The New Scene

Well, I did it!  Three of us girls sang on stage together at a small classical indian concert.  I really have stage fright about singing in front of people, but I was surprised to find that I wasnt at all nervous... Even though I was having serious doubts about whether we should have been up there singing at all! I had just learned two of the four mantras the day before, and still didn't have the words down; another girl had just learned one; we were all a little off key from each other; and our timing was off... But it was really about the experience and working on our fear of singing on stage, so it was good!  The audience was forgiving :-) I have never traveled to a town like this outside of the US.  It's really an activated place!  Almost every town I have been to has a similar story:  there are a couple temples to see; maybe some historical sites; a lot of shopping; some high dollar tourist activities (ie: trekking; camping; and other guided tours)... And not much else to do.  Traveling is often spent loafing about restaurants, checking emails, and socializing with other travelers.  Here, however, it is very different.... People come here to study.  There are classes on every kind of yoga you can think of; voice lessons; drumming and other Indian instrument lessons; meditation; Ayurveda; massage; reiki; language classes; jewelry making classes; sewing and cooking classes; many kinds of dance including: belly dance; classical Indian; contact dance... There are Buddhist retreats; free movie nights; volunteering opportunities; teaching opportunities; hiking... It's a good thing I will be here for awhile, as my plate is already full!  The best part about it, is that its affordable to "pig out" on all the activities you always wanted to do, but didn't want to pay $20 an hour to do it!  Everyone is bustling about, feeding themselves with new knowledge, and their favorite hobbies.  It's a smorgasbord of playfulness and I feel at home here.   Another difference, is that everything here is on a mountainside, so nothing is flat.  I spend a minimum of an hour a day (usually more like 2-3) hiking up and down hills.  We all do... So everyone eventually ends up in pretty good shape.  I love hiking mountains, so integrating into my daily routine of just getting around,  is perfect! Tomorrow I begin my yoga teacher training... Its going to be a big shift to be locked into an all day schedule for a whole month, yet, diving into the  rich and fulfilling practice of yoga and meditation are exactly how I want to spend my time, so I am really looking forward to it!! My new friend Ashley is finishing up her class in Ayurvedic massage today, and she needs a volunteer for her practical "exam".  So I am off to do my service with a 2 hour morning massage....  

A renegade blog post!

Ah! Today I found a post I had written a little while ago, April 18tg that never got published! Shucks! Well, better late than never :-)... Here we go back in time... ........... Being in Dharamkot is like being in heaven... The food is fantastic, mountains AWEsome, Tibetans are georgeous, little traffic, quiet, GREEN, fresh...  I love it here! We found a Vipassana center about a 3 minute walk from our guesthouse, and have been going for group meditation once or twice a day.  We also started taking voice lessons from a really wonderful indian woman who I am rapidly falling in love with.  Otherwise, we have spent a few hours each day walking around the hills; paths between towns; and through the woods.  It's been relaxing, and lovely.   We had intentions to do a 3 day trek in the mountains, but we have been inhibited by the cold, rainy weather; and an injury to my foot (not a big deal, just took a spill and have a cut on my foot where my shoes rub).  So... Hiking is temporarily on hold.   We have been spending a little time with our good friends Halo and Wayve from the US.  They are here studying classical Indian dance and drumming together.  They will be here until the end of May, so it will be nice to have that company when Ben leaves.  They are coming over for dinner and chai tonight.  We lured them with brown rice, and fresh vegetables... Having a kitchen is great! Pretty mellow...  Time for voice lessons...  "Do re mi fa so la ti do"!  Or in classical Indian, which we are learning..."sa re ga ma pa dha ni sa"!

Tibetan culture and a visit with Santa Claus

After Ben left last night, i (thankfully) had the nice distraction of attending a friend's (Halo our friend from the US) classical Indian dance performance.  It was beautiful and she danced like a goddess.   Pics to be posted soon!  

This morning I met up with a girlfriend Maria from my permaculture course and we went to meditation together, then came back to my place for breakfast.  She whisked me off on an adventure to the Tibetan library for a teaching in Tibetan Buddhism.  We found a "short-cut" to get there and ended up hiking all the way down a mountain side.  We laughed the whole way about how we were really taking the easy way down... 

