|
|
|
India....continued
This is where all the letters from Christmas day through the end of January belong, when I find them. Jeannie Alvin's Friends Date: 1 february 2000 22:37 Subject: Jeannie is "on the road, again" Hello folks, another letter from Jeannie - this time she is "on the road" traveling in India. I think you will enjoy reading her adventure. Love, Vickie
********************************************************* May All the Beings in All the Worlds be Happy!
Hi, Darshan! Hello from Chennai! Pat and I are off to a good start on our trip. Hello to you and Jerry! I will send this letter to Vickie also for the group email. Here is what happened on our overnight bus ride, part of which you know, because you were there at the beginning of it! Our last darshan with Swami was a quickie. The lines were long, and still going in when the music started. We were outside. We got in only to see a glimpse of orange robe going into the mandir. Our group did not get an interview. 6:30pm Jan. 30th Pat and I arrive with luggage for overnight bus trip to Madras (Chennai). The 200 rupee fare entices us. We hope we can manage all night on the bus, with uncertain bathroom facilities! Raji and Shamila come to see us off. They supervise our luggage going out of the bus, where it did not fit, to the back luggage hold at the rear outside of the bus. It took quite a while to get our luggage back off the bus, as the other passengers were coming on. We take our seats. A man shows us his ticket, saying he has seats 21 and 22, our seats! Finally he realizes that he has seats 1 and 2. Darshan comes on the bus to see us off. He helps us figure out how to recline the seats. We say our goodbyes to a dear friend. 7pm The bus takes off. It is a big, modern looking bus. It says hi-tech on the side. I have my air pillow from June on my left, Pat tries using my other air pillow to get comfortable. The seats are quite nice, like airline seats. They have a built-in headrest. We are lucky because there are no built-in TV's on this bus, so it will be quieter at night. The lights are soon turned off, and it is dark and quiet, even though it is just 7:30pm. 8:30pm. Restaurant and bathroom break. We stop at a small village. I stay in my seat to watch our bags; Pat goes in search of a bathroom. Pat returns making faces. She walked through a restaurant full of only men to a horrid restroom. I left the bus hoping to find a better bathroom. I went to a little shop just in front of the bus and asked the men there if they knew where a ladies toilet was. They shook their heads no. I have no idea if they understood me. The next shop was a tailors shop with three tailors. I asked my question. One of the tailors called his little daughter, who spoke some English. She was about 12 years old. She and her father spoke in some language I did not understand. Then she took me by the hand and led me around the building to a latrine behind the tailor's shop. I had difficulty seeing in the dark, and she helped guide me. The latrine was actually quite clean. It was Indian style, a hole with a place for two feet beside it, in ceramic! I came out of the restroom in a bit of a hurry, because I thought I heard the bus's horn honking! To my surprise, I faced an audience of about a dozen women and children! They wanted to say hello and speak a bit! Their faces were very sweet, simple and innocent! I would have liked to spend some time with them, but I heard the bus's horn honking for sure! So off I went to the bus, holding the little girl's hand for safety in the dark alley. The bus driver was waiting for me! Pat had told him I was outside! As I got in, he closed the door and started the engine! I took my seat. Pat said I missed something interesting! The man stood in the aisle just in front of her scratching something in his shirt. A big lizard came out, and crawled to the back of the bus! The man sitting behind me opened the window that we shared. After the bus was on the way, I discovered that June's pillow was missing. I asked the man behind me why he did not tell me. He must have seen it! So that pillow is gone, unless someone in the spirit world apports it to me on my travels. I dozed off and on through the night. As we got off the bus at about 8am the next morning, we met a nice man from the USA named Indra. He is going to be in Madras for only one day. We are staying two nights. Feb. 1, 2000 Madras (Chennai) Pat and I went to the Theosophical Society's headquarters, where Helen Blavatsky and Annie Besant worked in the late 1800's and early in the 1900's (last century, last millenium!!!). It was a green, quiet oasis in a busy city. We walked through an entrance gate and entered a long, long driveway. Big, old trees and lots of green plants gave a country feel. We arrived at a big building with high ceilings, big vacant areas, a few tables and chairs, and bas-relief