secret routes and cow dates

Today i discovered a secret route.

From my hotel to the shops, this new road goes up the hill rather than down, through trees and empty cobblestone streets, in nature with cows and monkeys and birds, around all the hustle and bustle of the town and comes down between two quiet ashrams to the shops on the other side. Totally bypassing the noise, the traffic, the hawkers in the street, the beggars, the crowds, the craziness. In fact, it is a shortcut, so not only is it nice, quiet and peaceful, it is shorter! Or maybe it just seems shorter because it is more enjoyable. Regardless. I am very pleased.

On the way, I fed my dates to cows because this morning i discovered they were buggy! (the dates, not the cows) Buggy from inside the sealed package. They were that way when i bought them. so that wasn't a very fun discovery in my cereal this morning. The cows didn't mind though, and smacked their black lips in gratitude.

I have taken to making some food in my room. I can boil hot water as i bought a hot water coil and a big silver cup. SO i can make tea, and i can boil water for hot cereal. I have nuts and dried fruits and fresh fruits and granola and also some spices like cinnamon bark and green cardomom pods and fresh ginger. So its quite the apothecary. I can do all sorts of things with it, like boil the cinnamon and cardomom for a while and then pour the granola in the hot water, add some honey or apricot juice, nuts and raisins and banana and PRESTO! i have a hot, tasty, nutritious breakfast without ever having to leave my room and i sit in the sun on the balcony and eat it. I'm pretty proud. I won't lie.

I am feeling a little lonely after leaving the warmth and friendship of the ashram, but that happens every time i leave an ashram. i miss family and friends, as i always do when i am away so long. Its all natural and good. I still have friends here in Rishikesh from when i was here last time, so its nice to go and say hello to them and have chai. Chai, always chai, lets have chai. Its such a nice ritual.

I love the quietness of it here in the off season, but i do notice that people are just a little bit hungrier than they are in the tourist season, because there is less tourist money flowing, less people giving money in the street and its also a little bit colder so it requires more food to keep warm. So i notice this a little bit around me, but its very subtle.

I have very little to report. I just wanted to tell everyone that i miss you, and love you.

i hear you are getting lots of snow in Kamloops. I'll admit, i'm a little jealous. I love lots of snow.

Here the weather continues to be like a lovely spring or fall day in canada during the daytime, and a bit brisk at night, but i think we are still way above plus 5 or so. I am warm at night, cozy in my bed and that's all i care about.

I continue to soak up Indian culture and keep all my senses as open as possible at all times. The world is your teacher if you let it be.