The Tibetan library is a special place. Some years ago, an attempt was made to destroy all the ancient scriptures and texts in Tibet (another old story), but the texts were smuggled out of the country.  Many books were saved and now live in different parts of the world in many copies, ensuring their survival.  Many of the originals now live in this library here in dharamsala.  

After our teaching at the library, we hopped on a bus, and traveled to a town about 30 min away, at the bottom of the mountain.  We landed at another temple for Tibetan Buddhism, to meet the famous Karmapa.  He has been reborn 17 times now with the awareness of his place as Karmapa.  He is a Tulku, which is one like the Dalai Llama, who gives the details of where and to which parents he will be reborn, so that he can be easily found again.  He is young now, about 28 or so, and it is quite an honor to meet him... I guess?  To me it was like meeting Santa Claus... And never having heard of Santa Claus before.  I could tell by the way everyone was acting that he was a "big deal", but to me.. he was a monk who looked kind of bored as people filed by to receive their blessing.  Not to say that I didn't admire him... He had a sweet energy, and a special presence.  I was like a rookie in line who had no idea what to do.  I didn't bow when everyone else did; I didn't have a white scarf to bless; and when I recieved my blessing, I didn't look down and fold my hands in a respectful prayer position.. I looked him right in the eye and smiled.  He looked surprised.  I realized I had done it all "wrong" but I didn't feel embarrassed.  The man looked kind of  tired of being bowed to and blessing everyone that walked by... So I gave him a great big grin and blessed him!  He looked like he was trying not to smile.. But his eyes twinkled.  Well...how can you break "the rules" if you don't know what they are ??? Not that I was trying to make a joke out of the whole thing, I actually have a lot of respect for the Buddhist teachers and practices.  

The whole thing happened so fast, about 5 minutes to bless about 80 people.  Maria had been so excited all day, and it was so anti-climatic that when we got outside we just burst out laughing! 

We got on a bus back to dharamsala, and noticed a typical Indian moment when we saw an old man get out of a bus in front of us to go pee, and the bus took off without him!  Our bus stopped to pick the poor guy up, and he looked completely bewildered.  

When we finally arrived back in McLeod Ganj,  I hit the evening meditation session and then stumbled wearily back to my room.  As I was just getting ready to relax I noticed something move out of the corner of my eye... I went to the corner of the room, against the wall, and there on the floor was a scorpion! Without Ben here I had to brave it and captured it myself.  As I took it outside, the guesthouse owner drove up.  I showed him my unwanted houseguest and he said "oh don't worry!  They don't hurt you."  what kind of scorpion doesn't sting or  bite??? My feeling was that he was afraid I might want to leave because of the creepy fellow (or gal) and tried to quell my fears.  But it's gone now, and I'll be lookin in my shoes from now on before I put em on... And under the covers...

Goodbyes are Never Easy

I said goodbye to Ben last night as he boarded his bus to Delhi... Now he is on his 60 hour journey back to the USA via Delhi and Amsterdam.  It was a heart wrenching parting; one we have experienced many times, yet fails to become easy.  But we both have things to look forward to in our up coming journeys, and gratitude for the time we were able to spend together here.  It was an adventure... Of mind, body and soul..... Something I have learned much from, and will treasure...

Last few hours

Well... It's bens last few hours in India. We are both a bit weepy eyed, and making the most of our last time together. It's been a wild ride, and India gave him a little love tap a couple days ago, when the Giardia came back and forced him to spend a whole day in bed. Now, he is saying his last goodbyes to friends, Himalayas, music lessons, our cute "apartment", and each other. Soon he will be back there enjoying spring with all of you... Buen Viaje; Bon Voyage, have a great trip Ben! India will miss you...

Music, Astrology and World Peace

I have a Guru!  A music Guru anyway... Her name is Anita and she is so beautiful and kind.  She is my teacher for voice lessons and I have decided to study with her for my duration here (it was an easy decision to make; Ben and I both adore her).  We went to her concert last night, with the three teachers performing classical Indian music.  Her husband teaches tabla and djembe and I am going to start studying with him in a few days.  The third teacher teaches flute and all three are masters of their craft.  I am really loving the lessons and find singing classical Indian deeply enjoyable.   

The concert was really wonderful,  and I left feeling high and pretty much floated out.  We almost didn't make it as it was pooring down rain, and we had a twenty minute walk, but it was our "Guruji" performing so we braved it and were so happy we did.

We have made new friends with a couple from Canada who are studying Ayurvedic massage.  Unfortunately, they needed some folks to practice on, so we nobly volunteered ;-).  We have enjoyed their sweet energy and it was really a blessing to try out the Indian style of massage after so many Thai massages.  

One of our most esoteric adventures, was a trip to a Vedic Astrologer.  His name was "Jai"... :-)...Ben went first and I had an opportunity to see if it was something i wanted to pay for.   It was about $14, and after he amazed us with his accuracy in Bens reading, I jumped at the chance.  He talked about my past, present and future using my astrology and some of his intuition.  He was right on!  I was really impressed.  In Vedic astrology, I am not a Gemini;  I am a Taurus, with a Taurus moon and an Aries rising.  What he read to me felt so much more accurate (at this time of my life) than previous readings I have had  with western astrology.  How is vedic different from western?  In western astrology, we do not take into account the tilt of the earth... Which makes a big difference!  So what did he tell me?  That I would make a good clothing designer; and I would be good in the holistic sciences; I cannot be happy if  my life does not involve travel and change; that it was a good time to be studying; I would have a long, fruitful life and die peaceful; and some other things which are secret ;-)
 
We are reveling in the sweet and pure Tibetan energy; embracing these  beings and their struggles.  We found a nice female tibetan tailor, and had her make us some wool coats.  We had tea with her and discussed her experiences in these hard times.  She came to India 8 years ago, and had to leave her 3 children back in tibet.  She has only seen them one time since came here, and she and her husband are working and praying to bring them here.  Being here, really feels as though we are suffering along with these people.  It's very tragic, their plight in Tibet... A few days ago, two 20 yr old boys, self immolated in Tibet, in protest to the Chinese occupation.  It was very sad here, and we joined a march with the local Tibetans... carrying candles and chanting, for the freedom of their nation and culture.  Afterward, we went to our Tibetan monk friends, at the volunteer center, and had Tibetan pizza and watched a movie about the Dalai llama and his current situation with Tibet.  It's such an old story... This taking land and freedom from undeserving people, in order to gain power, resources, or control.  When will we learn that the way to ever really receive... Is to give?  That when we take from others, we take from ourselves?  

It's not for us to hate the Chinese either.  As the Dalai llama says... It's not about Tibet being its own country .. It's about humanity being united and living together in peace on planet earth.  It's about Tibetans and Chinese (and the rest of us) living in harmony without a need to create borders; control culture and religion; fear and fight for power... Its about Coexisting.  All of us.

It's time for these struggles to end.  The fear that there is not enough... There is plenty for all.  When we all stop hoarding what we have in fear that we each might lose out on something... We will find all our brothers and sisters on this planet are warm, fed, healthy and happy.  And by we, I mean me too.  I am also working on letting go of the fear that there is not enough.  How can we share what we have with those who are less fortunate?  Can we choose to have just a little less? A few less things, and give to others what will be worth so much more to them than to us?  How can we better unite our world, by starting in our own community?  

One step, is to care.  To remember our brothers and sisters of the world, and to let ourselves care about them as if they were as close to us as our own family... For in fact, they are.  They are you....You are them... We are all One.... We can never truly experience peace within ourselves until all beings are peaceful....

New Home

We shifted over to Dharamkot today, about a kilometer from McLeod Ganj. Found a room in a beautiful guesthouse with a view, a balcony with table and chairs, and...drumroll....a KITCHEN!!! Yes! Now we can make food without a ton of oil, and chai without a ton of sugar... Yippee! It is by a beautiful forest and a meditation center. We are happy :-)

The Worth of Trust

It may not look or feel like India, but it is.  We were strongly reminded of this today.  I came to India having heard many stories.. Most were about how you just can't trust anyone here.  The lies, scams, pickpockets, rip-offs, inflated prices for westerners, thieves, sleazy men's schemes to touch unsuspecting tourist women... It has been hard as a result of all the stories to trust people here, but I have been determined to do so.  I don't want to judge anyone based on stories, nor is it fair to judge a whole race as a result of the mistakes of a few.  Thus far, I have met my share of scams and rip-offs, sleazy men and dodgy folk... But I have met honest and honorable ones too.  It has taken courage and the patience to trust them all at least enough to give them a chance.  Today, however, my patience began to wear thin.  

