Ascension Spiritual Blog

Last Days in Delhi

I think once you've mastered a city like Delhi, you could just about handle any place in the world. How different it was now to get around this intense city I thought to myself, as I made my way through the hustle and bustle of the streets. I was in command now, with in seconds I had negotiated a fair price from the station to Majnu-Ka-Tilla. Indians are so intuitive, I could tell by their energy that some how they knew I'd been around a bit and I wasn't about to be pushed around or riped off.

I had alot of emotions come to the surface once I arrived in Maju-Ka-Tilla, I'd passed alot of people that I'd seen before, some of them looked at me with inquisitive faces. They knew they'd seen my face before but weren't sure. The last time I'd been there I had shoulder length dreadlocks, now I'd come with a shaved head. Is it apart of these people that sees on a daily bases the tremendous effect this wonderful country can have on travellers? I think so, its like their soul says 'there goes another one' and acknowledges, the path and experiences your soul has just undertaken.

I rested for the next two days, just taking it all in. Part of me happy to be going home to hopefully a new life, but still part of me sad to leave this magical ancient country. Finally I went and changed my flight, there was a bit of a drama there for a day and it cost me alot more money, so I was glad that I didn't go to Varanasi because I wouldn't have been able to pay for my ticket. Looking back at it now I probably was a bit impatient to get back to Australia and to start my new life, I probably could have gone up to Nepal for a couple of weeks and changed my visa, then took my time coming back, oh well I cant have any regrets.

By the time I'd payed for my hotel and plane ticket I was pretty well broke, I was thinking how was I going to eat for the next two days until my money came through from one of my business ventures? That morning I was woken by the phone in my room, my instant thought was why would anyone ring me? there was a soft voice on the phone that said 'happy Losar' I was still trying to wake up, I couldn't work out who was ringing me at seven o'clock in the morning, and what the hell is happy Losar? I thought to ask 'are you the man from the reception desk?', 'yes, yes' the voice replied very excitedly,'come down and join us for breakfast and every meal for the next two days, its Tibetan New Year, you are our guest, all the foods for free'.

Well you didn't have to tell me twice, I jumped out of bed and got dressed. As I was walking down the stairs, I thought to myself, only yesterday I was wondering what I was going to eat for two days?, then the next morning all my doubts were vanished, we certainly are looked after by the universe, if we just let go and go with the flow. When I think about it, I have never gone without in my entire life, something always turns up just as I start to doubt the universe or God if you like,(will I ever learn?) some how I always get by.

I finally made it to the ground floor and there before my eyes was a banquet laid out on a huge table. I was greeted by some Tibetan monks and the staff of the hotel, they had smiles from ear to ear. 'Happy Lasar, come eat with us my friend' they all said like happy little children at a party. So there I was eating traditional Tibetan food, surrounded by beautiful people, 'how good is life' I thought to myself.

The days past quickly and I was soon getting a cab to the airport. I thanked the people at the hotel for their generosity, and hopped in the cab. There I was once again at Delhi airport, but this time I was going the other way. I sat there waiting for my plane, thinking about the wonderful experiences I'd had and the wonderful people I'd met over the past five months, I tell you I certainly was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Here's the last of my photos of Delhi, next week I'll do a full run down of my journey(what I found with the do's and dont's when Travelling India) and place some more photos that didn't make on my blog the first time.

Me in front of the Buddhists temple,(it was the first temple I'd seen in India) its right in the heart of Maju-Ka-Tiller.

Happy Losar, this is the little shrine they had set up at the end of the room, for Tibetan New Year.I went into the heart of Delhi just one more time before I left India. On the way back I was fortunate enough to come across a Traditional Indian wedding. I never got to go to one which was a bit of a shame, I've been told by a few people it was one of their highlights when they traveled through India. Oh well maybe next time.

As with everything in India the male has all the fun, the groom gets to ride the horse while his new bride has to walk. I passed two weddings in India and what I could workout was the groom gets all the attention, it certainly is still a male dominated culture that's for sure. Yes girls its even worse then in your western countries.

posted by ophiah @ 2:15 AM