notes from India(did anybody tape the game?)

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam Ya'll,

Right now I am taking a pretty cool view of the

Ganges. I arrived in RishiKesh 2 days ago. Staying at Muniji's

Ashram. He has 900 rooms in his ashram!

Two days before that I was dealing with the heaviest snowstorm

Manali (at the base of the Himalaya) has had since '90. The bus

coming in couldn't even make it into town. It had to stop a half mile

before town at friggin 5am and I had to jackass my own luggage into

town through a bunch of inches of snow and it was just starting. I

then hired 4WD cab to take me up (and I mean UP!) to a hotel where

they had a generator because the snow had knocked out the electricity

in town. The place had a nice view of a total whiteout (I'll just

have to trust the postcards) The snow was real neat to hike around

in. Some real special Hindu temples tucked away in the woods and

there are some hot springs in the area that would have been neat to

get into but they required a fairly serious but short to reach. I

stumbled upon the Hadimba Temple which dates back to 1539, I think it

was.

One full 36 hours later I had to get out of there, though, before I

got completely stuck. Yes, it continued to snow. It took another 4-

wheel Taxi to get out and down to where the snow turned to rain but

not before I had to hike over one mile down the mountain from my

hotel with a urban sherpa helping me with my luggage (the little

pieces) through 2 feet of snow. I then took a room below and beyond

the snowbelt and watched some India cable TV (Baaaaaad!)

In the morning I caught a bus through some of the most beautiful

river valley on the planet. 8 hours later I was in Chandigarh waiting

for a 4am train to Haridwar (that's when the SuperBowl was

happin'...totally slipped my mind). 6 hours of train later I am in a

rickshaw motoring to Rishikesh.

Nice to not be moving.....

At an internet cafe looking out over the Ganges. Typing king of fast

(for me)but have to boogie on down the road.

Kind of craving some fellowship but can be even more alone...us

Pisces folk can do that. Four AM Yoga and chanting/meditation has a

way of filling the empty places with richness and nourishment.

What is neat is hanging with the local Sadhus. One of them speaks

english quite well and has some deep spiritual roots.He was born a

Jat Sikh in 1936. He came to his spiritual teacher in '57. He tells

me that the Amrit Vela is from 2am to 4am! More on the conversation

later.

Also watched a cow give birth right on the banks of this sacred

river. She required so veterinary help though. Life and near death.

The Ganges has a history that seems to resonate around such core

themes.

Almost out of money so I be back soon.

Love ya'll,

Dharam

P.S. The monkeys are an absolute <GAS> over here!