India 2019

Friday 29th November
Flight Sydney to Chennai 2:00pm

Great Flight. I flew with Scoot and bought an upgrade to ScootBiz which gave me luggage allowance and a big comfortable leather arm chair to relax and put my feet up. There was no one next to me so I had plenty of space for my stuff.

Arrival at Chennai Airport was terrible. Our plane was late and arrived at the same time as another jumbo jet Everyone had to line up for 2 hours to get their E-visa stamped. I wouldn't have minded so much, (I've been in worse) if the Australians in front hadn't been so ignorant and spent two hours complaining.

I was so grateful to the owner of the homestay, Sam. He waited for me for two hours, in the middle of the night. I don't know what I would have done if he hadn't waited.

It was an interesting drive through the sleepy villages within the city. The cows and dogs lie in the middle of road. During the day the cows go out to forage for what they can find to eat among the garbage that litters the roads, and at night they wander back to their own house.

Sam's Homestay@porurchennai (+91 98409 20824) was great. If you ever need to stay in Chennai I highly recommend them. Though it is hard to find, just ask your driver to ring Sam for directions. It was clean and not too far from the airport. They were such wonderful hosts. His wife, Marina made me a traditional Indian Breakfast in the morning with great coffee and the best rice dosha I ate in India.

Auroville

Saturday 30th November - Wednesday 4th December: https://www.pujanyoga.com/spiritualjourneys

I had a comfortable taxi ride the 3.5 hours to Auroville from Chennai. The highways are good with weird toll points. Vendors crowd around the cars, buses and trucks trying to sell snacks of roots and sliced things in plastic bags, giant balloons and other strange things.

At the retreat center, I had a big room all to myself, with a path out the back and a view of the ocean. I put the two single mattresses on top of each other to make the bed a bit more comfortable. The sea was very rough and I would listen to the waves churning at night. Jet lag stuffed me around the whole trip. I was awake at 4am most mornings. I'd have my own parties, listening to music, drinking coffee and chatting with friends and fans on my phone.

It rained a lot but after being in Australia where it hadn't rained for a year, it felt beautiful. And a nice man gave me a pink umbrella to use while I was there, so I was happy.

Everyday we had yoga with Betty and in the evenings we either had a Philosophy talk or did yoga nidra (guided sleep meditation).

At the retreat you could book many different sorts of healing treatments. I had a myofascial release massage that did me a lot of good but didn't help my painful heel. I had developed plantar fasciitis when I moved into my house before my trip. The walking over the rough roads, rocks and mountains didn't help it one bit.

Auroville yoga room

The idea of this amazing community at Auroville in Pundicherry is to connect with the universal consciousness. It was founded in 1968 (the year after I was born) as "a town where men and women of all countries could live in peace and harmony, above all creeds, politics and nationalities; bringing together people of goodwill with aspiration for a better world." They try to exist mostly without a system of money.

The citizens of Auroville earn credits that can be swapped for other services within the community. The community centers around a giant golden meditation dome called Matrimandir that took 37 years to build. The Geodesic dome is covered by golden discs that reflect sunlight, making the dome glow. It is surrounded by perfectly manicured lawns and gardens.

There is a booking process to visit the Matrimandir starting by to going to the visitors center a few days in advance and watching a short, interesting film about the ideology behind Auroville. Then you can purchase a ticket. The visitors center is not open on Tuesdays. Matrimandir is not a tourist attraction, it is for serious spiritual meditation. If you go early in the morning you can avoid the long queue. You also need ID to get a ticket. Once you have visited Matrimandir, you don't have to go through the booking process again, you can just ring up or email them.

