After another lovely terrace morning yoga session and breakfast overlooking the Blue City we bid farewell to our haveli and departed for places south. Haveli Inn Pal was our favorite hotel because of their fabulous food, 360 degree views, incredibly friendly staff, free wifi and Internet, real espresso, and a perfect location. If you find yourself in Jodhpur, western Rajasthan, stay here. Our next stop was Ranakhpur which houses some very famous and unique Jain temples. Jainism came from Hinduism in the 6th century BC similarly to the Buddhism. The little I know about this faith is that it split from Hinduism in much the same way of Buddhism around 5 B.C. People were fed up with the Brahmin caste and other things which led to much exploration to other paths to enlightenment. The temples were truly spectacular. They took 63 years to complete and were a maze of marble columns, idols, and intricate carvings. The Jain Temples are up there for my favorite sight in India so far.
Ramesh took us to a small hotel overlooking a lake - with crocodiles - for lunch. The scenery changed in our 3 hour drive and became lush, green and mountainous which was a welcome change from brown, flat, dry desert. Our next city, Udaipur was another 3 hours from Ranakhpur but the road was brand new and the nicest road we've driven on so we didn't mind. It was almost dusk when we arrived so we opted for dinner at our lake-side hotel and weren't disappointed with the view or the food.
The big thing on our agenda in Udaipur was a cooking class. We read about many reputable kitchens in this lake town and chose one in the middle of town that came recommended by the Lonely Planet and our hotel. The Spice Box is run by Shakti who has been cooking traditional Indian food since he was 7 and who also studies Ayurvedic massage in Kerala, southern India. While he taught us to cook khadai paneer, malai kofka, chapati and a few more dishes, he talked earnestly about his love for cooking and spices and about a recent trip he took to Kyoto, Japan to teach massage and cooking. The class was very well organized and the food was delish. If you see Erin any time soon, ask her to cook you some Indian food!
Lunch was followed by more shopping and then a boat ride on Lake Pichola out to a small palace island. The lakes are all perfectly calm which gives this city a peaceful quality when you're off the streets which, of course, are still chock full of traffic, some of which pee on you when you're not paying attention. (Yes I was sprayed with some cow pee. Do cows not like me?) For dinner we checked out another guide book recommended place with a rooftop terrace (we really like these) and tried their thali, an Indian meal consisting of 3-4 small dishes like lentils or curry with chapati and rice. Then we watched a dance performance with many different types of traditional Indian dance. The most impressive was a woman who balanced 10 pots on her head while dancing across the stage, walking on glass, laying on the ground, etc. Also very entertaining was the marionetteer and his whimsical Rajasthani puppets, the women dancing with pots of fire balanced on their head, and women who played cymbals positioned all over their bodies. We finished the evening with delectable chocolate balls - fudgy/cakey balls rolled in coconut flakes. *Note: These are highly addictive. Every bakery in Udaipur makes their own version which we felt compelled to try.
Our last day of the trip dawned cool and clear over the still lake. We had an Indian breakfast of potato stuffed parantha, a cross between a German pancake and a fried chapati, packed our bags and headed into Udaipur to enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of the town. Erin and I both had had enough sightseeing, but I did want to check out the famous Hindi temple, called Jagdish Temple, in the city center. The temple was full of life. People sat around singing, yellow strings of marigolds were hung from framed pictures and columns, incense was burning everywhere. The temple itself, which is dedicated to the god Vishnu, was more beautiful than other temples I've seen here in India. Thus far we've visited a muslim mosque, a Jain temple, a Sikh temple, Brahma temple, a Vishnu temple and several small neighborhood Hindi temples. There aren't very many Buddhists in this part of India but there will be many in the north where I'll be for the next month. It is very obvious how religion is a living part of every day life in India. Shopkeepers bless their doorways with incense and prayers, Hindus wear bright red and yellow marks on their foreheads, statues of gods and goddesses appear around most corners, Jains sweep their path so as not to kill any insects, temples donate food daily to impoverished people, pilgrims and devotees wander through the streets, meditate, and beg for food. It's a vast change from secular American life.
We did little computer time in the late morning (after cappuccinos and chocolate balls) then it was almost lunch time (but first some coffee and chocolate balls). For lunch we went to Queen Cafe and were not let-down from the rave review in 'Rough Guide to Rajasthan'. Meenu, the sweet daughter of the owners, suggested the pumpkin curry, stuffed tomatoes, and special pulao which sounded good to us. Mmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmm. Even though we were full from our morning of snacking, we ate every bite and just about licked the plate. Joined by Meenu's parents and 5 year old daughter, we sat on the floor in the loft eating chapati and chatting about Indian education and tourist cooking classes. Erin and I stayed there about 3 hours talking with Meena, going over her son and neice's school progress reports and hearing her stories about being an Indian wife and mother today. Oh...and she convinced us to try her chocolate balls. Wow. Eventually we had to go. As much as we wanted to try the banana curry and other exotic sounding dishes, playing with her kids, and napping on comfy rugs and pillows, we had a train to catch. Ramesh took us to the train station and eventually we found our first class train car where I'm currently writing this and Erin in the upper berth and the very nice Indian man in the lower berth are sleeping.
Some recommended spots in western India:
The Taj Mahal - Agra: hire a guide and plan to spend 2-3 hours in this architectural marvel
Sundar Palace Guest House - Jaipur: a very pleasant, cozy, and nicely decorated guest house. The food and service were both good, and the Internet inexpensive (25 rupees for wifi, 40 for Internet)
Haveli Inn Pal - Jodhpur: Located inside Pal Haveli right by the clock tower and spice market in Jodhpur. Our room was huge with a great view and comfy bed. The staff are so friendly and outgoing, we felt like family. Free Internet, really good food at both the Sheesh Mahal Cafe just outside the Haveli (real espresso here) and on the rooftop terrace. Indique, the fine-dining restaurant at Pal Haveli was also very nice but a bit pricier than Haveli Inn Pal's menu with the same view and similar quality food.
Jain temples - Ranakpur: exceptionally beautiful, very unique, quiet and contemplative if you can catch it when there are minimal tourists about. Note: long pants/skirt are required. Leather is not allowed inside the temples.
Queen Cafe - Udaipur: home-cooked food from a Jain kitchen cooked with love and wisdom. Meenu also offers daily cooking classes and will open a new kitchen for this purpose very soon. Located at Hanuman ghat just over the pedestrian bridge.
