Wednesday, April 11, 2007

At last, India..

Our last days were spent amidst the Tibetan enclave of Mcleodganj, near Dhramasala. Eating delicious food, sushi! and wandering through the forests of giant Rhododendrons and wild Ganja plants.
We spent a bit of time in the upper Kullu valley in a little town called Vashist, which I renamed Vashits; after contracting a nice double-hitter of mild giardia and a parasite.. I have never spent that much time on a toilet in my life...
India;
India has been a huge mix of extremes.
Everything and way more than you have imagined.
She contains and opens her arms to everything and everyone. All races, religions and forms! Mixing everything up into a delicious brew of chaos and order.
Stinky, pungent, musical, polluted, serene, poor, and smiling.
Only a few words to conjure up an image of life's experiences here.
It is so busy here with a over a thousand million people etching out some way of life. Creating almost every imaginable idea. The birthplace of so much.
The only way that this many different people can live together is with a smile.
A little bit of unconditional love in their hearts; too balance out all the Chaos and extreme poverty.
A land of immense potential. Rich in everything, including poverty.
It is a country that can be visited many many times and still there is something to learn. Traveling inter provincially means whole new languages, cultures and customs. Learning some of the little intricacies that make up a "normal" day.
Again one of the greatest lessons is how much we may or may not take for granted in our homeland.
Breathing clean air.
Drinking clean water.
It is such a joy to watch the chaos of the street here. 4 lanes of traffic in 2, with rickshaws, cars buses, trucks and of course the holy cow chewing his holy cud oblivious to it all in the middle.
A normal day in the life of India.
Continuously astounded and humbled.
Travelling this life.
Jupiter