Darjeeling - A Hill Station

After Bodhgaya it was time for us to finally board the train to head up further North into India. By now I was a little dissapointed by not being able to travel up into the Northwest of the country to see Leh and Dharamsala. But, given that it was a good time of year to visit the Northeast, I was again hopefully of finding some peace and quite among the mountains.

After only one setback - a train delayed for 12 hours that resulted in one night slept in the Patna train station, we were on board the train for another 12 hours until we reached NJP and Siliguri from which we boarded a jeep for a spectacular ascent up into higher elevations. We probably climbed at least 1000m and saw some amazing views, which would have been 1000x better if it weren't for the fires burning in the valleys and winds pushing the smoke upward. Either way, both a literal and metaphorical breath of fresh air from the crowded and polluted cities we've ventured within so far.



With a few days to lay low and walk the steep streets of the city we were able to look into several options to occupy our time for the next couple weeks in the North. We managed to drink some excellent tea and sample some local cakes and cookies as well as dive into a pizza or two to taste a bit of home. One day we even managed to take the walk to the top of the ridge where we stumbled upon an all boys private school called St.Pauls where we managed to sneak into a game of cricket and shoot some hoops on a hill-top basketball court (2200m elevation!).



After sometime of adventure searching we have decided to go on an 8 day trek to the lookout point of Goecha La - a 5000m point with a view of the third highest mountain in the world - Kanchenjunga. I've never been on such a long trek, and especially at such high elevation. My stomach is a little light with anticipation, but I'm more than excited to take on the challenge which may be a once in a lifetime experience in the Himilayas.



Devin is with me and we have a stock of Candy and activities to keep us on track. Not to mention a new aresenal of woolen attire (Sweater, toque and gloves) to keep us warm in the freezing nights.

Stay tuned for a post-trip update and wish us luck!

Future Travels:
- Goecha La look out point
- Calcutta (flight to Mumbai)

Lessons Learned:
- always carry a flashlight at night in Darjeeling - the power WILL go out
- Don't wash your clothes without checking the weather - No sun = no drying.

On the Mind:
- Meeting Challenges
- Getting out of the smoke and seeing some beautiful mountain landscapes

Bodhgaya - The Heart of Enlightenment

A small temple beneath the Bodhi tree, Bodh Gaya, built in 7th century, after the original built by Mauryan Emperor Ashoka in 3rd century BC, ca. 1810

Following our departure from the Ganges of Varanasi we found ourselves on route to the small town of Bodhgaya. Simply put, the town was built around an important religious symbol - the Bodhi Tree, the site under which Siddhartha Gautama, the spiritual teacher and founder of Buddhism later known as Gautama Buddha, achieved enlightenment. As such, this historic place is now a popular destination for Buddhist followers making a pilgrimage, as well as foreign tourists hoping to capture a piece of history.

Here is the Wiki-short of the story:

According to Buddhist traditions, circa 500 BC Prince Gautama Siddhartha, wandering as an ascetic, reached the sylvan banks of Falgu River, near the city of Gaya. There he sat in meditation under a bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa). After three days and three nights of meditation, Siddharta attained enlightenment and insight, and the answers that he had sought. He then spent seven weeks at seven different spots in the vicinity meditating and considering his experience. After seven weeks, he travelled to Sarnath, where he began teaching Buddhism.

Disciples of Gautama Siddhartha began to visit the place where he had gained enlightenment during the full moon in the month of Vaisakh (April-May), as per the Hindu calendar. Over time, the place became known as Bodh Gaya, the day of enlightenment as Buddha Purnima, and the tree as the Bodhi Tree.