figures from many religions. To our surprise, Indra, the man we met on the bus came up to us! He was very pleasant, and joined us for a few hours. He gave us some good tips on our upcoming travel. He suggested visiting a sacred mountain a couple of hours from Pondicherry. Also, and a great tip, he suggested having a travel agent get our train tickets for us for a very small charge. We had heard that the process is not easy, so we were happy to learn that someone else could handle it for us. We were very tired, and moved slowly during the whole day. Feb. 2 We are well rested. We are staying at an inexpensive hotel called the Hotel Comfort. It has an air conditioner and a fan, and hot water in the morning for showers. There is also a large mirror, the first one I have seen in India. I saw myself in the mirror for the first time since I have been here. I have no idea how much weight I lost with the India-special diet I was on so frequently! (The India-special diet... eat one minute, lose it the next.) But I am not over-weight anymore. In the morning we ordered our train tickets from Madras to New Delhi for February 14th. There is a small travel service in the hotel. It only cost 60 rupees for the service. We picked up our ticket in the afternoon! There is a vegetarian restaurant called Majarajah just around the corner. I had a fruit salad and three idlis. Idlis are a steamed cake, made out of rice flour, I think. I am going very easy on hot spices right now, so I avoided the spicy orange colored sauce, and the coconut chutney sauce. I dipped my idlis very lightly in a lovely green sauce made from coriander. Sad news about the first roll of film from my new camera. I bought a camera in Bangalore. The man I bought it from loaded the film. Either he loaded it wrong, or the film was defective. I had such a good time taking pictures with our group on the trip to Mysore. All are ruined. I opened the camera, because it stopped working, and said number 36 in the little window. None of the film went through the camera. Sorry Darshan. This means I have no photos of Darshan, Jerry, Raji, or Shamila or that whole trip. Today Pat and I took a small sight-seeing trip in an auto-rickshaw. We went to the beach, where we had coconut water and coconut meat. I also had some peanuts. Then the driver said he would take us to a Shiva temple. As he was zipping along the streets, we whisked by a small temple. We tapped the driver on the shoulder as we passed it. He took us back to it. We walked up white marble steps with inlaid designs. A woman in an orange sari was performing a worship ceremony with the idols, putting yellow dots on them. Pat said it looked like a Jain temple. Then the priest came up to us and said it was a Jain temple. It was very beautiful. Then we went on to the Shiva temple. Pat agreed to hire a guide. He told us he would be happy with whatever we wanted to give him. (Never true here, whatever we give is never enough, we are always asked for more.) Shiva actually walked on these grounds during his incarnation, our guide told us. The idols were so far inside different arches that we just peek in from the entrance. We could not see them well, as they were not well lit. But we could see a big oval stone called a lingam. It was over a foot tall. There were sacred cows around the temple complex. There was one baby calf and several grown ones. As in Puttaparti, even though Madras is a big city, animals can be seen wandering the streets. We have seen cows and horses just wandering, and trying to forage for food in rubbish. There do not seem to be water troughs for the poor things anywhere that I have seen. The vendors do not bother us here, as they do in Puttaparti. And there are fewer beggars where we have been. Pat and I visited the bus station to check out buses to our next travel stop, Mahabilapuram. The buses are just like city buses, with no room for luggage except on top. We will take a taxi for 600 rupees instead of a bus. We also visited the train station where we will leave on February 14th to visit the Taj Majal and Benares, where they float candles on the holy Ganges river. We won't leave on that train trip until 10 pm at night. We wanted to see if there is a place in the station to store our luggage on the day we return. We want to arrive, store our luggage, and then go out in the city for as long as we wish. We found a cloak room in the train station where we can store luggage for 7 rupees each for each 24 hours. Pat is sitting beside me, learning to do email for the first time. It is 7:30pm, and I am hungry. I am looking forward to eating alu palak, spinach and potatoes, in the veggie restaurant. She pointed out that there is a big picture of Shirdi Sai Baba on the wall! Tomorrow we are off to Mahabilapuram for a few days of rest at the beach, and a bit of sight-seeing. I am healthy again, for about a week! Hooray!!!
