Temples and Trauma

Temples.....

As luck would have it, in Rishikesh I happened to see a friendly girl called Anya who I'd met earlier at the Organic Farm in Nepal. How we happened to meet in the huge crowds of orange pilgrims is beyond me but its another one of those funny coincidences that seems to happen a great deal when you travel and being a white girl alone in the street, she didn't exactly blend in. We decided to quickly up and leave Rishikesh and head to the wonderful Golden Temple located in Amritsar, in the state of Punjab.

A picture perfect image of the Golden Temple

The Golden Temple is renowned by Sikhs around the world. I've learnt much about Buddhism and Hinduism whilst being away, but Sikhism I knew very little of so this was an opportunity to learn more. Sikhism evolved at a time in which the caste system was still very much entrenched and your caste (social standing) really did define how you were treated and your life prospects. As a result of the Sikh's beliefs there is no charge for entering the Golden Temple as they strongly believe that all beings are equal regardless of their race, country, caste, age, gender etc. From what I experienced they are also extremely friendly and kind. The atmosphere in the temple itself was so calm and tranquil and I felt like we were able to walk around freely without being hassled, which is certainly not always the case in India. The temple is also a world away from what it is like outside in the stuffy, polluted, busy city of Amritsar.

Walking around the temple before the monsoon rains set it

Thanks to the generosity of the Sikhs and their willingness to teach other about their religion, I also had the honor of staying for a night in the onsite dorm, again free of charge. The room was pretty full and I had to share a bed with Anya, but it was part of the fun, it really created a sense of unity. It was a great experience to sit on the floor with hundreds of others and eat in the large food hall which is run completely by volunteers. It's really an impressive operation to watch twenty people who are there just peeling vegetables and another thirty who are there just to wash up plates. I have much respect for these people. But my highlight has to be waking up at 3am to go to the toilet (no not this in itself) but having to walk through a large open courtyard full of about two hundred people all lying on the ground on scarves and mats, fast asleep, looking so peaceful.

Trauma.....

The next destination was town of Bagsu set in the Himalayas of Himanchal Pradesh and widely recommended to me by other travellers. My relationship with Bagsu was eventually a long and sordid love affair which got off to a rocky start. Already going home was beginning to enter my stream of consciousness because of the amount I had been sick and the following events only set to convince me that it really was time to leave.

I was becoming weary of being conned and having to be on my guard. In an attempt to find some light relief I tried out 'Laughter Yoga' for the first time. How can you go wrong with laughing? Who doesn't want to laugh? But it just became a very weird situation as it was just myself, Anya and the teacher who turned out to be another one of those Indian men who like to touch and watch Western women using the guise of 'yoga teacher'. Grrrrrr. The class consisted of us having to 'fake laugh' in many different styles (on your back kicking and screaming like a child, giggling like a girl, doing a huge bold manly laugh etc). Perhaps in a different setting with friends it could be greatly amusing but I never realised how hard it is to laugh when that is what you have to do - the frustration of trying to get a real laugh out, can the teacher tell that I am still faking it?! Only I can get into these weird situations. I definitely got some real laughs out, its hard not to when a crazy Indian sticks his tounge out and growls like a lion 10 inches from your face, but it all felt too artificial. Also what kind of respectable yoga teacher asks you for a hug at the end of your lesson? Then I encountered the seemingly innocent monk who wanted me to teach him English but it turned out he just wanted to touch my leg. I was also surprised when I heard him speak to someone else at my guesthouse the next day with miraculously improved English!

These kinds of things started to drive me a bit up the wall. Following a night of more stomach problems, where I had to keep getting up and running outside into the cold through the rain, down the steps to get to the bathroom, I had really had enough. I booked my flight home and felt like it was a sign that it was the right time............but was it?

What happened to my dreamland?

Three and a half months passed unbelievably fast in Nepal. Before we knew it, Lucy and I had travelled together for six months without any issues, quite a feat I'd say. We were on exactly the same wavelength, wanting to learn as much as possible. We both surprised ourselves at how long we could spend together. I joked that we'd become husband and wife. We were sleeping in the same room, eating all of our meals together and doing nearly all of the same activities. We'd shared the highs, the lows and knew one another inside out, but alas it was time to move on, we needed to explore on our own and find our individual direction before it became a bit weird.

Lucy decided to stay at the farm for further study as she'd developed a strong interest in organic farming and development. I decided to return back to the motherland of India, this had been my intention all along as there is always more to see, do and experience there. I was excited to travel alone as it is more of an adventure and challenge - you never know what will surprise you next in India which is why I love it.

However, I'd be lying if I said that at this point I was completely happy. The farm was a brilliant experience, but I was at a low point, I was completely fed up......sick of being sick. On seven occasions since beingin Nepal I had experienced severe stomach problems, enough so to prevent me from leaving the vicinity of my bathroom for two, three,sometimes seven days in a row, most of these times I had to resort totaking antibiotics which I didn't like. My body felt absoloutely exhausted, despite my healthy life style of veg food, yoga and no alchol, which made it even more frustrating. I was beginning to wonder whether it was a sign that it was time to take the plunge and go home, afterall I'd been away nine months. But opportunities like this trip are rare, so I decided to persevere. Perhaps a fresh start in India out all alone would do me good.