It was pouring when we crammed like sardines into the little mini bus and went to the visitors center to book our places to go in the dome. I was told it was going to be closed for the rest of the week and we wouldn't be able to go, which was very disappointing. But on the bus going back to our accommodation, it turned out they had all gotten tickets. I don't know how it happened, I was with the others in a hall reading about the concepts of Auroville displayed on the walls. When I finished looking, no one else was there. My feelings were very hurt that no one had noticed I wasn't there (I don't exactly shrink into the background) and I was going to miss out. It was the whole point of coming to this place. Pujan said I could have his spot, but I didn't think that would work as I am not a 60 year old male.

It was a rainy Sunday and there was nothing to do. So I sulked in my room for the afternoon and when I got bored of that I went for a walk along the beach where I was accosted by a group of young Indian men. Indian boys only think about their dicks. I just walked off.

I sent Pujan (Stephan) a message asking if we could have a talk and I suggested that I should have Betty's ticket as I look more like a Betty than a Stephan. I had a talk with him after breakfast. He is also a psychologist. Many years ago he had explained to me me about kundalini. I had never heard of it before and didn't realize that it had happened to me. Kundalini is a huge awakening to go through, especially if you have no guidance.

I explained about the sad feelings I hold onto of being rejected by my family that had been stirred up. I didn't mind that I was missing out on going in the dome, I was upset because no one noticed I wasn't there, and I was going to be left behind while they all went to have the experience.

We fixed the immediate problem by agreeing that I would go in place of Betty as she has been many times before. And we talked about my family issues which helped me a lot. He said I've tried enough and it is time to stop trying.

[A strange thing has happened since I came home, I don't worry about my family anymore. If they don't want to be part of my wonderful life, that is their loss and their is nothing I can do about it. And I have lovely dreams about them nearly every night. As dreams are the subconscious view of life, I think my mind is feeling better]

Pujan was proud of me for asking to talk to him and said it was very mature. He had known I was upset but he had waited for me to approach him and he said it was good that I hadn't fallen into a black hole of depression. I told him I did for a little while but I made a conscious decision to go there. He said it was also a conscious decision not to stay there.

We did a very hard yoga class with Betty at 10am, which I loved. After lunch we met to discuss what we could do when we went into Pondicherry.

The rest of the time there wasn't much to do except lie around and become self-realized.

In the evening we crammed back into the sardine van to go into Pondicherry.

We went to the Ganesh temple where I got a blessing from one of the Brahmin. I bought him a pink lotus flower which he put on the alter and he gave me a bindi - a bright red dot on my third eye to connect ajna chakra with consciousness.

There was an elephant who was brought out in the evening. If you gave him a donation he would bless you by donging you on the head with his trunk. I felt sorry for him.

I did some shopping. I got a small kettle to boil water for my coffee in the mornings, some huge gold earrings and a pashima that was was invaluable when I got to Egypt where it was cold. India was hot. I went inside the big market which I liked, it smelled like fruit and vegetables and was very calm.

I kept bumping into the others in the group around town but everyone was on their own mission.

They met at a cheap, vegetarian restaurant for dinner while I found a luxurious French restaurant on the Promenade and had cheese soufflè and beef bourguignon. And a cup of tea. It was delicious. It was my last meat for two weeks. I am not a vegetarian. I get ill from lack of iron and have to take horrible tablets.

I didn't feel that I was fitting in very well and I wanted to leave. Things didn't really get better, in fact they got worse. But I stuck it out. I wouldn't have made it without my best friend at home who always encourages me and one of the girls in the group who was very down-to-earth.

Visit to Matrimandir

aurovilleradio.org/lotus-pond-reflections/

auroville.org

It was a great morning weather-wise for Matrimandir, the golden dome. There is a hole in the roof for light to come through and it is closed if it rains. The light shines down on a huge crystal ball and lights up the whole big white room.

It's a whole journey in itself to get to the meditation room. The outside of the dome is made from golden discs that reflect the sun. Under the dome is a fountain representing a lotus flower with another (much smaller) crystal ball in the center.

When we arrived, we watched a short movie about the concept of Auroville. It is a community with the purpose to find ultimate universal consciousness.

