Last Adventure in Kashmir

I have to admit, I’m cheating a little as a write my last entry…I’m sitting on my mom’s couch next to a warm fire and drinking a decaf soy latte. And to think I was just starting to like the Nescafe special with too much sugar. Ha…

I left you with a sprinkling of the beauty of Kashmir that I was so fortunate to explore. On the flight up there, as I looked outside and saw the vastness of the Himalaya range, I felt such excitement. The other places on this trip were familiar. This was new and I had no idea what to expect. As Swamiji in Rishikesh said to the yoga fest attendees, “Never expect anything. Expectation is the root of discontent and frustration. For when you expect something, it is so easy to be disappointed.” As we began our landing process, this grandmother sitting next to me began talking to me. She liked that I was from America. She liked that I helped her daughter deal with her twin baby boys. She asked me for my address and gave me their address. She kept kissing me and invited me to come have chai at their house. I politely declined since I had a ride picking me up. Talk about friendly...already I liked this place.

Gulzar, the owner of the hotel in Dharamsala who convinced me to visit Kashmir, picked me up in his brand new SUV. Nice rig! As we made the 2 hour journey to Pahalgam, or The Shepherd’s Valley, I couldn’t believe how civilized it seemed. There were no cows, only a few motorbikes and not that many people in general. There were actually times when there were no other cars except ours. The quiet totally tripped me out after having been in Varanasi, Agra and Delhi all too recently. Mountains surrounded every direction as we drove through yellow fields of mustard and the white saffron flowers. Ah…saffron country! Next to Spain, Kashmir produces the best saffron in the world and I was lucky enough to score it straight from “the saffron guy” that all the locals went to…

We arrived at the guesthouse in the early afternoon. It’s a really cute place right on the river and my room, decorated in typical Kashmiri embroidered curtains, duvet and rugs, was JUST what the doctor ordered. After a short rest, I embarked on a two hour hike around the valley. It was lightly raining and my guide, Ransam, insisted I take an umbrella. I was like, “No thanks, I live in Oregon. It rains all the time. I never use an umbrella.” He took it anyway. Thank god. Within 30 minutes, I was hiking with the umbrella! Immediately this village felt like it might as well be Mars. Similar to Telluride, the village sits at the end of a dead end valley with picturesque mountains in every direction. Now turn back the clock 100 years where children play hopscotch and cricket (LOTS of cricket), people farm their own land and chickens run amok. Make it Indian but not Hindu Indian since we were in Muslim country and the Kashmiri people have much lighter skin…about 1 out of 4 have the most incredible green eyes that sparkle with their infectious smile. Virtually everyone wears a thin wool cloak over their clothes called a Faren and they carry small baskets filled with charcoal which they use to warm their hands.

The next couple of days consisted of early morning yoga > breakfast > 4-5 hours of hiking > nap > bath > dinner and a lot of reading. My dream schedule! Gulzar and his crew totally took care of me. A guide escorted me on all the hikes showing me the local terrain and explaining village life. They cooked nutritious meals that were simple and delicious. Each night they put 2 hot water bottles in my bed for added warmth. The best part was that there was actually a bathtub in my room with super, duper hot water. With my book, a bottle of water and after a 5 hour hike, I think it was best bath of my life.

Most of the people are farmers who grow their own food on a small plot of land. Before the snow begins, they harvest corn and potatoes for the winter. Some depend on tourism for their livelihood and they were all so friendly to me (since it was the early season, I think there were only 5 foreigners in town). Everyone walked and said hello along the way. One afternoon a couple of schoolgirls invited me to their house for chai. I accepted and the whole family of women came to visit. Within minutes we were all drinking real Kashmiri chai – a salty, milk tea that has millet powder on the bottom. It’s definitely an acquired taste which improved with the rock hard bread that we dipped in to soak up the salt. At the end you chug the corn powder that I guess is healthy. I pretended like it was fantastic but politely declined seconds! The girls thought my western outfit was horrible so they gave me a Faren and also put on lipstick and nail polish and a headband. Now I fit in. And now I have a real Faren. Yes!

