Much Love

Day 242- It was a short rest after the long drive from Dharamshala before we had to wake up and hit the road to Agra. For most on our group, their flight home was looming and there was no time to waste with a silly thing like sleep. Agra was a destination many of us had circled on our calendars. This is of course because Agra is home to the world famous Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal was constructed by the reigning emperor, at the time, as a token of love for his favourite wife... no not for his least favourite wife, she didn't get a marble castle, only the favourite ones get castles. He had so much love for his favourite wife that he commissioned this costly project, which took over 11 years to complete and the equivalent of 827million US dollars! The emperor's wife was not even alive to see it, as she had died during their 14th childs birth. In her final moments, she requested that her emperor not take anymore wives as well as give her a grand gift to honour her life. He fulfilled both of these requests and this beautifully symmetrical structure stands as a testament to their love. All Mike ever got me was a ring and a few flowers. Then again, I am shy of the 14 children so perhaps I won't bring this up to him... yet.  

The bus ride to Agra was not terribly long but many of us were still feeling the affects of our long drive from the night prior, so we were all a little groggy. For Mike and I, our tiredness definitely affected our experience at the Taj Mahal. It was beautiful, magnificent in size and there's no question that it looks like a mirage in the sky but we found ourselves walking around too quickly snapping a few photos, here and there, as opposed to marvelling in the size and detail of this grand structure. Although, the amount of people present at the sight was also a little overwhelming. Combined with the hot weather and our tired eyes, it definitely wasn't as spectacular as I had envisioned. I was still happy to see it and if I could do it all over again the only thing I would do differently is to first yell 'Fire, FIRE' and then take my photo with just the two of us. <evil shifty eyes> 

Trying to catch it from different angles. 

Honeycombs.

Excited to finally wear my indian outfit.

                      

A view from below.

Mike and I are getting real good at taking selfies.

                       

                  

I needed to share this photo of Chris and Melissa on the back of the tuk tuk that took took us the rest of the way to the Taj. Their both just so darn happy! The guy to the right however... not so much. 

Another drive home with a quick stop for food left us sleepy and restless but we were glad to be back in Delhi. The streets were familiar and the hotel room was clean. We did a little main bazaar shopping and met up with the group at the hotel to go out for an extra special final group dinner at Metropolis restaurant. 

Not only would it be the last group dinner for us all but it also happened to be a special someones birthday. Chris smiled like a little kid when his cake came out and it was nice to celebrate with such great people when he was so far away from his friends and family back home. 

It was a bitter sweet moment to hear everyone's stories and take aways from their journey in India while knowing this was the end of our time together. Such an inspiring group of people that Mike and I are so grateful to have met. Life long friendships were made and unique experiences lived because of each and every person on the Breathe in Life trip. It was our first group trip experience and it definitely won't be our last. The trips success can largely be attested to the people on it.  This experience offered us a new way of travel that allowed me to sit back and enjoy each day without planning it. It also pushed us to try new things that we probably wouldn't have otherwise. 

We ended the night with a Bridesmaids movie slumber party in one of our hotel rooms, while sharing foot massages and watching Kailie mix G&T after G&T. Super fun last night. 

Day 243- After a long and wonderful sleep and a few goodbyes, the remainder of us spent the morning shopping and walking around Connaught place. Mike and I were supposed to book our flights and train tickets for the next leg of our trip but we were too tired and lazy to make the move. I think we had been spoiled over the last 3 weeks and we were not sure if we remembered how to plan for ourselves anymore. Eventually it was time to say a sad goodbye to the last of our friends but it was nice knowing we are all only a short plane or drive away from reuniting one day soon... Some of us live only five minutes away!!!! YAY!

Mike and I wanted to show our thanks to Melissa, Chris and Jordan for a great trip so we treated them to dinner back at the delicious Metropolis restaurant.

Day 244- This was a day of fun for Mike and I and it was much needed. We were in need of a western refresher, so we went to Delhi's nicest mall, City Select Mall. This need for a refresher materialized after checking out of our beautiful Breath in Life sponsored hotel and into our new, economically friendly hotel for the night. That's right, our nasty sheets, broken bathroom, blood on pillows, 'homely' hotel room. Yes, homely, it's even writen on their business cards, it's like their trying to make it less desirable. 