We were taken in little buses to the dome where the guide gave us a talk. There was probably about 50 people.

Then in silence we walked through the geometric lawns and gardens, through the arena where Auroville was inaugurated in 1968. We walked around the dome, then we took our shoes off and went under the dome to sit around the fountain for a short while. The fountain is beautiful white marble representing petals of a lotus.

One of the girls in the group was sitting next to me. A gust of wind swept her ticket into the lotus fountain. Ooops.

Going inside the golden, sacred, geometrical ball is sort of like going inside star trek. It is by far the most amazing structure I have ever seen or been in.

When we went inside we had to put on white socks so no red dirt would soil the complete whiteness of the interior. We walked up a white carpeted spiral walkway that travels around the inside walls of the dome without any apparent supports. I entered through a door into the most amazing meditation room ever imagined.

It is incredible inside that room. If a cloud passes over, the crystal ball goes sort of dark blue and looks like it fills with mist. When the cloud clears, the room lights up with white or sometimes orange light. The colour of the light is constantly changing. Sometimes the top of the crystal ball looked like a crescent moon studded with 3 points of light that shone like stars. Around the base it reflected stylized lotus leaves. Around it's center is reflected the circle of people meditating.

Auroville.org

Something happened to me while I was meditating. Everything and everyone, all vanished away. Even my mind vanished. There was no thought, only the crystal ball and the light.

The room is huge, it is like sitting inside a ball. The round roof is supported by twelve tall, white, cylindrical columns. The whole room is pure white. There are meditation cushions in a big circle around the outside of the twelve columns.

I never had a meditation experience like it (well, once before at Ayres rock.)

All the people in the room vanished to me. All I could see was nothing. My focus was on three bright points of light, like stars that were reflecting universal consciouness from the crystal ball. It was so hard, but I stayed so focused. There was complete emptiness of nothing, not even creation, not even the universal oneness or emptiness. Just total nothing at all.

I have weird short-sighted eyes that don't focus properly so light and stars actually do look like stars, with rays of pulsing light splintering out from a center. I was so focused the rays were still. They had rainbows in them and I could even see the tiny point in the middle of the light was totally black.

I was freed. It was superb.

Outside we sat for a while under a huge Bunyan tree.

Then we went back to the visitors center and I had one of the best pieces of double layer chocolate cake I've had in years and masala chai ☕🍰.

It was really WOW! It was worth the effort.

You are not allowed to take bags or phones or photos. This is a photo after the experience. You can just see the Matrimandir in the background and my earrings that are causing a great sensation! All the girls who worked at the visitors center loved them so much, they all wanted to know where I had gotten them. I told them at a street stall opposite the big market in Pondicherry. From then on I was the most popular person everywhere we went, so many people wanted to talk with me and meet me and have photos. I met so many people because of those earrings. It is quite fun being famous on tour.

Huge spreading branches of a Bunyan Tree

Tiruvannamalai

4th December - 12th December 2019

Our accommodation in Tiruvannamalai was very disappointing. Very sub-par and grotty. The rooms hadn't even been cleaned before we arrived. The faucet was falling off my shower (they fixed it before it fell off) and there were large ants crawling on the floor. I left them alone and they left me alone, but some of the other girls got bitten in the night. Some of the other rooms were so bed, the girls had to change. At least mine had a small window and the mattress was comfortable. I had essential oils and a burner to freshen the air and the kettle I had bought in Pundicherry to make coffee. I had to perch it on some boxes and books that I stacked up so the cord would reach the plug. I was quite comfortable when I had to be in there. The garden was pleasant and green though. There was a yoga room on the 4th floor with a fantastic view of the mountain.

My favorite photo of the sacred mountain, I call it Santa Arunachala

The vegan cafe, Da Mantra, up the road saved us. We could go there anytime and enjoy good fresh drinks and food in a relaxing open-air setting with wifi. We ate there a lot, for breakfast, some lunches and dinners.

