I have been in this journey for many days thus far. Arriving in Delhi late in the night to find the exciting colorful streets awaiting me the next morning. There was a festival and processions through the streets lots of dancing and songs everyone asking me to make thier photo and happy if i did. This is my first time to travel with a digital camera along with the film. And allowing them to see themselves instantly and beautifuly is so exciting to them. Later that evening I began to check my e-mail and met a man who was so excited about an event he had been documenting and sugested to me to go immediatly to this place so I left the next morning by bus and have been here since..it is named Haridwar wich translates to "the door of god". It sits on the Ganges river, crystal clear and frigid for it comes from the himilayas it is the very source of water energy and spiritual clensing. And now is the long awaited Ardth Kumbh Mela a festival every six years.
Each morning and evening there is a ceremony called Arti. People come in masses to the river's edge with prayers and blessings - releasing them into a small boat made of leaves filled with flowers and centered with a candle. There is singing in unison and the feeling is great. This area is surrounded by small mountains. There are many monkeys and Langoor (which is a sort of large monkey family gray to black in color). The weather has been warm and the days filled with great light. There is no sign of rain - it will come in June or July. I sleep in different places and have prefered the back yard of peoples' homes on cots usally waking to monkeys tring to get in the homes to steal bananas.
I purchased a scooter - it's a classic 1978 Bajaj 150cc. It was around 75.00 dollars and runs great. I drove it to Rishikesh. It's on the Ganga as well and is in the mountains.
Currently in these first days of march is the anticipation of Holi - a great festival of color and fun. It is said to best experienced in Mathura so this is where I go next....
Today I met an elephant in a green field grazing. I learned to get on his back by him raising my body with his trunk. I'm sorry, but I could only think "Roll Tide"...I gave her much affection and the owner invited me to help bathe her in the Ganga tomorrow morning. While on her back bare without anything I felt her entire body move with great grace. I called Anu (my friend that I have made here) and he and Vipin came running. They climbed on his back and we rode together and took a photo. Please note the photo of me was taken by Anu
Travel with Skip Baumhower as he journeys through India. He will be uploading photographs as he comes to places to plug in his trusty iMac. Check back often for new photographs and journal entries.