I just registered for my second course in India. This the basic teacher training that is a month long in Northern India (http://www.sivananda.org/netala/travel.html). The place is where the Ganges river begins to flow out from underneath the glacier in the Himalayas. I can't think of a more perfect spot. I look forward to the trip with great trepidation and glee. Perhaps this is what all my previous travelling has brought me to. This is the culmination. Each step I take towards going, every phone call i make, internet research i do, course i register for, dollar i put in my india account, gives me a unique thrill each time, and my focus grows more acute. Fascinating. But i'm still terrified.
I still need visas and vaccinations and plane tickets and health insurance and, and.... courage.
P.S.
Please send courage
more monkey business
can't get enough of those monkeys. these guys are perched at the gateway of a temple
The street
a typical day in the street
Anand Prakash Ashram in Rishikesh
beautiful ashram on the hill
me and Parmoud
one of the managers at the ashram and i out by the cowshed
room with a view
This is the view from my balcony right now. its pretty sweet. It looks upriver towards the Himalayan hills. so green
view of the ghats at dusk Rishikesh
the light in the mornings and evenings on the river is amazing. Here, people start to gather for the evenings singing and fire ceremony at the riverside
Parmarth Niketan view
back in Rishikesh, the view from Parmarth Niketan Ashram onto the Ganga
driving to Uttarkashi
more crazy driving. To get this far into the Himalays... you take a "share jeep" that you share with others so it doesn't cost so much.... the drive is...life threatening and i don't look forward to doing it again soon
Sivananda Kutir rivershore dorm
This is our dorm, me and the 3 san franciscan lawyers and the french girl. At night the roar from the Ganga is deafening but it makes you sleep like a baby
butterflies
all these butterflies on the sand beside the river
Ifat and I
my friend from Tel Aviv, at Sivananda Kutir in front of the river Ganga... she is a yoga therapist
at Sivananda Kutir Ashram
I have never seen a people work so hard for their living... these men, with mules. They break up river rock with a sledghammer and fill the mule's packs with the rocks to take and build something somewhere
Siror Bridge across the Ganga at Sivananda
crossing the bridge above our dorm room
At the ashram
peace and love abide. Such an environment is truly like a utopia. It brings out the best in you and allows you to relax into who you truly are. It is a beautiful thing
Sacred cow
This cow just crossed the bridge above our room. Very noisy that bridge... especially when the kids get out of school and go home across it
Drive into the Himalayas
the hills are covered in steps, dug in to make room to grow rice in this mountainous environment. The flat mini-field allows them to flood the rice patty with water as it needs
Drive to Sivananda
the lake, which lake? i don't know
Drive to Sivananda Kutir
hair-raising 7 hour drive into the Himalayas. Definately dangerous. Don't want to do it again. Places in the road where it narrows to one skinny lane because either one side is crumbling into the valley, straight down below, or the upper hillside has had rocks fall to into the road to make it barely passable... big trucks, buses, driving fast around corners with no guardrails.
rishikesh room view
view from my room in rishikesh, looks out over the river ganga
Ram Jhula bridge
"pedestrians only:".. .. ya right... i took a video on this bridge too, check it out, it might be kinda long.
Sarg Ashram
the other side of the river from my room
View of the Ganges upriver
looking upstream towards the Himalaya... that is where i will be heading tomorrow... further up the sacred river
ladies only ghat (steps to the river)
ladies only area of the ghat for ladies to bathe... no one was here, i was all alone for the first time since i got to india
toes in the ganges
feels so good and cool and clean and .... like all my sins can be forgotten and washed down the river
monkeys, monkeys everywhere
oh, oh, i just remember i forgot to lock my bedroom window and i've been gone all day....they are sneaky little...
see the similarities to the above picture?
