Fantastic Finale: 24 hours in Egypt

My flight from Mumbai to NY gave me a night layover in Cairo. Bonus! After failed attempts at navigating the bus system, I surrendered and hailed a cab to take me to the pyramids of Giza. Since it was my last day out in the world, I abandoned my usual budget-minded tactics (when else would I have a chance to see the pyramids?). I only arrived 30 minutes prior to closing and fought swarms of people to get next to the Sphinx. The other pyramids I had to admire from a distance.



I tasted a local specialty, kusherie- it's a mixture of rice, lentils, macaroni pasta, fried onions, garbanzo beans and tomato sauce. MMMMM!



I walked around the city a little and really enjoyed riding through the streets and seeing the tops of minarets and beautiful mosques jutting above the fog (or smog?).

Back at JFK, I returned full circle to the airport Brian and I departed from on our way to Spain one year ago! Post-travel reflections to follow.

If you missed a bizarre meditation laser-light show experience during my final days in India, click HERE.

Raj Yoga, a laser light show and the highest peak of Rajasthan

All I knew about Brahma Kumaris before I arrived in Mt. Abu was that the meditation is done with open eyes. On our first day in Mt. Abu, we wandered into the BK museum (free) and gaped at the gaudy displays explaining human vices, the four ages of existence on earth and the problems facing the world today. Quite frankly, a lot of it didn't make sense. Before we left, we stopped in for the laser show. It consisted of 1) random photos illuminated at various points of an audio presentation, 2) a guided meditation with red laser beams to focus on and 3) a 5-second cameo by a disco ball. We were ushered out quickly and had to stifle laughs as we put our shoes back on. Directly afterward, we walked by the tourist hot-spot Nakki Lake, and up a hill towards one of 4 BK centers in the Mt. Abu area. We ran into Brian's friend, Pierro, who hosted Brian in Italy for a helpx project. He escorted us onto the BK campus, where everyone was dressed in white, head-to-toe. There, we met with our teacher, a native Indian who resides in New Zealand. He wasted no time and started our first lesson in BK ideology and Raj yoga meditation- right there in the reception office! We ended the hour with a brief open-eye meditation, where we focused our eyes on an animated picture of a red oval with a tiny white light in the center (representing the soul). We later became quite accustomed to this portrayal of the soul, and also to flashy animated illustrations of BK ideology.

The next day, we met our teacher and boarded a bus to the BK Peace Park, amazingly lush for dry Rajasthan. We met other BK followers (aka "brothers and sisters"), and they took care of us for the afternoon. We watched a surreal video where each of the five elements had an eery narrated voice. Scattered through the park were beautiful gardens, statues fit for theme parks and signs of spiritual inspiration. When we arrived at the picnic site, I felt like we had walked into recreation time at a psych hospital keen on happy meds. Everyone except us was clad in white. Neat rows of pairs played badminton without a net, donning giddy smiles. Under colorful umbrellas, masses of people in white looked on at games. We were fed lunch at no cost and looked on amused at all the Westerners dancing to Indian music. We learned that there are BK followers in a whopping 130 countries. Many followers make an annual pilgrimage to Mt. Abu, the original site for the founder and his first followers. Interesting conversations and hot chai kept us engaged until we boarded the bus back to town. We both were struck by the loving vibes flowing from the BK "family." It felt good to be around such positive energy, however cynical I might have been feeling.

Later that evening, we attended meditation at the tower of peace, a small statue with the same red oval and white light representing god and the soul. We joined Pierro for dinner in the dining hall- the kitchen is capable of producing thousands of free meals a day. We met lots of loving people- even a woman who owns a shop in Portland, two blocks from where we used to live.

The next morning, our lesson started at 9am. We sat in the Spiritual University and listened to a guided meditation tape that, for me, invoked the feeling of certain scenes from the movie the Blade Runner. Our teacher showed us more animated diagrams to illustrate the BK ideology. I couldn't get down with it. We ended with more relaxing meditation. We had chai with our teacher before sitting for another meditation in the founder's former bedroom.