Rooms not as shown on business card.

Next we needed to book our life for the next 3 weeks. We had no real plans for the rest of our travels in India and it was time to figure it out. We booked a flight and some train tickets to get us to the south. That would have to be good enough for now. 

                      

The man in this photo was peering at me while we finalized the details with the agent.... he looked oddly familiar. 

                      

Get us to the mall!! It took some patience to get us there as our first taxi driver dropped us off at the wrong mall. It was not the western mall we desired but it had A/C, so that's pretty sweet right? 

                     

When we finally arrived at the correct mall, it was exactly what we'd hoped for. Clean white tile, soap in the bathrooms, air conditioning and best of all, North American food options. First up, Krispy Kream and Starbucks please. Can you taste the love...

                    

Next up, time to get pampered. Mike got himself a hair cut. 

                   

And I got something done that I grew up doing at the Indian hair salon in my neighbourhood, often with my good friend Meghan. I got my eyebrows threaded by an Indian in India. Mike was awe struck as the skilled beautician worked her two hands and head in perfect rhythm to manipulate the string with pinpoint accuracy. 

                   

Then Mike and I got our feet taken care of and I must say, I actually felt bad for the poor souls who had to touch our soles... 

We left the mall feeling refreshed and ready to head back into the craziness of Delhi. I was on a mission to find a fabric store for my mom and on the way home we just so happened to pass buy a store with a ton of fabric. 'STOP THE TUK TUK!' It was pretty funny to walk into the local store, in the non touristy part of town, and have eight Indian men stop what they were doing to look at us with their full attention. Mike broke the ice with some joke that no one got. But it did the trick because immediately after they all wanted their chance to help us and I had everyone suggesting fabric. In the end I chose a few that I thought my mom would like and the experience alone was worth it. 

                     

We got back to the Pahar Ganj (the area of our hotel) and finished our last task of the day. We sent a package home at some corner side shop. A shop that didn't take a list of our items for customs, gave us no tracking number, or receipt of any sorts, however, promised with extreme confidence that it would make it to Canada without issue. As I am writing this in hindsight I can happily say, my skepticism aside, the package arrived safely just a few days ago. Yay! 

                     

Now it was time to rest up before our flight in the morning. This was hard as our homely hotel room did not exactly invoke a sense of calm. We could actually hear plaster from the ceiling in the bathroom falling off during the night. 

Ok just going to tuck into these stained sheets for a cozy sleep...

                   

Goodnight. 

      

Breathe In Life

Day 230- We arrived at the train station near Rishkesh after a seamless transition. 

Rishikesh is considered the gateway to the Himalayas and is widely regarded as a meca for yoga, meditation and Ayurvedic medicine but it is also viewed as a holy city. The Ganga (river) that flows through the city is said to wash away ones sins and millions of pilgrims a year flock to the city to do just that. 

After departing the sleeper train we had some time to kill while we waited for a bus to take us the rest of the way. And kill it we did. Mike and I busted out the hacky sack that we purchased in New Zealand. The locals were intrigued and it wasn't long before we had an audience. A few were daring enough to join and when they got a hit in on the hacky sack, we all gave an encouraging cheer. As you can probably tell, I have insane hacky sack skills, check out that 90 degree angle on my famous knee hack. 

Some of us packed wisely for the long trip and others (Mike and I) did not. Meaning we were starving and we couldn't wait to get to the hotel to eat some well earned afternoon breakfast. When we arrived at the Divine Ganga Cottage, they welcomed us with a blessing, some mala bead necklaces and a delicious tea. We were excited about our big spacious room and we were also happy to unpack and settle in for an extended 5 day stay. 

The hotel had a great view of the Ganga river, one of the main reasons Rishikesh is such a popular place to visit. 

After we'd relaxed a bit, we headed with our guide Melissa to Anand Prakash Ashram for some early evening yoga. The attending yoga teacher training students at the Ashram were leading the class, so the class was free... free yoga? Unheard of, what a treat. 