Chennai wonderful thali meal
had to take a picture of the delicious Indain thali plate... with the banana leaf under it. the food is ridiculously good, as long as you eat indian all the time. whenever i get bored and try something else like pizza or past or eggs, i always regret it and i happily go back to indian
Shiva?
sculpture in Delhi shop
About Me
- gypseangie
- what about me? what about you? what is your dream? who do you love? what do you need to be happy? where do you hide your smiles? what do you need to contribute in this life?
me goofing around
my first "night" in India
the "lobby" at Radha Park hotel
ailysh, me and raina in Vancouver
family
"loungin'", Johnson Lake, BC, Sept.2007
aaah, unsuspecting me. little did i know then that exactly one year later i would be knee deep in yoga postures in my first yoga course in India. Ignorance is bliss
sivananda kutir
check out the place in uttarkashi, northern india, this is where the teacher training and intensive will occur website: http://www.sivananda.org/netala/travel.html
mom and me
practicing wearing a turban in mexico
practice, practice, practice....
here is my first self portrait taken with my beautiful new camera. (thank you!). i know its not the most flattering, but it honestly is the first, so I had to put it here. It's quite alright to laugh, I did.
Part of the ceremony we had to put our hands on eachother's hearts. The ceremony was beautiful and perfect. We wouldn't have changed a thing.
The wedding ceremony incorporated all the members of our families. We didn't request this, it just magically happened that way :)
mid wedding ceremony
Paradise - Koh Lipe
Frog man - the coral is THAT-A-WAY!
Nakul in MY hat :)
Gettin our gear ready... first day out :)
Every day we're snorkelin' ;)
Cooling off at the beach - Lipe
Mmmmmmmmm. need i say more?
Swimming off of Sunrise beach - Kho Lipe
Sunset at Sunset Beach - Kho Lipe
Yoga on a Thai rock - Koh Lipe
Get yer crazy face on, we're GOIN to Thailand bebe!
Family
swimming in the infinity pool at Phi Phi
our friend Maja from Germany
walking in the Himalaya....
Some of the gang after the big war on our roof
you can see nakul's mom on the left, and ritu is wearing red in the middle
Holi Fest
our funny faces
the top
view of the Himalaya
panorama view of the sweet water lake we hiked up to
view from the hike up to the sweet water lake
me
me
another shot of the view, you can see the terraced landscaping. its throughout the whole valley
on a walk. Nakuls putting my scarf on his head like a turban. hilarious
outside the temple at Ukhimath
enjoying the view of the Himalaya from outside our room
view at Ukhimath in the mountains
panorama of the view outside our "cabin" in the Himalaya
we just got back from 5 days of exploring around Ukhimath
hangin at the beach
sunset at arambol
the circus tent beach hut in Goa
panorama view of the beach at Arambol
Sadhu with wheels and wings
wooden shoes? check. orange robe? check. hair up? check
At our picnic the other day...
Chillin on the rocks
"Tide" coming up on the Ganga...
Ritu and I
Mukta and Manu (both are Nakul's second cousins)
building a sand castle
picnic, sittin around waitin for the men to finish cooking lunch
Gopal and Nakul
picnic at the beach
this was our picnic day. almost everyone is in the picture
me
i feel and look a few years younger i think, from all the clean living. hahaha
me and Ritu, Nakul's sister in law
on our way back from another one of our crazy shopping trips in the market
monkeys yesterday
this husband and wife couple were hanging out outside my window yesterday
Gunnu
Gunnu, Nakuls nephew trying his peacock pose
Mayurasana
just playin around...
Nakul's mama
She has the most beautiful smile in the world. Making peeta here. a kind of pancake.
the second floor where the guest rooms are
i love this pic, with the panorama shot it looks like the house Picasso painted
in the car from delhi to rishikesh
ummm, ya, can you say... been travelling for past 24 hours already?
