Hidden gems

Hyderabad is full of well-kept secrets and seems to be far from the tourist trail. We have seen very few westerners here, and the main sites have been crawling with Indians. This makes things a bit more challenging because we stand out a bit more when there aren't other westerners to pose for photos with Indians and converse with them. We have been received amazingly well, it is just tiring by the end of the day. Old forts, tombs, palaces, and mosques have kept us busy site seeing and we feel like we have hardly scratched the surface. All of the sites have been amazingly maintained compared to many others that we have visited in other parts of the south. We aren't sure if that is as a result of private funds or a difference in government interest in the area.

Not so bad in Hyderabad

From Chennai, we hopped up to Hyderabad. Another huge city it is also known as Cyberbad, due to the growth of the IT industry here. What Tim and I have been fascinated by is the demographic shift as we are starting north along the eastern coast. Hyderabad has a much larger Muslim population, as you find through much more of the north. So, while there are still many Hindus here in Hyderabad, historically the Muslims have been in control and that is reflected in the incredible architecture found in the old city center. Beautiful domed towers and sculpted archways. Then, of course, you also see a shift in food, attire, and language. Although there are far more rickshaw drivers than there could ever be demand for...and the general traffic is exhausting, the people are incredibly friendly often stopping us to simply welcome us to Hyderabad.

Just another friday evening

Our most spectacular evening in Chennai was wandering along the waterfront on a Friday evening. The beach was bustling with young couples, families, and packs of young boys all enjoying the pleasant evening in the wide open space of the beach. However, I found it quite curious that people were still quite concentrated in areas even though there was ample space to spread out. Food stalls busily prepared food-fried veggies and fish, fruit bowls, and drinks for their customers. Ravens pecked through the trash piles and cats wandered below fish stands. Further down the beach, fishing boats and nets replaced people. But where we were, the beach throbbed with activity--carosels spinning girls (in their bright saris) mercilessly to the chugging diesel motor, kites darting across the sky in front of the setting sun, young boys doing flips off a rudimentary springboard and playing around in the surf. People appeared so happy gazing out at the sea, chattering wildly, eating contentedly as the sun set behind their backs over the noisy, congested city. We did not see another westerner all evening on the beach and so enjoyed taking in a seeminly typical evening on the beach in a city of 6 million.

Rambling through Chennai

We spent several days exploring Chennai, a large, congested city on the Bay of Bengal. Many travelers and even the traveler's bible (aka Lonely Planet) told us that there was little to see here and wasn't worth a stop. We would have had to go out of our way to avoid the city, so we figured we might as well judge Chennai ourselves. On our first afternoon, Tim and I set out on one of our typical walking tours in whihc we return absolutely exhausted...but it is how we really enjoy taking in the sites and sounds of the city. We were staying in an area of the city with narrow rambling lanes lined with buildings towering high over the streets, trapping on the exhaust and choking the street. On the first level of these buildings are many specialty shops composed of a single room stacked high with motors to be rewound, identical mechanical parts in heaping piles, or piles of lumber being cut. Bright blue or green interiors witha layer of black masking the paint job. Shops without a single shelf, sometimes not even a chair. The work spills out into the street...or perhaps is only found on the street in front of the shop. Rickshaws completely dismantled by a small set of tools and a pair of black, greasy hands. I loved getting lost ambling through the shops getting a snapshot of what the people did. It is an interesting dance between the motorcycles and rickshaws squeezing their way past pedestrians on the bustling lanes that seem to never sleep.

Carved in stone

I just wanted to share with everyone the beautiful granite rock carvings we visited in Mamallapuram, an ancient city just south of Chennai. The temple and various carvings have weathered centuries of wind and sea...some buried under sand much of their lives. In particular Arjuna's penance is a massive open air relief made from 2 giant boulders dating from the 7th century. Its skillfully carved surface stretches across the face of the boulders depicting animals, people and deities.

