Holy cow dung its India! Much more than I expected in every way.. that includes all categories from sights and sounds to smells and tastes. First off, arriving in India in 4:00am after a 23 hour journey is a strange awakening. Even at that hour there is a hustle and bustle of craziness that you cannot believe. Thankfully, I meet up with 3 other yoginis from our group in the lay over in Dubai (that is in the middle east, near Kuwait!) and we clumped together like oil droplets in water because our sense overload felt easier to bear together rather than separate. Luckily, we were headed for the beach for our first 2 nights to rest and settle our tired bodies and frazzled nerves.
Warm ocean breeze, coconut palms swaying, fishing boats pushing off the shores of Kerela beaches to claim their days catch was the beautiful sight we arrived to as we checked into our rooms at 5:30am. But just outside the gates of our this tranquil, protected hotel setting was the stark poverty that line the streets the entire 45 minute taxi ride here. I have done my share of hanging out in Tijauana and have seen many times the shanti towns that line the US border walls but this seemed one step deeper in the muck, where it starts to seep into your boots from the top. The colossal divide between my life and the life of the majority of India's people was intense to witness and all I could do with the little energy I had was to sit on the wicker porch chair and gaze into the horizon of the sea-- somehow that allowed me to feel my body again. Yes, I was still here, breathing... and, resting as much as I could with what IS.
In India with Love,
Sienna
P.S. please excuse the tired typos... its been 3 nights in 3 different hotels and 3 crazy cities and many wondrous temples-- i think sacred ash is lofting from my forehead like snow into my eyes as i type but i am too tired to wipe it away. and, it IS a sacred blessings from the Brahmin temple priests so i gratefully leave it be. good night.
Warm ocean breeze, coconut palms swaying, fishing boats pushing off the shores of Kerela beaches to claim their days catch was the beautiful sight we arrived to as we checked into our rooms at 5:30am. But just outside the gates of our this tranquil, protected hotel setting was the stark poverty that line the streets the entire 45 minute taxi ride here. I have done my share of hanging out in Tijauana and have seen many times the shanti towns that line the US border walls but this seemed one step deeper in the muck, where it starts to seep into your boots from the top. The colossal divide between my life and the life of the majority of India's people was intense to witness and all I could do with the little energy I had was to sit on the wicker porch chair and gaze into the horizon of the sea-- somehow that allowed me to feel my body again. Yes, I was still here, breathing... and, resting as much as I could with what IS.
In India with Love,
Sienna
P.S. please excuse the tired typos... its been 3 nights in 3 different hotels and 3 crazy cities and many wondrous temples-- i think sacred ash is lofting from my forehead like snow into my eyes as i type but i am too tired to wipe it away. and, it IS a sacred blessings from the Brahmin temple priests so i gratefully leave it be. good night.
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