My post-trip bliss

When I came back from my trip to India, I felt more full.

That's the best way to describe it. It was like my inner body completely filled the cavity that was my outer body. There was an inner solidity I hadn't felt before; yet I was also fluid. Also, several people commented how my voice rang with confidence and happiness.


One of my private motivations for wanting to go to India was to see how people integrated spirituality / faith / religion into their daily lives. I not only saw this first hand, I experienced it. From being around monks and strongly spiritual people, and from visiting ancient places of worship, I got some of this bliss through osmosis. I got to live in bliss for a month without being committing to any religion or faith, but just being around it, being open to it, was enough to wear off on me.

But this post-trip bliss is starting to wear off...

For the last few days, since I've been working on selling my car and buying a new car, this bliss--this fullness and fluidity--is slowly disappearing. (I wonder where buying and selling used cars is ranked on the universal stress-o-meter?)

Today, at breakfast, I partly figured out why my bliss is wearing off. A CBC radio program helped me out. On the CBC program, a guest talked about boredom being essential for creativity. (By boredom he means the times when you don't have anything to do, and you resist the temptation to engage in--or cannot get to--your email, the Internet, or the TV. You don't check out.) So this morning, instead of eating my breakfast in front of the TV, I ate outside on my beautiful back deck. I wanted to be "bored" and to see what emerged.

It was during my outside breakfast meal that, out of nowhere, I come to realize a truth: what's different about me in Vancouver and me in India is that here I live in my head whereas I lived in my heart in India.

Without telling anyone my secret agenda for India, and without fully realizing it myself, I had given myself permission to live in my heart for one month. It was glorious. 

So now that I know what's different between how I felt in India and how I feel in Vancouver, the next question is "How can I live in my heart in Vancouver?" Is it possible to live a normal, busy life in our Western society and still keep this unique and wonderful combination of solidity and flexibility that I experienced in India?

Any ideas?

Insights from the group

While I (Allyson) have been the main voice in this blog, I've always wanted to open up the blog to the others so they could talk about what they learned, what blew them away...Here is what the others received from this experience.

Katie's reflections

1. Aleeta and I stood watching the chaotic cacophony of sounds and beings on the street and I said "It's no wonder people got enlightened first in India. Where else?"
   I don't know why I said that but we looked at each other and agreed it made total sense.
2. After my first 24 hours in India, I woke up in tears.
   Reggie always says your body receives all the input from the world and sifts it for you so you only need to consciously cope with a tiny bit of it. Well my body clearly was overloaded - like a backed up toilet. India challenges the human system.
3. I felt like a fish (western woman) out of water (a Sikh society) in Amritsar, until I stepped into the grounds of the golden temple.
   Whoosh - I was in the same big space we all seek. 
4. In a clothing shop with the shop keeper in Dharamsala, Aleeta was asking why he was so suspicious of using tourist's credit cards.
   He said that he expected tourists in India to be more likely to cheat (like canceling a charge on a card after buying something) because for most, I-N-D-I-A means I Never Do It Again; or they never come back. But India is so spectacular that I truly hope I can meditate in a place like HHDL's temple or Padmasambhava's cave again before I reincarnate! I just think of India as I will do it again, somehow. How about: I'd kNowingly Do It Again?

We really had an amazing tour experience. Increasingly I see Tenzin, and Migma, Tekla, and Suresh as realized beings who wisely knew what and how to let us have our own rich experiences. Thanks doesn't quite cover it... But thank you for everything from the baby in the basket to the tips of all the stupas reaching to the limits of the human spirit....!

Katie at Alchi temple

10 things Gordon learned

1. You are never too busy to treat your guests with great honour and hospitality. Likewise for friends.
2. Traffic lines and rules on roads are really just suggestions.
3. Petroleum-based vehicles are evil and will be the downfall of the modern world.
4. Sometimes you have to pay attention and work hard to hear really important information.
5. Indians have a social intelligence that goes far beyond anything we have in North America.
6. India may have issues with clean water but they really understand the value of fresh food for a healthy diet.
7. In Canada, we live in ignorance as to how much we have been given and really need to not sweat the small stuff.
8. One of the greatest gifts that Buddhism is giving to the West is compassion in action.
9. Meditation practice works. Two hours a day will change your life. Let go of the excuses. They are just that--excuses. H. H. the Dalai Lama did the work.
10. The Himalayas are beyond words.

Gordon in Jairpur

Tekla's confessions / reflections

or 

"I never wanted to be a small 't' tour guide"

Possibly the worst 2 weeks of my life where spent on an expensive “canned” tour in Tibet. I swore that I would never take another organized tour, let alone put one together. I also swore in 1996 that I would never return to India. Apparently, I am not very good at keeping promises to myself. This summer, I composed a Buddhist-oriented tour in Northern India, and I have returned to India nearly 15 times.