Date: 13 february 2000 18:19 Subject: Jeannie Alvin "on the road again" Hi Friends, Below is the latest news from Jeannie Alvin. After spending several months with Sai Baba, she is now on another adventure. Sounds like she is having a lovely trip. Enjoy ********************************************************* May All the Beings in All the Worlds be Happy! Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2000 03:46:56 -0800 (PST) From: Jeannie Alvin <jeannie_alvin@yahoo.com> Subject: group email, Pondicherry
Dear folks; I will arrive back at the Carlsbad Airport at 4:10pm on Saturday, March 25th. On April 3, one week later, I will house-sit from then until July 21st. If anyone can pick me up at the airport, and/or needs a house-sitter, or can offer me a place to stay for that week, it would be greatly appreciated. I also will need a ride to Valley Center to pick up my car and become mobile again. Email is as normal as in the US here in these cities and towns. I can quickly read my mail, and write to you much more easily than when I was in Puttaparti. So feel free to write if you wish! However, I may be too busy sightseeing to look at the email very often! So be patient waiting for a reply! My travel the past 10 days has been very rewarding. Here is what has happened: In my auto-rickshaw tour of Madras, I also was taken to a Catholic Church. I believe it is called St. Thomas's. In 52 A.D., the apostle Thomas came to India. He eventually made his way to Madras, where he preached. He was persecuted and killed. His remains are interrred in that church! I found this quite facinating. Jan. 31st We arrived in Mahabalipuram, also known as Mamallapuram. We did not know the name of the hotel where we wanted to stay, but we had been given clues. A friend, Claire, from the Ladies Day choir, told me that her husband was a travel agent, and knew of a very nice hotel on the beach. She said that it was next to the Ideal Beach hotel, a very expensive hotel, and on the beach side of the hotel was a statue of Vivekinanda. She thought the hotel's name started with the letter 'M', something like 'Marmaris.' We took a taxi from Madras. As we approached Mahabalipuram, we spotted a sign for the Ideal Hotel. We went in for a moment. It was very ritzy, and very expensive! The third hotel down the road was the Mamalla Beach Resort. Since it started with 'M,' we decided to look at it. It was quite a ways off the highway, past palm trees and other greenery. Then we came near it, and into a forest of very tall pine trees! What a surprise to see pine trees here! They must grow in every climate! The hotel was very reasonably priced, especially since Pat and I were splitting the bill. We decided to stay for five nights. The rooms were beautiful, and there was a nice restaurant available. We took our room, and then walked through more pine trees to the beach. There were a number of stone tables and benches under the pine trees. Just at the edge of the pine trees was the statue of Vivekananda! We had found the right hotel! The beach was too rough to actually swim; I just went in as far as my ankles and was splashed to my waist! The waves came in with great force, and pulled back out with a very strong undertow. I did not dare even go in as deep as my knees. One day I was in the water just to my ankles, and was speaking with a man from India who was in the water as far as his knees. The wave came in so strong that it knocked him forward and down into the water! Another day I spoke with a French woman who had dared once to swim out past the first breakers. She said she just kept getting further out to sea, and she learned not to try to swim there! Now she just sits in the surf! But I enjoyed the beauty of the clear water, the sand, and the rhythm of the ocean. One day a young Indian woman and two young Indian men came near me as they searched for crabs. The men waited until a wave came in, bent over in the ankle deep water, and churned the sand a few inches below the water. Quite frequently they found crabs. They threw them to their woman companion waiting at the edge of the surf. She put them in a pot. Another time a herd of cows came by! I was just leaving the water. They waited until I passed by, then continued on their way. They seemed a bit shy! A vendor was there almost daily with fresh coconuts. A few other vendors came by, trying to sell their wares. The beach was very quiet, with just a few hotel guests, and the occasional vendor. I enjoyed the beach, and quiet times sitting under the pine trees reading about Ramakrishna. Both Ramakrishna and Vivakananda were men who became one with the Divine, and were great holy men. Their words are very inspiring. They and Sai Baba and Jesus and the ancient scriptures called the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita say the same things. Being one with God, as they all were, or are, and communicating from