The Beatles' Ashram

While we were in Rishikesh the friends I was traveling with discovered that it was on the outskirts of this town where all the Beatles spent some time in 1968. The four of them spent a varying amount of time, ranging from a few weeks to three months. The place they stayed is most often referred to by tourists as the Beatles' ashram, but was really the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi whom they were following as a meditation guru. The first day we were in Rishikesh we decided that we wanted to go for a walk and that the now abandoned ashram would be a good destination. Of course that was when we were told it was maybe a 45 minute walk from the hotel. I'm not sure who it was walking, but nearly two hours later we almost ready to turn around to go back. We agreed on 5 more minutes as we headed down some more rundown roads, and were soon off pavement. Just as we were about to give in we saw a sign for a cafe claiming they were the last stop before the Beatles' ashram, and an arrow pointing the way. With a bit more energy to our step we continued on the last 500 meters and found ourselves crossing a dry stream bed then walking into what was clearly not an abandoned ashram. There were chickens, cows, monkeys and plenty of orange clad sadhus in the courtyard among the pink tinged houses. Hmmm...not quite what we were expecting but for lack of a better plan we wandered in and down to the Ganges for a bit of peaceful reflection. Still, this didn't seem like the overgrown, up in the hill side ashram we had read about.

That evening once we had returned to the hotel for the night we looked it up on line. Seems we didn't quite make it to the ashram. Oh, we were in the right place, we were just at the bottom outside the entry rather than up in the ashram itself. So, the last day it was decided to make another attempt. I wasn't sure I wanted to walk back, but when we agreed to take a tuktuk to the closer foot bridge across the Ganges, cutting the walk down to 20 minutes, I decided it would be worth it just to get out and move around. Well it was worth it for a lot more than just that. We headed back to the pink building, walked around on the creek bed, and stood at the locked gate until a man hobbled down with his cane to let us in. Of course even though it is technically not a tourist site we still had to pay to get him to open up for us. After some discussion the ladies decided they wanted to take him up on the offer of a guide and so the money was handed over. Of course, we were then left alone to wander the grounds at our leisure. After taking a few pictures of the interesting entrance we headed up and then up some more. We rounded a corner and there off to the right, almost overtaken with vegetation were some beehive shaped, stone encrusted huts(?). I had stepped into a different world. One that was a bit rundown, a bit overgrown, yet still had a aura of its past activities. We wandered past larger buildings whose insides were now havens for plants and large spider webs with large spiders riding them. Passed a small temple to Shiva. Found the old auditorium which had been transformed into an informal art gallery, with large paintings decorating the walls and entryways that captivated my imagination. Saw a balconied multilayer building whose lines spoke of an earlier grace.  Spoke with a one legged gardener who attempted to combat the encroaching growth with just his machete. Found a other cluster of beehive shaped dwellings, including one proudly bearing the number 9. Left feeling as if we had had a successful excursion our last day in Rishikesh.

American snapshot: Arches National Park

I walk down the middle of a canyon. On one side the rock glows in a reddish orange, highlighting spectacular rock formations. On the other side the stone faces rests in darkness waiting its time to shine, when the sun will highlight its fins and spires. Even without the arches that make this National Park unique it is a landscape which encourages wonder, awe and appreciation...and I've only made it a couple of miles into the park; stopping to walk Park Avenue in the early morning when it is still cool thanks to the overnight rain which left puddles along my way to reflect the clear blue sky and the tops of the rock formation. Mom is waiting for me at the end of my stroll ready to drive on to the next major rock formation after happily pointing out the sheep rock formation and the three gossips to me.

Balanced rock holds its own mystery. How long will that rock remain perched on top of its pillar? Just what geological phenomenon is responsible for this precarious formation? As I walk around the base gazing up at the top it becomes even more incomprehensible that this heavy stone remains on its stand. How much longer can it possibly remain Balanced Rock instead of tumbled rock?

