bought the whole store!! But only a few of you lucky people will be receiving such beautiful gifts...
The next day we traveled 5 hours by car back to Delhi to catch our flight to Amritsar, which ended up being delayed...and delayed...and delayed...apparently this happens A LOT in India. After our 12 hour journey, we made it safely to Amritsar.
Amritsar Population: 1.01 million
After the intense tourist-driven Golden Triangle (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur), Amritsar was a breath of (not so) fresh air. Granted, it is still a big Indian city...with diesel fumes, crazy rickshaw drivers, and touts waiting to snag their next deal...but it is about 5 notches down from the utter insanity of the Golden Triangle. And for that, I'm grateful!
1) Golden Temple: Whoa. I mean...WHOA! Pretty much I think this gold-plated gurdwara has made it to my top ten favorite (man-made) structures. Maybe I should write my own "1,000 Places To See Before You Die"? Amritsar, and more specifically the Gold Temple, is the holiest place for people of the Sikh religion. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism Finally, people who smile back at my huge Texan grin!! What a relief (and blessing) from the eye-torching stare downs! Upon entering the Golden Temple, we had to leave our shoes at the shoe check (out of respect, of course)...and give 'em a good wash in the recycled foot-washing-water. Basically the actual temple is in the middle of a holy pool (however, you'd probably get a holy-lot of diseases if you actually swam in it), which is surrounded by a marble walkway and all enclosed by large marble walls and towers. The complex also has a museum, langar (community dining hall), and free sleeping quarters.
We explored the entirety of the property...and honestly, I could have spent all day there, taking it all in & people watching. Sikhs from all over the world visit the Golden Temple to pay respects to their founding 10 gurus...and of course, to dine at the FREE community mess hall. We had dinner there, and let me tell you: it was amazingly good! The whole dining experience is like a well-oiled machine, run completely by volunteers who cook, serve, and clean. You could spend hours just watching the process unfold. It's been estimated that they feed about 10,000 people A DAY!!! (and up to 60,000 during holidays and festivals!)...now that my friends, is a shit load of people!
We also ventured into the actual temple and joined in for a little mediation time to the sounds of the priests continuously chanting in Gurmukhi from the Sikh holy book by loudspeakers, which can be heard all over the complex. My experience of the chanting had a trance-like effect...and was so calmly! We sat and chatted with a young Sikh guy for a good half an hour about his religion, family, work, and school life. He probably had the best English of anyone we've talked to thus far...and let me tell you, I'm grateful for that!
2) India-Pakistan Border at Attari-Wagah for the border-closing ceremony: Yes, I said it...Pakistan. The border is about an hour away from Amritsar and every day people make the trek to view the spectacle that is the closing-of-the-border ceremony. This extremely theatrical show includes both Indian and Pakistani military members meeting to lower their respective flags, engage in sing-offs, and demonstrate the most ridiculous high-kicking (Caity, you'd be SOOO impressed!!!) and flag parading. The laughs I had definitely made it worth the crammed bus ride!
And if you're reading still...you're a saint. So that's pretty much my first week in India in a nutshell. Today we made the 6 hour journey up north to the Tibetan refugee area of India to a small town named McLeod Ganj; we'll be here for five days...and I think I just might be in heaven! But you'll hear about that in the next one :)
Thanks for sharing in my experiences!
Much love,
Ilene
Delhi Population: 12.8 million
After arriving late last Thursday evening, Friday was spent organizing our trip with a government travel agency and doing a little bit of touring around the city. The hot spots included:
1) Humayun's Tomb: a 16th century Persian-style (the first of its kind!) tomb built by the Mughal emperor Humayun...it's completely made with red sandstone and white marble, which is said to symbolize the merging of the Persian and local cultures. Needless to say, it was beautiful. And...oddly enough, there were Jewish stars lining the entire structure. Queen Esther was a Persian Jew...maybe it was built by her grandfather?!?!
2) India Gate: this HUGE gate commemorates the 90,000 soldiers of the British Indian Army who lost their lives while fighting for the British Indian Empire (AKA: the British Raj in World War I & the Third Anglo-Afghan War). I probably would have enjoyed this more had I not been battling the growing nausea...phew, thank you for that free bathroom in the neighboring park! However, the India Gate did provide our first opportunity to talk with Indian friends...tourists from a southern state called Kerala. This older couple were so fascinated with us--probably because we were one of the first white people they've ever seen.
Agra Population: 1,321,410
Agra...geez...I thought Delhi was hectic. Agra was like a humid sauna, heated at 115 degrees, that left me feeling exhausted before we even started the day. But, of course, it was well worth it because Agra is home to the ever spectacular Taj Mahal!
1) Taj Mahal: Our driver Sunder set us up with a tour guide (most likely a business partner of some sort...meaning, Sunder probably got a cut of the money we paid for the tour), Dean. Dean (obviously not his real name...but that's what he told us to call him because his Hindi name was WAY too long & hard for us foreigners to pronounce) was a pretty knowledgeable guy and showed us all of the great picture spots. What I can tell you about the Taj Mahal is that it is even more shock & awe than you imagine it to be. The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who actually built this mausoleum as a memorial for his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, said of the TM: "it made the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes"...and, after seeing it, I believe it!
The TM took 22 years and over 20,000 people to complete. It consists of three different types of building techniques: in-lay, embossing, & screens. Walking through and drinking in the magnificence of the Taj, I couldn't help but be humbled by the intricate and detailed work of all of those Indian and Central Asian workers who dedicated their lives to this piece of art.
