Ashrams, Waterfalls and Motorcycles

Wow.  Another fabulous experience here in the land across the world.  I woke up at 6 just to get the hot water and I was pleasantly suprised. I splurged on a hairdryer, I decided that I am going to accept things about myself that I dont want to change, and the feeling of freshly blowdried hair is something I refuse to give up.  I even put make up on today. I felt like a new woman! I spoke to my girl Tina this morning, and I'll tell you, it was wonderful to hear a familiar voice. I miss everyone so much now....

We all gathered for our trip to the new ashram they are building on the mountain...it is near a huge waterfall and is calm and serene, the perfect place to practice yoga.  As we loaded onto the taxis, we just so happened to see this at the side of the road:

Sad that people just sat around and watched these poor souls just eating garbage. Packed into the car, we were off to the mountain base camp:

When we arrived, this dude in a hut made us all authentic chai tea to get our strength up for the hike:

 Then we started this crazy ascent up this mountain that seems very easy at first, but quickly we realized that 3 weeks of yoga and no cardio is taking it's toll:

So, finally we get to the height of the ashram, which is going to be set in a very serene place with a waterfall nearby.  There is a bunch of locals and tibetans (a whole village) working here on the site, moving rocks ad making the foundation...apparently whatever they get paid here is worth double in Tibet.  The only way to get supplies up there is by donkey, and man I feel sorry for them cause only one trip up was hell for me.  As if there are children just sitting all about and those that are helping, I guess it's way better than the unfortunate circumstances going on in their country right now..must be a blessing to be able to escape it for a while. India just is what it is, I suppose.

Son on the right is our course director starting the 'stone'train to the wall where people are working. Its supposed to be symbolic and all, and it was...time to go down to the waterfall before lunch! Get ready for this load of awesomeness:

And here is me and Shannon finally dipping our feet in one of the sources of the Ganges:

No more sins for this girl!

After the waterfall, a few of us to decide to go into town for lunch and do our own thing.  While we were up on the mountain, the director, Roshan, he guided us to a remote village right in the center of the mountinas where the man that owns it grown a ton of food, the mountain is fairly irrigated...I mean if you never wanted to leave you wouldnt have to! There were some truly beautiful sites:





I will post many more pics on facebook, there are so many....so after this day a few of us decide to head down the mountain by ourselves and hitch a ride to town. We visualize someone there to pick us up as we descend as part of our positive thinking vibes we've been putting out, and wouldnt you know it? there were 8 guys on four motorcycles just sitting there waiting when we came out. four of us, four motorcycles. I was scared shitless. My ass literally hung off the back of the motorcycle and I was praying to the almightly the whole way to get me there safe because there i was with no helmet, on a crowded dangerous road going on a major incline downwards, and the dudes on the bikes told me they loved to go fast. I literally hit my hand on a truck passing by at one point and we were swerving all over...It was a thrill after I let myself beleive that I would make it down alive:

It took about 15 minutes to fully get down, and they were racing each other. With all that adrenalyn, they asked for no money, just wanted us to pose for pics with them...we were so grateful.  So, once back safely in Rishikesh, we headed over to a new place to eat over the bridge, and to top off this crazy wonderful day, I had  my first burger in the whole trip: Veggie of course, but a little bit of heaven on a plate:

You couldnt have asked for anything better. I slept like a baby last night.

xoxoxoxoxo