The day hikes were spectacular. One day in particular was my favorite…We hiked a steep ridgeline for about 2 hours. I had officially ditched my running shoes which I think might be the worst invention ever (how did I run 10 marathons in them?) and instead opted for my teva flips which were sooooo much better. At the top there was a little snow leftover and there I found myself hiking in the snow in sandals. That was a new one. The view from the top was stunning…360 degrees of the glorious Himalayas…rugged and HUGE! At 14,500 feet, these were small mountains in comparison to what lies on the interior. But even the small ones are bigger than the biggest mountains in the states and felt that way. Incredible. I can only imagine what the views are on an actual multi-day trek. (Hint, Hint, the next Redback trip). We cruised down and at one point came up to a large snow patch. My guide looked and me and I looked at him and said, “Can we glissade on our butts?” He answered, “You like?” Duh. Of course I like! We glissaded down and laughed all the way. Glissading in flip flops…another first.

No stay in Kashmir would be complete without staying in a houseboat on Dal Lake. I had my doubts on this one since all the books talk about it and it seemed like a tourist dorkout. But since this was a scoping expedition, I had to see for myself. Gulzar, Wali (one of the guides), David, a Canadian yogi, and myself drove to Shrinigar, the biggest city in Kashmir. The houseboat really was pretty cool…it reminded me of a shotgun house in New Orleans only totally ornate. Each large boat has 6 bedrooms, a living room, deck, dining room. We arrived and within minutes there was a jewelry guy who came to show us jewelry. Then a shawl guy came with shawls. Then a leather bag guy. Delivery shopping where you drink tea and they come to you? Sure. Why not?!

We saw a few sites around town including two mosques. Is it just me or are mosques totally depressing? The vibe is so ominous. Women aren’t allowed in the main shrines. Military personnel holding major guns stand guard. There is very little ornamentation. No music. Compared to the vibrant Hindu temples filled with color, singing and joy, these felt like the polar opposite.

That night, we enjoyed dinner on the boat and had an interesting conversation with Wali. As usual in India, the subject of yoga, religion and spirituality came up. Since we were in Muslim territory, David and I inquired about his notion of enlightenment and spiritual leaders. We learned that he believed, like most people in this region, that Mohammed was the last prophet who truly spoke to God. The end of the world will be on a Friday. Women shouldn’t be in the workplace except as schoolteachers. When I asked what he thought about the Dalai Lama he answered, “Oh, he is only about big business.” David and I could see this was getting nowhere quickly. I mean, how many saints and sages have achieved enlightenment since the 14th century? The list is small but it exists. Obviously, Wali had no interest in opening his horizons so we left it at that. While the Muslim people are super nice, so many continue to live in the stone ages! Whoa…

So that’s a wrap on India for now. I can’t believe how fast the time went but when each day is a total adventure, time flies. India isn’t always about being the most relaxing or the most beautiful (although it can be if you find the right spots). It is about being the most unique and the most challenging. It’s about being in new situations, making decisions quickly and trusting your instinct. It is a constant test of patience. It’s forces the notion of going with the flow where new things are discovered around the bend. Most of all and amongst all the chaos, India is about finding a connection to the inner light and diving deep into your soul and to the peace within…

Until next time…namaste

World School Wrap-Up

It’s been ages since I last wrote…I apologize for leaving you hanging with the Tibetan protests. It was just non-stop with the students and I had so little time to sit at a computer. After dropping them off, I woke up super early to catch the first flight up to Kashmir where I had no phone or internet…

Leading students was about as challenging a task as I’ve done in a long time. They arrived totally unprepared (didn’t know what language was spoken, that India had states, the names of the places they were going, etc). Ryan and I felt like we were leading a group of blind people. Because this country is so vastly different from our American lifestyle, it is crucial that people do at least a little homework before they come here…there are so many amazing books, movies and resources to shed light on this country. I really learned from this experience that the more you know up front, the more enriching your trip will be. Showing up with no understanding India just makes for a long journey to say the least….

We returned to Rishikesh to stay at our ashram which pretty much feels like home at this point. Ryan and I were lucky enough to stay in one of the newly remodeled rooms which was great. I really enjoyed listening to an impromptu talk by Swami Mooktananda. A French Canadian by birth, he left his life as a contractor and moved to Rishikesh to be a monk. Now he is very famous and travels the world to speak about spirituality. A giant of a swami (literally made Ryan look small), he was so calm and spoke about the monastic lifestyle and what it means to live a world where “I am” is paramount. He broke down our notion of labeling (I am American, I am white, I am Christian) to clarify that deep down, we are all the same. My favorite part was when I asked how kids these days are supposed to find peace and quiet when they live in a world filled with so much noise, gadgets, and all around nonsense (myspace, video games, etc). It took him at least a minute to answer. The room fell silent. Was that his answer? Then he finally said that children need to return to nature. It’s the only thing that’s more spectacular than myspace. It is boundless, beautiful and ever changing. I loved that answer and couldn’t agree more.

