hippies and israelis

Listening to Greg Brown on my minidisk and Indian computer speakers

I sit on my balcony writing

Intermittently looking out at the mongoose couple scampering

In the crops of I’m not sure what

Nearby Indian girls create a fashion show with their saree scarves

Bright pinks, purples and green

Creating a beautiful contrast to the lush crops

Overhead flocks of white birds encircle the area

My approach to

Right here

Was a bumpy one

Departing from Jaisalmer

I revisited Jodhpur…yes, of the namesake riding pants.

Sipping chai in a charismatic café inside an old haveli in the blue city,

I found myself amongst a different breed of traveler.

Vacationers are what I call them.

These are the folks who are on a 2-week holiday.

Totally different perspectives we have…

One gave his review of Pushkar by recommending against it

because there are too many “hippies and Israelis” there.

Huh?

Strange to hear this when I sat whiling for my present location.

On my way here…

I paused in Bikaner; a non-touristy Rajasthani small city. Like other cities of this size in India it had streets filled with diverse vehicles and foot traffic. However, in Bikaner, add camels to the mix.

I visited a temple outside the city known as the rat temple. It gets the nickname due to the thousands of rats living inside. Like a bad car accident, it’s one of those things I don’t want to see but I can’t keep from looking at.

Other than the temple I spent most of my time in my hotel room because I had little energy to withstand the Indian men who would follow, surround and stare at me.

24 hours of train and bus travel later, I finally arrived…

to another location filled with

Hippies and Israelis

Halleluia, I had arrived to Dharamsala.

My ego tells me I should be an adventurous traveler

taking risks

and taking roads less traveled.

But ego aside

The truth is that I am so relieved and happy to return here

It’s like a home to me.

Right now it *is* home

I ended my previous trip to India with a month stay here. The familiarity, conveniences, amazing people and beautiful nature

Welcome me

Relax me

Nurture me

The night I arrived it was late and somehow, despite the dark and being weary from the trip I managed to find the most perfect guesthouse. Like Pushkar, it’s filled with travelers from a variety of countries. For my first time traveling this trip I am developing a wonderful friendship with other women. These two also travel alone and both are from Poland.

But before we were acquainted I had my first evening alone with a delicious Italian meal and a large cold Indian beer…then email

…and there it was

an email from Silver

sent within the hour about how he had also just arrived to Dharamsala.

I was so excited to hear from him

and also hear that he is here also.

But fear took over

My insecurity began to win the battle

I was afraid that he wouldn’t like me now

Even though it’s still so fresh

And we’re mostly the same

And even though I got an email telling me he waits for me

I am afraid.

The past two days

subconsciously I was putting off seeing him

To avoid the pain

of my manifested rejection

If any of you were here you would shake me and ask me

What the hell?

Come on!

Go meet him!

And I remind myself of the rock

That I hold strong

…And I feigned a throw

Today we met

And I tell you the beauty is heightened

And there is magic

Oh my

You could knock me over with a feather

Sigh

*

!

When I think I’ve reached my peak

of this trip

and can’t imagine getting higher

I continue to climb

Looking out from the large balcony

I see the soaring falcons

And I also feel so high

And free

I sit alone in my today

And I cry

Because I can’t believe that I can deserve

this beauty that touches me

photos of Jodhpur

photos of Bikaner

photos of Dharamsala