Most of the rest of the park is dedicated to the arches which earned it it's name. There are the two windows, visible together only from select points, double arch which unfolds its unique form from a collapsed vault as you get closer. Delicate arch sits high up and far away on a hill yet is still able to personify the contrast of delicate strength. Landscape Arch lost much of its thickness in 1995 when a chunk fell down, causing everyone to wonder as they walk by if today might be the day that it ceases to be an arch. Sand dune arch is nearly impossible to view as the wind whips up the sand that gives its name, causing me to steal a glimpse and a photo before turning to walk back with my eyes closed most of the way; all so that I won't feel like I missed something when we leave.

The last day we meet a ranger for our guided walk into the Fiery Furnace, thankful by the end that we managed to get the last two tickets available during the time we are visiting. After walking through the cracks that cause the formation of fins, taking breaks in spots where a glimpse over your shoulder reveals a surprise arch, and learning about the fragile biological soil crust which allows plants to eeck out a living it is hard to imagine coming into the park without experiencing this introduction to the fascinating stone world of Arches, although I must admit that even a drive through the main road of the park would expose you to the exceptional scenery which made Arches National Park my favorite park of the summer.

Dussehra 2012

I reconnected with the fact that I live in India yesterday. What an experience to be at a local celebration of a holiday. Fireworks going off right above your head, some spinning scarily close to your face. Three giant effigies burning down to the ground. Multiple actors dressed up with masks and costumes. A band playing as they parade in. A collection of speeches, most of which I didn't understand. A recounting, in yells, of the story of good defeating evil. It made me happy I had done some research last year, otherwise I wouldn't have had a clue what was going on. A man shot an arrow into the foot of the effigy to set it alight (never mind that there was no fire on the arrow, ignore the man standing on the other side). More fireworks explode and there is a whoosh of fire. Less than 30 seconds later the 20 foot tall effigy is only a small bonfire on the ground. But it was impressive to watch burn. To see the fire climb up and engulf the face until there is nothing left to support the structure. Yes, I experienced a piece of India last night and it reminded me of why I like living overseas with all the inexplicable, uncomfortable and sometimes incomprehensible experiences it brings. Happy Dussehra. Celebrate good triumphing over evil.

American snapshot: Grand Teton National Park

If you head out of Yellowstone Park to the south you can't help but drive through Grand Teton National Park, the second national park of our summer trip. You can tell that this park is used to people just driving through and wanting to see a bit of what is on offer. When we stopped to get a bit of information the volunteer was able to give us a driving route, with recommended stops, that would take us a few hours to get through with enough time to actually get out of the car and walk for a bit. The entire time you are in the park the view is dominated by the Teton mountains towering over the landscape. I consistently found myself looking west unable to draw my eyes away from the majestic mountains. We stopped for a picnic lunch along the river where we could soak in their towering heights reflected back by the water. Father along we stopped for a short walk near some of the recreational areas (in some ways the park reminded me of a state park in terms of its recreational usage than a national park, although there is no denying that its natural landscape deserves national protection) where the obvious views were still enchanting but I also was absorbed by the northern version of bluebonnets and paintbrushes with their taller growth. A later stop took us to the chapel of transfiguration where the view was the entire focal point of the chapel. Why put in stain glass when a clear window will reveal one of God's masterpieces behind the altar? A turn and a head back into the park by a different road led us to Snake River Overlook, a spot where Ansel Adams took a few of his stunning photographs. You know I had to do my best to capture a piece of that in black and white. On our way out of the park we took a small detour along a dirt road where we happily stopped to watch the buffalo cross, taking their time, rubbing their heads against posts, bending down to nibble a bit of grass and keeping the calves moving. This park definitely has its own unique draw; even if it is often overshadowed by its larger more well-known northern neighbor.

