Adventure Sports in India?

OK- I guess I like adventure sports :)  Yes, it may have taken a little coaxing from Dan but the important thing is that it only took 'a little’ coaxing.  I didn’t anticipate that I would be strapped to a random dude, who didn’t speak a word of English, while flying over Dharamsala, nor did I picture myself on a raft with some Hindu guys paddling my way through rapids in Rishikesh.  Hospitals are good in India- right?
When we arrived in Dharamsala, on our scary bus ride through the freaky ass narrow roads, I had noticed some parasailers in the distance.  In an effort to keep my mind off the fact that at any moment I may roll off a huge cliff, I pointed them out to Dan- mistake.  That was it- we were going.  Since I am a super awesome, supportive wife and because it was fairly cheap, I said I would accompany him but under one condition:  if I were to break both of my legs in a botched landing, he would cater to all my needs while I healed.  Fair, right?
So, we drove the short distance out of Mcleodganj, to Dharamsala to Parasail.  I know people do these things all the time but something about doing them in India freaks me out- it is totally unfair because India is safe and the people know what they are doing- but thats that, I’m freaked.  So, we met our two pilots and made our way down the mountain to a cliff.  When I am freakin’ out, I usually go first- this allows me to keep my cool but I had a slightly harder time on this particular endeavour.  Once I was all strapped in, I stood there- why I don’t know- on the edge of a cliff, just waiting.  My legs were shaking and I wasn’t sure if the guy said don’t touch the buckles when flying or do touch the buckles when flying.  Language barriers add a small danger factor.  Then they yelled run- I ran and I was in the air, just like that!  Once I was up- I was in heaven and it was totally worth it.  I am pretty sure I want to do this as a hobby- who doesn't like flying?  My pilot was super awesome- language barrier or none, we still had a great time.

A birds eye view- Yep- that's my shadow



Dan in the air!

Another lovely view of Mcleodganj :)

OK.  Yeah Elise!  Tick one scary adventure off the list. Now for the next one. 
Unfortunately, we had to leave Mcleodganj, and we made our way to Rishikesh to see the famed Ganges river!  Of course Dan wanted to go river rafting.  Now I can swim, but the idea of paddling through rapids freaks me out.  It kinda doesn’t seem right but again I didn’t want to look back and wish I would have done it- so I pushed all fear aside and we signed up.  We joined our crew of 6 in a jeep, the raft strapped to the roof and we started our ascent up the mountain to our drop spot.  I thought the bus rides were scary- nothing prepared me for this crazy driver.  Fuck- sorry, I said it- it needed to be said!  He was INSANE.  I am pretty sure it was a race to get to the top- alive or not, it didn’t matter.  There was absolutely no way I was keeping my attention anywhere but ahead; in my mind I went over possible scenarios…. would it be worse to be in a head on collision?  We were in the back but didn’t have seat belts on.  Or, would it be worse to roll off a cliff?  We did have a rather large raft on the roof that would act as an airbag- I crossed my fingers for the roll.
Once we made it to the river- in one piece- I suddenly wasn’t afraid to raft anymore.  Funny how that works- when you see your life flash before your eyes, things like smashing your head on a rock don’t seem all that bad :)  We had a lovely group of guys, beautiful hot weather and an AMAZING river to float down.  Yes, there were times I was scared, mostly when our guide asked us to check that our helmets and lifejackets were tight enough before we hit a rapid.  Other than that, it was totally worth it.  The Ganges is cool and clean and all it’s worked up to be.  
Next- bungee jumping :)

Enjoying some sun on a beach beside the Ganges

The view of the Ganges at dinner

Mcloadganj

I figure another picture story is in order.  When I went to pick some to post, I realized that I had taken very few.  This is a surprise because out of all the towns and cities we have visited, here we stayed the longest.   One more day, then two more days quickly added up to over a week, when we left I wasn't really ready to go.  I loved this town, more than any I have visited to date and it is for many reasons.  The weather was amazing, the people are mellow and friendly, we stayed at a lovely guesthouse that required a steep hike to reach, yes I complained about it every day but exercise was a pleasant change.  Yum, the air was clean, the food was great and with a town with nothing to do, there was a lot one could apply themselves too.  Hiking, volunteering and courses are just a few of the activities to pass the time.  Or, just nothing but enjoy the view, clean water and clean air :) 

Prayer wheels at a Tibetan Temple in Town.

Snow capped mountain ranges visible from town.

