Cows, cows and more cows!! (Or, my trip to India...)

When I first started this India blog back in Delhi, I was going to do several entries, but then I got behind and decide to do a one big mother of a blog entry just for India. Five rupies to whoever actually reads the entire entry, plus some curry on the side.

On that note, lets catch up.

At 2:30 PM on Saturday, March 5th, I left my parents house in Stow, MA unsure of when I would next return. It had been a long month of planning and I was still packing and sorting things out that morning. It's hard to explain how it feels to move out of the country, but one thing is for sure... I was exhausted after three weeks of moving out of my apartment, getting ready for my journey, and saying all my goodbyes. Not to mention a few pounds heavier thanks to my friends and family. (And a special thanks to Emily for my kick ass safari hat and Ilse for a surprise visit to Stow with Conley's onion rings!!)

My parents dropped me off at Logan, and my mother and I did some luggage shifting, and the attendant graciously let me slide by without an overweight baggage fee. We then said our sad goodbyes, and I was off to Delhi via Newark on Continental Airlines scheduled to depart Boston at 4:45 and arrive Sunday evening in Delhi. The flight from New Jersey was scheduled for 14 hours, but much to my delight the winds were in our favor and it was estimated at 13 hours plus [believe it or not] free in-flight entertainment! I lugged a pile of People and Entertainment across several terminals, thanks to my grandmother (my carry-on weighed in the 35-40 pound range), but opted instead for "Rachel Getting Married" and "The King's Speech". There was an empty seat next to me, and overall it was a pleasant flight considering. (And p.s. the King's Speech was BORING!)

As I mentioned previously, I was traveling to India with the owner of Soni Yoga Studio (David), and three other women: Jen, Kathy and Amy. We arrived in Delhi without any problems, and it was time to travel to our destination, the Tara Palace Hotel, in Old Delhi. Yellow & green cabs that appeared to be older than me lined the street outside the terminal. Kathy, David & I squeezed into the back of one, and I held on for dear life as we made a way across New Delhi into Old. The sites and smells were very overwhelming and as we made our way to the hotel I started to really question my decision-making abilities. As Kathy stated the next day, it felt like all my senses were being assaulted. It was dirty, it was smelly, it was poor. Eat, Pray, What the F was I thinking? (shout out to Patty!)

We arrived at the hotel after walking down a dingy alley and it was definitely not anything I was used to, to say the least. Amy and I headed to our room, and I quickly noticed there was no shower stall and in its place a dingy bucket. After I sat there and wondered how that was going to work, and feeling pretty ripe after a long flight, I was relieved to discover a shower head and later found out the bucket was for washing clothes... um, not. We met on the roof of the hotel and had a bite to eat, and it was time to say goodnight.

The next day (Monday, March 7th) we wondered around Old Delhi until around 2 PM. I wish I could give you all a quick glimpse of what I saw, because I cannot accurately describe this experience in words. It was very loud, it was crowded and I was on edge with the sound of constant horns. As the day progressed, the market became more and more lively... there were farm stands, clothing, cafes, and many spice stores. As it became warmer, the smell became an overwhelming combination of pollution, people, animals, spices and perfumes. There was so much trash in the street with an occasional fire to burn it. There was absolutely no order that I could find and at any given time there could be cows, dogs, monkeys, people, bikes, carts, pedi cabs, motorcycles, cars and trucks roaming the streets. I was told by Indian friends that there would be cows, and cows there were! Not to mention a large number of stray dogs and people in pretty bad shape that seemed to live on the streets. The buildings were old and in much needed repair and the power lines were a tangled mess throughout the market. There's a good chance we blinded the natives with our pasty white skin and there were many stares as we walked by. We had a bite to eat in the evening, walked through a local Hindu temple, and took it easy the rest of the evening. I can't say I'd have a desire to travel back to Old Delhi (although I will later in the week), but feel fortunate that I was given the opportunity to experience this part of the world.

