a breath of fresh air from the top of the world.

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Hello from the top of the world!

Ill start back where i left off....


My time in Rishikesh turned out to be anything but routine.
It still consisted of yoga, yoga and more yoga but instead of the student i was learning to teach. I started the extreamly comprehensive teachers training course with a strong focus on the philosphy and scientific aspect of yoga. It was a full on course starting at 7am every morning and going late into the night. I was extreamly fortunate that i found a teacher with such experience and depth of knowledge to pass along. By the second week i was taking on a class a day teaching under his supervision, i dont think i have ever been so nervous. The studio was beautiful. a greenhouse like building set on top of an ahsram over looking the holy ganges river. could it have been more perfect? After 4 weeks i received my certificate that allows me to teach yoga internationaly... said good-bye to Gorvinda and left early the next morning to Delhi.

Arriving in delhi was a bit of a shock but the more times i go the less and less i find it to be such an effort. I found a room easily this time and was happy to go to my favorite daba for a thali.

a day later (the 5th) it was time to head to Nepal. Waking up to get a cab at 3am was a pretty rude way to start the day and maybe if i would have known then how my day was going to go i would have stayed in bed....

The plane was jam-packed full of "hardcore" outdoors people, the majority being middle aged plus heading to do some hiking in the Himalayas. Decked out in there down vests and almost knee high hiking boots, full beards and polar-fleece. i would bet that 80 percent of that flight was an American tour group our of California heading up to do the Annapurna trek. It was so strange to be surrounded by so many westerners. I sat inbetween two 60+ gentlemen that were asking for advice on how not to get sick here ( they didnt know my history with staying healthy in asia) and also wanted to learn a couple basics of the language. it was really nice to see they were so enthusiastic.

At the time i didnt know how important the man to my left would become...

after we unloaded off the plane in Kathmandu we filed through the airport filled out 6 differnt immigration forms and then proceeded to the counter to buy our Nepal visitors visas. The fee could only be paid in Euro, US, Pounds, Canadian and Australian. I only had Indian Rupees, and obviously no canadian cash left.. There was a money changer there and he wouldnt exchange my indian rupees either. i was starting to get a bit nervous. i found a man working there and he got 2 police to escort me to the ATM on the other side of the airport. Tried my Visa card...expired last week ( i have a hard time keeping track of the days here haha)... tried my debit card ( i have been soley dependnt on this card the entire trip) the machine didnt take forgein debit cards), and my last hope was a stil valid MC which of course wasnt ATM ready without a pin. i was in big trouble. i tried a long line of money changers, none of them did cash advances... the police escorted me back upstairs and into a small glass room where i was told to stay. a security gaurd was sitting in there with me and told me that they would have to send me back to India later on that day. All because i didnt have FORGIEN cash. Then the door opened and a couple costums officials walked in, i looked up just in time (probly with a very desperate expression) to meet the eyes of the man that had been sitting beside me on the plane standing on the other side of the airport. He at once walked over and asked me what was going on. the costums officals jumped in and explained that i couldnt obtain the proper visa. Without hesitation he pulled out his wallet and handed the costums guy 40 bucks. i couldnt believe it. he completely saved me from the cotastrophy that could have been. what a generous man!! was that it? could i go? i handed him all i had in Indian Rupees. they kept me there in that room for another 3 hours, and finaly came to get me. The officials put me back in the line up (another 2 hours) and i got through no problem. i was good to go. Except one small problem of no money for a taxi into the city....

making this long story short i convinced a taxi driver to take me into the city and stop at a bank. 3 atms later i found one that worked... paid him found a room and took a nap. oh the joys of traveling.....

after some exploration yesterday and today i am so happy to be here. it is very different then india, much more laid back, clean and the people are also much different. everyone here is here to trek, raft or climb a mountain and its very interesting to meet adn talk to people about their plans or their adventures they are just coming back from....

the day after tomorrow i am heading on a rafting adventure stretching almost 300kms east of kathmandu. it will take 10 days to reach the bottom. i can not wait to leave.

after that a short 5 day trek up Poon-Hill in the Annapurna rage and a couple days to re-coup in Kathmandu before heading back to Delhi...

I will write again to tell you all about the rafting and trekking.

thanks again for everyones support.
Home in just over 2 months..i cant believe it.
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