We returned home to a delicious buffet feast, which was agreed to be the best meal in India to date. Everyone was settling in nicely and our new home gave off such powerful healing vibes. This safe environment was making everyone in the group feel very comfortable. We all began to share what we were looking to get out of the trip and what our intentions were coming into this health and wellness journey. Jordan, one of the other main guides, put the indian experience perfectly when he said, "India doesn't give you want you want, it gives you what you need", this is a saying that we all repeated to each other at some point or another on the trip. I now believe that everyone on the planet is in need of some form of healing. Though this was not my intention when I booked this leg of the trip, it was in Rishikesh that I began to self analyze and ask questions like; "what are the causes of stress in my life?" and "how can I better myself today?". Even Mike was looking to better himself and he's perfect!!...

Day 231- A few of us went to a Satsang (gathering and open talk) by a very well known spiritual leader to many around the world. Mooji, was in town for a week to answer questions and give guidance to his pupils and we had the pleasure of sitting in on one of these exchanges. It was interesting to experience and he had a lot of helpful advice to offer. A lot of his advice came down to the idea that, all of people's suffering and happiness comes from within and it's not so much that outside influences affect a person but more so how a person LETS these influences affect them. He repeated that we are all in control of ourselves and the world is how we CHOOSE to view it, as opposed to it being 'just the way it is'. It's a very empowering idea. It was interesting to see people's devotion to him and how much some of them felt like they couldn't live without him and his guidance. Mike and I later discussed that this dependence on him, as their guru, was the exact opposite of what he was trying to teach. I am all for one seeking inspiration and meaning in life but I feel this is a private and personal journey and found these individual's dependence on Mooji somewhat concerning. This contradiction in behaviour and theory aside, we really enjoyed the experience and found it fascinating. 

                         

Like Mooji I agree that...

As we waited in the long line to get into the Satsang, I captured a little girl peeking behind the door of her home. Had I been a few inches to the right, it would have made for an incredible photo.

                       

After Mooji, we went to the orphanage next to our hotel for some delicious eats. The orphanage has a restaurant called Ramanas that serves amazing farm to table food and delicious coffee. 

In fact, the milk served for the coffee is the freshest milk I've ever had. They milk their cows, boil the milk and serve it with their coffee. Amazing. 

The tree below was our view from the restaurant and we all admired its leafless budding flowers. 

                    

After lunch a few of us met up with Jordan to go for a group walk across the Lakshman Jhula bridge, into the busy shopping area of Rishikesh. 

The bridge is guarded by monkeys who will frequently jump down on innocent patrons if they have visible food. 

As soon as we got to the other side of the bridge we took a deep breath, happy to avoid any monkey raids, and saw this cute little holy cow wearing a mala necklace. 

We walked through the market area and lost each other repeatedly in the various shops of gemstones, clothing, malas and wool. 

Mike and Jeff were becoming instant pals and I loved watching their friendship blossom.

                   

As the sun began to fall, we hurried over to the Parmarth Niketan Ashram to see an Aarti ceremony. Aarti is a Hindu religious ceremony of worship where candles are lit and offered to followers as a blessing. 

The songs of the ceremony were beautifully sung with the setting sun while the fire lit lanterns were passed around. Followers then took turns going down to the Ganga, to place the holy water on their feet, faces and over their bodies. Mike and I, along with many other non hindu visitors, joined in on the ceremony to cleanse ourselves with the water from the Ganga. 

Once the ceremony finished, we all packed into tuk tuks and rushed home to get to Ramanas for pizza night. 

Day 232- It was a 4 am start this morning in order to make our way to the top of a mountain to the Kunjapuri Temple to witness the sunrise. We all boarded 4X4 jeeps to drive us up some wildly winding roads to the top of the mountain. 

We figured the clouds were too thick to let the sun come out but just as we were about to leave for breakfast, the orange broke free and it rose above the himalayan mountainside.

The first look at our incredible group of people. Missing a couple of key members. 

The photo below was taken by Jordan and I think he captured the moment perfectly. 

