Last Day

Greetings: Today is my last day in India and I have some time to kill before my plane leaves. Some final thoughts and feelings of this trip................I'm glad I came. It seems like just yesterday that I was laying on my bed with a bad case of Delhi Belly and planning to cut this stupid adventure short and go home. That was 55 days ago and I'm glad I stayed. Back in the 70's I read a quote from Socrates, he said 'know thyself', I took those words to heart and have made a feeble attempt to follow that advice ever since. If one really wants to know one's self, traveling solo in a foreign country will do it. I have seen my strengths and weaknesses come in my face full force. Strength in my empathy, but weak in my shyness and susceptibility to guilt. These forces are constantly playing off each other to make a rich time, day in and day out.
I have also come to appreciate the country, as a people. Yesterday was Republic Day, the biggest national holiday. It celebrates the forming of the constitution, not quite Independence but close. It was the 60th anniversary of that break from British Law that they celebrated. At that time this country was so poor that the average yearly income was less than 1$ a year. I have talked to several men who's monthly income is between 40$ and 70$ per month. They can raise a family on this amount, they work 80 hour weeks to do it but they do it. The British left this country a mess, in 1943 over 10 million people starved to death just because of poor management and total lack of compassion.
I also Appreciate Gandhi much more now. How he pulled all 400 million citizens, of vast diversities, together it was an extraordinary feat.
The desk manager is huffing about my time on the computer so I'll sign off for now...............See you all soon.

NAMASTE

cal

More Photo

Painted Storks Only in India

Another Painted Stork

Female Antelope

Bird Heaven

Now I'm here at Keolado National Park, about a 4hr car ride south of Delhi. I'm working my way back, as my plane leaves in about 3 days. This is place is know as birder's heaven, and now I know why. It makes Greylodge look like a city park. There are 370 species of birds making

this National Park, winter's home. I spent the better part of two days in the park. I rented a bicycle for 50 rupees and had the hotel pack me a lunch. I just wandered around watching the birds, the only slight bummer was that the binoculars that I had sucked, but just sitting and watching a Painted Stork preen or step lightly through the marshy waters searching for food is a thrill. On the second day, after eating lunch, I laid down and went to sleep, waking in the full sun of early afternoon I remembered that the Pythons of the park like to lie in the sun also. Bee line to bike.................... During the rule of the Maharajahs and later the British, this was a duck hunting lodge. They have a painted monument outside the old Lodge with the names of the distinguished guests and the number of guns in the party, also listed is the number of birds killed. In Nov. 1938 the Viceroy came with 39 guns and shot 4,289 birds in one morning. Kinda blows your mind, eh?

At the Taj

What can I say, the Taj Mahal is an architectural wonder. They say that one should arrive early in the morning to beat the crowds, so I walked from my dingey hotel through the deserted alleys of Agra to the East gate. The Muslum morning prayers being brodcast over loud speakers, there was no doubt, I was a long way from home. I could see the Taj from the rooftop restaurant at my hotel, so I was looking forward to seeing the famous landmark. The gate opened at 6:45 am, the security at the Taj is very strict so I had to check my flashlight, pocket-knife and statue of Vishnu at the reception gate. Once through the gate I walked the 100 meters or so and turned to face the front of the Mausoleum. My heart dropped, as I walked toward it I couldn't help saying 'holy-shit', holy-shit', It is just so damn big and beautiful. That's the first thing that overwhelms you when you see it, it's size and beauty. But the cynic within creeps forward and asks 'what is the point?'

The story goes that the King's wife, after giving birth to her 14th child, died. Before she died she requested of him to build her a Mausoleum to her memory. She probably got the idea for a Mausoleum because her grandmother, sorry I can't remember the names, had a her husband, the King, agree to build her father a Mausoleum. She made that request as part of an agreement to marry him, (the king) because he had killed her husband so he could marry her. That building is known as the baby Taj. One of the ironies of the whole tale is that after the Taj was completed, the King began construction of a second Mausoleum across the river. This one would be for himself and constructed of black marble, there were plans to link the two with and ivory bridge. The only problem was that the King's fourth son wanted to be King. Through political wrangling, the murder of his three older brothers, and the imprisonment of his father, the King, the black Taj was never completed. Too costly said the young prince. I did go see the remains of the foundation.

