March – April 2009

"Auroville" - The community spirit....

So, part of my rationale for this India trip apart from revisiting Mama India (does one need another reason?) was basic research… I wanted to really see how people did the beach- bar- hostel- community thing - aiding my Colombia plan.

And what better way to research than to take part?

So, when I eventually heard and read about Auroville I realised how perfectly this fitted into my research plans and off I bounded..

I managed to grab a few of my ashram buddies and left the others with some pleading notes to join us later – so me, Mike-JEE and Marcel "trained" it round the southern tip of India towards Auroville..

Auroville is just outside Pondicherry – a town previously colonised by the French – I had heard a lot about this place and had high hopes for a glass of the vin rouge and perhaps just perhaps a taste of the filet mignon….

Alas, I didn't manage to fulfil my expectations too well – I blame the three weeks of Pancha Karma and yogic breathing – and thus was a tad let down. However, I did love the architecture of the place – in parts it really did feel like a piece of France - but I must admit my curiosity was getting the better of me, my feet were itching and I was fascinated by the idea and experience of Auroville..

For those not in the know (and trust me I wasn’t until I got within about 100km of the place) Auroville is a community started during the free love years by a French lady and her Indian guru friend… they had a dream – as many did around that time – and a community of sharing, love and peace was born.. It’s developed a lot since then, has achieved international status and is recognised as something very separate from its host India… I think the free- sharing- love concept has been warped a little too, but no doubt in the name of survival.. and the limited experience I actually had was extremely positive – other peoples take on it I tended to take with a pinch of salt, being a great believer in trusting my own first hand experiences. I was definitely left wanting to explore more..

it wasn’t as easy as I had naively hoped, to actually experience the community as it was designed to be. But with the number of tourists and fleeting interests in it, I wasn’t surprised that the residents guarded it like a special secret!

If I had stayed longer and persisted I am sure doors would have opened a little wider.

The centre of Aurovile – geographically and spiritually is this amazing Dome and its surrounding chambers.

It really is a feat to be reckoned with on many levels – aesthetically it’s beautiful; architecturally it’s fascinating and spiritually it’s a haven of peace and tranquillity.

Surrounding the Dome are various communities and peoples private homes. To immerse myself in the community living I decided to join one of them rather than stay in one of the hotels… I went to Sadannah Forest..

It is a vegan community primarily focussed on reforestation projects. There is a huge problem with water retention in the are which creates massive challenges for local agriculture. A very passionate and dedicated Israeli couple set up Sadannah Forest as a vegan community and tasked themselves with overcoming these issues -

They have done extremely well – they have built the community in keeping with the environment, making it completely self sufficient. They have recruited long term volunteers and have a short term programme (which I partook in) allowing visitors to contribute to and experience their vision – and also develop Saddannah Forest.

They have planted hundreds of trees

surrounding their land and have made an impressive impact on the water table – raising it to levels never seen before and so earning themselves the name of Water god by the locals.

Aside from this amazing work the environment of Sadannah Forest is amazing. It’s basically a group of strangers from all walks of life living

and working together to make sure the community functions.

Once the daily "maintaining the community" jobs have been allocated any spare hands continue the reforestation and development projects that has made Sadannah Forest what it is today.

It’s pure community life and an experience I have really enjoyed. I have learnt so much – from how to make and use solar kitchens, bike boosted generators

and herb circles

the joys of vegan cooking, experienced the wonder of communal cooking

and eating –

which I have always loved and am a great believer in – and of course I was exposed to many environmental projects

ideas and concepts that were totally new to me...

(Spirulina Mexican gurus; solar panel energy; toilet composting;

the joy of mud bathing to name but a few).

And that is aside from all the wonderful people I met at the community

all of us living in tree houses

and experiencing the same wonders together.

I’m very pleased I visited Sadannah Forest and I recommend it to anyone interested in environmental communities.

During my time at both Sadannah Forest and at Sivananda’s Ashram I started thinking a lot about home – At this point in my trip I was approaching the 6 month mark… I had another 6 months to go and lots of plans.. but I also had one of my best friends weddings going on in May and a matter of the heart which had started in Mumbai and although geographically was no more was lingering powerfully on….

Before any serious decisions could take place there was one place which I had to go to which could not be missed and which was my next mission – It included a beach (many of them), it was of course The Andaman Islands… The Andaman seed was planted during my first trip to India in 2001, and after sailing through them in 2007 on Callisto you could say the deal was done. It was never a question of "If?". Only of "When?". And now, at last, the time had come…

So after a sad farewell to my ashram and community buddies

I put my head down and tramped off to Calcutta to take the Andamans on single-handedly…. Beach haven here I come……

March 2009

Omm'ing, bending and breathing;
Ashram life awaits...

So, after finding my feet again - solo stylie - and encountering the bizzare world of Ttheyam... I found myself Ashram bound..
A long held dream of mine was to check out what all this Ashram business was all about - being fairly curious when it comes to matters of the soul and spirit the thought of exploring an Ashram had been a long pondered on idea of mine.. and then as only an Indian adventure can provide = an Ashram opportunity presented itself on a plate..

I discovered that starting within a few days, a 2 week course in Yoga was taking place at an ashram very close to me.. way too good an opportunity to pass up - and a choice that I have lived to be thankful for ever since...

So off to Sivananda's place in Neyyar Dam I went..


