how many can you fit on your mortorcycle?
This was back in the village near Haridwar that Mohan took me to vist.
I remember one man had just come from harvesting honey in a pail and I wished I had had a jar.



Back in Rishikesh this girl on a homemade
rope swing was having a good time.




On the way up the mountain to make a fire puja with Jigme.

around town

morning ani practicing


Harvesting the wheat before the rains
In the neighborhood


fire puja offerings




pilgrims on the way to the river and at the swimming hole



Last week was Kalachakra puja at the temple so I felt lucky to be here and participate in that. Also a bit interested to see what I remember from 5 yrs ago in Toronto. May all beings forgive me for what I've forgotten. Especially you know that one main deity...Anyway it was lovely and a number of us squeezed into the temple to observe and practice. This was a little weird as we were right below the main deity on the stage above the sangha...but I finally figured out how I could face both...
During this time I met a nun from the Houston sangha who is a friend of Christine and at the end we made a pilgramage to the river trying to follow the sand but the best we can hope for is that we got to swim in it as we never found the location the monks tried to describe to us.
The weather has been trying to turn hot even up here in the mountains but every few days I hear the horns of some puja happening somewhere and before long there is a deluge. I'm telling you it really works...Even during Kalachakra on the last days we were stranded at the temple for a couple extra hours due to heavy rains but the day we took the sand to the river it was perfectly clear and beautiful as you've seen.

do you have time to teach me english?

Ah cha...today was one of those days when every person I met wants me to spend more time with them to practice english...I say be careful what you ask for...Yesterday I got to meet with my very good friend Ani Tenzin Chogkyi...other wise known as "the really tall western nun" and I should be careful what I say to these practitioners with strong intentions because I did in fact tell her that I'm thinking more and more of teaching english here in asia...as there is a great need...and many opportunities to help in such a simple way...so now I'm going to have to get a calendar to write down all my appointments for teaching this week. It might be easier to just go to one of the organizations that offer classes...oh yeah, I'm already doing that. But really it was great to see my friend who I've had such great opportunities to meet and ask questions about long retreats, etc... yesterday she sent me on a quest up the mountain to visit the memorial stupa of one of the teachers of HHDL who's name I'm sorry to say I don't remember...
Ta...something...anyway quite worth the walk up passed Tushita and Dharam Kot to visit this place where many monks and maybe nuns are practicing in little huts in the woods. You know your getting close when you start to see the thousands of prayer flags hanging from the trees. The day was cool so it was a good day for walking and during my meditations a big clap of thunder announced the presence of dragons nearby with the lightest of sprinkles coming down like blessings. As I sat one of the monks came to make water offerings and I got a good example of how it's done...isn't that the chapter TCCW is reading now...preperatory offerings...
pouring the water into each bowl before setting it on the altar mindful of space, etc...I'm pretty sure there were more than 108 bowls but I didn't stay to count them...Though next time I go visiting I want to ask if I can help to offer and will report back.

routine or routing

just when it seems like a routine to life is beginning to begin...
the power cord to the laptop snaps...
the rain comes...
the cement mixers and anvil droppers stop work upstairs...
your english class gets postponed...
or was that your tibetan class?....
you eat at a restaurant that maybe you should have skipped....
the camera wont download onto a single computer in the greater dharamsala area...
the internet shop decides to open when it should be shut...
and shuts when you thought it would be open....
you actually wake up in time to go for morning kora (5:30 am)...
the neighbors begin harvesting the wheat in the evening light...
the wedding band down the road moves on and you find you miss that gypsy sound...
but the neighbors keep playin' those rasta beats...
is this really india?
Yesterday I heard a girl talking about going back to india...she may have a point.
Mc Leod Ganj is nothing like where I was two weeks ago.
So I'm adjusting to just being here, getting into the groove...
but as I mentioned it keeps skipping a beat.
Maybe it's the illusion of having an actual room where I attempt to cook and not a hotel room.
Whatever it is I think I'll kick back and enjoy the ride.

Dharamsala? or Mcleod Ganj

current view
potential view
breakfast view
Ah you say what is the difference...hmmm. Actually I couldn't tell you. Arrived about 4:30 and my car driver fortunately has a guest house...what a surprise. Slept all morning and decided it was time to go out and look for Mr. Gyariktar, so headed down to the Tibetan Library to see if anybody had heard of him...stopped for breakfast at the most groovy BoomBoom guest house and cafe; inclined to move there if it's convenient to my purposes here. Great Views! of the snow covered mountains. Maybe most beautiful breakfast ever! 2 lightly fired eggs in the shape of a heart surrounded by mushrooms, tomato, etc...and real coffee, though it wasn't pete's but deffinetely better than nestcafe.
Down at the Library I noticed an office of education as I went up the stairs and thought that was probably where I should be going...Yep. Library is closed today for a big cleaning...In asking various people nobody has heard of MEEC or Mr. Gyariktar. So I sat and waited at the education center for the lunch break to be over @ 2p.m. Finally someone came in who could decipher my terrible american accent. And explained to me how interesting Mr. Gyariktar's name is...it means china and escape...in some order or other. So now I had avague destination (somewhere near the Himalayan restaurant and a phone number...not in service at this time).
You can ask Claire how I finally found the office...but it entailed lots of hand gestures and complete daring to go up a flight of stairs back down to the street on another set...keep going down then up another set and down a dark hallway...and....Success...MEEC is actually on the door! and sitting at his desk is Mr. Gyariktar. Unfortunately my tibetan and his english didn't get us very far...sooo...going back tomorrow morning when his friend will be there to translate...it seems though that they've already designed a 42 page website...not sure exactly what it is they'll need from me but happy to help. Happy too, to see Rinpoche and Chunpeys photo on the shelf smiling out at me.

