Slow It Down

​Today has been thoroughly enjoyable. We have slept, eaten, showered, and been massaged. We have taken in a new religion, and we have seen Mr. Tripathi again (more to come on the great man below). Not only this, but the tour infirmary remains empty - long may that last! Continuing on the positive trend, we want to wish both Jacob Lerner (Ben's brother) and the great man, Ian Rapson (Tom's father), huge happy birthday's. I particularly hope yours was superb, Ian, as you didn't have to spend it with your son. I'm going to regret these comments shortly when Tom decides to get his own back... But for now, here is how the 16th of December played out for 22 Kiwi boys in Varanasi, India. 

Saturday 16 December

~9am - for the first time on the trip thus far, there was no set wake up time. Boys were told breakfast finished at 10:30, but apart from that there was no requirement to be up at any time. Breakfast was an Indian buffet extravaganza - fresh omelettes, a local take on French toast and hash bites, the boys were left content and stuffed.

10:30am - the tour library was open for business. Before we departed, we asked each of the boys to carry a couple of novels, and as staff we did the same. These were today distributed amongst those who wanted to read. Mitch Albom has proven a popular author thus far ('Tuesdays With Morrie' is a bit of an India Tour classic) and a few boys have begun tackling the Gregory David Roberts' epic 'Shantaram'. At the same time, the first of the group headed off to the day spa on site at the hotel. A massage choice of head and shoulders, back, or feet and legs awaited them.

11:00am - the supple hands of Ramesh the masseuse clearly worked wonders, as Aaron Wyllie emerged looking years younger and having lost "all the stress I was carrying in my shoulders". Whatever you say, mate.

~12:00pm - again, the group was free to take lunch when they wished. Many elected for further tastes of home, with chicken burgers, pizzas and even a mac n cheese appearing at the table. Enjoy it while it lasts, boys! We will have you all back on Indian shortly. After the madness of the last week or so, it has been important for the boys to relax, and also begin processing what they've been seeing. The garden area forming the centre of the hotel has proven a popular spot for this, as the group parked up chairs and just chilled.

1:30pm - the power of Ramesh the masseuse continues as Josh Hamilton emerges from his massage claiming to have let go of any resentment he had to past enemies.

4:00pm - after having the day so far to themselves, the group met Mr. Tripathi at the hotel lobby. Now, let me tell you, big Tripathi is quite the character. The man must always be in control, and the result is a favourite hobby of his - telling you to do what you are already doing, "yes Mr. Reuben, take lunch, take lunch" he had told me, as I was ¾ of my way through my masala chicken burger. He also famously told the group of his 20,000 friends. Before you say, wow, that is a lot of friends, it is important to note that "these people know me, I do not know them. Like Donald Trump, I am very famous". However, the man's knowledge of Varanasi and Hinduism is second to none, and his services are always appreciated. Under his trusty guidance, we set off for the River Ganga, the spiritual centre of Hinduism. Tripathi detailed superbly the cornerstones of the religion. Briefly, there are three main gods - Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma. Together, these form the trident, or Om, the Hindu equivalent of the Holy Trinity. This is the great God which runs through the entire religion. The significance of the River Ganga centres on Shiva, who was said to come down to earth here. To be cremated here, and have one's ashes returned to the Ganga, is therefore the most holy departure from earth, and into reincarnation. All of this was explained to us with a Hindu ceremony on the ghats (the river banks) going on in the background. 

7:30pm​ - we returned to the hotel for dinner. It seems the Western food is too good to turn down, as the common theme amongst the boys (and I must admit, even staff) was non-Indian food. Richard Boswell and Josh Hamilton gave a beautiful duet performance of their Experts in the Field, with Richard tackling the Caste System, and Josh Hinduism. 

9:00pm​ - we broke off into our debrief groups, with the central theme being one's past. The boys were given the sentence starter "when I think about my past I...", which was then followed up with our one biggest regret, and our one proudest moment. A fascinating discussion for a lot of the group, as they reflected on the moments in their lives that have had significance thus far. 

10:30pm - and that was it, another day done. The boys were sent off straight to sleep, with an early morning trip back to the Ganges tomorrow morning awaiting them.

Thought - we need the time to sit back and think. Today has been absolute bliss for the group, as we sat in a nicely manicured central garden, ate 'homely' food, and generally put our feet up. The boys have firmly taken the message that rest is key, and have begun to process the chaos, questions, and memories from their journey so far. The craziness of the first portion of the trip has meant little time for relative silence, and now we have it, the boys have appreciated its importance. The question therefore is, why don't we spend more time sitting and reflecting? Although our time in India has been particularly hectic, there are no doubt times in our home life where we have similar moments provoking thought. How often do we sit back, slow down, and reflect on these moments?

MVP - Miller Hawkesby. This afternoon has been a very productive one for Miller. The man is engaging and inquisitive at the best of times, but tonight he thrived even more with Mr. Tripathi. The two hit it off instantly as Miller had some further specific questions about Hinduism. However, to really top off his afternoon, we had ventured onto the river on board a large boat, which was rowing powered. Clearly rowers are not ones to pass up opportunities for a spot of training, as Miller was quick to grab the oars and sent us rapidly up stream. I know the man who's boat it was definitely appreciated being paid for not having to do work. Hat's off to you Miller.

Reuben