India! 2004/5

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Agra, Rajasthan, Goa, Bombay...... (see Nepal and Tibet journals which came before this)

So, onward to India! The Kiwi guy and I travelled as far as Gorkopa, where I was promptly introduced to the craziness that India does best. It was like a rude awakening after the peace of Lumbini and for the first and only time on the trip, I felt pretty overwhelmed by it all and sad at the madness, pollution and noise etc and found myself crying. My train was delayed (you know, by about a day!) so since a friend was waiting for me in Agra, I grabbed a car and began the long, trecherous, crazy journey by road. It was quite simply the most surreal journey of my life. 16 hours along a pot holed road, in clouds of dust and haze, through the darkness of night amongst kamakaze drivers if you can imagine that! My travel companion was a Hindu holy man (of the ganga smoking variety), which actually turned a potentially tragic trip into more of a comedy. We somehow communicated in Hindi/Nepali/English phrases and it's got to be said, any prayers he was muttering for a safe journey were fine by me! We needed all the prayers we could muster with Cows, rickshaws, sewage and insane driving en route! Obviously sleep wasn't really an option. However I eventually arrived, haggard but in one piece at 6am, met my friend Ajit and showered off all the dust.

The Taj Mahal truly is an awe inspiring site. It takes the breath away at first seeming almost unreal, otherworldly, like a distant painting, then it draws you into it's magnificent beauty, the ultimate embodiment of love expressed. It has a mythical aura and graceful power to it. It's funny how in India you can be both horrified and enchanted by the place in the space of a few hours. I recommend going in a dazed, sleepless state which adds to the mystique of the place! Stunning.

Next came a whistle stop tour of Rajasthan with my friend; first stop Jaipur, the pink city, where we saw the beautiful city palace, and lots of pink everywhere! Then a day at Ranthambourne national park where we saw all manner of wildlife in the vast Indian wilderness. I even saw 2 tigers (sadly of the stuffed variety two days later, not quite the same.)

I was really blown away by Pushka, what a beautiful spot. It's said to be a holy city and there does seem to be a sacredness in the air. I sat by the lake there surrounded by various holy buildings, watching the saddhus and brahmins bathing in the lake, drying off in the hot sun and replacing their orange robes in a ritualistic way. It's such a peaceful place, I'd like to spend more time there one day. Had a quick camel ride there, and then onto Jodphur (the blue city) which is indeed very blue! Thanks to my friend's ridiculously good connections in Rajasthan (he seemed to know everyone from all walks of life), I got to see the place in style, and had a chat to the Maharaja of Jodphur, and even his trusty astrologer too! The city palace is extremely beautiful, and the fort is also an impressive structure. Jodphur again brought out the strange simultaneous love/hate relationship people seem to have with India: cows eating from the rubbish tips, open sewars, women in a depressingly subservient world, beggars in a terrible state, existing side by side with the ornate, regal palaces, Maharajas, utter beauty, luxury and elegance. India really is the home of diversity and the greatest extremes and contradictions. It was great to stay at my friend's house to experience the real thing in terms of living there.

One of the overriding images of Rajasthan has got to be the incredible colours everywhere: literally flourescent pink or orange saris and turbans shine against backdrops of pastel blue or green buildings, forming such a striking vision that stays with you long after.

I don't know what to write about the Jain Ranakpur temple. It's not often that you are somewhere and think that it could quite possibly be the most beautiful spot on earth, but I did. The temples are made from white marble which keeps them lovely and cool inside, with intricate carving covering every inch. It's the only time I've been so moved by a building, normally concrete/man made stuff bores me in comparisson to what nature has to offer, but this was definitely an exception. Since I don't know how to describe it, here's someone else's view that I came across in some local literature: "No structure in the world comes anywhere close. The artist has imparted exquisite artistic grace, and his deep devotion has endowed it with serene dignity, it is verily a poem in stone, bathed in celestial bliss. To behold this holy shrine in its spectacularly sublime setting (it's surrounded by nature), is to experience instant uplifting of the soul." Take it from him if not me!

Final (and possibly best) stop in Rajasthan, was Udaipur. We rode over to the famous 'Lake Palace' in a boat at night for dinner. It certainly lives up to its reputation for being one of the most romantic spots on the planet. It was used in the Bond film 'Octopussy' and totally deserves its Bond status; pure, exotic luxury with opulant rooms, fountains all lit up and intoxicating Jasmine wafting through the air. We had a fantastic meal there and I acquired my 3rd nickname from my 3rd country on this trip! It is: 'Kushi Memshab', which means 'Happy Lady'.....well I don't know about the lady bit but the kushi is true enough! I certainly left Udaipur for Goa a very kushi memshab!

