Manali

Trip Start Jul 08, 2008
1
5
23
Trip End Ongoing


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Flag of India  , Himachal Pradesh,
Thursday, July 24, 2008

Tom and I arrived early morning and gradually found our way to a cheap guesthouse. The plan was to catch a ride into Ladakh as soon as possible but we were in need of some rest and at less than $2 a head it made sense to lay low for at least a few hours. We eventually rose, walked into town, sorted a good deal for a jeep to Leh leaving at 2am, and met a New Zealander who we took back to the hotel. Admiring the wild Cannabis plants growing under the walkway the three of us joked that we came to India too late as none of us currently smoked.

An Indian man staying in the room next door walked out and asked "permission to join you?" He was a retired economics professor from the University in Delhi and in his late 60s lived a vagabonding lifestyle referring to himself as a full time meditator. "The Keynesian economics that I taught are hardly relevant anymore. I'm glad that for my generation we get a small pension." Reminding me of the Vedic logic he seemed resigned to accept the natural order of things, from privatization schemes to climate change. He went on to instruct us in the Vipassana meditation method. Like most meditation instructors I've encountered he spoke as if he was reading from a book. "...Place your awareness on the area above the mouth but below the nose as you breathe naturally with your eyes closed."

After talking with the man for a little while he proclaimed "You need some food and tea!" as he brought some chic pea flour and spices out of his room and started mixing them in a bowl with water. We entered his room where he began heating some oil on a portable gas stove and cutting pieces of eggplant, cauliflower, potatoes, and green chilis, which he dropped into his batter concoction. The vegetables were dropped into the bubbling oil as the aromas filled the man's small room. As the green chili peppers were simmering Tom and I took turns leaving the room to wipe our eyes dry with a towel as the other would stay back and talk with the man.

In his old age the man had more than enough energy to stay up and hang out until we had to leave for our 2am ride out of town. He walked us out of the hotel with his flashlight illuminating the dark steps and wished us well.
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