Spice market - Jaipur:
Honey & Spice - Pushkar:
Amber Fort - Jaipur:
Rana's - Jaipur:
Friday, October 22, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
India with Erin - 4
The drive from Pushkar to our next destination, Jodhpur, took us most of the day. We stopped for Thums Up soda and Fanta along the way at a local watering hole. Before arriving at our hotel in the old city, we visited the City Palace, now a museum and hotel, and learned a bit about the Maharajah history of Jodhpur. Erin and I were both quite curious about the current political status of this princely position but our questions were not answered at this museum. The palace, however was very beautiful with an art deco flair. It was commissioned in 1929 by the then maharajah, who was the head of state, as a famine relief project and very successful public work, employing thousands. After we breezed through the sparse exhibitions, Ramesh drove us into the blue city walls - Jodhpur is also called the Blue City because of the cobalt wash on many buildings - bursting with auto-rickshaws, motorbikes, bicycles, street stalls and pedestrians. Jodhpur is a thriving, bustling city and entering it we relinquished our relaxed state from two days in little Pushkar. Our hotel, an old haveli (mansion) has a rooftop terrace, a delicious coffee shop, and a fine dining restaurant all serving yummy Indian treats. For lunch we dined at the Sheesh Mahal cafe for Rajasthani Thali, an all you can eat assortment of local dishes, okra curry, and real espresso.
Around dusk we left our haveli to venture into the spice market. Although noisy, crowded, and dirty, the markets were upbeat and fun and a blur of bright colors: purple eggplants, yellow squash, green okra, broccoli and cabbage, red chilies, piles of garlic and onions, a rainbow assortment of beans and lentils, and then the spices...gorgeous turmeric, cumin and saffron, masala chai, and mixed spices piled high in wooden boxes, plus bright fabrics with gold and gem adornments. Erin stocked up on some packaged spices to take home. I'll be getting some in Kerala a little later in my trip. We were pulled into a 'student clothing shop' before making it back to our haveli and I got a pair of Aladdin style pants while Erin bought yet another beautiful Indian accessory. She'll be representing Rajasthani fashion in Seattle this fall! We decided it was time for a beer after withering in the desert sun all day and so retired to the rooftop terrace for a surprisingly gorgeous view of the blue city, the hill side Meherangarh Fort, City Palace, and white marble mausoleum. Cooling off the a light breeze with some syrupy donuts, it was the perfect evening.
We started our next day with rooftop yoga overlooking the blue city. Thanks to Rough Guide, we've learned that the color was created by a lime based indigo whitewash originally used to indicate homes belonging to the Brahmin caste but also was good for repelling bugs and cooling buildings. We trekked up the steep hillside to the 500 year old Meherangarh Fort where we spent about 2 hours wandering through vast courtyards, well preserved exhibitions, and ornate palace rooms. The audio-guide proved very entertaining with plenty of interesting facts and stories. We learned that the maharajah was stripped of royal and political power after India's independence in the mid-20th century. Nowadays it is merely a title, similar to British royalty, however the mahajah in Jodhpur still works philanthropically in public works, culture preservation, and local celebrations.
By the time we left the massive fort, after patronizing the museum gift shop, of course, the temperature was sweltering. We managed to get lost in the maze of tiny streets and had a little adventure trying to find our hotel with friendly locals directing us this way and that. For lunch we walked to a recommended samosa stand and burned our mouths on fresh veg samosas and pakora, both battered, fried, steaming hot, and delicious. Then back to the Sheesh Mahal cafe for a local variety of lassi called makhania, a mixture of yogurt, saffron, and cardamom. Erin enjoyed that treat while I drank a cold coffee frappé. I don't know how hot it is here, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear it was near 100 degrees F or 40 degrees C. Tomorrow we're off to Udaipur, our last destination before going back to Delhi. We're hoping it'll be cooler, being on a lake and farther west away from the Thal Desert.
Around dusk we left our haveli to venture into the spice market. Although noisy, crowded, and dirty, the markets were upbeat and fun and a blur of bright colors: purple eggplants, yellow squash, green okra, broccoli and cabbage, red chilies, piles of garlic and onions, a rainbow assortment of beans and lentils, and then the spices...gorgeous turmeric, cumin and saffron, masala chai, and mixed spices piled high in wooden boxes, plus bright fabrics with gold and gem adornments. Erin stocked up on some packaged spices to take home. I'll be getting some in Kerala a little later in my trip. We were pulled into a 'student clothing shop' before making it back to our haveli and I got a pair of Aladdin style pants while Erin bought yet another beautiful Indian accessory. She'll be representing Rajasthani fashion in Seattle this fall! We decided it was time for a beer after withering in the desert sun all day and so retired to the rooftop terrace for a surprisingly gorgeous view of the blue city, the hill side Meherangarh Fort, City Palace, and white marble mausoleum. Cooling off the a light breeze with some syrupy donuts, it was the perfect evening.
We started our next day with rooftop yoga overlooking the blue city. Thanks to Rough Guide, we've learned that the color was created by a lime based indigo whitewash originally used to indicate homes belonging to the Brahmin caste but also was good for repelling bugs and cooling buildings. We trekked up the steep hillside to the 500 year old Meherangarh Fort where we spent about 2 hours wandering through vast courtyards, well preserved exhibitions, and ornate palace rooms. The audio-guide proved very entertaining with plenty of interesting facts and stories. We learned that the maharajah was stripped of royal and political power after India's independence in the mid-20th century. Nowadays it is merely a title, similar to British royalty, however the mahajah in Jodhpur still works philanthropically in public works, culture preservation, and local celebrations.
By the time we left the massive fort, after patronizing the museum gift shop, of course, the temperature was sweltering. We managed to get lost in the maze of tiny streets and had a little adventure trying to find our hotel with friendly locals directing us this way and that. For lunch we walked to a recommended samosa stand and burned our mouths on fresh veg samosas and pakora, both battered, fried, steaming hot, and delicious. Then back to the Sheesh Mahal cafe for a local variety of lassi called makhania, a mixture of yogurt, saffron, and cardamom. Erin enjoyed that treat while I drank a cold coffee frappé. I don't know how hot it is here, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear it was near 100 degrees F or 40 degrees C. Tomorrow we're off to Udaipur, our last destination before going back to Delhi. We're hoping it'll be cooler, being on a lake and farther west away from the Thal Desert.