I confess impatience with friends and fanaticizers who opine “next year I will go to India” (10 years later no Indian Visa has been sought) or, “when I retire I am going to India for sure.” When you have saved enough money, done enough research, or are not too old, suffering, or sick to make the trip.  (I don’t say this out loud).  “When you decide to go, let me know and I will give you some contacts” I say with dubious respect.

As the baby boomers come of age, (old age that is), there is a nostalgia for the 60’s travel to India they never took: Rishikesh, Maharishi, Ravi Shankar, Osho, enlightenment, that sort of thing. Instead, unlike the “hippies,” they opted to start babies and a pension. But now they are ready to see what that “India thing” is all about, what they might have missed back then.

What is holding India explorers back now are the Malaria Mary stories that have been circulating for the last 40 years: bad food, bad water, bugs, snakes, rabid dogs, cults, the Kama sutra, unscrupulous vendors and taxi drivers with cousins with hotels and great deals, and robberies at Delhi railway station, diarrhea, vomiting, near death experiences, and Nescafe substituted for coffee.

Because all of the above have happened to me, except snakes, rabid dogs, and cultists, and because of the “what not to do” Tibet tour, I figured I was in a good position to call the boomer bluff and fulfill the dormant Indian fantasies of my friends and their friends. A group of  five Buddhists, plus one as-yet uncommitted, ponied up to face their fears and do it anyway. I was also facing fears, but I needed to appear fearless in the face of a tour to India.

I assembled an intrepid team of two Tibetans and a Hindu in India. I listed the disclaimers: I am not a guide, this is not a tour, I am not the leader, “you get what you get”, no guarantees. I felt our India team might be able to deliver the heart of Tibetan Buddhism on the two week “tour”, but  not  the heart of India. Everyone was looking for something different!

My trepidations: someone might die (that turned out to be  me with altitude sickness), food, water, bugs, diarrhea and vomiting, boredom, moving too fast, moving too slow, group dynamics, earthquakes (of which I warned them) unfulfilled fantasies, disappointment, and the worry that the travelers would not “get” India--and that that would be my fault. In summary, mine was the fear that they would not get their money’s worth.

How it turned out
The group was forgiving. Each person took responsibility for their own experience. The dynamics were copacetic, and the two Tibetans and their colleagues delivered the heart of Tibetan Buddhism. The Hindu delivered India, and the group came home alive--and enlivened. They “got India” each in his or her own way, which is how we all take in the unfathomable India.

Thank you to Aleeta, Gordon, Allyson, Navnit (and Hagrid), Katie, and David for running your own tour. 

Tekla and Suresh at Farewell dinner

Aleeta's reflections

The walk to the Dalai Lama temple involves moving through a lane of buyers, sellers and money lenders. As you enter the gates of the temple you are met with beggars, women with babies, deformation, animals, poop…the temple itself is clean and spacious but very simple.  Shrine rooms house the Geshes and Lamas in deep practice and these are open for all to see, tourists and practitioners walk by, many taking pictures. We sit down to meditate in the outer temple with the locals, some of them prostrating, including women in their senior years. For people like me concentration takes focus as I am enamored by this display. As I turn inward I find it hard to maintain any sense of my own propriety. I fall into the strength of the energy and it is a vast compassionate space that holds me yet all my stuff around my relationship to the layers of humanity I have witnessed arise and I cannot hide. My reactions and judgements. The face of the woman with her deformed child, the body posture of beggars,the aggressive sellers, the smells, the noise, the constant honking, the judgements, the gawkers taking pictures and my deep reaction to all this but also the love and warmth and hospitality I have experienced on a level I have not known before. l Iove India, i love it's wildness. Through it all I hit deep space of awareness and acceptance. Katie's words ring for me "no wonder people got enlightened here first".  

We were buying a bedspread in Jaipur and the one we had chosen had mirrors in it. Allyson reminded us that with our cats and dogs sleeping on our bed, this one was not a practical choice, and she explained that to the shopkeeper. I will never forget the look on the his face as he tried to digest this image of us with the animals. The wild skinny dogs outside lived on the street and the image of getting into bed with one of these was funny. We were all struck by this difference in perception and it cracked us up for the rest of the day.

Driving in India is wild; there is an unspoken order that does not make sense to us Westerners. We counted up to five people on a motorcycle and nine in a tuk tuk that could comfortably sit four. Cars do not stay in lanes and three lanes is actually a five lane highway. Drivers relate through a system of honking that grates our nervous system. No elbows out the window or you will lose skin to the next car. Crazy, but I felt safer driving there than here and I understand they have a lower accident rate.Why? Perhaps because drivers need to stay alert and speeding is not the same option. Also cars relate to each other, and are not isolated, and there is communication between drivers.