We continued our lessons and toured the large-scale BK hospital, the only hospital in the Mt. Abu area. A nice doctor gave us a spiritual "prescription" for daily life and told us that the facility provides medical services to local residents at little to no cost. Next, we went to another BK campus, much larger than where we were taking lessons. There, they ushered us around to videos, another laser show and an art gallery with large paintings representing the different ages of human life on earth. I was struck by all the money, thought and preparation put into the exhibits and campuses. We were able to eat several meals, travel between BK sites and learn meditation for free. The organization depends solely on private donations.

On my last day in Mt. Abu, we took the public bus tour of the area, covering 6 or 7 major tourist attractions. The most amazing was the Jain Dilwara temples, dating back to the 11th century. Unlike many temples of that time, this one survived due to it's modest outer appearance. Unfortunately, photos weren't allowed, but here's some from Wiki:
The interior was stunning. Almost every inch of the marble interior was intricately carved, with sculptures hanging from the ceilings. Inside one of the temples, men and women squatted on the floor designing brightly colored rice into magnificent patterns. We also climbed to the top of the highest peak in Rajasthan:

I left Mt. Abu on a night train to Mumbai and encountered a prisoner chained to a guard and a loud yelling match in the over-crowded car. Ah, India.

To spend 8 seconds with me on a bus in India, click HERE.

8 seconds on a bus in India

Join us for a short sample of a bumpy bus ride! Sometimes we get airborn, somehow Brian manages to read, for some reason I LOVE riding buses in India (bumps and all!). These bumpy rides lasted anywhere from 4 to 14 hours.

If you missed the colors of Holi festival, click HERE.

Holy Holi!

Holi Eve

Indians LOVE taking pictures of foreigners. Today I posed for the cameras of dozens of strangers. Only one of them asked my name, and a few even took pictures on the sly. Being a foreigner in India brings along a certain kind of celebrity status. Kids constantly yell "hello!", people generously offer their bus seat so I don't have to stand in the aisle on long rides, sometimes people burst into laughter at the mere sight of me, and then there's this photo opp situation. They want pictures of me with every possible combination of them and their family and friends. I try to smile patiently while each person takes a turn behind the camera, but sometimes I get frustrated and walk away mid-shoot. At the Muslim Festival in a village near Ellora, a woman wanted me to hold her terrified baby for a photo. Other people didn't have cameras of their own, but wanted to pose for mine.

Brian and I stumbled upon the Muslim Festival after a day-trip to Ellora caves. We were the only foreigners there and quickly became one of the festival's attractions. We delighted in the flashy kitch, the decked-out mosque and all the carnival food- mainly the traditional fried sweet-bread. On our way back to Aurangabad, we squeezed into a jeep with 20 other people.

Ellora Caves

These caves were carved out of rock by 10 generations, taking over 200 years to complete. Dating back to 760 AD, three religions are represented in 34 caves- Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. Although some have declined over the years, the detail and mass-scale was impressive.

Holi!
Holi coincides with the first full moon of March every year. Even though most parts of India are already baking-hot, the holiday celebrates the transition into spring and the triumph of good over evil. Perhaps the most notable part of the celebration is the all-out color fight that closes shops for the day and keeps young men highly entertained. Boys fill up water guns with colored water and smear bright powders on each other throughout the day. I wore a white shirt to better show the color and had a lot of fun getting smeared. Unfortunately, one group of boys used the opportunity to grab my boobs and steal my sunglasses. Aside from that, it was a joyful day with lots of "Happy Holi!" greetings yelled from motorbikes and street corners. After spending 45 minutes with a hot bucket bath and scrubber mitt, I still had pink ears, toes and nose. To celebrate, we treated ourselves to "pizza" that tasted like Thai sweet and sour stir-fry on top of focaccia bread with cheese. When in India, eat Indian food!

