It always happens.  Journeys come to an end.  This is no exception.  After 14 nights here not including the interminable flight each way, it is time to pack up!  Today I will be shoving many things into my suitcase and extra luggage carried along just for the loot to carry home.  This year a few treasures:  GORGEOUS blue silk crinkle skirt, long gauze skirt with 2 layers and a gold border,  new Niamaste jewelry:  spiral earrings in two sizes and some boleros.  Ooh la la.

I scheduled an appointment to meditate this morning at the Matrimandir.  This is the structure built just for a place of meditation by the people of Auroville.  If you look at the web site you will see pictures of it.  http://www.auroville.org/thecity/matrimandir/mm_main.htm  I went 2 years ago but was unable to go last year for some reason.

Afterwards, I am going to the beach to take a swim, visit with Philippe and Sabine for the last time, see Lea (German Nia teacher), Vinn and Anna and anyone else who is lingering at Repos Beach this morning.  It is not the best day to go the beach.  Unfortunately, Sunday brings in all the Indian tourists usually very young drunk Tamils.  They swim in the ocean in their underwear and there are frequent drownings!  It's depressing.  They also gawk at westerners on the beach.  Not fun.  There is a lifeguard right in front of Repos, the Aurovillean beach and he does his best to keep the riff raff out, but really it is not easy.  There is a current which flowing quite quickly southward towards Pondicherry.  So wherever you get in the ocean, you end up several hundred yards down.  There is also a posse of sales people on the beach, most notably Raja the mala salesman.  His wife is at home beading hundreds of necklaces and he sells them on the beach.  Every time I step one toe on the beach, he is immediately there with this awesome sales techniques.  Haggle and then he gives us free stuff.

Then I am going to meet Charla in Pondicherry at her heritage hotel:  Hotel de l'Orient.  She has been there since Friday enjoying a soft bed and a warm showers and baths!  She invited me to come take a warm shower today but I declined.  (That sounded mildly kinky--not intended.) My last bathing experience tonight will be with a warm bucket of water poured over my head with a scoop.  Pretty psyched.  Anyhow, excited to see her hotel and have a cold drink.  Just try finding a business that has refrigeration!  Ice?  What the hell is that?  I may spend some more money at one of the upscale stores in the French Quarter.  Trying to avoid that :)

Thanks for reading!

This morning marks my 12th morning awakening here at Verite Guesthouse way in the north of the Greenbelt of Auroville, Tamil Nadu, India.

I awoke at 4 and dozed a little.  Finally the temple music began at 5:30 and I made a concerted effort to get up and get going.  I looked over at the Guest Lounge which I can see from my room and saw that the light was already on.  One guest here arises extremely early (by 5?) and sits in here and reads.  Also Mary (20 yr old American) is sleeping on the day bed here.  Her tummy has been a little under the weather for a few days and she is seeking comfort from her hut.  She is actually living in a grass hut which I must photograph.

Yesterday, the entire group went to Pondicherry in the afternoon.  We took a van together into town (about a 30 minute ride) disembarked at the Casablanca store and walked around for several hours.  I bought an outrageously blue silk scarf, a white shirt, some curry and garam masala and a few packages of bindis.  I took pictures of the market and the traffic in the streets of Pondy.  We then met up again and all went to dinner at a restaurant called Suguru.  I ate Peas Masala and a dosa with 4 sauces.  I ate with my right hand, it still smells like curry this morning and I have washed it 4 times, at least.

Today we finish our workshop with a two hour class on the 7th Chakra.  We have asked the students to share something which they have created or a gift of their spirit.  I can tell brilliant things await.

Kristie and Susan head back to Houston tonight immediately after class and the bonfire party.  Most others leave tomorrow and a few of us will linger a couple of more days.  I have more fish to fry in Auroville:  Vinn Marti, creator of Soul Motion is arriving tomorrow and teaching a 6 hour workshop on Saturday here at Verite Hall!  I get to dance some more!  Then Sunday morning, I have an appointment to meditate at the Matrimandir, the large gold ball here in Auroville.  I'll write more about that later.

This year as always I am thoroughly inspired by our retreat participants.  What fine, shining, strong people have once again graced us.  Gratitude!

Warm love from sunny India...

Saturday Jan 22
Currently on Day 5 of the retreat.  Today was Chakra 3, Solar Plexus yellow and yesterday was 2nd chakra orange.  I missed both of these classes due to horrific sore throat that began earlier in the week but got really bad in the night on Thursday.  I self medicated with the Cipro I brought along in case of tummy issues and didn’t feel much better, so Sabine took me to health services right after class.

Check this out:  the consultation cost 100 rupees ($2.50) the typhoid blood test cost 200 rupees ($5) and the medication cost 87 ($2) rupees.  Bargain.   Good news!  I don’t have typhoid, just a throat infection!  Taking more cipro and she said to gargle with salt water.  I am going back to class tomorrow.  Note to everyone:  bring partners on Nia retreats.  Sometimes, you crash and burn and it is great when someone has your back.  Grateful to Sabine and Philippe.  Back at it for heart chakra tomorrow!  It's Debbie Rosas' birthday and we are going to dance for her!

