Namaste Family and Friends.
We finished up the ashram program with a nice Puja ceremony, in which we chanted a mantra 108 times before burning our worries away. Then we left the rushing Ganga and drove down to Haridwar. We stayed here last night and watched the news of the Mumbai attacks - a crazy way to come back to the world indeed. Scary, but luckily it's far from where we are, and the last terrorist inside the seiged Taj Hotel was captured. Let us take a moment to think of the people affected there. Unfortunately for us: our trip to the Taj Mahal has been cancelled for safety reasons. But, today we plan to travel to Chandigarh and chill out and see this awesome "Wonderland-like" rock garden and catch a movie as well. Then, it's back to Delhi before boarding the plane back to America, (and then Canada). So we love and will see you soon.
SHANTI BAHAR!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
The group is A-OK
This is Ethan here, just wanting to reassure any worried parents in the light of the Mumbai tragedy that the group is doing well and are meditating their way through Thanksgiving at an ashram about 280 miles from Mumbai. They don't have access to the internet at the ashram at the moment so I'm making this quick post: the group is OK and they are quite safe.
Please stay tuned for their own post once they emerge from the ashram.
Yours,
Ethan Knight
Please stay tuned for their own post once they emerge from the ashram.
Yours,
Ethan Knight
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Rishikesh!
Our first few days in Rishikesh were very relaxing. We were able to explore the yoga capital of the world and reflect on our experiences in India thus far. Some of us took the opportunity of the clean Ganges water to wash our sins away. We dunked in the water 3 times, as is customary in the hindu culture. The water was cold and clear, but very refreshing.
We also had the opportunity to go white water rafting. Our guide Sunil made the adventure through the rapids safe AND fun! After a long day of rafting, we jumped off a 20 foot rock into the chilly water.
This week, we are going to be immersed in the ashram experience. Our schedule will consist of yoga, meditation, contemplative walks, lectures, and simple meals. It's most likely that we won't have internet access this week, so don't expect to hear from us. Don't worry, we'll be sending our positive meditation vibes your way!
Peace and LOVE.
SHANTI
We also had the opportunity to go white water rafting. Our guide Sunil made the adventure through the rapids safe AND fun! After a long day of rafting, we jumped off a 20 foot rock into the chilly water.
This week, we are going to be immersed in the ashram experience. Our schedule will consist of yoga, meditation, contemplative walks, lectures, and simple meals. It's most likely that we won't have internet access this week, so don't expect to hear from us. Don't worry, we'll be sending our positive meditation vibes your way!
Peace and LOVE.
SHANTI
Saturday, November 15, 2008
DALI LAMA SPOTTING ::12:05PM::
So now that the majority of us are certified Thai Massage therapists and Basic Healing practitioners, not to mention professional musicians, we have the time and energy to greet the Dali Lama as he pulls into his Temple after long travels. He has returned to his home in India! We are very fortunate to be here during the time of his presence although speeches will only begin after our departure.
McLeod Ganj is a holy holy place; filled with many opportunities to develop skills in massage, mediation, music, cooking, and other Tibetan + Indian trades. Heather and Mychal are now certified in Basic Full Body Thai Massage, Ashley and Sofia are now Basic healing and meditation practitioners (meaning they can scan, clean, and energize the Chakras in the body), Will has been studying more Sitar, Jack some cooking and music lessions, and Adam trekking high into the gorgeous mountains surrounding us at all times. We have also been studying yoga with a firm man with the skinnest legs and the shortest shorts to compliment them, whose name is Vijay. Hawks fly by during our roof top sessions as they try and gain height on the majestic mountains.
How could I forget to mention!! We have been living with Tibetan families and experiencing first hand the lifes of the Tibetan people in exile. We all seem to really be enjoying our stay with such compassionate people and the MOUNDS of delicious Tibetan food we recieve daily. All of our families are completely different; some with many brothers and sisters and others with only a amla (mother). It's been a rewarding experience thusfar, and tonight we give thanks to our familes for welcoming us into their homes as we praise them in Tibetan tradition; placing a symbolic white scarf over their heads and exchanging gifts.
Tomorrow marks the start of free travel, where us students take the reins and put our travel knowledge to the test. We meet our bus in Dharmsala around 5pm tomorrow and head towards Rishikesh, where we hit the ganges for some rafting and settle into our Ashram living. With a little less then some blessings to offer more, I leave you with the feeling of our contentment and well learned trades and experiences here in MC Ganj.
Shanti bihar!
Namaste,
***shanti***
McLeod Ganj is a holy holy place; filled with many opportunities to develop skills in massage, mediation, music, cooking, and other Tibetan + Indian trades. Heather and Mychal are now certified in Basic Full Body Thai Massage, Ashley and Sofia are now Basic healing and meditation practitioners (meaning they can scan, clean, and energize the Chakras in the body), Will has been studying more Sitar, Jack some cooking and music lessions, and Adam trekking high into the gorgeous mountains surrounding us at all times. We have also been studying yoga with a firm man with the skinnest legs and the shortest shorts to compliment them, whose name is Vijay. Hawks fly by during our roof top sessions as they try and gain height on the majestic mountains.
