Let the Adventures Begin!

The passage of time is a fascinating experience here in Mother India. It has two equally powerful aspects; on the one hand it flies by and on the other it lasts forever. Was it really only one year ago that we moved out of our flat in DC? Because it seems like three or four, and I've certainly got enough stories to last a lifetime. Something tells me that the adventure is only beginning..

It's SO GREAT to be 30!

My two weeks in Hampi flew by, but they were packed with adventure. Rocks and temples and monkeys..oh my..this morning I said goodbye as we crossed the river in a boat at sunrise. What a life! From there it was a rickshaw, a train, another rickshaw, a bus, another bus, and finally, a long walk in the dark to the last guest house on the beach where I was greeted warmly by Carlos and Elena and shown to a tiny room with a straw mat and a cockroach. Elena took me out on her motorbike and dropped me at an Indian restaurant where I enjoyed a wonderful dosa (lentil pancake thing with coconut chutney and veg sambar) and a coffee for 15 rupees. Oh yeah..it's a good life. I am filthy and exhausted, but my day of travel was mostly uneventful (a good thing) and I am quite sure that my many guardian angels were watching over me.

Tomorrow morning I will set out on a 9 km walk to find Fred. He's in a hut on the beach somewhere but it's too dark at the moment for me to find him now. He will be heading stateside next week after which my German friend will join me and we will head south to Kerala (aka God's Country!). Also I am starting to think that I can maybe make my way back to those islands before I return to Delhi..but it's a long shot and only God knows for sure.

In other developments, Fred has convinced me that my summer will be best spent in Germany, where it is legal for Americans to work (Eureka!). I must admit that the thought of spending another monsoon out here does not thrill me anymore. And for some reason I've met loads of Germans this year, so finding places to stay should be no problem. In which case, it will be essential for me to continue my study of Yoga and yogasana in Rishikesh after my holiday in the south concludes. And it means I will finally have the chance to visit the Swiss Contingent (Congratulations on your Ph.D.!) and her new French amor, as well as a possible meeting with my dear Vince in Berlin, aka the greatest and cheapest city in Europe..

So many possibilities, so many dreams, so many reasons to thank God for a wonderful life. If I died tomorrow it would be a life well-lived.

All my love,
Dana Maria