GANGA LANDSCAPE VIDEO

Just a quick peaceful view of the Ganges from a Ghat just off downtown rishikesh (near to where the street scene was filmed!)...the landscape is so tranquil...everything so peaceful...enjoy

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India Journal 2006 -#69- June 4, 2007- Horseback Riding

Well, today I went horseback riding with William. We first went up the mountain where I usually walk, and then continued to trails which I've partially walked in the past but never to the end. It was quite lovely. At the beginning I was very tense, felt like I would fall off the horse, was holding on really tight and not enjoying, but after the first 1/2 hour I relaxed into the swing and really began to enjoy the vista from up on the horse. I didn't take too many pics as I couldn't do it while riding...but we stopped a couple of times, and I also took a video while riding which you'll have to wait to see. coming DOWN hill was not comfortable and when we got closer to Dharamkot, we both got off and walked the rest of the way and that was fine. William is an accomplished rider, but everyone was very patient with me and I had a lovely lovely day...a real adventure.

Yesterday was a REAL storm again, but it cleared the air and the weather could not have been more perfect for this day out...I am truly blessed, again, and as always!

Enjoy the pics and imagine how much fun I was having.!!
Namaste
Jane

Half Way Point...I've very often walked up to this point but not by going all the way around the mountain as we did today.















First Rest Stop Overlooking Dal Lake and Naddi etc....been up
here by foot before a few years ago with Anil..



William




Both of Us




William at the Half way Point





From Here you can begin the walk down to the waterfalls
or up to Triund...we just rested and then came back down!!




Horsies




Overlooking Dal Lake, Army Cantonement, TCV and further to
the right, Naddi




Naddi..note the HUGE tower on the left...new...good phone
reception but not very pretty




Naddi




Guide and his son (who got to ride my horse most of the way
down and was quite happy!)




Dal Lake

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India Journal 2006 #40 April 8th-Coming Down to the Rishikesh Finish Line

Shiva Temple





Well, tomorrow is my last day here. It will be very hard to leave this place for many reasons, and leaving the lovely people I've met here is one of them. I've had such a wonderful group of friends here from the day I arrived, and it is really like leaving family. We've become very close and have been mutually helping each other go through many different things. Happy times, sad times, confusing times, chaning times...it has been quite an amazing 2 months here and it is not easy to think I leaving in one more day.

I am leaving for Delhi on Tuesday. If I didn't have to go shopping in Delhi, I would go straight to Dharamsala, but as hot as it is now in Delhi, about 40 degrees, it will still be better now than in June when I come through again to go home. I need to by beads for my daughters, incense for the family and myself, some sandals for another daughter and maybe even myself, and of

course my own clothing for the next couple of years. I will be travelling with Ilse and she will take me to some nice places she knows in Connaught place which I don't know of, and the next day I will take her to Khan Market which she has never been too. We have to get there by Rickshaw which will be really hot, but once there, both places have AC shops and eating places so it should be OK. And I will do my shopping in Paharganj in the evenings , and my room is AC with TV, so I guess I will survive. I still have no train ticket to Pathankot as even 3 weeks ago the trains were full, but I will most probably be able to get a Tourist Quota ticket but must do that in person in the Train Station in Delhi, so that will be my first order of business there on Wednesday morning.

Today, Sunday, I went with Ainat, Ilse and Shakti to the Shiva Temple up in the mountains. It was an absolutely beautiful ride up there and reminded me of how much I love the mountains.










It was interesting to see the temple, but I don't really get too excited about this stuff. Seeing the people is always more interesting to me and the people here are all so JOYFUL in their worship. Below is a picture of the offerings people buy to leave in the temple...



Shakti also did some photo shooting and here you can see her interacting with the people she photographs...







but the day was very hot, the driver was a maniac, the roads bad, and I was out in the sun much too much for me, and really not feeling well now....will rest up the rest of today and tomorrow as well. Just have to pack. Nothing much else to do. The pictures for this post I will add later, so you can go back and check it out in a couple of days. Some of the views are really fabulous.