Danny's trip to a waterfall.  Yes, he jumped in- CRAZY!

That water is straight from the Himalayas and it is COLD!

Some of our lovely friends we met at our guesthouse.

Our friend that served us iced tea every day.

I thought this was an interesting statement considering the garbage everywhere.

.

A candle light vigil to show solidarity and support for the Tibetian monk who self immolated

the day prior in protest to the Chinese treatment of the Tibetan people.

A rock-cut Temple.

The breathtaking view from Kangra Fort.  Just amazing :)

Some friends we met as we explored the fort.

" Just one snap."

A local during the Colour Festival

A sweet girly painting my head pink for the Colour Festival.

Some random friends we met on our hike back to our guesthouse on the second day of the festival.



A Day BY MYSELF!

Today I hung out with myself and it wasn’t because I was sick in the hotel room either! 
I am lucky enough to be in a super small and safe town right now.  I say "I am lucky" because since we started travelling I have noticed a devastatingly awful flaw- I get lost.  I get lost so badly. I don’t think I could travel alone.  I imagine I would leave my hotel room for breakfast and spend half of the day trying to find my way back.  It’s embarrassing :(  So, after five days of being in the same spot, taking the same way down to town and navigating the three main streets I was comfortable taking a solo day when I was given the opportunity! 
I made my way down to Mcleod Ganj to enjoy my day of shopping, sightseeing, reading and writing- I was happy as a clam.  What can I say- it is difficult being with someone 24/7, even if it is with my husband whom I get along with marvellously.  We have had our small spats, and each had our moments or days but generally all has been amazingly smooth.  Regardless, I like my alone time.  I enjoy my jogs and walks to work, they allow me to explore my mind and be in the silence of myself.  We have been gone for two months and I haven’t had the luxury of being alone- not once, and it isn’t for lack of trying.
So, I went to a cafe alone (something I have never done during this trip) had lunch and enjoyed a lovely book.  I looked in all the shops and spent some time writing. That took three hours and I had four.  I was done all that I had planned to do and had to stay in the city to meet Dan- now what?  I was alone.  No travellers felt like talking to me and I was full, so I couldn’t eat to waste time- HMMMM, now what.  I can’t recall ever really feeling like I didn’t want to be alone and I had only really been by myself for 4 hours.  Bizarre.
This post has no point- it is just an observation.  Am I changing in ways I didn’t expect?  Am I becoming more social?  Do I need a constant companion by my side to be comfortable?  Who knows.  I imagine I would be OK as a solo traveller but I am glad to have my Hubby and my friends by my side.  My experience alone today changed how I look at solo travellers.  I can say that I don’t envy their solitude anymore.  I guess this feeling will pass soon when Dan is farting next to me, the bathroom is steps away from the bed or we are smooshed into one small berth on the train.  For now I am happy to have my husband with me 24/7 :)

Once in a Lifetime

Today is a Holy Day in India. 
I was excited to round my day off with a dance party, full of colour and I’m sure loads of shirab- but I sit and write instead.  My night was cut short by an INSANE storm.  Yes, I was excited to disco but I am equally excited to sit on a mountainside and enjoy Mother Nature’s show!  WOW, what a show indeed.  I can say that I have never experienced a storm like the one that is happening as I write.  We are perched on the side of a mountain, high up but at what elevation I am  not sure.  The lightning is so close we could reach out and touch it, the sky is purple and the thunder triumphant.  I think Zeus is right above my roof and he isn’t happy for whatever reason.  Now let me grab a cup of tea and I will tell you about my day :)
Ah, much better.  So, my day started bright and early (for us anyways.  When you have no job or responsibilities you tend to sleep in- every day :)  As I was saying…) we rolled out of bed and were ready to trek down the mountain at 6am.  We hoofed it as we wanted to get good seats.  A person doesn’t want to be at the back of the line when going to see the DALAI LAMA!!  He He, yes I said the Dalai Lama- himself, in the flesh!  We entered the monastery and home to His Holiness, looked for a seat and parked ourselves down and prepared to wait.  Luckily we met up with some friends and chilled with them to pass the time.  When the clock struck 8, he made his entrance, with his entourage and sat in a lovely chair right in front of us!  If we were at a concert, our seats would have been killer and quite the pretty penny at that :)
We sat, crossed legged in the Monastery courtyard as His Holiness spoke of what ‘Holi’ means (the festival of colours) and explained the importance of the Buddhist traditions.  He told many stories of fellow Buddhists he had met during his travels abroad- he had asked them all one simple question “What is Buddhism?”- none could give an answer.  Interesting.  So he took the time to explain that Buddhism itself isn’t only a process of chanting but of being mindful of others and yourself.  By having piece of mind, one does not have the need for material things or of the luxuries of our modern society, to live simply is enough.  Hmmmm- I don’t think I will become a Buddhist anytime soon- I like my luxuries from time to time.
He went on to further explain his decision to step down as the political leader of the Tibetan people.  His decision is based on many things but the one that he focused on the most was the need to adapt to modern times and establish a democracy.
He joked and laughed- the Tibetans along with him, us foreigners waiting for the translation, provided by a translator via FM radio.  The jokes never quite made sense as they were lost in translation but I am sure a lot was along the way.  It almost seemed that by the time the translator caught up the point was lost.  Eventually, we took out our headphones and just enjoyed him speak.  He sounds like Yoda (no disrespect) it is absolutely adorable.
He rounded off his teaching with a prayer and touched on the situation of Tibet and again my mood shifted.  I don’t know if there will be hope for these people.  It sure speaks of our culture – it is the new millennium for Gods sake, why is this still happening??  So I say again, do your research or in the very least, be a ‘friend’ on the Dalai Lama’s Facebook page.  Yeah, he has a Facebook page, he is just that cool :)