Getting an Ayurvedic massage from a young woman who stood over me while I dressed and undressed, trying to help me. I was at first worried about exposing my money belt and her closeness but then remembered that personal space is more a Western concept. Visiting Tekla in her train compartment to find a family of a 6 sprawled out not just on their 2 narrow bunks, but also on hers while she tried to read quietly. It reminded me of when I first immigrated to Canada and I would get these looks and people moving away from me as I tried to understand a new sense of boundaries. Saying things that were inappropriate and taking on that I do not have good social skills. I had forgotten I had grown up with a different norm.

Getting ready to meet the His Holiness, the Dalai Lama and a translator/ friend asking me if I was excited. I said that was not the correct word to describe my feelings. More a sense of something incredibly significant occurring that was not about celebrity but humanity. He acknowledged what I was feeling and broke out with " you must meditate as much as you can!". I started to cry and repeating "I know".  He really is just a simple monk who has done the work, the very long hard hours over many lifetimes. I hope I am not being presumptuous here in any way, he is my deepest teacher but I think with all due respect and humility I got this. Anyone of us can do the work.

Aleeta at H.H. Dalai Lama's teachings

What Navnit learned

Lesson #10 - To say it as it is

During airline flights, I always reflect on the important safety instruction of placing your own oxygen mask on before helping another as a metaphor for my own life. I am a giver and I appreciate the reminder to help myself before rushing to help others. So, I especially enjoyed the GoAir Domestic Flight to Leh and their version of this very important point. During the safety demo they said something like “If the air pressure in the cabin changes, the mask will come down. Stop screaming and put on the mask.” I was so caught by surprise by this remark that I burst out laughing. Yes of course that would be wise to stop screaming and put it on. I truly appreciate the candidness of the Indian people.

Lesson #9 - To go with the flow

Almost everywhere, we were forced to deal with challenges in interesting ways. I learned to embrace “Indian Time” and the “Indian Menu” and to be aware of my resistance to being uncomfortable. Once I realized I wouldn’t always get what I wanted, I started to have a lot more fun. An example that comes to mind is when we stopped in Jaipur to eat but I needed to use the toilet. The power had gone out and it was pitch black. I grabbed my headlamp and put it on my head. Allyson accompanied me to the dark dungeon that lead to a toilet with a miniscule hole in the ground. While I was learning to tough it out with Indian toilets, and the holes in the ground, but this was absolutely ridiculous. I was horrified by that hole in the ground! But then I took a deep breath, tried to laugh and allowed myself to be consoled by Allyson. She’s so sharp and good under pressure. I really appreciate that quality.She ended up finding a seperate toilet for women. When I finally accepted the toilet situation, then I relaxed. I see how my resistance to whatever arises only hurts me more.

Lesson #8 - My baby, Hagrid, is a great icebreaker

Wherever I went, Hagrid was sure to bring smiles and amusement. I discovered that people all over India, regardless of age, liked to engage with him. Hagrid really brought out the playful side in everyone. Even the gentle Geshes who started cradling him and hugging him. I even arranged his inter-cultural arranged marriage with a lovely Ladakhi girl named Dowa Dolma. (Actually her name was Tenzin but our Llama in Dharmasala renamed her).

Lesson #7- My real work is at home

I went to India and Jamyang School with the idea that I would be able to give back and do some good for the underprivileged. Yet I was met with an unexpected surprise and realization on our first visit to the school. All the children were lined up to welcome us! They greeted us with smiles, greetings, bowing, and much love. I was so touched when I looked in their eyes and saw so much presence, compassion and joy. They were part of the Jamyang family and they knew it. They were welcoming us into their home. I realized that they helped me more than I helped them. The ones who needed me more were my students back home, some of which were actually suffering more than these children.

Lesson #6- I want to nurture the Indian notion of community and hospitality

This is what I miss the most about India. I felt so connected and cared for by everyone over there. People treated me like family and I really felt it in my entire being. I especially felt so taken care of when I became extremely sick in Ladakh during our second visit. Our friends Tenzin and Geshe Tsultrim visited often and brought doctors and medicine to help us heal. I was especially touched by their meditations to help us heal, which really helped! The staff at the hotel checked in on us and brought us food and water to our room even at crazy hours.

Lesson #5- Happiness can show up in the most surprising places

Our visit to the sacred holy village of Alchi brought much joy. We visited our Geshe’s home and his family welcomed us with delicious food, butter/mint tea and treated us with so much kindness. They insisted on dressing us up in their traditional Ladakhi clothing. I felt transformed into a Ladakhi girl. It was absolutely heartwarming to be with them in this way.