On Tuesday (March 8th) we woke up at the butt crack of dawn and the four ladies were off to Agra to see the... [wait for it] ... Taj Mahal. I believe it took us about 4 hours and again we were met with some very jaw dropping sites as we headed out of Delhi into the countryside. By this point, monkeys & cows were pretty much old news, but today we saw camels!! And an elephant out of the very corner of my eyes!! On this day, we directly witnessed what it was like to drive through India. Lines on the streets were merely a suggestion, and passing was an art form. Honking was commonplace and a way to keep drivers alert (and passengers) and our driver was laying it on thick. Once out of the city we quickly passed through many crowded villages on the side of the road and then we would make our way through the country once again. We arrived in Agra, left our belongings in the car, and walked about a 1/2 mile to the Taj Mahal. We passed through a few residential streets... which was very unique and charming if you could ignore the sewage drain running along both sides of the streets. We paid our entrance fee at the Taj, collected our red booties, walked through the gate, and there it was! It was just as I imagined, but a very surreal experience. We spent about an hour or two walking through the sites, and our tour guide ("Din" or something like that) had all the right photo tricks to capture the moment. After that we walked to a nearby cafe for lunch, passing more camels! Din promised us the "second part of the tour" following lunch which turned out to basically be a tourist trap or the "back room" as David called it. We were brought to a house where men were carving flowers into the marble, just like at the Taj, but following the demonstration we were given an obnoxiously polished sales pitch. We got out of there as quickly as possible and it was back to Delhi.

Wait... not so fast. I'm about to get personal, so skip this next paragraph if needed. *cough* NAT *cough*

Delhi is 10 1/2 hours ahead of Boston and my internal clock was a little confused as you can probably imagine. It was the moment I had been fearing since I left Boston, and in the middle of the drive my tummy suddenly wasn't feeling so hot. I entertained the thought of waiting it out, but was also aware we'd be arriving in Delhi during rush hour. I decided to be brave and asked the driver to stop at a toilet. He pulled into an outside cafe and warned me the toilet would not be clean... he was not lying. My new best friend Jen accompanied me to the bathroom and served as my assistant. There bathroom was very dark, there were several stalls, and there was the sound of water dripping everywhere. Jen had the thank-god-its-not-me look and I had the oh-shit-why-me-why-me-why-me look as the color quickly drained from my face. She held my purse for sanitary reasons, and I headed in. It was dark, it was dirty, and it was a squat toilet. Thankfully I'm usually pretty good at planning ahead, and I opened up the roll of toilet paper I had stolen from the hotel. There was a bucket of water next to the toilet and I used that to send things down the drain because I'm pretty sure that's what I was supposed to do. I left the stall, and Jen was still there holding my purse. I went to reach in to grab my wipes, and she quickly stopped me because she was not going to let my dirty paws come close to my belongings. (Isn't she the best?) Like we were in surgery... she handed the wipe to me... and then the second wipe... as I cleaned off the dirtiest bathroom I have ever encountered. I conquered that bathroom like nothing else!!

On Wednesday (March 9th), again at the butt crack of dawn, we left Delhi and started the drive north to Rishikesh, a holy (and vegetarian) city located in the foothills of the Himalayas. Pretty cool, right? Not much to say here that hasn't already been mentioned, other than another crazy drive through the towns and countryside of India. If I am remembering correctly it's only about 200-225 KM away, but it took us about 6 hours to drive. As we neared Haridwar, we finally located the Ganga and began the slow descent into the foothills arriving in Rishikesh about 45 minutes later. I've always been a decent traveler, but when we arrived at ashram in Rishikesh (Parmarth Niketish) I definitely found myself out of my comfort zone. It's a holy city, and attracts a distinct group of travelers. That night we went to the Aarti, and while the rest of my group was quite moved, I was sorta still trying to figure out what the hell was going on. I'll need to google this, but the Aarti is basically a ritual where you throw all your baggage into the Ganga. It involves a lot of singing and we were in luck because Swamiji, the Guru, was there. People were swaying their heads, clapping, one of my traveling buddies was brought to tears... me, I was having a not-in-Kansas moment. Following the Aarti, we had dinner (on the floor) (cuz that's what you do at an ashram) in the dining room.