American snapshot: Yellowstone National Park

I've done so much traveling outside the United States and yet there is so much in the US that I have yet to see that I sometimes feel guilty. That feeling, combined with a need to get some of that fresh air that is sadly lacking in Delhi sent me on a two and a half week road trip this summer that encompassed four national parks. A week after leaving Austin mom and I made it to Yellowstone where we ended up spending three nights in the park (pretty good for only one night reserved ahead of time). I'm not really sure what I expected from the park. I finally decided that all of my preconceptions came from when I used to watch Yogi Bear cartoons as a child. Needless to say that is not exactly a realistic view of the park, although the pine trees were definitely out in abundance!

My Yellowstone experience can be divided into three main parts in my mind: the animals, geothermal activity and beautiful scenery. I have to admit that I probably got most excited about the first. Just the potential to see bears carries a sense of anticipation, regardless of the fact that we didn't see any. Bison were difficult to miss, wandering across the road at times, grazing in fields along the way and becoming the point of much traffic congestion in the evenings. One of them even decided to stroll by our cabin the last night. Driving around one of the hotel we came across a here of female elk. They don't seem quite so exciting as they are without antlers of any type. A day later there was some traffic congestion so I jumped out of the car to see what had everyone's attention. Down by the stream resting under a tree were two male elk sporting quite the racks. The last day a single male decided to stroll across the road in front of our car providing us with an up
close and personal look at one of these beasts simply stepping over the wooden fence I had been leaning against earlier. That was about it for the big animals we saw in the park, a deer, rabbits, birds, and some lizards rounding out the count.

Who doesn't think of Old Faithful when they hear the name Yellowstone? I certainly do! So of course a stop to see the most reliable geyser in the park was in the plans. We had to wait around an hour for the next anticipated eruption; which just gave us plenty of time to stake out a good seat along the edge of the geyser field. While the geyser itself was pretty impressive I might have had more fun watching the reaction of the kids that were sitting around us. The ohs and ahhs were a good reminder that I needed to appreciate the magical experience this really was. So I settled I to shoot photos of the initial steam stream, the spurts of water, the arch of the eruption and the gradual subsidence back to a bubbling water pot. Afterwards we had to stroll through the geyser basin and take in some of the other spouts. Old Faithful is just one of the many locations where you can appreciate the beauty of geothermal activity. My other favorites included the spitting mud pots at the Artist's Paintpots and my sunrise trip out to the Norris Geyser Basin where I was
overwhelmed by the steamy/smoky landscape which made me feel as if I had emerged onto a set for some otherworldly fantasy until the time that the sun began to highlight steam trails as it peaked over the mountains (totally worth dealing with the 40 degree temperatures). There were also the colored terraces by Mammoth Hot Springs (bringing to mind the white travertines of Pamukale inTurkey). I can't help but imagine what it would have been like to be an early explorer venturing through this mystical, unexpected and dangerous landscape.

As for the landscape...well there were sections of towering pine trees. Views over a few powerful waterfalls, my favorite being a smaller one that I passed on a slight hike between the upper and lower falls. Also tower falls was a simple meander off the road. The northern section had more open and sweeping vistas, sprinkled with the random glacier boulders that had tumbled to a final stop. There were, of course mountain fields, ravines with rapids and steam capped views. The two images that stand out the most in my mind though are the moment of watching a bison carefully pick a path through a geothermal area and later the white crusted, dead wood image of a land that has been rendered lifeless by the heat and minerals of the underlying geothermal activity. Both highlighted the very delicate balance that exists in this unusual place.

Yoga in India

India is the birthplace of yoga. So it is no surprise that yoga is practiced all over the country. However, yoga in this country had its own inquest details. It is common for individuals or small groups to organize to have a yoga instructor come in to do a private lesson. There are exceptions to that of course, here in Rishikesh the entire city is a mix of ashrams, yoga training and ayurvedic medicine. Here there are early morning sessions where 50 people can easily show up to go through a practice.  Of course it is just as easy to organize a private class in a place where yoga practices and instructors abound. So for the three mornings we were in Rishikesh that is what we did. I must admit it is a great way to start the day off. Paying attention to your body, stretching out, quieting your mind and breathing deeply. Of course it can't be quite that simple. No, you have to focus in on the wafting incense and recorded chants so that you can ignore the trucks rumbling by outside the window, the horns blaring, the people talking and the occasional cow's moo which occurs just in the middle of your meditation. Perhaps there is more than one reason people study yoga in India; if you can focus and meditate here I suspect you could do it just about anywhere.