Inside our room
bright, airy, new. i love the lavender walls
view from my room in Laxman Jhula
Just figured out how to use the "panorama" setting on my phone. so cool!!
one of my favourite views yaar!
even the tulips are blooming!!! ... buds are on the trees, smells divine
cherry blossoms!
right now is my favourite time of year in vancouver
View in Vancouver right now
fresh snowfall on the north shore mountains....
temple in Vancouver
me
puppy
sculpture depicting the torture of the Tibetan people
Tibet Museum
shakyamuni buddha
in the temple complex at the Dalai Lama residence
room with a view - 1
room with a view
walking in Dharamsala
jan.3
mom and me in our "hut" this afternoon
jan.3
self portrait at sunset
snakes on the beach
cobra pose... bhujangasana
breakfast with a view
breakfast on the beach
hey, who doesn't like a little Royal Stag whiskey with their breakfast (its honey, you lushes!)
just a nice view
mom on the rocks
look who i found, meandering through the rocks at low tide.....
my feet
i KNOW! girlie girlie, right? totally not my style, but maybe my style is changing. its fun anyways,, jewelled toes and all....
Rooms with rock view....
I think they mean maybe rooms with cliff views. haha! cute sign
yoga at sunrise
still me... :0
kite surfing!!
today the wind was so strong there were wicked kite surfers out. they were getting some crazy air, man,wow! i wanna try that!!!!
our "air-conditioned" front porch
if you set the sarongs and sheets up just right on the porch in the heat of the day, it creates the most beautiful cool funneled breeze across the front "deck". let me just say... it equals heaven when its 32 degrees out
our humble abode
home sweet om
more yoga at sunset
still me
the view from "home"
a simple bamboo hut on the beach at sunrise...
our "room"
this is a favourable impression of our room... mosquito nets and all
i promised you a view of our toilet....but its our , all ours
very funny story because now, just today, our landlord installed a toilet seat and lid! without us even asking! the small pleasures....
this is NOT me, but a beautiful picture of two silhouettes, in front of our hut at sunset, enjoying
that's me, doing yoga on the beach in the a.m. in front of our cabin
view from our hut window....
its just like costa rica
so many pics,
this is at the fort, the palace
more taj....
other buildings at the Taj
Taj Mahal close up
.....
.....
....
.....sunrise on perfection
Holy city of Haridwar
self photos taken on our first bicycle rickshaw ride
The Harem
mom took 4001 photos of the Taj and the fort, this one is taken in the Harem of the palace at Agra Fort
Agra Fort
The Diwanium - the place where the emperor would hear the voices of the publics' complaints and concerns
Taking a moment at the Taj Mahal
milk delivery
this is the fresh milk delivery, brought straight to your door, fresh, he drives around every morning with the noisiest bike so you can hear him coming and go stand outside with your can for him to fill. great system eh! great milk too. so fresh, raw, must be boiled. love it
sadhus walking
mom's photo journalism 201
mama needs a new camera, thanks for the pics tho mom
What the......?
It's Shiva, silly!
bricks for building
the Indian brick movers
Mom's pics - photo journalism 101
Parmath Niketan ashram entrance
Ganga Aarti sunset
Shiva and me
Ganga Aarti
The NEW Shiva statue, the replacement for the one that just got washed away in the flood in September
mom petting this big old bull
Ganga Aarti
blessings and hopes float
Ganga Aarti
grandmother twirling
sun peaks
Village Day Lodge, thanks Gino
Rajni
Rajni
found some more pikaturs
we just finished our 2nd practicum teaching, phew!!! can you spell relief!
erin
blockhead
me finding any comfortable position possible after hours of sitting on the floor everyday
99 year old yogi can put both feet behind his head still!
grad day
Celeste et moi
just some trees
street life
Ganga side
This is a langur monkey, a tame-ish one
cow bath
how cows take a bath..
Jasmine and Caspar
Jasmine, boy is it sunny!
laundry day
most normal people (Indians) just do their laundry and bath in the Ganga but no, we have to fjord the channel
"the beach"
how could you not want to attempt a crossing to your own private beach on an island in the middle of the Ganges?
Casper's crossing
Now you see her.....
now you don't! but she is still keep her bag out of the water, even though she is under it
....
my back is feeling better
....
much better
Caspar brought a frisbee! yipee!