Betty and Pujan and their friend

Arulmigu Arunachaleswarar Temple, Tiruvannamalai

This city has grown up around a holy Mountain called Arunachala where, in legend, Shiva manifested. The ancient Arunachalesvara Temple, is dedicated to Shiva and specifically to the element of fire, or the God Agni. The place where Lord Siva stood as a column of fire to eliminate the ego is Tiruvannamalai. The history of the temple dates back a thousand years. The huge masonry pylons were built in the 9th Century. The temple has had gifts added to it by ruling dynasties of later centuries.

We were staying in a town near the ashram of Ramana Maharshi, an Indian sage who became an enlightened being at a very young age and sat in a cave for all of his life. Many thousands of followers sought his teachings and millions still flock to his ashram every year.

We climbed up the hill to visit his cave. I didn't feel any special energy in the cave or at the ashram, but it was still pretty cool. Pujan said this place, Arunachala had a very high spiritual energy. It certainly did manifest a whole lot of stuff that I had to deal with. It wasn't very pleasant.

Millions of devotes as far as the eye can see

To start with, I still had a terrible pain in my foot that I had to cope with for the whole trip. Foot massages weren't helping. I went into town in a rickshaw to get some better walking shoes. It was mad in the city! It was packed with people and it was raining. I always like to get the authentic feel of a place. Most of the thousands of people who were pouring into the city walked with bare feet. I have no idea where they all slept. They just kept coming, millions of them, for days and days and days. A huge dark ocean of people walking, all in the same direction, clockwise around the mountain.

We were very impressed by an industrious man who made us beautiful, freshly squeezed orange juice half way up our climb to Sri Ramana Maharishi's cave. He had carried a whole box of oranges and all his equipment all the way up the winding stone pathway, including a sling-shot to keep the monkeys away. I gave him a good tip.

There are other people with stalls along the path selling statues. They all say they made them. But I think they were lying. They pretend to be chiseling at stone making statues but they are all the same. They are probably made in China. I still brought one of Patanjali (the sage the yoga sutras are attributed to) at the top of the trek to commemorate my climb. It's not really basalt, it's just painted. a little piece chipped off his nose, I'll have to dab a bit of paint back on it.

The Long Walk

The next day I rode my bike up to breakfast but I left it at the top of the road because the side street is dirt and really rough with lots of pot holes and mud. I thought I would be able to ride it on our expedition that day. But everyone else was walking, so I had to walk.

We walked so far. We walked around the mountain and back for two and a half hours.

The first part along the busy road was horrible, noisy and smelly. Then we got to the nice bit that was blocked off to traffic. It was cool and tree lined with temples along the way. It wasn't very crowded because the festival hadn't officially started yet. All the Indian people were in their best clothes and bare feet. A lady gestured at my feet to say I shouldn't be wearing shoes. There was no way I would walk on that dirty road in bare feet, besides having a sore foot. I wondered, if they cut their foot they would be sure to get an infection. There is so much rubbish in India, laying around everywhere, it is so dirty.

The lady, her husband and daughter sort of became my walking companions, we would fall behind each other then catch up and smile at each other again. We got to a blue temple. I wasn't quite sure what to do. I was standing near the exit watching and the lady came up and gave me a blessing, dabbing sacred ash on my forehead. So I took my shoes off and went in. Marta and Pavo were there. We all put some money in the offering tray and the Brahmin priest gave us a blessing of a necklace made from string with a nut on it, a small packet of sacred ash and dabbed my forehead with ash again.

We were very popular on our walk. There weren't many white foreigners there. Everyone wanted photographs with us. They were very polite about it. And I suppose when you think about it, I was taking lots of photographs of them too. They loved that.

The orange men are called Sadu. They are holy men, beggars really. But they are given food and milk by the ashrams.