Away Game

I walked off the bus followed by the 6 boys who showed up for our game yesterday. We had our first away game since I've started coaching here, thanks to a tournament taking place in our gym. As we walked into the courtyard of Adarsh Public School I thought sure there was some big event going on. There was a big sign welcoming visitors. Six lovely women in their colorful saris were lined up by the door, one with a pan of paint to give each of us a bindi, another with a bowl of loose flowers she tossed over each person. What is going on? We were just coming to play a volleyball game, but it turns out the big event was just that, us coming to play a volleyball game. We had to stop and take pictures in the foyer of the school, then were herded into the director's office to meet him, extend our thanks/receive a welcome and take a few more photos. Then we were lead out to the volleyball court, a dirt rectangle in the middle of the school courtyard. The chairs set up, the sound projection system in use and the other team waiting for us on the far side of the court all started to clue me in as to how important of an event this was for them, that we were willing to come out to their school to play a match. Needless to say my boys were a little overwhelmed for their first match! After the game they were asked to speak with a gathering of middle schoolers who were curious about were they came from (US, Canada, Papua New Guinea, Colombia) and how they were adapting to India. Then on to visit the primary school where a group of little ones were practicing a dance routine for a competition and were happy to give high fives and bump fists with the boys after they took a quick tour of some of the rooms and then posed for yet a few more pictures. Despite the game not going so well, a quick 3 set loss, I am so glad we were able to bring some of the players for this experience beyond all I expected. It brought them together as a team, reminded them of how lucky they really are in so many respects and helped add a little bit of real Delhi to their lives. You just never know what to expect here.

Walking across the Ganges

I walked across the Ganges yesterday. I walked across one of the most religiously important rivers in India yesterday. I walked across the roaring tumbling water yesterday. It was not quite the spiritual amazing experience that implies. I walked across a swaying, vibrating suspension bridge. I shared that passage way with motorcycles blaring their horns, the cows that were looking for scraps of dropped food, monkeys hanging onto the wires stealing popcorn bags from unsuspecting walkers, and a ton of other people pushing past and suddenly stopping to take pictures in turn. I walked across the Ganges yesterday. From the middle of the bridge I could see men and women bathing in the holy water here in Rishikesh where the Ganges begins its descent out of the foothills of the Himalayas. I could stand along the railing and absorb the power of the water, and see a hint of just how important it is by the number of temples that flank the banks. Once evening arrived we found ourselves at the aarti, the sending off prayers off down the river with little fires floating on the top of the water. Watching people circle their flames in prayer before adding them to the holy river. I walked across the Ganges yesterday. 

Aerial Acrobat

The spotlight came on and he slid down a rope from the catwalk at the ceiling to reach a trapeze, which he then flung himself around in gravity defying movements. I knew in that minute I'd be staying at school to see more of his performance Friday night. How could anyone resist the chance to watch an aerial artist at work? A chance to see balancing acts on a chair which defy normal body contortions? Who would want to miss the gasp inducing moment of a spin down a rope which stops just a foot from the floor? Certainly not I. No, I would spend an hour Friday night barely blinking, staring mesmerized and awed by the pure strength, control and magic Cohdi Harrell brought to the stage. an hour of enjoying what has been the most incredible visiting artist performance I've seen yet here in New Delhi. Who would have ever thought I'd have the chance to be stunned by an aerial artist at a high school campus in India? There is nothing to do but express gratitude for the opportunity and quietly shut my mouth which has dropped open in awe. 