How could I forget to mention!! We have been living with Tibetan families and experiencing first hand the lifes of the Tibetan people in exile. We all seem to really be enjoying our stay with such compassionate people and the MOUNDS of delicious Tibetan food we recieve daily. All of our families are completely different; some with many brothers and sisters and others with only a amla (mother). It's been a rewarding experience thusfar, and tonight we give thanks to our familes for welcoming us into their homes as we praise them in Tibetan tradition; placing a symbolic white scarf over their heads and exchanging gifts.
Tomorrow marks the start of free travel, where us students take the reins and put our travel knowledge to the test. We meet our bus in Dharmsala around 5pm tomorrow and head towards Rishikesh, where we hit the ganges for some rafting and settle into our Ashram living. With a little less then some blessings to offer more, I leave you with the feeling of our contentment and well learned trades and experiences here in MC Ganj.
Shanti bihar!
Namaste,
***shanti***
Friday, November 7, 2008
Adventures In Bir!!!
Hello devoted readers! Namaste!
Our stay in Bir as turned out to be an incredibly pleasant one, full of self discovery and exploration. We lodged up in the 'Deer Park Institute', which is a center for anceint Indian wisdom! The days were started off with a hearty breakfast (provided by the staff of 'Deer Park') followed by a few brief introductary lessons into meditation, which proved to be extremely calming and a great start to the day. From there, the group would explore the vast cultures of Bir by venturing into the small town and perhaps purchasing a cup of chai at 'Friends Cafe'. We would then head back around noon for another home cooked meal at 'Deer Park'. After lunch, we engaged daily in what is known as "Karma Yoga". This is summed up briefly by participating in work around the institute. Jobs such as farming, handicrafts and cooking were given as options. Many experienced Buddhist monks visited 'Deer Park' during our stay, and we were lucky enough to be able to listen to their infinate wisdom on Buddhist philosophies.
Along with our extremely postive experiences at 'Deer Park', the group also engaged in many excursions. The girls, accompanied by Adam and Heather, took a hike up to a local waterfall, which included a small goat throwing lesson, given by a few locals, as the animals could not cross a small creek without a little air under there hoves.... :)
Next the group headed up to 'Billing Ridge', which is world renoun location for paragliding. Once we reached our destination, literally hundreds of paragliders from all over the world made their way up to the peak of the mountain. We watched eagerly as they set off on their flights, drooling at the thought of what the experience might feel like. Finally our last day held the most enjoyable excursions, a hike to a local hot spring. After an hour and a half car ride, followed by an hour hike we reached our destination. Beautiful green scenary all around us and only the drivers to share the suiductively warm water with, the entire group enjoyed themselves throughly. The accompanyment of peanut butter and jam sandwiches only made the experience that much more enjoyable. And yea is was reasonably expensive J. (ask your son/daughter about J once they get home lol)
And this brings us to now! :) Bir has been a great sanctuary to rest our weary minds, bodies and souls, but we are all excited for our trip to Mcleod Ganj, which departs at 9:30 tomorrow morning. Only the future knows what it has instore for us!
Shanti Bahar!!!
Sending lots of love back home
The best group in all the land.... :)
Shanti
Our stay in Bir as turned out to be an incredibly pleasant one, full of self discovery and exploration. We lodged up in the 'Deer Park Institute', which is a center for anceint Indian wisdom! The days were started off with a hearty breakfast (provided by the staff of 'Deer Park') followed by a few brief introductary lessons into meditation, which proved to be extremely calming and a great start to the day. From there, the group would explore the vast cultures of Bir by venturing into the small town and perhaps purchasing a cup of chai at 'Friends Cafe'. We would then head back around noon for another home cooked meal at 'Deer Park'. After lunch, we engaged daily in what is known as "Karma Yoga". This is summed up briefly by participating in work around the institute. Jobs such as farming, handicrafts and cooking were given as options. Many experienced Buddhist monks visited 'Deer Park' during our stay, and we were lucky enough to be able to listen to their infinate wisdom on Buddhist philosophies.