Besides the actual tomb site, the TM also includes 8 gardens (fully symmetrical), a mosque and a guest house. The place was crawling with tourists, both local & foreign...but the best were the lawn maintenance crew cutting the grass with SHEARS! Can you imagine?!?! No tracker lawnmowers here!
After our Taj tour, we got a private demo on the in-lay work. And unfortunately for me, I got sucked into buying (what turned out to be) $118 Taj-like marble coasters. Oy vey. Lesson #1: never do that again. Dad & Debra, hope you like your gift!
2) Agra Fort: originally intended as a military structure in 1565, but later turned into a prison where Shah Jahan's son locked him up for 8 years! Geez, talk about lack of respect for your elders! Overall, a pretty sweet fort...plus, we got some great views of the Taj here as well. I will say that the BEST part of our time at the Agra Fort had to be the 30 minute wanna-be conversation with Kailash, an Indian guy (probably about our age) who was from a small village. He tried so so so so SO hard to speak in English with us...but overall it was just a bunch of sign language, smiles, and head nods. We did get his picture though and he wanted ones with us.
On a side note: here in India, as a white person, you're either the target of intense, piercing stare-downs (especially for me--as a white woman), or the paparazzi. I swear, once you give the ok to have your picture taken with one Indian, a swarm attacks you with flashes of the camera. They want you to hold their babies, to pose with their wives, or to take individual shots. It's hilarious! You'd think we were Britney Spears and JT!
On the way to Jaipur...
1) Fatehpur Sikri: Population 28,750
Here we had a roadside stop to tour the Jama Masjid mosque (and there is also a palace, but we were too overwhelmed with the Indian paparazzi and the rain that we cut our touring short). This mosque was built in 1571 to commemorate Emperor Akbar's military victory in the Indian state of Gujarat.
2) Monkey Temple: This temple complex was built to honor the Hindu deity, Hanuman http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanuman...and is home to a gabillion monkeys! We bought some peanuts and feed them right out of our hands--and atop our heads & shoulders!
Jaipur Population: 2.63 million
Everything in Jaipur...all of the buildings, homes, restaurants, etc. etc. are painted salmon-pink--a color apparently associated with hospitality. It's just as much of a hustle and bustle as Agra & Delhi: touts trying to sell you things everywhere, street food vendors (we had our first experience with street food here...samosas! Delicious!), and kids following you for half an hour trying to convince you to give them money (yes, a little girl--probably about 9 years old--stuck to our sides for half an hour, with her hand out and puppy dog eyes, begging for money. Aye, that was hard...really hard).
1) Amber Fort: (Shout out to Amber Tacke! What what! Thought about you a lot here, girl! Hope your ACL heals quickly!) Definitely my FAVORITE fort we've seen so far! It's a massive maze-of-a complex that we took elephant rides up to get to the top (two elephant rides in one year, not bad...not bad at all!) that was built in 1592 by Maharaja Man Singh, the Rajput commander of Akbar's army. We could have spent all day exploring this HUGE fort...but alas, more sights were yet to be seen!
2) City Palace: a palace complex including courtyards, gardens, and buildings full of exhibits containing royal costumes, shawls, weapons, and ceremony halls. My highlight was getting my palm & face read by a older gentleman who learned the trade from his father, and his father before him. He told me some pretty spot-on stuff...and answered some questions I have about my future career (yes, I am going to get a job after all of this travel!), and marriage. According to his predictions, 28 will be a big year for me and my husband-to-be!
3) Bazaar: Block after block of shawls, kitchen utensils, shoes, purses, clothes, fruit stands, and camel leather products...So my bargaining skills have definitely improved! I'm trying not to buy too much (considering I'm traveling for 6 months and my backpack is already full enough!) but I couldn't pass up an elephant wall hanging! :)
4) Hawa Mahal: In the "Top 1,000 Places To See Before You Die" book...YES! Love crossing stuff like that off my list! Feminism at it's best, well, for 1799 at least...Maharaja Sawaj Pratap Singh constructed this five-story structure to enable to ladies of the royal household to watch Jaipur life and the processions of the city. It's only decorated on the front side...but it's absolutely stunning. Millions of tiny glass windows and delicate shutters. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawa_Mahal
5) Jaipur Blue Pottery: Jaipur specializes in blue-glazed pottery with floral and geometric designs. I could have bought the whole store!! But only a few of you lucky people will be receiving such beautiful gifts...
The next day we traveled 5 hours by car back to Delhi to catch our flight to Amritsar, which ended up being delayed...and delayed...and delayed...apparently this happens A LOT in India. After our 12 hour journey, we made it safely to Amritsar.
Amritsar Population: 1.01 million
After the intense tourist-driven Golden Triangle (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur), Amritsar was a breath of (not so) fresh air. Granted, it is still a big Indian city...with diesel fumes, crazy rickshaw drivers, and touts waiting to snag their next deal...but it is about 5 notches down from the utter insanity of the Golden Triangle. And for that, I'm grateful!
1) Golden Temple: Whoa. I mean...WHOA! Pretty much I think this gold-plated gurdwara has made it to my top ten favorite (man-made) structures. Maybe I should write my own "1,000 Places To See Before You Die"? Amritsar, and more specifically the Gold Temple, is the holiest place for people of the Sikh religion. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism Finally, people who smile back at my huge Texan grin!! What a relief (and blessing) from the eye-torching stare downs! Upon entering the Golden Temple, we had to leave our shoes at the shoe check (out of respect, of course)...and give 'em a good wash in the recycled foot-washing-water. Basically the actual temple is in the middle of a holy pool (however, you'd probably get a holy-lot of diseases if you actually swam in it), which is surrounded by a marble walkway and all enclosed by large marble walls and towers. The complex also has a museum, langar (community dining hall), and free sleeping quarters.