India with Erin - 3
From Jaipur was a short 3 hour drive to Pushkar, a city rich in religious history and culture. It is still a place of Pilgrimage for Hindis with unique temples devoted to Lord Brahma (the only such temple in India) and Lord Vishnu as well as many, many other deity manifestations. After 3 very intense days of sightseeing in busy cities, Erin and I both decided to take it easy in Pushkar. Ramesh, our driver, told us that you could see all of Pushkar on foot so we told him to take it easy for a day and a half while we did the same. Lunch at the Hotel New Park was delightful on the rooftop overlooking the surrounding desert hills and temples. We're enjoying trying a different couple of dishes each meal, mostly vegetarian - alcohol and meat are forbidden in Pushkar - but also tandoori chicken and a mutton mughali in Agra and Jaipur. We ordered the 'special naan' for lunch and it turned out to be a calzone style stuffed dough, fried crispy and filled with tomatoes, onions, garlic and a little fresh cheese. That with 2 other veggie dishes made a surprisingly tasty lunch. Erin decided to treat herself to an Ayurvedic massage at our hotel so after a long lunch and some writing I walked into the main bazaar and she stayed behind to be lathered with oil and rubbed vigorously from head to toe. I sauntered up the dirt road and looked into some nearby temples, one devoted to Hanuman, a Hindu deity usually depicted as a monkey, a Sikh temple, the famed Vishnu temple, which is closed to foreigners, to name a few. Wandering down a side street, I had a surprise animal encounter. I was talking with a young girl and not noticing where I was walking and suddenly...a cow bit me!!! Guidebooks warn of rabid monkeys, stray dogs, and even spitting camels, but I've never heard of a cow biting a person. I guess I either just walked too close and scared it, or else it thought my purse was a snack. There are cows roaming everywhere and eating whatever they find. Fortunately for me, the hungry heifer bit right into my purse strap and my money belt and only grazed my belly but it certainly left a mark (pics to follow as soon as I find the time) and left me a little dumbfounded. The little girl I was walking with laughed at me and just walked around the cow, but I screamed, eventually unlocked myself from its tight jaws and walked back the way I came. I was a little worried about infection but I washed and disinfected the bitten area on my stomach upon returning to our stately hotel room and, 24 hour later, am feeling fine. Erin and I shared a laugh or two...or three; I mean, really, who gets bitten by a cow?!
We both were feeling a little under the weather our first evening in Pushkar, me from the startling cow and Erin from dehydration and the intense massage, so we opted for room service - again delicious veggie dishes - and had a quiet night in. I tucked into my new books on learning Hindi and Erin went to bed early.
The next day we started with yoga, a chill breakfast highlighted with roasted chocolate and honey covered bananas and a long, late morning nap. We had arranged a music class the day before, something we both wanted to do in India. Thanks to the Lonely Planet, we found Saraswati Music and Dance school in Pushkar. Birju, the music teacher, picked us up on his motorbike and drove us Indian style - 3 on a bike - to the music school on the opposite end of town. In his house-cum-music school, he taught us a traditional Indian raga which consisted of a 5-tone ascending scale, an 8-tone descending scale, an improvising scale and a song. Birju accompanied us on tablas and we got to play the harmonium. After an hour class, Birju's brother picked us up - Indian motorcycle ride again - and brought us to the dance school in town. We spent the next hour learning about 30 bars of Bollywood style dance. Erin really enjoyed the dancing, I thought it was fun but got a little annoyed with myself for my lack of coordination and memory. Our dance teacher, Hemant, was very kind and personable and a beautiful dancer and musician. It was a very unique experience that we will both remember from Pushkar.
For lunch we walked down the one road through town and went to Honey & Spice, another great Lonely Planet recommendation. After my cow encounter the previous day I found this hidden coffee oasis and was in ecstacy over the cinnamon & ginger coffee. With beans from South India brewed thick, strong, and spicy, I wanted Erin to try the yummy brew and tasty baked sweets. Our lunch was truly superb, my soy apple, fig and honey milkshake to die for, and our spiced chocolate cake, chocolate-nutmeg coffee, and cardamom coffee indescribably, lavishly tasty. So good, in fact, that after visiting the Brahma Temple, the Brahma Ghat, and doing a little shopping, we went back for another cup, this time coriander and aniseed flavor. I never thought of brewing coffee with spices in it but I'll sure try this at home!
En route to the coffee shop, we were stopped by a huge crowd of people and a Hindu parade. People, dressed and painted as deities were being driven, pulled, and carried through town for the big festival. I don't actually know what festival it was, it seems festivals occur quite often in India. We were swept up in the crowd under showers of marigold petals watching the deities, dancers, and drummers parading by. The parade followers marched along with the music and all participants ended up at a field nearby for more festivities, food, and fireworks. Erin and I opted to walk down the now empty street, window shopping in peace and quiet, then take in dinner at a rooftop cafe in town. We were very happy to find fried eggplant on the menu and it turned out to be a fantastic dish, paired with tons of crunchy garlic, tomatoes and onions. We had a truly wonderful day in Puahkar.
We both were feeling a little under the weather our first evening in Pushkar, me from the startling cow and Erin from dehydration and the intense massage, so we opted for room service - again delicious veggie dishes - and had a quiet night in. I tucked into my new books on learning Hindi and Erin went to bed early.
The next day we started with yoga, a chill breakfast highlighted with roasted chocolate and honey covered bananas and a long, late morning nap. We had arranged a music class the day before, something we both wanted to do in India. Thanks to the Lonely Planet, we found Saraswati Music and Dance school in Pushkar. Birju, the music teacher, picked us up on his motorbike and drove us Indian style - 3 on a bike - to the music school on the opposite end of town. In his house-cum-music school, he taught us a traditional Indian raga which consisted of a 5-tone ascending scale, an 8-tone descending scale, an improvising scale and a song. Birju accompanied us on tablas and we got to play the harmonium. After an hour class, Birju's brother picked us up - Indian motorcycle ride again - and brought us to the dance school in town. We spent the next hour learning about 30 bars of Bollywood style dance. Erin really enjoyed the dancing, I thought it was fun but got a little annoyed with myself for my lack of coordination and memory. Our dance teacher, Hemant, was very kind and personable and a beautiful dancer and musician. It was a very unique experience that we will both remember from Pushkar.
For lunch we walked down the one road through town and went to Honey & Spice, another great Lonely Planet recommendation. After my cow encounter the previous day I found this hidden coffee oasis and was in ecstacy over the cinnamon & ginger coffee. With beans from South India brewed thick, strong, and spicy, I wanted Erin to try the yummy brew and tasty baked sweets. Our lunch was truly superb, my soy apple, fig and honey milkshake to die for, and our spiced chocolate cake, chocolate-nutmeg coffee, and cardamom coffee indescribably, lavishly tasty. So good, in fact, that after visiting the Brahma Temple, the Brahma Ghat, and doing a little shopping, we went back for another cup, this time coriander and aniseed flavor. I never thought of brewing coffee with spices in it but I'll sure try this at home!