And the boys. 

                     

Before we made our trek down the mountain we stopped for breakfast and something caught my eye. It was fluffy and fury and shaking like a leaf. When I got up close what I found was the cutest little pup my eyes ever did see. I picked him up and snuggled him into my arms, the whole while he grunted and moaned from the pleasure of the warmth. My shirt wasn't warm enough so we passed him around from girl to girl until we eventually tucked him into Mike's sweatshirt, then he fell into a deep sleep and had puppy dreams. 

We were hesitant to give up the pup and he was none to happy either but we needed to make our way down the mountain. We lost a few comrades before we began our trek but we were left with some super strong and tough trekkers.

The scenery was beautiful and showed us a completely different side of India. The mountainside. We also saw a new side of Laura, an Indian version of her, who repeated something about 'her trying her best' with the perfect hindi accent. 

We came upon a waterfall and everyone was looking for some refreshment from the heat.  As some may have guessed, India is on the conservative side of things and women's modesty is very important to them. Meaning that jumping into the waterfall with our bikinis on would not be an option. So we did what anyone else would do in this situation. We kicked off our shoes and jumped in fully clothed.

I was hesitant at first because I didn't want to walk the rest of the way in wet clothing but Melissa (my new bestie) and I encouraged each other to take the leap.

A bridge under a bridge.

Mike letting the falls go straight to his head. 

                      

It was great to get outside and get moving but when it was all done, we were pretty tired from our early start. Everyone went their separate ways but Mike, Jeff and I went up to the yoga studio at the hotel and got weird together. It was a practice that I'd attended once before at my yoga studio in Calgary and Mike even remembers when I called him after the class to tell him how amazing it was. We listened to some sweet music, let our bodies respond freely, released our inhibitions and danced like nobody was watching. For the first song Mike felt a bit awkward and embarrassed but after a pep talk from Jeff and I, he closed his eyes and released himself to the music and it got weird folks, perfectly weird. It leaves you feeling so liberated and energized and the three of us felt amazing. We watched the sun set behind the studio, Mike and Jeff played hand ball, followed by a face massage exchange to release any built up sinus pressure. Mike got some odd looks from the newcomers entering the studio but after we just danced like tribespeople for an hour it didn't seem to bother us. 

                    

Following our ecstatic dance, us and our other group members set up for yoga class.  

After, we went for a delicious Ayurvedic dinner and a shopping trip to the local organic store before we hit the hay. 

Day 233- This was a great free day. Melissa and I went shopping for some Mala bead necklaces, ate some momos with Jordan, bought some matching pants and unknowingly bought some matching shirts. Haha At that point we realized that we are either great for each other or terrible for each other. Why terrible? Well we were so focused on shopping that we neglected the other important needs of our bodies and forgot to drink a single glass of water the whole day while we walked in the heat of Rishikesh. We also encouraged each other to spend money without hesitation, which could either be good or bad. Either way we had a lot of fun and it was nice to have a friend to hang out with, although I missed Mike a lot and it was only the 3rd time in 8 months that we'd been apart for more than an hour! While I shopped, Mike did what he does best with his free time, he wrote emails, napped, made a spread sheet (??), addressed some DFFL work and played his games. 

I was happy to return to Mike after what seemed like a lifetime apart... (What was he doing? Where was he? Did I miss anything? Did he miss me? I wonder if he ate any food while I was away? I wonder if he ate a bunch of candy? What does he look like again?) I put my questions aside and we joined the group for a yoga class led by Jordan this time. The group was feeling pretty over stimulated and we all needed to unwind and Jordan knew just how to do it. He led us through a Yin class that was bringing us all back down to earth but it was interrupted by a curious monkey who wanted to know what we were up to. If you can look past poor Mike's broken pose (he's still learning) and at the window in the right hand corner of the photo, you can see the monkey trying to make his way in. 