that source of All that Is, that is timeless and unchanging. Jan. 31st Pat and I went into town, and found our way to the shore temple. A man approached us and offered to be our guide. We accepted, as it makes the visit much more interesting to hear the history. Plus, speaking with the guide was very pleasant. He told us that the temple had been constructed the the 8th century. It is called Dravidian style, a style mainly found in this state of Tamil Nadu. There are a series of courts, enclosures, and various shrines at each side. It had been entirely covered with sand, and hidden from view for some centuries. I believe the British discovered it. February Feb. 4th I spent a few days lazing around, seeing the little town of Mahabalipuram, and checking for email. Stone carving has been a local trade for centuries. There are many shops where people are chiseling by hand. Then I went by myself to see more ancient temples and artwork. I am feeling a need to be by myself more. I saw a huge round rock called Krishna's butterball. It is at the top of a hill. Then I saw a small ancient temple carved entirely from the rock. As I was standing there, the guide who helped us enjoy the shore temple appeared, and offered to tell me about these archeological sites. I gladly accepted. I saw Arjuna's Penance, the world's biggest (they claim) bas-relief. That is like a carving of just the front edge of statues out of rock, making a three dimensional artwork. The carvings cover the face of several big rocks, measuring 27 meters wide by 9 meters tall! The artwork represents all of creation, showing gods, Arjuna (man), and birds and beasts. The guide showed me a carving that looked like a cow from one perspective, and then like an elephant from another! One bas relief showed Krishna holding up the mountains to protect people from torrential rains. Many people were under the mountain. This is a beautiful work of art. Then we hopped into an auto-rickshaw, and drove to another site, called the Five Rathas. These are all monolithic temples, which means that each temple, from floor to ceiling, was carved out of one huge rock. They were also in the Dravidian style. There was a huge stone elephant and bull, as well. It was very beautiful. The guide showed me a cashew-nut tree in bloom, and a neem tree. He picked off a stem and showed me how people use it as a toothbrush. Feb. 6th Pat and I treated ourselves to a dinner buffet and Indian classical dance performance at the Mamalla Bhavan Annexe, a hotel in the town of Mahabalipuram. It cost 250 rupees, expensive in rupees, but only about $5 US! We arrived before 7pm for the evening performance. We were shown up to the roof, where a stage was set up. We were treated to a cool breeze! Before the performance, the young man and young woman dancer stood to one side of the small stage and prayed. Both wore green costumes, and both wore bells on their ankles. The man's costume was a green and white skirt-like outfit with a gold belt and gold trim. The woman's costume had red pleats in front. She wore a beautiful headdress and flowers in her hair. Her black hair was in one long braid extending far below her waist. An announcer with an exquisite voice told a bit of the history of each dance before they began. These are ancient spiritual dances going back at least 2800 years, at least. He showed us the meaning of a few of the precise hand and finger movements. During a dance where he represented Krishna, the man had the sweetest smile on his face. And the woman portrayed a wide range of emotions on her face. The dances were beautiful, the dancers graceful and very expressive. Dinner was served to us during the performance. It was very tasty! Feb. 7th Time is flying! It is hard to believe a week has gone by since our travels began. We reluctantly pack our suitcases. The beach, the hotel, and Mahabalipuram were so nice we hate to leave. We hire a taxi to take us to Pondicherry. Pondicherry was a French colony for some time in it's history, so there is supposed to be quite a bit of French influence. Since I wish to improve my French at some point, that is my main interest in the town. Also, the Aurobindo Ashram is in Pondicherry, and an idealized community created by the ashramites is nearby. I decide to travel on from here by myself, and parted company with my traveling companion, Pat. She stayed at a luxury hotel, and I went on with the taxi driver to search for a different location. I was tired, and the hotels that I looked at were not too great. I finally settled for a guest hotel named Shanti, and hoped it would be okay for one night. I would look for a better place the next day. The hotel clerk gave me a map of the city, showing ashram and government and tourist sites. The ashram is located in various buildings right in the city. It turned out that my guest house was only a five minute walk from the Information Bureau