So I am now back   from yet another experience in India, as so is life I went for one reason, turned out to be  completely different.

I have always written that India is a land of extremes, but I guess when you think of it, so is life.

This time I travelled from Delhi to Jaipur in Rajasthan, at some points of the car journey, I thought I was in Afghanistan ! as we were approaching the desert, men with blankets covering their heads from the wind, kindling on the roadside to keep them warm, goats huddled near them, and camels draped in tinsel of all things, tethered close by, how do they live I ask myself, what sort of existence is this that they have chosen to experience?.

On we drove for around 5 hours, scenery and people changing along the way, until we reached the fort of Jaipur, this is called the Pink City, as most of the Palaces are now very old, built in the Islamic way, absolutely beautiful.

As you walk the side streets, again you see from beauty to extreme poverty, goats and cows are everywhere, I smiled as it is their Winter, goats are precious to them, so they were dressed in trousers, with sacks over them to keep them warm, you see cows tethered at night, with sacks over them on the roads, with a man sleeping in a bed roll next to them, at first your heart goes out to these people, then you understand it is just the way it is . always it makes me thoughtful, living in the West, as just how much we have that we really don’t need, our country, is full of products, some supermarkets having 35 shopping lanes,  so balance in all things I just cant get my head around.....

Sitting in traffic, that is always dreadful, a beautiful girl child of around 8 was walking past the cars, she was wearing a filthy dress, her hair was matted, not seen a comb for a long while, she was crying, but the most beautiful looking child I have ever seen in her wildness, I wish I had taken a photo of her, but that would have been rude, so I did not ... she stopped next to me. Put her fingers to her mouth, saying she was hungry, I could not look at her, when I gave her money, as tears were rolling down my face, thinking how can this be ...

As an animal lover, I went out every night, with a plastic bag full of food to feed cows and calves, goats and dogs as it was !

All of them I wanted to bring home.  Came home to my overfed cat, picked him up, and told him how lucky he was to always have Whiskers on tap ! plus loads of love.

But still the country has a certain beauty and pride with it, which always amazes me, they do not moan about there life, they make the best of it, maybe something we should ponder on ....

Jaipur is split from Hindu and Muslim, so I was awoken every morning at 5-30 from the call from the Mosque , annoying but haunting, makes you shiver, I still find it amazing that after 2000 years at certain times of the day, they all down tools, go to pray, when I was in Egypt, the site was amazing the streets lined with people, all going in the same direction, to pray collectively, there is such a power in that, also a form of discipline that we in the West do not have any more, just occasional church visit, for Weddings and funerals .... no real intent in anything any more, so   I feel such a lot can be learnt, even from the poverty they endure, the belief is still as strong, that things WILL get better.

Interestingly they don’t go around blaming everyone else for their lot . i.e. Governments etc... they spend their time trying to survive, and pray that they will !!!!!!!

If you read last months newsletter, you will note that the Full Moon on the 22^nd January was very significant, I was amazed as I saw the Aura around the Moon on that night, it started very small, then eventually filled the sky, oddly I was poorly on that day, the pull of it very strong, it effected most of us.

This was not meant to be a travel a travel guide newsletter, I am just sharing with you my observations of this crazy planet, also of the possibilities we have to make change.

Outside a Temple I met a man who they claimed was 108 years old, as it was chilly, he was wearing a sparkly jumper, which I found hilarious, it just added to the craziness of it all !!!!!!

Blessings

Yvonne

yvonneferrell@aol.com