En route to the coffee shop, we were stopped by a huge crowd of people and a Hindu parade. People, dressed and painted as deities were being driven, pulled, and carried through town for the big festival. I don't actually know what festival it was, it seems festivals occur quite often in India. We were swept up in the crowd under showers of marigold petals watching the deities, dancers, and drummers parading by. The parade followers marched along with the music and all participants ended up at a field nearby for more festivities, food, and fireworks. Erin and I opted to walk down the now empty street, window shopping in peace and quiet, then take in dinner at a rooftop cafe in town. We were very happy to find fried eggplant on the menu and it turned out to be a fantastic dish, paired with tons of crunchy garlic, tomatoes and onions. We had a truly wonderful day in Puahkar.
India with Erin - 2
Day 2 brought Erin and I to Jaipur, or the Pink City, by way of Fatehpur Sikri, an abandoned city situated outside of Agra. Fatehpur Sikri is home to a famous moghul palace and mosque which we explored in the hot sun amidst many touts and "government guides" who all wanted to help you really appreciate the history of the place for a small fee or by also visiting their uncle/brother/father's stall or shop. We managed to avoid them in the palace but not the mosque. We did really enjoy the abandoned city and its red sandstone buildings with intricately carved walls. It was hot, though, in the Rajhastani sun making us very thankful for our air-conditioned car and kind driver.
Jaipur is a pretty crazy city full of motor vehicles, bicycles, and wandering animals making for pretty crazy traffic. It is probably the shopping capital of India. And we shopped a lot. Erin does like to shop and was set on getting a few things in Jaipur so that was our main focus. The shopkeepers (all men) jumped out at us from plastic chairs to try and get us to look in their shop. "Madam, please look!" "Lookng is no charge!" "Looking is free!" "Only look, no problem!" "Very cheap! You like!'" These and many other more and less polite things were yelled at us as we passed by sparkly bangles, colorful saris, camel-leather shoes, and Indian gems. We both bought a few things (well, me one thing and Erin many) and we haggled and bargained our socks off.
We did do some sightseeing in Jaipur as well. The Amber Fort is just a short drive from the walled, pink, Old City. We happened to be there on a day of a big Durga (the Mother of God in the Hindu religion) festival which meant the big temple inside the fort was absolutely packed with devotees and worshippers, some performing full-body prostrations walking up the path. (Each step you lay your whole body on the earth as a sign of supplication). We were bombarded as we hiked up to the palace entrance with begging women and children, many who tried to give us tika (the red mark between the eyebrows for good luck). Pilgraming families bought a string of marigolds and sweets to offer to Durga once inside the temple. Because of the overwhelming crowd, we decided to go into the palace instead of the temple. The palace afforded spectacular views of the city of Amber and surrounding hills. These were a close second, however, to the appropriately named Glass Palace which is covered with cut glass and mirrors of varying shapes, sizes and patterns. We also liked standing on the many palace rooftops and terraces watching Indian women in beautiful saris approaching the temple, a rainbow of bright colors floating by in a river of gorgeous faces and fabrics.
Our guest house, Sunder Palace, was a very quiet and comfortable accommodation with a rooftop cafe and real filtered coffee, two things that make any hotel enjoyable in my eyes. The hallways were filled with tasteful Indian paintings and decor and our room was immensely spacious, big enough for our morning yoga, two couches, a coffee table and dining set.
Erin and I are both making a very conscious effort to surrender to the moment and not get too off-put by hawkers and starers. It's no lie that Indian cities can be overwhelming, even with our cushy transportation situation. Our car conversations revolve a lot around yoga, being present, and having compassion for desperate people who wlll do just about anything to get your money. You can see that desperation in mothers who carry babies and beg for you to buy them a banana, children who run to your car at stoplights, rickshaw drivers who follow you down the street, shop owners who thrust cheap merchandise in your face. What can we do to help? We talk about that a lot, too.
Jaipur is a pretty crazy city full of motor vehicles, bicycles, and wandering animals making for pretty crazy traffic. It is probably the shopping capital of India. And we shopped a lot. Erin does like to shop and was set on getting a few things in Jaipur so that was our main focus. The shopkeepers (all men) jumped out at us from plastic chairs to try and get us to look in their shop. "Madam, please look!" "Lookng is no charge!" "Looking is free!" "Only look, no problem!" "Very cheap! You like!'" These and many other more and less polite things were yelled at us as we passed by sparkly bangles, colorful saris, camel-leather shoes, and Indian gems. We both bought a few things (well, me one thing and Erin many) and we haggled and bargained our socks off.
We did do some sightseeing in Jaipur as well. The Amber Fort is just a short drive from the walled, pink, Old City. We happened to be there on a day of a big Durga (the Mother of God in the Hindu religion) festival which meant the big temple inside the fort was absolutely packed with devotees and worshippers, some performing full-body prostrations walking up the path. (Each step you lay your whole body on the earth as a sign of supplication). We were bombarded as we hiked up to the palace entrance with begging women and children, many who tried to give us tika (the red mark between the eyebrows for good luck). Pilgraming families bought a string of marigolds and sweets to offer to Durga once inside the temple. Because of the overwhelming crowd, we decided to go into the palace instead of the temple. The palace afforded spectacular views of the city of Amber and surrounding hills. These were a close second, however, to the appropriately named Glass Palace which is covered with cut glass and mirrors of varying shapes, sizes and patterns. We also liked standing on the many palace rooftops and terraces watching Indian women in beautiful saris approaching the temple, a rainbow of bright colors floating by in a river of gorgeous faces and fabrics.
Our guest house, Sunder Palace, was a very quiet and comfortable accommodation with a rooftop cafe and real filtered coffee, two things that make any hotel enjoyable in my eyes. The hallways were filled with tasteful Indian paintings and decor and our room was immensely spacious, big enough for our morning yoga, two couches, a coffee table and dining set.
Erin and I are both making a very conscious effort to surrender to the moment and not get too off-put by hawkers and starers. It's no lie that Indian cities can be overwhelming, even with our cushy transportation situation. Our car conversations revolve a lot around yoga, being present, and having compassion for desperate people who wlll do just about anything to get your money. You can see that desperation in mothers who carry babies and beg for you to buy them a banana, children who run to your car at stoplights, rickshaw drivers who follow you down the street, shop owners who thrust cheap merchandise in your face. What can we do to help? We talk about that a lot, too.