Over the course of my trip I have become more concious of being an 'eco traveller', trying to minimise any negative impacts of my journey. This has included me investing in a SteriPen (a UV purifying pen which sterilises water so no need for buying plastic bottles), stopping buying loo roll (Euch? No - it is possible, using the Indian techniques!) and lastly avoiding flying at all costs. The latter is only possible because the rail network is so extensive, so cheap and now its easy to book seats online plus I don't have the excuse that I don't have the time to go the long way. That's not to say it's not a pain in the arse to avoid flying! My journey from the capital of Nepal to my next destination in Rishikesh (800km apart) wss spread over four days with a ridiculously oversized bag, guitar and yoga mat. I used nearly every form of transport available (train, bus, auto rickshaw, cycle rickshaw, taxi) and had to spend two seperat

e days waiting on train platforms for around 10 hours with people staring at me in a confused manner wondering how I could possibly be alone as a female and possibly play an instrument. I wore my Indian style outfit (a salwar kamise), which I think meant people generally left me alone. Looking back, it really was ridiculous, but I am still happy I did it, I had some nice moments of people giving me part of their lunch, buying me water and it's not every day you nearly get covered in urine because the woman infront of you on the bus lets her two year old wee out of the window.

Looking geeky in my Salwar Kamise which helps me to avoid attention in the crowds!

I was looking forward to my return to Rishikesh, the place in which everything felt like a dream land earlier in my trip, so many different ways of thinking, a great place for exploring body and mind. In my head I had decided that two weeks of intensive yoga practice would be good for my health and I'd also learn alot, I was already familiar with Rishikesh so it eased me into being alone. But as I reached half way in my journey I started to notice that something wasn't normal. Each station I passed, there seemed to be people lying around on big plastic sheets (this is normal), yet they were dressed in bright orange, chattering merrily away. The crowds grew bigger the closer I got to Rishikesh and were completely male dominated, mainly aged 18 - 40 years.

Little did I know we were heading to exactly the same destination. As I entered Rishikesh, some enquiries quickly confirmed that I'd come at the time of the Shiva pilgrimage where Hindus, particularly from the Northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar (somewhat poorer than other states) come to Rishikesh, or nearby Haridwar to perform prayers (puja) and bathe in the holy Ganges, around end July. Often for one direction of their journey they must travel all by foot and you see them holding small plastic containers in which they collect Ganga water, which once collected may not be put down on the floor as it is sacred and is kept for future use as it is seen as very holy.

A pilgrimage may conjur images of peaceful, respecful pilgrims, but as this is India, you can turn any expectation on its head. My dreamy traveller, hippy paradise had been transformed by rowdy, ladish men who behaved more like teenagers. The place had an atmosphere I can only describe as a mix between a lads holiday in Ibiza and the testosterone driven hoardes at a football match. It was so strange, just walking down the street became a huge task as they were flooded with orange clad men who would whip out their camera phones at the sight of you and walked along shouting loudly 'Praise Shiva' (but in Hindi). This very quickly became tiresome and exhausting.

Orange clad Shiva pilgrims making lots of noise at the side of the Holy Ganga

The river Ganges had risen greatly and the first few days the rain didn't stop, monsoon was on its way. No longer was the river beautiful and serenene, I couldn't sit at the water without being hassled, though the festival was interesting to have encountered, from the safety of the balcony. I felt like the pilgrimage was more of an excuse for a lads holiday. I decided that it would be good to get started with my yoga and looked up the teacher I'd held in such high esteem before I left. As the season was so low, it became not unusual for me to be the only student so I got real one to to tuition. What a good student can only dream of - unless your teacher is a complete slave driver, sado masachist.

It emerged that the Ashtanga yoga style that I was learning about was just too much for me. My interpretation of yoga is that it should challenge your body, but also make you feel relaxed and that over time you can develop how far your body can move in the asanas (poses) as you learn the right breathing technique. But this guy just wanted to push my body to the limits. I'd go as far as possible in an asana, then he would push my body even further. Yes I can put my head on my knees, when he forces it, but it felt so un natural and I just wasn't enjoying it any more. Plus his adjustment technique was so borderline intrusive. Who I'd originally trusted I slowly lost respect for. I've learnt finding a good yoga teacher in India is ridiculously difficult, most are just slightly perverted and don't really know about yoga, my best teachers have all been Westerners.

There wasn't much in the way of company in Rishikesh either. I met a 40 year old Spanish man who was working in a city nearby on a computer project who became scarily obsessed with me after spending just one morning together. I showed him some temples and local sights whcih he just hadn't even bothered to explore. When he asked if he could hug me, in the middle of the street with so many Indians, I just wanted to hit him around the head. Aside from the fact that I didn't want to hug him anyway, I was completely bemused that he had been in India 6 months and didn't know that it is really rude and disrespectful for men and women to have any physical contact in public, especially in a holy place. What was this man thinking? Needless to say I 'lost' his email address. The atmosphere in Rishikesh had been the complete opposite of the last time I was there and after one week, I knew that it just wasn't going to work out, too many strange experiences in a short space of time!

Life at the Farm

The next entertaining journey was on a Nepalese local bus, where Lucy and I tried to stand in the narrow aisle wearing our huge backpacks as all seats were occupied. We held on for dear life as the bus weaved around the winding roads. Unfortunately, because of the mountainous landscape and a lack of funding, the transport network in Nepal is particularly poor, especially when I contrast it with my experience of coming from India, as the only way to get around is by bus on terrible roads that are always prone to landslides. However the squashed, tiring journey was worth it as the locals were very friendly and it took us to our next exciting destination where we met a family that turned out to be truely inspiring.