We explored the entirety of the property...and honestly, I could have spent all day there, taking it all in & people watching. Sikhs from all over the world visit the Golden Temple to pay respects to their founding 10 gurus...and of course, to dine at the FREE community mess hall. We had dinner there, and let me tell you: it was amazingly good! The whole dining experience is like a well-oiled machine, run completely by volunteers who cook, serve, and clean. You could spend hours just watching the process unfold. It's been estimated that they feed about 10,000 people A DAY!!! (and up to 60,000 during holidays and festivals!)...now that my friends, is a shit load of people!
We also ventured into the actual temple and joined in for a little mediation time to the sounds of the priests continuously chanting in Gurmukhi from the Sikh holy book by loudspeakers, which can be heard all over the complex. My experience of the chanting had a trance-like effect...and was so calmly! We sat and chatted with a young Sikh guy for a good half an hour about his religion, family, work, and school life. He probably had the best English of anyone we've talked to thus far...and let me tell you, I'm grateful for that!
2) India-Pakistan Border at Attari-Wagah for the border-closing ceremony: Yes, I said it...Pakistan. The border is about an hour away from Amritsar and every day people make the trek to view the spectacle that is the closing-of-the-border ceremony. This extremely theatrical show includes both Indian and Pakistani military members meeting to lower their respective flags, engage in sing-offs, and demonstrate the most ridiculous high-kicking (Caity, you'd be SOOO impressed!!!) and flag parading. The laughs I had definitely made it worth the crammed bus ride!
And if you're reading still...you're a saint. So that's pretty much my first week in India in a nutshell. Today we made the 6 hour journey up north to the Tibetan refugee area of India to a small town named McLeod Ganj; we'll be here for five days...and I think I just might be in heaven! But you'll hear about that in the next one :)
Thanks for sharing in my experiences!
Much love,
Ilene
Sunday, September 19, 2010
First Impressions
Brandon & I worked with a travel agency to arrange transport, accommodations, and guides for our tour through the Golden Triangle: Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. http://www.goldentriangleindia.net/ This has been hugely helpful as this circuit is the biggest and most famous Indian tourist destination which means there are a million touts (locals trying to sell you guides/tours/accommodations/meals/souvenirs/etc. etc.) and that equals BIG time rip-offs and added stress. So for the ease and hassle-free early India travel experience, we decided to use a legit agency to help us figure it all out.
This has translated into lots of time in our private car (with Sunder, our driver) driving from city to city...rather than taking the train. I was kinda bummed at first, because I felt like it would decrease our chances of interacting with locals and/or other tourists, but I actually have really enjoyed watching the pulse of these cities through the window; breeze flowing through my hair (oh yeah, and dust particles in my eyes and burning trash smell attacking my nostrils...but hey, you win some, you lose some). But seriously, if I can tell you one thing about India that I've learned so far, it's this: YOU THINK YOUR TRAFFIC IS BAD?!?! COME TO INDIA!
Weaving through the cluster-f&*@ of cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, three-wheeled "tuk tuks" & rickshaws takes the patience of a saint.
Traffic in India has a harmonious chaos to it: I seriously don't know how there aren't accidents like every 5 meters because...honestly...there are 2,000 people fighting for space on the road at any given time! I sat in the back our of car yesterday curious to know the rate of high blood pressure in India...and more specifically, the blood pressure of those tuk-tuck, rickshaw, and cab drivers...But they make it work. And no one seems to be stressed out or pissed off whenever they're cut off by the truck driver...or made to wait to cross the street for a long line of cars. And the horn honking?!?! It puts New Yorkers to shame. It's like a symphony of honking, beeping, hooting, and jingling...But again, no one is flipping of their road-side neighbor or spitting out curse words. Instead, the Indian horn honking isn't really a "F-you, get out of my way!" type of honk...but rather, a "Hey friend, watch out because I'm coming up on your right and I don't want to accidentally run into you in case you wanted to switch lanes" type of honk. Maybe this whole idea of karma has really sunk in at such a deep level that horrendous traffic can actually be peaceful and friendly?!?!...All I know is, I'm grateful (and surprised) that we've made it as far as we have without a scratch, dint, or middle finger.
Other exciting news on the streets of India: the people! Wow...what a colorful and beautiful bunch. From the bright and lively saris and salwar kameez of the Indian women carrying babies, to the long-legged, high-waisted Indian men (I swear, they are all so freaking long and lean!) meeting in their shops for business, to the family of three atop their motorcycle zipping by, the bright white locks of the elderly gentleman sipping chai, or the kids in bright blue school uniforms walking, smiling & laughing together...the streets of India have continued to amaze me. I think on our 4 hour drive from Agra to Jaipur today I must have stared out the window for a good 3 hours before taking a little snooze. No music, no reading...just people watching. It's amazing!
But it has left my curiosity hungry for some hardcore interaction. I want to know EVERYTHING!! What's the education system like? What do they think of the political leaders? What is their health care system like? What do they dream and hope for?...maybe it's the Social Worker in me...but I want some serious in-depth convo. Hopefully I'll get that soon. Until then, I'll just continue to enjoy my roti and daal...and call it a night.