Cohdi Harrell performed at AES on August 24, 2012 as part of the visiting artist series.

100 people

I've been putting off posting because I want to write about this summer, in the meantime I'm having experiences that I feel like are worth a post. So I thought perhaps I'd be better off sharing some of the small things that have happened recently and getting myself back into the swing of things, after all I've been back in Delhi a month and we just finished our third week of school.

One cool thing that has come out this week is that the 100 people project is featuring a video they shot at our school which highlights the exchange our high school students do with the Vivekanand Community across the street. It will give you a glimpse of what life is like here for some of our neighbors. I've attempted to embed it here, but you can watch it at the 100 people website if you click on India (or try this link if that doesn't work).

The 100 People Project: The American Embassy School New Delhi, India from 100 People Foundation on Vimeo.

UAE snapshot: Dubai

Organised, clean streets. Sandy coloured...well, everything. Tall buildings and then taller buildings. Even the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa with more than 160 floors. I didn't see much when I took the girls jv soccer team to Dubai but I was able to get the sense that this city is very different from Delhi. The majority of our sightseeing occurred in the mall. I know, that sounds ridiculous, but they are teenage girls and there was actually quite a bit to see there. The first night we got there just in time to catch the end of the large fountain display set to music. For some reason the sight of jets of water splashing in time with music is a bit magical. The last day of our trip we returned and took the opportunity to go up the tallest tower, you know the one that Tom Cruise scales in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. Sadly you are not allowed to go up to the very top, but I'll be honest, the 125 floors we went up was plenty high for me. From there the cars at the stoplight look like toys and you are looking down on, well, just about everything in the city. You can see the sea on one side and to the other the vast expanse of sand that makes up the majority of the rest of the United Arab Emirates. Suddenly huge sandstorms make a lot more sense to me. After that I had a few more hours to kill, time to see what else the Dubai mall has to offer. Besides the aquarium, which I didn't think I had enough time to do justice to, I found the waterfall. The waterfall is an indoor two story fountain which has metal divers skimming down the surface. By the time I was finished admiring the smooth lines I had just enough time to go looking for some dark chocolate in a specialty food store before meeting the team to head to the airport. I guess the mall had more to offer in its air conditioned comfort then I expected!

Now, finally, a few weeks into summer vacation, I am done with the stories from my travels this part year. I just hope I will be able to remain more on top of it this next school year.

Cambodian/Thai snapshot: Royal palaces

While I was exploring Phnom Penh and Bangkok I had the opportunity to visit the royal palaces of each country. This was the first time I had been to an Asian palace with its pagoda styled buildings, gold roof coverings and spires. They are incomparable to the palaces you find in europe except in the sense that they are a way to show off the wealth of a country's leaders. In that sense I'd have to say that the Thai royal family is definitely better off then that of Cambodia. The thing to see in Phnom Penh is the silver pagoda, which is almost completely covered in carpets except for a small square to protect the floor and the jade Buddha which resides inside. In Bangkok it was the details which made the palace so absorbing. Giant guardians looming on either side of a gate. Well preserved murals sharing pieces of history and mythology. Gold rooster dragon mix statues. Statues carrying the weight of a spire. Of course it also had its own spectacular pagoda pavilions covered in gold details and gems. When you walk through the gates to either of these two places it is clear that this is not a "normal" person's residence. You can only hope that your jaw doesn't drop and stay open at the ornateness of the palaces of the royal families of these two countries.

Cambodian snapshot: Angkor temples

It seems silly that I haven't written about the main reason that I went to Cambodia- the temples of Angkor. I think I've been avoiding it because I don't know where to start. Exploring the temples in person is a bit like escaping to a different time. A time when buildings spoke to the soul. When they were the heart and soul of a community. When nothing could be grander then these temples. And yet at the same time the draw is seeing just how something this old is surviving until the modern time. This is what you can call some solid construction. True there may be areas where the forest is taking over, where the trees have staked their claim as the fingers of their roots creep over walls, through cracks and sandwich walls. And yet with all the crumbling stones to accompany them there is still a magnificence to accompany these ruins.