Dalai Lama

Our visit to Pondicherry just happened to correspond with the Dalai Lama's visit to Auroville, a small international community that is a social experiement that was started in the 70s. I will not even attempt to describe it in detail....as an afternoon exploring its visitor's center and talking with our friends who were staying there, left us with more questions than answers! There are many individual farms that make up this community of 1800 Aurovillians. The whole community is set up like a galaxy, and it is quite interesting to read about if this catches your attention (just google auroville!). So, driving through the quiet lanes, it is hard to get a feel for the community as it is spread out over a huge area. The Dalai Lama was visiting to offer a blessing for the new Tibetan center that was opening. He brought in a huge crowd to listen to him speak on universal responisibility and peace. He has a circuitous way of delivering a message and would crack himself up with some of his stories, chuckling heartily. Although Tim and I both agreed that we had seen better orators, it was incredible to see him in person amongst such an international crowd. What I was most touched by though was the woman who introduced him. She was an Indian woman who lived in Auroville, and she spoke of the significance of the Dalai Lama's message on Jan 20, the same day Obama was innaugurated in the US. At first I found the message a bit innapropriate for the setting. I thought we should be focusing on the Tibetan center and the Dalai Lama's message and forget about the US for once. However, the more I though about her statement that Jan 20 marked significant changes in the direction of the world, it excited me and made me quite proud. It also made me feel more connected to the US from halfway around the world. So, while the millions flocked to DC to celebrate the changes that Obama has promised, we sat under tents in southern India listening to the Dalai Lama's message of hope and personal responsibility. It was a memorable day, even from the other side of the planet...this small planet that is so interconnected.

Terror on two wheels

From Pondicherry, we decided to rent a scooter for ease of getting around. Since it is quite a touristed city, there are rental stands all around the city center. We stopped at the first stand that we saw, with the rental bicycles and scooters parked along the side of the street. (We had attemped to rent a proper motorcycle, but there were no Enfields available). Tim left his PADI diving card as identification and a 500 Rs (10USD) deposit. The owner pulls out a coke bottle of gas and puts about half of that into the tank, enough to get us to the gas station. And like that, we were off on two wheels to explore the area. Our destination was Auroville, an international community north of Pondicherry. It was a fun ride 20km to our destination. We left a bit later than we had meant to, as we ran into some friends and time slipped away quickly as we were hanging out with them. In the waining light, we followed our friend's directions back to the main road. 'Turn right, then another right...follow that path until you reach pavement....even though you think you are on the wrong route'. A proper dirt road turns into a single lane path. Next thing we know, we are driving through a small village, weaving in and out of small huts as people are beginning to prepare their dinners. Our friend's words echo through my head 'even though you think you are on the wrong route...' as we wind our way through the village, but on the other side we did indeed reach the pavement. Our little headlight didn't cast a very bright light on the dark lane, but it was quite easy driving. However....things really began to pick up as we hit the main road heading down to Pondicherry. Tim was just sticking with traffic and I felt like we were flying....until I peered over his shoulder and our speedometer put us at a mere 40km/h! Our headlight did nothing to point out any speedbumps or potholes in the road up ahead. Then as we reached Pondicherry the two lane road was buzzing with motorcycles, rickshaws, bicycles, busses, cows, stray dogs, pedestrians, and merchants pushing carts. The lane was completely clogged with traffic and there are seemingly no traffic rules other than remaining upright and avoiding collisions. People turn into the uncoming traffic and weave their way over to their side of the road. At intersections, the first to arrive gets to pass....so Tim would gun it each time we arrived at an intersection and it seemed clear enough. My heart was racing and I clutched to Tim tightly. I shared a little 'I love you!' with him, so thankful that he was driving as I knew we would be dead at the side of the road if I had been placed in control of the scooter. You would never guess that the two of us had spent 6 months traveling by motorcycle through Latin America!! We immediately sought a cool beer to settle the nerves, and I realized I am perfectly happy watching the traffic mayhem from the window of a bus. Of all the time we spent on two wheels, nothing even comes close to the chaos of traffic here.

Chai wallah

From small villages to your biggest cities, you have a chai wallah (man) at ever corner...or perhaps several between corners in their small stands. Whether wandering the aisles of the trains, cycling around to their customers, or scurrying between small shops with a tray of prepared chais, you can find a chai wallah just about anywhere you look here. What we would consider chai is simply referred to as tea here, and you will receive a tea mixed with thick whole milk and enough sugar to cramp your jaw. If you want to forego the milk and sugar, you have to order a specially order black tea...but sometimes that is hard to come by. Served in small glasses or metal cups, people are always standing around sipping down a hot cup of chai. The chai wallah performs an impressive act exaggeratedly pouring the chai from one cup to the next with his arms fully outstretched in order to cool the hot chai. Everyone stands around and sips the hot chai out of the small glasses (holding carefully at the very top of the glass!), before tossing the chai wallah 4-5 rupees (8-10 cents), turning in their glass, and ambing on down the crowded street.

Lost in Translation?