Along with our extremely postive experiences at 'Deer Park', the group also engaged in many excursions. The girls, accompanied by Adam and Heather, took a hike up to a local waterfall, which included a small goat throwing lesson, given by a few locals, as the animals could not cross a small creek without a little air under there hoves.... :)
Next the group headed up to 'Billing Ridge', which is world renoun location for paragliding. Once we reached our destination, literally hundreds of paragliders from all over the world made their way up to the peak of the mountain. We watched eagerly as they set off on their flights, drooling at the thought of what the experience might feel like. Finally our last day held the most enjoyable excursions, a hike to a local hot spring. After an hour and a half car ride, followed by an hour hike we reached our destination. Beautiful green scenary all around us and only the drivers to share the suiductively warm water with, the entire group enjoyed themselves throughly. The accompanyment of peanut butter and jam sandwiches only made the experience that much more enjoyable. And yea is was reasonably expensive J. (ask your son/daughter about J once they get home lol)
And this brings us to now! :) Bir has been a great sanctuary to rest our weary minds, bodies and souls, but we are all excited for our trip to Mcleod Ganj, which departs at 9:30 tomorrow morning. Only the future knows what it has instore for us!
Shanti Bahar!!!
Sending lots of love back home
The best group in all the land.... :)
Shanti
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Breath.
Tashidelek. Once Again. We have arrived back at the beloved foothills of the Himalayas in the teeny town of Bir. We're staying at the Deer Park Institute, which is Buddhist sanctuary after our crazed filled Diwali few days in Amritsar...
We had just come off a nice 5 hour train, from Varanasi to Amritsar. The landscape was different up there. There were turbans of every color filling the streets. And, with the comng of the holiday Diwali, mountains of cascading sweets and colorful decorations lined the polluted roadways as well. We went off to settle into our new resting place for the next three nights: a free resthouse across the path from the Holy Golden Temple! The entire area was full with a blessed commotion. We all ate together in Langer hall - a 24-hour free community kitchen. It is an incredible symphony or whordes of people passing metal plates over their heads for washng, attacking the task of chopping mounds of ginger, onion, and garlic, filing in the dining hall, drinking chai, handing out wagonlaods of utensils. It's a marvel, yet it shines in a light altogether different from the Temple. That is an amazing sight og gold glittering it's reflection in the surrounding pool. At night the gold was topped with lightbulbs and with the fireworks of Diwali, the spectacle caught everyone in a net of awe. The inside of the temple is breathtaking. A band of Sikhs sing and play their tranceful musical talents inside, while devotees pray and throw money. We slept with the same 24-hour excitement outside our door. Pilgrims lined the courtyard night and day, resting their bodies head to toe. It was breathtaking, and hard to breathe...
We even were able to drive the 3km to the India/Pakistan border, where the military men individually yell for as long as they can before marching to the gate like an exotic. The colorful crowd of India then yells: "Hindustan Jinjabad!" towards the mostly white clothed crowd of Pakistan.
India definately won the competition...if that's what it was.
Anyway, every day at sundown they do this and lower their respective flags. It's quite something.
So now, we are out of the stoic gaze of Sikh warriors, and have turned completely outisde in. For we are learning to meditate, practising, and learning about Buddhism.
It sincerely feels like a great breath of fresh air here. We went on the most beautiful hike up into the villages of Bir yesterday. There are paragliders floating down from the snowy mountains, and eagles in the sky. We have wonderful meals served to us, and we are also volunteering with handy-crafts, and in their garden. It really feels homey.
Last night we carved a "pumpkin,"or a squash fetched from a tree-vine in the village and had a carrot cake with chocolate frosting for celebrating the holiday.
Namaste from al of us wonderful Shantites.
We had just come off a nice 5 hour train, from Varanasi to Amritsar. The landscape was different up there. There were turbans of every color filling the streets. And, with the comng of the holiday Diwali, mountains of cascading sweets and colorful decorations lined the polluted roadways as well. We went off to settle into our new resting place for the next three nights: a free resthouse across the path from the Holy Golden Temple! The entire area was full with a blessed commotion. We all ate together in Langer hall - a 24-hour free community kitchen. It is an incredible symphony or whordes of people passing metal plates over their heads for washng, attacking the task of chopping mounds of ginger, onion, and garlic, filing in the dining hall, drinking chai, handing out wagonlaods of utensils. It's a marvel, yet it shines in a light altogether different from the Temple. That is an amazing sight og gold glittering it's reflection in the surrounding pool. At night the gold was topped with lightbulbs and with the fireworks of Diwali, the spectacle caught everyone in a net of awe. The inside of the temple is breathtaking. A band of Sikhs sing and play their tranceful musical talents inside, while devotees pray and throw money. We slept with the same 24-hour excitement outside our door. Pilgrims lined the courtyard night and day, resting their bodies head to toe. It was breathtaking, and hard to breathe...
We even were able to drive the 3km to the India/Pakistan border, where the military men individually yell for as long as they can before marching to the gate like an exotic. The colorful crowd of India then yells: "Hindustan Jinjabad!" towards the mostly white clothed crowd of Pakistan.
India definately won the competition...if that's what it was.
Anyway, every day at sundown they do this and lower their respective flags. It's quite something.
So now, we are out of the stoic gaze of Sikh warriors, and have turned completely outisde in. For we are learning to meditate, practising, and learning about Buddhism.
