(Pictures will come with better internet connection later)
July 4, 2011
Mumbai to Patte is like night to day! Words cannot describe the beauty that surrounds me. To catch everyone up since my last post this is the series of events that have taken place. Found out MCAT, spent last days in Mumbai, -->traveled to Delhi for 4 nights-->saw Taj Mahal, road 2nd class in train way back standing for 3 hours (it was my own fault because I forgot to buy a 1st class ticket so they booted me) I had to stand where the different train cars connect by the nasty bathroom haha. -->flew to Derhadun (learned I’d be leaving for a week in the Himalayas and had about 15 min warning)--> in Patte!!!
 |
| This is the road we took to get there!!! |
I don’t think I’ve ever been in a more beautiful spot in my entire life. It’s like the panoramic views of Jurasic Park or King Kong…absolutely FANTASTIC! When I arrived they had food cooked for me already (which was classic Indian cuisine…a I am starting to really like the food.) Then I went to clinic and met the other 4 group members (3 girls, 1 boy… still keeping good female to male ratio :) ) Then we had our 1 hour yoga session, then food, then cards, then tooth brushing and now bed.
The taxi and a coordinator picked me up from Derhadun’s guesthouse to take me to Patte which is located in the Himalayas. We made a quick stop so the coordinator could buy some street food and a Pepsi. After about 30 minutes of small winding jungle roads climbing vertically into the jungle we parked the car and had a “break”. He rationed out the street food (potatoes and onions sliced and deep fat fried…DELICIOUS) between the three of us and presented the driver and I small plastic cups for the Pepsi. After we finished our journey continued. The roads melted away to leave small gravel trails that the huge bushes threatened to choke out. There were no road signs with very few villagers. It was a true off-road experience. Once we broke out of the foliage onto the side of the mountain the view was breathtaking. I just couldn’t stop staring… “This is what India is supposed to look like,” I thought to myself. We then continued to weave and meander on a tiny road climbing the edge of the mountain. One false move by the driver and we would have rolled quite a long way to the bottom. In no time flat we were to Patte and our facility. Patte is the equivalent to Lodgepole (rinky dink town next to Hettinger) with 2 peole instead of 4. Our facility is a two tear kinda place that has been cut into the side of the mountain. The bottom has our Yoga area, kitchen, shower, bathroom, and bedrooms while the upper is the clinic.
 |
| Climbing around the foothills of the Himalayas |
The workers at the facility are composed of a 15 year old cook named Rico, our “professional” Yoga instructor who is 20 (Aki), Dr. Paul (50’s) and pharmacy dude who is probably in 20’s. It’s a very tight nit group who love card tricks and playing jokes on each other. Tonight Aki and I sat wowing each other with card tricks. He wanted to learn my “aces in the bank” trick so bad he showed me three of his tricks for my one. Also, we wash our own dishes (which I think is awesome because it’s more like we’re a family hanging out in the jungle. Swiss family Robinsons? To end the night my roommate (Chris from Wheaton College) was going to brush his teeth and Aki and Rico jumped out of the dark and scared him really bad. I came running to find them all belly laughing on the floor. It turned into a game as we waited for the girls to brush their teeth so we could scare them. Dr. Paul ended up coming out as well and crouched down under the table with us to wait stealthily in the night. I feel like I’m here with a bunch of immature guys that just like being guys (the perfect setup). Finally one girl came out and Aki and Dr. Paul scared by sliding a chair at her. Sitting in India’s moonlight watching as our doctor, who’s 50, crouched under the table giggling like a little boy is a memory I will never forget.
 |
| The view was amazing. It was a real jungle with snakes and leopards. |
And then there was yoga…. Haha. So we do our yoga lessons twice a day, mornings from 530 to 630 and evenings from 630 to 730. Our yoga area overlooks the beautiful mountain range valley with green trees covering everything like a carpet. It’s really quite the scene. Anyways, as we start stretching out I lighten the mood by joking with the 20 year old yoga pro to take it easy on me because I am probably the most inflexible person on earth. He just laughed. We start with some basic stuff but all I could think was “I’m in India, in the Himalayas, doing yoga. I’m in INDIA in the HIMALAYAS doing YOGA!...I’M IN INDIA DOING YOGA!!!” My smile was spread from ear to ear not because I was laughing at the chants he was having us do but because I was in disbelief. I felt like Sam Ericsmoen (childhood friend who ALWAYS smiles) because I couldn’t stop smiling. Then when we were meditating I started laughing. I don’t know why, but it was just so surreal to be doing what I was where I was. I mean come on….I never would have thought I’d be on a Himalayan hillside doing Yoga with 5 other people I didn’t know.
 |
| Yoga "pain train" sessions were definitely a high light, but also something I did not look forward to. |
I think during the hour session I had at least 15 different body parts cramp up. My upper leg cramped followed by my lower back. Then my big toe! After I pulled on my big toe to make it stop cramping my little toe started to cramp. This made the whole ordeal even better. I was trying as hard as possible to bend but my body was a cedar tree yelling “Alex, you can’t bend that way!!! Stop trying… I see how it is. You’re going to keep trying to stretch? Then I’m going to cramp up. Take that!” By the end I was dripping with sweat. It didn’t help that Aki would mosey over to me push and prod while I was struggling to make a 90 degree angle laying on my back with my feet in the air. Aki would also “help” by pushing me into a better pose which made my muscles feel like they were about to snap and make my extremities go numb. I think they went numb at times because my muscles were flexed so much and squished so funny that it cut of the blood to my foot or my hand or leg or arm. Haha.
After we ate and played Uno. It is 12 at night now as I lay in bed typing this up. No AC, no toilet paper (I have my own), no TV, no noise, no spending money. This is the way India is supposed to be experience.
Goodnight all and happy 4th of July. My next Yoga session begins in 5 hours.
No comments:
Post a Comment