River India's 1st trip- Siang River January 13-24, 2007

On the flight to New Delhi I realized that I had no idea what to expect of the River India trip. In fact I had only skimmed the itinerary and really had no idea of where I was headed. It turned out that what I experienced on the River India trip far transcended anything that I could have expected. The trip was absolutely incredible!!

When Emily and I arrived in New Delhi I was immediately taken aback by the crowds and pollution surrounding the city. This was once a "haven" for the Coolidge's from Pakistan. I remember thinking how progressive India was compared to Pakistan- its ideals, views towards women, and the modernization of the city. This time around I kept thinking- where is the blue sky and will people stop pushing me! I was aching to get into the outdoors and away from the bustling city. However Delhi did have its great moments- like riding in a jammed Rickshaw with Roland and another River India client through the streets of Delhi, meeting up with all the River India folks who would be on the trip, and seeing all of the beautiful Hindu temples that surround the area.

On the 13th, all 7 clients and Roland boarded a plane to Dibrugarh- this was the beginning of the realization that where we were going was FAR FAR AWAY! It would be a 5 hour flight, then an 8 hour ferry ride, and an hour 8 drive to our put in. I really had no idea. When we put in at the Siang River we were close to the border of Tibet- incredible!

The trip itself is hard to describe in words because it was so enlightening and inspiring. The scenary was incredible- with lush jungle areas, huge rocks engulfing the river, and the occasional sight of the Himalayas in the background. We camped each night on a white sandy beach. We ate an incredible assortment of food, had great fireside chats, and enjoyed all that the river had to offer.

While on the trip I met some incredible people and in my diary I wrote down some of their words of wisdom- which I will share:

Jeff

• Never be afraid to quit or lose your job.
• Happiness and material possessions are not linked
• You never need that much stuff (he travelled the world for one year with 17 kilos)
• No matter where you live, there are always positives and negatives

Jamie

• Don't rush things and don't always follow a schedule, sometimes the best things that happen are spontaneous events.
• Money doesn't make happiness.
• So many people spend their time and energy saving money and putting it away for retirement vs. living in the moment and living life now.
• Don't always plan far ahead into the future.
• Sometimes you need to go through the worse things in life to gain the best.

Bridget

• You should always keep exploring to find your passion.
• Pay attention to the coincidences.

Hindu Philosophies from a pamphlet at a Hindu Temple in New Delhi:

• "May our longings and aspirations, our ideas and ideals be genuine and generous"
• "Do not make thy life a continual sadness and sorrow"

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Overall the River India trip was incredible and the adventure is something I wouldn't trade for anything!! I will post pictures up in the next day or so, however when I returned to Nairobi and to my office I discovered that my laptop had been stolen from the office... so for the next couple of days I will be sorting that out. However, I seem to be taking it all in stride- maybe the Hindu and Buddhist philosophies of Northern India have influenced me more than I realized!

I did manage to upload 2 videos from the trip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyxM4k2ksao

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t31i8sj430g