of the ashram. I went to the holy place in the ashram called the Samadi. The founders of the ashram, Sri Aurobindo, and Mother Mirra are buried there. It was a simple white marble structure, less than a yard tall, and several yards wide. There are beautiful flower decorations on top made from flower petals. Devotees stand for a few moments by it, praying. There is a raised flowerbox-like wooden box near the front side, filled with sand. Devotees light insence sticks and place them there. It is a quiet, peaceful place, shaded by a large tree. People sit nearby meditating or in quiet contemplation. I approached the Samadi, with no expectations. I began to feel the most powerful holy emanation coming from it that I have ever experienced in my life. I felt it in the atmosphere around me, and I felt it in every particle of my being. I was not even in a prayerful or meditative state. I just walked into this incredible, beautiful energy! This is an enormous surprise to me. If I felt this energy from a live holy person, I would not be so surprised. Not everyone feels this, so it must mean something for my spiritual path. Each one of us is unique in the spiritual experiences that we have. I certainly did not expect this; I had not heard of this happening. I am most pleasantly stunned, and in great appreciation! And I thought I was coming here to find out about learning French! Apparently there is more to my visit here than that! After this amazing introduction to Aurobindo and the Mother's energy, I followed my map to my next site, dinner! I went to the ashram dining hall, a few blocks away. I was told by a volunteer that I needed a guest pass to eat in the ashram, and usually that was reserved for people staying at the ashram. The volunteer told me to hurry to the Information Bureau, which closed at 6pm. It was 5:45pm! With pointers from the volunteer, and my trusty map, I arrived at the Information Bureau. I asked about a dinner pass, and shared my strong experience at the Samadi with the volunteer there. He said that since I had such a strong darshan, he would give me a food pass for 2 days! And he said that if I returned at 6:45am the next morning, he would try to find me a lodging in the ashram! For someone who arrived in total ignorance, I was well guided by those in the spirit world to just the right places at just the right times! The food pass costs 20 rupees, about 40 cents US, and includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. I bought the passes, and returned the short couple of blocks to the dining hall. The food is simple and pure vegetarian meals. There is no chili in it. I had some rice and a bowl of vegetable soup with many, many vegatables in it. It was very delicious. There was curd (yogurt) and milk for those who use dairy products, and dessert with ghee in it. I skipped those, as I am Vegan (no eggs, no dairy). I went home tired, took a bucket bath of hot water provided by the clerk, and went to sleep early. Feb. 8th I arrived at the Information Bureau. There were no rooms available yet. I was told to go eat breakfast and return. At 8am, next door to the Information Bureau, was one ashram guest house with room for just a few people. It is called the Cottage Guest House. I could check with them at 8:15am when they opened, and return to the Information Bureau for more help after that if needed. So I went to breakfast. I was feeling great trust that there was a room for me somewhere in the ashram. The ashram has a number of cottages or guest houses scattered around the area. After breakfast I returned. A Russian woman and her daughter were also waiting for the Cottage Guest House office to open. They were warm and friendly people, with bright, pretty blue eyes and brown hair. They invited me to room with them if I needed to. They were the first ones into the office when it opened. I still was trusting, and not worried about a place. There was a room for them with four beds. Again they invited me! I would have enjoyed their company, I am sure, but my inner feeling is to be alone now if I can. So they went off to pack their luggage and move in. I went to the desk. The volunteer offered me a single room for 60 rupees, but said it is on the 3rd floor. Here that means 4th floor to Americans. I said that would be hard for me; I had an apartment on that floor and had to move down. She said, you are lucky! There is one apartment on the first floor (which to Americans means the second floor), and it has air conditioning! It costs 200 rupees a night, about $4 US! Someone up there is looking after me!! She asked how long I needed it, and I said until the 15th morning. (I re-booked my train ticket for Feb. 15th instead of Feb. 14th.) She said that I could have the room until then! There was an auto-rickshaw on the street. I hopped into it, went to my guest house, packed, and was back within a few minutes to check into