FREE TIBET

Today I giggled with a senior Tibetan monk as we watched a monkey lounging in a nearby tree.  I don’t know if I will ever forget that moment.
Dan and I are currently in Dharamsala, staying at a guest house just outside of Mcleod Ganj, the home of the exiled Tibetan Government.  I will see (if all goes as planned) the Dalai Lama himself speak for tourists and excited Tibetans, among others.  While I do this, awestruck by the opportunity, Tibetans are suffering without access or opportunity of their own to see their exiled leader.  This puts me in a strange state of mind.  It makes me think- am I just a spoiled tourist who gets the honour while others less fortunate than I suffer for their beliefs and basic freedoms?  Yep!
Today we spent the afternoon getting to know the town of Mcleod Ganj.  We visited the Tibetan Museum- where we learned about the struggle to FREE TIBET.  The history behind the fall into Chinese occupation and assimilation, to the current struggle and censorship of Tibetans today.  Now, I have seen the FREE TIBET stickers and such around my city and I have read newspaper articles and watched news stories on T.V but it is an entirely different experience being here.  We are in a town where refugees arrive, coming to escape the bonds of Chinese rule in their homeland.  They come to India to practise their own beliefs in freedom and to educate their children in the Tibetan way.
I walk past monks in the street- they could have made the 40+ day trek, through the snowy mountains to reach freedom in India.  Their families may never know that they made it safely.
I complain that I don’t have hot water or a comfy seat on the train.  This place puts things into perspective for me.  So I ask one simple thing… research the struggle to FREE TIBET and talk about it.  Knowledge is always the first step to real change.

This is the monkey we were giggling at :)

Are We There Yet!?