Ramana's
eating well at Ramana's (kids grow the organic lettuce)
Ramana's garden
orphanage/school/restaurant/beauty parlour
Ramana's garden
dip
more frolicking in the river. If there's water.... i'm IN IT. you gotta wear all your clothes in india when you swim in public, so it was pointless to pack my bikini, but oh well...haha
grad
this is my graduating class.... can you find me in the picture? i'll give you a hint: i'm short
rose
A rose by any other name....
They got me! but they were gentle
Holy festival celebrates the colour of life. People plaster colour powder and liquid all over eachother. Its not safe to be in the streets without getting ambushed. No one is immune, young, old, infirm. Great culture huh.
katarina
Holy holy fest!
our new ashram manager, after the great battle
holy Holy fest!!
Holy fire
holy leaping holy fire
my birthday picture ( i forgot to post it from december)
oasis 3
This spot i found is very beautiful. small rocky beach, place to sit by the water and dangle your feet in. mini palm trees, a little shade and the water is the most crystaline I've seen
oasis 2
stream and roks
rural India is where it's at
oasis
my place to unwind
aaaaaah ...... water
Another one of my dream houses....
sadhu walking yesterday
if i haven't already told you all, a sadhu is a holy man, a man who has devoted himself and his life to god, given up all possessions to live simply. In Rishikesh they are everywhere and the orange robe of renunciation is a comforting sight
balance
this is the first in the series of pictures of what people can balance on their heads. This man has his work balanced on his head, but i am not sure what he does. i see paper and pens... can you guess?
same
same
"S" bag lady
lady with S bag balanced on her head (yay, i have time to take photos in the street again!)
pilgrims with stuff balanced on THEIR heads. They arrive by the busload to Rishikesh. often barefoot
grad pic
We made the newspaper! our graduation class, can you find me in the crowd?
celebrating in a waterfall after graduation
washing away our worries
grad day
Me on grad day after I was awarded my certification, very exciting and beautiful ceremony took place in the garden
beach
finally we have time to go to the beach again
beach
our groups gets to go to the beach, finally, after we've worked so hard, our and all of us go, drum and dogs and all
Padma
This my buddy Marsha, or Padma, as we like to call her. She is a scientist
woman
woman selling flower and incense in leaf boats to send offerings down the river, she sat with us the whole time
swimming
me swimming in the Ganga, she is nice and green now but pretty chilly. A few of us had a good dip
Rajmi
Rajmi serving water at lunchtime
This is how we blow off steam in the teacher training. We all lay in a circle with our heads together and make animal noises and do laughing yoga with our feet in the air. Its a hoot and so good to counter stress
This is me and Erin, my partner, after teaching our last practicum. We were two very happy little girls afterwards
sticks
stick men performing sun salutations sequences
real people performing sun salutation sequences! This is a picture of my 3rd and final class practicum, teaching peers and some outside visitors. Erin and I designed a "yoga for backs" class.
waterfall on the waterfall hike we did
the pool at our waterfall walk
Vishwa-ketu, our teacher
one of our group exercises.... we have lots of fun
Stacy my roommate
Kamloops Dodge
no, hahahaha, of course I'm joking, but this is the Kathmandu version for sure of an auto mechanics shop
flying out of Kathmandu to Delhi, over the Himalayas - view from air
cycle rickshaw close-up.......would YOU ride in one?
Kathman-crazy!!
streets of Thamel, a backpackers hovel, really, but for some reason, in the daytime especially, it is only Nepalis in the street. Who am i fooling? It is mostly only Nepalis in the street anytime of day, but this area caters to every need of the backpacker/trekker. This is where I hung out while I waited for my visa. Imagine the streets dark at night (no power)
The bus from Rishikesh to Haridwar
my spot by the lake where i like to sit on the bench and look out
Phew lake
showing the island with the temple in the lake
morning drive Kathmandu to Pokhara
lumber yard
looks just like the one in Okinawa, hey dad? small scale operation
transport truck, morning drive from kathmandu to pokhara
All aboard!!