The difference between Varanasi and Bodhgaya was steep. The smaller town was much less busy and bustling, with only the rare rikshaw driver hassling you from afar. The place was also set in a much cleaner landscape with a fresher grade of air and less trash scattered among the streets and ditches. A cultural difference also existed, with the surrounding population being seemingly more peaceful and well kept. The heart of Varanasi lay in the flowing waters of the Ganges, where as the beating centre of Bodhgaya was the over-arching Bodhi tree and surrounding temple. A visit to tree was much more moving than that of the Ganges. Although the site is somewhat masked with a tourist veil compared to what it used to be, it hasn't lost the peaceful power which seem to flow from the roots of the large tree outward to its leaves which periodically get knocked down to earth following a rolling breeze. I can't begin to speculate as to what it might feel like to 'attain enlightment' but it must involve some higher level of mental clarity earned after spending a long time wandering the inner caverns of ones mind. The place is in itself truly peaceful, and it's easy to see how one could spend hours, weeks, months and even years under the Bodhi branches seeking such clarity.

In the short time that I did have at the site, I decided to sit down under the swaying leaves and seek a little slice of peace from our busy travels. I watched the tourists and traveling monks scramble (and at times compete) to catch the leaves which had freshly fallen. I sat cross-legged on a mat under the tree and was soon greeted by a canine local who wanted nothing more than a head scratch and friend to lay down beside. I stroked the fur of his forehead backward and coaxed him to lay down and rest his head on the mat in the adjacent empty space.



As he lay down (very content, as I am a skilled head-petter) I rest my hand on his fur covered chest and felt his heart beat within its cage. And as my thoughts were on pace with the beats I was soon surprised to find a leaf that had fallen and floated its way into the middle of my crossed legs. A smile swept my face and I grasped a small slice of clarity in perspective. The lesson hinged on the shortness of our time here on earth.

Our hearts are beating clocks caged in our mortality and counting down to an inevitable release.

Although we don't find ourselves under a Bodhi tree, searching our souls for enlightenment, each day, wherever we may be, we are challenged to navigate the caverns of our thoughts and emotions in the hope of achieving some level of clarity or enlightenment - a search for peace and happiness for ourselves, our loved ones, and all of humanity.

How far have you traveled today towards enlightenment?


Future Travels:
- Darjeeling (North East Hill Station)
- Sikkim
- Back to Mumbai

Lessons Learned:
- Stop and feel a beating heart other than your own - live knowing it will stop, love knowing one day it will be free

On the Mind:
- Mortality
- Inner Peace
- A Heart.

Varanasi - The city of souls

After being down and out with a stomach bug for the first 3 days in Varanasi, I was excited to get out of the hotel room and explore the city and its sights. The city, according to wiki, is said to be over 3000-5000 years old and as such is recognized as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and the oldest in India. Varanasi is also known as a spiritual centre in India for many people, but especially those of Buddist, Hindu or Jains following. Here is an excerpt from the site, because they just get it more accurate than I would in my own words:

"Varanasi is a holy city in Hinduism, being one of the most sacred pilgrimage places for Hindus of all denominations. More than 1,000,000 pilgrims visit the city each year. It has the holy shrine of Lord Kashi Vishwanath (a manifestation of Lord Shiva), and also one of the twelve revered Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva.
Hindus believe that bathing in Ganga remits sins and that dying in Kashi ensures release of a person's soul from the cycle of its transmigrations. Hindus regard Kashi as one of the Shakti Peethas, and that Vishalakshi Temple stands on the spot where Goddess Sati's earrings fell.[15] Hindus of the Shakti sect make a pilgrimage to the city because they regard river Ganga itself as Goddess Shakti. Adi Shankara wrote his commentaries on Hinduism here, leading to the great Hindu revival. Vaishnavism and Shaivism have always co-existed in Varanasi harmoniously.
Varanasi is one of the holiest places in Buddhism too, being one of the four pilgrimage sites said to have been designated by Gautama Buddha himself (the others being Kushinagar, Bodh Gaya, and Lumbini). In the residential neighborhood of Varanasi lies Sarnath, the site of the deer park where Gautama Buddha is said to have given his first sermon about the basic principles of Buddhism. The Dhamek Stupa is one of the few pre-Ashokan stupas still standing, though only its foundation remains. Also remaining is the Chaukhandi Stupa commemorating the spot where Buddha met his first disciples (in the 5th century or earlier, BC). An octagonal tower was built later there.
Varanasi is a pilgrimage site for Jains along with Hindus and Buddhists. It is believed to be the birthplace of Parshvanatha, the twenty-third Tirthankar. Islamic culture has also had an influence on Varanasi. There has been some degree of continuous tension between different religious communities in the city."

