The Decent of Ganga

sooo i am stoked.. because i am doing two 5 day back to back river expeditions where we will start up above the confluence that makes the Ganga River. we start on a river called Alaknanda, which is the "true source of the the Ganga. the source of the Alaknanda is a holy glacier, the actual Ganga River begins at the confluence of the Alaknanda and the Bagirathi
in Hinduism Ganga is the Goddess that is supposed to wash away the sins of the world, however she did not want to come down to earth. so Shiv(the main god,he's blue), confined her in the form of water and through the locks in his he brought her down. so the Alaknanda, the Bhagirathi, the Nandakini rivers and i think one more are the main locks of shivs hair and all of the other rivers, creeks, and streams are the rest of his hair bringing ganga down to earth to cleanse humans of their sins.
humans like these guys..


so anyways.. sometimes i am doing an internship while i am out here and i figure i may as well put my bi-weekly reports on here every now and then.. so here ya go. or not. this computer is actin crazy. here is some of it

2/12/2012 - 2/25/2012 Bi-weekly Report

So there I was, after a long flight and a day in Hong Kong, Finally in India. Pavan, one of the CEO’s for MHE/HOB, arranged for a driver to pick us (my Friend Joe and I) at the airport and bring us to her place. Joe had met Pavan along with 15 other Indian clients as their rafting guide in the Grand Canyon the previous summer. Joe and Pavan became friends and she asked Joe to come to India to see her river (the Ganges) and work for her company. Joe told her that he would come if he could bring a friend, and that’s where I come in! Anyway, we spent the night at Pavan’s place in Delhi and the next day drove 8 hours to the Shivpuri camp just 35 minutes passed Rishikesh. The only way to cross get to camp is for a raft to ferry you over because there are no roads on the river left side, only steep jungle mountains.

The following morning, we jumped right into training with all the rest of the guides. MHE is working very closely with Himalayan Outward Bound and with that HOB requires a Facilitation training that lasted for 2 days. This training was like taking a chapter/couple days straight from Betsy’s 2400 class (I forgot what it was called). We talked about skills and facilitation. We played icebreaker games and practiced processing the experience. We had 2 days of learning Facilitation skills. This class was taught to about 18 Nepali and Indian Guides and 2 American. The facilitator thought that most of the staff would speak English; however that is far from true, so she ended up having to teach in both Hindi and English.

The next day was the first day on the river! We got up and had a nice breakfast of toast and more Indian food and headed up the road to the put in. It was a very fun all guides trip as well as Pavan. It was great having Pavan on the trip because she was able to tell us many stories about the river as well as the rapids and how they got their names. Pavan was part of the first rafting explorations on the Ganga River in the early 80’s and took part in many of the rapids names. The water was running very high that day and the rapids seemed very big and intense. There are many good class 3 and 4 rapids on the Ganga. Two days later, we had a group 50+ staying at our camp that were part of an entertainment/ catering company.

So, my second time down the river I was guiding a group of 8 Indians. This was a very intense journey for me. It felt kind of like being thrown into the deep end to learn to swim. I admit I did get stressed when two people in my boat fell out in the first big rapid called three blind mice and later when I hit a big sneaky rock and almost flipped the boat. I felt bad about that sneaky rock until I found out that that same rock has flipped many a boat. It really was a very sneaky rock! Other than that everything went well. The next time we had a big group it was about 70 students from a hotel management school in Punjab. I went back wards through part of a big rapid called golf course because I had very weak paddlers and the strongest paddler kept paddling backward while I was yelling “FORWARD! FORWARD ALL FORWARD!” When I realized that he was paddling the wrong way I smacked him with my paddle and yelled “FORWARD” one more time and was able to correct my boat just in time to T-up for the big hit which would have surely flipped us if we had hit it sideways.