We went on to visit several buddhist temples and monasteries. My heart ached not with sadness but with joy when we were inside. The energy of the place was so serene, grounding and ancient. I remember saying on the bus, “I can’t remember the last time I was this happy. I’m here where I belong in a sense--my real home.” Plus, it didn’t hurt that our driver Dorje was incredibly handsome.

Lesson #4 - Gratitude for Sangha

I have traveled alone many times in my life but I realized the value of traveling with Sangha. I learned so much about life and my own patterns from the support and care of my friends. Tekla organized a transformative experience that has changed my life and I will be forever grateful for that. I loved the leadership, energy, and support from Aleeta and Gordon. Meditating together in another country is so powerful and supportive. Their door was always open for that. My roommate Allyson was so organized and methodical that it rubbed off on me! She was always so attentive and caring. I treasure our heart-to-heart conversations. I could not have asked for a better roomie. :) Everyone was so open about what was going on for them during check ins. I appreciate how we were all concerned about each other. Aleeta would always say, “We are one organism.”

Lesson #3 - I am Universal
The Golden Temple was not at all what I expected. From the moment I stepped into the presence of the temple, I was truly overwhelmed with emotion. I felt the devotion of true Sikhs. They were all around doing Seva and worshipping. It was so different from some of my disillusioning experiences back home where some people are more concerned with your outfit than with spiritual connection. My entire being was vibrating with life. I felt a shimmery, tingly feeling in my feet which spread through my entire body. As night fell and we listened to the religious text, I became mesmerized by the water and the moon. I felt as though the glistening light and the water was speaking to me. It was telling me I am a Sikh. I am Universal. I saw my root religion in a new light.

Lesson #2- It’s possible to live without technology

I forgot some important things at home during my packing prior to the trip. So I lived without some forms of media that usually dominate my life like my Macbook Pro, iPad, cell phone, and camera charger. It was hard at first to not be constantly connected to my email, texting and the internet but at some point I just let it go. I actually came into the moment and became more present with my daily experiences in India. I wasn’t constantly checking my phone and was more connected with people. I did check my email and class blog a few times, but in general I experienced what it means to be unplugged. It was refreshing and eye-opening. I would really recommend it for anyone who wants to see life through a different lens.

Lesson #1 - Meditation Practice is key

Meeting the 17th Karmapa and his Holiness the Dalai Lama was a life changing experience that words cannot fully express. So I will not even try to explain what happened for me. What I will say is that I came to understand that they did not become such powerful and compassionate beings by accident. Neither were they simply born that way. Their meditation practice has made them who they are. This applies to all the caring and compassionate souls I crossed paths with on my travels. This lesson has affirmed more than anything else my desire to make my meditation practice a priority in my life.

Navnit in Leh during a power outage

David

David with Rose at Tibetan Children's Village

Packing list for India

Before leaving for India, I got stressed about what to bring. I didn't want to load up my knapsack, but at the same time I wanted to be as comfortable as possible. I even did a speech at my Toastmaster's club about the struggles I faced with deciding what to pack.

When I got packed and was ready to go, I decided to bring my packing list along with me and track what I actually used during my month-long trip, and what I wished I'd left at home. I hoped that this might help those of you who plan on going to India or Asia. (Note that I was packing for a one-month trip during the monsoon season and into the high altitudes of Leh, Ladakh.)

I split the list into categories because that's how my brain works and, in keeping with these categories, packed items into labelled or distinctive containers to make it easy to find things en route.  That worked really well and my stuff stayed organized to the very end.

The following packing list includes what I brought, what I wish I'd left at home, and what I'd bring next time.

Hope this helps!

Clothing

 

Sandals	One pair of Teva walking sandals and one pair of rubber flip flops. (I originally intended the flip flops for the shower, but ended up wearing them everywhere.) I hemmed and hawed about open or closed-toe shoes, but decided that I didn't want to spend the money on buying a pair of new shoes. I ended up not needing the closed-toe shoes--I was just careful where I walked.
Rain jacket	Gortex would have been nice, but not necessary
Shalwar Kameez	Bought two Punjabi outfits in India with the same color of pants so I could mix and match the tops and bottoms. If I'd bought an outfit in Vancouver before leaving, I could have left a lot of my Western clothes at home. I hardly ever wore my Western clothes as I felt that I blended in better wearing the Indian clothes and they are so much more comfortable in hot and humid weather.
Hat with brim
Sunglasses	Buy a strap so you can hang them from your neck
Fast dry underwear	Four pair of nylon underwear with cotton gusset. Decided against buying the expensive mountaineering fast-dry underwear as a way to cut down costs.
Light cotton socks	One pair to keep the mosquitoes at bay and to wear on the plane.
Cotton pyjamas
T-shirts	Two lightweight, easy dry cottom -- even so, hardly worn after buying Salwar Kameez
Bras	Two.
Sweater	One lightweight wool sweater
Yoga pants	Good for lounging while my Salwar Kameez were drying

What I would definitely bring next time:

• Sports bra

What I should have left at home:

• Two polyester dresses: while polyester is great because it doesn't wrinkle, it is not the fabric of choice for India. (My sister recommends Viscose.)
• Shorts:  I felt uncomfortable exposing my knees and legs. For the one time that I actually wore my shorts, I could have left them at home and had more space in my pack for presents.
• Heavyweight cotton t-shirts. They don't dry fast enough, and white is the worst color to bring! 