This has translated into lots of time in our private car (with Sunder, our driver) driving from city to city...rather than taking the train. I was kinda bummed at first, because I felt like it would decrease our chances of interacting with locals and/or other tourists, but I actually have really enjoyed watching the pulse of these cities through the window; breeze flowing through my hair (oh yeah, and dust particles in my eyes and burning trash smell attacking my nostrils...but hey, you win some, you lose some). But seriously, if I can tell you one thing about India that I've learned so far, it's this: YOU THINK YOUR TRAFFIC IS BAD?!?! COME TO INDIA!
Weaving through the cluster-f&*@ of cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, three-wheeled "tuk tuks" & rickshaws takes the patience of a saint.
Traffic in India has a harmonious chaos to it: I seriously don't know how there aren't accidents like every 5 meters because...honestly...there are 2,000 people fighting for space on the road at any given time! I sat in the back our of car yesterday curious to know the rate of high blood pressure in India...and more specifically, the blood pressure of those tuk-tuck, rickshaw, and cab drivers...But they make it work. And no one seems to be stressed out or pissed off whenever they're cut off by the truck driver...or made to wait to cross the street for a long line of cars. And the horn honking?!?! It puts New Yorkers to shame. It's like a symphony of honking, beeping, hooting, and jingling...But again, no one is flipping of their road-side neighbor or spitting out curse words. Instead, the Indian horn honking isn't really a "F-you, get out of my way!" type of honk...but rather, a "Hey friend, watch out because I'm coming up on your right and I don't want to accidentally run into you in case you wanted to switch lanes" type of honk. Maybe this whole idea of karma has really sunk in at such a deep level that horrendous traffic can actually be peaceful and friendly?!?!...All I know is, I'm grateful (and surprised) that we've made it as far as we have without a scratch, dint, or middle finger.
Other exciting news on the streets of India: the people! Wow...what a colorful and beautiful bunch. From the bright and lively saris and salwar kameez of the Indian women carrying babies, to the long-legged, high-waisted Indian men (I swear, they are all so freaking long and lean!) meeting in their shops for business, to the family of three atop their motorcycle zipping by, the bright white locks of the elderly gentleman sipping chai, or the kids in bright blue school uniforms walking, smiling & laughing together...the streets of India have continued to amaze me. I think on our 4 hour drive from Agra to Jaipur today I must have stared out the window for a good 3 hours before taking a little snooze. No music, no reading...just people watching. It's amazing!
But it has left my curiosity hungry for some hardcore interaction. I want to know EVERYTHING!! What's the education system like? What do they think of the political leaders? What is their health care system like? What do they dream and hope for?...maybe it's the Social Worker in me...but I want some serious in-depth convo. Hopefully I'll get that soon. Until then, I'll just continue to enjoy my roti and daal...and call it a night.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Namaste! Welcome to Delhi!
I made it safe & sound to Delhi about 4 hours ago (it's now 11:15 pm on Thursday here). After flying from Austin to Houston to Newark, I boarded the plane and found my window seat next to a young Indian man who couldn't be more friendly, helpful, and willing to talk about his beloved country. He suggested a great Indian Bollywood chick flick to watch called Love Aaj Kal (totally check it out if you can!), and after that...it was bedtime! Thanks to melatonin (and not sleeping but 30 minutes the night before) I thankfully slept the ENTIRE FLIGHT! That aside, I am still exhausted and after writing this blog, I'm headed to bed.
Arriving in Delhi was seemless: the flight was early; my bag came through as soon as I got to the carousel; plus the guy I met on the plane selflessly handed me about 900rupees to have, which is like $25...wow, I heard Indian culture was fueled by hospitality and genorosity...but I was completely amazed by that!
The hotel that Brandon & I are staying at was supposed to send a driver to pick me up (for a free shuttle service), but at first go-round I couldn't find my name on any of the (million) signs. So I talked with a young man from another hotel who called my hotel. No answer. Hmm...strange. Tried the cell phone of the driver. No answer. Hmm...even stranger. After another go-round, no "Ilene Solomon" signage...finally on the 3rd go-round (3rd time is always the charm, right?) I saw a handwritten sign with my name and the hotel's name on it. But, the ride wasn't free. He said it would cost 550 rupees. Hmm...strange. As I stepped back from the situation, my intuition said "Uhh, thanks for the ride, but no thanks" and my research reading said that there would be a prepaid taxi stand available to purchase safe and cheap rides. Luckily I found one right away and only paid 320 rupees. (I have a feeling that all those warnings about getting ripped off here are definitely legit.)
After a 25 minute cab ride (yea, India is cheap...it only cost me $7) I checked into the hotel and found Brandon. Yay for the Western-style toilet in our hotel room...I had pretty much fully embraced my last bathroom visit in the Newark airport with the seated-flush toilets, so I was pleasantly surprised with this special treat! Brandon said that we also have hot water! Woo hoo...things are looking bright already! :)
Brandon spent the day today researching tours and comparing prices, so it looks like we're off to tour the Golden Triangle tomorrow (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur)...but I'll keep yall posted soon!
Namaste!
Arriving in Delhi was seemless: the flight was early; my bag came through as soon as I got to the carousel; plus the guy I met on the plane selflessly handed me about 900rupees to have, which is like $25...wow, I heard Indian culture was fueled by hospitality and genorosity...but I was completely amazed by that!