I didn't post any photos of the detailed carvings or the thousands of designs carved into the marble then inlaid with precious and semi-precious stones. These stones actually sparkle when the sun hits directly.

Even though the city of Agra sucks I'm glad I saw this fabulous building.

Forgot to post in opposite order, I went to Agra first then Keolado.

post tiger

Greetings Obamaites } } } } } } As I write this we must just be hours after the transfer of Government power. Her in India, all the people want to talk about is our new president, and do I think he will be strong in his dealings with Pakistan. The Indians are very angry with the Pakistanis. They have been attacked 4 times and they are about fed up with their neighbors actions. You must remember that until the mid-forties Pakistan and India were just India. It is like if the south had separated from the u.s. in 1860 and then sent terrorists across the border to kill New Yorkers, they are racially the same people, which makes it that much more charged. But enough of politics....................................... So when we last met I was on my way to another safari to try and spot a Tiger. This is what happened....................... We were on the afternoon safari 2:30 to 5:30 only. We had been out for about 2hrs with nothing but Spotted Deer and other mundane wildlife when the driver stopped to pee,(it must be noted that we passengers are not allowed to step one foot out of the jeep at any time) so he goes behind a big rock when the guide hears the alarm bark of a Barking Deer (I think I told you that the monkeys also will give a warning cry, very distinct, when a tiger is in the neighborhood) the driver comes sprinting out from behind the rock jumps into the jeep and we speed toward the sound of the bark, about 500 yards over the crest of a hill. Up ahead is another jeep with all the passengers standing and pointing up the hill. We pull in front of the other jeep and there about 50' away is a 300lb female Bengal Tiger slowly walking. She stops and turns, like cats and dogs do,she makes a half circle and lies down. She laid there on the side of the hill just staring at us and flipping her tail then she licked her paw and rubbed her face. After about 2 minutes she stood and walked into the brush and we never saw her again. The overwhelming impression is that of elegance and grace, every movement was just beyond words in beauty and grace. That's it, there is no other word for it,beauty and grace, it is one of the highlights of my life. She is the first in the series of the four photos above. The next day we went on a fourth safari and saw a Tiger named "B-2", B-2 is the worlds most famous Tiger only because most photos of Bengal Tigers that we see in magazines and on calenders and such are of B-2. The story of B-2 is interesting. His father was the largest Tiger in the park for many years and was named "Charger" because he would charge the jeeps and scare the tourists to death. The park staff donated money, to purchase a marble monument in honor of "Charger". Charger had three sons B1,2and 3. Only B-2 is left in the park, he is the largest of the three and weighs about 600 lbs, he is 15 years old and you can tell by the way he walks and the color of his coat that he is old. B-2 is the next photo down. The last two photos are of a mating couple that just happened to choose the area near the park entrance for their mating rituals and calls. At night they do, what courting Tigers do, just outside my hotel room window as my bungalow room was on the park boundary.................. So all in all I got to see 6 Bengal Tigers in the wild. More on the wild part when I get home to explain further because I need to move my hands and make the appropriate sounds for you to fully appreciate the scene.

Today I am in Agra, the home of the Taj Mahal. I took an overnight train from Umaria and somewhere along the 14 hour trip someone stole two of my cameras. We were just talking about such matters at the Yogi ashram, about our attachment to things and memories and how it takes us from the here and now. All well and good but it's still a bummer. Tomorrow I visit the Taj then out of the big city and on to another park....................

Eagle in Gum Tree

Namaste Earthlings>>>>> I'm here in Bandogah (sp) National Park. The scene here is so laid back that I just want to stay and read my books on the veranda of my room for another week. But I only planned for four days. Yesterday I entered the park, the park is heavily restricted, you can only enter in a jeep and you must be accompanied by a park guide. The main attraction for me is the possibility of seeing a Bengal Tiger. Well I did see a ass end of a sleeping Bengal Tiger. (For some reason I cannot upload photos onto the blog. I keep trying, using different techniques but nothing works.) So because I only saw the butt of a Tiger I went back this morning, but today was a Tiger bust, although I did see a Slothbear, Eagle, Spotted Deer, Samsa Deer, Barking Deer, countless birds, including a kingfisher and a hornbill. So the I-Ching says, perseverance furthers, so I'm going back this afternoon. Also, there are Langur Monkeys in the park, these monkeys have a relationship with the deer and they act as an alarm against an approaching Tiger. So this morning the guide heard an alarm call from the monkeys and we assume that the Tiger is on the hill (napping now) and will come down this afternoon to water. We will wait, and hopefully, we will see. This park was first used during the Mogul rule of India as a hunting grounds for the King and his court. The geology and fauna are dramatic at every turn, an elevated jungle, with lots of Teak, Mangrove and Gum trees, plus hundreds that I don't know the names of. Oh, and there is Bamboo.