Annapurna range
View from my bed and breakfast door
Pokhara lakeside, yak and prayer flag
Lake Phewa, Pokhara
poinsettas grow in Pokhara, and all around the lake
Morning drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara - 7hrs
Kathmandu
warming up on a cold January morning
Kathmandu
I don't know what this is signifying, perhaps the embassy is nearby?
Pokhara Buddhist Centre
view from the centre, out over the lake
steps to the Buddhist centre
tranquil location
Pokhara, Nepal
Phewa lake
afternoon at Santosh Puri ashram, where was for November and December...
afternoons at the ashram are spent chatting, shelling peas and peeling vegetables for dinner on the grass lawn in the courtyard. As you like.
River convergence
the two rivers that make up the Ganga, converge upstream about an hours drive. Here you can see the colour difference
ashram crew
we all headed up river to a couple significant sacred spots. One of them was this cave here, where this picture was taken. Traditionally many sages and saints secluded themselves in caves in the Himalayas to meditate undisturbed. The cave stays warm and dry all year round. (cool in summer). It is a nice cave with very nice vibrations, due to the occupants continuous meditation there over the years and attainment of samadhi, the ultimate and final state of peaceful self-realization. Beautiful energy there.
friend Sylvie
Striking resemblence we thought. Picture taken one morning on a daytrip
morning time - City of Seers
view from my balcony: sunrise
Rishikesh January morning
The river Ganga is so blue right now, now that the monsoon run off is finished
December 9, 2008
This is the candle lighting ceremony on my birthday. They put the candles on the floor in a special design, with flowers and coloured sand, instead of on the cake. I am in the background on the left. it may be too dark to see...
elephant butt
There he goes! tail just a swayin', off into the morning mist!
silly girls
Me and Naomi
all smiles
Beautiful goddess Nomi
Naomi and I lived together in Vancouver a couple years ago. She's from New Zealand originally but we just managed to cross our paths in Rishikesh. grand reunion
The Beatles Ashram in Rishikesh
The Beatles came to Rishikesh in the 70's, their guru was here at the Maharishi ashram, which is still standing, but it is in ruins, my friend naomi and i went exploring in it....
inside the ashram - ruins
"the eggs"
these are like..... meditation and chanting pods, on top of the roof of the main residences. inside the acoustics are ... out of this world. if you go inside and chant "om" it sounds like you are in a huge auditorium with an amplifier on a microphone. Not to mention the vibrations in there from all the past meditators and chanters. holy cow
the eggs
Naomi convinced me to climb up there, even though we had been told not too. The view was something else
View from on top of the Beatles ashram at sunset
wow!
"number 9"
This is the abode that apparently john lennon stayed in when he was here
me inside the Beatles ashram in Rishikesh
upside down
upside down
Can you SEE how many layers of clothes i am wearing?
2 pairs of socks, 2 pairs of pants..... brrrrrr. its cold in them there hills. no central heating. no heating. period. just me and my hot water bottle and 3 pairs of socks.
who's doing the charming?
wow. snake charmer come to you doorstep! check out the video i am posting on youtube. unbelievable. its the real deal.