 Toiletries

Deodorant
Nail clippers	Finger nails get dirty really fast, so bring nail clippers that have an attached nail file.
Ear plugs	Five pair. Night life can be really noisy: horns, constructions, parties. You could also use them during the day to drown out all the honking.
Eye shades	Recommended for the plane to help with jet lag. Shades help to black out the light so your body can produce melatonin. This combined with drinking lots of water cuts down my jet lag by about 80%. Also, if your roommate is a night owl and you're not, you can go to sleep easier with eye shades
Kleenex pack	Once these ran out, I used toilet paper
Sunscreen	I brought one kind for my face (expensive) and another for my body (cheaper)
Toothbrush and toothpaste	Toothbrush, toothpaste (travel size), dental floss
Razor	You can use hair conditioner as shaving cream
Hair clips, elastics
Shampoo and conditioner	Even though they don't chlorinate the water, my hair got really dry at high altitudes and in the pollution of Delhi. Bring small containers and be sure to put them into a Ziploc bag; my shampoo bottle spilled into my toiletries bag after the first plane ride.
Moisturizer
Feminine products
Foot powder	Best to bring medicated foot powder that kills bacteria.
Face wash
Lip balm	If you bring the Bert's Bees colored lip balm, you won't need to bring lipstick
Soap bar or body wash	Doubles as laundry soap in a pinch

 What I would consider packing for the next time:

• Mascara



My toiletries bag, two weeks into the trip

Medication

Water purification tables	I brought the Micropur tablets because they remove cryptosporidium as well as guardia. Needed to leave it for 4 hours, so usually purified the water at night, ready for the morning
Water jug	Marked at the 1 litre level for purifying water
Water bottle	A 500 ml bottle that is easy to carry around during the day
Immodium	Very handy when you have traveler's diarrhea and you need to travel.
Hand sanitizer
Antibiotics	I took the Azithromycin as soon as the traveler's diarrhea symptoms occurred. Was cured in two days.
Advil, Tylenol, Aspirin	Recommend bringing brands you recognized as it's difficult to tell what is what in an Indian pharmacy
Mosquito repellent	The travel clinic recommended the Ugava brand that contains 30% DEET, which is scary stuff. But I chose not to have anti-malaria vaccine, so it was important to keep the mosquitoes at bay.
Probiotics	Buy the pearl tablets that don't need to be refrigerated
Grapefruit seed extract	I brought the pills, my travel buddies brought the liquid drops.
TUMS
Emergen-C	Small packets of 1,000 mg of vitamin C, which you dissolve in water. They really helped with high altitude sickness, and provided the vitamin C that I was missing with my new diet.
Mini first-aid kid	Bandaids, polysporin, aloe vera, alcohol wipes, etc.
Homeopathic travel kit	My travel kit was customized for my system by Nicole Duelli, a Vancouver homeopathic practitioner. It included Arnica, Nux Vomica, Ars, and so on.
Foot balm	I got mine in Mexico and will be very sad when it's all gone. It's a waxy substance that cures dry heels in a snap.
Daily medication	Bring your daily medication with you on the plane, in the original container from the pharmacy
Eye drops	The pollution in Delhi and dry mountain air can be hard on your eyes

Vaccines I decided to take (after much research and lots of hemming and hawing):

• Dukoral vaccine. But I ended  up with GI problems anyway.
• Diamox (high altitude medication). Originally thought I'd take it, but the side effects were so bad (it felt like all the nerve endings were electrified), that I stopped taking it after one dose. I didn't need this medication after all and just dealt with the headache and nausea with aspirin and ginger, and Emergen-C 
• Hepatitis
• Typhoid fever
• Tetanus, Diptheria, Polio

What I could have left at home:

• Moisturizing baby wipes

What I would definitely pack next time:

• Secaris nasal gel: to help with a very dry nose from high altitudes
• Ginger chews: to help with nausea from high altitude
• Gravol suppositories: when you can't keep anything down and you want to stop vomiting
• Melatonin: to help with sleeping at high altitudes
• Breathe Right nose strips: to help with inhaling oxygen at high altitudes
• Cough syrup/drops: who would have thought I'd catch a cold in India...
• Oral rehydration salts: I was lucky that the doctor brought these.