SO, for a city of such age, with such a rich blend of cultural and religious roots, I must admit that I had hoped for quite the moving experience. But, after entering the old city following the all too familiar rikshaw ride, the atmosphere became quite clear. It's busy, dirty, and full of locals waiting to pounce on unsuspected tourists. It wasn't different. Somehow I expected an energy to flow through the place, depicting the solid foundation of tradition. Instead, I tasted the familiar taste of pollution and dust. But that was only my first day, and I hadn't been down to the Ganges yet to see the Ghats or the many people who make the pilgrimage to the area. This morning Devin and I made the trip in the early hours to take a boat ride down the Ganges. As we descended the steep steps my eyes eagerly scanned the scene. It was definetly different than the old city streets, and it was clear that this was a more meaningful and peaceful place. But as soon as I got into the boat I noticed the tourists (like me). Boats and boats full of them, riding up and down the Ganges, for the same reason we did, to see what was going on, and take some pictures. It didn't sit well with me. A place where people came to die, or had made the journey after leaving this life to end their time in this sacred place. And now, people come and pay people to paddle them up and down the river to take endless shots of people and ashes (even though people are strictly forbidden to take photos of certain areas). After taking a few shots of the sun in the distance and the murky water I closed up my lens and packed away my camera. In a place that was built around the river as a symbol that gives so much to the people, a place so sacred it was the wish of millions to have their final remains drift away in the current, we were only giving coins in order to take away their experience. It didn't feel right. The city deserves more, the people deserve more. A sacred place where the water is no longer safer to swim in let alone drink.

It was clear that this place still held value, it is kept sacred by the people. But existing is also the feeling that something is now missing, lost with time and a lack of care from some. I ascended the steep steps once again and took one last look back knowing I'd probably never return to this place again. But the imagery in my mind will still linger for a long time.

Where are our sacred places? How do we treat them? whats the right price to sell its health for a picture? Don't millions of souls deserve more?

On being a half-indian in India

I'm not exactly sure how many times in the last couple days local Indians will talk to me and mention somewhere in the conversation how I look Indian, but do not sound or act Indian. Firstly, this is a big win as I tanned up and am sporting a nice travel beard with the hopes of fitting in better. Secondly it makes me feel really odd, for several reasons, some of which I'm sure I haven't figured out yet. In Canada I usually would get people being a little confused or unsure of what my genetic background was as there were many awkwardly initiated conversations with people wondering, essentially, why I look the way I do (which I suppose isn't really clear-cut defined in any standard race category..if I can put it like that). In Canada I'd hear things like "So what are you?" or "what nationality are you?". Again, sometimes it came out horribly awkward as some people just couldn't quite figure out exactly how to ask the question. The answer, if you were always wondering but never asked is as follows:

Nationality - I'm Canadian (although I have dual citizenship with the UK)
Genetic Makeup - My mom is Indian, from Bombay, and my dad is British. She's 100% dark-skinned, and my dad is 100% fair skinned. The way it seems to make the most sense to me is that I got more of my skin tone from my mother, and got more of the body tone from my father. I didn't, unfortunately, get his blue eyes however.

In Canada people seem interested because they couldn't figure it out, it was a puzzle, a mystery. In India, they can see I look Indian, but the puzzle is more of the cultural background. They want to know "Do you speak Hindi?", "Where is your mom from?", "Do you like Indian food?", "What do you think of India?". On some level I almost feel like an alien look-alike. Maybe a good analogy is the movie Avatar, where the soldier gets put in the native body, but doesn't really know much about the culture or the language. On some level I fit in, at least until I open my mouth. People seem to be comfortable around me as if I can bridge some gap across some ongoing curiosities they have between their world and that of the west. I guess it's just weird to me because my perspective is always to define myself through my culture and experience in the west. I grew up completely in a westernized culture and didn't really stop too many times in the mirror to think about how well I looked the part. I guess it opens up more questions than provides any answers. How much do people define me by the way I look? What about the way I speak and act? How much of us is seen, and how much is heard? And at the end of the day, do people really connect with us the way we think they do, or did we have it backwards the whole time?