India with Erin - 1
Erin and I both made it safely to India, me on a 1 1/1hour flight from Kathmandu and her on 3 flights, originating in Seattle and ending about 30 hours later at 11pm in Delhi. Obviously she had the more difficult day of traveling. Just a word about flying through Kathmandu, though: prepare to be searched. And searched. And then, just for good measure, searched again. With a thoroughly inspected group of mildly disgruntled travelers I boarded the Jet Lite flight to Delhi 2 hours late, then sat on the Tarmac for another 40 minutes waiting for runway space to take-off. The delay was of little difference to me and my negligent time constraints but I felt a bit bad for our hired driver who had to wait at the Indira Ghandi airport for me all that time. Ramesh greeted me heartily at the arrivals gate of the very recently remodeled international wing - a welcome change from the very basic, not so safe feeling Kathmandu airport - and took me to the Glitter Hotel 30 minutes away. I had my first meal in India, a room service yellow dal (lentils) with naan. Tasty! Oh Indian food, you are so delicious and I will happily embrace any culinary challenge you put forth in the next 3 months. Ramesh and I went back to the airport to pick up Erin just after I had a chance to settle in and finish my Paulo Coelho novel. Fortunately, she was on-time and we gabbed the whole way back to the Glitter and on for another after. Being 1am at this point, we hit the hay for a 5am wake up.
Morning yoga on the balcony was the first thing on our agenda the next morning. We were off around 6:45am to beat the traffic out of Delhi headed to Agra, home of the mystical and infamous mausoleum, the Taj Mahal. A stop for Indian breakfast -stuffed parantha, curd and dal- and 2 more incredible sights were all that stood in the way between us and an architectural wonder. We stopped at Akhbar's Tomb or Sikandar, a peaceful, deer filled park and mausoleum for a stroll and philosophical conversation about the reasons behind these very fancy burials, then popped into the Baby Taj (Itimad-ud-Daulah), which pre-dated the big one by a few years and from which the Taj Mahal derives her Iranian gem inlay-in-marble style. I really liked the Baby Taj, but it really was a baby in comparison to majesty of the Taj Mahal. It was grand. We hired a guide who took good care of us, giving us specs, myths, history, and great stories, and showing us the best spots for photos and the many points of symmetry on the grounds between the gates, mosques, and the Taj. It is a magical place, architecturally as awesome for 1653 when construction was finished, as it is today. Erin & I found it funny that we were as popular as the building and were asked by more than a handful of Indians to pose for a picture with them (most men who wanted an individual shot of each of them with the two of us). Dinner was delicious again and an enjoyable experience because of Bikesh, age 9. and Tavesh, age 10, who played drums, sang, and danced to interest dining guests in the dolls they were selling. Bikesh and I sang "lion sleeps tonight" together. If we hadn't been to the Taj Mahal the same day. It would have been the highlight of my day.
Morning yoga on the balcony was the first thing on our agenda the next morning. We were off around 6:45am to beat the traffic out of Delhi headed to Agra, home of the mystical and infamous mausoleum, the Taj Mahal. A stop for Indian breakfast -stuffed parantha, curd and dal- and 2 more incredible sights were all that stood in the way between us and an architectural wonder. We stopped at Akhbar's Tomb or Sikandar, a peaceful, deer filled park and mausoleum for a stroll and philosophical conversation about the reasons behind these very fancy burials, then popped into the Baby Taj (Itimad-ud-Daulah), which pre-dated the big one by a few years and from which the Taj Mahal derives her Iranian gem inlay-in-marble style. I really liked the Baby Taj, but it really was a baby in comparison to majesty of the Taj Mahal. It was grand. We hired a guide who took good care of us, giving us specs, myths, history, and great stories, and showing us the best spots for photos and the many points of symmetry on the grounds between the gates, mosques, and the Taj. It is a magical place, architecturally as awesome for 1653 when construction was finished, as it is today. Erin & I found it funny that we were as popular as the building and were asked by more than a handful of Indians to pose for a picture with them (most men who wanted an individual shot of each of them with the two of us). Dinner was delicious again and an enjoyable experience because of Bikesh, age 9. and Tavesh, age 10, who played drums, sang, and danced to interest dining guests in the dolls they were selling. Bikesh and I sang "lion sleeps tonight" together. If we hadn't been to the Taj Mahal the same day. It would have been the highlight of my day.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Serenity in Nepal
It's been a magical week of decompressing in Pokhara. I've heard many other travelers express a similar sentiment, coming here to just be after the madness of Kathmandu or the weariness of trekking. My companions and I believe ourselves to be he luckiest bunch in lakeside Pokhara having found a serene haven in the Peace Eye Guest House. When we arrived one week ago, Chiran, the cheery owner, showed us 2 spacious rooftop rooms attached to a quiet patio. At 500 rupees for a single and 600 for a double ($8 and $9 respectively), the rooms are extremely reasonable, clean, and safe. We've spent countless hours on our nearly private rooftop reading, writing, making music, and generally decompressing. The street side cafe is always lively with guests and diners looking for a chat or playing the guitar. Not to mention the friendliest server who greets you with a bright smile every morning and scrumptious food.
Pokhara is known for its lake and most tourists stay on the 'lakeside' of town. We're no exception, nor are our good friends from the trek. Our first morning we bumped into the jovial Israelis and that afternoon had coffee and cake with 2 Spaniards who were on our bus that first day out of Kathmandu. Today we met a lovely kiwi couple who we had chatted up in the capital waiting to use an ATM. And an American yogi/aspiring travel writer and I bonded over a few days by the lake. October 4th was Avner's - the jovialist of Israelis - birthday and we celebrated at a Korean restaurant (surprisingly good!) and then over pool, beer, and live music.
Perhaps the best friendship nurtured in this tourist town has been with Alberto and Stacy. Alberto has been traveling from his home of Spain roughly 2 years with his dog and guitar, busking from town to town, country to country, playing tasty Spanish guitar tunes solo or with fellow musicians met along the road. Jeju was blessed with his presence last year when he stayed with good friends of Mike and Emma for some weeks and played music with Jeju's many quality musicians. Since then, Alberto met Stacy traveling through the Philippines and she decided to leave her life and join him on the road, teaching yoga wherever she can. I've spent the week studying with Stacy at the Nepal Women's Empowerment Center where she teaches daily Ashtanga yoga, free to girls studying at the center and for a fee to other drop-in students. An inspiring and challenging teacher, Stacy has brought me back to a practice I turned away from years ago with grace and love. This amazing couple is an inspiration to me, myself being a world traveling musician and yoga teacher. Certainly their presence has been a big contributor in this week's serenity.