It sincerely feels like a great breath of fresh air here. We went on the most beautiful hike up into the villages of Bir yesterday. There are paragliders floating down from the snowy mountains, and eagles in the sky. We have wonderful meals served to us, and we are also volunteering with handy-crafts, and in their garden. It really feels homey.
Last night we carved a "pumpkin,"or a squash fetched from a tree-vine in the village and had a carrot cake with chocolate frosting for celebrating the holiday.
Namaste from al of us wonderful Shantites.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Namaste from the forest of bliss..... also known as Varanasi or Banaras.
We have grown accustomed to our daily routine in Varanasi which includes Hindi class in the morning, followed by a delicious meal cooked by Shantiji (the cook in our hostel), and then a slu of internships and exploration. This morning however, we strayed from our routine and woke up at 5:00 a.m.. We groggily headed down to the Ganges river where we were greeted by children selling candles. We hopped onto a rowboat, and our tour began. All around us life was happening. Men and women alike joined at the mouth of the river to bathe themselves in the holy water. Women were drenched in their saris and men were much more scantily clad, wearing underwear of sorts. The sun was rising like a brilliant hot coal in the sky, and we were fortunate enough to witness all of it. During the day Varanasi appears to be hectic and crazy, but watching
morning rituals you can feel that Varanasi has a soul, and that it resides in the Ganges.
Sadly, we have to depart from this intriguing city by the river and continue on our journey. We are leaving with newly acquired skills and beautiful images to remember forever.
Shanti.
We have grown accustomed to our daily routine in Varanasi which includes Hindi class in the morning, followed by a delicious meal cooked by Shantiji (the cook in our hostel), and then a slu of internships and exploration. This morning however, we strayed from our routine and woke up at 5:00 a.m.. We groggily headed down to the Ganges river where we were greeted by children selling candles. We hopped onto a rowboat, and our tour began. All around us life was happening. Men and women alike joined at the mouth of the river to bathe themselves in the holy water. Women were drenched in their saris and men were much more scantily clad, wearing underwear of sorts. The sun was rising like a brilliant hot coal in the sky, and we were fortunate enough to witness all of it. During the day Varanasi appears to be hectic and crazy, but watching
morning rituals you can feel that Varanasi has a soul, and that it resides in the Ganges.
Sadly, we have to depart from this intriguing city by the river and continue on our journey. We are leaving with newly acquired skills and beautiful images to remember forever.
Shanti.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Smack through Bodhgaya + into Varanasi
Namaste other worlds!
We have left Calcutta with precise memories and sincere experience. After our overnight train from the city we entered into the state of Bihar ,home of Bodhgaya and one of the poorest states in India. The state is currently recovering from severe flooding, but the area we were in was fine. Upon being so formally greeted by the packs of taxi drivers and by-standers, we were on our way to the home of the Buddha's enlightenment.
The pace had changed relatively back to slow (compared to Calcutta anyway) and served as a nice recovery/processing ground. We had the pleasure of staying in one of the many Buddhist temples-New Karma (Tibetan). There is a temple for every country where Buddhism is a prominate religion; our neighbor was Japan. We has a breif introduction to Buddhism at the root insitute, which we all seemed to enjoy. All the temples were just so beautiful and peaceful, our experience there was an overwhelming blessing... to be in such a holy place with so much spirit.
The energy and sense of communal praise surrounding the Bodhi tree (the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment) was profound. Many large stupas have been built on this ground and of course a temple. Large gates now stand around the actual tree, but large branches spread widely over the top and above the heads of those sitting underneath. Naturally many monks come to meditate as well as a large amount of practioners from all backrounds of life, to offer their respects and encourage the personal growth in themselves. This is what personally struck me the most regarding this space. All those gathering around were their to support and develop a place in them that speaks their ultimate truth from their ultimate person .
After our short stay in Bodhgaya we made it firmly to Varnanasi were we being our Hindi classes and internships. We had our first class this morning, which seemed to have went well for all of us. It can be overwhelming to learn a new langauge but were catching on and taking it most of it in! Some of the internships we will indiviually be doing are in the fields of Indian classical music, cooking, jewelry making, stone carving, south indian dance, singing, fire dancing, and henna. We'll be rathering busy for our 10 days in Varanasi!!
Tata from Benares!
-Shanti
We have left Calcutta with precise memories and sincere experience. After our overnight train from the city we entered into the state of Bihar ,home of Bodhgaya and one of the poorest states in India. The state is currently recovering from severe flooding, but the area we were in was fine. Upon being so formally greeted by the packs of taxi drivers and by-standers, we were on our way to the home of the Buddha's enlightenment.
