10 days in

In the few days I havent posted Ive had many incredible experiences. Its hard to believe Ive only been here 10 days, with 80 left to go.

I left Delhi by train in the early morning hours, and enjoyed a six hour ride through rural India to Dehradun, up in the foothills of the Himalayas. I was half expecting the train ride to be like in the Darjeeling Limited; it was much less colorful, but they still had old Bollywood music playing and served chai every hour.

Oh the CHAI!!! What a beautiful thing! Its served everyday for teatime, and anytime you go to someone's house, or spend time in a shop, you are served a sweet cup of chai in a little glass. So spicy, gingery and sweet! Bliss in a cup!

Here in Derhadun I am WWOOFING, aka working on an organic farm, but this "farm" is no farm, more like a chill guesthouse with a big garden, yoga and meditation rooms, and a beautiful library full of spiritual, metaphysical, and health books. So I spend my time accordingly, reading Pyramid Power, and various books on energy healing, meditating on the rooftop at sunrise, playing the wooden flute I bought in the bazaar, and listening to many incredible stories about mystics and gurus, miraculous results of pranic healing, past lives, karma and reincarnation. So much for farm work.

The other day I went up to Moussourie, a beautiful little town located at 6000ft up in the mountains. We drove there an old taxi up the only winding road that goes to the town, trying to avoid the cows and passing the slow truckis while almost hitting cars coming in the opposite driection while looking down the steep . The views from up there are spectacular, and the air is so clean and fresh, tho a little low on oxygen.
(The picture is a view from the cable car we took the the highest peak in Moussourie)


The people in the photo are some other folks staying at Vipassana house, friends of the owner. The old guy (tho young at heart) , Sam, has been living at the Osho commune in India for the last 30 years. So long that he now has Indian citizenship. He has farmland in Kentucky that he said I am welcome to use. Since his offer Ive been fantasizing about creating my own organic farm/healing center. In my mind it will be like a new Orgone, Maine with pyramids, geodesic domes, and ill be living in the woods, making music, inviting everyone i know and WWOOFERS too. Ahh! The possibilities!

The woman is a young ayurvedic doctor with her own hospital in Hyderabad, in south India. She said I could stay with her, do a detox with massage, diet, etc, and learn about ayurveda and massage. I am very intregued and am seriously considering her offer. Tonight she gave me an incredible head and hand massage. Mmmmmm, so relaxed.

The big guy is a millionaire (maybe billionaire) from Germany who is opening something like 20 naturopathic/homeopathic alternative healing centers in Europe. It would be nice to more centers like that in America, but he said that pharmaceutical companies will do everything in their power to prevent such centers from blossoming in the US.

The last three days Thich Nhat Hanh has been doing a teachers retreat in Derhadun and everyone in the house has been going. Thich Nhat Hanh was one of the first Buddhist scholars whose work I read, when my interest in spirituality began blossoming, and now I am here in india on my spiritual journey doing a retreat with him! Life is really something.

Goodbye Delhi

Ttomorrow I start my solo adventure for real as I leave Clare and venture to Vipassana Farm in Dehra Dun. Im not sure if the farm is associated with the Vipassana retreat I did, but I do know that they have a healing center and teach pranic healing, among other musical and metaphysical subjects. Also, the farm manager emailed me the other day to say that the famous Vietnamese spiritual master Thich Nhat Hanh will be doing a 5 day retreat at the farm. What luck!

Delhi has been good, but I miss seeing the sky, the stars and moon, breathing fresh air. And it's not the place for peace and quiet. I'm ready for a more relaxed atmosphere, more meditation. But I had some good times, like clubbing at a surreal fancy hotel, meeting fellow travelers of the same spiritual vein, partying with the prime minister's grandson, driving tiny rickshaws through the city packed with people at all hours, and enjoying the homemade meals of the apartment's cook.

New Delhi

 I am finally here! On the other side of the globe.

I arrived yesterday after a loong flight surrounded by screaming children. As soon as I got on the flight I felt like I was in India, with the fight attendants in saris, indian music playing on the loud speaker, Bollywood films being screened, and being the only Western woman in sight.

I took a tiny taxi with no seat belts through the city to 

my friend Clare's apartment. She's here on a Brown U. program so I am staying at their apartment in a quaint residential district. The ride was my first real view of India. In the three lane road, four lanes of cars, rickshaws, bicycles, and pede

strians formed. The cars honked incessantly; larger cars even had "please honk" painted on their rear.

From the apartment the cacophony of city life persists, with a nearby highway you can hear cars honking day and night, and it sounds like a religious parade is going on from the drumming, music, cheering voices and fire crackers I can hear from inside.

The time shift is very confusing. I woke up at 4am this morning and with nothing to do I meditated for an hour, went back to sleep and then woke up at 3pm.

That's all for now folks,

Metta to all!!

                                                (view from Clare's apartment)

HAPPY FULL MOON!

ALLO!

Hello all! Welcome! Im starting this blog to document my travels in India. I leave for New Delhi in two days and still have much to do to get ready. This post is just to say welcome, and stay tuned for stories from INDJIA!