Dharamsala; Part One.

After a 12 hour taxi drive from Delhi to Dharamsala, stopping (no joke) 20 times for directions, and one of the windiest mountain drives up the side of the first sight of the Himalayas, we finally got to town. But...cars can't drive up the road we're staying, so we get out, backpacks and all and start walking up this windy street. But then the street ends, with some foot bridge and we start climbing stairs up the side of the beginning of a mountain. Then the stairs end and we're just climbing. From behind in the dark we hear footsteps, and ask them if we're going in the right direction. Karo asks "Sam?" and we realize we ran into my yoga teacher. Night one.

The morning we finally see where we've traveled around the world to come to, Dharamsala. Completely unlike the endless country side towns (tents and shacks) and cities we've already seen. A tourist town, colorful bohemian tent shops and concrete sided buildings everywhere, nestled in a valley next to a waterfall. We saw a rainbow today, of course forgot my camera, always forget it when you need it. Never really need it though, we've got these eyes. That's all you really need right?

Mark joined the yoga program unofficially. Kind of abrupt introduction but I figured we always get exactly what we need. We're two of four Americans. Everyone else is from every other walk of life. It's a pretty radical rainbow of language and skin colors, clothes and cultures. It's been a trip already even if it ended right now. Signing off from the Internet cafe, where the power goes off at least 5 times a day. 

Taj Mahal and Back

They told us to prepare for poverty. I didn't really understand. There's people sleeping on the ground everywhere, garbage everywhere, and buildings, half built, half tarp all over the place masking as store fronts. It makes your mind shift, somewhere towards gratitude for all you half. I already feel myself softening up, like maybe India's telling me this secret that I didn't even know I needed to hear. To open, or bloom, like that lotus flower.

Mark's sleeping next to me again. Our jet-lag is bad. We slept for two hours last night and spent the next six watching climbing DVD's, ordering veggie sandwiches through room service, and talking about life. This place seems to wake you up a little bit. We left at 8am after a very India breakfast for Arga.

The four hour drive today to the Taj Mahal in Arga was mind bending. In a good way. Our tour guide today teaches old women yoga out of his house for free. He showed me some stuff, some pressure points and breathing exercises. I came to the right place. And I don't mean just for yoga. After the drive, we walked about ten minutes to the entrance of the Taj. It's a tomb. It's said that the architect had his hands cut off so he couldn't replicate it. You get the the line for ticket sales, and it's one for Indians, one for foreigners (our ticket is a lot more expensive, their line is a lot longer). We go through security, and finally to an archway where you can see a glimpse of the Taj. It's literally breathtaking. Huge, hand-cut, marble, wonder.

We spent a good hour there with our guide, showing us all the details and sparing no story along the way. The way back was dusted with Indian children selling snow globes for any price, monkeys, camels, and beautiful Indian people in the most brightly colored clothes I've ever seen.

They are really so unique, they seem to radiate sunshine amongst so much debris. The dresses as bright as all the colors found in a garden, and hand-painted trucks, busses, and cars driving like mad from road to road.

Interested to see Dharamsala tomorrow. I have no idea what to expect. Glad Mark's here.

Travel to New Delhi

We left Jersey around 1pm on Wednesday afternoon, made the way from highway to highway to JFK International airport and waited another 4 hours to board our flight. After a 9 hour flight we landed in Moscow, Russia. Two meals, one yoga practice, one long nap for Mark, and 7 hours later, we finally boarded our flight to New Delhi. We got to New Delhi at 3am, 2 days after leaving New Jersey. We found our way out to the street to find a cab to our hotel (who knew where that was) and hopped into the smallest car I've ever seen. As soon as we left the airport, I realized we weren't in Kansas anymore. There was traffic. Which meant our cabdriver, weaved his way in and out, dangerously close to the hundreds of other cars, none of which use lanes or any traffic codes. We get to our hotel right before 4am. Hop out, I tip the driver, he shakes Mark's hand and walks right by mine already outstretched to meet his. Finally make our way up to our room and sleep until 5pm the next day. We ordered some eggs and pizza (traditional Indian food) before making our way downstairs for the first time as night already set in. We booked some cabs to the Taj Mahal tomorrow, and another to the Himalayas the day after. Mark's already in bed again. I'm using the last 10 minutes of wifi I have before it runs out and we're left in the blackness and horns of India at night. More soon.