Although we do have our fair share of confused conversations with locals from rickshaw drivers to waiters, English is widely used throughout India. Although Hindi is the official language, with so many various regional languages, English is commonly used also (although with quite a different accent than ours...thus the confusion!) Between its history as a British colony and the fact that the language changes with every new state you enter, there is a demand for a common language. Often times in the large cities, you hear friends speaking in English to one another. It was explained to us that they likely come from different states, and do not speak the same local language. So, while signs are a mix of the local language and English, we can readily find someone that can point us in the right direction or to the right bus. I find the script of Hindi and the local languages to be so beautiful that I often take pictures of signs....not having a clue what they are advertising!! This aspect makes India quite traveler friendly.

Finding Balance

It seems we have struck a nice balance in our travel route, balancing the traveler-laden destinations with a real dose of India. After a stretch of the more 'real' India--congested, polluted cities, blatant poverty, and little to no personal space,we seek out some more westernized destination. We dine on other types of food and relax with a calmer pace to the area we find ourselves in. Inevitably, we tire of the traveler scene and crave returning to 'India'. This has happened time and again...creating a cycle in our travels such that we don't tire of either aspect that we are experiencing here. After several days in Pondicherry, a French colonial town, and Mamallapuram, a small village crawling with tourists coming to see the ancient rock carvings...we traveled on to Chennai, a crowded, busy, overwhelming city....and we welcomed the change.

More Transport Tales

Just the other day as Tim and I were boarding a bus (after having to wait only a few moments for one of the frequent busses to arrive), we commented on how incredibly easy it is to travel around India. There is always lots of excitement along the road or rails, but in terms of the frequency and consistency of the busses and trains, we have found it quite easy to get around the country. Note to self: never have this conversation upon boarding a bus!! We were anticipating one bus change enroute to our destination. Eight hours later, we had taken 4 busses and only covered 200km!! It was a long, tiring day on overcrowded busses that you had to fight your way onto. We were even told to get off one of the busses because, along with our luggage, we took up too much space. We sat on some busses, stood on another, held our bags on our laps on another. It was a test of our perseverance each time we found out that there wasn't a direct route on to our destination. Yet, we felt like we had accomplished so much by the time the bus pulled into the Ponducherry station...and we had survived the journey!

River of life

It is mind boggling witnessing how people use the rivers here. From bathing to clothes washing, tooth brushing to washing food, transportation to fishing the rivers are such a social setting as people rely on them for their survival. The irony is that the rivers are often so horribly polluted, with pipes dumping out unknown liquids, cows and goats grazing and deficating along the banks, garbage disintegrating in the current. It is horrifying to watch people bathe their children and collect their food from these waters. Thus, in a land of a billion people that are all fighting for resources and survival, people use what they can and make the best life they can from what is available to them. The rivers suffer as a result, and the biologist in me wonders what these waterways looked at before the population numbers swelled to the point they are today. Unfortunately the future doesn't look bright with the population continuing to grow along with demands on the finite resources of this country. I can't even imagine where you begin to address the problems and how you would implement a program when so many people are accustomed to living this way. And so these rivers continue to be the lifeline of the communities living on their banks, providing what they can...and unable to fight for themselves.

Land of the lungi

Tim has been quite keen on the local attire found throughout southern India. The lungi and dhoti are quite ubiquitous men's attire. To the untrained eye it appears a long narrow skirt...but Tim's keen eye can discern the subtle differences between the various garments. The lungi is actually stitched together as a tube shape, which is then pulled together at the waist and fastened. They come in a wide variety of colors and patterns. The dhoti is a long rectangular fabric that is wrapped several times around the waist and then fastened. These garments help beat the heat in these balmy climates. In informal settings, men will double the garment up on itself like a miniskirt to provide a bit more ventilation. See photos of our lovely model for a demonstration of how a dhoti is worn.

Temple country

On to Tamil Nadu, the land of temples and tigers. And so in Madurai we began our temple hopping, along with the droves of pilgrims making their way to the beautiful, historical holy sites. For several days, we would start out early, trying to beat the crowds and caught several temples in the early hours of the morning. At each temple, we add to our knowledge and understanding of the Hindu faith, with all of its deities, rituals, and festivals. A simple question often leads to a long conversation with a Hindu explaining just one aspect of their relgion. The temples are truly awe-inspiring, with their grand gopurams or entrance towers and intricate carvings. Many of the temples are proudly painted in bright pastel colors. Some of the temples we visited date back to as much as the 10th century, which makes standing within the walls truly a humbling experience. Our favorite was the magnificent Brihadishwara Temple, a World Heritage Site. We caught the temple at sunset one evening and returned at sunrise the next morning. The sun lit up the sandstone carvings and bathed the whole courtyard of the temple complex in a brilliant glow. The pictures paint a better picture than my words do!