On Thursday (March 10th) we had our Panchakarma consultation (google it) with the doctor at 9:30 and our first treatment immediately after from 10-12. The treatment consisted of a full body massage with sesame oil, oil dripped on the forehead, and a steam bath. My masseuse was about 4 foot 10 (if that) and let's just say I got the full body massage. I'm not going to lie; I was still out of my comfort zone and hated every minute of it. Plus, I was still getting used to all the smells... sesame oil? Aren't massages supposed to smell like flowers and rainbows? After the first treatment we walked the foot bridge across the Ganga and did some shopping. Monkeys galore!! Stunning views of the river and Himalayas. That night we went to Aarti again and as newcomers to the ashram we participated in some sort of tradition... not sure what it's called or what it meant... it involved flowers, rice and a dot on my forehead. Coincidentally, the man who conducted the ceremony also is the owner of the cyber cafe down the road. Once we were dotted, the Aarti begun and our job was to throw dirt on the fire every time they said a word (remember to google this later) and for what seemed like forever. Around 6pm, this was done and the crowd started to gather and the Guru arrived... and a whole bunch of visiting monks! About 24 hours into my stay, I was beginning to relax and really enjoyed the music and the experience. Not to mention that ashram was a beautiful oasis in a very chaotic country. (and I developed a mad crush on the fire ceremony guy)

Friday (March 11th) Not much to report. At my massage today we decided to not use the loin cloth and I would just lie there completely naked. Whatever happens in India, stays in India. I was starting to loosen up, and actually enjoyed the treatment. Today we started our Geeeeeeeee (not sure if I'm spelling that right... it's clarified butter) regimen where today I had to have two Tbsp at lunch and dinner, and three the next two days. It almost made me vomit. I really shoulda googled panchakarma before arrival, but basically between the geeeeeeeee and the sesame oil, we start working out the toxins in our bodies and I'll give you the whole story on Sunday, March 13th. Other than that, today was pretty uneventful... the rest of the group walked to a nearby town and I decided to have some Sarah relaxation time... or as Emily would say... it was time to take a dip in Lake Me. That night I went to the Aarti again... and... NO GURU! D'oh!

Saturday (March 12th) Third massage treatment... still no clothes. The treatment started at 10 AM and before that I wandered outside of the ashram and nearby market to more of the residential area. Near the ashram, westerners are not an unfamiliar site, but on these streets I was getting some strange looks. I was stopped by two men probably around the same age as me and they one by one took a picture with me... with their arms around me. It was kinda awkward, but I guess after all the years of traveling and taking obnoxious pics, it was my turn. After the treatment, we went white water rafting on the Ganga. Let me just add that I never thought I would get within 500 miles of the ganga... I've seen the National Geographic pics. But yesterday, we boarded a raft right on top of it. It was about a 20 minute trip up into the foothills of the himalayas. The sites were amazing, the roads not so much. Not including the guide, there were 7 rafters and due to the odd number I got to sit at the front of the boat and did not have to row and could absorb the views... lucky for my arms... not for the rest of my body which was completely drenched. Overall, it was a relatively calm ride, but one rapid was a bit scary and a wave went right over me, Kathy & David. Took my breath away.... a few minutes later Amy asked whose sunglasses were sitting in the back of the raft and I had completely forgotten I was wearing them. We came to a particularly smooth area on the river, and the guide said something like "now you jump". uh, no way. (National Geographic pics...) Our two new Indian friends went (even though one couldn't swim)... then David with a graceful dive... then Jen... AND THEN ME with a not so graceful side belly flop. I'm not going to lie... it was cold and as I was peering back up at the boat I realized I made a big mistake. Jumping out into the Ganga was the easy part, but how was I going to get back into the raft? I'm going to spare you the embarrassing details, but our guide musta have been sporting some serious guns. So far, this was the highlight of the trip... and more specifically, the moment Kathy and I gave our two new Indian friends a quick Metallica concert on the raft... the views were breathtaking and it was great to get that blood flowing again! Went to the Aarti and no guru AGAIN (sad face).