The day began with a small series of rip-offs, beggars, and "deal makers" as usual.  By lunch time, we were waiting  3 hours for my shoes to be repaired (though I found them in a state of disrepair) of which we were promised a 15 minute fix.  Walking around town barefoot, I slipped into a store to absorb my frustrated mind in some beautiful Tibetan made clothing.  Ben was outside chatting with a teenage boy.  When I went back out, he said he was going to buy the boy some food.  I walked behind them for awhile feeling uneasy about this, but admiring Ben's desire to give him something.  I went into another store figuring it would take them awhile to order food.  I assumed Ben was buying him lunch.  When I came out I saw the boy standing there with a gallon of cooking oil, a 15 lb bag of rice and 2 large bags of powdered milk.  He thanked Ben and walked away.  I stared wide eyed at the boy and then at Ben.  "Did you buy that for him?" I asked.  Ben said "yes, he asked if i would buy food for his family".  I felt sick, and sorry I hadnt been paying more attention.  

When Alesha and I were I Cambodia, we were approached with a scam in which a few kids and a baby would beg for you to buy milk for the baby.  They wanted us to buy a large expensive container of formula.  We didn't want to buy formula and tried to buy a smaller less expensive carton of real milk, but they wouldn't have it.  We wanted to do it but we both had an intuition something wasn't right so we declined and left.  It was bothering me for awhile, so I actually googled it and found our hunch confirmed.  It's a typical scam in which they get you to buy a high cost item, then they return it to the store for a cut of the money.  

I told Ben about this scam and the possibility that that was what may have happened.  His face turned into a look of disappointment, but we decided it may not have been the case.  A few minutes later, Ben saw the boy talking to the shop owner and a few minutes after that, Ben was approached by another boy the same age, who asked "would you please buy food for my family?"...

We knew we'd  been had.  I spent the rest of the day feeling sad.  I want to trust people.  I especially don't want to walk around distrusting everyone and assuming that if a person is Indian, they are going to lie, cheat and steal.  It's  not true.  But patience wears thin, and it's hard to trust when you have been hurt.  

Bens heart was in the right place, and his generosity was well aimed.  It was a clever scam meant to take advantage of a persons kindness.  

In the evening we had dinner and a movie at the Tibetan volunteer center.  We watched a movie on the struggles of tibet and ate delicious Tibetan pizza.  The Tibetans working there were kind, humble and warm.  I feel somewhat re-inspired toward people and I think we will spend a lot of time there. It was a much needed embrace in the kindness of our brothers.

We're Not in Kansas Anymore Toto!

After 40+ hours of traveling; a 4500 ft elevation gain; two trains, four auto rickshaws, two jenky buses, and good ole feet... We made it to Dharamsala/McLeod Ganj.  Wow.  It is NOT what I expected at all.  I had pictured a large Indian city crammed tight with crumbling cement buildings, in a dry Himalayan valley, with slightly less trash on the ground and relatively clean air.  But THIS... Is incredible!!!  I feel more like I am in Switzerland than India.  

The town is actually located smack in the middle of gigantic snow capped mountains, with it's buildings cascading down lush green slopey hillsides.  There is fruit and fresh vegetables (hallelujah!); cute little Tibetan shops and restaurants; little homes and villages dotting the hillsides; and no auto rickshaws... Which means way less honking! Did I mention the air is crisp, cool and fresh (ah, breathing feels like a luxury)?  There is a significant difference in the people here... Their skin is radiant, their eyes sparkle, they laugh animatedly, and they bounce down the street in a healthy gleeful state.  Gone are the long, zombie-like, sunken faces of the south; the lethargy; and sullen, hopeless attitudes.  Is it the fresh air?  The Buddhist mentality?  The access to fresh fruits and vegetables?  The magical Himalayan mountains and cool air??  Most likely all the above.  We feel it too.  We have pep in our step again; new inspiration, and we are no longer gagging on hot dusty pollution... I am experiencing shock and amazement and I feel as though I fell down the rabbit hole in "Alice in Wonderland". I have been transported into some kind of blissful dream...