The hotel that Brandon & I are staying at was supposed to send a driver to pick me up (for a free shuttle service), but at first go-round I couldn't find my name on any of the (million) signs. So I talked with a young man from another hotel who called my hotel. No answer. Hmm...strange. Tried the cell phone of the driver. No answer. Hmm...even stranger. After another go-round, no "Ilene Solomon" signage...finally on the 3rd go-round (3rd time is always the charm, right?) I saw a handwritten sign with my name and the hotel's name on it. But, the ride wasn't free. He said it would cost 550 rupees. Hmm...strange. As I stepped back from the situation, my intuition said "Uhh, thanks for the ride, but no thanks" and my research reading said that there would be a prepaid taxi stand available to purchase safe and cheap rides. Luckily I found one right away and only paid 320 rupees. (I have a feeling that all those warnings about getting ripped off here are definitely legit.)
After a 25 minute cab ride (yea, India is cheap...it only cost me $7) I checked into the hotel and found Brandon. Yay for the Western-style toilet in our hotel room...I had pretty much fully embraced my last bathroom visit in the Newark airport with the seated-flush toilets, so I was pleasantly surprised with this special treat! Brandon said that we also have hot water! Woo hoo...things are looking bright already! :)
Brandon spent the day today researching tours and comparing prices, so it looks like we're off to tour the Golden Triangle tomorrow (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur)...but I'll keep yall posted soon!
Namaste!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
....and I'm off!
The current time is 5:56 am...and that means it is really early or really late...depending upon your perspective. Unfortunately for me, my perspective is telling me that it's really, really, really late.
I kinda have this bad habit: procrastination. Though it definitely leaves for some sleepless nights, it usually helps fuel my actions into completion. I remember when I left for my summer working/living/traveling in Israel and my friend Maria came to pick me up from my house to take me to the airport. Guess what? I was still stuffing things into my backpack and checking things off the list. And when I went to South Africa, I didn't even have my freaking visa until about 4 days before I was scheduled to leave...so, I'm grateful that I've at least improved a little bit for this trip. (I'm so proud: I got my visa 2 months in advance! Talk about improvement!)
But...I did just finish the last bit of organizing and packing for my big Eastern adventure; and shit, I'm tired. However, the good thing is that I have a twenty and some-odd-number hour flight ahead of me...where I'll pop in some melatonin and sleep soundly on the plane. Thanks to Continental Airlines, I'm flying from Austin to Houston then from Houston to Newark and then from Newark 15 hours later...straight to Delhi. Brandon (my friend who I will be traveling with for the first month) left for India yesterday (or today, depending upon whether you've been to bed tonight or not...) so I'll be meeting him at the hotel on Thursday night, which will be Thursday morning for yall back in the States. India is 10 1/2 hours ahead of Austin time--they do the half hour difference in order to keep the whole country in one time zone instead of splitting it up into two. So hopefully I'll sleep a lot on the plane and then shower and go straight to sleep when I get to the hotel in Delhi.
Today I spent my day running about 5 gabillion errands and trying to organize myself and my life before I head out for 168 days...but, as life goes, I didn't get to accomplish everything I wanted to do. It's times like these when I wish there were 50 hours in a day, instead of 24. BUT, as yogis & yoginis strive to do: find acceptance...so, I am grateful that I actually finished packing before my flight, with enough spare time to write this blog entry.
I'm only bringing a travel backpack (which, whoa...is kinda stuffed to the brim. I'm actually bringing very little clothes; it's the toiletries & 2500 different types of pills, vitamins, medications, and malaria meds that I have to bring that is taking up all of the room!), a regular backpack (filled with a hundred books...why didn't I invest in a Kindle again?), a purse, and my yoga mat.
As I sign off for tonight/this morning...I'm filled with gratitude, happiness, anxiety & fear of the unknown, and lots of excitement. For the past couple of weeks, the fear has definitely been a major player in my mind, but thankfully, yesterday brought a strong sense of calm and peace within me. I am confident in my mind, body, heart, and spirit that this is exactly what I'm supposed to be doing in my life right now...and for that, I'm grateful.
So, I'll leave you with some words from a very beautiful, loving, and wise friend of mine that she wrote to me in a card: "This little gift (a key chain) symbolizes home--know that you carry it with you, its not a location or place, it's your heart...put it on your backpack so you never feel like your home is anywhere but inside of you."
I guess my Mom's country-bumpkin sign that reads: "Home is Where the Heart is" is pretty accurate after all.
....and I'm off...to shower!
I kinda have this bad habit: procrastination. Though it definitely leaves for some sleepless nights, it usually helps fuel my actions into completion. I remember when I left for my summer working/living/traveling in Israel and my friend Maria came to pick me up from my house to take me to the airport. Guess what? I was still stuffing things into my backpack and checking things off the list. And when I went to South Africa, I didn't even have my freaking visa until about 4 days before I was scheduled to leave...so, I'm grateful that I've at least improved a little bit for this trip. (I'm so proud: I got my visa 2 months in advance! Talk about improvement!)
But...I did just finish the last bit of organizing and packing for my big Eastern adventure; and shit, I'm tired. However, the good thing is that I have a twenty and some-odd-number hour flight ahead of me...where I'll pop in some melatonin and sleep soundly on the plane. Thanks to Continental Airlines, I'm flying from Austin to Houston then from Houston to Newark and then from Newark 15 hours later...straight to Delhi. Brandon (my friend who I will be traveling with for the first month) left for India yesterday (or today, depending upon whether you've been to bed tonight or not...) so I'll be meeting him at the hotel on Thursday night, which will be Thursday morning for yall back in the States. India is 10 1/2 hours ahead of Austin time--they do the half hour difference in order to keep the whole country in one time zone instead of splitting it up into two. So hopefully I'll sleep a lot on the plane and then shower and go straight to sleep when I get to the hotel in Delhi.