So long Kerala

We spent several weeks in the ever-so-friendly state of Kerala, and a couple of months traveling down the western coast of India and enjoying the greenery of the western ghats. Once we reached the southern tip of the subcontinent, it was time to bid adieu to the Arabian Sea and beautiful sunsets and welcome the Bay of Bengal, the eastern ghats...and start working our way up the eastern coast. Kerala is a successful socialist state within this democratic nation. Throughout the state there were signs for the communist party and pictures of Guevara and Castro. Education and health care systems were touted as some of the best in the country, and the hospitality was remarkable. But, it is the landscape and spices that has lured people here for centuries creating a beautiful fusion of cultural influences. From the mouth-watering cuisine to the vibrant traditional Kathakali theatre to the lazy backwaters and Christian churches...we had an incredible stay in Kerala.

Reunions on the beach

We were almost giddy as we left the ashram, turning in our 'exit pass' at the front gate. We were all ready to determine our schedule for the day...and eat some exciting (spicy!) food. We made our way down to Varkala, a beach on the Arabian Sea. It is a very touristed spot, and we quickly found out that it was crawling with folks from the ashram. Everyone had the same thing in mind...a few relaxing days at the beach. The beach is simply beautiful. A long white beach defined by the tall cliffs that prevent any development from encroaching onto it. Our days disappeared swimming in the beautiful turquoise surf and watching our last dramatic sunsets over the Arabian Sea. The highlight of our time there was the reunions we had with other travelers. Fellow travelers that you have spent quality time with quickly become dear friends, and seeing them again is like running into a long lost friend...especially when you hadn't planned for it. Thus we were pleasantly surprised by several friends from our earlier travels in India.

Testimony to the yogic lifestyle

While we were quite ready to go after 12 days following a strict schedule, it was such a rewarding experience during our travels. It definitely made me pause to evaluate my own life and reconsider the choices I am making. Two women in particular were quite inspiring. One was a polish woman, who was a visiting swami. At the satsang on her first night at the ashram, she shared her story with us. She was in a car accident from which she sustained serious injuries. The doctor told her she would be confined to a wheelchair the rest of her life. Being a strong willed person who was not willing to accept that truth, she turned to yoga as a form of physical therapy, as well as a lifestyle change. She knew little about it, but decided to go to an ashram in Montreal back in the 70s when yoga wasn't so in vogue as it is today. Her friends were waryof the drugs and sex that 'likely' took place within the walls of the ashram. However, she stood before us nearly 40 years later and sat cross legged through the satsang with much more grace than I could. She had her PhD in genetics, yet started to study the Hindu scriptures after her experience with yoga began to change her life. I couldn't say what her age was but she was still sharp as a tack.
The other woman was Rada, an African American woman from Chicago. She also picked up yoga in the early 70s and was teaching by the late 70s. I assumed she visited the ashram annually, but later found out that this has been a dream for her all her life to come visit the ashram in India. After teaching much of her life in one of their yoga centers in Chicago, she was finally realizing that dream. She was a tall wiry woman with a shaky voice that led our afternoon yoga sessions during our stay. She would demonstrate postures with such agility, and usually could hold a posture much more advanced than we were ready for in our 'beginner class'. And then we found out that she was 77 years old! She also was incredibly sharp, but her physical abilities at 77 floored me. We were so fortunate that our stay at the ashram overlapped with these two marvelous women. The two of them are great motivators to keep us practicing yoga in hopes of a long rewarding life ahead.

Tim's Oily Massage

So, I encouraged Tim to tell his account of his experience with an ayurvedic massage, but it looks like he is leaving it up to me to tell his story. After a week of intense yoga classes, Tim developed a serious knot in his right shoulder. One morning he woke up and was unable to turn his head...unless he turned his whole body. So, after sitting out of the yoga classes for a day or two, he decided to try an ayurvedic massage (offered by staff within the ashram). When I next saw Tim, I inquired about the massage. His eyes got big and he shook his head side to side. Then he begins to tell me about his experience (which was similar to others I had spoken with). When he arrived in the small room, the masseuse tossed a small cloth on the table and said, 'Clothes change!' Tim, being the modest guy he is, picked up the cloth that resembled a necktie and wondered how he was supposed to don this small piece of fabric. With the necktie fastened around his waist, and presumably tucked in correctly...Tim laid on the table and the masseuse began pouring on the essential oils and lubing Tim up. Tim was slipping and sliding over the oily wooden table as the man worked him up and down for his full body massage. While he claims he has no interest in ever getting another massage like that, he was turning his head much more naturally after his oily hour in a 'necktie'.

