India: Photos 63 to 84

As I exited the Mumbai airport in the backseat of a classic 30 year-old non air-conditioned corroding cab and drove towards the city, my brain struggled to process the superabundance of stimuli it was receiving. Out the open window I was introduced to the heat, the dirt, the crowds, the traffic, the noise, the cows, the dogs, the goats, the poor, the rich, the slums, the rising new shiny buildings, the smells, the honking, the colors, the frenzy of human activity, the good, the bad and everything in between. Landing in India was like dropping into another dimension. I had eagerly anticipated coming here, convinced it would be a fascinating country to see, and from the first moment, it did not disappoint.

I was headed to the Wadala East neighborhood where my friend Anne and her Indian husband Gaurav live. You may recall Anne and Gaurav from my France entry for it was their wedding that I attended last fall in the beautiful French countryside. The two of them currently live and work in Mumbai and had offered their home as a place to stay. It’s always a blessing to have a friend to host you when you drop into

Full Text Entry: India

Ed- As always this was fascinating. I look forward to talking about all this with you in person when you are back in the states. In the meantime - since you read a bunch, can you recommend any books? I'm always in the market for new stuff. Keep it up and enjoy this leg of your trip.

That is just fabulous that you hang out with the kids playing crickets. It sounded like they were outcasts. I guess the caste system still exist in India to this extent. In my assessment of the policeman's behavior, he didn't want a foreigner to be around these "slumdogs" because your presence there elevates their status to a certain degree and he doesn't like that at all. Your stay at Sivananda Ashram down in Kerala came across as if you were living the life of a monk or an ascetic. You never did mention what the "purpose and significance of the more unusual rules" were. I am truly envious that you are able to sit in meditation without bodily pain. Sitting meditation is a method that can lead to enlightenment. Ponder on this comment "Amidst a thought, there is no thought."

love your story mate, very entertaining (bollywood and the shirt) and informative (i didn't know monkeys through rocks when they fight). hope ya gunna right one about nepal and tibet, take it easy mate, happy travels

Ed- As always this was fascinating. I look forward to talking about all this with you in person when you are back in the states. In the meantime - since you read a bunch, can you recommend any books? I'm always in the market for new stuff. Keep it up and enjoy this leg of your trip.

That is just fabulous that you hang out with the kids playing crickets. It sounded like they were outcasts. I guess the caste system still exist in India to this extent. In my assessment of the policeman's behavior, he didn't want a foreigner to be around these "slumdogs" because your presence there elevates their status to a certain degree and he doesn't like that at all. Your stay at Sivananda Ashram down in Kerala came across as if you were living the life of a monk or an ascetic. You never did mention what the "purpose and significance of the more unusual rules" were. I am truly envious that you are able to sit in meditation without bodily pain. Sitting meditation is a method that can lead to enlightenment. Ponder on this comment "Amidst a thought, there is no thought."

love your story mate, very entertaining (bollywood and the shirt) and informative (i didn't know monkeys through rocks when they fight). hope ya gunna right one about nepal and tibet, take it easy mate, happy travels