Testimonals - Nirvana Ladakh Tour 2009

Pelbar and Sharon are wonderful ladies and perfect tour leaders. It was a great pleasure to be with them and to talk and to laugh and enjoy good food together. I miss them already very much and I hope from the bottom of my heart, that we will meet again sometime for the continuation of this trip. Thank you both very much for a unique and delightful experience.

Yours, Christine, Switzerland (pictured left)
Q Were you satisfied with the overall planning of the trip? Yes, excellent job. It was a culture shock and sensory overload makes for a unique exciting trip, full of the unexpected. Hang on for the ride, you’ll learn a lot.

Noel, Brisbane, Australia (pictured right)

Buddha's Sites Tour - 2008

The 2009 Nirvana Tour - Buddha's Sites tour starts in Delhi on 21 December. For those who are interested here is a write up on the Nirvana Tour 08 - Buddhist Sites by one of the participants.

Nirvana Tour 08 –Buddha’s Sites - India

9-26 January 2008
Varanasi is the start of my pilgrimage to Buddha, which is about to begin. Even though Varanasi is not a Buddhist town, we are experiencing the Indian expression of spiritual obsession at its height. Small children and mothers abound along with families - both poor and middle class. It is a cacophony of sight and sound which I will not forget. It is the time of the Pilgrims, and the footpaths on the Ghats are lined with Hindu Pilgrims from all over India, who have come to make their worship at the banks of the sacred Ganga River. Sitting in various positions, all ages and sizes, they hold their metal bowls out to be filled with rice. It is their physical sustenance in an otherwise spiritually sustaining environment. It is that time of year because it is not monsoon - when the rains come and the waters rise and drown out half of India.At 5:30 am before the sun rises over the Ganga, they start their chanting, and as the sun comes up it rises to a crescendo and then descends. There is never a quiet moment, because then the bathers come to the bottom of the Ghats and wash themselves in the sacred waters.
We are floating down the Ganga watching all of this from a few metres in the river beyond the Ghats. We started around sunrise - though not really, this is Indian time, and we were supposed to start at sunrise, but made it about 20 minutes later [India time].... We float past each Ghat - there are squillions of them - our boatman, laconically sucking on Pan - this hideous red stuff that is some sort of stimulant and makes the Indian smile a ghoulish/reddish affair - especially when blended with blackened teeth - more common than not. My tour guide decides to swim the Ganga with an old friend... I wait on the shore - wary of the germs in the river. I am told by her swimming companion (another Aussie) that the Ganga is self cleaning, but I think I will wait for the scientific report. We convince them to swim half way - rowing over and swimming back. Another friend stands up in the boat and photographs the event. I am sitting on the Pandey Ghat steps drinking the ubiquitous glass of Chai and have gathered about 15 Indian men on the around me. We are all following their progress with lots of editorializing along the way and tons of talk of cricket... which I have spoken more about since I have been in India than the whole 35 years I have lived in Oz.We pick up our driver, the delightful Mr. Lal Singh, who drives like a Sunday driver through Northern India, and who I am besotted with. He doesn't say much, but when he does it is priceless. He also takes us on a tour of roadside eating spots. Some are his favourites and he parades us to his cafe society friends.
The above photograph is of Mr. Singh and I at one of his haunts where we have been eating along the way... an interesting experience. The food is actually fresh and lovely though I am not game enough to drink the water which is served in big metal jugs. We waited here for an hour or so, till the fog lifted and so Mr. Singh can find his way. He does not do that well under adverse road conditions. Being a cautious person by nature, he becomes over cautious slowing down to 30k's/hour explaining that he has the safety of his clients at heart, and I know this is true, because above all, he is a kind man. He tells me that his clothes-consisting of dhoti wrapped around his lower torso and legs, a long cotton shirt with the obligatory shawl draped over his shoulders, is the real Indian dress. He reminds me of Mahatma Gandhi in both dress and looks, which is probably why I am besotted.
BODHGAYA: Home of the Bodhi Tree, under which a Prince named Siddhartha sat and became enlightened. We arrive in the afternoon and meet Palden, the Tibetan monk who will travel with us for the next 4 days, in front of the temple, as hundreds of the above Pilgrims stream past us and hawkers of mala beads, plastic buddhas and Dalai Lama paraphernalia crowd around us to hassle us to buy buy buy!
Palden takes us into the temple, where a monk is changing the robes on the statue of Buddha - and he winks at me as he looks down on the masses of us crammed into a room about the size of a public toilet. My stereotypes about monks are about to be broken in a million pieces over the next few days, and they start with this one wink.