Today I spent my day running about 5 gabillion errands and trying to organize myself and my life before I head out for 168 days...but, as life goes, I didn't get to accomplish everything I wanted to do. It's times like these when I wish there were 50 hours in a day, instead of 24. BUT, as yogis & yoginis strive to do: find acceptance...so, I am grateful that I actually finished packing before my flight, with enough spare time to write this blog entry.
I'm only bringing a travel backpack (which, whoa...is kinda stuffed to the brim. I'm actually bringing very little clothes; it's the toiletries & 2500 different types of pills, vitamins, medications, and malaria meds that I have to bring that is taking up all of the room!), a regular backpack (filled with a hundred books...why didn't I invest in a Kindle again?), a purse, and my yoga mat.
As I sign off for tonight/this morning...I'm filled with gratitude, happiness, anxiety & fear of the unknown, and lots of excitement. For the past couple of weeks, the fear has definitely been a major player in my mind, but thankfully, yesterday brought a strong sense of calm and peace within me. I am confident in my mind, body, heart, and spirit that this is exactly what I'm supposed to be doing in my life right now...and for that, I'm grateful.
So, I'll leave you with some words from a very beautiful, loving, and wise friend of mine that she wrote to me in a card: "This little gift (a key chain) symbolizes home--know that you carry it with you, its not a location or place, it's your heart...put it on your backpack so you never feel like your home is anywhere but inside of you."
I guess my Mom's country-bumpkin sign that reads: "Home is Where the Heart is" is pretty accurate after all.
....and I'm off...to shower!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Discovery: The background story
Recently, I was introduced to an excellent Cat Stevens song...and it goes a little something like this:
Well, if you want to sing out, sing out
And if you want to be free, be free
'cause there's a million things to be
You know that there are
And if you want to live high, live high
And if you want to live low, live low
'cause there's a million ways to go
You know that there are
You can do what you want
The opportunity's on
And if you can find a new way
You can do it today
You can make it all true
And you can make it undo
You see ah ah ah
Is easy ah ah ah
You only need to know
Well if you want to say yes, say yes
And if you want to say no, say no
'cause there's a million ways to go
You know that there are
And if you want to be me, be me
And if you want to be you, be you
'cause there's a million things to do
You know that there are
Well, if you want to sing out, sing out
And if you want to be free, be free
'cause there's a million things to be
You know that there are
And for your listening pleasures:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDq36YD1ESM
As I am preparing to embark on, what will certainly be, a transformative journey through India, Thailand & other parts of southeast Asia...this song speaks exactly to the reason that I am taking this trip.
Rewind back to December 2009, if you will: Picture me in a peaceful yoga studio down in Austin, TX at a place called the Amala Foundation http://www.amalafoundation.org/home.html for my routine Sunday morning "Women's Movement Mediation" (that's right...an hour & a half of complete nonverbal expression AKA DANCING!!! with a group of truly inspiring and beautiful women), when the leader, Elissa, asked us to close the last session of 2009 by forming a circle. She instructed the group to meditate on an intention, just one word, for the upcoming new year. As the other women shared meaningful words like: "joy," peace," "happiness," and "love"...when my turn came along...my heart genuinely spoke the word: "DISCOVERY"...and that is really how this whole thing got started.
So as I ushered in 2010...the first chapter of my year of DISCOVERY began with preparations for my final field placement through the UT School of Social Work: I was heading to South Africa to intern at an orphanage (Botshabelo) for children, birth to young adulthood, who have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS or economic hardships. http://www.botshabelo.org/ After spending an entire semester (mid-January to mid-May) working, living, and traveling in South Africa...well, there are really no words to describe just how incredible of an opportunity that truly was. The other intern, Ayla, & I like to say this about our experience at Botshabelo: "Pick an adjective. That's what it was." From joy and gratitude, to heartache and injustice...the emotions I felt covered the spectrum. The discovery attained, not only about working with victims of trauma & oppression, of the South African culture & history, or my role as a social worker; but the discovery also expressed itself through a deep & internal uncovering of my own past, my own story, my own healing.... I guess you could kind of say it was like an existential crisis meets 10 years of therapy mixed in with LOTS of beautifully amazing children... If you want to read more about my time in South Africa, or to see some pictures. Check out my blog that I kept: http://ilenesouthafrica.blogspot.com/
After such an incredible experience, I won't lie...I got the travel bug...BAD! Adjusting back to American life after my time in South Africa turned out to be one of the toughest things I have ever done. In fact, during a span of about 3 1/2 weeks this June/July, I pretty much cried everyday. After being away from the States for such a long time, you honestly forget just how fast-paced, career-driven, money-focused, and isolated our culture is...and, whoa...it was WAAAAYYYY harder coming back to that than it was going over to South Africa where we didn't even have a door on our bathroom!! So at graduation from the Masters of Social Work program at UT...when everyone bombarded me with: "What are going to do now?" "Where are you going to work?" "Do you have a job yet? "What kind of work do you want to do?" My response? "...uhhh, travel?"
It makes sense: When I left Austin for South Africa, I packed up my belongings and currently, still have them stored at my cousin's house (SHOUT OUT TO COUSIN SARAH---YOU'RE THE BEST!)...so I don't have a house, I don't have a job (ok, don't knock JCC Summer Camp Inclusion Counselor, when I worked one-on-one with a kiddo with Autism...it DEFINITELY counted for a job this summer. I probably worked harder than a lot of you. I mean seriously, did you ever have a client yell at you to wipe their butt? Plus, honestly, how many times did you check your facebook during work hours today? :)). But basically, I don't have anything at the present moment tying me anywhere or to anything...so why not? As Cat says...If you want to sing out, sing out...so...I'm following my passion. I'm going to travel.