Toiletries bag used solely for medication

Household

These are the items that normally live in your linen closet, broom closet, laundry room, mud room, etc.

Microfibre wash cloths	I brought two--they were great for washing my face and cooling me down.
Ziploc bags	I brought two large ones, but could have used about four. Small Ziploc bags would have been handy too.
Plastic clothes hanger	These have a hook to hang and a ring with 8 clothes pegs so you can easily hang up wet clothes. It's a bit bulky, but I found it worthwhile and am glad that I brought it.
Umbrella	Buy one that is lightweight but sturdy
Headlamp	Having a flashlight on your head allows your hands to be free. Lightweight with a very powerful lamp.
Laundry soap	I brought liquid soap, but next time would bring a bar of laundry soap
Borax	To add to laundry or when rinsing out sandals. Cut down on smells
Dehydrated wiping cloths	These are great. They come in a pack and look like mint candies. But when you wet them, they unfurl and unfold into a sturdy cloth for wiping
Universal sink plug	Large, round flat rubber sink plug that fits over any sink hole.
Sharpie pen	Used this to mark containers and Ziploc bags
Scotch tape	Bought this during my trip and it turned out to be handy on more than one occasion
Travel scissors	The ones that fold up. Be sure to pack them in your checked baggage not your carry on
Travel knife	A folding knife to cut up fruit, etc. Be sure to pack it in your checked baggage! I lost mine on the first flight because I forgot it was in my carry on baggage. I kept missing it and ended up getting a plastic version from a kind fruit seller
Bedsheet	From what I could see, hotel linen and towels are washed by hand in the local stream or river. It's hard to get out some stains. So after inspecting one particular set of hotel sheets, I decided to buy a lightweight cotton double sheet which I folded over. Worked like a charm.

What I would definitely pack next time:

• Travel alarm clock--Hotels are not reliable for giving wake-up calls.
• Small Rubbermaid container--for leftovers at restaurants, mixing up a fruit salad
• Small notepad -- so I didn't have to rip pages out of my journal

Labelled Ziploc bag housing some of my household items

Plane and Train Travel 

This bag was great. Whenever I had to catch a plane or train, I just grabbed this bag and put it in my carry on.

Small microfiber towel	I personally never used this item, but my travel buddies did, so I'm leaving it in this list
Travel pillow	Small down-filled rectangular one from Mountain Equipment Coop. Rolled up in its bag, it makes a great back support while travelling. Unrolled, it provides comfort when the headrest is hard. (I would not recommend the MEC blow-up neck travel pillow that wraps around your neck. It chokes you--I will be returning it)
Luggage zipper locks	Small locks for your luggage zippers
Small bicycle lock for securing luggage	I bought one at the dollar store for $1. Good for securing your luggage to the underside of the seat in a train, and to a chair in the airport while you sleep. Worth the peace of mind
Ear plugs	For ease of falling asleep and blocking out all the noise.
Eye shades	For ease of falling asleep.
Toothbrush and toothpaste	British Airways gives these out on their flights, so I kept a couple and added them to my bag

What I would leave at home:

• Blow-up neck travel pillow from MEC

What I would definitely pack next time:

• Two tennis balls -- great for relaxing your hamstrings and back muscles on long trips. Just put them under your legs or down your back and lean on them.

Labelled Ziploc bag for plane and train travel

Electronics

Extra memory cards for camera	I took about 2,000 pictures on three cards 2GB, 4GB, and 32 GB (borrowed from Gordon)
Camera-to-PC connector	To upload pictures from camera to computer at Internet cafes.
Audio Recorder-to-PC connector	It's really interesting to record sounds when you travel. Sometimes these are more powerful and evoke more emotion than a picture or a video with sound. Plus, it was a great ice-breaker with the kids of Jamyang school.
Spare bicycle lock	In case I lost the key in my traveller's belt.
Battery charger for camera
Plug converter	From 120v > 230 V
Photocopies of important documents	This electronics pouch had a handy slot for important papers, so I kept them there.

What I would definitely pack next time:

• A travel document holder for my passport, boarding passes, photocopies of important papers, and so on. 
• Lightweight laptop / tablet PC / iPad
• Lonely Planet (pages ripped out)
• Contact information for drivers, guides, and hotels (duh! see the story)

Bag containing electronics, spare key, and important papers

Traveller's belt

This goes under your clothes, next to your skin. With all the sweating, you'll need to wash it frequently. Buy one that is cotton, not synthetic.

Two bank cards	In case your card doesn't work in an ATM, you can try the second one. This happened to me in the London Heathrow airport.
Travel insurance contact information	Usually you have to contact your travel insurance before getting services at a hospital or clinic. I wanted the contact info on me at all times.
Combination and keys	The combination for my luggage zipper locks and the key to my bicycle lock
Passport
Cash
Credit cards	Indian sellers don't like credit card transactions. They think the buyer will cancel the sale and then the seller is out of pocket. As a result, sellers charge a huge percentage on top of the price if you pay with a credit card. Didn't use mine ever; but it might be good to bring, just in case.