I really enjoy the river and after two weeks I feel very confident on the water. The biggest conflict is the language barrier. Many of the guides don’t seem to speak English at all. I think that my biggest concern has been either where should I pee? Or what does the schedule look like and when will I be rafting next. Often times I don’t know that I am rafting until that morning. Pavan has gone on holiday to Peru until the 22^nd day of March and there are a couple other guys that speak English well, but they stay in the office in Delhi. Although there are a few difficulties, it seems as though things are getting easier to

Just some pic's

sooo... sometimes when i am in india i pay 30 rupees (60 cents) for a good beard trimming

hanging out in Laxman Jula
these kids really like cows... or not i dont know.


people who wear orange are popular with the Langur..



joe was trying to arrange a marriage for me..


these are sweet little taxi's that are everywhere.. called rickshaws. aka tik tik.. or maybe its tooktook


the public urinals are very... nice? (only 5 rupees)

i thought about getting a massage but the pic inside the place talked me out of it... Joe did it anyways and we are pretty sure they used old cooking oil... he still smells like... food?

the bridge to Laxman Jula.
only for feet, cow, monkey, scooter/motercycle, wheelbarrow(for people or vegetables).. no cars allowed. only because they don't fit.

Holi.. before i got too covered.

Road to Delhi

So yesterday I had a fabulous day on the river. I finished up at the jungle camp and found out that I had today off. Well, I have been needing to make a trip to the US embassy in Delhi because I lost my passport. So I told my river friends that it was time for me to go to Delhi. They think I am a little crazy and maybe I am. So first I ran 1/4 mile through the jungle to the river and hooted out a war cry because I can't whistle loud and so that Vintiram would ferry over from camp in the oar rig to come get me. Ran to my tent and packed a small backpack with the necessities; toothbrush, water bottle, sweet moolah, passport applications, ya those kind of things. Ran down the beach and jumped into a boat with Srikant and he ferries me back to the other side. Then I run to the road and hitch hike into town. ( that's the best way ) so I jump in the 2nd car that passes( its about 6:46 getting real dusky) and for whatever reason I began to get car sick. Real car sick. Maybe it was the bumpy, windy road. Horns blairing around every corner on of one of the windiest roads ever, smoky tobacco and incense burning my nose and eyes. And maybe its was that I sat facing sideways not being able to see out the windows very well. I guess that combo could make anyone carsick. The only saving grace was the fancy Indian music blairing out of the only speaker That mostly worked. Luckily it was right by my head.
Ok, I'm gonna skip some stuff. So there I was. Finally on the bus. When I first got on there were only a few brown humans. I took the very back row and fell right to sleep. Only waking briefly when I am bumped nearly off the seat now and then. I woke again when my friend moved my legs so that he could lay down with his head at the other end and we ended up with our legs at each others sides as I drifted off again. All waS good until another guy got on the bus and wanted to be on the back row team. It's ok. He was cool. Somehow I drift off again. The next time I wake up the bus is stopped and this dude is standing over me yelling at me in Hindi so I said "listen man, I don't understand a single word that's coming out of your mouth so u better try another language or stop talking immediately" but he didn't. So I figure he want my corner seat. Well if its that important ill give it to him. Sheesh. Groggily I sit up and move my backpack/pillow out of the corner thinking he's going to sit. Instead he squeezes past me, stares into the corner and starts yelling at me again. Then I think my buddy tells him that I was there the whole time. Yep ever since rishikesh. Then, sheepishly, I think the dude realized he had gotten back onto the wrong bus at one of the bathroom stops. I just watched as the poor, lost fellow made a hasty exit from... Not his bus. The next few hours went by quickly. It was just after 2:00 am when we arrived at the bus place in Delhi. My back of the bus pal that was halfway snuggling me, seriously these people have no bubbling, gave me a half smile and that's how I knew we were friends. Then I got off the bus and was flocked by the tiktik drivers asking me where I needed to go. ( the teek teek is a little 3 wheeled taxi. I will try and include a pic) I found a dude that spoke English and had him explain to them that I needed a hostel or hotel. So I jump in with this dude that says he will take me there 4 a hundred rupee. Only he can't find the one that was recommended to me so we end up at this sketchy looking hotel. Dark, stray dogs everywhere, rats in the shadows. That kind of stuff. Not kidding. But that's ok, even though I probably slept 3hours of the 7 hour bus ride, I am pretty tired.
Traveling in India is an ab workout.

