Ganga | Smith the Traveller

Early morning grace.

Despite the buzz of a circular saw and the pungent aroma of varnish, I am having a very mellow morning. The ashram is a bit of a construction site at the moment as there are a lot of preparations for the 25th anniversary in late November. I gather it will be a very big deal, and while part of me is a bit sad I won’t be here for it all, a larger part is quite pleased I won’t be – it has been a busy enough time with all the Indian pilgrims and Belgian “yoginis”.

How many men does it take to move the world….?

The Indian pilgrims and the Belgian “yoginis” at the World Temple

The Indians have all been bright, chattery and very polite, the yoginis are all impossibly limber, long legged and draped in white. It has been fun, but I’m looking forward to a much smaller group after today – at least for a bit.
A lot of us are working our way through a cold thats been making the rounds. Mariellen, one of the women here says it is just our bodies getting rid of all sorts of toxins and realigning with the daily two hours of yoga. Maybe…?

Lunch time at the Ashram.

I am feeling remarkably clear headed now however, and the yoga is getting much easier – tho’ I fear my titanium knees will never allow for the full range of movement. Take care of yours people because when they are gone – the replacement parts are never as good as the original manufacturer’s equipment!
Although there have still been sightings of the leopard, Gudrun and I walked down to the Ganga the other day. Met a few cows along the way and discovered the Gudrun is definitely a city girl! The river is low here – more of a secondary channel after this years’ monsoon – it changes constantly. I am again heartened by the thousands of little fish in the water and its clarity despite some impressive algae mats. Women were bathing children, washing clothes, cutting greenery for the cows in the distance and the men were mostly standing or lounging around as per usual. I’ll be generous and offer that perhaps they were keeping an eye out for the leopard?