India Journal 2006 #49- April 24-25 Just a Couple of Days -and Important Lesson

Monday Night, April 23rd....
Had dinner with Yana, the lady I mentioned from Slovenia (who fell and broke her wrist)....From a discussion of the spiritual energy shift around the world, to the closer to home world of men, ex husbands, and sons....we seem to be the same. As if we have known each other all our lives and are just sitting over cofee or lunch as if we do it every week. Quite amazing. I've also been meeting women this trip, all around my age, all with ONLY sons (in contrast to previous trips where I seemed to be surrounded continually by young kids looking for a "Mother")...Little by little I am finding out that Shai, my own son, and only son after 5 daughters, is no different than all these other perfectly normal sons of other women in his non-communication, laci of letter writing and phone calling, but that he misses me and needs me just as much as my daughters do. It has been an eye-opening lesson for me and will have to rethink alot of my relationship and attitude toward Shai. It has been a prfound lesson for me...especially as my distance from him has been growing over the years and it has been particularly disturbing to me recently. I hope it is not too late to change things.

Tuesday...bright and early...my friend Ruth arrived from Rishikesh around 7:30, we went down for breakfast together and then found out that she has a problem with her airline ticket,

being told that she must arrive in Delhi by the 28th to pick it up or they will not hold it for her as she has made a change. Her flight date is not until the 9th of May. She was quite upset. Someone recommended a couple of agents to her in town and I agreed to take her, knowing from my own past experience that they would not be able to help her. I knew a place that could help her, as they did me several years ago, but we began with the ones she wanted to try. Well, of course they said there was nothing they could do and then we walked down to the place I remember that Abedellah originally sent me to when I needed to make changes with RJA and they worked it out so that my ticket was sent up here to McLeod. Took her there, a the same lovely professional girl was still working there, and when Ruth explained her problem, she immediately said it would be not problem and in two days her ticket would arrive here. The thing is, this company is just a branch of a big agency in Delhi and they have a courier going up and back each day, so he simply takes the passport copy, money for the change etc. to the airline office in Delhi and picks up the ticket and brings it back 2 days later. Needless to say she was thrilled.

Then she wanted to change rooms and so I offered to take her up to Kailwood to see what was available. And sure enough there is a room for her for a few days and on Friday she will move into the room I originally wanted but didn't get (which for me is better as it will be too warm there), but she needs it only for about 2 weeks and she will be fine. So it is within her budget, and of course the place is always nice...so with tickets and room taken care of, we took a short tour of town and then we went to rest for awhile before going down to Jogibarra village to meet Abdellah for lunch at cafe "boom boom"....In the end she did come as she was exhausted, and I went by myself.

I cannot really describe this newly opened restaurant, opened and run by an Australian lady...it is down out of town..getting there down the hill is easy...it is on the way down to the library...getting back up the hill is really really difficult...but worth it for the place. Forget about the food, which is served so beautifully, on real china plates, with each table set with cutlery and LINEN napkin on a small bread plate...complimentary boiled filtered water is served in a pitcher on the table with beautiful glass goblets, . The food, whatever is ordered, is served beautifully with fresh salad decoratively laid out on the plate, garlic bread, sauces etc., in lovely little matching dishes....very delicious etc....but the DECOR of the place is something I will have to take a picture of to show you. And of course it looks over a view which in itself is worth going down there for. We had a lovely meal, and I walked down to a friend's house further down the valley where we spent 3 hours just talking and finally made the long haul back up. And just as I was getting back and thinking of calling Ruth for a lite dinner, I saw her coming out...we went together for a very light dinner...I just had a fruit salad and carrot juice...and she met Sara, the French lady I mentioned. We had a lovely evening and made plans to go the next morning to Dharamkot...and that brings us to today!

Wednesday

Well, basically "just another day". We had an early breakfast, I helped ruth move up to Kailwood, we met Sara and at 9:15 were already on our way up to Dharamkot. For me, having done this so many times, and still feeling the magic each time I do it...I found it an extraordinary blessing to be able to share it with these two women, who felt the same overwhelming feeling of gratitude and blessing each time I find myself up on this mountain. They fell in love with everything they saw and heard and felt, just like me, and it was a beautiful walk multiplied in its beauty by being with these other 2 women. We have planned our next outing for Dal Lake and Naddi and coming home via TCV through the mountain also.

I went by to my room after a quick lunch and slept for a couple of hours. Even before getting back to the room, although the morning was beautifully sunny and sparkling clear blue skies, it had already gotten dark and windy. WHen I woke up it was really cold and dark outside. The changes here are unbelievable.

I've come to realize that a good pace here for me is two days of walking and one day in town, so tomorrow I will look for walking shoes and perhaps get my new mala made. Friday we are planning to do the Kora (the walk around the Temple) and then Ruth and I will go down to Boom Boom again to share the joy of eating there.

I really love the comfort of my room. thoughts of home crop up every once in awhile and I squelched them quickly and keep them out of my head as much as possible. My days here are too short and precious to waste on thinking about things that I have no control over and can't change in any way...

Here and now is all there is!
Namaste
Jane