The next month of our travelling adventure was spent on an organic farm called HASERA (http://www.organichasera.org/) situated 40km from the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu in the Kathmandu Valley. HASERA is so much more than just a farm - it is a centre of learning and research and a meeting place to unite the local community. From my stay there I gained so much new knowledge. Their work is funded mainly from the courses that they run on Permaculture, Sustainable Living and Organic Farming but they also educate the community, volunteers and any visitors interested about organic farming about why it is so important. Their women's group empowers local females to participate in organic farming enabling them to benefit from an increased income as well as protecting them from the ever more prevalent health issues associated with chemical farming. The scope of the women's group continues to increase as they now also begin to educate them about women's health related issues as it became evident that there was a demand for this.

My ridiculous luggage! A big rucksack (with fleece & yoga mat attached), small rucksack & guitar

Watching the women's group, with my own two eyes, meet every Saturday for workshops, experiments on the farm and the farmer's field school, really restored my belief that there are good charitable projects that are successful and are sustainable. Unlike the school that I volunteered at in Jharkhand, the farm's projects are sustainable because they have the community support and they are run by a local family who truley understand the local people and their needs. I loved my time at the school but sadly without the overwhelming support of the locals it is hard to predict whether it will remain open as many of the parents would have preffered their children to work at home and the project constantly battles with the issue of finding someone to co-ordinate it. Yet learning about what HASERA do was very inspirational and I love how proactive Govinda (the dad of the family) is, he always seems to be busy organising, teaching or welcoming new visitors.

Mitto and I preparing the tea leaves that we'd picked the previous day

The Nepalese people as a nation are truely welcoming and I was incredibly touched by how at home the family made us feel. This was great as learning about farming and agriculture is such a new experience for me and when I first arrived I felt quite out of my comfort zone. Yet almost immediately both Lucy and I were given Nepalese names, Santi (Peace) and Basanti (Spring) respectively as is customary for every new volunteer which immediately makes you feel a sense of belonging. The family is led by Govinda, a bubbly, funny, charasmatic, clever Nepalese man who has vast knowledge on organic farming and really allows projects to happen because he is so driven. Mitto is the lady of the house who is a fantastic cook and is so kind and caring but who likes to force you to eat more when you are already oocus moocus (the Nepalese word for absoloutely full!). Lastly there are the 16 year old twins who are already extremely intelligent and fast witted, I don't doubt that they will go on to do great things. They provided us with much evening entertainment by playing Hindi music that they'd enthusiastically sing along and dance to.

Lucy and I participated in the twelve day permaculture course which teaches you how to create a living space, whether that be house/farm/balcony/garden, which meets your personal needs as effectively as possible whilst being environmental and community friendly. Some of the main principles of Permaculture are about being sustainable, making use of local resources, engaging the community, clever use of space, being self sufficient and maintaining diversity of species. I really enjoyed being a student again, learning about something completely new and having a mix of theoretical lessons and practical classes outside on the farm. In particular I liked the practicals where we learnt how to make our own organic compost and fertiliser, how to take cuttings, how to save seeds and how to make our own clay bricks. I can't wait to try everything I have learnt out in practice. My main aim of taking the course was to be able to grow vegetables and fruit back in England as I love cooking and think it would be so rewarding to do this with your own fresh, organic produce.

The Permaculture Group with our certificates at the end of the course

We had a nice small group as there were only seven of us - Lucy and myself, a Swiss guy, a Mexican girl, a Nepalese lady and the twins who also joined in as it was the school holidays. Having grown up on the farm they were easily the biggest SWOTs yet Lucy and I enjoyed the fact we were encouraged by Govinda to ask as many questions as we liked which we certainly did. We were also fuelled by vast supplies (literally endless) of milky, sugary chai and great homecooked food. I really enjoyed sitting on the floor and eating together in the kitchen for every meal and using my hands to eat, my table manners are now pretty atrocious as I literally find it hard to use a knife and fork! Every evening we would finish the day with some more learning as we would settle down to watch a documentary. It was a long day but very rewarding.

Dinner time on the farm

I found the Permacourse really interesting and it certainly challenged me in a completely new way because our task for the last three days of the course was to redesign one of the local farms so that the land could be use more effectively. This made me feel quite nervous as I took the task quite seriously as I wanted to make suggestions that could really improve the farmers lives and enjoyment of their land. However I felt no where near qualified enough after twelve days to be making such recommendations having never lived in a temperate climate where the types of plants they have and the food they grow is completely different. However the idea was to apply some of the theory we'd learnt and for this it was very useful. In order to redesign the farm we had to go there and survey the current landuse and visit the village to learn about the community in which they live. We also conducted interviews with the family to asses their needs, find out how they live and what is important to them, what issues do they face, what areas for improvement are there. It was such an amazing opportunity but I really wanted to make constructive, helpful suggestions and could have spent days, weeks, even months on the task. But all we had was three days! Luckily I was paired with a lovely, chilled out Mexican girl who was so ridiculously laid back about everything that it was hard to really worry. I'm really proud of the work we did and what we eventually came up with as we identified some really easy, simple changes that could make a big difference.