So, we made it Mcleod Ganj in one piece and in happy spirits.  The journey was pretty smooth but as it goes in India- freakin’ long!
Monty, our lovely friend was kind enough to brave the Delhi traffic to drive us to The Red Fort: our scheduled meeting place where we would catch our A/C Volvo bus for the 16+ hour journey.  Thank the lord we were with a local, there would have been no way we would have found our meeting place on our own.  You’re a rock star Monty!
After the boys asked around, we were finally instructed to go to Shop 11, across from the Red Fort.  Ok, fine- the fort is extremely large but the shops are numbered, so easy right?  We check ‘Shop 11’ and were told that it wasn’t the correct one, that the ‘ Shop 11’ down the street is the one we were looking for- OK??  It was only after checking not the first or second but third ‘ Shop 11’ on the street did we find the correct location.  WTF??  Yeah, that’s what I said!
Then we are taken by a bicycle rickshaw 5 minutes up the road, down a random dark alley to our bus stop.  This ride cost us 50 rupees, it should have been no more than 10- great start.
OK, so we are here, ready to board our Volvo A/C class bus for our long journey.  Bus rides are never great but they are made manageable if you pay the extra for Volvo.  They offer clean beds, comfy seats and cool heaven-sent air conditioning.  The bus we boarded was not a Volvo bus!!  We had paid a pretty price to squeeze our above average height into our sleeper berth, along with our backpacks.  There was wiring were the light bulb used to be, and I can say that I didn’t let the state of the sheets linger in my mind for long- I did have to lie there for 13 hours regardless.  Now, I assure you that at no time did I feel unsafe but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little put off by all the men starting at me while I sat at the back of the bus waiting to depart.  Now here is a question for you… Have you ever taken a piss on the side of a SUPER busy highway?  Well, I have.  I had no option as I had to empty my bladder before the long trip and I preferred an audience of fast moving motorists than the watchful eyes of my soon to be travel companions.  Now there’s a story…. “I saw a Canadian white girls bum!” Classy.
Our bus was scheduled to leave at 8:00pm and by 10:00 Dan was starting to turn on me :)  I tried to practise my patience and keep him calm and I think I was successful until 10:30- then I was equally as impatient to leave.  We were hot, cramped and now running over 2 hours behind schedule.  Ooops- remember Elise, you are in India and things take time here.  When we finally began to move I was giddy with heat and restlessness and I laughed like a lunatic as I tried to blow up my travel pillow.  Great- hiccups always help you sleep at night.
So, neither of us slept that evening as I believe the air conditioning began to work after the evening began to cool and it was freezing to say the least.  The drive was awfully bumpy and I felt as if I was on an amusement park ride the entire time.  Fun for a moment, yes but utterly nauseating for an entire evening! Don’t barf Elise, don’t barf!
We arrived in Pathankot at around 6:45am, just in time to miss our connecting bus to Dharamsala- of course.  So, we waited- enjoyed some bus stop chai and a book until our 8:30 bus arrived.  Luckily, this particular bus went directly to Mcleod Ganj- rock on, no more transfers!  So we made the 4 hour journey up and up and up, by lush green forests and mountainous ranges ‘til we reached our destination.   I had to hold my breath as the rickety old bus navigated the hairpin curves and narrow dirt roads to the hilly town of Dharamsala.  I am sure it was all in my mind that we were much too close to the edge of massive cliffs with sheer drops to my doom- all in my head- all in my head.
Finally, we met our taxi driver for the last leg of our journey up an ever narrowing, freaky ass road to our guesthouse.  Luckily I was somewhat preoccupied with our beautiful surroundings; if we drove off a cliff at least I would fall to my death in a breathtaking place- right?  Ah, breathtaking it was.  We trekked the final leg, up to our guesthouse where we were rewarded with stunning views.  This place reminds me of Canada, with it’s pine trees and actual fresh air- it it beautiful!  We checked into our lovely room, with our lovely view and I made a simple but tasty spaghetti lunch- the first meal I got to cook since we left home.  I’m gonna stay here- it’s nice here.  I can breathe, there are hawks flying right by our balcony, you could almost touch them.  I guess everything that’s worth anything takes time ;)

A quick photo from the bus.  Beautiful!!

Wish Us Luck

Today, we leave Delhi and head up to Dharamsala and I can hardly wait.  Although there is much to look forward to, there are two things in particular I could do without.

Firstly, we will busing it, yes busing it.  Since there is a huge festival in India on March 20th (the colour festival) all the trains were booked up and after 5 hours of searching we went with our last resort.  A bus ride, that will take a total of no less than 13 hours.  Our only saving grace is that we booked a sleeper bus but something tells me I won't be getting much sleep as the bus drivers are crazy and the roads are bumpy to say the least.  Our trip doesn't end there.  After we arrive in the town of Pathankot, we must find a local bus to Dharamsala, for the 3 hour journey.  Lovely.  Once we arrive, we must hire a cab to drive us to the bottom of a mountain, where we will then hire a jeep to take us up the mountain to our guest house.  This will be an experience.

Secondly, when we arrive, we will be met by chilly 15C weather.....BURRRRRR.  That's at its warmest.  Bye, bye 30C sunshine, hello snowy mountain tops.  We will have to layer all the clothes that we have in our bags to keep warm.  I think I brought mittens??

On the flip side, we are hoping to see the Dalai Lama himself - so there is always that :)

Wish us a smooth and uneventful trip! 

Bhangra Party!

We will be leaving India in less than a month now and I am starting to reflect on my journey.
This song was one of the two that we heard at all the weddings in the Punjab.  So, if you listen you must
pump up the volume and bust out your best bhangra moves :)  I love this song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiQmg8Sldu8

Our Tour Through Rajasthan

Sadly, our trip through Rajasthan is all finished :(  We had some great (and not so great) experiences while we toured through this beautiful province.  I think another picture story is in order.