Oh, Sunday (March 13th)... day of cleansing and fasting. I have had two colonoscopies and thought this was going to be a walk in the park. Let's just say that I was completely humbled on treatment day #4. Amy & I had our normal treatment from 8-10, and following we met with the doctor to drink the drink. It consisted of whole bunch of castor oil and some milky stuff and then some strange pill. We were told to eat no food and drink 3 liters of water and the oil would start working it's way out in about three hours... which really means 1 hour in American time. During the early afternoon I went to the bathroom a few times, worked on my blog, and things were going smoothly. And then I almost died. There was a point in time in which I was sitting on the toilet holding the laundry bucket thinking my final day would be spent in India. It's called a cleansing, but I think it was just really another form of food poisoning. After about 15 trips or so to the bathroom, I finally was cleansed around 4 AM... This day sucked, and to add insult to injury as I lay there groaning I could hear the Guru at the Aarti.

Monday (March 14th)... day after cleansing and fasting... I was scheduled for a massage at 10am, but homey don't play that. I skipped. Around 11ish, David came over with some soup and I stole some of Amy's jolly ranchers. I had some WHO electrolytes and was starting to slowly come back to life. I walked to the end of the hall to refill my water, and noticed my flip flops were loose from being so dehydrated. We ventured to lunch where I had some white rice and bread. The three ladies sat outside in the courtyard and I fell asleep until it was Aarti time at 5:30. We were all still very weak, so Jen & I held back and stood at the top of the stairs looking down on the Aarti. Today was a special Aarti day, because my Guru was there (yay!) and my new Indian boyfriend. This was a prime staring location. My new Indian boyfriend... think of whats-his-face from the movie version of King & I and then picture him as an Indian. I really know how to pick them, because all the men at the ashram are so kind & gentle, but he smokes and seems to be packing a serious attitude problem. But, it's love... so what can I say? After the Aarti it was Q&A time with the Guru and then dinner. The Guru seems to answer all the questions in Hindi, whereas the questions in English are answered by his right hand lady. I really dig her. Tonight she told us her favorite creation story where we are all made from the same ocean, and the water from the ocean scattered so that some of us are river drops, some are mountain drops, some are ocean drops, etc... but we're all drops from the same place regardless of color, religion, social class, etc. Someone else asked how to get unstuck from a project you're working on and she gave a great talk on how for some we are afraid of success and really get in our own way. I have to google her as well because she's quite a character... she's American, went to Stanford, and somehow she ended up here. Oh, and tonight I bought a silver OM pendant, which made me feel very touristy. After Kathy and I did some interneting and jewelry shopping at Sunil's store, we walked outside and were approached by a pack of stray dogs and [oh my god] the cutest bunch of little pups I have ever seen. I asked for dog food at the little store and bought a pack of what seemed like slices of pound cake. Kathy and I fed the dogs and walked back to the ashram.

By the way... as I typed this blog, the electricity just went out.

Tuesday (March 15th)... Today I had a powder treatment with some sort of grain which apparently is good to break up the fat... (the doctor ordered this treatment for the rest of my stay.) I went for my steam bath, but was still dizzy from the cleanse and was only able to handle about a minute. Now it was time for my sinus cleanse where I fell in love again! In the doctor's office there is the doctor, two ladies and a male masseuse. Today the male masseuse gave me a little vicks vapor rub sinus treatment and then 15 minutes of the most heavenly face and head massage. He's so adorable, so gentle and I want to bring him to Africa with me. After that I went to Sunil's shop to use the wifi... which wasn't working... but instead I chatted with some Indian dude with long hair who I think David said was an astrologer. I don't mean to brag or anything, but I'm pretty sure he had a little crush on me and I showed him pictures of me through the years that were stored on my laptop. After lunch it was time to travel up the Himalayas to see the Nihlkanth temple, which has significant meaning in the Hindu religion and is has direct relationship to Shiva. I think it was the combination of the melatonin my roommate was drugging me with, the cleanse, the jet lag, the altitude, and my affinity for car sickness, but I was not in good shape after we arrived an hour later. I dragged myself through the temple and surrounding village and when we got back to Rishikesh, I had to take a little nap. Then I dragged myself to the Ganga to see the Aarti and boyfriend #1. After the Aarti I went to the room to lie down, and Amy woke me up at 7:50 because it was time to go to Sunil's for dinner. We walked about a block or two down the road from the ashram where we found Sunil's compound which looked like a three story apartment with a total of 6 units... apparently in India, family members like to live close to each other. We were greeted by Sunil's brother and his wife and were each given a lay flowers. The wife made us Dahl (sp?), some creamed spinach concoction, buttered nand and for dessert the most fabulous little donut ball thing drenched in a sugary syrup. She passed our photos and her daughter (5) and son (3) entertained us for most of the evening.