So the next chapter of my year of DISCOVERY includes an Indian adventure before heading over to Thailand and then exploring other parts of southeast Asia (including, but not limited to: Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia)...and we might throw in a little Belgium for good measure (shout out to Aunt Paula & Cousin Noah!).
Why India? Well....why not?!?!?
If you know me then you'd know that over the last 5 years, I have been on a complete and total life-transformation path. The Ilene of 2010 is much calmer, more spiritually connected, more insightful, greener, and yes, even braver...than ever before. Which is amazing. I am grateful for the opportunity to constantly grow and reevaluate where I am in the present moment and the intentions that I set for the future. This progression is in large part due to the healing and empowering effects of YOGA (which literally means, a "union" or a "joining" of yourself to yourself). And what better place to practice yoga than in it's birthplace: India. Plus, if you've ever read the book, "Eat Pray Love"...pretty much after I read the India part where she woke up every day at 5:30 am to meditate and practice yoga at an ashram, I said to myself, "Hell yea, I'm going to do that one day." And lo and behold, I'm actually gonna do it.
The first month there, I will be traveling with a friend of mine from Austin (who had originally planned a trip to India while I was still in South Africa. When I saw that he booked a ticket on facebook, I immediately clicked the "Like" button and commented: "What?!? India?? Excuse me, we have to talk about this when I get back to Austin!"). Sure enough, I booked a ticket and the planning began. We have a rough itinerary set for our month of travel together...hitting up the Taj Mahal, burning Ghats, Ganges, Mumbai, and of course, the beaches of Goa. And don't worry, we are FOR SURE going to audition to be in a Bollywood film! :)
Then the next two and a half months I will be traveling solo; where the beginning of vipassana mediation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vipassana_meditation will begin. While I don't have anything booked, I do have tons of recommendations and suggestions from friends and friends of friends (THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO GAVE THEIR GUIDANCE & HELP)...I am leaving myself open to the process, but have been in contact with a few ashrams that I am interested in visiting. Plus, I'm going to try to be at a retreat with the DALAI LAMA on my birthday. WHAT?!?! Yeah...Dalai Lama on my birthday.
And then?.....Well, somehow my 2 month trip to India extended itself to a 6 month adventure when I found out that some people that I worked with at the orphanage in South Africa will be volunteering in Thailand at the end of December-mid January...and I figured, well, I'm already over there, I might as well meet them! We will be volunteering for two weeks at an elephant sanctuary and teaching English to children in a Thai village. SO freaking excited. Check out the Power of One Program through Blue Star of Hope (based out of Colorado) http://bluestarofhope.org/ Afterward, my very dear friend Kurt Hubble will be making his first international appearance, and meeting me over in Thailand for some world exploration. We plan to hit up the islands of Thailand first then make our way along the southeast Asia circuit. But don't worry Jackie and Ben, I PROMISE I'll be back home in the good ole US of A in time for your wedding!
I invite you all to (and would be so humbled if you) join me in following my passion for traveling, learning, growing, yoga, meditation, cross-cultural exchange, all things southeast Asian, and most important, DISCOVERY. I will try to update as often as possible at various internet cafes throughout my adventure. All-in-all, I hope this experience will help to inspire YOU to follow YOUR passions whatever they may be for you...because, as Cat says, if you want to sing out, sing out!
In the name of DISCOVERY,
Namaste!
Well, if you want to sing out, sing out
And if you want to be free, be free
'cause there's a million things to be
You know that there are
And if you want to live high, live high
And if you want to live low, live low
'cause there's a million ways to go
You know that there are
You can do what you want
The opportunity's on
And if you can find a new way
You can do it today
You can make it all true
And you can make it undo
You see ah ah ah
Is easy ah ah ah
You only need to know
Well if you want to say yes, say yes
And if you want to say no, say no
'cause there's a million ways to go
You know that there are
And if you want to be me, be me
And if you want to be you, be you
'cause there's a million things to do
You know that there are
Well, if you want to sing out, sing out
And if you want to be free, be free
'cause there's a million things to be
You know that there are
And for your listening pleasures:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDq36YD1ESM
As I am preparing to embark on, what will certainly be, a transformative journey through India, Thailand & other parts of southeast Asia...this song speaks exactly to the reason that I am taking this trip.
Rewind back to December 2009, if you will: Picture me in a peaceful yoga studio down in Austin, TX at a place called the Amala Foundation http://www.amalafoundation.org/home.html for my routine Sunday morning "Women's Movement Mediation" (that's right...an hour & a half of complete nonverbal expression AKA DANCING!!! with a group of truly inspiring and beautiful women), when the leader, Elissa, asked us to close the last session of 2009 by forming a circle. She instructed the group to meditate on an intention, just one word, for the upcoming new year. As the other women shared meaningful words like: "joy," peace," "happiness," and "love"...when my turn came along...my heart genuinely spoke the word: "DISCOVERY"...and that is really how this whole thing got started.