Around the perimeter sit a nation of Buddhist monks, seas of burgundy, orange and yellow, while pilgrims sit outside the fenced in area and listen or walk around clockwise, prostrating themselves to the Buddha or running laps on the malas with their own private mantras.
Up one level is another walkway, where you can look down on the chanters, and see piles of food, books [with sacred Buddhist texts - donated by a follower] waiting to be distributed to pilgrims. We decide to walk this perimeter in the morning, which proves to be even more crowded, and full of people who seem to be on a marathon - rushing through by pushing and shoving people out of the determined pathway. Seems to me to defeat the purpose, but I do not live in this part of the world or in this culture.
Next stop is a visit to Rajgir, where there is a Japanese stupa high on a hill, and some caves where significant teachings of the Buddha took place. We reach the stupa via chair lift - the operative word being CHAIR. They are wooden lawn chairs hanging onto a cable by a very small hook. I calculate how far the fall would be and how many bones I would break if the chair fell with me in it. I mention this to Palden when we get off and he tells me he has the same thoughts - only his are accompanied by visuals from a movie he saw of a helicopter crash. [Palden loves movies and is extremely excited when we stop somewhere for the night and there is a TV- commanding the remote like a jealous lover]. I am happy to be in the company of a monk who is just as neurotic about heights as I am. Halfway down from the stupa [temple] we stop at the point where Buddha gave the heart teachings to his disciples.
Near Rajgir is Nalanda, where an ancient and famous Buddhist university lies. The university is a ruin now, a series of half buildings strewn in beautiful surroundings- very peaceful. You would hardly guess that a thriving, hustling market lies just outside the gates. Typical of spiritual history, another religious group [I knew but have forgotten] burned the university down. It is said that it took days for the library to burn because of all the texts there. Palden and I wander around the ruins talking about everything from Buddhism - our original intent - to thoughts and visions and the Dalai Lama and the political scene in Tibet and even Richard Gere - he tells me I have Richard Gere hair.
Kushinagar: where the Buddha died. The town is hosting a group of Koreans who have come to change robes on the reclining Buddha - a statue which lies in front of the actual remains of the Buddha encased in another building. We are allowed into the Thai ceremony and are even invited to participate. The whole thing is being videotaped, and where once I would have kept my camera in its bag, I unashamedly take it out. Palden grabs the yellow robe and poses, nodding at me to take his picture. Mr. Singh, our driver, calls Palden, Guru-Ji, and is very fond of him, because Palden invites him to sleep in his room each time we stop [drivers are otherwise expected to sleep in their cars, and Mr. Singh - a 62 year old like me - appreciates the comfort]. The next morning, they do a comedy routine about snoring and talking in their sleep, it is very amusing.
Out on the street, there is a parade of monks carrying signs that welcome the Koreans, but also advertise and encourage peace. They are accompanied by a truck blaring Hindu music, and an elephant - ah India! I stop to take a picture of the elephant and the driver motions with his fingers that I should pay him [the universal sign for gimme]. I take out 10 rupees and the elephant extends his trunk towards me and I pull back a little frightened. A small boy helps me hand the rupees to the driver.
We go back to the hotel, pack up and head to Lumbini, which is across the border in Nepal. Mr. Singh will drive us to the border at Sonauli and then we will catch a taxi after buying our visas to Nepal. Mr. Singh is sad and keeps telling me: "Ah madam, last day, last day".
We leave Palden at Gorakhpur to catch a train to Bodhgaya, where he will meet up with some other monks and head back to Delhi with them. When we leave Mr. Singh at Sonauli, 4 hours later, I have a little lump in my throat - he has been a quiet, peaceful joy to spend time with.
Lumbini is where the Buddha was born, and our hotel is this extremely funky building set in the forest. Next day, we are out early in the morning, to view the plethora of temples lying deep in the forest. There seems to be a competition between the Tibetans, Vietnamese, Burmese, Thai, Korean and Chinese over who has the biggest and most elaborate temple. It is most upsetting to see all of this going on just kilometres from a poverty stricken village, where people live in mud houses with little or no facilities. We are taken through the misty morning on rickshaws - my driver sings and has taken it upon himself to guide us through the temples. All in all it is a pleasant ride - though I am hosting some bug in my stomach and feel queasy and nauseous throughout the ride.
Nepal is a gentler, cleaner version of India, and though some of the same "rules" or lack of them apply, people are a bit more laid back, and there is not so much rubbish around to clutter up the landscape. Compiled and written by Genie Malone, January 2008