Dubai - High hopes and higher skyscrapers

It's been a little while now since I spent a week in Dubai within the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Originally Dubai was my pre-designated hotspot for sights and inspiration. A city built seemingly overnight on the watch-clock of a hoard of immigrant workers. A modernized desert oasis conjured through international investment and a strong vision for a unique future. Dubai is a city that redefines what is possible, but more recently, stands as an example of why you shouldn't bite off more than you can chew. It's hard not to overshadow the infrastructural successes of Dubai by the overwhelming blundering of their economy which seemed to be based more on promises than anything else. One media release seemed to sum it up best when it referred to Dubai as a "monument to vanity and greed'. And there is no better example of this than the megaproject called Dubai World. The project, which begun with millions and millions of tonnes of sand being dredged from the ocean floor to in-fill land mass above sea level - essentially creating ocean-front property overnight - had to be stopped indefinetly after it was announced that they could not keep up with payments on some $22billion of debt accumulated throughout the project.



I can admit that I was certainly caught up in the "hype" of Dubai. At the end of the day the city didn't leave an impression of a fairytale desert city turned modern wonder but more of an image of a city that threw caution into the wind in pursuit of materialistic fame. When you get accustomed to the lavish face-lifted image (which still is very nice and on its own level, very impressive) that Dubai has developed, you can start to notice that the city lacks a soul - its void of a core culture. With the population being made up of a patchwork of Arab nationals and foreign workers, there isn't much existing to bring everyone together to build a strong cultural foundation. The foreign workers are lured there by fantasies of becoming rich and leading better lives, which most of the time I'm sure end up more untrue than otherwise. And the nationals seem content with riding the along with the tourist boom and cashing in some cows. With more shopping malls and hotels per square kilometer than probably anywhere else in the world, Dubai has built itself up as a city of transition. Like an eastern-set Las Vegas, people come to work, and play but never intend to linger too long.

Altogether it was a good trip, though. To finally see a place which you've heard so much about is always rewarding in its own way. It was good to float along the cityscape in Dubai's version of the Skytrain and take in the reality of the place. Although the city was less impressive as a whole than I imagined, there is still one aspect I can respect - the ability to have a vision aimed at creating something greater than exists today. At the end of a week it was easy for me to pack my bag with some lessons and fly forward into what awaited next.

Future Travels:
-India: Round 2 - Mumbai, Corbett Tiger Reserve

Lessons Learned:
-"Objects may appear larger than they are"
-Don't cash money out and put it in your wallet for the day. Carry it elsewhere, lest you lose it.

On the mind:
-Reality vs. Fiction
-What makes a great city great

Night Terrors

Sometimes you wake up and feel confident, secure, content and ready to face the day and conquor the world. Some other days are different. Psychologically speaking, it's really amazing how the mind can work during the night in dream-like states. From a realistic perspective, that can't always be a good thing. How much are we in control of our dreams? or are we at all? why would we dream of things that upset us? why would we fabricate a false-reality to live in for that short period of time?

Last night I had one of those bad dreams - a nightmare. Similar in content to another one a few months back. A confusing scene manafactured by my conscience and played to my mind as a streaming movie. You know those dreams you have where you can't move or speak, you're paralized and helpless. The similarity between those and this was that although I could move, and talk, and act, I was still helpless to alter the scene which unfolded. As if I was to live though a reality to witness it and experience the inability to change its fate.

The purpose of such things cannot be known. Maybe a deeper psychologial meaning exists between the lines. A restless subconscience is allowed to react freely. Perhaps its simply a random occurance, neurotransmitters firing without reason. Either way, today I woke up early, in no frame of mind to conquor the world.