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.

last days bodhgaya

The thing about hunting mosquitos is.....when you're ready for bed even the net sometimes has a few hiding in the shadows and they must be expelled before sleep or you wake up to malaria injections...hahaha...of course I laugh but seriously....in order to catch a mosqito you must first hypnotize it. If it's flying around all pesky like it will be really hard to catch...what you want is a still mosqeeter. Now there are several methods, of course everybody knows the deadly slapping one. There's the the catch it in your hand as it's flying one but this is pretty hard to do. If it's sitting still sometimes you can grab it by the leg and toss it out on it's ass. But the method I've found that seems to work best is to use the catch it in the zip lock bag system. This is still pretty hard if they're flying around therefore this is where the hypnotizing comes in...Of course it doesn't hurt to just explain to them that if they bite, they die! Once you've caught a moszqito and it's in the bag so to speak it's best to try to catch another without loosing the first one before sticking your bag outside of the netting, as of course this can allow others to sneak in. Then make sure they are both out of the bag before bringing it back inside...sometimes it's pretty hard to see that tiny body through the plastic and the net. Turn the bag upside down and shake, shake, shake. Sometimes they just don't get the message after one shake. Continue till all sqetters are evicted. Don't be surpirsed if you missed a few as they like to hide in the shady corners and seams. but don't worry you'll know if you got them all around 1 pm. Happy hunting.
So I was very lucky in meeting my friend Brajes (owner of the internet shop at Welcome Guesthouse) who was so helpful to take me to the best/ most honest puke dealer in town...if your ever here and need puker help "Solar City" is the place and Rajit is the man. Was able to get new cord/box rather than refurbished at the same price...we like this. And now the lesson is unplug before leaving the room. Of course as I thought it did take a few extra days...
On to more interesting things.
This morning as it's my last full day here I decided to walk across the river again over to Suchata's temple etal...lovely breezy day for a walk, still it's good to have the silver umbrella for a long walk like that. Two grade school boys of course showed up on the other side wanting to show me the way and be helpful and we had a pleasant walk through the wheat fields and cabbage patches. Once there it was a lovely place to sit and breath the fresh air of the countryside and if you wait long enough someone you know always turns up...this time another of Brajes' friends who likes to take tourist on his motorbike to local sites...wonderful as I was just thinking it might be a good day to visit the MahaKala cave where the Buddha sat his first winter retreat...Sudi had a client to return to B.G. so I enjoyed the peace for awhile till he returned...then we rode out to the mountain down the back roads...bumpy and sandy...and memories of being on the back of my dad's racing bike in the desert as a kid. The cave is worth a visit if you're ever here...Another place is Golpa but that's a jeep ride away on the famous Bihar roads and a real climb up to the top of the mountain.
Caught up with the Bhutan monks again (did I mention that Supron accidently took me to their monastery? thought it was a tibetan one) at the stupa...the ranks are weakening as many monks have gone to the mountain monastery...but my friend Sonam, the Karmapa look alike, disciplinarian is still here and we had a nice chat about dharma after evening monlam prayers.
On the way to pick up my train ticket this evening I ran into the daughter of one Thai nun from the Royal Thai wat who had sprained her ankle...she's the cook. So like all good Bhutan massage therapists I got out the butter and salt and started working...I guess it helped because Pou greeted me most happily and is sending her mom back to see me tomorrow before I leave for Varanasi. Where I will stay for just a day and a morning before going to Haridwar and Rishikesh which is of course on the way to Dharamsala. "Sorry Rinpoche. " Maybe this blog should be called "Someday I'll make it to Dharamsala". You'd think I'd be more in a hurry since HHDL is leaving for Bezerkly soon. Ah wellllllll.

ahhh bodhgaya

Just when the last leaves had fallen and been harvested by every greedy hand that could reach one this amazing tree after one day is blooming new red leaves. Leaves that are as small as your pinkie nail to the size of a silver dollar. Unlike the older ones that are thick and brown and dead these are still alive and delicate. If you dare you can put them in your salad. I had a handful of the little white curls that drop as the leaf emerges in a tea and stayed up all night in front of the tree feeling my stomach gurgling...it's said they are good for difficult births...trouble reaching enlightenment? So yes I spent the night in a mosquito tent under the boddhi tree with a korean friend from australia who arrived on her way from 3 mos. in lumbini on her way home and she was inspired to spend the night so I tagged along. The great thing is that this is the season when puppies are learning to be dogs...so the barking and yelping go on deep into the night. Yes, great because just when I was falling asleep a dog fight breaks out inches away...I can't tell you how many times this happened. Everytime greatful to "wake up" and think "oh yeah, I'm supposed to be practincing".

So of all places bodhgaya is where I've purchased my first "puker". Supron left it with me for the work I will supposedly be doing in Dharamsala. Of course the electricity here in Bihar killed the power box on the plug so now I'm waiting for the dealer to get me a refurbished one as he already tried to repair mine but it's to burned up. So now he says deffinetely he can have it day after tomorrow in the morning if not tomorrow night. But still I will not purchase my train ticket because this is India...and it could be next week...

The days now are too hot to be outside in the middle of the day. So most practice is coming to the main temple about 4:15 am. Return to Wat Pa for breakfast at 8:00 to serve the monks. Then living in the room with the fan on inside the mosquito net my korean friend left for me until about 4 pm when its nearing the time when it will cool down...dinner, etc...then to the temple till 9pm when they lock the gates. It's a 5 min walk to Wat Pa and all the ladies selling butter lamps know I wont buy any by now. Though I've already decided I'll do it as I'm leaving.

I stopped by the Mongolian temple which is under construction and the man I met told me major construction has stopped now due to Bihar regulations...paper work...he of course knows who Rinpoche is. I hear it over and over again about all the paper work in Bihar and how it's really important to go through the process before you begin your project...some sites seem to have been sitting unfinished for year. So we must pray that the obstacles for the mongolians will be cleared away...Time to go now I hear the metal gates being closed next door for the night.

p.s. the blog says sunday but for me it's now monday.