When we eventually got back to the corner, Fran and myself decided to stop walking and get a rickshaw into town. I went shopping for some presents and clothes I needed to wear. I eventually found what I wanted, some embroidered tops and Indian pants in a shop where I was served by a lovely (and handsome) young man from Kashmir. We had chai tea had a chat. He was talking about opening his own shop. I told him I was sure he would. And since then he has! He gave me a Ganesha statue as a gift. Pujan thought he must have wanted to marry me. But it was just a kind gesture. We all met at a restaurant called the Dreaming Tree for dinner.

Pujan and Betty with Swami Pujan's book for sale at the bookshop

Betty showing off her beautiful dress at breakfast

The Cycle of My Life

When I was a teenager I had a cleaning job, every Saturday morning.

I saved up really hard till I had enough money to buy a bike. I bought a bike with gears because I lived in a hilly district.

I used to sneak out in the night and ride up the hill to visit my friends, Katrina and Jayne and get up to mischief.

My parents had built me a little house in the back yard, it was my own room. We didn't get on very well. I wrote about my expeditions in my diary. I remember the last sentence was "Haha I didn't get found out".

The next sentence was "Un-haha. My mother read my diary."

I wasn't allowed to ride my bike after that, or see my friends. My bike was left to rust in the shed.

Sometime latter I was sterilizing my contact lenses by boiling them on the stove. But I fell asleep and they melted.

My parents made me pay for new ones by scrubbing all the rust off the spokes of my bike with steel wool till it gleamed like new and I sold it.

Not long after that they bought my younger sister a bike. She didn't have a job.

If we didn't get on very well before, we got on really badly after that.

I never got on with my mother till shortly before she died. And I never rode a bike again.

Some friends got me on one once and I crashed into a pole and an old lady. Lately some friends have been promising to teach me, but their bikes always seem to have a flat tyre.

I really have a negative Samskara where bikes are concerned. A complete mental block.

On this spiritual journey to India, we went to the pilgrimage town of Tiruvannamalai for the powerful full moon festival.

Swami Pujan and Betty had asked if anyone wanted to hire a bicycle to get around on. No one else did and I told them I couldn't ride a bike. But when we arrived at the bicycle hire shop I changed my mind. I jumped out of the bus with the intention of hiring one. Unfortunately none were available so I started walking to our accommodation, about 10 minutes further on.

On the way I came across a shack hiring bikes. So I got one and off I went! No worries mate, I said, "I can do anything!"

The next day I rode that bike all the way to town to the Sri Ramana Ashram. I went in the chaotic Indian traffic! It was so hard for my legs and back. I was so hot and puffed and sweaty. It took me a while to get to there. They even went back to look for me to make sure I was ok. I was ok, I was just trying really hard and trying really hard not to get killed. And I had to have a couple of rests crossing at the intersection then trying to merge back with the traffic. It took me a while to get over the effort.

I was so proud of myself. I thought I had overcome the psychological block I had against bicycles.

Apparently not. The universe had a lot more work for me to do. The bike got stolen.

I'd been assured that no one would steal a bicycle in Tiruvannamalai and it was locked. But a set of circumstances led it to being in the same place at the top of a dirt road for too long.

I had to leave it overnight as it was too dark to ride it back to Sunshine - our accommodation. But it was still there after breakfast. We had breakfast a short distance from Sunshine at a very nice open air cafe Da Mantra Vegan Cafe. It was new and clean, with a very nice owner. We went to a Kirtan sing-a-long, which wasn't my cup-of-tea. A room of spiritual people were singing Indian chants to awaken the universal consciousness within. It was definitely working for some of them.

After the chanting finished I walked back to get my bike but it was gone! I spent the next 2 hours, in the heat searching for it. I was pretty pissed off. Especially when I got back to Sunshine to have a shower and they had taken my soap.

It took a while to get the poor bicycle-hire family to understand what had happened because they didn't know much English. I had to go and download Tamil language on google translate because I couldn't get them to understand the word stolen or taken. All our conversions were mostly done with body language and a few clear words. We were all upset. They wanted me to give them enough money for a new bike. I offered to give them enough for a second hand bike.