We were met by a few men at the bus station on arrival, the typical swarm of hotel employees wanting you to choose their hotel.  This usually evokes feelings of irritation, when you have just gotten off a bus, in a strange land, and there is such pushy energy.  Today, however, I saw it from a new perspective.  In a country where jobs are scarce and money is little, how can you blame them for wanting your business?  It's actually a lovely service coming right to your "bus door-step" when you are travel weary, unfamiliar with the town, and just want to a place to drop your pack and rest. Today, I decided to humor this little tradition and just see what happened.  We were only approached by 3 men.  One representing an expensive hotel; one a cheap hotel; and one middle range.  Seemed easy enough... We chose to walk with the young man from the mid-range hotel.  Their slogan is always..."just come see.  If you don't like, you don't have to stay.  Looking is free."  so what the heck?  Why not?  

He was very friendly, spoke great English.  We hiked through the streets, winding around little shops and Tibetan ladies cooking up momos in the streets.  (momos are Bens and my favorite food here, they are little vegetable filled dumplings, either steamed or fried).  We walked for quite a ways and we both started to wonder if we should just break away and look for  a place on our own... But the young man kept us engaged in conversation, and we were riding the wave of trust....

We eventually made it his hotel, and as he took us down the steps and around to the front, we were over-swept by a stunning view of a green valley backed by snow-capped jagged peaks off the balcony of a brand new beautiful hotel. It is spring here and there seems to be a butterfly migration happening; clouds of fluttering fairies fill the gaps between forested  hillsides.   We looked at each other with wide eyes and broad smiles.  He showed us the most expensive room first (a brilliant sales maneuver) at $12 a night, and we fell immediately in Love.  The other two rooms were nice too, one at $10/nt had a view but nothing like the first; and the $8 night had no view.  It was an easy choice.  $1 each more a night for the most breathtaking view I have ever had from a hotel room.  We went big.  Our balcony wraps around 2 sides of our room and gracefully hovers over the whole valley.  It is just on the edge of the small town, and far enough away from the road to be unfamiliarly quiet.  Birds of prey circle the skies and the sun rises behind the mountain peaks within view of our bed.  

Guided by angels, we have unexpectedly stumbled into heaven... 

1000 mile journey

Traveling in India is a terrific adventure, full of random experiences and sometimes chaos.  Inevitably, it brings up many levels of fear, anxiety, excitement and confusion.   "Change-overs" are the most stressful... Arriving in a new place and navigating to the train; negotiating with rickshaws and taxis on prices; crowds; cities; unfamiliar places and cultural norms...  There are safety issues; feelings of vulnerability; Ben discovered someone trying to pick his pocket... There is staring, begging, and entrepeneurs vying for your business with whatever they are selling.  There is fear that one of your trains or buses will be late and you will miss your connection; and then there's the "time-killing" in the dirty, crowded stations when your train or bus IS late.  There's fear of being split up in a crowd; being groped by a sexually repressed man who thinks that because you are foreign,  the rules of bodily respect no longer apply. There are lines which are more like mosh-pits, where everyone shoves their way to the front, even when boarding a train in which there is plenty of time and everyone has a seat... Even before people have de-boarded.  And then there is all of the above... When you are alone.  

But these experiences are fertile ground for growth.  It feels good to be pushed beyond our comfort zone.  As each experience unfolds, there is the aftermath of grace and ease as you realize it wasn't so bad... You survived, and actually...ironically...it was kinda fun... Funny how the actual experience differs from the perceived experience, and reality rarely ends up the way we expect it to.... 

We arrived into Delhi on time and made it to the old Delhi train station with more than enough time to spare.  We've been at the station for 3 hours now and our train is delayed 2 more hours.  We found a waiting room for first class passengers which is only slightly nicer than waiting outside, but at least we have seats and a plug to charge our devices.  

The ride from Gaya to Delhi was great!  We had an AC sleeper car, and were seated in a compartment with an exceptionally entertaining family.  They were quite modern and the young man (probably in his late teens) spoke wonderful English.  The "Auntie" was loads of fun and very outspoken for an Indian women.  I was quite surprised.  There were 2 young daughters in their late teens; two slightly older boys; two Aunties; an Uncle and Nanny.  They fired many questions at us about our lives and travels, and wanted us to ask them questions about India.  They were shocked that ben was 6yrs younger than I, and appalled that we didn't have any children yet.  We should almost be grandparents by now!  The exuberant Auntie said that Ben was her new son and that I was her daughter in law, which they call "Babi".  The rest of the trip i was referred to by the whole family as "Babi".  