I have to admit that Angkor Watt was not my favourite of the temples I explored during my three days there. Some of that may be because they were in the process of doing renovations so green tarp restricted my view of the towers and entrance. Perhaps it was the sheer size of the structure which made it difficult to grasp the full scale. Or maybe it was just that I preferred sites where there were fewer people and I could feel like I was actually discovering a new location.

So what did I prefer? The more than a hundred faces carved into the spires of Bayon held a special fascination for me. So much that I ended up wandering through that temple more than once. Of course who can resist the root entangled temple Ta Prohm, of tomb raider glory? Surely not me. My favourites though were those that were a bit farther off the beaten track. Ta Nei which required us to walk up a sand track and clamber over fallen stones provided a real sense of discovery, solitude and fallen glory. Further afield Banteay Srey stood proudly in a field with extraordinary carvings and details along every surface. Preah Khan had a few trees taking over giving a sense of just what nature can envelop given enough time. I could go on and on, but perhaps a slideshow of pictures will give you the best idea of this fascinating region of Cambodia.

Cambodian snapshot: Kampot

 

One of my difficulties during my Cambodia trip was deciding where I would spend Christmas. All I knew for sure was that I was not going to spend my Christmas on a bus, nor did I want to spend it in the party beach town of Sihanoukville. So I looked into places that were a short bus ride away and eventually found myself in the small French colonial town of Kampot. I'm not going to say that there was an extraordinary amount of things to see there. However, the few riverfront blocks of old architecture, a funky piecemeal bridge, a waterfront walkway and a lovely evening river cruise made for a quiet and relaxing Christmas. The most important thing was found, an Internet cafe where they hooked up a webcam and let me spend three hours sharing the holiday with my family. It turns out that at one point Kampot was famous for its pepper, my guide book even claimed that it was "a favoured choice in Parisian restaurants during the heyday of IndoChina." So what to do but try the local delicacy for my Christmas meal - crab with pepper. That turned into a bit more of an adventure then I expected as I watched the sunset and attempted to attack the shell of my crabs with only a pair of chopsticks. Perhaps it was a good thing that I was alone for that part of my Christmas. By the end of the day I felt like I had gotten exactly what I wanted for Christmas, a quiet relaxing place to spend the day with just a touch of adventure.

Turkish snapshot: Exploring Kapadokya

It is nice to know that even after five (or is it six?) visits to a special location there are still new places to discover. The second half of my trip to Turkey I spent visiting my good friend Ileyn in Kapadokya. Staying with friends always reveals new things for me and this trip was no exception. My favourite day, without doubt, was the day we went out to wander among the magical fairy chimneys in Zelve at the open air museum. This open air museum was an actual village until 1952 when its inhabitants were forced to evacuate due to erosion making their cave houses unstable and unsafe. What is left are three small self enclosed valleys full of houses carved into the rock face, a couple of churches, one mosque, paths winding through the greenery and the yellow and purple wildflowers, a rock winery, painted pigeon houses, numerous fairy chimneys and significantly fewer people then you will find at the similar open air museum in Goreme. I was happy to wander around for several hours with her two kids, exploring everything possible and constantly seeing faces in the rocks around me. By the end of the trip I had everyone else noticing them as well! Yes, Zelve is magical in more than one way.

Turkish snapshot: Return to Istanbul

Punching a straw through the tin foil covering of a container of ayran. A landscape decorated by minarets. Little boys dressed up in their circumcision finery. Enjoying the ferry across and down the Bosphorus. The magical underworld of the Basilica Cistern. The brilliant blue water in the Bosphorus. Food I had forgotten whose first bite brings a flood of memories. Surprising friends during a visit to school. Yes, I am back in Istanbul! It is interesting to be back in a landscape that is a part of my past. To return to a city I was not sure I would ever revisit. To discover new additions such as the aquarium. Of course not everything is better. There have been a few disappointments, the market in Ortakoy is not nearly as enthralling as I remember with significantly fewer jewellery designers in attendance. Tourists seem to have discovered the Asian side of the city. Overall though, it is a bit like a long dream. A happy return to a location that will always hold a special place in my heart.