Yes I rode the Elephant to view the Tiger. She is asleep and about 3-4 years old. Because I am running out of time I am only sending a couple of photos. I need to get back to my room and rest for the afternoon hunt. The morning Safari starts at 5:30am. The title of the post, 'Eagle in Gum Tree' comes from a stop we made yesterday, here in the jungles of India, resting on the bar of the jeep looking at an Eagle through my 600 rupee (12$) binoculars, the sounds of the Hornbill echoing over the meadow, how wonderful is life, how lucky am I.

leaving kahajauro

This is my final day in the city of Kahajauro. I won't be to sorry to leave. It is a nice place and I have met some great people but the level of hassle that one gets when in town just ruins all the positive. I went to a lecture/light show last night that gave a detailed history of the temples. I have a much better appreciation for them than I did after just walking through them. The sense of balance and geometry are really mind blowing......................Back at the ashram, the Yogi and I are getting along much better. He is kind of a radical thinker, in that his Yoga lectures are anti-god, anti-religion, anti-pretty much everything except the power of yourself. Non attachment is a major theme of the lectures. He also emphasizes giving and that it should be a major part of one's life.....................................Well the Internet capabilities here are poor, I'm trying to send some photos with this post but it is not working.....................I'm headed to a National Park tomorrow, the town there is even smaller than here so I don't know about Internet..................I'll post when I can.
The Terrible Tout

"Red" dances

the



I title this post "Red" dances on my shoulder....... The story goes........ I'm at an ashram, that serves much like a hotel. It has a range of rooms according to price, I have the 10$ room that includes a balcony and 24hr hot water in the form of a shower. It is a quiet place with great views from the roof of the surrounding landscape. The local Yogi that owns and runs the place also has a charitable organization that runs 10 local schools. He is a happy person, as is evident in his smile.
Each evening people gather around the fire pit and talk. The Yogi always has a story or experience to share with the group. Part of the group is a woman from France, she is in her mid-sixties and reminds me of my late aunte Jeannete. She and I get along great. I think that she and the Yogi are, well, uh......close. During the informal talk of birds, bats and dogs, she and I shared much laughter. After some time has passed I notice that the Yogi is no longer answering my questions or even acknowledging that I an part of the conversation.
Now this is where "Red" comes and sits on my shoulder and we look over to the Yogi and "Red" says "He's a pompous ass". So now Gita the French woman says to Yogi that she thinks he should hire some men to make and paint 'reliefs' on the ashram walls. He scoffs and says that to pay someone 60 or 80 rupees and hour is not worth it. (that's 1.25$ an hour). So I say " Oh Yogi, you should spend the money on the art, think of your ancestors who built these beautiful temples, with all this beautiful relief art". It was an inappropriate thing to say in those circumstances.
Upon further reflection I see that it is me that is the pompous ass. This man does more in one day for the betterment of his fellow citizens than I do in a decade.
Two top photos are the ashram, then local art in the park and finally Gandi at a rock concert.

Sab Koe Acha Hea

khajuraho

So I'm here in Khajuraho, If Rishikesh is the Yoga capital of the world Khajuraho is the erotic temple capital. This is where a thousand years ago, the king and his followers (in India kings could be replaced if they didn't meet the needs of the people), built these temples adorned with sandstone carvings of erotic and sensuous art. They carvings also depict daily life, with the elephants, horses and of course the multiple gods and goddess'. It seems from the historical records that it was a prosperous period that lasted about 250 years....................... I took the train from Hariwar to Jansai, a 16 hour, well.............uh...............let's just say it was a long trip. Lesson number 329, when booking train tickets and they ask if you want air-conditioning, but it's winter, you should still say yes, otherwise you end up in 3rd class. The train stations................When I arrived at 05:00 the station was lit with flashing colored neon and a few bare light bulbs, there were at least 200 people wrapped in shawls and blankets sleeping