My daily schedule since our arrival has been as follows:
- a peaceful 20 min walk by the lake munching a fresh baked good
- 1 1/2 hours Ashtanga yoga with Stacy
- breakfast and coffee at a sidewalk cafe or my guest house
- reading or writing
- chat with travelers or friends
- nap or book
- afternoon coffee/tea and cake at the organic vegetarian bakery a few doors down
- reading or writing
- dinner with Emma and Mike or other friends
- live music or a walk in town in the evening
I realized today I've yet to take a single picture in Pokhara. As tomorrow is our last day here, I'll equip myself with camera on the walk to yoga and back. I also might pick-up a skirt or pair of pants which is a little pricier in Nepal than I suspect will be in India, but the shopping is so hassle-free and laid-back it'll no doubt be just easier here. I've only bought 1 pair of earrings, 1 wool hat, and 1 blouse to take with me. And a yak's wool shawl on the trail which kept me warm in the mountains. I've stuck pretty fast to my estimated budget for this leg of he journey which will prove to be very important as I travel on. As I continue to find peace in the financial realm, my daily practice reminds me to be present and positively manifest what I need.
Pokhara is known for its lake and most tourists stay on the 'lakeside' of town. We're no exception, nor are our good friends from the trek. Our first morning we bumped into the jovial Israelis and that afternoon had coffee and cake with 2 Spaniards who were on our bus that first day out of Kathmandu. Today we met a lovely kiwi couple who we had chatted up in the capital waiting to use an ATM. And an American yogi/aspiring travel writer and I bonded over a few days by the lake. October 4th was Avner's - the jovialist of Israelis - birthday and we celebrated at a Korean restaurant (surprisingly good!) and then over pool, beer, and live music.
Perhaps the best friendship nurtured in this tourist town has been with Alberto and Stacy. Alberto has been traveling from his home of Spain roughly 2 years with his dog and guitar, busking from town to town, country to country, playing tasty Spanish guitar tunes solo or with fellow musicians met along the road. Jeju was blessed with his presence last year when he stayed with good friends of Mike and Emma for some weeks and played music with Jeju's many quality musicians. Since then, Alberto met Stacy traveling through the Philippines and she decided to leave her life and join him on the road, teaching yoga wherever she can. I've spent the week studying with Stacy at the Nepal Women's Empowerment Center where she teaches daily Ashtanga yoga, free to girls studying at the center and for a fee to other drop-in students. An inspiring and challenging teacher, Stacy has brought me back to a practice I turned away from years ago with grace and love. This amazing couple is an inspiration to me, myself being a world traveling musician and yoga teacher. Certainly their presence has been a big contributor in this week's serenity.
My daily schedule since our arrival has been as follows:
- a peaceful 20 min walk by the lake munching a fresh baked good
- 1 1/2 hours Ashtanga yoga with Stacy
- breakfast and coffee at a sidewalk cafe or my guest house
- reading or writing
- chat with travelers or friends
- nap or book
- afternoon coffee/tea and cake at the organic vegetarian bakery a few doors down
- reading or writing
- dinner with Emma and Mike or other friends
- live music or a walk in town in the evening
I realized today I've yet to take a single picture in Pokhara. As tomorrow is our last day here, I'll equip myself with camera on the walk to yoga and back. I also might pick-up a skirt or pair of pants which is a little pricier in Nepal than I suspect will be in India, but the shopping is so hassle-free and laid-back it'll no doubt be just easier here. I've only bought 1 pair of earrings, 1 wool hat, and 1 blouse to take with me. And a yak's wool shawl on the trail which kept me warm in the mountains. I've stuck pretty fast to my estimated budget for this leg of he journey which will prove to be very important as I travel on. As I continue to find peace in the financial realm, my daily practice reminds me to be present and positively manifest what I need.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Annapurna Pictures
I posted about 50 pictures from the trek - including my new do - here. If you can't open them let me know. Internet is a blessing and a curse (the latter from 3rd world countries on public computers).
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Annapurna Circuit Trek - Day by Day
From Kathmandu We hired 3 Sherpas, Mingma, Sangae, and Pasang, who happily carried our packs for 15 days from Kathmandu to Pokhara and assisted us all along the way. We were so happy to hike with them every day. They made our trek really special and we are grateful for their positive attitudes and smiling faces.
Day 1: Bus ride from Kathmandu to BesiSahar...should have been a 5-6 hour bus ride but was interrupted by a major landslide making he total trip 14 hours and not a little frightening. Slept in BesiSahar, the starting point for the trek.
Day 2: BesiSahar to Buhandande...a rainy morning but a beautiful hiking day. I fell face first in the first (of many) rivers we crossed but mostly dried out by the end of our 7 hours of hiking. The hills were beautiful, mostly rice fields and tropical plants. A monsoon rain fell in the evening until early morning and our tea house leaked badly so we didn't have the best nights sleep.
Day 3: Buhandande to Chame...another long trekking day and a few leeches joined us along the rivers we trekked through. No harm, though, Pasang Sherpa and Emma shrugged them off and we enjoyed a hot day, gorgeous waterfalls and hillside rice fields along with our first glimpse of a really BIG mountain. The trail was cut off by landslides in many places and we hiked over them to continue on our way.
Day 4: Chame to Dhurabani...the hardest day of hiking for me because of sore muscles. Also we had to stop along the way a few times because they were blasting some trails in preparation for new roads. We hiked over more big landslides and waterfalls today and left the rice paddies and tropical climate at a lower elevation. Dhurabani is at 1800 meters.
Day 5: Dhurabani to Chame (a real town!)... difficult morning hike uphill through lush temperate forests and fog but much cooler temperatures than previous days. This elevation is filled with apple orchards, so fresh apples & apple pie for the next week! Chame is big with many teahouses and shopping but the electricity was cut off in the early evening- which is very common along the trail. Not our first or last dark, cold night.
Day 6: Chame to Lower Pisang...elevation 3200 meters. Beautiful hike today in cold and windy weather. Emma and I do yoga before and after hiking every day which really helps body & mind to stay present and not sore. We've gotten close to Avner and Assaf, 40-something Israeli men and their porters Ganu and Picas. We eat most meals and stay in the same tea houses with them. They are very entertaining and have made for lots of laughs!
Day 7: Chame to Lower Pisang...started hiking late today because of rain but the morning turned clear as we hiked through the start of Manang valley. Not a difficult hike today but a long day with some upset stomachs and afternoon rain bringing us into Manang. At 3200 meters we are almost above the tree line, the temperature has dropped drastically and the air is very dry despite the rain.
Day 8: Rest day in Manang...it is strongly recommended to take a day of rest at 3500 meters to acclimate to the high altitude before ascending. We obliged and just did a morning hike up to a view point where the views of surrounding peaks were truly breathtaking. We were just feeling the slightest effects of Altitude Sickness (headache, fatigue) but overall okay. While the clouds cleared all day the mountains kept revealing themselves one by one.