Cambodian Snapshot: Boat trip up Sangker River

One of my favorite days I spent in Cambodia was the day that I decided to take the boat between Battambang and Siem Reap. You might think that 6 hours on a boat in the river would be a little much, but I found the scenery to be gorgeous and I enjoyed passing by the fishing villages. Some of them clung precariously to the side of the river, but we also passed through at least three floating villages. I couldn't help but think how different your life experience would be if you grew up in a village that only existed on water and could actually move depending on the water level and where fish are biting. As a child you would have limited space to run around and play, but on the other hand you could handle a boat on your own quite young. One of the big amusements for the day is waving at the boats that pass by.  A quick shop is located on a boat that floats from house to house. Pigpens float, bathrooms float, houses float, and fishermen definitely float.

Humayun's Tomb

While my mom was here visiting in the spring I took the opportunity of having a captive audience (really, whenever she comes to visit she just goes along with whatever crazy ideas I come up with) to go see one of the old Mughal constructions that I had been wanting to check out, Humayun's Tomb. Dating back to 1572, when you walk through the main gate and see the building through an arch, you can see how this is considered a precursor to the Taj Mahal with all of its arches and dome. The tomb is set in a lovely garden, provided an oasis of green in the center of Delhi, which also gives space for a few other "extra" tombs including that of the royal barber as well as that of the patron saint of Delhi, Nizamuddin Auliya.

 

Arriving early in the morning we did not have to worry about fighting a crowd, and had the freedom to explore as we wished. I appreciated that this UNESCO World Heritage Site actually provided information about the construction of the garden and the buildings, provided small tidbits of trivia that captivated my interest. Like the story behind the lovely marble lattice windows. The story goes that while Mohammed was being chased he escaped into a cave and a spider threw a web all across the entrance. When the people who were chasing him came by they assumed he wasn't in there because of the web. The windows were designed to replicate the spider's web. Walking around you begin to appreciate the symmetry of the architecture and the gardens. The attempt to create a small section of paradise.

Thailand Snapshot: Reclining Buddha

At the end of my winter break (yes, I am still posting about winter break, but I'm convinced I'm going to finish with this before I leave for the summer in a week) I spent a couple of days visiting with a friend in Bangkok. He took me out to see some of the sights one of the days and I have to say going with someone who knows a place is great! Partly because I didn't have to worry about how to get to anywhere or where I was going, but also because I had no idea of what we were going to go see so everything was a surprise. My favorite surprise was when he took me to Wat Pho. Wat Pho is known as the origin of Thai massage, but that is not what caught my attention. Under a pavillion there is an enormous reclining Buddha. And I do mean enormous. It measures 43 meters long (about 129 ft) with  feet that are 4 1/2 meters (13.5 ft) alone. Once your eyes land on the graceful gold Buddha it is hard to take in anything else at the temple. As we walked around I couldn't draw my eyes away. Definitely different from what there is to see at most other temples!

The Mughal Gardens

Twice now this semester I've had the opportunity to walk around what must be the most beautiful formal gardens in Delhi. I know, you're probably thinking "why is she saying that like it is unexpected?" It is not so easy to explore a garden though when they are at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the president's residence which has restricted access. The first time I went was during the month that they open the gardens up to the public. Thousands of people pour in to walk through this oasis, and when you first reach the gate it is a bit overwhelming. Luckily we were able to avoid the first hour long line because I had read the directions carefully and knew that basically we didn't want to bring anything in with us - no phone, no camera, no bag, no water, no food....so with a bit of money and my keys tucked into my pocket we skirted the bag check line and went directly to the security line. With the way that people were pushing through I was starting to worry about what we had gotten ourselves into, was it going to be this chaotic when we got into the gardens themselves? Luckily no. After the herb garden the crowds thinned out a bit as people were drawn into the beauty of the landscape that surrounded them. Some ventured through the bonsai garden, others headed straight to the fountain spraying in time to music, while others just followed the paths through the gardens themselves. There was no question that there were a lot of people there, the paths were full but moving steadily as everyone took in the sight. My favorite was the sunken circular garden which just seemed particularly peaceful.