the ashram guest house! My room is huge, with two beds, an air conditioner, hot water in the bathroom, and scrupulously clean. It is cleaned daily. I can leave dirty clothes on the hall table, and they are washed, ironed, and returned in about a day for 2 rupees per piece, about 4 cents US! The room is old but nice. It is only a short distance from the dining hall, and a few short blocks further to the Samadi. When the ashram is not busy, guests can stay 15 days, and then ask for an extension of another 15 days. When it is a busy time, they can stay 10 days. There is a place to fill water bottles with pure water at the ashram dining hall. Also, there is a free clinic run by ashramites close by. I have gone there twice daily to get a small cut on my little toe cleaned and dressed. I cut the skin on my toe with my nail clippers very slightly the day before my travels began. I wear only open sandals in this heat, so dirt kept getting in, and it could not heal. Now it is almost cleared up. Because of the dirt and the heat in India, we need to be very careful to treat small cuts immediately. I keep a tiny plastic tube of Polysporin, a triple antibiotic cream, in my fanny pack. But I probably should have kept my toe covered at least with kleenex to keep dirt out, as well. Streets in the cities are paved, but not always all the way to the shops. Each shop puts its own stairs down to the street level. Then there is a strip of dirt between the shops and the pavement. And usually, that is the best place to walk. So it is very dusty. When there are sidewalks, they only extend the length of one particular business. They often have open holes and many uneven surfaces. Also, many stores, the ashram, and ashram dining hall, the ashram information bureau, and many other places request that shoes be left at the entrance. So one is barefoot and getting the feet dirty often here.
Feb. 13th I have had some pleasant and restful days here. I am happy being on my own. The ashram provides some inexpensive tours. One, for 40 rupees, goes to Auroville. I went on the Auroville tour. The bus seats were rather small for two people, but I managed to balance myself fairly comfortably. The bus drove through a busy main street in Pondicherry to go there. There was a lot of traffic. The majority of the traffic was bicycles, with a few auto-rickshaws, the occasional ox cart, and a few taxis. Our bus honked its way through the bicycles riders! We drove about 10 kilometers to Auroville. It is a community based on a Divine dream had by the Mother, Aurobindo's companion, a God-realized holy woman in her own development. Representatives of 186 nations and all the Indian states brought a handful of their native soil to form it's foundation. It is designed as a place for all people to live, and for children to grow, in touch with their soul. There were many varied colored bouganvillia shrubs lining the road as we neared the town. We went into a very attractive central information building made of tan handmade bricks. They are made of 5% cement and 95% soil. We saw a video about the Mother's dream and the realization of the town. The town is still growing and has land available for purchase for those drawn to live this dream. Passes are available here to return at certain times to meditate in the matrimandir. We hopped back in the bus for a short ride to the Matrimandir. This is a temple still under construction. We got out of the bus, and were told that we had to maintain silence from the start to the end of this tour, if we could not do that, to please not go. We walked silently in single file past beautiful gardens. Near the temple we left our sandals. The temple is a geodesic dome. The outside is being slowly covered by giant gold-colored lotus flowers. The entrance is dramatic, with red flagstones used like marble or brick work. Then we entered, and circular ramps led upwards and around. Near the top is an exquisite, enormous crystal. After lunch today I am going to the travel agent to finish working on my train tickets for the rest of my trip. So far, this is my itinerary, worked out with the help of a travel guide by Lonely Planet which I bought for 795 rupees. The guide has hotel information, tour information, everything needed to get around. Feb. 15th night, Feb. 16th day and night on a 2nd class sleeper car from Chennai (Madras) to New Delhi. I called some hotels from the guidebook, and made a reservation at the Smyle Inn, for 200 rupees a night! It is supposed to be clean and nice. Feb. 17, 18, and 19 in New Delhi. I plan to take two half day tours. Feb. 20, 21 in Jaipur, the city of the pink palaces. Feb. 22 Agra. I will see the Taj Majal. Feb. 23 Fatehpur Sikri. A deserted, but well preserved ancient city. Feb. 24 Agra again. Feb. 25 Varanasi, also known as Benares. This is where little candles are floated on the holy Ganges river. It is time to go to lunch now!