After yoga, Mike went to his Ayurvedic consultation with Dr. Harsh Agarwal. Mike's skepticism of Ayurvedic medicine was dissolved. Along with learning about his dosha, i.e. things to eat, foods to avoid, mantras to use, meditation techniques and oils to help, the doctor also talks about any illnesses that are associated with the imbalanced dosha. Mike had gone into his appointment with his problems in mind and was going to ask the doctors advice on how to aid himself. Before he could even bring up his issues, the doctor had mentioned both of the problems as they are commonly associated with his imbalanced dosha. This got Mike's attention and it was impactful enough that he was willing to try some of the suggestions Dr. Harsh gave him. I was excited for my appointment the following morning and I was happy for Mike's experience. 

Day 234- I had my appointment first thing in the morning and Dr. Harsh impressed once again. He accurately assessed my dosha and I know this because the issues and illnesses that are associated with my dosha were bang on. I received some great information and lots of strategies that I can use to help manage my problems in the future.

Next up was an activity that I have been wanting to do for some time now. An Indian cooking class!!!! Yippeee. 

Not just any Indian cooking class but an Indian cooking class with all my new friends. We have all the same necklaces and red dots on our foreheads...this is not because we tried to match but because it is a custom to bless and welcome guests into an Indian home by placing a red dot on the forehead. The necklaces were just a lovely bonus. Melissa and I on the other hand purchased the same clothes the day before and both couldn't wait to wear our new outfits, so yes we match.  

                     

The necessary spices to make any Indian dish. Colorful, just like the rest of India. 

First dish, Aloo Gobi (cauliflower and veg dish with Indian spices).

                       

Cooking is hard work so we needed a chai and biscuit break.

Cheers!

No Indian dish is complete without some Indian bread, perfect for dipping. So we learnt how to make chapatis. 

                         

                     

It was so fun learning how to make the food for ourselves and I bought all the important fresh ingredients so I can make it when I get home. Slowly but surely I will make my sister proud. There is no butter in this recipe so there is no way I can poison my nieces with it right? (*thanksgiving mashed potato butter disaster, story for another time)

Now time to enjoy all our hard work. What you see below is, chapati, curd, mint chutney, aloo gobi and biryani rice starting from the left going clockwise respectively. 

After the class I joined Steph for another free yoga class at the ashram while Mike went mala necklace shopping with Jeff for a planned group activity, Mike also snuck in a Gorilla workout. 

This day also happened to be the special birthday of our guide Jordan and a whole evening of fun was planned to celebrate this adventure seeking soul. It started with a t-shirt signing and om chanting ceremony.

Then progressed to a delicious meal with a wicked freshly baked cake.

                      

Things progressed into an evening of sharing between all of us as we were also participating in a secret mala exchange with the people in our group. (Essentially a secrete santa with mala necklaces) It was really cool how seriously everyone took this challenge. Each person put so much thought into choosing the perfect mala for their person, giving the received mala so much significance to its wearer. I received mine from Melissa (Leader) and she really struck a cord with me when she explained the significance behind all of the stones. First off, she chose to make the necklace herself, which was even more special, secondly she chose stones to compliment my dosha and lastly, and most importantly of course hehe, the necklace matched one of my new outfits so perfectly that you'd think she'd done it on purpose. 

Mike received his from Laura. There were a lot of reasons why she chose it but I was too focused on the fact that she was all over my man to give a hoot! I get it, he's a beautiful hairy man, but she couldn't keep her hands off him. I swear she winked at me when she gave him a hug after gifting him the mala. To be continued... 

Then the night ended with some dancing, yoga moves and flying Lauras.

Careful Jordan...don't drop her.... we wouldn't want anything to happen to sweet little Laura. 

A great day and an even better evening to cap off another amazing destination. How could it get any better than this, I couldn't imagine. 

Day 235- After we packed up and brought our bags down to the office, Mike, Steph, Jeff and I went to the yoga studio to do a self taught yoga class. While we practiced, a beautiful bird sat outside the window and caught my attention. 

             

We enjoyed one last salad at Ramanas for lunch, packed our gear, went out for a blazing hot skillet with momos for dinner and made our way to the bus that would take us on a smooth short journey to our next destination...let's be honest, this is India, smooth short journeys don't exist, but one can hope right?