The pace had changed relatively back to slow (compared to Calcutta anyway) and served as a nice recovery/processing ground. We had the pleasure of staying in one of the many Buddhist temples-New Karma (Tibetan). There is a temple for every country where Buddhism is a prominate religion; our neighbor was Japan. We has a breif introduction to Buddhism at the root insitute, which we all seemed to enjoy. All the temples were just so beautiful and peaceful, our experience there was an overwhelming blessing... to be in such a holy place with so much spirit.
The energy and sense of communal praise surrounding the Bodhi tree (the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment) was profound. Many large stupas have been built on this ground and of course a temple. Large gates now stand around the actual tree, but large branches spread widely over the top and above the heads of those sitting underneath. Naturally many monks come to meditate as well as a large amount of practioners from all backrounds of life, to offer their respects and encourage the personal growth in themselves. This is what personally struck me the most regarding this space. All those gathering around were their to support and develop a place in them that speaks their ultimate truth from their ultimate person .
After our short stay in Bodhgaya we made it firmly to Varnanasi were we being our Hindi classes and internships. We had our first class this morning, which seemed to have went well for all of us. It can be overwhelming to learn a new langauge but were catching on and taking it most of it in! Some of the internships we will indiviually be doing are in the fields of Indian classical music, cooking, jewelry making, stone carving, south indian dance, singing, fire dancing, and henna. We'll be rathering busy for our 10 days in Varanasi!!
Tata from Benares!
-Shanti
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Greetings from Kolkata round two!
We are on our final day in Kolkata and it has been quite an excited 10 days here.
As soon as we arrived here it was obvious that there was a strong connection to the city with the whole group. Everyone seems to just love it here. Our usual schedule for the day is as follows: we wake up at around six oclock and try to leave the hotel by 6:30. We have about a thirty minute walk to the main Mother Theresa house and have a breakfast of bread, bananas, and chai with all the rest of the volonteers. After a quick prayer we all make our way outside to catch the bus to our various sites. The bus is quite an experiance in itself. We jump onto the bus with it barely stopping and it is usually too crammed to fit everyone on the seats so most of us have to stand.
Each of us shanti members are working in different sites so all of us have different experiences that I cannot personally share. But the site that I worked at was a house for people that need long term care. There are about 150 patients there which is quite a lot of people. But it seems like they are very well equipped with people to help and they seem to have plenty of food for everyone. Our volunteer work at my site consisted of a lot of cleaning jobs and then just spending time with the patients. A lot of the time the men need shaving becauses they are unable to do it themselves, and massages to ease their pain. many of them are unable to walk to they also need help with transport around the site.
We are done volunteering at around noon so we usually meet up with some of the other volunteers and grab lunch on the famous sudder street at one of the many great restaurants. After that we are free to do what we please. The city is so interesting in itself that all you really need to do to keep yourself occupied is to just walk around the city. We also went to a more westernized mall to catch a bollywood movie which was very interesting.
Tomorrow night we have an 11:30 PM train ride that is ten hours long to our next leg of the journey: Bodgaya. I think we are all very excited to go to the next step of the trip, but it will be very sad to leave this wonderfully insane city and the mother Theresa house.
Sincerely Jack and the rest of the Shanti crew!
Friday, October 3, 2008
KOLKATA!
Hello Everybody~
We've finally arrived in Kolkata, after an overnight train ride, after a five hour jeep from Gangtok. We said our longing goodbyes to the majestic Himalayan town up in the jungles. The drive was beautiful along the Teetsa river, which is wide, fast, and brown. We got a flat tire, but the driver fixed it in no time. We arrived at Mgp train station and it started to feel like good ole India again. It was a crazy scene down on the platform, with a lot of beggers, the rush of many travelers, food, chai, and things being sold. After a confusing rush to a new platform we boarded the train. The stimulation was a lot, but we soon settled onto our sleeper beds and rambled down the tracks. Out the window in the morning was beautiful sprawling green fields and people working barefooted on the land. Though, once we got into the station at Kolkata it was another story. The crazy city and the scramble into Taxis from the train was another overhwleming sight of India. Now that we've spent the day here I think we can all say we've seen at least five outstanding things we never had before. This place is quite incredible, and I'm ready for the next 10, seemingly intense, days of it. We all went to the Mother Theresa House to get oriented, and I feel very happy at the oppurutnity we have to work at such a historic center. I think we will learn a lot about the inner workings of India, including the begger mafia chain, while in Kolkata. We all have different jobs with the center. Some of us will be working with disabled children, ill children, the dying, ill adults, and mentally challenged women. So let's see what these experiences bring to the shanti table, shall we?
Much Love from all our hearts to those at home.
SHAnti Bahar!!!