Traveller's belt

Daily over-the-shoulder purse

This is a small, over the shoulder lightweight purse that I bought in Mexico. Love it! It is also just the right size to carry my passport and boarding pass (when I'm pulling them in and out at the airport).

During a regular travel day, it holds:

• Small change purse for coins and small rupees
• My day's money 
• Ballpoint pen
• Waterproof camera -- It was lightweight and small enough to fit into my daily purse. Chose not to bring my larger camera with retractable lens because of the weight and because the risk of getting moisture on the lens that then retracts into the body of the camera--this can ruin the camera. I bought a waterproof Lumix with 10 x zoom and video features.

Daily over-the-shoulder purse

Daily knapsack

In addition to my daily purse, I carried around a smallish knapsack that held various items for a day's travels.

• Snacks
• Journal
• Water bottle
• Maps
• Hat
• Umbrella
• Prescription glasses
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Mosquito repellant

About this blog (Updated)

Hello there!

So glad that you're reading this blog...I'll be updating this post as things change with the blog.

August 10, 2012

Writing this blog has been one of the highlights of this trip. When I experience something really interesting, I'd be inspired to share it with you. I'd start composing the blog in my head, think about how I'd structure it, imagine the pictures I'd share, until I just couldn't stand it any more and I'd head to an Internet cafe to write.

I would gingerly enter the Internet cafe (some I just couldn't bear to go in), hand over my passport, and be assigned a computer. If I was lucky, the computer operating system was fairly recent, the keyboard worked, and it had the software I needed to compress my pictures. When not so lucky, the computer would be ancient, the internet connection really slow, or the power would go out mid sentence.

On my last day in Delhi, I went to two Internet cafes. This is a description of the conditions of the second cafe under which I wrote the post about meeting H.H. the Dalai Lama:

• No air conditioning -- After an hour, I could feel the rivulets of sweat rolling down my belly and soaking the top of my pants
• Doors were wide open; so there was no barrier between me and the incessant honking traffic a few feet away
• The TV was turned up to about volume 55, to be heard above the traffic
• A live mouse ran around the wires at the back of the computer table--I'd jump every time I saw it until I got used to it
• My computer was connected to the scanner, so I was in charge of pushing the "Scan" and "Done" buttons each time they scanned someone's passport,

Part of me thinks that next time I would bring a small lightweight laptop so that I could write my blog from the comfort of my room, when the impulse hit me. The other part of me wouldn't trade those Internet cafe experiences for the world.
 
I am home now. My plan is to add a couple of blog posts in the next few days. One will include the impressions/reflections of the trip from my travelling buddies, another will be a comprehensive packing list in case you decide you want to travel to India.

I would also love to summarize the Buddhist teachings and my impressions of what I learned on a deeper level. Being in Vancouver, on my own computer, this might be possible. In the Indian Internet cafes, it's hard to dig down deep in your soul when your physical body is being assaulted with heat, humidity, and general intensity.


Thank you so much for your interest in my journey (so far, the blog has 1,500 page views!). It was a pleasure to share. Stay tuned for the last coupe of posts.

July 24, 2012

Sometimes I like to update a posting. If only because I'm a writer and have a strong need to edit my work. But also to reassure people that their loved ones are OK (for example, to update you that Tekla is now completely recovered from her mountain sickness). I'll preface the change with Update: so you'll know what's new inside a post.

July 22, 2012

I just changed the Comments privileges to open it up to anyone. By default, Google sets it to only allow comments from Blogspot users. I just did some poking around and found the setting to change that. So please feel free to comment on the posts! Would love to hear from you.

Your intrepid traveller,
Allyson

We meet the Dalai Lama

During our entire trip to India, we've been hoping for an audience with H.H. the Dalai Lama. The day before we left Leh, our group was given the opportunity to meet with and be photographed with the Dalai Lama.

After 5 hours of public teaching to 50,000 Ladakians, the Dalai Lama drove to his house, greeted us warmly, spoke about the importance of the Jamyang school, and expressed appreciation for our support. He then nestled in for the photo and said "Here, take my hand. Stand shoulder to shoulder." He emanates goodness and compassion. At 82 years old, he can sit in one place and teach for 5 hours straight without a break, and then be the consummate diplomat to a group of foreigners.

Allyson, Susie, Aleeta, Geshe Lobsong, H. H. Dalai Lama, Gordon, Navnit, Juhi

While it was on our trip's agenda to meet with His Holiness, there were so many factors to work around. We only got this opportunity because of Tenzin's dedication to getting us an audience and because Gordon, Aleeta, and Navnit are strong Buddhist practitioners. We developed a special bond with Tenzin and are--again--very grateful to him for all that he has done for us while we were in Leh. He is a very special man. (Unfortunately, there were too many foreigners for Tenzin to come with us. Also, we missed Tekla, Katie and David and wished they were with us.)