Jaipur was not only the first stop on our toar but one of my favourites.  The people were very friendly- not unlike all of India but here was different.  Yes, it was a tourist stop (one of the stops in the popular Golden Triangle) but you could walk just a few blocks away from the old walled city and enter a more authentic, non tourist district.  The sights where fantastic, varied and different.  The five days that we spent here went by in the blink of an eye.  Go to Jaipur, you won't be disappointed !

One of the many instruments at Jantar Mantar, an astrological

observatory built in 1728.

Don't ask me what this particular device does as they were all very complicated.

The main bazaar in Old Jaipur.

In 1876, the old walled city was painted pink to welcome

visiting royalty and is still kept up to this day.

This was a Bazaar unlike any other as it was clean, organized and had numbered shops.

These Elephants make the hike back and forth, up a steep hill to

the Jaigarh Fort, just outside of Jaipur.

As tempted as I was to ride the elephants, I refrained.  Due to the lack of water

these elephants are suffering from overheating and stress.

Our lovely oasis just outside of the Old City.

It was a nice change to wake up to a rooster crow instead of

honking horns, dogs barking and salesman selling produce.

And who doesn't love a rooster friend?

Ah, Sawai Madhopur, what can I say, I hated this place.  I had a moment (the first one) where I questioned

how long I could handle India.  The town was overpriced and had nothing to offer other than an alarmingly large amount of mosquitos.  The resident animals here weren't cows or dogs but boar.  Freaky wild boar.  They reminded me of Princess Mononoke and it weirded me out.  Gross!!!  We saw Tigers, that was sweet

but other than that- don't go to Sawai Madhopur unless you like boar and bugs.

He He , moving on to my favourite- Udaipur.  I LOVE Udaipur.  We met some great people here and had a chance to learn a bit more about Indian culture.  We experienced a puppet show, the freedom of scooting around the coutryside and drank 'special lassi' on Shiva's Birthday.  I had the greatest, most life changing massage and a stuffed potato (Dum Aloo Masala) that should only exist in dreamland!  Chai, Chillum, Chapati anyone?

A sweet puppet museum.  Kinda creepy but super cool!

Everyone- this is the largest turban on EARTH!!  Yeah, are you jealous yet?

So random, I love it!

The view of Udaipur from the rooftop of our Guesthouse.

We heard many stories on this rooftop, made great friends and had some good times, including the hookah below.  Dan waited for a long time to have this and it was TASTY!  Mmmmm apple!

Wandering through the back alleys in the town.  Beautiful :)

After we left Udaipur, we took a long bus ride to Pushkar.  Boo!  I wasn't the hugest fan of this town.

There were too many tourists and hippies, which meant high prices and an all around shitty vibe.  This city is a great place to hang out if you want to get away form India, chill and buy souveniers.  Not a fan.

OK, it did have one thing going for it- the cows where SUPER friendly.  We pet this one like it was a pup.

Beautiful South Indian style temple.  I was so excited to see it, took off my shoes to enter and was stopped by a guard before I could enter the grounds.  Apparently, this temple is for locals only!  I was pissed!!

I was able to take a picture from the gates but left pretty angry.  That was the first time we encountered this on our trip and I was shocked.  This didn't help the Pushkar vibe much at all.

Sunset at the ghats.  Yes, this is beautiful and I enjoyed this moment.

All in all, a wonderful trip through Rajasthan. I hope you enjoyed our journey as well! As a side note, I have changed the settings on our blog to allow anyone to comment, not only 'Followers' with registered accounts... So if you have a comment or question, feel free to post!

Pushkar - Commercialism, Hippies and Stuff

Get me outta here!!
We just arrived in the sleepy town of Pushkar.  There is nothing to do here.  We had read in our Lonely Planet ( the book I am really starting to dislike) that Pushkar was a pilgrimage sight cradled around a blue- green lake, where a person could go and lose themselves in yoga and the religious songs that echoed from the many Hindu temples that dot the city.  Um, no!
The lake is brown- like mud and the town is a tourist trap.  It has lost all it’s holiness to crooked ‘priests’ and hippies, who wander around barefoot and all Zen.  Was the LP writer high? Too much Chillum?
I think my resentment comes from the fact that there isn’t much of the true India here and I have nothing to lose myself in.  The days are full of the classic, pointless chatter of the salesman – where are you from? – is this your first time in India? – where are you going next ? – and it all leads to the same sales pitch in the end.  Now, here is the real problem though.  I am a tourist and I am being sucked in by all the pretty things.  No, I don’t need them, not in the slightest.  I don’t need shoes, and pretty leather bags, bangles, stickers, perfumes, skirts and pants and tops and dresses.  I know that if I went home tomorrow, I not only would regret my purchases, I would look absolutely ridiculous wearing them.