Day 9: Manang to Yak Kharka...Crystal clear skies this morning and the most majestic view I've ever seen as I pulled back the curtain on my guesthouse window: a full moon in the dawn light over an 8000 meter peak covered in snow. Hike was exceptionally beautiful and we proceeded slowly through green alpine fields past yaks & sheep and thinning air. A little hard to breathe as we ascended to 4000 meters.
Day 10: Yak Kharka to High Camp... Another sunny day of glorious mountain peaks over alpine meadows. We easily hiked to Thorong Phedi in the morning, the first option of places to stay for the night. We decided to continue on to High Camp instead as to have an easier next day for our big trek over the pass. It was 1 hour of hiking straight up, 500 meters. "Slowly, slowly" was our motto. High Camp was miserable, freezing cold, full of other hikers (mostly Israeli) and our rooms were like stone dungeons with a communal outdoor toilet - squat style like all tea houses on the trek. It snowed for a bit which was quite pretty amidst the peaks but literally freezing. No heat anywhere. And no sleep to speak of.
Day 11: Thorong Pass to Muktinath...a bleary eyed 3am wake-up to an almost full moon, unimpeded starlight and a towering ring of mountains. At 4:30am we set-off to conquer the pass which was 2 1/2 hours of hiking in freezing temperatures wearing just about everything we had brought. It was a very difficult morning for me but the sun finally came up over the hills behind us and offered an incomparable sunrise worth every grueling step. For many, it's the 1000 meter descent of this day that is more difficult. For me it was the pre-dawn cold and thinning air. Every second was a challenge until that first ray of sun hit my trembling legs. It felt as if I was being pushed to my limits and finally God said "ok, you've done it!" and there was the sun! By noon we had hiked down to Muktinath and decided to take a rest day the following day after rewarding ourselves with cold beer.
Day 12: Muktinath...we convinced our Israeli friends to stay in Muktinath for the day and had a late breakfast, stroll around the arid town, and late lunch with our entertaining mates. Muktinath is an ancient place of pilgrimage for both Hindus and Buddhists. We carelessly strolled to the temple grounds stopping to admire (and purchase) Tibetan inspired wares along the way. It was a great day of rest and we were all the most grateful for warm weather, our first in many days.
Day 13: Muktinath to Jomsom...We had intended to stay in Kagbeni, just hiking the short 2-3 hours to this dusty town. On arrival, however, we found a depressed, windy, ghost town that we didn't want to spend more time in than necessary. So after a too-long lunch break we braved the winds and trekked onwards to Jomsom. For all of us it was the worst 3 hours of the trip. The wind whipped us with a constant stream of dust and we had to walk on gravel roads with buses and jeeps roaring past. By the time we arrived in Jomsom we had decided to take a bus the rest of the way so as to avoid another day of similar walking. We debated flying to Pokhara but with tight budgets and last minute travel plans that didn't look like the best option.
Day 14: Jomsom to Beni...oh how we wish we had flown. 7am to 4pm on buses and jeeps driving on cliff-side, one-lane mud tracks, over and around landslides - again we had to pass on foot and take a bus on the other side - and we reached Beni dirtier and more exhausted than the previous day's walk had left us. Beni was he biggest town we had seen in 2 weeks and we were all a little jarred with he noise of cars, motorcycles, and "city" life. We celebrated the completion of our Annapurna journey with round of beers and a hearty thank you to our Sherpas.
Day 15: Beni to Pokhara...A mostly-paved road brought us the 4 hours to Pokhara, Nepal's second largest city and the official end of our trek. We said a sad good-bye to Mingma, Sangae, and Pasang and checked in at the Peace Eye Guest House which looks to be our home for the next week.
It's taken me 3 days to type this in my iPod mostly from the cozy bakery here or my rooftop patio. Pokhara is a great place to unwind with friendly tourists, yummy bakeries, and our friends of the past two weeks. Emma and I have continued our daily yoga practice and Mike is playing music with fellow nomads around town. This morning I took a canoe ride on the lake with a traveller I met a few days ago. There is talk of visiting other parts of Nepal in the upcoming week but, honestly I think I need vacation. That probably sounds funny coming from a jobless traveller but, as many people know, traveling is tiring! I believe today is Monday and I have reservations back in Kathmandu next Sunday for my last two nights in Nepal. Another week of lounging with minimal agenda and minimal spending sounds just fine to me.
On a side note, I have made a change to my appearance. About six months ago I made a decision that I would shave my head sometime on this journey. After the Himalayan trek seemed an appropriate time since it is the end of cold climates for me until my return to Seattle in April. So on Saturday morning I went into a barber shop down the street and a nice Indian man took a straight razor to my short curly mess of hair. Now I am bald. My friends here have gotten used to it already and say that it suits me. I feel free and happy with my decision. It's just hair anyway. I guess it is symbolic of my journey, new beginnings or something. It doesn't really feel like a beginning or end of anything, just a continuation of life's journey as I remain open to my ever-unfolding path.
Day 1: Bus ride from Kathmandu to BesiSahar...should have been a 5-6 hour bus ride but was interrupted by a major landslide making he total trip 14 hours and not a little frightening. Slept in BesiSahar, the starting point for the trek.
Day 2: BesiSahar to Buhandande...a rainy morning but a beautiful hiking day. I fell face first in the first (of many) rivers we crossed but mostly dried out by the end of our 7 hours of hiking. The hills were beautiful, mostly rice fields and tropical plants. A monsoon rain fell in the evening until early morning and our tea house leaked badly so we didn't have the best nights sleep.
Day 3: Buhandande to Chame...another long trekking day and a few leeches joined us along the rivers we trekked through. No harm, though, Pasang Sherpa and Emma shrugged them off and we enjoyed a hot day, gorgeous waterfalls and hillside rice fields along with our first glimpse of a really BIG mountain. The trail was cut off by landslides in many places and we hiked over them to continue on our way.
Day 4: Chame to Dhurabani...the hardest day of hiking for me because of sore muscles. Also we had to stop along the way a few times because they were blasting some trails in preparation for new roads. We hiked over more big landslides and waterfalls today and left the rice paddies and tropical climate at a lower elevation. Dhurabani is at 1800 meters.
Day 5: Dhurabani to Chame (a real town!)... difficult morning hike uphill through lush temperate forests and fog but much cooler temperatures than previous days. This elevation is filled with apple orchards, so fresh apples & apple pie for the next week! Chame is big with many teahouses and shopping but the electricity was cut off in the early evening- which is very common along the trail. Not our first or last dark, cold night.
