Mass Email - Catching Our Breath

Namaste All!

Well, we have managed to cover a lot of ground in the past few days! We left Manali after spending only about 24 hours there (just enough time to do some shopping and eat the first fish I've had since I left home), and we caught a night bus to Delhi. We were ready to leave Manali, as it was pouring rain and very cold. We had to wait in line to get our bags on the bus for about a half hour in the rain, and ended up soaked during our entire bus ride. Plus, I got stuck next to a snorer who apparently needed some affection, as he kept trying to lay on my shoulder and practically spoon me (apparently this is normal here), so I spent most of the bumpy ride to Delhi pushing him off of me.
Arriving in Delhi was a bit of a shock, as we have been so lucky to have spent the past 2 months in such beautiful mountainous areas with friendly people. Delhi is kind of like LA on acid, and with a bit more trash and pollution (if you can believe it)! The second we stepped foot off the bus we were swarmed by beggars and Rickshaw drivers trying to get our money, but were fortunate to be taken to a decent hotel with ROOM SERVICE and hot water that didnt run out on us during our showers!! The only reason we planned to come to Delhi was to pick up a few things that we can't get anywhere else (like an iPod charger and other electronics) and to mail a package home. However, to our great humor, we happened to arrive on the first day of the Diwali Festival, so everything was closed and we were unable to get any of our errands done. So, instead, we decided to partake in the festivities and make the most of our one night in Delhi!
The Diwali Festival is called the "Festival of Lights," and is supposed to symbolize (among many things) the ridding ourselves of darkness with light. The celebration is kind of like a combonation of Christmas and the 4th of July, as the cities are filled with colorful "Christmas" lights, flowers strung everywhere, and a warzone of fireworks going off constantly. The only shops open for service are the sweets stands, and it is customary to buy and consume copious amounts of sugar-filled ...anything!
We were fortunate to celebrate with an Indian family. Robin, the owner of the Lotus House where we stayed in Dharamsala, lives in Delhi, so we bought a box of sweets, got dolled up and took a 45 minute cab ride to his family's home.
When we got there, Robin was the only one home, but he went out and bought us some customary "Diwali" Food (which was like fried chapati in a sweet sauce with potatoes) and some vodka (NOT customary Diwali comsumptions). We sat in his family's very beautiful, and somewhat western, home and ate, drank and watched "The O.C." I laughed at the fact that the only time I"ve ever watched the show was here in India. After an hour or so, Robin's father came home and we helped them string lights on the house.
Robin's father, a gentle old man with an adorable pot belly, is a Vipassana teacher (as well as a politician, apparently), and when I told him I had just completed my frist 10 day Vipassana course, he insisted that he lead a meditation session. I was thrilled about this, but Raydene and Robin half-assedly participated while giggling in the background. He lit candles and incense, and offered prasad (an offering of sweets) to his statue of Buddha, and set up pillows around the statue for us to sit. He led a chant in Hindi, and talked about Dhamma (Buddha's teachings) in a way that gave me chills because of it's striking reference to Goenka's discourses during the Vipassana course. I was so excited to be in his presence and to hear him speak so passionately about something that I had just been immersed in for 10 days. It felt validating and strangely comforting just to be in the presence of someone who had not only experienced a Vipassana course (as it did with my friends in McLeod), but who was so learned in the teachings. I felt like I wanted to soak up everything he had to say, and I felt humbled by his gentle but penetrating eye contact as he spoke.

Raydene and Robin retreated back to the kitchen, but I stayed with Robin's father and talked to him a bit about my experience at the Vipassana center, and about the friends with whom I had shared the experience. When I told him that we had all parted ways about a week ago, he asked me if I was experiencing any loss in their absence. I told him that I was, and he smiled and nodded knowingly, saying that when people leave a Vipassana course (even their first), they tend to find a strong inner need to surround themselves with people who have practiced Vipassana. He suggested that we sit together and offer Metta to my friends (a meditation offering love and compassion to all living beings). Very moved by his suggestion, I complied. I told him that my friends would be visiting him and Robin soon, and that they would love to sit with him and learn from his experiences, and he assured me he would do so.
After sitting, he showed me his meditation room where people from town come to sit every morning at 6am. He also showed me his antique collection of all the original books of Buddha's teachings (that are over 2500 years old)! He, apparently, has written books condensing these teachings so as to make them more accessible for people to read. Even though it was not necessarily a traditional Diwali celebration, I very much enjoyed my time talking to Robin's father, and felt a great deal of comfort after the past few hectic days of traveling.

Yesterday morning we woke up early and hired a driver to take us through "The Golden Triangle" (Delhi - Agra - Jaipur). We drove about 5 hours to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, which was a surreal experience to be in the presence of one of the less-frequently visited wonders of the world. It was just as beautiful as would be expected, and we soaked up as much of the grounds as we could before heading west to Jaipur.
We arrived in Jaipur last night around 10pm, only to learn that our driver not only didn't speak a word of English, but had never been to Jaipur before! We drove around for about an hour trying to find a guesthouse, when he finally dumped us at a trashy hotel in the middle of the city (which was still a mass of humanity due to the Diwali festivities). After a restless night of fireworks and car horns, we woke up this morning and found ourselves a beautiful guesthouse just outside of the city called the Evergreen Hotel. It lives up to it's name, with beautiful, shady gardens on the grounds, a swimming pool, shops, a restaurant, and an internet cafe!
Being immersed in the city life of India will definitely take some adjusting, but I think we are ready to set some roots here for a week or so (since we bought ourselves some extra time by skipping Nepal). We will most likely stay here until the end of the month before heading to Pushkar for the camel festival, and then onto the other parts of Rajasthan.
Jaipur is a chaotic but colorful city that seems to have a great deal to offer. I'm looking forward to unpacking my backpack for a while and taking some time to lay out at the pool and catch up on some reading, as well as wander the city streets and see what there is to see here.

I hope everyone is well back at home, or wherever you may be. It's always so great to hear from all of you.

Much love,
Cass