So as I ushered in 2010...the first chapter of my year of DISCOVERY began with preparations for my final field placement through the UT School of Social Work: I was heading to South Africa to intern at an orphanage (Botshabelo) for children, birth to young adulthood, who have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS or economic hardships. http://www.botshabelo.org/ After spending an entire semester (mid-January to mid-May) working, living, and traveling in South Africa...well, there are really no words to describe just how incredible of an opportunity that truly was. The other intern, Ayla, & I like to say this about our experience at Botshabelo: "Pick an adjective. That's what it was." From joy and gratitude, to heartache and injustice...the emotions I felt covered the spectrum. The discovery attained, not only about working with victims of trauma & oppression, of the South African culture & history, or my role as a social worker; but the discovery also expressed itself through a deep & internal uncovering of my own past, my own story, my own healing.... I guess you could kind of say it was like an existential crisis meets 10 years of therapy mixed in with LOTS of beautifully amazing children... If you want to read more about my time in South Africa, or to see some pictures. Check out my blog that I kept: http://ilenesouthafrica.blogspot.com/
After such an incredible experience, I won't lie...I got the travel bug...BAD! Adjusting back to American life after my time in South Africa turned out to be one of the toughest things I have ever done. In fact, during a span of about 3 1/2 weeks this June/July, I pretty much cried everyday. After being away from the States for such a long time, you honestly forget just how fast-paced, career-driven, money-focused, and isolated our culture is...and, whoa...it was WAAAAYYYY harder coming back to that than it was going over to South Africa where we didn't even have a door on our bathroom!! So at graduation from the Masters of Social Work program at UT...when everyone bombarded me with: "What are going to do now?" "Where are you going to work?" "Do you have a job yet? "What kind of work do you want to do?" My response? "...uhhh, travel?"
It makes sense: When I left Austin for South Africa, I packed up my belongings and currently, still have them stored at my cousin's house (SHOUT OUT TO COUSIN SARAH---YOU'RE THE BEST!)...so I don't have a house, I don't have a job (ok, don't knock JCC Summer Camp Inclusion Counselor, when I worked one-on-one with a kiddo with Autism...it DEFINITELY counted for a job this summer. I probably worked harder than a lot of you. I mean seriously, did you ever have a client yell at you to wipe their butt? Plus, honestly, how many times did you check your facebook during work hours today? :)). But basically, I don't have anything at the present moment tying me anywhere or to anything...so why not? As Cat says...If you want to sing out, sing out...so...I'm following my passion. I'm going to travel.
So the next chapter of my year of DISCOVERY includes an Indian adventure before heading over to Thailand and then exploring other parts of southeast Asia (including, but not limited to: Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia)...and we might throw in a little Belgium for good measure (shout out to Aunt Paula & Cousin Noah!).
Why India? Well....why not?!?!?
If you know me then you'd know that over the last 5 years, I have been on a complete and total life-transformation path. The Ilene of 2010 is much calmer, more spiritually connected, more insightful, greener, and yes, even braver...than ever before. Which is amazing. I am grateful for the opportunity to constantly grow and reevaluate where I am in the present moment and the intentions that I set for the future. This progression is in large part due to the healing and empowering effects of YOGA (which literally means, a "union" or a "joining" of yourself to yourself). And what better place to practice yoga than in it's birthplace: India. Plus, if you've ever read the book, "Eat Pray Love"...pretty much after I read the India part where she woke up every day at 5:30 am to meditate and practice yoga at an ashram, I said to myself, "Hell yea, I'm going to do that one day." And lo and behold, I'm actually gonna do it.
The first month there, I will be traveling with a friend of mine from Austin (who had originally planned a trip to India while I was still in South Africa. When I saw that he booked a ticket on facebook, I immediately clicked the "Like" button and commented: "What?!? India?? Excuse me, we have to talk about this when I get back to Austin!"). Sure enough, I booked a ticket and the planning began. We have a rough itinerary set for our month of travel together...hitting up the Taj Mahal, burning Ghats, Ganges, Mumbai, and of course, the beaches of Goa. And don't worry, we are FOR SURE going to audition to be in a Bollywood film! :)
Then the next two and a half months I will be traveling solo; where the beginning of vipassana mediation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vipassana_meditation will begin. While I don't have anything booked, I do have tons of recommendations and suggestions from friends and friends of friends (THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO GAVE THEIR GUIDANCE & HELP)...I am leaving myself open to the process, but have been in contact with a few ashrams that I am interested in visiting. Plus, I'm going to try to be at a retreat with the DALAI LAMA on my birthday. WHAT?!?! Yeah...Dalai Lama on my birthday.
And then?.....Well, somehow my 2 month trip to India extended itself to a 6 month adventure when I found out that some people that I worked with at the orphanage in South Africa will be volunteering in Thailand at the end of December-mid January...and I figured, well, I'm already over there, I might as well meet them! We will be volunteering for two weeks at an elephant sanctuary and teaching English to children in a Thai village. SO freaking excited. Check out the Power of One Program through Blue Star of Hope (based out of Colorado) http://bluestarofhope.org/ Afterward, my very dear friend Kurt Hubble will be making his first international appearance, and meeting me over in Thailand for some world exploration. We plan to hit up the islands of Thailand first then make our way along the southeast Asia circuit. But don't worry Jackie and Ben, I PROMISE I'll be back home in the good ole US of A in time for your wedding!
I invite you all to (and would be so humbled if you) join me in following my passion for traveling, learning, growing, yoga, meditation, cross-cultural exchange, all things southeast Asian, and most important, DISCOVERY. I will try to update as often as possible at various internet cafes throughout my adventure. All-in-all, I hope this experience will help to inspire YOU to follow YOUR passions whatever they may be for you...because, as Cat says, if you want to sing out, sing out!
In the name of DISCOVERY,
Namaste!
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