We also tried out a new restaurant today and now that I know where it is, I look forward to eating there often upon my return. La Bella View it is called and they have both wonderful Italian, and Israeli food. And regular other stuff as well. On the Ganga, beautiful view, very clean and pleasantly cool when most places are atrociously hot these days, so much so that they kill your appetite completely.

Well, I'll close this for now. I may not write again for some time because if it is very hot in Delhi, I won't be able to sit at the internet. So I MIGHT not write again until I get to McLeod, so don't worry if there is nothing new here for awhile. Will try to get the pics on tomorrow, and then I will be lucky if I find broadband internet as nice as here when I get to Dharamsala.

Namaste
Jane

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India Journal 2006 April 3, Walk Before Puja

Below, some pictures from the walk TO the Puja. We took a very long way around, enjoying the walk from Laxman Jula all the way down to Ram Jula...window shopping, (and, to my dismay, even buying) along the way, and simply taking in some more lovely scenes as you can see from the following photos.

Just a lovely flower we saw along the way...don't know the name but it is actually a blooming tree.



And another couple of views of the Laxman Jula Temples from another vantage point.





And another bridgeview:



While walking along on the far side of the River, we were able to get this view of our guesthouse...that's the area, half way up the slope, nestled in the mountain. It is really inspiring to see it from afar and realize how much walking I do here!






This is one of the local ashrams as viewed from across the river.

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India Journal 2006 #30 March 23rd...Meeting with Akhilesh

Akhilesh, my Reiki Master, who some of you may remember from the interesting stories revolving around my first meeting with him in 2001, is someone I always look forward to seeing, particularly because of our interesting history together.
I knew he would be with his Swami in Rishikesh and finally found the time to go and look for him and see him at his ashram today. He had told me where it is, and several people told me it was no problem to get to as all the riskshaw drivers knew where the ashram is...it is apparently quite famous. When I finally found it I understood why. Called Dayananda Ashram, it is almost in Rishikesh town, on the banks of the Ganga (opposite the river from what used to be the Maharishi's ashram-known here as the "beatles' ashram"), and it is very large, very beautiful, and totally Indians. Very very few foreigners

come there and it has a truly lovely feel about it.

I had an easy morning and afternoon and then picked up a shared rickshaw on the road for 5 rupees, and he knew exactly where to let me off, but tried to convince me to take a private rickshaw for 40 rupees to take me all the way down...I said the main road was fine but he looked skeptical. Anyway, he dropped me off just a couple of blocks from the main market and told me how to walk, but the owner at the guesthouse had already given me a map as to how to walk and Akhilesh had given me some landmarks so I felt OK. I began walking through small side streets in downtown Rishikesh...real India you could say, and nothing was written anywhere in English. I just stopped every so often and asked a shopkeeper, and they all knew exactly what I was looking for but had difficulty explaining exactly how to go. In the end, I found it, without much difficulty, and when I got to the gate there was a guard sitting there. I asked if he knows Akhilesh and was very happy to say he did (afterwards I found out why everyone seemed to know him so well...he has been living there for over 20 years, in recent years only 1 1 /2 months twice a year but in the past for much longer periods)...he sent some boy with me to show me where to find him, but all of a sudden he left my side and just said Akhilesh, pointed straight ahead and walked away. There was an office there so I went in and an old guy was sitting at one of the desks, dreaming. I asked if he knew Akhilesh and he said yes but didn't know what room but he would find out from the guy at the gate who DOES know. A few phone calls later and his saying, in English into the phone "Some LADY (!) is looking for him"....he told me room 159. OK, I ask, and where is room 159..."in garden" says he...and where would that be? Some more pointing and then as if to say "get lost", sits back down at the desk and goes back to his dreaming.
I walked out and asked the first person I saw for room 159...points in a certain direction and sends me off as well...I try again, and again come to prayer places, "no footware beyond this point"...kitchen,,,,meeting rooms, but no room 159. Finally came to another guard and asked him for 159 and he says "Ah, Aklesh...yes...market...10 mintes...one hour...back..."...and with hand gestures I asked "what to do? where to go wait?" and he looks at me with a big grin, as if to say "what a silly question"...and just says "Ganga".....Guess it was a silly question as I was on the banks of the Ganga and didn't realize it...and so very happily went to sit for an hour on the Ganga....aside from the pictures in this post, I also took a video..perhaps the sounds will come through as well.