We've finally arrived in Kolkata, after an overnight train ride, after a five hour jeep from Gangtok. We said our longing goodbyes to the majestic Himalayan town up in the jungles. The drive was beautiful along the Teetsa river, which is wide, fast, and brown. We got a flat tire, but the driver fixed it in no time. We arrived at Mgp train station and it started to feel like good ole India again. It was a crazy scene down on the platform, with a lot of beggers, the rush of many travelers, food, chai, and things being sold. After a confusing rush to a new platform we boarded the train. The stimulation was a lot, but we soon settled onto our sleeper beds and rambled down the tracks. Out the window in the morning was beautiful sprawling green fields and people working barefooted on the land. Though, once we got into the station at Kolkata it was another story. The crazy city and the scramble into Taxis from the train was another overhwleming sight of India. Now that we've spent the day here I think we can all say we've seen at least five outstanding things we never had before. This place is quite incredible, and I'm ready for the next 10, seemingly intense, days of it. We all went to the Mother Theresa House to get oriented, and I feel very happy at the oppurutnity we have to work at such a historic center. I think we will learn a lot about the inner workings of India, including the begger mafia chain, while in Kolkata. We all have different jobs with the center. Some of us will be working with disabled children, ill children, the dying, ill adults, and mentally challenged women. So let's see what these experiences bring to the shanti table, shall we?
Much Love from all our hearts to those at home.
SHAnti Bahar!!!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Gangtok and trekking in Sikkim!
hello devoted readers!
hope all is going well at your end. My apologies for the blog coming so late.
After our stay in the sleepy town of Darjeeling, we headed off to Gangtok in a hired seven passenger jeep. After a long 6 hours of travel which included stopping for meals, permits and snack breaks, finally made it to our destination. We then made our way down to the main strip of Gangtok which was absolutely magnificent. There were rows upon rows of stores with almost anything you desire, on a street where cars are not allowed to travel, very cool!
after a two night stay in the very nice Sandim Hotel, we were off to Sikkim to start our trek. Another long jeep ride later and we found our selves at the first home stay. A very nice place way out in the jungle of Sikkim, very secluded and peaceful. During our stay, the local girls school came to our current home and showed us there traditional Lupcha dance (the local area is known for this dance) while we drank an ancient Nepally drink out of a giant bamboo mug! And of course they insisted we dance as well so keep your eyes out for some amusing pictures!
From there our host Dun-din and many other helpers such as Raju, Aaron, Kumar, Lun-lin and more took us to our first trekking spot. We hiked up a small mountain of very diverse terrain and made it to our destination in about 2 hours. From there we interacted with the local families, and set up tents for the night!
The next day we headed down the very same mountain back into the main part of Sikkim for a quick lunch. But there is no rest for the wicked! quickly after lunch we walked to our next hiking destination. Yes another mountain! This trek found to be less forgiving than the first. The terrain was straight up to the top! Lots of breaks were necessary! :) But alas we made it to the summit and slept quite comfortable none the less.
After we arose it was breakfast and a trip down the mountain. (which was much easier than going up i must say!) and a Jeep ride back to Gangtok. which brings us to where we are now. We are settled back into the Sandim hotel resting our weary legs waiting for the next adventure to start! we head to Calcutta by train tomorrow and who knows what it has in store for us! only time will tell....
Sending lots of love back home
Shanti Bahar (which is Hindi for peace out )
Group Shanti
hope all is going well at your end. My apologies for the blog coming so late.
After our stay in the sleepy town of Darjeeling, we headed off to Gangtok in a hired seven passenger jeep. After a long 6 hours of travel which included stopping for meals, permits and snack breaks, finally made it to our destination. We then made our way down to the main strip of Gangtok which was absolutely magnificent. There were rows upon rows of stores with almost anything you desire, on a street where cars are not allowed to travel, very cool!
after a two night stay in the very nice Sandim Hotel, we were off to Sikkim to start our trek. Another long jeep ride later and we found our selves at the first home stay. A very nice place way out in the jungle of Sikkim, very secluded and peaceful. During our stay, the local girls school came to our current home and showed us there traditional Lupcha dance (the local area is known for this dance) while we drank an ancient Nepally drink out of a giant bamboo mug! And of course they insisted we dance as well so keep your eyes out for some amusing pictures!
From there our host Dun-din and many other helpers such as Raju, Aaron, Kumar, Lun-lin and more took us to our first trekking spot. We hiked up a small mountain of very diverse terrain and made it to our destination in about 2 hours. From there we interacted with the local families, and set up tents for the night!
The next day we headed down the very same mountain back into the main part of Sikkim for a quick lunch. But there is no rest for the wicked! quickly after lunch we walked to our next hiking destination. Yes another mountain! This trek found to be less forgiving than the first. The terrain was straight up to the top! Lots of breaks were necessary! :) But alas we made it to the summit and slept quite comfortable none the less.
After we arose it was breakfast and a trip down the mountain. (which was much easier than going up i must say!) and a Jeep ride back to Gangtok. which brings us to where we are now. We are settled back into the Sandim hotel resting our weary legs waiting for the next adventure to start! we head to Calcutta by train tomorrow and who knows what it has in store for us! only time will tell....