My plan for the redesign of the local farm

One of the great things about staying at the farm and doing the course was that we were able to visit local villages, close to one another yet with very different customs and cultures (different religions, dress, some would eat meet and drink alchohol but the others wouldn't). It was really interesting to contrast the two. Also, as the farm is a hub of activity, there are locals dropping by regularly to say hello or to attend a meeting, so you feel like you really get to interact with the Nepalese people. I enjoyed the simple life of rising and going to bed early, eating food grown on the farm and learning about agriculture and farming, the seasons and weather and how much these affect millions of farmers across the world on a daily basis. I also like just helping out around the farm with jobs like weeding and tea picking as there is something so satisfying about working outside and seeing the outcome of your work infront of you.

The Permaculture Group planting seeds in a practical session on the farm

I felt honoured to be allowed to accompany the family to their paddy fields, around a km walk down the slope, on rice planting day. It was incredible to watch the locals climb down the steep rocky paths in just flip flops carrying heavy baskets on their heads effortlessly as we struggled in the day time heat, sweating it out despite having proper walking shoes and no heavy loads. I find it incredible when I think about how important it is to the farmer that these crops are succesful, otherwise they simply won't have enough food to feed their family. For me, this idea would make me feel under a great deal of stress but the farmers have turned the rice planting into quite a commuity event in which they work extremely hard but also seem to have fun, singing as they prepare the terraces and plant the seedlings. The women even wear nice clothes and jewelry as this is a special event and we shared a lovely packed lunch with around twenty of us. Lucy and I joined in with picking the seedlings from the nursery and transporting them to the terraces. We even had a go at planting, standing in the water logged field, squishing around in the mud barefoot which was strangely satisfying, although I had the feeling that the old lady behind me probably felt that we were slowing the whole process down! We watched as the ox was whipped constantly to make him plough the terrace ready for planting and as the different families helped one another out. I have so much new found respect for farmers as it is such a hard job which requires excellent stamina and strength. We were completely exhausted by the time we'd returned to the farm after lunch, yet the family didn't even return until after 9pm when it was dark.

Women in the paddy fields picking rice seedlings from the nursery to plant

I'll always remember the HASERA family with great fondness as I think it's wonderful how they welcome so many people to their home. When I was really sick at the farm, they cared for me making me special food, taking my temperature regularly, letting me sleep in their more comfortable bed and telling me that I'd be fine and that I am in good hands. I admire how much they are involved in improving their local community and promoting the Organic Farming movement in Nepal. As for the farm itself, it was great being surrounded by all of these different fruit and vegetable plants which fed us each day and I liked having the animals like chickens and cows to give us eggs and milk. I hope that HASERA will continue with their great work and now I can't wait to start applying all my new permaculture knowledge back in England!

Magical Mountains

We spent three weeks in the beautiful mountains of Nepal in the Langtang region of the wonderous Himalayas doing the Langtang Trek and the Tamang Heritage Trail. Although this sounds intense, we weren't actually walking for that long, we took our time and made many stops along the way as we wanted to listen to our bodies and be able to take in the stunning scenery that so many people miss in a rush to get to the top in as few days as possible.

Pretty Views on the way up

Leaving my large backpack in Kathmandu, I took just a small bag with my camera, some warm clothes, torch, walking stick (the best thing anyone recommended me to take), 15 bars of snickers (the only time when it is acceptable to have one per day!) and a notebook. We didn't need more then this which was a liberating feeling. Needless to say I wore the same sweaty, smelly clothes for the whole three weeks which made it even better when we returned to Kathmandu to have a bag of clean clothes waiting and a hot shower/attached bathroom (ahh heaven as before we had to endure mainly cold showers which were seperate from the lodges so you had to go into the freezing cold to wee) plus a choice of food other than daal bhat, noodles and tibetan bread with omlette.

Steadliy climbing on up

We chose to do the Langtang trek because it is one of the lesser known walks that hasn't yet been overwhelmed by tourists. We also heard that you don't need a guide which really appealed to us as we wanted to go at our own pace and have freedom to stay where we wanted and just be antisocial and spend time together. Lucky for us it was the end of the season so we saw very few other people and found it easy to find places to stay. The accomodation was wonderful consisting of small, wooden, charming lodges heated by open fires (which was needed as it got colder and colder the higher we climbed and the closer to snow we got). Thanks to Lucy learning to knit in Rishikesh, I had a nice cozy, woolen hat to wear.

One of the amazing lodges that we slept at in the forest

We saw some of the most beautiful sights I'd ever seen and it was fascinating to watch the landscape change as we climbed higher and higher - from forests to valleys to snow capped mountains and glaciers. There are not enough words to do it justice. The walking was not always easy, we climbed alot of steps and sometimes got caught in the rain or the icy wind. But walking for hours and being outdoors all day in nature just gives you such a feeling of satisfaction at the end of the day.

The usual forest traffic jam

We were also privelleged to encounter a great deal of Tibetan culture as the mountains border with Tibet and many Tibetans now live here. It was intruiging and we were so lucky to be invited to an event at one of the monastries along the way. Unfortunately some locals had been killed in an avalanche, one of problems of living so high up in the mountains is that you are so vulnerable to nature's harsh ways. Everyone gathered to mourn their death, however I'm pleased to say that it was more of a celebration of their lives. Together everyone shared food and drinks (including roxy, the local brew which is not very appetising) and I felt so honoured to be allowed to attend, these are really very kind and generous people.

The Buddhist Monastry where the celebration was held

One of many cute, red cheeked Tibetan toddlers running around the monastry

The women sat downstairs chanting the same song over and over again whilst the men made music upstairs and performed prayers. Lots of toddlers ran around being left to their own devices and I must have lifted up around ten different kids so many times saying 'oooohh paahhh' - everyone wanted 'oooo pahh'! The children in the mountains are by far the sweetest and friendliest ones I've ever met and I had so much fun being a child myself and playing with them at different points along the way. I loved it!

Playing horsey with one of my favourites kids

We particularly enjoyed the company of Lama, a lady that became our Tibetan mother as she looked after us for six days when we stayed at the top of a mountain at around 3000m. She took us under her wing and made sure we always had enough to eat and that there was enough wood on the fire. She also took us out to look for 'Yatsah Gumpa' which, from what I can make out, is some sort of rare mushroom, that originally starts off as an insect. They look like small sprouts of grass coming out of the ground and are therefore very difficult to spot so you have to get down on your knees and crawl around to find them, which Lucy and I did for three hours without finding a single one! However they are worth a great deal of money in China as they are supposedly extremely good for your health and are somewhat of a delicacy. Looking back I don't think that we should have been part of picking them, however sadly whether we were there or not people will continue to look for them as they are so valuable.

Lamu showing Lucy Yatsah Gumpa

My other highlights include a walk down the valley towards a huge glacier at the top of the mountain with Lucy. We originally got up at 5am equipped with our warmest clothes and packed lunch with the intention to climb the highest peak. We started off sleepily, but in good spirits however we gradually came to realise that we were climbing the wrong peak! Only we could make this mistake - we found the path we'd taken was getting gradually more steep and dangerous so we decided that mini rock slides weren't too promising and it would be better to climb down. So instead we walked the whole day down the rocky valley, just the two of us, singing our hearts out (which is one of my favourite ever mountain activities), having heart to hearts, absorbing the incredible scenery, drinking warm tea from our Thermos flask and appreciating life and one another. It was such a magical day.

Me, my wooly hat and the stunning ice capped mountains

Lucy and Ren alone in the mountains

I was also touched by the sweetness of the Tibetan people and how hospitable they were. One night I felt some slight altitude sickness (partly to do with over exerting myself after all the 'ooo pah pah'ing with the kids) and had such a thumping headache that I couldn't speak. I just sat by the fire trying to keep warm and waiting for the pain to ease. But then when I went to bed, one of the Tibetan girls came to my room (which had no door only a cloth) and made me get in my sleeping bag and then proceeded to pile three thick woolen blankets over me and then tuck them under my body. I felt so warm and cosy and touched by how caring the girl was as I haven't been tucked into bed for years! Despite being half way up a mountain, thousands of meters from home in pain, I still felt a sense of calm and ease from this and these kind of moments make me really happy and appreciative. I also am indebted to the girl's father who leant me a huge thick, bomber jacket for when I went furthjer up the mountain as the clothes that I had just weren't enough, he really saved me as without it I would not have been able to appreciate the place.

High altitude yoga with a view was so amazing

I'd never been trekking in my life, however it was without a doubt one of the best experience of my life that I'll keep reminising about as it's such a good memory. I am so glad that I got to share the experience with Lucy as no one else will quite know the amazing atmosphere that we felt when it was just the two of us in the spectacular nature with not a soul in sight. We experienced true, freezing cold nature, beautiful fresh air, morning yoga in the most beautiful place, Tibetan culture, hot spring, cute kids, singing to the wind and also made some Israeli friends along the way who taught us a great deal about Israeli culture. The mountains were tough, but without a singel doubt well worth it. Magical Himalayan Mountains I won't forget you.

Festivals and Friends

Next for the fun…… having recovered from my illness and after six months of listening to very little music, we heard on the traveller grapevine that there was going to be a music festival in Pokhara, the beautiful lakeside resort in Nepal. Because I desperately needed my music/dance fix I jumped at the chance to go and managed to persuade Lucy after some perseverance. With Lucy on board I looked forward to the music, atmosphere and great weather.

The beautiful lake in Pokhara

The festival, called Mountain Madness, was oddly located on the grounds of a five star hotel.It was extremely surreal to see hoardes of scruffy looking travellers camped on the neatly mowed and maintained hotel lawn. I later discovered the reason for this is that the hotel is massively failing, is in huge debt and hence to resolve its financial issues has had to resort to hosting a massively loud festival in their vicinity. We has forty eight hours of heavy, pounding trance music which duely danced to as that's what we came for, but god I realised how much I can't stand Trance music. I'd honestly expected there to be some variety in the music but actually it was all along these lines (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIgAgo7owX8) - too much too much!

People dancing away to the mad trance music

Despite the terrible music and all of the promised 'ayuvedic massage', 'yoga camp' and 'world food' not actually being there we had alot of fun. I had my first beer for months and we had the most incredible storm I have ever seen (so much for the good weather). The lightening was so intense and frequent that at first I assumed that it must have been strobe lighting coming from the main stage. Lucy and I prided ourselves on the fact we managed to accidently fall asleep in our tent at 11.30pm on the second night when we popped back for a snack. How it happened when our tent was just 30m from the thudding, pounding music of the mainstage I can't believe. We must be hardened travellers from India as literally every guesthouse we stayed in would have some form of noise throughout the night. Indians can literally sleep anywhere and through anything. It was great waking up fresh faced and going to dance again in the morning when most of the festival goers looked, well lets say a bit worse for wear, after a whole night of trance and partying hard.

What most of the festival goers looked like after 2 days of partying!

Camping on the hotel lawn

Post festival we dashed over to Nepal's capital of Kathmandu, which I was to end up spending about 5 weeks in in total over my time in Nepal. I expected chaos, noise and havoc, but after an Indian city it is relatively calm, however I can't say it was clean, the air pollution was horrific and I've never seen such a horrible river full of trash. We came to Kathmandu as we were meeting one of our best friends from England - Kate who came to visit for two weeks. After six whole months away it was great to catch up with a friend from home and it was great to see her reactions as she was still a bit overwhelmed by the beeping horns and mad traffic that we have just learnt to ignore. Over the fortnight we explored many parts of Kathmandu and the surrounding valley -and to complete my transformation into a real traveller I brought myself a cheap, small guitar!

Kate and I drinking Cheeah (tea) in the streets of Kathmandu

We were privileged to meet a local Nepalese man who took us to see one of the three famous Kumaris (living goddess) in and around Kathmandu. Nepal is the only country in which they believe that a living person can be a god. The Kumari is bound to her house, apart from during festivals when she is taken on a throne through the streets of Kathmandu, but her feet cannot touch the ground. To become a Kumari the child must go through a series of difficult tests and fulfill a list of strict criteria, she remains the Kumari until she sheds blood, as of course gods can't bleed, which is usually at menstruation. After this she is suddenly no different from any other person and is expected to live a normal life. To me it's all crazy, it was a very strange experience but it's supposed to be an honourto meet her so we are lucky!

Meeting the renowned Kumari

We visited many sites around Kathmandu including Patan and Bhaktapur (cities with a great deal of cultural heritage and beautiful buildings) and Bodha, a quieter part of Kathmandu where there is a beautiful Buddhist stupa, complete with endless prayer flags and the chanting of this song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG_lNuNUVd4) which are imprinted in my mind forever and will always remind me of Nepal (even though technically its Tibetan!). We drank copious amounts of chai and sat talking at the guesthouse for hours about home, life, philosophy, love, nature, science - everything. Then we taught Kate the Indian mantra songs we'd learnt in Rishikesh. They're just really short songs, but they are great to sit and sing for hours on end, you just zone into the tune and lose yourself. They are going to annoy the hell out of my family, friends and neighbours on my return!

Kate, Renee and Lucy in Patan

Kate also managed to persuade us to get in touch with our adventurous side by going rafting. As yet we hadn't really done anything to get our adrenaline rushing so it was an extremely fun experience. We laughed at our pathetic attempts to row until the instructor shouted so loudly at us "LEFT SIDE FORWARD" and I felt a paddle hit me on the head. After that I started really listening. The first day was easy but the second day the rapids were actually quite a challenege. However the highlight has to be when our boat capcized (a practice run of course) and we all climbed back in only to find kate with her trousers down which, because they were so heavy and wet, she was struggling to pull up. Wow she really was the instructors favourite after that!

The three girlies at the Stupa in Bodha

I really like Kathmandu as a city. It's not too big so it is easy to explore, people are so welcoming and friendly and we found a great guesthouse to stay it. It was in an enclove tucked away from the busy street and had a peaceful garden and chillout area meaning that you didn't really feel like you were in a mad city. The only major downfall was the horrific air pollution. Apart from that I have only good things to say about our time here.

Exploring is tiring work

A new chapter

Having been all consumed by India for five and a half months, I'd not even had the chance to imagine what Nepal would be like, but after five and a half months of travel in 'the motherland' my visa was finished and I was about to enter a whole new world. I was overwhelmed by how different Nepal is from India and how much influence a border can have on culture and attitudes. If anyone is considering visiting these countries I would highly recommend doing India first as once you have travelled there exploring Nepal is a walk in the park whereas the other way round you would find yourself deeply out of your comfort zone.

Bardia National Park - no Indians looking at me!

It felt amazing to be able to walk down the street without anyone batting an eyelid. In India you get so many wide eyed looks and endless requests for photos, so ironically within the freedom of travelling you still feel somewhat constrained. As a Western female I found it generally very hard to interact with locals. I felt the majority of Indian men genuinely have a very wrong impressions of what Western women are like (which isn't that surprising having seen what kind of media they are exposed). As a result I avoided talking to many men, only if they looked over perhaps forty or were clearly very educated did I feel comfortable enough which frustrated me as I enjoy talking to different people! As for the women, I would have loved to communicate more with them yet often they were very unresponsive, not even returning a smile. I've been given a few explanations for this by Indians including that they don't expect to be talked to by a foreigner (perhaps who is so 'above' them in the caste system) and also they feel threatened because of how obsessed theIndian men are with white females. So in an odd way unless you stay somewhere for a long time on a project or live with a family, it is hard to interact. Despite these difficulties, I am still constantly amazed and fascinated by India and I guess its part of the learning curve!

I had to resort to talking to goats instead

But Nepal is the complete opposite. I felt like the people, both male and female, were incredibly friendly and lovely to talk to. I never felt intimidated and they are very liberal, laid back and light hearted. It was such a relief to not have to be so much on my guard and it was great to be able to wear sleeveless tops again with the heat in the cities without worrying about what people would be thinking. Although they still have many traditions, they are more Westernised in terms of dress and things like eating meat and drinking alcohol (not that I really did either). They have a better understanding of how foreigners like to be treated giving them more space and hospitality. In India customer service, facilities and ambiance in guesthouses are often lacking (broken toilets, dodgy cables, plain walls, no furniture, staff that aren't so welcoming, pillows you would not want to lay your head on!) yet the Nepalese understand much better what Westerners like and are good at providing this.

Our tranquil accommodation in Bardia

We had the excitement of entering Nepal through the Western border which is not a common entry route among tourist. Immediately we got a taste of the transport we would have for the next few months - bumpy buses that feel like you are on a rollercoaster. To keep your bum on the seat really requires you to use all the strength in your leg muscles otherwise you are more than likely to hit your head on the ceiling (which doesn't happen to the Nepalese as they are so short).

Our first destination was Bardia National park, largely ignored by travellers who enter Nepal from a different direction. It is described as being what Chitwan National Park (Nepal's most popular wildlife destination) was like twenty years before and it really did feel like we were the only tourists there. Staying in a nice jungle hut, we spent some days relaxing, learning Nepalese phrases and getting accustomed to the Nepalese traditional food which is called Daal bhat and is somewhat like Indian food but plainer (rice, daal, veg and pickle).

We had a hilarious experience in the park on our day of wildlife spotting. We were required to have a guide to enter the main park but it turns out that he just wasn't very good! First we heard tales of his three near death experiences which didn't reassure us that we were with the right person. After explaining to us just how dangerous the wild animals were, such as the tigers and elephants, he set off at top speed leaving us to chase after him. It felt like we were on an army training course, no sooner did we catch up with him, he'd be off again having no sense that we may need to rest because of the muggy heat. When I stopped to tie my shoe lace he almost lost us because he just didn't wait and by the end of the day we were exhausted, but about twice as fit.

Renee keeping up with Rambo in Bardia National Park

I also realised how much respect I have for wildlife documentary makers who have to sit there for hours on end waiting to capture a shot. It's all great when there are animals to entertain you, but we sat there for hours at a time, waiting to see something without much luck. Somehow given a 24 hour train journey or a child that can't pronounce a word I can have infinite patience, yet when it comes to waiting around to see an animal, I was so restless. To be fair it wasn't helped by the fact I really need new glasses and even when we finally saw a rhino, I am convinced it was just a rock as I really couldn't see it. One of the problems of being away for so long! However eventually we did get to see a wild elephant, which was so big it was hard to miss, but that was a nice moment.

If you look very close there is a wild elephant somewhere in here!

Next was the town of Tansen which I can't say much about as I was sick for the six days we were there. My stomach problems began on the bus journey there which made it quite a scarring experience but at least when I arrived we stayed in a lovely homestay. The owner thought I was some strange loner who didn't want to come out of my room and couldn't understand that all I needed was water, a bed and to be near the toilet! On this occassion I tried drinking excessive amounts of rehydration liquid and starving myself for 48 hours to get rid of the bug. I had to grind my teeth as I lay in my bed listening to Lucy munch away at her biscuits whilst I went hungry. It was actually quite easy for the first day but then it became very hard. Unfortunately after this didn't work, I was so weak I had to take antibiotics.

Once I recovered I was taught how to make the Tibetan dish 'Momos' - Yummmm

However in Tansen I was lucky to meet a very inspiring sixty year old lady from the Netherlands who had just completed a course of Vipassana Meditation (http://www.dhamma.org/en/vipassana.shtml) . This is a Tibetan Buddhist technique in which you meditate in a very specific way through sitting and observing your breath and body for hours on end each day. You have to endure much physical pain and come to terms with all of your emotions. Other rules are that you cannot talk, read, write or do any exercise. She did this for two months stating her reason as being that after a difficult break up from her partner of thirty years she wanted to be at peace before she dies. She was very interesting to talk to and seemed very calm. She helped me to try and be more Buddhist in my attitude towards my sickness by accepting it and seeing that it is just like everything else - transient, something that will come and go. This really worked well for me (for the first five instances when I was ill!) but I can't even begin to say how fed up I am of stomach problems, since coming to Nepal I've had about seven different occasions. Yet living the traveller lifestyle for so long it is unavoidable and therefore what to do, what to do??? This is my new favourite phrase which works for every problem and sounds particularly good said in a Ukranian accent (Thanks Vika).

The town of Tansen

Dreaming in Rishikesh

Reflecting back on our time in Rishikesh, I literally can't help but smile. It's one of those times in my life that I will never forget and those five weeks felt like being awake in the most brilliant dream. We'd not planned to stay so long but not having any time constrains on our travels one week turned into two weeks, two into three and before we knew it time had flown by. Yet we still couldn't seem to leave. The weather, the people, the events, the yoga - we really felt like we were in exactly the right place at the right time.

Chilling on the beach with our new found Rishikesh friends

Before going there I was cynical of Rishikesh 'yoga capital of the world'. What would I be faced with? Commercialised yoga classes and grey haired hippies? So to set the record straight - yes there are alot of classes and some questionable yoga teachers who just aren't very good and really should not be teaching. Having said that, you can't beat the variety of styles, classes and courses available. It was enjoyable having the time to try the many drop in classes and different teachers. Plus it is viable as lessons are a fraction of the price of what you'd pay in England. By the end we discovered a great Ashtanga teacher who really pushed us and I would love to go back to. It felt so great to be giving my body and mind so much attention.