i give My tik tik driver 200 rupees because it was further than I thought. He smiles and comes to the door with me and starts klinking on the glass door with his keys so that the dude sleeping on the floor next to the door wakes up and let's us in. He begins to sign me in and asks me for my passport. Luckily, I think, I made a photo copy of of that and so I show him that. But then he asks me for my visa. Oops. Didn't make a copy of that. He shakes his head and says he is sorry and that he can't help me. I can't stay. Tik tik man beckons be back out to his charriot.( he's good by the way, maybe even good enough to be a wheela boy. Except he rides for money.) Tik tik and I make our way to another hotel only to experience the same thing. I can't help you.
After about 5-6 hotels I am explaining that I am going to the embassy in the morning and showing all of my documents, police report, lost passport application, passport renewal application, drivers license, copy of passport, etc. At first I feel hopeful as they they take their time looking carefully through my private info, but all seem to concur that's although its a likely story, its not enough saying sorry its not good enough. At first I'm cool. Just a little irritated. But when I spend ten minutes at hopeful place number 13, as he closely reviews my documents, I think finally.. this it! I will get to rest my heavy head! But when tells me that he is full and does not have any rooms available I almost loose it completely! "are you kidding me!" I snap, "why would you not tell me you had no available rooms as soon as I came in the door! ...blah, blah, are you out of your mind... Wasting my time! Etc.." I tell tik tik to just take me to the embassy and I will sleep on the steps but he and some other dude that had joined the quest to find me a room 5 hotels ago, talk me into just one more which turned to 3 more. Finally, a little after four am, a real shady bugger says I can stay for double the price all of the other hotels were charging. I give in because I'm tired, and I don't think tik tik will leave me alone until he knows I have a room. Defeated, I pay the ugly hotel man. tik tik is looking at me so I give him another hundred rupees because of his determination. He asks me for fifty more. I give him fourth-five cause its all I have and then go to my room. It's really gross. I lay my lava lava on the bed and fall asleep with my clothes on.
It's hard to fall asleep because I am angry and the stray dogs are fighting in the alley outside. Lots of growling, barking and yiping. When I wake up at 7:30 I feel surprisingly refreshed. I go into the bathroom and am surprised to find a toilet and a shower.. well, more or less. The shower head comes out of the wall at Bout eye level in the middle of the wall and there is a drain on the floor. It would be cool if the water was warm, but Brisk works too.
Quick shower, collect my belongings and run downstairs to the lobby. Of course the dude hasn't made a photo copy of my info yet so he sends one of his guys down the street with my only copy of my passport... Ugh. Then while I am waiting dude tells me that I have to give him 300 rupees. "what!!??" Government tax of course. i tell him that i need to go to an ATM so that i dont reach across the counter and grab his throat and i know that he wont give me back my goods until he pays.. i walk down the street and back thinking some fresh air. ok not fresh but at least i have a bandana that i bit over my face so that the air is slightly filtered. i go back pay him the ripees and collect my stuff. new delhi is like a block away so i headed towards a cluster of shops and tik tiks and people because the last thing on my list of things to get for my passport is my photos and i am sure there is a place near by. as i walk down the street, everyone wants to help me.. ok they all want my money. sooo several people aproach me asking what i need and where i need to go and stuff.. it is the day before holi (the festival of colors) and some people have begun celebrating early. a little green faced man that i can't seem to shake tells me that he knows where i can get the photos and to follow him. i know he is lying because he he is asking people as we go, winding through little back streets and finally ending up at a place that really does say PHOTOS. that is cool except that it is closed. the guy selling sugar cane and vegetables across the ally tells us that he opens at 8:30. i tell him that it is 8:38. he says that he should be there in 5. i start to leave because green face, despite his warnings that "other people" will cheat me, is getting on my nerves. but he talks me into waiting 10 more minutes.. for nothing. then i do walk away but green face won't let me out of his sights.. i feel bad ignoring him but i do it anyways. he is not helpful. on my way back to the main roads, i find a photo place and start going there. then green man sees it too and runs up to the people to tell them what i need. but one dude actually speaks good english so i just talk to him and get my photo's quick and easy. green man is telling me that his tik tik friend will take me to the embassy for 100 rupees. "best price" so i follow him to this office and they try selling me a train ticket back to rishikesh and that the busses arent running today because it is a holiday. i am really sick green man now so i just walk away.. he follows until i don't want his help or his un-help. then i jump into a tiktik and some indian dude with really white teeth. and he takes me to the embassy. ooh it is nice and quiet in that part of town and the people are smiling and i think i might have seen a rainbow and a leprachaun... maybe not.