To read about an amazing place called Hampi, click HERE.

Hampi

Arriving in Hampi is a bit like arriving on the set of the Flintstones. Hills of boulders jut up from every corner and palm trees dot the landscape. We took a motorboat across the river to the mellow side of town and stayed in a bright hut with a porch and hammock.The Indian woman running the place has the rare habit of saying "fuck" on a regular basis and allows her turkey and Great Dane to roam freely. To get there, we walked through bright green rice fields and giant hills of boulders. Hampi has plenty of ruins, hills and temples to explore. We went to the main temple, climbed up a hill overlooking the city and walked to an abandoned and crumbling temple on the first day.

On my birthday, I had my first Ayurvedic massage, where I was surprised to find NO sheet to cover my naked body and even more surprised when the "shower" that came with the massage was no more than my masseuse (thankfully a woman) pouring cold water over my head from a bucket and scrubbing my hair and all but the most private parts with a dinky bar of soap. This was the second time I've been bathed by a stranger (first time was in a Moroccan hammam). It was equally as traumatic as the first- perhaps more so, given the cold water and sheer surprise factor (at least in Morocco, I knew I would be bathed by someone else). Needless to say, I still had coconut oil in my hair by the time it "dried."

In the afternoon, we took a small, hand-paddled, bamboo saucer-boat out along the river and past more temples. The rower dropped us off down the river so we could walk up to one of the many Hanuman temples of the area (Hanuman is a Hindu deity revered for his strength and generally takes the shape of a monkey. It's no surprise that monkeys can usually be found hanging around Hanuman temples). At the top, we climbed barefoot over giant boulders until we found a front-row seat to a fantastic sunset.

If we had more time, I would have delved into the rock climbing scene and more ancient ruins. But I had to keep moving. We took an overnight bus to Pune, recent site of terrorist bombings. We met up with Jason for breakfast at one of the cafes targeted by the bombings and had our bags searched before we entered. The German Bakery that exploded down the street was still in shambles and heavily guarded. We walked over to the OSHO ashram, where Brian spent a few weeks recently, and peeked in the gates (admission fees are not within a poor traveler's budget). Jason got in trouble when he tried to take a picture.

Next stop- Aurangabad, ancient cave temples and fun festivals!

To read about the beach, the mountains and a town in between, click HERE.

Ooty, Mysore and Om Beach

From Auroville, Brian and I took a mammoth journey involving 3 rickshaws, 4 buses, 1 train and 24 hours of our time. We finally landed in a hill station called Ooty. It's a kitchy holiday spot for Indian vacationers and home to the "first time in the world" thread garden, a lake for paddle boating, local souvenirs of homemade chocolate and Nilgiri tea and a rose garden sporting few flowers and plenty of pornographic name signs for roses that haven't bloomed. They also have a race track for horses and motorbikes.


The climate was cooler and I enjoyed a reprieve from mosquitos. The hotel overlooked the lake and surrounding mountain panorama. My favorite part was a 12-mile trek through tea plantations, a small village and finally a peak overlooking mountains, valleys and tea plantations. The trek was peaceful and the viewpoint meditative.

Next, we travelled through a tiger reserve on our way to Mysore. We saw elephants and monkeys, but no tigers :( Mysore is well-known for producing sandlewood products and boasts luxurious royal palaces. It also hosts a lively market, the best masala dosa I've ever eaten and a temple on a hill with views of the city.

After three days in Mysore, we took a 14-hour bumpy bus ride to Gokarna, a small beach town on the West Coast (Arabian Sea) and home to a temple on wheels. We settled into a tiny hut on Om beach, a mellow cove 2 km south of Gokarna. There we took in lots of sun, lost a fight with a cow over a loaf of bread and enjoyed yoga on a terrace overlooking the ocean. The views were spectacular.