It started perfectly encountering the infamous Chelsea and Mike - now aptly named Mike JEEE -
At first I felt lost and, too be frank, quite nervous - the thought of signing myself up for 2 weeks without being able to leave a place I had no idea about, was daunting - but a tad exciting!! -
I quickly discovered we were all bricking it - and so we were all in it together one for all and allf or one - and all of that!!! (I was relieved!)

So on arrival I immersed myself into 4 hours of Yoga a day.

6 am rises,


with chanting,

vegan food and spiritual guidance lessons.

I must admit I digged the Yoga and really enjoyed it, but the changing of names and spiritual chanting didn't grab me.... but it was amazing experience - I ended up staying there for 3 and a half weeks - experiencing Pancha Karma

(an Ayurverdic treatment - not for the faint hearted - or for public explaination!!! but a must if you can handle it!) and I fell in love with the tranquil environment.

We woke to the noise of lions mating daily

(a lion sanctuary was nearby - quite a disturbing a frankly hilarious noise when trying to meditate at 6 am each morning!). The Neyyar Dam provided a beautiful lake for daily swims


and weekly meditation...

I met a whole host of amazing people at the Ashram - this was where Lucy and I met - the all important Lucy...
I also met Kate,

Nadine and the wonderful Mono Loco

Marcel

oh and a load of other amazing peeps...

Apart from learning how to stand on my head

I found a great group of friends


But everything has its darker side and for me the routine and all the strict rules (which I can see are important) were too much for me at that point in my trip (especially after nearly 3 years on a boat!)...
So, although I loved the Yoga, I had to leave.... and so I headed forward to my next experience =


"AUROVILLE"

The following poem is a gift from one of the most beautiful souls I have ever met. She gave it to me without realising and by doing so finally allowed me to put words to this never ending quest of mine.

Thank you Lucy xxx

Poem from an Ashram, Kerela

Some people do not have to search, for they find their niche easily in life and rest there seemingly content and resigned.
At times I envy them, but usually I do not understand them... and seldom do they understand me.
I am one of the searchers. There are, I believe, millions of us. We are not unhappy, but neither are we completely content. We continue to explore ourselves, hoping to understand.
We like to walk along the beach, we are drawn by the ocean, taken by it's power and unceasing motion, it's mystery and unspeakable beauty. We like forests, mountains, deserts, hidden rivers and lovely cities, aswell.
Our sadness is as much a part of our lives as our laughter.

We searchers are ambitious only for life itself and for anything beautiful it can provide. Most of all, we want to love and be loved, to live in relationship that will not impede our wanderings and prevent our search. We do not want to prove ourselves to others or compete for love.

This passage is for wanderers, dreamers, and lovers who dare to ask of life everything which is good and beautiful.

(Feb 2009 - March 2009)

Beach beach BBEEAACCHH yeeehaaaahhhhh

I think it is fair to say that I LOVE THE BEACH.... LOVE LOVe LOve Love, love it!!!!....And after being left a little solo in Kochi I figured the best thing I could do was get myself to one sharpish! Refresh the soul and all!! The Western Coast of India is famous for beaches and luckily for me I had spotted the perfect one.. A barely known spot in northern Kerela known as Malabar Costa.


Wow this place.. well perhaps I should stop there because part of its charm is the fact that you´re practically alone......but it´s just so amazing I have to share it with you....


As always the scenery makes up just a part of any experience abroad . The people and the places you stay and visit make up the rest. Here at Malabari Costa the place I stayed, the wonderful people I met and the amazing places I visited is what really makes this place unique.
I stayed at what can be loosely described as a homestay.

My days (initially I planned for 4 I left after 10!) consisted of waking, breakfasting with 5 others then beaching it from 9 ish until midday. Shower, lunch, brief siesta then beach until sunset.... the beach was me me and only me miles and miles of sandy beaches just for me..

when i say me I mean only me no sellers no bars no OTHERS.. heaven... heaven heaven.. and the homestay.... well, apart from the guests being a real interesting bunch of people the food was out of this world.. INCREDIBLE does not do it justice.




I spent those 10 days living a clean healthy existence getting myself ready for a bit of India solo.. and what a perfect retreat Malabar Costa was....



And on top of all of that - if it's possible to top that - was the phenomenon of Ttheyam. A local ritual of which i was lucky to witness. I was unaware of its existance until I met the owner of my homestay. Some visitors came just to see the Ttheyam, I felt very shallow when he discovered I was there for the undisturbed beach time.... but that quickly changed when I witnessed this extraordinary event.

Theyyam is an amazing ritual performed just in this area of India at this time of year. (Kerela Jan-April) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theyyam.




I visited two performances and although the first wasn't quite what I had hoped for the second blew my mind away. The dancers dress themselves up as Gods,


go into a trance acting out various stories concerning Hindu Gods, they train all their lives for these performances..




It´s quite spectacular to witness this, especially when they look right at you, yet through you.

Our host at the homestay was incredibly knowledgeable and really helped to put the complicated stories into some sort of context both in terms of the villages and the gods history.

It was after much pained deliberation that I left this paradisical bolt hole. I headed inland for another brief yet rather unsuccessful tiger spotting mission

at Waynard Park,

where all I saw was bamboo

- lots of it!

Tail between legs I bounded to Varkala beach (yes more beach!) and prepared myself for the much anticipated OM chanting, back bending, Yogic ashram experience.

Bags are packed and ready to go...

OOOOOMMMMMMMMM