The group has dispersed this afternoon to go to various points of interest.  Some are taking Canyon tour of a reclaimed flood area.  Some have gone to shop and have coffee at the visitors’ Centre.  Others went to Kuilapalayam to have ice cream and shop the Kashmiri shops.  Yesterday they all went to Pondicherry the small French Tamil city about 30 minutes away by car.  Missed this excursion also due to health conditions.  I finished a book I brought with me, read a whole book Cornelia lent me and have read most of hte magazines I brought along.  I did not anticipate this much free time to read.  Luckily there is a library here which mostly has books about Sri Aurobindo and Mother.  I’ll have to get deep.

What else?

Like I said the group dispersed so I will chill out and spend some more time relaxing today.  First a visit to the fish pond which has little fish which eat dead skin off of your feet!  Then perhaps a nap and a little internet to post this blog and some pictures.

Bloggity blog blog blog.
Everyone has arrived and I am delighted.  We are 13 students and 3 teachers.  We have 9 from Europe, 3 from the US and one from Canada.  Each and everyone easy going and India curious or just just plain old India savvy!  Cornelia is here for the 3rd time and Charla for the 2nd time.  Yes folks, Nia in India and Auroville gets repeat visits.  It can be something different the next visit.

We danced Trance Vision tonight and already the comments are coming in....healing, transformation, support, love, moving.  TV--one of the best Nia routines EVER.  Tomorrow we begin our Nia and the Chakras workshop-Day One is Intro to the Chakras and the routine Chakra Dancer.

Mosquitoes have turned up a notch and my body is in revolt.  I often get bitten indoors like right now.   People keep the doors closed, please.   Sleep eludes me and I am hoping that changes tonight.  Super tired and ready to saw some logs.

We have a very comfortable guest lounge here at Verite with exactly 4 internet wire connections.  I am the fourth sitting here.  It's a popular spot.

I re-discovered the fish pond in the International Learning Center here at Verite.  It has tiny fish that come over to my bare feet and eat dead skin!  Sitting there for a while produces polished feet.  Pedicure fish.  Sign me up!

Tonight's dinner had no less than 9 courses and one of them was the title of this blog:  Fried bananas with pomegranate.  Very yummy dessert.  Many students are still eating and chatting and drinking tea, while a group at Verite Hall is chanting.  First they were chanting om and now they are onto drumming and african sounds.

That's it for me tonight.  New pictures coming tomorrow.

Monday Jan 17

2nd blog post from Auroville!

Today is lazy and easy.  I keep falling asleep about 8:00 or 9:00pm and awakening at 1:00am.  Good time to listen to the birds and creatures.  I fell back to sleep at 4:00 and stayed asleep until 7:30 when the breakfast bell rang.  I decided to use the fan all night for white noise.  It’s actually cool enough at night to use a blanket so the fan is for noise only, not cooling.

Life in Verite guest house continues to be relaxing and lovely!  More bucket showers!  More 6 course meals of Ayurvedic food.  The food is so good and I am not kidding.  We need to do some Nia because I am eating so much.  Verite does not serve coffee but they will begin a chai service tomorrow.  Charla and I made camp coffee today with sugar and powdered milk.  It was good!  We just need a can of sweetened condensed milk and we are all set.

Two more Nia participants arrived today:  Cornelia from Zurich and Margrit from Munich.  We will go to Pondicherry tonight for dinner at my favorite restaurant there: Suguru.

Philippe, Sabine and I worked all day Sunday to prepare for our Workshop:  Nia and the Chakras.  It’s going to be magical.

Good morning from Auroville India!  This is my first blog post ever.  Thanks for reading.

It is very early on the 2nd day of my 3rd journey to India.  Everything is same and different at once.

First of all, I would like to do good advertising for Travel With Charla Gabert.  This woman is a great travel companion.  She anticipates what I am going to forget and brings 2 of them.  So far she has lent me a flashlight and a watch.  Two years ago she lent me a camera.  Definitely ask her to come on your next trip somewhere exotic and she will have your needs covered.

Verite Guesthouse is wonderful again!  The guest rooms are named.  Last year I was in Gratitude and this year I am directly above in Humour.  I am delighted by my room name this year and have found much laughter already.  It is good to be in good humour when the temple music begins to play at 4am.  It is great to be in good humour while working on the computer indoors and the mossies have already begun feeding on my ankles.

I had a fantastic ayurvedic massage yesterday from Zsolte, our resident massage therapist.  I didn’t bother to shower afterwards so there is still tons of oil in my hair.  i will soon go out into the outdoor shower area, fill a bucket with warm water and take my 2nd bucket shower.  You have not lived until you have taken a bucket shower.  I can wash and condition my hair and wash my whole body with a half bucket of water.  I am well prepared for any drought.

After my shower, I will ride my moped down to the beach and work with Sabine and Philippe on our playlists for Nia and Chakras workshop.  It begins Tuesday so we still have all day today and tomorrow to prepare.  More students arrive tonight in the night and on Monday and Tuesday.

We are in the middle of the harvest festival here called Pongal.  More about that and some photos coming soon!