New Year's Puja
Happy New Year! celebrated with a new year's fire ceremony this morning, to cleanse the past and make way for the future
Blessed
"Shiva", the god, of course, gives blessings on busy pilgrimage days outside the local temple. I walk past him a dozen times and each time we do this dance where he tries to bless me, and me, having BEEN blessed on several occasions already, try to side-dance around him, and then we both erupt in laughter
morning in rishikesh
the other view from my favourite nepali breakfast cafe
Good morning friends
view from my favourite nepali breakfast cafe
Morning "parade"
TRAFFIC JAM ON THE BRIDGE TODAY, 3 MULES, A MOPED AND SOME PEDESTRIANS BACKED UP
rush hour on Laxman Jhula bridge
TRAFFIC JAM ON THE BRIDGE TODAY, 3 MULES, A MOPED AND SOME PEDESTRIANS BACKED UP
the "laundromat"
typical way of drying their saris and scarves after bathing and washing this morning in the Ganga
"the laundromat"
more morning ritual at the Ganga, its like performance art as visitor gather at the Ganga to splash like birds in a birdbath
sleeping in
early morning sees many people "sleeping in". Looks pretty cozy actually. The shoes are new. The blanket looks thick and clean and new. Rishikesh doesn't really have any desperately poor people, everyone is reasonably comfortable and help eachother out
the market
this is the market street nearest my house, the internet cafe i normally go to is on this street, its just under the green and yellow sign above the guy in checkered yellow
rickshaw driver in high fashion
the epitomy of rickshaw chic: red turban and big sunglasses
lady in my neighborhood
woman on her way to temple yesterday morning
the path up to my house
this is a picture of the path i was talking about before... its not a great picture, you can see the big hole that is right in the foreground
himalayas
road walking north, upriver towards the mountains. its a 5km walk to a nice spot i like where a small river converges with the Ganga, there is also a waterfall nearby
Yakkity Yak
Where is this yak going and whose IS he? does a yak just meander down the road with his own destination in mind? we are miles from anywhere and i haven't seen anyone for ages. He belongs to himself it seems
monkey biz
so many monkeys on the walk to Pool Chatti, monkeys, monkeys everywhere
himalayas
here's the spot
just awesome here
and only a 5km walk up the road on the other side of the river. wow!
himalayas
more of the same
water under the bridge
guess who
thought i'd better put a picture of me so you guys don't forget what i look like
Chotiwalla
don't ask, no seriously, there is a restaurant chain called "chotiwalla" and in rishikesh, there are two. side by side, owned by two brothers, in direct competition. It is quite an attraction because they both dress up as the chotiwalla character and sit on the thrones outside their respective restaurants, side by side.
Laxman Jhula bridge
the chaos at the bridge entrance...
Anand Prakash Ashram
Here is is again, close up... there is Parmoud, the head guy's brother, waving at us from the entrance. worldyogafamily.com is their website
Anand Prakash ashram
this is the location where i will be taking my yoga teacher's training (the yellow building in the back)
street
street at dusk
No bikini, no smoking
pretty self explanatory, sign on rock at the beach... don't be afraid, the swastika is not a nazi symbol, it is an ancient religious symbol
my balcony at Yogmaya guesthouse
This is a picture of my balcony "yoga space".... home sweet...
street
more street life
Yogmaya guesthouse
This is the place i am staying right now. My room is on the 3rd floor on the far right corner "arch"
Parmath Niketan Ashram
picture at the front gate this morning
rishikesh Laxman Jhula
riverfront
rishikesh Laxman Jhula
riverfront
This is India
This is India. (can you see the rusty barbed wire?)
The Street
aaah, the street. a non-stop parade, like a divine comedy and sometimes a tragedy, all played out daily in the streets of rishikesh. a sensory cacophany.
"Hot and cold experience"
mmmmm. sounds enticing....
Babaji
see captions below
Babaji
Babaji at his hut by the river Ganga. This where we do our yoga in the morning, right in front of his hut, by the river
my Baba and me
Baba simply means grandfather. He was teaching me some advanced yoga poses. (the red stuff on my teeth is an ayurvedic toothpaste powder that you put on your teeth in the morning and leave on for a bit
Election posters
these election posters of candidates.... if you look closely, each have a symbol in black and white. 40% of the indian population is illiterate, so they use these symbols so everyone can still vote. you can see a pomegranite.. an axe... someone else has piece of wheat. i don't know how they decided who gets what symbol.
september 26 Gaudy temple anyone?
just a gaudy temple
"rent by ..... cycil"
i love it, the sign speaks for itself
kids in a jeep
aaah, kids. are they not just the same everwhere?
5 comments:
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go crazy
this is a very luscious blog, much like you.
a rich man is not the person with the most but the person who needs the least.
ya
Hi
I read you post, where will you be next spring...walking with cows? And who will you be? hmmm we shall see
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