Blogs from India, Asia - page 2120

That's it. The last gong has gonged and I returned to real life after 10 days of vipassana. Such sweet golden sound... (though probably even the honking of a truck would have sounded lovely had it symboled the end of meditation sessions). All in all it was a very interesting experience, though it definitely wasn't life changing (one important thing I learned is that an hour is alot of time and that two hours is even more). I tried to think how to describe the atmosphere in the course, what it is most similar to in the outside world, and I came to the conclusion that it most resembles a group of hattifatteners (for those of you who haven't read Moomin books - go read them!). Everyone walks around expressionless (though after a couple of days ... read more

Namaste everyone. Well, here I am in Delhi, India. Let me tell you the road here from Kathmandu was none too smooth. I’m sending this once again through my ever-trustworthy friend Bob (who I’m sure has lots of time on his hands to do me these favours now that he’s a new daddy). I managed to check my e-mail messages this morning on the most ancient computer I think I’ve ever used (my old Commodore 64 excluded). I used a DOS-based web-browser to check my hotmail account which actually worked out surprisingly well although a bit time-consuming. Last I wrote I was in Pokhara, Nepal recovering from a trek in the Himalayan mountains. My recovery diet consisted of lots of beer and rum and several games of pool and darts. Although it proved difficult I managed ... read more

On my way to India, I met with a British guy in Singapore who told me: "India, you have to deserve it" I arrived in Delhi the middle of the night. The old bazaar of Delhi was dark, with some weak lights here and there. I distinguished some forms in the night, men sleeping on the ground. I went into my small overheated room. I fell asleep under the ventilator which kept racing all through the night. In the morning, the chamber was filled with white light and the sounds of all the noises of the city, radios, showers, voices, shouts, cars, motorcycles. Only the cows kept quiet. I left to visit the place, which was dark and empty the night before, and was now full of light and life. In the bazaar, all is mixed ... read more

Geo: 19.0801, 72.9134... read more

Entry from the Travel Journal of Nigel Fox ENTRY 42 -- The Iron Sceptre It was the travel arrangements that proved to be the greatest difficulty: although Lahore and Delhi are not far from each other, I arrived three days behind schedule having met up a group of about one hundred Akalis in black turbans, who had marched from Amritsar. They had taken the vow at the Golden Temple that they would not commit a single act of violence, either by word or deed. Extraordinary! My stomach was full of butterflies at the thought of meeting 'him'. My anxiety stemming from not knowing what I would say. Upon arrival, one of his nieces led me to him, telling me I could visit for 24 hours, but I must be like a fly on the wall. She ... read more