Wednesday (March 16th)... Today I had my last panchakarma treatment which consisted of an eye cleanse with gleeee (performed by my beloved) and the powder treatment and oil-dripping-on-the-forehead thing. For the eye treatment my boyfriend put clay circles around my eyes and then pressed at the edges to form a seal around my eyes and then dripped geeeee into my eyes. He asked me to open my eyes and it was the freakiest shit I have ever seen... it was all yellow and I could barely make out the shadow of his hand. Then it was time for eye exercises: to the right, to the left, up, down, all around. We repeated this three times. At the end of my treatment today my masseuse called me her sister in Hindi, which made me feel warm and fuzzy. I met with my doctor one last time to go over my regimen for when I return to the states and he gave me my dosha (KP) and my eating plan for when I return to the states (HA - he doesn't know that's in two years!!). My new meal plan consists of granola, fruit and sprouts for breakfast; vegetables, yogurt and salad for lunch; and bread, soup and vegetables for dinner (NOT!). He specifically told me to avoid cheese, oily food, meat, pizza, pasta, potato and rice. This doctor was smoking some serious crack. I took a picture with my sister and and my boyfriend and I said our sad goodbyes and I'm pretty sure in hindi he said "I love you madly, my beautiful white queen." Afterwards, around 2pm I wandered down the river to a town call Laxman Jhula which is about a mile walk... ran into the gang and shopped some with Kathy before we headed back to Aarti... which unfortunately wasn't happening because of a demonstration that afternoon on the ashram steps. Rumor has it that 40 workers were unhappy with their wages, staged this demonstration, got arrested, and then were replaced on the steps with the family members. We had Q&A with the Guru that evening and he was not happy to hear the Aarti was canceled. Yeah, Guru... what's up with that? Instead I went back to Jen's room and she gave me a thong demonstration, but was unable to convince me of the benefits. That night Amy taught me how to wash my sesame oil-soaked undies in a bucket and I went to the jewelry shop and uploaded a whole mess of photos to facebook. Oh, I forgot to mention that while Kathy & I were shopping that afternoon we were looking up in the trees at some monkeys and all of a sudden there was a misty spray of liquid all over me... I was like "Could it be?"... If I had any doubt at that moment, a few turds fell from the sky and landed in front of me. Yes, my friends... a monkey peed on me. In the United States, I probably would have shreeked a few times, done the dirty dance, and ran back home to a bath of bleach... but in India I'm guessing monkey urine has some sort of restorative properties.

Thursday (March 17th)... Today the group went to some town about three hours up the foothills of the Himalayas. I decided it was day of rest for me so that I could avoid car sickness and have some relaxation before I start my new job in a few days (EEK!)... I received an email from Christy last night and we are traveling to Mozambique a week after I arrive. Very nervous and very excited! The group headed out around 6:45 this morning and I decided that if I was going to skip this adventure I had to get my ass up out of bed for "yoga". The yogi was 102 and the most adorable little Indian I have ever encountered. The class goes from 6-8:30, which is totally insane, so I just did the little pre-yoga calisthenics from 6-7 which is more than enough. It involved a lot of stretching (from head to toe), jumping jacks, and running in place and then a well-deserved shavasena. Sadly, the yogi is in far better shape than I am. A little while later it was time for lunch... I decided to treat myself to lunch because, quite frankly, the food at the ashram tastes like arse. Across the street is a restaurant/hotel called the "Green Hotel" which caters to the non-Indian tourist. The menu included a wide variety of options from Indian to Chinese to Italian to American. The American breakfast is baked beans on top of white bread. Nothing says home like baked beans on toast! I opted for paneer pakoda which I believe is a slightly healthier version of mozzarella sticks. This afternoon, I took another walk through Rishikesh and across the footbridge. I sat on the steps alongside the Ganga directly across the Ashram. A family walked by, sat down, and continued to take our photo... I can only wonder if I will be included on their next holiday card. We then went to the Aarti one last time... Guru was there (yay!) but his throat still hurt and he did not sing (boo!). Tonight there was a visiting international sikh school and they performed two songs which really did not much for me. On the way to dinner, us gals got some private office time with Swamiji' right hand lady. She has an interesting story... she was in a Ph.D. program in the states when she accidentally stumbled upon the ashram, and just like the angel Shante, she started crying uncontrollably and knew she found her home... that was 15 years ago. Amy asked how we bring the peacefulness back with us, and her response was to always practice living in the moment. Since Theresa and I have been talking about this for years, i was more excited about the desk calendar she gave us all.