on the floor, I was an hour early so I did same. One difference between India and China is that here there are no attendants, no official on the platform, none on the train. We were 2hrs into the trip before someone asked for my ticket. There was a group of two extended families from West Bengal in the seats and benches around me, they spoke some English but the accents were heavy and communication stilted, by the time my station arrived the car had more than 100 people on board. These include but not limited to Sikes, Muslims, Hindu monks, army men w/machine-guns, sadhus, families, boys with no legs shuffling along the floor asking for money, old blind women carrying racks of children's toys for sale (to get out attention she would shoot a plastic Luger as she walked the aisle), untouchables with caked and matted hair wanting to look at my book( which I showed him but it was obvious he couldn't read), and many more. I was the only westerner in the car but at the end many people came up to me and shook my hand and wished me a good journey.......................... At my stop I had no hotel reservation and it was after 10 pm, Lonely Planet listed one not far from the train station, I got an auto-rickshaw to it but they were full. The rickshaw driver, now accompanied by his boss said they would take me to another hotel. One can read about these scams, but still, in the moment, having had no sleep for 30 hours, and they ask you "sir, room o.k.?" you just give in. No hot water, no one in their right mind would use the toilet, at 4:30 someone decided to watch bollywood videos, but the sheets were clean and I slept sound..............................I'm hungry and the Internet man is trying to hustle me out so I'll post more later............

NAMASTE

final impressions

Some final impressions of Rishikesh and the out laying hamlets. I've been here almost one month and the best analogy I can make is............. that if an Indian, who's favorite sport is Cricket, spent their one month vacation in Cooperstown, N.Y.. How can that be? I come here to see the abandon ashram of my only Guru, the Maharishi, and end up staying. Mostly I would consider myself a Taoist that practices Tai Chi, but this is the Yoga capital of the world and there are dozens of Hindu Temples. But the place is magical. I decided to do a meditation retreat, but also became involved in the local culture. The local monk also teaches Reiki, so I took that course. I got Ayurvedic massage for Mr. Baba that was so inspiring if I come back I'll take his one week class. Many of the local merchants and waiters know and greet me with simple and kind conversation. It is a safe place.... There is a line in the Ramayana, that goes 'here,in this world of passing sights and nets of pleasure and of pain'.... So I must experience the net of pain, that comes in the form of the beggars. There are Touts, these are fellows that try and hustle tourists, but after awhile they stand out and you can dismiss their hype easily. But then there are the beggars, they come in two forms, first and most prominent is the Sadhu that begs, not all Sadhus beg, only some. These Sadhus come in two classes as I see it, first are the old and infirm, they have nothing and probably can't get it together to help themselves, they are aggressive with westerners, if you do give them some rupees they want more, very irritating. At one point I decided to give them food, so I bought some apples, but the first two that I handed apples to had no teeth, but they took them anyway and I still ended up giving them 10 rupees. The second type of Sadhu is one that really has denounced all. They want nothing to do with this world, especially work, they seem to be very intelligent, the younger ones are strong, handsome and energetic. The older ones of this class seem to be in deep contemplation constantly, they may sit all day on one bench. Someone always feeds them. The ashram where I stay feeds about 50 Sadhus twice a day.................Just as the Sadhu is an integral part of the culture so are the aged, blind, crippled and maimed. These people are Ronald Reagan's psychological Shadow, times a billion. Left out to the elements, they survive on charity, barley. They see westerners as walking cash cows. Their faces are tragic and I could walk all day just handing out small portions of money and there would still be a thousand more that needed same. When a woman with a tumor the size of a baseball looks up at you with large dark smiling eyes and raises her hands in the form of a bowl..............well it just gets me. I can't just shake it off, it stays with me and there is nothing I can do...................... The first photo in this series is of the daily blessing at one of the temples, much singing and praising the various gods. It's all cool but I don't speak Hindi and I can't carry a tune, so I pass...............The waterfall photo is just upstream from here, it was a nice bike ride and walk to get to it................In conclusion I would say this has been a life changing month, mostly because it will add to my view of the world and my place in it. It is a place for mind and heart to meld......................There are 2 posts today so check out the new one below.........................NAMASTE