So I went to sit, and it was quite lovely, and peaceful.




Women doing puja, some babas meditating on rocks, and children frolicking naked in the water...
and just as I was getting comfortable on a rock I had chosen, someone comes up behind me, a cute young Indian guy, and I became worried...he approached me and said "come, come...Akhilesh is looking for you!".....And sure enough, he was up top waving at me. Seems this young guy had heard me talking to the guard, and not wanting to waste time, began running towards the market to find Akhilesh and bring him back!

So, we spent a lovely hour or so together...he had to get to another course at 5 at the Iyengar center in Ra m Jula as a prominent Yoga instructor named Barbara from the States was giving a course fo 10 days and he had signed up. When I asked him why, what did he have to learn from an American, he said not so much Yoga, but teaching methods and English ways of explaining ideas and postures etc. Since he now teaches all over the world, France, Switzerland and Barcelona this past year, he is always looking for better ways to explain things to foreigners so that they will understand.

I am always pleased to see him, and each time I do, there is a new presence about him, a further dignity, (even some grey hair which is distinguishing for a man), and a new seriousness about his life purpose. I was very pleased with our meeting and he was as well...I showed him pics of the family which he always likes to see, and told him about my experiences with Reiki classes in Rishikesh, and he was very pleased and very encouraging as well.

I will see him again in Bhagsu, but this meeting left me with a very wonderful feeling. Getting feedback and validation from your Master is always wonderful. When I arrived back at the guesthouse, one of the guys who works there stopped me asked what happened to my eyes? I didn't understand and thought perhaps my eye makeup was running, but he said no...you look ....and he was stuck for the word so asked where I had come from.

I told him from my Reiki Master and he said "That's it...your eyes are glowing...you look extra happy"...It was amazing that he would notice that and even more amazing that this meeting, which left me feeling wonderful, would show up so clearly on my face!

So, all in all, a lovely day, as they all seem to be lately....enjoy the pics...hope to write up another post yet today about my further meeting with Nandu and the work when I get back, but will see how things go....

Namaste
Jane

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India Journal 2006#23 March14-15 Reiki, New Direction and Pics

Well, I finished my first Reiki I class here in India and some really exciting things happened to the participants. It was exciting for me as well, and now I have 2 days vacation before I start my next one on Sunday. And the funniest thing, as I was sitting here writing, the girl in the next computer wanted to know where I had taken the Reiki course...
so I gave her my card of course and explained to her that I am the Master DOING the course...and she said she would call soon! Here are a few pictures of the 3 very happy girls.







I am now at the internet after 2 extremely exciting days to say the least. Just a few days ago I had made the final decision to return to India in October to continue working, and was really pleased with the decision. I had planned to go with Shakti, (see pics below of my 3 really good friends here the past month, 2 young Israeli girls and Shakti from Australia who I've mentioned before)to study Hindi in Mussorie in a proper school, to do panchakarma again, and to work.

Just as I was falling asleep that night, I received an SMS message on my cellphone. I generally don't even look at them at that hour of the night, but something told me to take a peek.

the message was short and sweet. Chanale is pregnant x 2 it said. I didn't get to speak to my daughter until the next day after my second Reiki class, and it was a difficult day for me, but after speaking to her, I knew that all was happening as it should, even though there was no way that I myself could understand why. I am sure that at some point along the way, all things will be clarified further as they always are.

So, I sat with my friends, put allthings into new persepctive, and am now moving along in an entirely new direction, with peace in my heart.

Here are some pictures....views from my new room (same guesthouse, one flight higher up), the girls in their saris last week when they went to the wedding, and a picture of the 4 of us together just before Meital returned to Israel on Monday. There are also some pictures of views from the roof of the guesthouse and the first really nice sunset since I am here, a day after the rains finally stopped again.

also, the local house pets who both LOVE Reiki, and a curious thing found in rishikesh - sidewalks...very often taken over by sleeping cows or local food stands, but still clean, nice and surprising to find in India.






































Enjoy....




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