A Magic Trip !!

Namaste amazing beings

I have just lived one of the most wonderful experiences during 3 days. Marjolaine my friend from Spain has arrived since one week approx. and we really are having a good time. We have decided to take few days together as well as Isabelle (another friend) to go and visit the city of Tirunavanamalai.

Friday afternoon after food, we took a taxi to the bus stand in Pondicherry and in 5 mns we found a bus to Tiru, it was about 3 hours in bus and I really enjoyed being part of real Indian life style.

So we arrived at Tiru around 4 pm and found a rickshaw to the ashram where we stayed. It was amazing because nobody knew where the Ashram were, I just had the number for this place so I told the rickshaw to stop to make a phone call and where he stops and talk on the phone, we realize that he parked just where the place was, this was the beginning of the magic.

A woman told us to enter the temple and said nothing to us just sat us all 3 on the sofa, we really wanted to laugh as the situation was comical.

She finally showed us the room and I took a single room for 250 rupees, Marjolaine and Isabelle a double room there were really simple and great room. The swami looking after the ashram was funny and loud.

After putting our bag in the room we went to visit Sri Ramana Maharashi Ashram. Many people there were meditating and chanting it was so beautiful and vibrating. The population there was mix between people and monkeys.

I took some time to meditate there, it was so vibrant. We went into a restaurant called the “five element” after this which was a little to continental to our test but anyhow it was very pretty. :)

In the next morning we went to visit the temple of Arunachalwsar When we gave our shoes to the entry of the temple we ask a man there if he knew of any guide. This man was called Kumar and he became our great guide for the rest of the day.

Kumar was probably born near this temple and not only he knew the temple but also everyone inside the temple. We had special “Puja” inside the temple. When we should have waited 2 to 2 .30 hours we just walk through straight to the main place with Kumar. Later on, Marjolaine had the benediction of the elephant at the entry of the temple. After the temple which I could only describe if you could read my impressions, thought and inside visions, we went to Sri Ramana Maharishi Ashram to walk the mountain path which leads to the cave where Ramana Maharishi meditate for 40 years. On the way there was a Swami who told us to sit because it was a long walk. After a little time Marjolaine, Isabelle and Kumar decided to carry on and I stayed a little. I spoke with the Swami and I asked him: “Please how could I learn more? Is there any advice you could give more something or anything”, and he answered: “Stop learning to put into practice what you know” and he gave me a picture of the Maharashi as a gift. This moment was really emotional. The forest and the mountain were really vibrant and I just could not believe I was there living this.

Kumar our guide of the day is on the right side :)

I then met again with the friends, they stopped at a place where you could see the all city of Tiru and I just sat to meditate on the rock, it was such a big present of life to experience all this.

When we went down Kumar took us to a very great restaurant where we had breakfast (testy breakfast!!!) and we went back to the room to have a little rest. At 4 o clock I went back to the ashram to be there and buy some books. Marjolaine and Isabelle went walking to the temple. We wanting to have a good look again as the morning went really fast. I met them at a little bar and off we went again to the magic temple. Kumar took us everywhere. He showed us the cows in the back of the temple and how they make the flowers.

Finally he took me in a special meditation room and teaches me some breathing technique. It was great. I then went out and met the girls and after a look around we went to eat again in this great Indian restaurant.

We went back to the hotel room with the heads full of amazing thoughts and wake up the next morning direction Gingee to discover the beautiful forts of the queen and the king.

In the morning we took the bus from Tiru and arrive at Gingee at around 8.30. We then started to look for breakfast. We walked about 500 meters and find ourselves in front of a big house on the side of the road with loud music. There were lots of people so we asked if they knew where we could find breakfast. They invited us in. It was so funny; we didn’t know where we were going. We arrive in this place where there were tables set with breakfast on banana leaves. We ask how much the breakfast was and they told us that it was free. They said it was a wedding and they were so honored with our visit that the only thing we could do for them was to visit the couple who got married and take some pictures with them. It was really stunning. We went away and they gave us a coconut.

We had afterwards a masala chai on the side of the road, we went off to see the monkey and walk the queen fort and the king fort (about 5 hours walk in the sunshine all steps). It was mind blowing nature and manmade fort. The monkeys were everywhere.

We finally headed to Gingee city to have a meal and took the bus back to Pondy.

This few days has been some of the most mind opening days than I have had.

Words of the day: There are so many people out there who will tell you that you can’t. What you’ve got to do is to turn round and say “Watch me “:)

Love ... :)