this post got way to long.

the embassy went way smooth.. i ate a brownie that tasted like America and a dr pepper.

my head was too big in my photos so i got new ones at the embassy. ha!

then went to my delhi office and ate food with my friends Dhruv and Anaheeta and jumped onto the nice clean metro(i know what you are thinking... nope not sarcasm. clean nice smooth metro) to the bus station and jumped on another crappy bus back to Rishikesh. everything was awesome on the way back... but i was a little worried because i was getting back to the bus station in rishikesh at midnight... but a stroke of good luck met me with a new friend named Ram who had some girl that would pick us up at the station. cool! i was surprised when it was a white, Australian girl on a big motorcycle.. whoa. but then as i looked over i saw my driver from the company named Dayl picking up a friend and heading straight back to my camp! stoked. back to the peace and kind flowing arms of the Ganga!

I LOVE LIFE!!!

Mother Ganga

sooo the thing is.. i have to wake up to this view every morning as i step out of my tent.
but i'm not mad.

it is a little blurry cause that is how i see in the morning.
India is awesome.. and the Ganga is holy. many religious people come on pilgrimages to bathe in the Ganga to have their sins washed away.
and they carry water from the Ganga back to their villages.
Did i mention that they walk? often times they travel for weeks on these religious crusades.
I just walk down from my tent and bathe in the Ganga when i feel like it.
Awesome!
-Rams

btw, my pal JOE likes to write more than me so i am having him write this post...
but i will comment in blue..

Allow myself to introduce myself, This is Barrie Joe.
Rams and I sometimes, maybe between awesome rafting trips, adventure into the local cities.
Here's Rams walking by the store where they sell cow.

Look how huge i am compared to some humans.. what a beefcake!?

Not really. India just has a lot of cows. and buffalos. and oxen. Sometimes they belong to village families. But sometimes, as best as we can figure, some cows just wander the streets aimlessly.
This guy was eating a card board box when we saw him.

its crazy these cows just look at us like whatcha lookin at cracka!! this is my HOME!!

Here's the boats and my man, Raju. He's cool. He likes Indian food, and so do I.


The luxurious accommodation we call home is this kick butt old army wall tent. 10x10. That's right, 100 square feet.
LUXURY!

One time, on a town adventure, which I hated because of all the smells, we visited a holy place. There were a lot of pilgrimagesers collecting water from the holy Ganga and this statue of shiv, his cobra, his wife, and his horses. Here we are in front of it. The whole thing weirded me out pretty bad.

the cows and manure, the crazy beggars, the smells of vomit and food mixing in the air. Tooooo much "culture" for me to absorb in one day. I don't think I'll be back soon. or ever.

I decided that it is not wrong for Joe to not like the culture and experience, however I thought it was beautiful.. the culture, the colors, the wierdness, even the smells and insense, and ceremonial smoke.., shiv. awesome!

out of time.. until next time..

Rams

HAIKU?

where now are thy feet

thy path be always with them

never seperate

Maybe the reason i never blog is because i always feel like i have to catch up...

never more.

id like to say that i just dont care but i am soo secretly compulsive that may be a lie.

i still like cheese. a lot.

i keep getting older but im not sad about it cause it doesnt look too bad (my mom still thinks i am handsome).

but you can decide that for yourself:

i feel like i always look a little better with some pastel and a nice background.

so here i am still being a wolverine

i decided to do something special this semester called my practicum and internship.

that just means i have a legitimate excuse to have an adventure in India.

..and get school credit for it!

i will leave on thursday to India to be a river guide on the Ganga river

Haiku-

Embodied Ganga

Devine goddess formed on earth

wash away my sins

-by Joe Nielson

my pal Joe and i will be living on the river near the city called Rishikesh.

RISHIKESH:

An city, which by law, is vegetarian, alcohol-free, and has banned the use of plastic bags by shop keepers and vendors. also, considered by many to be the yoga capitol of the world.

souls deep symphony

the Himilayan foot-hills

there may she be heard