Susie (second to left) has raised a lot of money for the Jamyang school, including purchasing a vehicle to take the children to the hospital, bringing loads of new winter clothes for the children. She is head of a non-profit organization in France and has been supporting the Jamyang school since 2009. (I'll post a link to her blog as soon as I get it.) Susie is looking for help in transferring her blog into a web site. If you know of anyone who can help, please let me know!

Juhi (far right) runs Tara for Children, an organization that supports disadvantaged children in India. Her organization supports the Jamyang school by matching sponsors with individual children. She comes once a year to interview the children and track their progress. She is holding a collection of Mala beads that the Dalai Lama blessed which she will be auctioning to raise funds for the organization.

We have done our best to support the Jamyang school by bringing used clothing for the children and house mothers, and giving a donation.

24 hours of silence

Last night, I woke up at 2:15 am. My mind was racing and I couldn't relax or get back to sleep.

At about 5:05 am, I decided that I would not speak a word today. I hoped that this might help to settle my "excited" mind.

The only other time that I had done this was 4 years ago at Heather Star Graham's weeklong yoga retreat in Mexico. At that time, we all took a vote as to whether we'd like 24 hours of silence. At that time, I was the lone vote against it. Being outvoted, I agreed to participate. Contrary to what I expected, I learned that it was surprisingly relaxing.

This morning, I told my travelling buddies that I wouldn't speak for 24 hours as a way to calm my mind. They, being advanced meditators, were completey supportive and welcomed this new twist in our daily routine.

Now, if you're in a yoga retreat and everyone else is silent, and you can hang around the pool all day, that's one thing. But being silent while doing active travelling is a different story. I've had some interesting insights.

1. People in India are supportive of odd practices such as taking a vow of silence for one day.
   When Aleeta told the shopkeeper that I wasn't speaking today as a meditative practice, he looked me in the eye and, after a few hand gestures, gave me a deep discount on my wall hanging.
2. I like to solve problems and I'm a natural leader; but with a vow of silence, I could do/be neither.
   When we got stranded today (our taxi driver did not show up and we were cooking under the hot sun, tired, hungry and needing a toilet). My travelling buddies brainstormed what to do. I just leaned back against the stone wall (covered in cow dung patties) and accepted that they would look after it. Aleeta's resourcefulness and broken Hindi helped us to get a ride on the back of a pickup truck. On the way to town, four more people joined us and we all jostled in the box together. It turned out to be a quintessential India experience. Bonus: we were dropped off one block from our hotel.
3. I discovered that my contribution is not always necessary.
   Several times today I got a very strong urge to contribute to the conversation, but for obvious reasons, I could not. Instead of wild hand gestures and gesticulations, I just let the conversation unfold as it were. Decisions were made without my inupt, and I had to put off discussions until tomorrow. And nobody died without my input.

While it was a challenge to navigate the day without speaking, the experience showed me more about my own impulses and mind chatter than I was expecting. It was a great experience, one that I might duplicate when I'm back home.

Think about it, one day per month without speaking. Would you try it? 

Getting sick in India

As much as I was convinced that I wouldn't get sick in India, I was wrong.

As a matter of fact, everyone in our group has been sick--some of us more than once, and with more than one illness: cold and cough, high altitude sickness (headache, nausea, breathlessness), traveller's diarrhea, food poisoning, mysterious gastrointestinal problems.

We had our mascot Hagrid pose with some of the items we've needed to get well and to deal with illness in a foreign land.

Hagrid models the medicine

Headlamp: When you need to go to the washroom fast, the electricity will sure to be down (see picture below)

Ear plugs: When you most need to sleep, Indian boys are roaming the streets on motorcylces leaning on their horns to show who's cool

Toilet paper: Don't leave home without it.

Antibiotics: Don't leave home without them. They work like magic.

Aspirin, Advil: Buy brands you recognize before you leave. Otherwise, you're in an apocatheray and all they have for headaches and stomach aches are garlic pills.



During a pit stop at a local restaurant. (For those of you who don't know Navnit, this is her "I'm not impressed" face.)

I feel blessed with having very caring travelling buddies (especially Aleeta), who have gone out of their way to help us recover and be comfortable. My sincere gratitude also goes out to Tenzin and Geshe Tsultin who came to visit us each day we were sick and (three times) arranged for Tibetan and Western doctors to do house calls. My deepest thanks for their kindness and concern for our health.

For all those who are wondering about their loved ones...good news: everyone has recovered and we are stronger than ever.