31st Dec

I arrived on Palolem beach, Goa to join my friend Lara and various others for some yoga and fun under the sun and general festivities by the sea. The first thing I did on arrival was run down to the sea and swim to my heart's content. It's so refreshing to be by the sea again after all the mountainous landscape for so long. I settled in happily, watching a deep red sunset on the beach with a watermelon juice in hand and Bob Marley playing in the background. After the sun set, the real charm of a place like this became apparent; the whole beach was lit up with candles at night. It's not just for romantic effect of course, more to do with endless power cuts, but the effect is nonetheless very appealing.

The place I'm staying at is pleasantly unusual, it's in a mini jungle-like setting 2 mins from the beach, and called 'Bhakti Kutir'. It is pretty basic but with a charm that you can't find easily. Yes, you might share your room with the occasional frog etc since it's essentially open to the elements, but sleeping in a bamboo hut listening to a whole host of animals and the waves lapping on the shore every night is always a treat. The 'bathroom' is my favourite, it's outdoors with a canvas surrounding, and consists of a big bucket, a jug and a hole in the floor. Now I know that probably doesn't do it for you, but there's something so great about showering under the open sky with palm trees above you, only ever needing cold water because of the ideal climate, and generally going back to basics in a beautiful setting. I've grown to appreciate it. I'm not sure what it will be like going back to modern Western bathrooms after this, although of course they have their benefits.

After being a bit spoilt by beaches in Venezuela, it's hard to call anywhere paradise, but I went walkabout to discover some almost deserted, undeveloped, crescent shaped beaches which is what I was hoping for as a lot of Goa has become quite touristy and built up. I hope the still idyllic spots don't get wrecked, hopefully if they build, they'll create Indian style, natural looking cabanas etc which benefit both the locals and those who wish to see the real beauty of Goa.

Every day has involved significant amounts of yoga, which has been brilliant. We do pranayama (or breathing exercises), then full on Ashtanga yoga for 2 hours, then more relaxed meditations and some theory on the yoga sutras of Patanjali......Then it's play time on the beach! Always a good thing, especially one particular day when I grabbed my Aussie friend Steve and we took a boat out and went searching for dolphins (the Indian boy driving the boat said he didn't think we'd see any because they hadn't been around for a while.) I jokingly said about two minutes into the trip that I was going to telepathically call them to come, and sure enough there they were, instantly! (which Steve finds utterly baffling much to my amusement.) It was totally fantastic as anyone who knows me can imagine. 8 dolphins rocked up right by the boat, they were an odd dark colour, almost black, and had unusually long snouts. Naturally I dived straight in to play with them and spent a blissful time just enjoying them being all around me. It doesn't matter if I do that 100 times, it always feels like the ultimate gift and blessing. It forces you into the present moment like nothing else.

We then took the boat to a place called 'butterfly island'. On the way back, another 2 dolphins showed up, this time light grey ones with big smiles and I did the same again, swimming around, just enjoying them being close by. So naturally I was on a high for the next week or so! (It's very surreal for me as my friend Richard that I was at drama school with once wrote a film script with a character called Amazon in it that he claimed was based on me. She worked with wild dolphins off the coast of Palolem beach, Goa! and here I am doing almost exactly that, just without the cameras. Maybe it's an omen to get that film made now.)

One day I was feeling a bit ill for the second time on the trip. I planned to miss yoga and just sleep in the shade for the day, but a sweet (and rather gorgeous) German guy called Tobias, showed up and had other plans. He took it upon himself to be my doctor for the day (which was his last day in India). This involved getting on the back of his rented bike (yes, despite feeling ill, his persuasive powers won through), and being taken to a picturesque deserted beach (via an ayurvedic pharmacy of course!) Then to Pepper Valley, a national park, where we sat in hammocks in the shade, then to a local village for some plain rice and yogurt (doctor's orders) and finally to the lovely Agonda beach for a beautiful, deep orange sunset. All I can say is that's the way forward if you feel ill, instead of wallowing in the dark of a hut alone, let a random 'doctor' cure you in an alternative, fun way. Much better! (He later became my boyfriend and we're great friends to this day.)