Subject: Fw: group email from North India Feb 14-22 Date: Hi folks, another group email from our "spiritual tourist" Jeannie Alvin
********************************************************* May All the Beings in All the Worlds be Happy!
-----Original Message----- From: Jeannie Alvin [mailto:jeannie_alvin@yahoo.com] Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2000 6:28 AM To: Vickie Jewell Subject: group email from North India Feb 14-22
Dear Vickie, please, add these new email addresses for the group email. When I get home, I'd like to learn from you how to send a whole folder at once!
Feb. 17, 18, and 19 in New Delhi. I plan to taketwo half day tours. Feb. 20, 21 in Jaipur, the city of the pink palaces. Feb. 22 Agra. I will see the Taj Majal. Feb. 23 Fatehpur Sikri. A deserted, but wellpreserved ancient city. Feb. 24 Agra again. Feb. 25 Varanasi, also known as Benares. This is where little candles are floated on the holy Gangesriver. Dear folks; Today I changed cities again! I will first tell you the rest of my schedule: Feb. 21 Agra Feb. 22 Agra, Fatepur Sikri (day trip by local bus, I think) Feb. 23 night train from Agra to Varanasi, 2nd class sleeper, very comfortable Feb. 24 Varanasi (also called Benares) close by is Sarnath, where the Buddha preached for the first time; 5 hours away, I am told, is Bothgaya, where the Buddha became enlightened under the Bodhi tree. I may go there for a night or two. Feb. 27 night train from Varanasi to Manmad, Shirdi Baba's ashram is located about an hour from there. I will stay one day there. Feb. 29 night train from Manmad to Dharmavaram, a few minutes from Puttaparti. Back to Sai Baba and my apartment and many friends. Here is what has been happening: Feb. 14th. I went to the train station with a travel agent to make my many train reservations. It is a good thing I went, as there was no space on one desired train. I needed to spend one day less in New Delhi to reserve a place to Agra. So I had to revise the rest of my schedule by one day. But the good thing is now I know how to make train reservations. It is not that hard. Just lots of forms to fill in with my last name, my age, which gets posted outside the train car! and a few other details, train number and city names. I discovered that the Russian ladies were planning to take a bus to Chennai (Madras) on the 15th, when I am going there. My train leaves Madras at 10 pm, theirs leaves the same station at 10:30pm. They are on a very, very skimpy budget. I had already decided to take a taxi, so I invited them to accompany me for the same as the bus would cost them. I was very drawn to them, and felt that there was a spiritual reason for the contact. Their eyes shine with the light of God! They are so beautiful. Their names are Anna and Natalia, from St. Petersburg, Russia. Feb. 15th Anna, the daughter, and Natalia, her mother, met me at 11:30am. We all checked out of our rooms and left our luggage in the hands of the ashram guest house watchman. We walked to the beach. The sun was too hot and strong to walk along the beach. We found a wide stone ledge in the shade just across the street from the beach. We shared a bit about ourselves. They had also been with Sai Baba in Puttaparti prior to coming to Pondicherry. We went for lunch at the ashram dining room, our last bowl of good vegie soup, rice and dal. 3pm Our taxi took us to the ashram tour stop, where I had hired the car. The man in the office said a warm goodbye to all of us, and gave me back 100 rupees of the taxi fare. He had managed to get the ashram car, and it was cheaper. We had a pleasant drive through the countryside. We reached the outskirts of Madras, and then drove quite a ways through the city to get to the train station. It was about 7 pm. A red traffic light stopped traffic in front of us. our taxi driver cut across the center lane at this very big intersection to try to squeeze forward a bit before the light changed. Whistles blew, and a traffic policeman signalled