The second time I had the opportunity to walk through the gardens it was significantly quieter. A small group of teachers was there for an official tour of the parts of the residence which are open for the public - the formal banquet hall, a ballroom, a few rooms which had been turned into museums, a courtyard with a fountain where water was spit out of a cobra's mouth, and down an unassuming white washed wall to emerge on the patio at the house end of the gardens. While the flowers weren't quite as pretty this time around the garden felt remarkable tranquil and peaceful. Organized beds laid out according to the Mughal aesthetic, cut by water courses some of which had fished shaped tiles on the bottom.

As no cameras are allowed on the ground all photos of the gardens are from the official president of India website. We were however allowed to take some pictures out front of Rashtrapati Bhavan, near the formal entrance used for offical events which overlooks a rather empty part of the city all the way to India Gate.

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib

Earlier this week a friend and I hired a driver to take us downtown. We knew we wanted to do a bit more shopping as we will be leaving for the summer soon and it is always fun to be able to share a bit of what India has to offer when you are going home. We also had the idea of seeing something else in Delhi, only we couldn't decide what that should be. Luckily for us, we didn't have a plan and were open to unexpected ideas. As we were driving to Old Delhi we passed the walls of a massive Sikh temple. Our driver was very proud to point it out to us as a part of his faith and proposed the idea of taking us through it once we were  done with our shopping. Doreen and I latched onto the idea and couldn't believe our luck. What could be better than going through a religious site with someone of that faith?

So, on our way home we stopped for a visit. Our driver was so excited about the idea of being able to share this with us and stated that we were no longer his customers but his sisters, the smile never dying from his face. So we stripped of our footwear, and waited for him to deposit our shoes in the shoe check, making sure to keep our feet in the shade so that they wouldn't get burned on the hot marble flooring. Peering around the corner to look up the stairs at the white marble building topped with enough gold to make it glitter in the sun. Through a basin of water to clean our feet, a quick wash of our hands at the faucet, up the stairs, drape the scarves we'd just bought over our hair, down the green carpeted walkway and across the door sill into the temple itself. Directly in front of the door was the focal point of the temple; a man sat reading from the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book, under a gold pavilion while off to one side three musicians played music in the background. There was plenty of open space around this area where people were sitting and praying (reminding me of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul in some ways). We did a quick tour around the inside of the temple then excited out the back. As we walked out our driver instructed us to cup our hands to receive the food offering of karah prasad which everyone receives as they leave. We were a bit skeptical, but didn't feel we could turn down any part of the experience that he wanted to share with us. So we received our share, took a small bite and then got rid of the rest.

 

There were two more things to see. The sarovar, the holy lake, which was used to help treat the ill during a choloera and smallpox outbreak in 1664 when the location was just a bungalow of a raj that the eighth Sikh Guru stayed in during a visit to Delhi. The temple itself was built in 1783. The lake is considered holy and many people bathe in the water for a special blessing, a single bath house existing for the use of the women who wish to enter the water, while men and children just enter from any side of the main basin. The lake is surrounded by white marble on three sides, the last side opening to the stairs that lead up to the temple itself. On the opposite side of the temple was the langar hall, where anyone is welcome to eat. A simple meal is served to anyone who walks in regardless of their belief.

While I still may not understand much about the Sikh religion, I feel like I got a special look into the largest Sikh temple in Delhi, the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib.