More time passes, and although the days are filled beautifully with a newfound sense of time and space, getting to internet is not always so easy. After finishing a one month yoga course intensive, I left for Almora with a few other travellers, from the course and from my thai massage school. 
Funny how life brings people back to the same places, even a set of tiny towns like Almora, Kassardevi and Paparsali. Here, days are sunny and warm, with the sun rising on one side of the mountain and setting on the other. Having stayed in two different guest houses, one without a hot shower and one with:), I know the outside temperature differences between sides of the mountain ridge.
Mornings are filled with yogic ritual, setting up my own asana routine has been a blessing and I am enjoying the energetic effects of holding postures and meditating and just being in this beautiful natural place on earth. There are few restaurants and stores, luckily where I am now, WITH the hot shower, there is a small restaurant and a grocery store, both staying open as LATE AS 8pm... wow, eh?
The first guest house was in a lovely secluded spot, boasting a kitchen and a large balcony with an amazing mountain view. The hotel manager made hot buckets of water for showers and gave free filtered water as well:) very kind! Also, the first night, since the restaurant closed as soon as I could see it from 100meters away, he was nice enough to let me use his kitchen to make a quick dinner of egg and instant noodles!
My friends are staying in Kassardevi, a 45minute walk up the hill, in a guest house called 'Real Place' which, again, is also a secluded spot, but not from other guest houses and also has a lovely large balcony and shared kitchen with a GREAT view... from there, one can see the snow peaked tops of the Himalayan mountain range.. maybe I am seeing the Anapurna circuit from there, where Cash has reached the top of the pass and is having a lovely and inspiring time so I hear.
Tomorrow, I will leave the tranquility of this spot with good memories of Diwali spent here. Several nights of surprisingly strong firecrackers and firework displays in the streets and a memory of being part of a 'foreigner's''dinner with Tara of Tara's Guest House, Grocery store and restaurant.
I was honored to be invited to the dinner and had an idea of eating with the family and a few other guests, instead, Tara sat with me and 9 other foreigners, half travelling through, half permanent residents. We chatted a bit, had a lovely Thali like dinner and wonderful sweets and Chai and then all returned to our perspective rooms by 8.30pm:) The days leading up to Diwali, I was asked several times if I 'liked bombs' by the other local grocer. If I had replied yes, I am told he would have led me to the back of his store to purchase firecrackers (which are not supposed to be sold I believe!!). My friends' milkman was injured in the eye by some firecracker or sparkler and was walking around with a big bandage on it yesterday, saying 'no worry, I will go to the hospital TOMORROW!' It is a quiet place here, and the last few nights have been 'exciting', with such a spectacular view of the valley, I can see the local neighbors from kilometers away doing their own light shows to celebrate this festival. The night sky is cloudless and BLACK, with tons of stars viewable... amazing place!
I met a meditation and spiritual leader this morning, trying to awaken my state of presence... working on it, thinking on it and feeling on it now. Was an experience I had hoped for, to meet a spiritual leader. I am not sure of the after-effects as yet, but am happy to have started a new attention focus for myself.
Tomorrow, I leave by local bus for Dehli and will travel to Jaipur by train from there to meet an India woman with whom I know through AIESEC, the NGO I worked with in college:) looking forward to that. Then, maybe Varanasi a few days and back to Calcutta to fly to Thailand and await my dad and Jeannie!
Funny how life brings people back to the same places, even a set of tiny towns like Almora, Kassardevi and Paparsali. Here, days are sunny and warm, with the sun rising on one side of the mountain and setting on the other. Having stayed in two different guest houses, one without a hot shower and one with:), I know the outside temperature differences between sides of the mountain ridge.Mornings are filled with yogic ritual, setting up my own asana routine has been a blessing and I am enjoying the energetic effects of holding postures and meditating and just being in this beautiful natural place on earth. There are few restaurants and stores, luckily where I am now, WITH the hot shower, there is a small restaurant and a grocery store, both staying open as LATE AS 8pm... wow, eh?
The first guest house was in a lovely secluded spot, boasting a kitchen and a large balcony with an amazing mountain view. The hotel manager made hot buckets of water for showers and gave free filtered water as well:) very kind! Also, the first night, since the restaurant closed as soon as I could see it from 100meters away, he was nice enough to let me use his kitchen to make a quick dinner of egg and instant noodles!
My friends are staying in Kassardevi, a 45minute walk up the hill, in a guest house called 'Real Place' which, again, is also a secluded spot, but not from other guest houses and also has a lovely large balcony and shared kitchen with a GREAT view... from there, one can see the snow peaked tops of the Himalayan mountain range.. maybe I am seeing the Anapurna circuit from there, where Cash has reached the top of the pass and is having a lovely and inspiring time so I hear.
Tomorrow, I will leave the tranquility of this spot with good memories of Diwali spent here. Several nights of surprisingly strong firecrackers and firework displays in the streets and a memory of being part of a 'foreigner's''dinner with Tara of Tara's Guest House, Grocery store and restaurant.
I was honored to be invited to the dinner and had an idea of eating with the family and a few other guests, instead, Tara sat with me and 9 other foreigners, half travelling through, half permanent residents. We chatted a bit, had a lovely Thali like dinner and wonderful sweets and Chai and then all returned to our perspective rooms by 8.30pm:) The days leading up to Diwali, I was asked several times if I 'liked bombs' by the other local grocer. If I had replied yes, I am told he would have led me to the back of his store to purchase firecrackers (which are not supposed to be sold I believe!!). My friends' milkman was injured in the eye by some firecracker or sparkler and was walking around with a big bandage on it yesterday, saying 'no worry, I will go to the hospital TOMORROW!' It is a quiet place here, and the last few nights have been 'exciting', with such a spectacular view of the valley, I can see the local neighbors from kilometers away doing their own light shows to celebrate this festival. The night sky is cloudless and BLACK, with tons of stars viewable... amazing place!I met a meditation and spiritual leader this morning, trying to awaken my state of presence... working on it, thinking on it and feeling on it now. Was an experience I had hoped for, to meet a spiritual leader. I am not sure of the after-effects as yet, but am happy to have started a new attention focus for myself.
Tomorrow, I leave by local bus for Dehli and will travel to Jaipur by train from there to meet an India woman with whom I know through AIESEC, the NGO I worked with in college:) looking forward to that. Then, maybe Varanasi a few days and back to Calcutta to fly to Thailand and await my dad and Jeannie!
No comments:
Post a Comment