Cow Cuddling!

Hello there,
How are you? Life is great here! Though it's time to leave Rishekesh, a sad time but busy time getting everything ready to move on. I've been here for 25 days now and have only 2 1/2 more days. I've loved my time here.
One peticular moment stands out above the rest and that is coming out of yoga, sitting on a bench and having this beautiful cow come up to me and put her whole head in my lap to be cuddled and loved. She first tried to horn me but then once I started petting her, she just curled right up in my lap-her head that is, she stayed that for a good long while. She left and then came back for another loving session. Cows are such loves, so soft, especially around the necks-they have long hanging skin here, and around the ears. I have fallen in love with petting cows. Everyday I need to get my fill of cow petting and loving.

Yet you have to know which cows to pet, as one baby cow has made it his mission to horn you if you have something in your hands or if you try to pet him. He's an aggressive little thing. Well, little compared to the others.

And luckliy cows have 4 legs, because I have now found out that if a cow steps on your foot, it doesn't break it. I was a bit concerned when I found a cow on my foot, and being able to pull it out from under it. I will miss my cow filled streets, my cow cuddles and being able to touch them daily. Though I won't miss their crap covered asses and watching them clean each others butts, but the love, I'll miss the love of the cows and loving on them.

I went for a hike that lasted 7 hours the other day, it was gorgeous! First hike in ages and I got to stop at the top, have a chai and take in the green views with the river below flowing half muddy and half clean-where I guess another river joins it, a mountain was in the way of seeing how it got so clean in such a short distance. But I'll tell you my great highlights of this day. First I got to go to a cafe I went to 7 years ago where the man is so sweet and kind hearted and I got to have fond memories of my time there before. The on the way down I went to dunk my head in the river as I was hot and this young Indian boy-probably 18-19 came up and started helping me wet my hair and then next thing I knew he was washing my hair in the river. He sister and possibly father, just sat there laughing. It was beautiful.

Then I walked on to find a Sadu (a holy man-many here are fake) he showed me how to feed that blackfaced monkeys. So for a rupee I got some food for the blackfaced/Honoman monkeys, put my hand out and this one, she pushed the other one away and put her whole face into my hand and with her lips and gently scraping her teach on my hand took every last morsel I put in my hand bit my bit. She didn't hurt me, cut me, or anything. Just wanted the food and understood when I had no more. Wow, what an experience! I wouldn't have done that with the red monkeys but these ones are much more gentle.

My neighbor used to have them come in her room and they'd lean on her and just hang out, they are very peaceful hearted monkeys with people, yet can get a little upset when sharing food.

The same red monkey came into my room again this morning as I was organizing my stuff, turning around out of being shocked he was there I squealed and then told him out, and he went. Yes, getting better with these monkeys!

So my mornings are just lovely here. I get up around 5:30am or 6am, I go out to get my chai in my own big steel cup after 6am and go sit at the ganga chanting, taking in the nature, mountains and life surrounding me. All the men coming out to bathe in the river, bless themselves, put water in a cup and pour it out toward the sun with their arms reaching upward in the suns direction, giving thanks to the sun. It's amazing what these people do as ceremony, daily, as ritual. What is the west's rituals? I can't think of anything.

But this morning I chanted, then I sang, a danced in the sunlight and bathed in nature as I moved through it on it's rocky beach shoreline. I left when I drew too much attention. But for those moments of bliss, sharing, being in the sun, dancing, singing and laughing, it was heaven. Such little things make me happy. It was so nice to forget about everything else-what to pack, what to send home, what to take to Oz, etc.....and just be in life and with life. The moment is beautiful and breath taking.

If I were to describe a big part of India I'd describe to you a visual. See a dark skinned, wrinkled from weathering-sleeping out on the Ghats in all kinds of weather, hand reaching out, asking for baksheesh/money, food, chai. Visualize a coin being dropped into that hand, that is India. Someone always asking, always needing, always begging. It's not always nice, they aren't always in need, some are always in need, but there is never a moment when they don't want something from you in the tourist areas.

I realize it changed me since the last time I'd been here, always feeling, even at home, like someone wants something from me. Something don't want to give, can't give or shouldn't give. It give a head trip after a while as you start to think they just can't be your friend, they have no heart, you are only a paycheck for them and it leaves an empty sad feeling. It changes you. But then to remember the memories of all the ones that wanted to give and wanted nothing in return keeps you sane. As there are plenty of them when you are outside the tourist zones. So letting go of the "someone always wants something from me, will need to be let go" as it creates a wall, you don't look at people any more, you stop being friendly and start being inhuman after a time. This isn't the goal.

I go from the ghats and walk down the street with a line up of a hundred sadhus sitting here wanting food or money from you-luckily they beg from many Indians as well. They are all dark skinned, dressed in bright orange, with their pots for money, for chai, for food, a stick sometimes for walking, glasses, a orange sash around their heads and eyes that are so striking.

One baba/sadhu, his name is Sacha, meaning truth, he has traveled the world, lived in the US, Africa and many other places. He is filled with stories, yet lives with one set of clothes that gets washed on his body each morning, has one jacket so he doesn't get cold and a pair of hiking boots so his feet are protected. Sacha has dark brown eyes in the middle and blue edges around them, they are stunning. He knows so much. It's nice to sit and talk truth with him about life, how little we need and about being. I know he is safe and surrounded with love. I light up when I see him.

Another thing you get in India is the constant hawking of anything in the throat, no shame in that. In the mornings I hear them trying to get everything out for sometimes up to a half hour. And then they blow their nose into the sink or street with their fingers holding the other nostril-both of these things I learned the last time here in India and love it! Gross or not, I like it! And then at my little chai shop one family member just sits there doing nothing but talking and drinking chai and from time to time, he moves his hips, lifts one side and then squirts out a fart and then he laughs, yet sometimes he doesn't. It is funny though, bodily functions happen. Can you imagine in the west everyone being like this?

But India is evolving, more men and women are holding hands now, touching each other, spending time with each other alone. I never saw Indians touch 7 years ago. And the women are driving motor bikes now. It's ever evolving, is it good, maybe, yet it makes me wonder what it will be like in another 10 years, how western will it be then. How different will it be from the west?

I watch the buns, the milk, and everything being delivered to my chai shop each morning by a bicycle vendor, who rides around shop to shop selling their goods. No where to go, wé'll bring it to you.

So the time has come to leave India. I leave Rishekesh on Wednesday night, go 1 1/2 days by train to Calcutta. I fly out on Saturday for Bangkok for 2 days and head to the beach for 6 days of beach time before flying out to OZ. Which I'm very excited about going to. To where short sleeves, no sleeves, shorts-which I haven't worn in the whole time I've been away. I want to buy a part of shorts and jeans, Oh, yes, the west is coming into my being. and as much as I love India, the calling for not being stared at 24/7, wearing what I want sounds really great to me. I've been on a dress code for 8 months now, time to let that go. And then the real joy of seeing my friends again that I haven't seen in so long.

Well more later, this is enough for now. I wanted to let you know what's going on. Remember to stay in the moment, it's all we truly have, let tomorrow take care of it's self, and yesterday is long gone, so today, this moment is what we have, how would you like to spend it. For me, right now, I am sharing and I am grateful for it. I send you love and hugs, Heather