My new mother-in-law insisted on dressing me up in a sari,  and pulled out a very beautiful light blue 6 meter piece of fabric.  She wrapped me in about 6 different styles from different places in India while Ben took pics.  The family roared with delight and I was loving this cultural exchange.  It was a rare experience to connect with the locals and I was thrilled with the opportunity to finally see how they manage this saree thing.  I felt like a princess.  They collected their bangles for me to put on my wrists; and my "mother-in-law" annointed me with a red dot on my third eye and a red smudge on my forehead at my hairline.  To my absolute horror, she then smeared dark red lipstick on my lips, which resulted in a round of oohs and ahhs at how nice it looked on me.  I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror with the cockeyed makeup on and felt like a 5 yr playing in my mothers makeup.   I do not think it looked in any way appealing, an though quite mortified, I humored them and chalked it up to a cultural experience.  It was fun.  

Our new family helped to make sure we got up for our arrival at 5am.  Thankfully, as there were no signs at the stations, no announcers, no real way of knowing when you arrive.  

We said our goodbyes and exchanged information so we could stay connected on Facebook.  If there is one thing Facebook is good for, it's a way to keep in touch with the local people we meet where we might otherwise have no way.  They love to get on and see all our pictures; where we have been; what our lives have been like... A pretty neat way to connect culturally!

One hour left to go...  Ben is on his third cup of coffee and I, my second cup of chai... Actually, chai just means black tea with milk... The yummy spicy flavorful drink we call "chai"  in the states is rarely found here; replaced with its far less tasty (but still decent) double- "a masala chai"... Signifying that you want the spices in your tea.. Then you get a small pinch... Ahh..  Not complaining though!  Chai is a great excuse to relax and chat at any time of day, and I'm quite fond of the ritual.  

Well, onward and upward! Literally, as we head up to those picturesque and long anticipated Himalayan mountains.... Enthusiastic and inspired, here we come!

Done and Done

Well, today is our last day in Bodhgaya and we are now certified Permaculture Design..."practitioners"?  The course was great and we learned so much on so many levels.  The last week we had practicals and we were to do a design.  Ben and I were on separate teams and it was a good opportunity to explore different areas of permaculture and the needs of Bodhgaya.  His was based on an existing farm, and mine was on a street in an urban setting.  My team was to design ways to deal with water catchment; utilizing existing resources; growing food in urban settings; community building; business development; composting; waste management; black water treatment; grey water usage; beautifying; pest control..quite a few others as well.  It was a real life situation and we had a small group of local clients.  It was a ton of work in a short time but the results were well worth it!  We presented yesterday and our clients came to the presentation.  One of our classmates runs an environmental NGO here and plans to help this group implement the design.  Very exciting!!  

So, we leave tomorrow to head up to Dharamsala..the home of the Dalai Llama and the heart of Tibetan culture.  It is where the Tibetans have set up home after leaving their invaded land up north.  Its cool, mountainous, and allegedly clean, with fresh air....  I cannot pretend that we are not thrilled.  It's  been very challenging to be here...and it's been perfect.  Permaculture  is not just about waste management, sustainable agriculture and technology.  It's about natural healing; holistic nutrition; sanitation; a better way of life, living in balance with mother nature... Bodhgaya, existing in the poorest state in India;  the third hottest town on Earth; trying to support a high level of traffic due to tourism... REALLY needs these kinds of designs.  It couldn't have been in a better place in terms of Permaculture... And it's been a great opportunity to experience the needs of those who are suffering on our planet.   .....  And we are ready to go.  

Bens Giardia came back full force and he had to go back on antibiotics.  Not just the same ones as before, but also Cipro which is the big daddy of antibiotics and kills everything in the body.  A very intense, last resort medicine.  A day or two after starting them he was pretty run down as his system adjusted to a high dose of medicine.  Today is his last day, and we have our fingers crossed (toes, arms, legs and eyes too), that it doesn't come back when he stops taking them tomorrow.   

We have about a 40 hour trip up north... A 15 hour train ride will get us to a 3 hour layover in Delhi which is cutting it VERY close as the trains tend be late, and we have to travel to another train station in traffic...again...crossing our limbs.  Then a 10 hour train ride north, to a five hour train, to taxis....

I will write again from the North, when we are recovering in the Himalayan mountains, breathing fresh air...