Sending lots of love back home
Shanti Bahar (which is Hindi for peace out )
Group Shanti
Friday, September 19, 2008
Darjeeling!
After a quick flight, and a three hour jeep ride up winding mountains, we have found ourselves in Darjeeling. Upon our arrival we were warmly welcomed at our hotel, and offered the tea which Darjeeling is so well known for. Darjeeling is generally the opposite of the crazy hectic city New Delhi. There is a sense of deep serenity and calm which eminates through the land as well as the people who inhabit the land.
After settling into our room on our first day, we decided to explore. We made our way into the main square which consists of an open space surrounded by benches. The benches are occupied with people sitting, talking, and watching passersby. On our first night, we stumbled upon a rooftop with a view that cannot be done justice with words. It was as if we were at the edge of the world, reaching up to the sky, touching the luscious moon, and floating through the clouds. We then mosied back to the square and began playing with some of the native children. Some of the children were very good english speakers, and they taught us a few key phrases in hindi, for example "what is your name?" and "how are you?"
We ran around and played, and soon the english speaking children had to leave. They said sweet dreams, and blew us kisses. The 10 year old girl said "remember, you will always have a friend in India", and continued waving until she was too far away to do so. Left with the hindi speaking children, we were at a slight disadvantage, and repeated the phrases "how are you" and "what is your name" many times. Despite the language barrier, we had a wonderful evening.
The next day, we made a trek down to the Tibetan Refugee self help center. The people that live there are mainly elders and children. The older people do handicrafts that they brought over from Tibet, which they practice with great skill and ease. The work they do varies from detailed rug weaving to knitting and woodcarving, as well as painting and spining wool. The wrinkles on the faces of the refugees are like a map of their lives, tracing smiles and hard times. They are beautiful, and emit an aura of happiness and pride. After touring the self help center we trekked back up to the hotel.
Since then, we have returned to the center to download programs onto the computers for the children to use. We have also been fortunate enough to hear the wise words of Mr. Jambala, a key player in the workings of the refugee center. He has educated us on the genocide that is currently taking place in Tibet. Hopefully we will all be able to spread the word, and do something positive to help.
Namaste for now!
After settling into our room on our first day, we decided to explore. We made our way into the main square which consists of an open space surrounded by benches. The benches are occupied with people sitting, talking, and watching passersby. On our first night, we stumbled upon a rooftop with a view that cannot be done justice with words. It was as if we were at the edge of the world, reaching up to the sky, touching the luscious moon, and floating through the clouds. We then mosied back to the square and began playing with some of the native children. Some of the children were very good english speakers, and they taught us a few key phrases in hindi, for example "what is your name?" and "how are you?"
We ran around and played, and soon the english speaking children had to leave. They said sweet dreams, and blew us kisses. The 10 year old girl said "remember, you will always have a friend in India", and continued waving until she was too far away to do so. Left with the hindi speaking children, we were at a slight disadvantage, and repeated the phrases "how are you" and "what is your name" many times. Despite the language barrier, we had a wonderful evening.
The next day, we made a trek down to the Tibetan Refugee self help center. The people that live there are mainly elders and children. The older people do handicrafts that they brought over from Tibet, which they practice with great skill and ease. The work they do varies from detailed rug weaving to knitting and woodcarving, as well as painting and spining wool. The wrinkles on the faces of the refugees are like a map of their lives, tracing smiles and hard times. They are beautiful, and emit an aura of happiness and pride. After touring the self help center we trekked back up to the hotel.
Since then, we have returned to the center to download programs onto the computers for the children to use. We have also been fortunate enough to hear the wise words of Mr. Jambala, a key player in the workings of the refugee center. He has educated us on the genocide that is currently taking place in Tibet. Hopefully we will all be able to spread the word, and do something positive to help.
Namaste for now!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Safe and Sound
I wanted to post something immediately to let you all know that all of the students in all Carpe Diem groups are well, in good spirits, and bedding down for the night without incident. I'm sure some parents have noticed in the news that there've been some bomb blasts in Delhi and the leaders, in their safety-consciousness, have all checked in with me and had this to say:
hey Ethan,
just a quick note to let you know that we are all fine. in case you did not hear, there were 4 bomb blasts in delhi today - less than an hour ago. we have all the students here at the hotel - a little quarantine. nothing happened here in the pahar ganj where we're staying, but one bomb was at connaught place. we're just playing it safe. we will contact the embassy before heading out in the morning just to let them know we're well. sounds like a good night to do some sing-a-longs on the rooftop. or as leaders we can do bollywood interpretative dance. one never knows...
hey Ethan,
just a quick note to let you know that we are all fine. in case you did not hear, there were 4 bomb blasts in delhi today - less than an hour ago. we have all the students here at the hotel - a little quarantine. nothing happened here in the pahar ganj where we're staying, but one bomb was at connaught place. we're just playing it safe. we will contact the embassy before heading out in the morning just to let them know we're well. sounds like a good night to do some sing-a-longs on the rooftop. or as leaders we can do bollywood interpretative dance. one never knows...
