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Published: February 19th 2009
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Ah hello again,
So sadly Rishikesh is now just another memory in my already over brimming mind. I left unexpectedly after meeting a group of travelers who were coming to Delhi. They were leaving for delhi the next night, so I scrambled to tie up loose ends in the city, experience every last second of the happiness that Rishikesh brought me, and then set out with 3 Brits, a Spaniard, a Chilean, and an Indian dog named Melina... But first, let me recap on the last days spent in magical Rishikesh.
After leaving the ashram me and my 60 year old friend Jane, who is possibly the most amazing person I have met thus far, got a hotel in the center of the town. I dedicated the mornings to going to participate in satsung with the prem baba, which was probably the hardest thing to leave there. The energy in the room from over a hundred people, most being lively Brazilians, who have more energy than I am sure they know what to do with. But they are all so loving and welcoming it feels like your a being hugged by a room full of people for 2 hours.
On top that the prem baba's talks are so enlightening and uplifting, talking about the basic keys to true self knowledge through spiritual theory. And his words penetrated straight through me as if he wasn't talking to my mind but connecting to me on some different level, it started to become a little uncomfortable because the feeling of being understood personally by a complete stranger, while sitting in a big group of other people feeling the same way almost felt obscene. Like we were all sitting around naked while some guy in full dress told us about our bodies. But was really amazing and touching and an experience that impacted me on much more than a superficial level... Weird to be sharing this in such an impersonal way, but maybe it is better this way it sets me at ease to not know that maybe no one will actually read this.
So after satsung, I spent a few hours in the digeridoo shop learning how to play. A goal I had set for myself before I left, it seemed like the perfect place to try, and I hadn't seen the instrument anywhere in India yet, so an entire shop
dedicated to them seemed like fate. I got much better, but definitely not good. On the first day they told me that they all were around 600 rupees, but then after my last practice it came up that they actually meant 6000 (some really important information gets lost in translation) I was a little shocked. Needless to say, $120 US is kind of a lot to spend for a budget traveler trying to stretch his little bit of money disgustingly far. Had I not left the town in such a rush I probably would have ended up getting one but l didn't really have time to think over the decision; I have decided that if the time is right for me to get one it will come to me, somehow.
After digeridoo practice I would go to a group meditation for 2 hours, which was a really amazing, and then after had dinner with Jane and talked about her amazing travels around the world, and love, and life; and it occurred to me that age sometimes really is just a number, and when you can get past it you can meet some amazing people and learn some amazing things.
Apart from my busy schedule I still managed to meet some Indian friends and drink chai, and have dinner, and lunch with them. It was so refreshing to meet some Indians who I could have really conversations with, apart from "what country you from?" and who didn't want me to come see their shop. It was kind of a weird situation though because each meal one of them would talk to me exclusively and the others were totally silent or just walked off. Each time it was one older than the last, and they spoke better english. They would never let me pay and always took me to nice restaurants and sat as far away from other people as possible. A little mafia-esque but it was subtle and they were just so damn nice that I didn't want to insult them by getting suspicious. Then on our last meeting I was talking to the oldest brother, as I found out they all were, and he was going into greater detail about their booming gem business, with export offices in Europe, Thailand, and Nepal. After discussing the tax laws applying to the company he mentioned that sometimes they have people with tourist visas work for them to side step a 250% tax on over-quota-gems shipped. In a "totally legal" way they give the person a receipt for thousands of dollars worth of jewels, and they have the jewels shipped in their name outside of the country. Then they pay for that person to fly over sees and pick up the jewels and deliver them to their partner. They pay for all expenses for 3 days and for the return ticket to India along with 80% of the cost of the jewels in cash. Then he asked me if I wanted to work for them and I realized they were just another one of those shady Indian guys hassling me to come visit their shop, just on a much more grand and sophisticated manner. After careful consideration I realized that I am just not cut out to be an international gem smuggler even if it would sound kind of cool and I would have a couple G's in my pocket. Plus India is really dirty, so the thought of their prisons is truly horrifying. I politely declined there offer and then avoided them for them like the plague.
In addition to all that I got attacked by a monkey while walking alone on a bridge. Actually two monkeys... who started screaming at me and then ran at me and grabbed my arm scratching my with its grimy little hands. It didn't bite thought so I am rabies free and happy for it. But now I am scared of monkeys... and squirrels too apparently, which I realized when one cam up to my table today while I was eating, and I had a minor and silent panic attack. You just never know when they are going to snap and try to eat you. So now I will have to work through my fears or start carrying a big stick around with me everywhere I go.
So that was my experience in Rishikesh, probably the most exciting time so far. And now I am traveling in an international conclave taking Delhi- and soon to be Agra- by storm. We are practicing a bollywood number to perform in front of the taj at sunrise so keep your eyes peeled in the international news for some new faces in Indian cinema. I will write again soon and I hope everyone is well.
Thanks for letting me share my adventures.. namaste.
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Megan FitzSimmons
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Yo Brother
I hope you know I read these and love them all the way. Your adventure sounds awesome and out this world! I love it and still so happy for you...slightly jealous. Much Peace and love.