Haridwar, Where did this pile of dung come from?

If possible don't delay buying your ticket out of here...this is Kumba Mela land....and it doesn't matter what year, there are pilgrims arriving and departing everyday. This mornings visit to the train station to buy my ticket was trying anyone's patience but after 2 tries and a power outage, success at last. I will not go to Chandigarh, Amritsar or anywhere else at this point but straight to Dharamsala...Those places will have to wait.
Yesterday I went with a french couple from Brussels up to Richikesh and now I can see why so many westereners go there...it's quite beautiful nestled in the hills with the Ganga flowing through and not so many crowds of people as it's not a major stop for NRI's (this is how the newspaper described the guy from lost altos recently). Anyway, once you get up to the higher points of the town it's quite pleasant and I can imagine a retreat here when I need a break from other places already.
Day before I did make it into Rajiji Nat. Park. Found my way to Mohans Adventure services and it turns out he's the Man! Apparently in all the books....anyway he's great! Took me in the morning to visit a small nomadic tribal village and explained to me the process they are going through with the govt. tryng to relocate them and how he's been getting involved with that...what is he not involved with? x- car racing driver...film-maker (in fact he made the Kumba Mela film) and on the 19th for 10 days he's organized plastic surgeons to come and work on people who are in need of that service; he mostly wants to reach people who really wouldn't have access. I'm thinking of coming back down to offer massage/accupressure during that time.
Then he took me to his house and we had the best lunch I've had in India so far. Seriously, I had to put a new notch in my belt cause I'm loosing weight. Balbeer will be happy to know I miss her cooking so much. In the afternoon the French couple Jeremie & Virgin joined us for safari. Lots of spotted deer and amazing birds; kingfisher, egyptian vultures, parrots, sunbirds and later I'll show the photos of the Samba deer who if you can see them your eyes are like magnifying x-ray machines but for sure they are there... We saw 3 herds of elephants but alas no leopards or tigers. There is nothing like the sound of the elephants swishing through the tall grass. All in all an amazing day.
p.s. Todays title is a multi reference to a great book title by an Ajahn who's name I can't remember and Yes dung on the street but also this extra baggage I've somehow accumulated some of which is deliveries for other people. hmmmm what happened to my beautiful tiny suitcase concept? oh yeah multi climates and many moons.
p.s.s. As I mentioned to someone before arriving in Haridwar I had this sensation that I would come here and miss HHDL and guess what,he was here for a conference and he left the day I got here. so I'm told....hmmmm is there a pattern here?

Do you know the way to Rishikesh?

So after a snafu...the ticket agent sold me a ticket to Ahallabad instead of the nearset station to Varansi...so i failed to get off the train...but no worries...Vimalalakshila? was where I got off and got a bus so instead of arriving 6pm. I got to Varansi at 10:30 by bus...The fortunate thing is that the first person I met was R. Panda who was able to hook me up with a nice hotel and gave me the whirlwind guide I needed for such a short stay. Without him I would have missed much...He turns out to have a masters in Eng. Lit. too. I did go to Deer Park the first day of course. In the evening we stopped at the Durga temple it is her week after all and then we headed for the river for the evening puja which was fantastic. I got to have my first sugarcane/beet/lime juice which I've been eyeing since arriving in India. TASTY! Memories too of chewing on s.c. after begging my mom to buy it for me at Stater bros as a kid. But I'm sure it never tasted this good. Lime the amazing perk to any dish. The next morning I was up before dawn and took a ride on the river...supposedly very auspicious to see the sun rise from the Ganga and this ancient city really is beautiful by the dawns early light. Plus the bodies weren't yet burning. Somehow I missed the burns though I did see some preparations. Then over to the university and the Shiva temple very shanti. There was even a statue of him with many heads...first I've seen of this...he's usually represented as an abstract form and last but not least a visit to the silk weaving district. Where I couldn't resist to buy a piece of pink/orange to be made into a kurta later.
Then the long train to Haridwar where I am now. My room looks out on a great view of the aqua building across the street with the relief of krishna with his flute and the mountains behind. So far this is the cleanest place I've been in all of asia I think. Of course it is Durga festival now as it was in Benares so many pilgrims are arriving everyday...Yesterday I took a walk down to the bathing ghats and made long life prayers for my family...that's what 100 r will get you...not sure what 1000 gets. As my friend Supron says religion is an expensive business.
So today I will take a walk with the crowd up to the temple on the mountain I'm assuming it won't be hard to find the stream of pilgrims going up. The architecture here is really beautiful and old. Pink seems to be a favorite color. Except for ashrams which vary.
Tomorrow I will catch an autoriksha to Rishikesh. How could I not. Or if I get the chance Rajaji National Park is on the way and I'm told it's worth the expense to spend a night or day over there. Maybe see a tiger?!
The weather is very comfortable here, a nice breeze and cool air. Last night there was a thunder shower and the air was even fresher this morning.