us to pull over. We pulled to the left and parked. The policeman came to the window. Anna heard him say 20 rupees to our driver. (I did not hear that.) Our driver got out and went with the policeman. Soon he came back and got in. He turned to us, and said, "Two hundred rupees, madame." Natalia said, with her Russian accent, "Not one r-r-rupee! It is not our problem, It is your problem. You pay." I did not say a word. The taxi driver told the policeman that we would not pay. The policeman said, "Station." The taxi driver got out again, and went behind the cab with the policeman. I was getting a bit worried. I said a prayer to Sai Baba and Ganesha. Later I discovered that Natalia was also doing just that! Immediately the driver came back, sat in his seat, started the car, and drove us off without another word. I said to him, "All finished?" He did not answer! Natalia said this was a scam between the policeman and the taxi driver to get money from us. That is when I found out that the original "fine" was 20 rupees! Luckily we had 3 hours before our trains left. Otherwise they would have scared us into paying to arrive on time. We arrived at the train station. I had paid the ashram office in full for the cab in Pondicherry. The driver asked for a tip. We were pretty disgusted with him because of the attempted scam. We turned our backs and walked off. He did not get a penny's tip. Natalia and Anna had taken a number of trains, and guided my first train trip. We went to the first class ladies waiting room. There were chairs, a table, toilets and showers. One woman was sleeping on the floor. An occasional man came in with his family.
We had two hours before our trains left. We took turns going to the cafeteria for food and watching over the luggage. I went to the cafeteria. I ordered vege cutlets. They were delicious mixtures of potatoes and a few green veges, fried. I was given ketchup with them. I had my trusty liter bottle of water in my water bottle holder. It has really come in handy when I travel. I can strap it over my shoulder, my hands are free, and I always have safe water. This is extra important in the heat of India. I then watched our luggage while Anna and Natalia ate. When they returned, Anna asked if I had a chain for my luggage. I could chain it under my seat for security. I did not have one. She said I could probably buy one in one of the railway shops. I went to look for one. I found a chain and padlock in a shop that sold a variety of food and water and travel items. It cost 20 rupees for the chain and 45 rupees for a padlock. As I shopped, I walked by platform 5, right in the middle of the station. My train was already there an hour early. I decided to go on early if I could. I asked, and discovered that I could board at any time. I returned to the ladies waiting room. I hugged Anna and Natalia goodbye. What exquisite energy I felt from each of them as I hugged them! So full of inner beauty! Anna helped me board my train while Natalia stayed with their luggage. She showed me how to look for my car. We found it, and she left. I boarded the train.
I did not realize when I booked the train that I should have asked for a lower berth. I did not relish climbing up metal stairs to the upper bunk that I was assigned. I said a quick prayer. One man was there already, locking his suitcases under a berth with his chain. I asked which was his bunk. He pointed to the lower one. I pointed to the upper one, and asked if he would be willing to swith with me. He quickly answered yes! He went up to that upper bunk (thank heavens for his kindness!), and stayed up there for that night, day, and the next night. He slept the whole time, day and night, and did not interact with anyone. I sat down in the lower berth, now like a sofa. Soon another passenger got on. He was a professor from a theological college in Madras, a teacher of religions! Does God take care of me, or what? You see, my sister-in-love Barb, and my brother Jim, (both ver |