Friday (March 18th)... As I write this entry I've been in Africa for four days, so my memory is slightly fuzzy. On this day we left the ashram mid-morning and made the trek back to Old Delhi. We were to drop off a gentleman in Haridwar on the way, and it was a delightful hour or so. He was an expert on the Gita and we had a great conversation on essentially emotional intelligence. Not too much to report, or that I can remember on this day, and we arrived in Old Delhi early evening and had our last dinner on the roof of the Tara Palace Hotel.

Saturday (March 19th)... Last few hours in India! We left the Tara Palace Hotel around 10 AM and ventured to the Red Fort for some final sightseeing. It was starting to transition into summer and this morning was comparatively much more hazy, hot & humid. I sat down for a quick rest, and was quickly surrounded by the Indian paparazzi. Families gathered with their cameras in hand and one by one took pictures of me with their children. Jen showed up soon after and I was no competition with her red, curly tendrils. David & I walked back to the hotel around noon and for the next for hours or so I showered and packed, and at 4pm the cab arrived and it was time to say goodbye to my travel companions. I arrived at the airport and was forced to pay $15,000 rupies (approx. $325) in overweight fees, which I had negotiated from $20,000 rupies (approx. $425). Note to self: do not use Jet Airways again. I met some new friends from Mozambique and Uruguay and we were off to Mumbai at around 7:30 PM. When we arrived in Mumbai, it was TOTAL CHAOS and it took probably two hours to get to the international terminal and through immigration while dealing with a very pushy mob. I had a individual pizza from Pizza Hut, which was an unbelievable delight after a week of Indian food, rested a bit, and it was time to board my 2 AM flight from Mumbai to Johannesburg. It was time for my new adventure in the Southern Hemisphere.

Will I ever go again to India? Never say never, I suppose... but I can't imagine going out of my way to schedule another vacation to this part of the world. I loved the experience, feel very fortunate to have this opportunity, but I suppose curry just isn't my thang.

Some other misc. happenings that I would like to remember from my trip to India:

• Our feet were black the entire time. Nuff said.
• At the ashram we saw a blond in all white who Jen dubbed "the Angel". She was quite a mystery and one night she sat outside by me during the music festival so I started chatting her up. She's 24, her American name is Sara, she's from Berkeley and discovered the ashram on a backpacking trip and found happiness. She moved back here 6-7 months ago, and in December she had to leave for Nepal for 6 days until Swamiji could get her a 5 year work visa. In a year, she plans on being a monk. Her Hindi name is Shante if I am remembering correctly.
• I have made friends with the... what shall we call him... the building superintendent. He's a small man, probably half my weight, most likely in his 40s with a young family. He calls me "Sarah Boss" or just "boss". Today, he was performing surgery on his nails using a razor blade and asked for my nail clippers, which I willingly let him borrow. Only in India. Since then I give him my People magazines once I am done. We are bonded for life.
• The food... what can I say about the food? I was doing OK in Delhi and getting by on fried paneer and garlic nand, but the ashram food is not so my type. With each day I eat less and less because I can barely tolerate it anymore and on that note I think I'm going to treat myself to a Luna bar.
• Apparently the other evening a man was eating by a tiger about 15 KM from where we are staying. And rumor has it the elephants are nearby. Sadly, I saw neither but am also thankful that I was not eaten.