All I can say is that I'm excited to come back!
I have had some of the wildest months of my life, but its getting hot and I am ready for some good Canadian weather. I feel so good about my last three months of "research" (AKA traveling India looking for great places to visit and projects to volunteer on).
I often have to give myself a reality check about how different my life is in India then back home. I forget how crazy certain things were I first I arrived in India last year that seem totally normal now. Things like cows walking down main streets. Women in full beautiful sari's walking around the markets. People asking to have a photo with me every five minutes. Having fresh squeezed fruit juices and cane sugar juice on the streets. Religious men wearing nothing but a loan cloth. Festivals and parades on the streets every few nights. Temples and praying happening everywhere at all hours. Men trying to sell you things you don't need. Taxi and rickshaw drivers trying endlessly to get you in there vehicle. People stopping you just to shake your hand or say hello. These are some of the things I have become accustomed to. Some things I will not miss and others I will miss dearly.
Being directly involved in a different culture highlights what my native culture has got going for it and also what it is missing. This interpretation is different for everyone and that's why I think it is so important to travel and to figure it out for yourself. I won't go into much detail about what I have understood about the differences from Eastern and Western culture, because other people have highlighted these parallels better then I can. I will say that both Western and Eastern cultures have much to learn from each other and in many cases idealize what the other has. The East looks to the developed world for inspiration in wealth, freedom, and growth. While we look to the East for simplicity, meaning, and spirituality that is lacking in the western world. Anyone who has had the opportunity to live or travel in both the East and the West understand how eye opening that experience can be.
One thing I like about India is that each place is drastically different in culture, religion, scenery, often language, clothing style and even the way people look physically. Whether it's the desert, the mountains, the river, the huge city, the busy market, the blazing sun, the full moon, the temple, or the lake, each place has a lesson to deliver to us when we are ready to listen to it.
In the few short months in India I experienced more cultures, colours, giving, intensity, bonding, natural beauty, emotions, and learning than many people do in a whole year. It doesn't take much time in India to gather these wide range of experiences. I am seriously excited to get back here with a sweet group of Canadians next time.
I want to relive some of my highlights of the last few months in India. These may be YOUR highlights if you join me on one of these tours that start in January 2014!
Then we went to Amritsar to see a true example of generosity. The Golden Temple (of the Sikh religion) feeds over 60,000 people daily for free. The most wild thing was watching them clean all the steel dishes after the meal, plates where flying though the air as people took turns trying to sort them without getting hit by the next plate. Not to mention the temple itself is pretty cool and a bit glamorous with over 750 kg of gold used to build it.
After my glory days were over I went the mountain areas to remove my ego. The main stops were Dharamsala, Manali and the Great Himayalan National Park. Buddhism and village lifestyle prevail in these parts. Some areas look very similar to British Columbia mountains and where awesome for hiking, fishing, yoga, camping, rafting, paragliding, and bathing in waterfalls, rivers and hot springs. I also enjoyed getting creative in a silversmith course. I had a lot of fun helping Tibetan refugees learn English, while I learned more about their situation and Buddhism in general.
Next it was off to Varanasi (Banaras), which seems to be the most memorable place for me in some ways. Varanasi is like Rishikesh, but a step up in intensity. Many Indians refer to it as the Holy City because it is known as the home to Hindu God Shiva (God of destruction). It is also where many Indian people come to die and be cremated on the burning ghats of the Ganga River. If one can begin to understand this city they may begin to understand the whole of India. It may also give incite about life, death, heaven and reincarnation for some people. It is also an amazing place to get handmade silk, sari's, bedspreads, clothes and other designs. We went on a tour into the factories to see the whole process of how materials are made which was incredibly interesting. Not far from Varanasi we visited a place where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon after becoming enlightened.
Wrapping up the trip we found a little gem called Almora, a small hill station as they call it in India (which basically means a town in the mountains). It is the perfect place to unwind and enjoy the natural beauty. I can't really pin-point why I loved it here so much but it was the perfect place for me. On a clear day one can see a panoramic view of the snow capped Himalayas which makes me smile every-time.
That was a few of my highlights from the last few months that didn't include all the beautiful people I met, the interesting conversations, the amazing food, all the laughing, or all the times I just thought is this real life?
Namaste for now!
- Eland
I often have to give myself a reality check about how different my life is in India then back home. I forget how crazy certain things were I first I arrived in India last year that seem totally normal now. Things like cows walking down main streets. Women in full beautiful sari's walking around the markets. People asking to have a photo with me every five minutes. Having fresh squeezed fruit juices and cane sugar juice on the streets. Religious men wearing nothing but a loan cloth. Festivals and parades on the streets every few nights. Temples and praying happening everywhere at all hours. Men trying to sell you things you don't need. Taxi and rickshaw drivers trying endlessly to get you in there vehicle. People stopping you just to shake your hand or say hello. These are some of the things I have become accustomed to. Some things I will not miss and others I will miss dearly.
Being directly involved in a different culture highlights what my native culture has got going for it and also what it is missing. This interpretation is different for everyone and that's why I think it is so important to travel and to figure it out for yourself. I won't go into much detail about what I have understood about the differences from Eastern and Western culture, because other people have highlighted these parallels better then I can. I will say that both Western and Eastern cultures have much to learn from each other and in many cases idealize what the other has. The East looks to the developed world for inspiration in wealth, freedom, and growth. While we look to the East for simplicity, meaning, and spirituality that is lacking in the western world. Anyone who has had the opportunity to live or travel in both the East and the West understand how eye opening that experience can be.