Friday, September 12, 2008
Hey Guys!
Hi everybody.
I cannot believe I am in India. It's amazing. There is so much going on all around us. I love it, and I feel like this is the place to learn a lot about myself. I know we all will. I am trying to learn the language, and people are mostly very nice. There's something magical about India, that's for sure.
Namaste.
Mychal
I cannot believe I am in India. It's amazing. There is so much going on all around us. I love it, and I feel like this is the place to learn a lot about myself. I know we all will. I am trying to learn the language, and people are mostly very nice. There's something magical about India, that's for sure.
Namaste.
Mychal
Hello!
this is Will here! We have landed in India despite certain flight delays! and let me say it is absolutely insane and i love it! the culture is amazing and everyone is very nice and helpful, the energy here is so different from North America and this is exactly what i need. Although getting through the culture shock, Home sickness and jetlag is creating to be quite difficult i have alot of supportive people around me helping me through this amazing journey. I want to extended my gratitude to not only my parents but the parents of all the other travellers as i know they have been a huge positive influence as my parents have been for me. Talk to you all again very soon
Lots of Love
Will
New Delhi
Cheers!
After a hectic trip, we finally arrived in New Delhi at around 2 A.M. and had an epic taxi ride to our first guest house. So far the sights, sounds, and smells are indescribable.
Instead of falling right asleep, I decided to hang out on the roof of the guest house and watch the sun rise. As soon as the sun rose, I could feel the city come alive. Endless amounts of motorbikes and cars racing through the streets, the chorus of Chai vendors, and the presents of the holy cows were mind boggling. Now we are off to explore more of this beautiful city.
Namaste!
After a hectic trip, we finally arrived in New Delhi at around 2 A.M. and had an epic taxi ride to our first guest house. So far the sights, sounds, and smells are indescribable.
Instead of falling right asleep, I decided to hang out on the roof of the guest house and watch the sun rise. As soon as the sun rose, I could feel the city come alive. Endless amounts of motorbikes and cars racing through the streets, the chorus of Chai vendors, and the presents of the holy cows were mind boggling. Now we are off to explore more of this beautiful city.
Namaste!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Flight Delays
The group is doing fine and as we speak have all their luggage and some good meal vouchers from Cathay Pacific as they've had to make an unexpected stop over in Vancouver, Canada. There were some minor mechanical issues that caused the stopover and subsequent cancellation, but there's some good news. Everyone for INDIA and SHANTI that were booked on the Hong Kong leg have been rescheduled to depart at 3:10pm today on Cathay flight 839. They are scheduled to keep their existing reservation departing Hong Kong and arriving into Delhi on the 12th at 2:05 AM as shown on their regular tickets ... they will basically arrive into Delhi as scheduled, however missing out on the opportunity to explore Hong Kong.
I've just been on the phone with the Travel Consultant at Global Vision Travel and despite the unexpected hiccup, we both were extremely happy to have the pilot make the call to cancel the flight before being stuck over the Pacific ... this is yet another reason we love working with Cathay!
Yours,
Ethan Knight
I've just been on the phone with the Travel Consultant at Global Vision Travel and despite the unexpected hiccup, we both were extremely happy to have the pilot make the call to cancel the flight before being stuck over the Pacific ... this is yet another reason we love working with Cathay!
Yours,
Ethan Knight
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Notes from the Airport
Well, it's official, they're together and ready! The group leaders just gave me a call and they have their full group - yes, everyone is there! In about three hours they'll be airborne and embarking on a journey of three-months and a thousand experiences.
I'm sure over the next few months you'll have photos of all kinds, calls of many emotions, and growth in more angles than you could imagine. May this be the beginning of a truly momentous and transformative semester!
Yours in spirit and adventure,
Ethan
I'm sure over the next few months you'll have photos of all kinds, calls of many emotions, and growth in more angles than you could imagine. May this be the beginning of a truly momentous and transformative semester!
Yours in spirit and adventure,
Ethan
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
Namaste Shanti
Welcome to the Shanti fall '08 blog! we will be posting here throughout the semester with all our exciting adventures and experiences. We are currently in Portland, finishing up some final details and logistics for the semester and are looking forward to meeting you all at the airport on Tuesday and heading off to India! We will be trying our best to take and post photos to this blog along the way, so if you have a cable to connect your digital camera to the computer, feel free to bring it so you can share your photos. If you have any questions in the next few days, please give us a call at the office. Safe travels to San Fran and we'll see you soon.
Namaste,
Adam and Heather
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