Day 6: Chame to Lower Pisang...elevation 3200 meters. Beautiful hike today in cold and windy weather. Emma and I do yoga before and after hiking every day which really helps body & mind to stay present and not sore. We've gotten close to Avner and Assaf, 40-something Israeli men and their porters Ganu and Picas. We eat most meals and stay in the same tea houses with them. They are very entertaining and have made for lots of laughs!
Day 7: Chame to Lower Pisang...started hiking late today because of rain but the morning turned clear as we hiked through the start of Manang valley. Not a difficult hike today but a long day with some upset stomachs and afternoon rain bringing us into Manang. At 3200 meters we are almost above the tree line, the temperature has dropped drastically and the air is very dry despite the rain.
Day 8: Rest day in Manang...it is strongly recommended to take a day of rest at 3500 meters to acclimate to the high altitude before ascending. We obliged and just did a morning hike up to a view point where the views of surrounding peaks were truly breathtaking. We were just feeling the slightest effects of Altitude Sickness (headache, fatigue) but overall okay. While the clouds cleared all day the mountains kept revealing themselves one by one.
Day 9: Manang to Yak Kharka...Crystal clear skies this morning and the most majestic view I've ever seen as I pulled back the curtain on my guesthouse window: a full moon in the dawn light over an 8000 meter peak covered in snow. Hike was exceptionally beautiful and we proceeded slowly through green alpine fields past yaks & sheep and thinning air. A little hard to breathe as we ascended to 4000 meters.
Day 10: Yak Kharka to High Camp... Another sunny day of glorious mountain peaks over alpine meadows. We easily hiked to Thorong Phedi in the morning, the first option of places to stay for the night. We decided to continue on to High Camp instead as to have an easier next day for our big trek over the pass. It was 1 hour of hiking straight up, 500 meters. "Slowly, slowly" was our motto. High Camp was miserable, freezing cold, full of other hikers (mostly Israeli) and our rooms were like stone dungeons with a communal outdoor toilet - squat style like all tea houses on the trek. It snowed for a bit which was quite pretty amidst the peaks but literally freezing. No heat anywhere. And no sleep to speak of.
Day 11: Thorong Pass to Muktinath...a bleary eyed 3am wake-up to an almost full moon, unimpeded starlight and a towering ring of mountains. At 4:30am we set-off to conquer the pass which was 2 1/2 hours of hiking in freezing temperatures wearing just about everything we had brought. It was a very difficult morning for me but the sun finally came up over the hills behind us and offered an incomparable sunrise worth every grueling step. For many, it's the 1000 meter descent of this day that is more difficult. For me it was the pre-dawn cold and thinning air. Every second was a challenge until that first ray of sun hit my trembling legs. It felt as if I was being pushed to my limits and finally God said "ok, you've done it!" and there was the sun! By noon we had hiked down to Muktinath and decided to take a rest day the following day after rewarding ourselves with cold beer.
Day 12: Muktinath...we convinced our Israeli friends to stay in Muktinath for the day and had a late breakfast, stroll around the arid town, and late lunch with our entertaining mates. Muktinath is an ancient place of pilgrimage for both Hindus and Buddhists. We carelessly strolled to the temple grounds stopping to admire (and purchase) Tibetan inspired wares along the way. It was a great day of rest and we were all the most grateful for warm weather, our first in many days.
Day 13: Muktinath to Jomsom...We had intended to stay in Kagbeni, just hiking the short 2-3 hours to this dusty town. On arrival, however, we found a depressed, windy, ghost town that we didn't want to spend more time in than necessary. So after a too-long lunch break we braved the winds and trekked onwards to Jomsom. For all of us it was the worst 3 hours of the trip. The wind whipped us with a constant stream of dust and we had to walk on gravel roads with buses and jeeps roaring past. By the time we arrived in Jomsom we had decided to take a bus the rest of the way so as to avoid another day of similar walking. We debated flying to Pokhara but with tight budgets and last minute travel plans that didn't look like the best option.
Day 14: Jomsom to Beni...oh how we wish we had flown. 7am to 4pm on buses and jeeps driving on cliff-side, one-lane mud tracks, over and around landslides - again we had to pass on foot and take a bus on the other side - and we reached Beni dirtier and more exhausted than the previous day's walk had left us. Beni was he biggest town we had seen in 2 weeks and we were all a little jarred with he noise of cars, motorcycles, and "city" life. We celebrated the completion of our Annapurna journey with round of beers and a hearty thank you to our Sherpas.
Day 15: Beni to Pokhara...A mostly-paved road brought us the 4 hours to Pokhara, Nepal's second largest city and the official end of our trek. We said a sad good-bye to Mingma, Sangae, and Pasang and checked in at the Peace Eye Guest House which looks to be our home for the next week.
It's taken me 3 days to type this in my iPod mostly from the cozy bakery here or my rooftop patio. Pokhara is a great place to unwind with friendly tourists, yummy bakeries, and our friends of the past two weeks. Emma and I have continued our daily yoga practice and Mike is playing music with fellow nomads around town. This morning I took a canoe ride on the lake with a traveller I met a few days ago. There is talk of visiting other parts of Nepal in the upcoming week but, honestly I think I need vacation. That probably sounds funny coming from a jobless traveller but, as many people know, traveling is tiring! I believe today is Monday and I have reservations back in Kathmandu next Sunday for my last two nights in Nepal. Another week of lounging with minimal agenda and minimal spending sounds just fine to me.
On a side note, I have made a change to my appearance. About six months ago I made a decision that I would shave my head sometime on this journey. After the Himalayan trek seemed an appropriate time since it is the end of cold climates for me until my return to Seattle in April. So on Saturday morning I went into a barber shop down the street and a nice Indian man took a straight razor to my short curly mess of hair. Now I am bald. My friends here have gotten used to it already and say that it suits me. I feel free and happy with my decision. It's just hair anyway. I guess it is symbolic of my journey, new beginnings or something. It doesn't really feel like a beginning or end of anything, just a continuation of life's journey as I remain open to my ever-unfolding path.
Nepal
Our Himalayan trek was wonderfully successful! Emma, Mike & I have found ourselves in Pokhara which is the starting and stopping place for the Annapurna treks. It's day 3 here in this chill, touristy town and we're thoroughly enjoying the laid-back lake town. This morning Emma &I went to a yoga class taught by an acquaintance of ours we ran into yesterday. We've also met some of our good friends from the trek. I think I'll just hang here for a week and try to get my blog and pics updated from the past month.
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