Christmas Eve was great, we had dances, fire shows and candles up at Bhakti Kutir, and partied on the beach until 4am. Thankfully there is a cool bunch of people here, so lots of fun has been on the menu daily. On Christmas day we went to a national park and walked through jungle for 1 hour (seeing a flourescent green snake on the way!) to a waterfall (a small one) where we spent the day. Showers under a waterfall for Christmas. Perfect! By the way, Happy Christmas!!! Hope it was a good one.

OK, now to the horrific Tsunami nearby......Obviously you all know what's been happening in the news and how nature has once again reminded us all just how small we are and to sieze each day etc etc. Well, firstly I should say that Goa was not hit in any real way and there have been no casualties here as far as I know, however the night of the earthquake an adventure presented itself. A few of us were chilling on big cushioned loungers, eating a delicious tuna meal right by the sea, when we noticed that the tide was suddenly rising exceptionally fast. It came up 10 or more feet in less than a minute! That is far from the norm here and not to be brushed off as just weird (we knew by this stage about what was going on not a million miles further South). An Indian man ran up to us saying there was a hurricane warning and that we should get out of there, which we did, sharpish!(without even paying the bill which we later remedied!) The rest of the night was spent with a small bag of supplies and essentials at hand, watching the only TV in the area, and gradually realising the enormity of what had happened, and of course feeling extremely grateful not to have been in the thick of it.

Another girl with us, Anna, had been by the beach when she saw a couple of Indians running down the road, this turned into tens of them, then hundreds as someone was shouting "the waters coming!" Naturally she was terrified and ran for her life. I came across her later in traumatized state in tears, having lost her friend and totally confused about what the hell was going on, so she came back to my hut and is now a happy relaxed bunny again, thank Goodness.

Yesterday, the 30th, I went swimming in the sea out to this rock that sticks out, with a great English guy called Richard. We sat up on the rock pondering on everything that had happened, when suddenly police ran across the beach with whistles saying "get out of the water!" We swam as fast as we could (would love to have timed it, could be a record and Richard was most upset that I reached the shore first, But I suppose that's not the point here!) We legged it up to our huts to find that all sorts of rumours were circulating about a cyclone or something being on its way. I prefered the TV's version which clearly suggested that the real problems were miles away and on the other coast, but obviously no risks need to be taken so we packed a bag and headed for the hills for the day, where we had a vantage point of the sea. A few beers were consumed to calm the nerves and, fortunately all turned out well.

The death toll is simply staggering, unbelievable, and we are all just feeling so grateful to be safe and under a kind sun rather than a relentless killer wave, but so sad for those less fortunate. I could go down to Kerala to help the clear up process but in places like India, just using up some of the valuable drinking water there could possibly actually just add to the problems. On a lighter note, (and I swear this is true), we were having drinks at a hotel yesterday when we discovered there was a kid there called Tsunami, and a rock band called 'Tidal Wave!' I kid you not. So much scope for comedy there but I'll leave that to your imaginations. Let's just say that I hope that kid doesn't get lost in the next few days and have his mum calling for him. All hell would break loose!

We had a fantastic day at Anjuna market further North the other day, where India really comes to life in all it's glory. Bright colours everywhere, snake charmers, traditional clothes going super cheap, spices and sitar music etc. Lots of purchasing took place and breaks for masala chai by the sea.... So there you have it, all is well, I am Kushi. Alive and well, amazed and saddened by the obvious, but with that comes huge doses of gratitude which can never be a bad thing. I'm off now for a NYE bonfire up on a hill, then back to the beach for more partying. Neenah Cherry is singing tonight in a bar here, just because she's here on holiday and wants to brighten things up a bit, so we'll go along to that.

Thanks again for all your concerned messages, the dolphins have told me we're fine here, so no more worrying please!

Happy New Year!!!!! May it be the best one yet!

16th Jan 2005

New Year's Eve, spent on Palolem beach, was brilliant. My main memories are of Neenah Cherry coming over to me at midnight with a bottle of champers, saying "Happy New Year", then telling me that I have a lovely 'glow' about me that she'd noticed every time she'd seen me around. My Brit friend Richard who overheard this and had known me for 3 weeks by then fortunately seconded her theory rather than laughing out loud, then our conversation was interrupted by Indian style kamakaze fireworks going off all over the place and lighting up not just the sky, but a small hut too! Classic. (By Indian style I mean some of these fireworks were set off by 4 year olds!) Wonderful safety regulations here! Anyway, it was all good fun and made for a memorable NYE. Neenah then sang accapella with her brother on the beach and we partied away till God knows what hour.

