india

India, land of colour and spice and beautiful chaos.
Ancient sunlight reaches you through haze.


Every square inch of this land alive, inviting you to further engage. You immediately feel (and without in any way diminishing our previous travel experience), nonetheless you feel "why didn't I just come straight here." Here in the present because where else would you be, letting go because you have to.


Everything expands!


We find our way to a reforestation garden south of Chenai (Madras) on the Indian south-east coast. This is where the tsunami hit and soaked the land with salt. Anna, who runs the garden, believed that the planted trees broke the wave somewhat, although they are still recovering from its impact. She told her story: The wave was like a train roaring in, she recognised the dark, massive wall of water topped with a shimmering halo of light because of a recurring dream she'd had. She siezed her grandchild and raced up the stairs, and looked out upon what she described as "like being in the middle of the ocean". All her family survived, although the village lost about 40 members.


For this part of the trip we are joined by Peter, David and Aysin and since we no longer fit into a white ambassador taxi, we adapt ourselves to bundling in and out of auto-rickshaws, appreciating the flexibility and independence this style of transport allows.

We spend some time on the outskirts of the township of Auroville, " an urban experiment to undertake the work of evolution of consciousness". This place is deeply interesting and not very easy to penetrate in a matter of days. I get my first scent of fascination in the visitor centre bookshop where I learn some of the history. Auroville was founded in the late sixties by the mother, partner of spiritual/intellectual Sri Aurobindo, intended to be an urban settlement of 50,000, but population and economy have grown slowly, only now some 2000 people in scattered projects, cottage industries and residences. Although thoroughly green and innovative in all its plans, it has had to compete with expanding population in surrounding towns and villages for resources.

We spend a few days at the ashram of Sri Vast, a young guru who advocates life as celebration. He advises that we approach our lives like bungee jumpers, only not determining in advance the measured length of our leap but leaping freely into the infinite, unknown. Then we leave Auroville, stopping overnight in the town of Jinji, an old that hill fort where we share the town's only hotel with a Bollywood movie crew filming on location.
The next day we arrive in Tiruvanamai, on first appearences the place is swarming with Swamis, as Corrina puts it, too many to be taken seriously. We learn why; one perambulation around the holy mountain Arunachala can undo the negative karma of 10,000 lives. The mountain is the embodiment of Shiva, at its foot stand both an ancient temple and well-known and greatly visited ashram of Ramana Mahashi.




At Arunachala, we had heard of a Temple reforestation project, a sister organisation to John Seed's (from Yulunga, Australia) rainforest action network. And we meet Ishi, who never leaves his house without a copy of Hafiz, the Sufi poet, and he becomes one of our guides to the rooftop satsang or spiritual discussions, that take place daily. Fever and congestion take their toll but on the third attemp we climb to the cave where Ramana meditated in hot summer months. The experience in the cave was profound. For weeks after we will be haunted by the Gayathri chant which played on a crackly tape recorder during the few moments that we spent in the cave.
On the night of the full moon we hire a bullock cart and perambulate the mountain with thousands of other pilgrims.





The last day dawns and we ready ourselves for the final departure.

Nimbin and Yulunga

In New South Wales, just inland from Byron Bay, is a vast rainforest- filled Cauldera, inside which lies the town of Nimbin.
On the streets of Nimbin where soy lattes are plentiful, alcohol is banned and hemp celebrated, most things are tolerated but not violence (according to Nimbin street code) and here we see our first living presence of aborigines since arriving in Australia- strange but true.



We arrive Yulunga at the hour of mosquito feasting and rainforest cacophony just before sunset. From outside the houses look a bit unconvincing as dwellings, like masks or husks, but the forest gardens surrounding them are beautifully tended. No one is within sight or earshot. After a while a car approaches and driver who turns out to be John Seed encourages us to make ourselves at home, our friends Nell, Ron and little Kian should be back in the next couple of days.



They return next morning but before they do we meet Koa who lives in and out of the forest, knows how to feed himself from bush tucker and where to find watering holes a days journey apart walking all the way to Cairns, his own song line if you like which he walks every year. Koa was paralysed in his twenties and learned to walk again with the help of a Hawaiian healer. I was pretty amazed by the life and freedom he has attained for himself. He has to watch where he places his feet,as sensation is incomplete and told me that straight-edged urban landscapes are deceptive and easy to fall down in, whereas the rainforest keeps him attentive, poised, sensitive and sensitised.



We spent a very relaxed week with Nell and Ron, friends and neighbours dropping by, musical instruments accompanying varied and lively conversation. As Utopian as I've ever known in passing.
Nell and Ron's baby, Alia Rose Berry, was born 3 weeks after our departure on Feb 3rd

Rye, Victoria, Australia

Sorry for the delay in posting.
we did reach Australia and spent New Year in Tom and Elaine's fine home and company. They've found a place to live nestled between the wild Tasman Sea and an inland coastal water with perfect golden sand beach. And all the way round the world from Edinburgh, they've still managing to live at the foot of 'Arthur's Seat'.
It was the height of tourist and cherry season, with a superabundance of both. And very hot! I slept on the porch where kookaburra sang in the old gum tree, merry merry king of the bushes he... laugh... we had to, kookaburra is such a funny looking bird.





On our last morning, Tom and Elaine took us to an artists community just outside Melbourne which was a special place, peaceful and timeless. It seemed as if it had been there for centuries, home to a secret order of craftsmen, impossible to believe it was built around 30 years ago from reclaimed materials. And a little magic happened while we were there. One of my shoes disappeared and was later discovered when we opened up the car. I knew I'd had them both on but I convinced myself it must have got left behind. However, the camera doesn't lie... see both shoes are on!



And now we've heard that Elaine has had the baby, born March 21st 4 p.m.
Ruby India Holly Wasabi Polly Greenwood