That night I was meditating with my group and an energetic feeling descended on me, like a shower of stars falling over my head and body. It came with a message..."buy them a new bike. But go with them so in return I would have an experience."

On the way to dinner I went and told them so they wouldn't need to worry. I arranged to come the next day at 11am and go on the back of the lady's motor scooter to the bike shop in town. We rang up their friend who spoke good English so there was no miscommunication. He said it would be easier if I just gave them the money but I insisted we were going to do it my way.

The next day, after breakfast, as I set off on my adventure I called back to the girl's that with this transaction I was going to change the economy of India.

I got on the motor scooter with the bicycle hire lady and her little scowling son. We got as far as the cattle market that had sprung up as part of the festival, about 800m up the road, when we ran out petrol. Then there was no phone reception so she had to walk back to get some petrol. I stayed in the heat and chaos with her scowling son, surrounded by a crowd of cows and strange Indian devotees with shaved and painted heads. She arrived back with some petrol. Her husband came on another motor scooter with their little daughter and we set off again.

We stopped at 3 ATM's till we found one I could get 5000 rupees (about $100AUS) to pay for the bike.

The roads were totally packed with people and motor bikes. We accidentally bumped into 2 police women on their motor scooter! Ooops. I said sorry but I don't think they understood English. We drove past the ancient temple - It was fascinating.

There were crackers being let off in the street and road blocks but we got to the bike shop.

They took me out the back and showed me a bike. It was pink but it was too expensive and it was too big. I got them the same one as the one I had hired for 4000 rupees ($80AUS).

Then they wanted me to buy their little girl a tricycle. Poor people always get greedy and want more. I don't like being taken advantage of. I bought the children a cheap plastic toy each, but I didn't give them the toys right away. They hadn't attempted a smile the whole time.

Then they wanted me to ride the bike back to their place! It was miles away! I can barely ride a bike let alone through that chaos! They ended up transporting it the Indian way. By loading it across the husband's scooter and with the little girl on the back off they went through the crowded streets.

I went back with the wife. I asked her to drop me off in the town. I was still feeling pissed off. I decided I deserved something for myself for a change. I went and picked up the saree I had ordered. It took a while for her to fit the blouse. (It didn't end up fitting very well, I kept it tight with safety pins). But the Saree was beautiful. A lady appeared from somewhere and dressed me in it.

Then I went for a relaxing lunch at the Dreaming Tree where they have reclining lounges on the floor. I had cold coconut juice and creamy pumpkin spaghetti The whole restaurant stopped and turned to watch me come in.

After lunch I went back to the shop where the young man had given me the Ganesh statue and bought myself an expensive blue topaz bracelet. It was very beautiful.

Karthikai Deepam - The festival of lights in Tiruvannamalai
From 9th - 11th December we will have the opportunity to celebrate the festival of lights at the Arunachaleswarar temple. It is one of the most ancient and important festivals in India. During this time the temple and whole town will be illuminated with lighted oil lamps, against evil and for prosperity and joy. Thousands of devotees celebrate in the city, hold rituals and witness the lightning of the "Maha Deepam" atop of the Arunachala hill. A once-in-a-lifetime experience!

The next night they were lighting the fire on the top of the mountain. A million Indians walked like an ocean around the sacred mountain. We were having a feast on a rooftop restaurant with a view to watch the lighting of the fire and the fireworks that went off everywhere all around the city.

I tried to put on my Saree but I didn't do very well. The bicycle lady grabbed me and took me into her hovel. She, her mother and sister-in-law all helped dress me properly. It takes a while. I was a late for dinner & they were getting a bit worried. I explained I had left Sunshine wearing the Sarah version of a Saree and had been helped along the way to appear as I was.

They dressed me in the morning too as I was on my way to breakfast A saree is so cool and light to wear.

I still hadn't given the children the toys because the sister-in-law had 3 small children so there were actually 5 children and I only had 2 toys. I needed a little gift for each of them.

That morning we went for a wonderful walk around the back of the town, through the fields. It was much fresher than the main road. The houses were nicer too.

We went to hear a Sufi singer. I loved the meaning of her songs she told before she sang, about emptiness. But the sound of her music didn't agree with my ears. Nor did my perception that white people were watching a black person perform. I stayed as long as I could bear it then gave a small donation so I could retrieve my shoes, and left. I felt I needed to have an experience of this place on my own. It was our last day.

I walked to the market that now lined the street in town and bought 3 more plastic toys. I had lunch at Dreaming Tree and a nap back at Sunshine. Then I took the toys to the children. Also some lovely handmade soap for the ladies.

The tiniest boy got plastic rings to arrange in order on a stick. The eldest boy got plastic coloured bricks. One of the girl's got snapping fish you have to catch with a magnet. The middle boy got a squirrel that ran along the ground with spinning sparks and when the oldest girl got a doll that lit up as she rolled along the ground they all cheered with happiness and ran off to play with their new toys.

I never saw so much joy. It was like Christmas. Well actually, it was a Christmas festival. I Don't have anyone to buy Christmas presents for so I found a family who needed some.

Then I had an idea.

Betty had told me that this lady used to be her cleaning lady. She had been studying computers when her family had decided to marry her off. But the husband was lazy and didn't bathe or take care of himself.

I had brought a notebook computer with me, thinking it would be useful. But it wasn't. It was slow and heavy and took up too much space in my luggage. I asked her if she would like to have it. We went to Sunshine with the kids and I gave it to her. She blessed me and actually kissed my feet. Back at her place her old mother-in-law gave me a Bindi and painted dots that are blessings on my forehead. They blessed me so much, she told me how happy I had made her family.

They asked me if I would like to join the family on a journey around the mountain. Traversing the mountain clears away your sins and cleans your karma. That was the purpose of this trip to Tiruvannamalai for the millions of devotees, and why we had come. We went together on 3 motor bikes. I loved how she told me it would be very jolly. And it was, it was so much fun. It was magical. And they brought me a gift of 2 bangles. They mean more to me than the expensive one I bought because they are poor.

The next morning as I was leaving I saw the little boy playing with his blocks. He smiled and waved. He wasn't scowling any more. The husband waved. He was washed and sitting out the front of his shop in clean shirt. The wife and brother-in-law invited me in for tea and breakfast. But I only had time to say good bye.

I had decided to change this woman's life. So I did. I feel sort of like an angel who appeared in their life and showered them with gifts. They must have deserved it or the universe wouldn't have set it up for their bike to be stolen. It feels good to make people happy, it is the best way to make yourself happy.

My adopted Indian family had wanted me to have dinner with them, but I was saved from a stomach bug I would have been sure to catch by having to go to meet my group for our last dinner at the Vegan Cafe. They were astonished to see me arrive in my sari covered in blessings and gifts, they hadn't heard from me since I snuck away from the Sufi singer, I said I had wanted my own experience. They barely believed me that I had been all the way around the mountain. I was the only one who had done it.

That's not quite the end of the story. When I was in Egypt leaving the luxury resort town of Hurgada, they kept making me take the expensive blue topaz bracelet off to go through the security checks. I think the catch must have been loose and it fell off somewhere. When I arrived in my hotel room in Cairo it wasn't on my wrist anymore. I can do all these nice things for other people but I can't have something for myself.

It is a lesson in material objects. All the time I had the bracelet I was worried I was going to loose it. I was always checking it was still there and the clasp was done up. After I lost it, I didn't have to worry anymore, it was a relief in a way. Still, it was a pity to lose it, it was very pretty.

That night I dreamed that a poor cleaning lady found it and she was so happy. I think someone found it who needed it more than I did.