One thing I like about India is that each place is drastically different in culture, religion, scenery, often language, clothing style and even the way people look physically. Whether it's the desert, the mountains, the river, the huge city, the busy market, the blazing sun, the full moon, the temple, or the lake, each place has a lesson to deliver to us when we are ready to listen to it.
In the few short months in India I experienced more cultures, colours, giving, intensity, bonding, natural beauty, emotions, and learning than many people do in a whole year. It doesn't take much time in India to gather these wide range of experiences. I am seriously excited to get back here with a sweet group of Canadians next time.
I want to relive some of my highlights of the last few months in India. These may be YOUR highlights if you join me on one of these tours that start in January 2014!
I started off seeing the amazing world heritage sites of the Delhi and Agra, including the infamous Taj Mahal. The size, architecture, handwork detail, and man power put into each of these sites are unimaginable. India is one of the best places in the world to see beautiful man made structures.
After seeing the temples and forts I wandered into the desert where only those who are bold stray far from the desert cities. I found an incredible place called Pushkar; home to many pilgrims, Brahmins, artisans, camels, and backpacking hippies. Here we got to ride camels out into the lonely desert which was an amazing trip in itself. We met a musician who has been playing traditional music for generations and living in small tents in the desert. I went back to have dinner with the musicians family and promised to bring friends again and to help rebuild their tents. I was inspired to see how smart and eager to learn the children were when I visited a school for poor farm children on the outskirts of Pushkar. We also visited an animal shelter/hospital were I met Smiley, the happiest dog in the world, who couldn't really walk more then a few steps without falling over.
Then we went to Amritsar to see a true example of generosity. The Golden Temple (of the Sikh religion) feeds over 60,000 people daily for free. The most wild thing was watching them clean all the steel dishes after the meal, plates where flying though the air as people took turns trying to sort them without getting hit by the next plate. Not to mention the temple itself is pretty cool and a bit glamorous with over 750 kg of gold used to build it.
Not far from there we went right to the Pakistan border where there is a nightly border re-opening ceremony, which both sides of the border take part in. It was so cool to see two countries that have been living in conflict for many years have such a brilliant and joyful ceremony each night. My personal highlight of the ceremony is when I had an opportunity to run in front of the crowd carrying the Indian Flag. The crowd went ballistic as I ran, it was easily the most people I have had cheering for me in my life. I wish I had ran slower to take in the crowd for just another ten seconds.
After my glory days were over I went the mountain areas to remove my ego. The main stops were Dharamsala, Manali and the Great Himayalan National Park. Buddhism and village lifestyle prevail in these parts. Some areas look very similar to British Columbia mountains and where awesome for hiking, fishing, yoga, camping, rafting, paragliding, and bathing in waterfalls, rivers and hot springs. I also enjoyed getting creative in a silversmith course. I had a lot of fun helping Tibetan refugees learn English, while I learned more about their situation and Buddhism in general.
Finally it was time to leave the cool mountains and step back into the heat. Rishikesh is one of the main pilgrimage places because it is near to the source of the Holy Ganga River. It has now become the center of the world for yoga and spiritual retreats of different forms. I found great environmental volunteer opportunities that help keep the Ganga clean. We also got to see the Ashram where the Beatles stayed for three months in the late sixties and apparently wrote most of the White Album. Although, what I found most interesting was people watching. Hundreds of religious men (Sadu's or Baba's) dressed in orange cloth and prayer beads sit by the Ganga all day long, while people from all over walk the riverside in a mix of foreign and Indian attire.
Next it was off to Varanasi (Banaras), which seems to be the most memorable place for me in some ways. Varanasi is like Rishikesh, but a step up in intensity. Many Indians refer to it as the Holy City because it is known as the home to Hindu God Shiva (God of destruction). It is also where many Indian people come to die and be cremated on the burning ghats of the Ganga River. If one can begin to understand this city they may begin to understand the whole of India. It may also give incite about life, death, heaven and reincarnation for some people. It is also an amazing place to get handmade silk, sari's, bedspreads, clothes and other designs. We went on a tour into the factories to see the whole process of how materials are made which was incredibly interesting. Not far from Varanasi we visited a place where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon after becoming enlightened.
Wrapping up the trip we found a little gem called Almora, a small hill station as they call it in India (which basically means a town in the mountains). It is the perfect place to unwind and enjoy the natural beauty. I can't really pin-point why I loved it here so much but it was the perfect place for me. On a clear day one can see a panoramic view of the snow capped Himalayas which makes me smile every-time.
That was a few of my highlights from the last few months that didn't include all the beautiful people I met, the interesting conversations, the amazing food, all the laughing, or all the times I just thought is this real life?
This is real life and I am happy to be living it...
Namaste for now!
- Eland
Ps. For those of you who want to stay in the loop about where I'm at and possibly doing some voluntourism in the future, just LIKE the Let Live Travel Inc. Facebook page or send me and email at letliverelations@gmail.com.
Pps. I will have a new post of just the best photos of the trip soon!
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