Maya meets sunyata

Hey everybody!
 
   I am sorry that it has been so long since I have written or called. I hope you have not been too worried about me. You shouldn't be....the people here are extraordinarily friendly, watchful, and curious . The constant, unashamed, long, long stares are good for some form of protection at least. Older women seem especially vigilant about ensuring the safety of young, solo girls....when they stare, they do so with a smile. At times, I feel more at risk of choking on my own puke than being attacked. hawhaw :) jk.
  
  As I am writing this, I am in Mangalore. Today I board a train to Chennai, and will be at my "apartment" by tomorrow evening. If there is a telephone there, I will send you all the number. I hope there is. It is awfully hard to make telephone calls because of the time difference, Ganepati bapa chaturthi (festival of Ganesh), and Ramadan. Oh well, it is all part of the package, no?

  Since arriving I have intermittently met other travelers to bum around with. One fellow and I paid a cabbie to take us around for a day. We stopped at a few immaculate temples, polluted beaches, and imperial Raj monuments. I found the Jain temple to be among the most interesting and comforting. The Jains strongly believe in alleviating suffering for all forms of life: they wear dust masks to keep from inhaling insects, refuse to eat root vegetables or travel long distances, and operate mobile animal rehabilitation centers. Actually, the city I am in right now, Mangalore, has a large Jain community. It is the hands-down cleanest city I have been in yet. Not one diseased, crusty dog in sight! The Jains even have their own irrigation services!

   We also visited a small Islamic enshrined relic where wheel barrel-loads of fruit were being offered to Allah to symbolize the initiation of Ramadan. Without exclusion, I was ushered into a small womans' stall where it was implied that I should pray. Initially, it seemed awkward that I was the only woman without a hajid...but then I realized that nobody was paying attention to me! It was great! And so I sat with them and prayed/ meditated for 10 minutes or so.

   That same night, as I was sneaking a peak at a mandala (a stooped shrine carrying a deity) dedicated to Ganesh, a few passer-bys noticed my curiosity and urged me to enter and give puja (prayer/devotion) ("go!go! it is good to do!"). So I bowed before the jolly, elephant-headed God, remover of obstacles and bestower of good fortune, and mimicked the devotees before him ( as a side note, the Hindus believe that Ganesh will grant you a wish on Ganepati chaturthi..wahoo! ). Upon exit, I was given a lump of auspicious sweets to eat to seal my luck.

   Two days later, I met another group of travelers in Goa. They graciously invited me to join them on moped to a distant spice plantation for a tour and elephant ride. And so, for the minor equivalent of $4/ day, we rented mopeds and rode 2 hours away  - only to find that the gates were locked and the plantation was closed! A sign on the locked gate read "closed for Ganesh festival-God of good fortune" !  HAW! Oh, the irony was unbelievable. :)

   Digestively speaking, however, Ganesh appears to be on my side. I have eaten at a few stalls which could have liquefied my intestinal obstacles! hawhaw! Sorry, that's gross!  In all seriousness, however, the seedier places are consistently phenomenal- and cheap! On three separate occasions yesterday, and twice today, the little me-in-my-head exploded "Holy Macaroni! Best ever! What in God's good name is this??" (or "Gods' " depending on the religion I guess)... 
 
   Well, that is all for now. I'll be sending photos soon. Maybe today!
 
Love you all,
 
kelleigh