 

Our Inukshuk

I think he has a striking resemblance to Patrick, the pink starfish.  So that is what we named him :) Our little Canadian contribution to the Indian countryside.

Scoot Scoot

Ah, today we were free! :)
Now, our trip to Udaipur hasn’t exactly been strenuous by any means and all we have been doing is relaxing and enjoying but today was different.
We decided to rent a scooter and go exploring.   We checked out our map and decided just to go where the wind took us.  Fabulous.  Now, in hindsight, I would have taken the bandana my bro had offered me back in Canada as I didn’t become famished until very late in the day and I suspect it is partly because I ingested enough flies to tie me over.  Small details.
It did take me awhile to get comfortable with Dan’s driving, not because he is a bad driver, on the contrary he is great.   It was the other Indian drivers and now that we weren’t on foot or trusting another driver with our lives, I noticed the traffic a little more.  Also, I am from a country where it is illegal to ride without a helmet and today I ran the risk of losing my brains in a awful mess on the pavement.  Alas, we made it safely home- how, I do not know as we drove and drove and drove.  There are absolutely no street signs and every village and street looks the same to me.  I have to marvel at Dan’s amazing ability to find his way home- it is almost primal :) 
So, I will finish by saying that this was a great way to see the countryside.  The people are so amazing here, that literally everyone we crossed paths with today either smiled or said hello.  Scoocum.

What An Awful Day!

Ha- just kidding, it was marvellous.  Now, because I spent the ENTIRE day basking in the glorious sunshine enjoying amazing views, beer and a refreshing dip in the pool, I don’t have much to write about.  Instead, I will tell you about yesterday but first check out some pics from my day.


If it makes you feel any better, I did get my first ever sunburn.  I look like a Rajhastani puppet, my nose is an alarming shade of crimson.  He He

 

Moving on.  My morning started on a lovely note as I got to Skype home and spend some time chatting with my family and my lady love.  Blue sky, sunshine and some family time- what a way to spend a morning!

Now another noteworthy part of my day was our visit to The City Palace.  It was a beautiful palace not unlike many we have encountered here in India but the was one thing that set it apart.  The Palace and for that matter, the entire city is under preparations for the wedding of the Maharajas niece!  The wedding itself will be held at the place in a couple of days, so painting and many other aesthetic repairs are currently underway.  Seriously, I can’t begin to think of anything more romantic than a royal wedding at a beautiful, over the top, gorgeous palace- can you?  I wasn’t kidding when I said that Udaipur is super sweet.  As I type this, music can be heard throughout the city while the visiting royalty begins the pre- wedding celebrations.  Awesome!

While Dan and I waited for the evening party to begin, we refuelled at a roof top restaurant just in time for sunset.  Now, you may notice that my dinner is noticeably  larger than Dan’s, keep in mind, I am a growing girl- my diet of over indulgence must be kept up with three solid meals a day.   I told you if you want to loose 10 pounds don’t come to India :)

Now that I was so full that I thought I would puke, I figured it was a great idea to go for dessert at a lovely French Bakery.  Sick- just sick…. is how I felt after I wolfed down my chocolate cake and ice cream.  Totally worth it.  Besides, we needed lots of energy to party!  It was after all, Lord Shiva’s Day yesterday!  Once the sun set, the celebrations began.  All the Hindu temples were decked out in colourful lights and decorations!  Music was being pumped from huge speakers at every temple- it’s India and there is literally a temple or shrine every 30 feet or so ;)  Enticed by the Lady Gaga that was being played by a neighbouring temple, we made our way over to check out the scene.  Now, every temple is a little different and we did visit a few over the course of the evening but this one was crazy.  We indulged in ‘special lassi :)  A milk, coconut and a little somethin’ extra to make you ‘ feel like you’re in heaven’.  So, being smart travellers, we didn’t drink too much as we didn’t know exactly how we would react.  Later, we were told that the ‘ special ingredient ' is plant derived and harmless.  Ah, India!  You sure know how to party :)