Delhi finale 15-16 July 2009

With the rain continuing overnight we were not sure if our 7:50 flight from Kullu to Delhi was running. Being eternal optimistics we made our way to the airport stopping on the way for a early morning chai (see picture left). We were all hoping and praying the plane would leave as the alternative was a 12 hour drive straight to Delhi as Katie had a flight to catch at 8am the next morning. The gods were kind to us and were boarded only 45 minutes behind schedule. The 50 minute flight was comfy and we made it back to Delhi late morning. Delhi, being cooler than the last time, seemed better the second time round.
After a quick freshen up, we put on our glad rags (or at least something clean) and headed to the Imperial Hotel (see picture right) for a slap up lunch We were also meeting back up with Anita and Christine who had done the Ladakh part of the trip with us and we were anxious to find out what they had been up to. It was great to see them again as we swapped India stories and felt as though we meet up with old friends. After eating too much, it was a final shopping trip to Khan Market to buy more presents and clothes. The Shoppers Award of the trip must be jointly shared between Noel, Sophie & Susanna. I hope the airlines were kind to you guys on the way home, Susanna with her 4 pieces of carry on luggage.
So we all go our separate ways, thanks to all who participated in Nirvana Ladakh 2009. You were a great group of people - Katie, Andrew, Noel, Sophie, Christine, Anita, Leigh, Susanna & Jan. We learnt so much about the wonderful places we visited, about each other and more importantly about ourselves. Lastly, a big thank you to Ani Pelbar (the co leader from Thosamling), she was an inspiration to us all. See you in Ladakh 14-29 June 2010!

Rothang Pass horrors 14 July

We left at 5am on the dot and knew that our long journey from Kaza to Manali would take approx 10-12 hours. Our enthusaism turned to intrepidation when we realised that it had been raining overnight and possibly longer in the direction we were travelling. From our previous experience of the road to the Rothang Pass we knew we were in for a rocky ride as water from giant waterfalls could block the road. Amit, our driver was cautious and told us of previous times where he had to sit and wait for days back in Kaza for the water to recede. With thoughts of home and catching flights on everyone's mind (except Noel, who thought it might be nice to spend more time in the mountains and go yak spotting) (see picture right) sighs of relief could be heard as we passed through each sticky spot. With the Spiti Valley under our belts, we turned to the Rothang Pass. Rothang Pass is a very important landmark, at 3,980 metres, it is the pass that provides Ladakh and the Lahul & Spiti Valleys access to the rest of Himachal Pradesh and beyond. It is only open from May to September and in those months has an enomorous of traffic carrying provisions to people to Ladakh and the Lahul & Spiti Valleys for the winter months (local women pictured left).
On the pass it was still raining and cold, we elected for very short tea breaks to try to get to Manali and to have lots of time up our sleeves in case the unexpected happens (which it inevitably does). The road to the top of the pass was problem free and our confidence lifted. This was short lived as we descended and headed to Manali the road turned into a quagmire. Apparently it been raining for a few days and the road had huge crevasses of mud made by huge army trucks transporting fuel up and down. There were cars and bikes of every denomination sharing the road. At one point cruised by a small Indian Maruti car (800cc) trying to get out of a crevass which threatened to engulf it. Amit, through his skillful driving managed to keep us moving and adrift and we made it to Manali at 3pm. What a welcome relief to get to the plush Mayflower Hotel in Manali. There we could order room service, have a bath (not a shower but a real bath) and sink into the soft oversized beds....ahh!!! Everyone settled, no one wanted to leave the comfortable confines of the hotel and we elected to have our last dinner together as a group at the hotel. Ani Pelbar and Leigh were going with the cars to Dharamsala and we were flying to Delhi.

Dhankhar Monastery & Tabo 13 July

We left the Guest House early in the morning as we were following the same route as the Dalai Lama and didn't want to get caught up in motorcades etc. Our destination, Tabo. The owner of the Guest House, Kalzang Dorje was coming along with us for the ride. After leaving Kaza, we found ourselves taking the exit into Dhankhar Monastery (pictured left) for a short stop. According to our guide/Guest house owner Kalzang Dorjee, Dhankhar has an interesting history. Sitting high on jagged rocky tops, the Monastery was the site where the Maharajah of Spiti (King) would carry out capital punishment of his subjects by throwing them off the steep precipices that the monastery straddles. This type of punishment was carried out until approx 50 years ago. Hard to imagine as the current Maharajah (the previous one having died since then), has an Government office job in Kaza nowadays.

We arrive at Dhankhar just in time to see his Holiness Dalai Lama leaving the enclosure of the Monastery to sit on his throne and start to teach. We had come totally unprepared without our radios for the English transalation of his teachings and had to rely on the goodness of our neighbours hearts to let us listen. It was also extraordinarily hot and as we were all starting to fry from the intensity of the sun, we left and continued on our way to Tabo. The drive to Tabo was equally spectactular as become narrower the further we went.