One of the highlights of the entire trip occurred next in Dharamsala with the Tibetan protests. I wrote of them earlier but it was incredible to be part of history and to see the passion in which they spoke out. We met with a Tibetan teacher who left home when he was 16 (more than 20 years earlier). He told his story about never seeing his family again and how he only spoke to his brother one time. He told about the way the Tibetans in China are treated, how guides only take tourists to certain areas that the Chinese establish, how guides are forced to only say certain facts that the Chinese tell them to say and how there are Chinese spies who make sure people act the way they want them to. It was so sad. I found myself crying on multiple occasions throughout our stay. I can’t even imagine not having a home to ever come back to, to have my culture exploited and to be forced to live under a Communist government. I read in one paper that the Chinese claimed that the Dalai Lama was a “jackal and the mastermind behind the Tibetans sabotaging the Olympics.” Uh, yeah….ok. Do they not listen to what he is saying? He has clearly stated that they simply want Tibetan autonomy! And by the way, the Chinese have claimed 20 deaths but the last I read, 140 monks living in monasteries had died…nice.

Varanasi was nuts as usual. Such a strange city…so filthy, so crowded, so spiritual. We conveniently arrived on Holi which is a holiday devoted to Lord Krishna. It’s completely insane. People throw chemicals on anything and everything. Dogs, cows, people are literally covered head-to-toe in colored painted look like a walking tie dye. We went from peaceful Dharamsala to the craziest street scene ever. Even the leaders were shocked byt the complete chaos enveloping the group. The kids were so freaked out. Needless to say, we stayed in the hotel that night and the next day until 1pm. The hotel staff said not to leave due to drunk Indian men. If you’ve never seen a drunk Indian dude, you’re lucky. They suck. They get so completely wasted and will touch women at any chance. Super sketch. Agh, India! So much for our itinerary. We rearranged our schedule and in the end, it all worked out. The highlight was visiting the burning ghat were over 200 people a day are cremated. This guide started talking to us about the rituals taking place (there were at least 10 people being burned at that time) and next thing we knew, we were literally walking right through the middle of all the bodies! It was hot and we saw legs breaking and a head fall off. WHOA. It was for sure the closest I’ve ever been to this scene and was something none of us will forget. We even came home with ash in our hair. When the kids asked me why I like Varanasi my answer was because you see the strangest things you’ll ever see there. Period. There’s no other place on earth like it.

Lastly, we went to Agra to visit the Taj. One night left and we were on easy street. We ate a huge meal in Delhi the night before we caught an early train. Within hours, not one, not two, not three but EIGHT people out of 12 were violently ill…food poisoning central! Are you kidding me? I went between 4 rooms to clean puke, make sure they stayed hydrated, gave pep talks, etc etc. Our sunrise at the Taj consisted of 5 people able to make it. The rest barely got there by 10am and I’m not sure they even remember it. One girl was lucky enough to puke on the Taj lawn. The kids thought that was so cool.

I dropped them off completely SPENT. I am officially done dealing with kids for a long time. Not sure I’m a very good babysitter but we did our best. Luckily, kids don’t expect much. But man, they sure are a handful. I feel sorry for the challenges ahead of kids these days…crappy diets, eating pills at the drop of a hat, no family dinners or much family time, no discipline, no memory retention, blah blah…the answer seems simple although easier said than done, I’m sure…return to nature….start yoga early…study…play sports….make healthy dinners for your kids….

Ryan and I made new contacts, found new hotels and restaurants. That part was worth it and I’m glad we had a chance to revisit our destinations again. We officially have Delhi, Agra, Rishikesh and Dharamsala dialed.

More to come on Kashmir but I’m too tired to write. Let’s just say…after coming to India 3 times and traveling all over, I finally hit the JACKPOT. It is one of the most incredible places on earth and I can’t wait to share my experiences to the group.

Until then….may you find the peace within…namaste