Jam sessions at the Bombay Guesthouse were a regular occurrence

And as for the hippies....... well it turned into a case of if you can't beat em, join em. Before I knew it I was happily walking around barefeet and spending my evenings in laid back, hazy, comfy cafes listening to people jamming and playing their instruments together. I wasn't alive in the 70's but it reminded me of what I imagine it may have felt like! I absolutely loved meeting such open minded and interesting people with a different take on life. I became so much more of an idealist and why not? Life's a lot more fun when your positive about everything and it's easily done when you are completely free. Don't worry .... be hippy :-)

Rishikesh, unlike my other destinations, certainly wasn't really a place to learn about Indian culture. It has a completely different feel and atmosphere because of the mix of well off Indians coming for a day or two and the many foreigners. You retain elements, as you are surrounded by ashrams and religious traditions, however it is definitely its own bubble. What I like was that it was excellent for meeting a different crowd of people, those who aren't really tourists as they don't come for a short two week holiday, they are real travellers who, like me, are in the country for a long time to get a different kind of experience. A great part of this trip is just to live and to learn.

The location of Rishikesh is amazing. Set in the woody foothills of the Himalayas, the town is next to the sacred river Ganges which is incredibly lined by clean, sandy beaches that remind you of being on a beach holiday. We were highly surprised by how clear and fresh the water was here, given the stark contrast of the disgusting, brown, pungent water in Varanasi. We experienced many a day chilling out on the beach and after some time I learnt that it is even possible to swim for half a km down the river which was a truely exhilarating as the water is freezing and the view stunning. It was so much fun to float along in a group, singing as we went, and then basking in the sun on the beach to warm up again. I had to laugh at the Indian tourists who took pictures of me soaking wet, completely covered in sand.

Being a kid and building sandcastles on a lovely sunny day!

Lucy and I stayed at a simple ashram paying just one pound per night each for a decent room, with a balcony overlooking the street. There was a temple where the owners prayed each day, but aside from that it was an ordinary guesthouse, not really an ashram, as there were no strict rules or routine as you'd otherwise expect. We got into the habit of getting up each morning to do two hours of gentle Hatha yoga after which we felt like we deserved a large breakfast from the German Bakery across the street which was a sociable spot for meeting people.

The first yoga teacher that we had was nice enough, but we soon learnt from him exactly what a good yoga teacher should not do as he had no regard for different students level and never asked whether anyone had any injuries. We tried a 'meditation' class with him explaining that I'd not done much and Lucy had never done it before and by the end we were still clueless. We heard unclear muttering in the dark as we sat uncomfortably for an hour. It was very strange but I guess quite funny!

Visiting one of the many near by waterfalls

In between yoga classes there was much to do in Rishikesh - relax on the beach, go for walks, visit waterfalls, meet people from around the world in a vast array of chilled, comfy cafes which serve delicious drinks. It made a pleasant change to have some more Western style places to sit with nice seats and lovely views. I love Indian food so much but the culture of sitting around for long periods of time to eat and drink just doesn't exist. Their cafes or eathouses are called 'dabbas' which are designed just to eat quickly and then you are expected to leave. No effort is made with decor, ambience or cleanliness! Yet the beauty of Rishikesh is that you still have the cheap and delicious dabbas and street food, alongside the relaxed cafes. In other words, the best of both worlds.

Fun exploring the abandoned Beatles Ashram

A trip to the now abandoned Beatles ashram was certainly worth it. For a small bribe you can enter the grounds of the place where the Beatles spent much time in India. It's fascinating to walk around the overgrown, crazily designed buildings including the 'eggs' which have a living space in the bottom and a pod in the top for meditation (which you have to use a ladder to climb into). The place must have felt so different when 300 hippies used to live there. We went there in a group of three, which swelled along the way to eight (plus a guitar) so before I knew it we were there listening to music, taking the atmosphere in together.

I heard on the grapevine about a 'Rainbow Gathering' that would be taking place whilst we were in Rishikesh. From this I gathered that it was some sort of party, which sounded good as I really wanted to dance after six months away. This was completely wrong. At Rainbow Gatherings people come together for a month to live with one another in different locations around the world (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Gathering).

Rainbow Gathering on the stunning beach

I could write a whole other blog entry just for my six days at the gathering as I've never done anything like it. From talking to others that attended, this gathering wasn't very well organised, mainly because it had to move three times dues to issues with the location. However I really loved spending those six days being on the beach next to the Ganges, 7km outside of Rishikesh. I've never lived in a community before and it was so nice to sleep outside on the sand, cook together, eat together, sit around the fire at night listening to music and singing and also being there for the night of the biggest full moon in 18 years. I met some really inspiring, kind, enthusiastic people who I will definitely remember. I would love to attend another better organised, gathering at some point as I found it a really wonderful experience.

Cooking chappatis on the fire at Rainbow Gathering

So that was Rishikesh - happy memories, wonderful new friends and many a lessons on how life can be lived in a lighthearted way with ease, especially if you go with the flow and let your mind be open to new things. I have a funny feeling that I will be back......