We arrived in Tabo with the preparations for their important visitor well under way. We were able to visit the new Tabo Stupa (pictured right), have a fabulous lunch of pasta and be on the street waiting in line for His Holiness to pass around 2pm. Ani Pelbar was able to talk her way past the security guard and we were let into the area where His Holiness was giving a private reception to some of the local Taboites. Leigh and Katie managed to be in the right place at the right time and managed a very up close and personal as he was leaving. Mission accomplished, we headed back to Kaza and our Guest House owner Kalzang took us out to dinner as a farewell. I felt that I had made a new friend in Kaza.

Dalai Lama’s teachings Kaza 10-12 July

We get to the temple early in anticipation, and did the usual thing at the temple of saving our seats in for foreigner’s section so that we can hear the English translation of the teaching. I head to the town in search of breakfast. The town is full to capacity and all the stall holders are out selling everything from food to Tibetan carpets and shoes. It is a carnival atmosphere. The atmosphere is also carnival like at the temple with old friends meeting and sharing stories of how they got to Kaza from distant places. The Dalai Lama entered the temple and waved to all those who had gathered. The local or tribal people came from far and wide including all the neighbouring valleys to attend. The woman’s dress was very distinctive according to their areas. It was indeed a truly amazing eclectic mix of colour and variety of clothes.
His Holiness taught until 2.30pm on the first day and on the 2nd day finished his teaching at midday. Our group decided to take an afternoon excursion to Kee Monastery (pictured) which as 10kms from Kaza. It is a beautiful old monastery situated high on the hill overlooking the Chandra River. It was a party atmosphere as a lot of the locals had the same idea. We were able to see inside the Dalai Lama’s private rooms attached to the monastery. After the monastery we headed to small town called Kibber. Again the drive was picture postcard scenery and the town like mini Tibet. Ani La, Leigh, Katie and Susana found a Yak calf to pat. We hear that there is a village further on and decide to head there, we drive until we reach a small village called Tashi Gong. Again, it was an amazing small village with spectacular scenery as a backdrop. We head around the chortens and follow the people in front of us and end up in the living room of the Blue Sheep Guest House. We are offered tea by the owner’s son and sit in the room complete with wood stove and talk about what it would be like during the long winters when the temperatures would be around minus 10. Leigh and Susana play with the babies of the other visitors and it becomes a party like atmosphere while we drink our tea. An amazing experience in the middle of nowhere! To top it off we come across some Blue Sheep (sheep with huge horns grazing in the pasture alongside the road). We are 2 hours late for our dinner appointment with Noel and Sophie but all is forgiven!
We are up early on Sunday as it is initiation day by the Dalai Lama. As I hit the road near the temple I am stopped by the crowd and local police. The Dalai Lama comes out of the monastery and does a round of the local chortens. What an unexpected surprise! The mood inside the temple is chaotic as people come from far and wide to take initiations by the Dalai Lama. Lots of jostling and pushing but constraint as there is a very heavy security presence.
The ceremony goes on all morning and we are all enthralled with the ceremony, we all get to take our Chenregiz and Bodhisattva vows. Very important for Buddhists. We all leave the temple very happy people and take a well earned rest. As the town is chaotic we have lunch of soup and left over breakfast bread on the steps of the guesthouse (pictured) as no one can stand the thought of waiting for hours for food. We spent the rest of the afternoon, relaxing and shopping in preparation for our visit to Tabo tomorrow!

On the road to Kaza, Spiti Valley 9 July

After a night at a wonderful hotel in Manali we must leave at 5am for the 12 hour drive to Kaza. Anita and Chris decided to stay in Manali rather than come onto Kaza. We say goodbye and wish them well. They are going to head back to Delhi under their own steam and we hopefully will meet up with them back in Delhi. So the group is down to 5 Aussies for the rest of the trip.
The drive back over the Rothang Pass doesn’t seem as bad and we head up the Spiti Valley. The drive is absolutely stunning as we follow the gorge up the valley. The gorge is narrow and we follow the Chandra River which has our driver, Amit tells us belongs to Pakistan. This means that India cannot dam it. We stop for lunch at a little roadside dhaba and ate with all the other local travelers. Ani La loves roadside food and tucks into rice, vegetables and dahl (lentils) (pictured). As we press on up this amazing valley we see a half circle rainbow over the mountains – truly auspicious, could it be that the Dalai Lama is in the valley. Ani La, Katie & Leigh (pictured) hang prayer flags at the pass (pictured left) to mark the occasion of the crossing and to send prayers with the wind.
We see lots of wildlife along the way, Yaks in abundance, Deer and the odd Fox. We reach Kaza late afternoon after passing lots of small villages that look like mini Tibets. The architecture is the same, however modern life has come with TV satellite dishes on their roof. Kaza also has a very strong Tibetan influence. We take a quick tour around the newly consecrated Sakya temple and feel excited about the coming days teachings by the Dalai Lama.