womens fashion

The women and their fashions seem inexorably mixed, and represent their status or place in society. There are the more traditional and the more modern. I would say that a small majority of women still dress in the traditional manner. It is a very beautiful look. The flowing linens and silks are to be admired, but the colors, and their combinations are what make this fashion so wonderful. At some point in Indian history it became part of the culture to "hide" the women. Just like the caste system, this is now no longer accepted but you can't help but notice that there are no women in the work force. Except for women like the one in the 2nd photo. Sometimes they are selling jewelry on the street, but that is rare. Mostly they are home. When they do go out, it is with other women or with their husband and children. The traditionally dressed woman always has her hair and makeup in a perfect presentation, no hair is out of place and the dozens of necklaces and bracelets and rings, both on fingers and toes adds to the look of elegance that she presents, with, one can only imagine, very little money........ I had the good fortune that the back window of my room looked out over an apartment complex next door. On the roof of the apartment is where the women spent much of their day. Their look was much more relaxed, their hair was down and flowing, no make-up and the vibe was homey. In the first photo above you can see two women grooming each other, this and constant conversation, while doing laundry or washing dishes is what goes on. I also saw mothers just holding their infants for hours at a time, sometimes singing to them sometimes massaging them. This was done while the clothes on the line dried. Once, when the father came home, for lunch I guess, I heard them both singing to the infant. Very moving.........A final note on the fashion..............Now you have all these great clothes and their colors, and the shoes are to die for, mostly sandals or open toed heels, but then...............here is where my foot fetish overrules all rational observation...........They wear these socks! Not just regular sock but the mustard brown, three sizes to big socks, note second photo.............Oh well, all is well in diversity.

Moving tomorrow, I'll get back as soon as I can.

Peace

upstream

Greetings; Happy New Year------

The photo above is of the local dump truck. It looks like what a prospector from the 1850's might have to search for gold, but this burrow carries sand and gravel. The pan in the saddle bag is loaded with sand from the shores of the Ganges, then dumped into the canvas bags and hauled up to town for whatever purpose it may be needed. On the return trip the bags are loaded with broken brick or stone from the destruction of an old wall or building. The two women in the background give me an idea for another blog......Women's fashion. But let me gather more photos for that one........ Yesterday, New Years Day, I thought I might swim in the Ganges, like I started this past year with a Jan. 1st swim across big Chico Creek. But near waters edge, being a westerner and vulnerable without nothing on but a swimsuit the beggars swarm. It was so bad that I just left. The beggar thing really gets to me.

I took this photo above because I feel it represents an element of Indian life that I really enjoy. That is that they are lackadaisically fervent. It shows an ashram to nowhere, maybe someone was going to build one here or maybe not. If there is one word that describes the culture in general it would be diversity. Acceptance of others as they are. There is such a wide range of spiritual practices that I'm dizzy trying to put them into some category. Mostly the Hindu Mythology is like the white paste that you put on a canvas before painting, it's not the real painting but the foundation of it all. I'm studying the 6 systems of Indian philosophy and will share more when I get back home.

The above photo is from the balcony of my second favorite Continental restaurant. What you see is the foot bridge and two of the large temples across river. There are large bells on each floor of the temple and people walk from bottom to top ringing each bell as they pass. On a big tourist day the bells are thunderous and they echo out over the river canyon. When I say tourist, you must remember that the Indian tourist out number the westerners by 100 to 1. They come mostly in groups or at least in families. They come to pray or they are here because some famous Guru is speaking of giving Darshan (blessings).

This is the reverse game that must be played. First you begin to download the photo, then write to describe it.................So this is the main road through Laksman Jhula, I live in the hamlet just down river, called Ram Jhula. Jhula means bridge or foot bridge. You can get here by car but it is 16 km up and over. Both are still considered Rishikesh but are distinctly different than the bustling city of Rishikesh proper. Of the two hamlets Laksman is the more "hip" place, it has more ashrams, more yoga centers and more temples. It also has more people and cars are allowed on the main street, not so in Ram Jhula. It does have the best continental restaurants so I come here a couple times a week.........................More soon cause on Monday I leave for the warmer south..........HARI OM