A new year, a new beginning- with daily yoga on the beach and coconut milk each evening as the sky fills with oranges, yellows and reds. Start as you mean to go on!

As most people started leaving to go back to their respective countries, I moved to the quieter Patnem beach further South with a great woman called Caroline who was lots of fun. She has managed top musicians for years, including Peter Gabriel, U2, and INXS amongst others, and she had some great, revealing stories. After she left I was back to being a solo traveller and got my own simple but gorgeous hut on the deserted end of the beach, in a place aptly called 'solitude' to enjoy my last week soaking up some sun, sea air and peace to last me through future winter months in England. I swam lots, read lots (Gandhi's autobiog is very interesting, and Walt Whitman has always been a favourite), went on excursions in the owner of Solitude's Jeep, did more yoga at sunset on the beach with the local swami daily, and progressively turned more Indian in colour. I really love my little hut in all it's simplicity. There's a huge hammock outside and I occasionally spot a lone cow walking past on the beach. There's also something so satisfying about falling asleep breathing in sync with the waves of the sea. I've noticed that Goa has it's own unique energy, noticably different from the Himalayas for example: the latter being so pure and uplifting, whereas Goa is more physical and grounding. Its an odd but very noticable difference.

I love it, I had a masala chai one day and was about to go and get the money to pay for it when the Indian man said "pay me later, if not in this life, then the next. No problem." Just like London! Not.

One day I headed South down to Karnataka state to a picturesque place called 'Om beach', so named because it resembles the Om sign (similar to the number 3 for those who don't know), made up of 2 pristine beaches with rocks jutting out in the middle. I swam the whole length of the Om, which was tiring but revitalising! Huts there go for 40 rupees a night, that's about 30p, extortionate! On my way home, I saw various pilgrims dressed in black, running into the sea as part of a festival to Shiva.

I decided to spend my last night out on a boat for sunset and to say goodbye to the dolphins of course; gave half my belongings to a local Indian girl, Rebecca, who'd become a good buddy and had a farewell dinner with another good friend from Switzerland, Andre. He's a blonde amiable charcter with a noticably calming presence. After 3 hours sleep I said farewell to Goa and took a short flight to Bombay. That was unexpectedly total luxury! I was met at the airport by 'my driver' sent by friends of my family who live in Bombay. I had no idea however that they lived in a Bollywood style mansion with amazing sculptures of Shiva and Buddha to welcome you. After exploring Bombay and a quick nap, I woke up to find myself on a film set! There was an entire camera crew in the garden interviewing my friends about their latest fashion TV show; they are the top designers in India and were working on a project with Donatella Versace! I didn't know any of this, just thought I would meet them for dinner before flying back to London. All quite surreal but inspiring. (It was like the end of my time in Africa in 1996, after 3 weeks living in a tent around Kenya and Tanzania, I ended up spending my last 2 nights in the Queen's bedroom of the High Comissioner's house by complete fluke!) Don't know how it happens but I like it. (I once read somewhere that as you're leaving a country, if you embraced it and were accepted, it gives itself to you. That's how it has felt for me sometimes.)

So, that's it! I'm now back in London, but with life-long memories of the roof of the world, Everest base camp, a moment alone in the holiest temple in Tibet, festivals of light, playing on tall bamboo swings, trekking, rafting and paragliding in the Himalayas, having water fights with an elephant, swimming with dolphins in the Indian ocean, yoga in its country of origin, dodging tsunamis, witnessing poverty and luxury simultaneously, , 3 new nicknakes and headstands with kids in an orphanage.

My final thoughts:
I'm very glad to have discovered a country which McDonalds hasn't reached (Nepal)
I love all things Tibetan!
I'm happy to have discovered Jack Johnson, the singer.
Think I've been put under India's spell; might be incurable and require many return visits!
Life is amazing and strange; like being up for Lara Croft one minute, and working in an orphanage in Nepal the next. All good, all valid, all interesting.

Now moving to Muswell Hill with 2 friends, a yoga teacher and a musician, until the next adventure presents itself!........................................

Oceans of love, a Himalayan-sized Yeti hug, with a dolphin sumersault and elephant splashes,

Jackie/ Nyima Lhamo/ Santi/ Kushi Memshab/ Me!

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Photos

Taj Mahal, India
Recommend seeing it in a daze after no sleep. Makes it even more mystical and magical!