Kanyakumari-Southern tip of India

Tim and I have never been big fans of traveling in large groups. There are always many advantages to having everything arranged for you, but we are not used to having a strict schedule. For some reason, we thought a trip to Kanyakumari, the southern tip of the subcontinent, with a group from the ashram might just be insightful. Perhaps it was, however I think it validated our previous thoughts of solitary travel. A group of 70 was divided between two busses. As we were assigned to our busses, my first apprehensions set in. It was completely chaotic and there was no clear leadership from two young Indian staff and a meek woman we referred to as Swami Banana (as she wore yellow clothing marking her vow of celibacy). We stopped at several temples, anticipating explanations of the sites...but did more standing around waiting for the group to be gathered together. Our final destination was a rock outcropping just off the southern tip of the mainland to visit a temple and statue. You have to take a 5 minute ferry ride to reach the site. It is a big destination, so there is a long line of Indians behind our group of 70. Since it is not customary to queue here, there were many Indians trying to push past our group...and Swami Banana's lack of control was visible in the changing color on her face. We finally get up to the ferry and they only allow half the group on the boat. Next thing we know Swami Banana is screaming at the folks on the ferry to get off and wait for the next one. It was a chaotic scene, as our mama hen regrouped us and ushered us onto the next ferry as one gigantic group...all headed to the same destination. Although it was incredible to stand at the tip of India and stare out at the confluence of the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, and Bay of Bengal...Tim and I would have been happy go through the leg work of arranging all of that ourselves!!

While in the ashram, we were discouraged from leaving the grounds. This wasn't really a problem, but it made it so rewarding when you did make it outside the compound. On a couple of occasions, everyone staying there went on a silent walk down to the reservoir just beyond the walls instead of the normal satsang (meditation and chating). We did two sunrise and one evening walk while we were there. As we strolled down the narrow lane at 6am, the first hint of dawn guided us along the path. Rounding a bend, at a break in the trees, there was a view of the lake and the hills behind peaking through layers of clouds. Silently, with only the sounds of flip flops on the asphalt and the distant sounds of the village waking up, we crossed the dam and wound along the lake. There was a layer of fog dancing across its still surface. Seated along hte far side of teh lake, the fog undulated across the lake surface like a sluggish snake just being warmed by the sun. The green hills spilled intot he lake, playing hide and seek in the clouds. As we did our chants by the lake side, the sun crept up over the hills and cast its glow over the valley. We normally don't make it up to see the sunrise, but it is so cherished when we do. By the time we made our way back up to the hill to the ashram, the village was abuzz with morning activities--preparing breakfast, bathing in the lake, preparing for school. It was an incredible way to start the day.

Hope in the New Year

While at the ashram, I finished reading Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, an account of the dark practices of the US in a globalized world. It seemed like an inappropriate book to be reading during our stay, but it turned out to be timely finishing it in that setting. John Perkins finishes his book with a message of hope and empowerment to change our ways. One excerpt particularly grabbed me....

'The Prophecy of the Condor and the Eagle' can be taken at many levels--the standard interpretation is that it foretells the sharing of indigenous knowledge with the technologies of science, the balancing of yin and yang, and the bridging of northern and southerns cultures. However, the most powerful is the message it offers about consciousness, it says that we have entered a time when we can benefit from the many diverse ways of seeing ourselves and the world, and that we can use these as the springboard to higher levels of awareness. As human beings, we can truly wake up and evolve into a more conscious species.
...that is we are to address questions about the nature of what it is to be human in this new millenium and about our commitment to evaluating our intentions for the next several decades, then we need to open our eyes and see the consequences of our actions--the actions of the eagle. We must shake ourselves awake...we must reevaluate who we are and where we want our children to end up. The alternative to stopping to ask ourselves the important questions is simply too dangerous.
The hour is ours. It is now time for each and every one of us to step up to the battle line, to ask the important questions, to search our souls for our own answers, and to take action.

This echoed much of what we discussed while in the ashram...becoming the peole we want to be so that we can foster teh change we want to see in the world. Simply changing our own lifestyles and leading by example. Seeing so many people from all walks of life coming together for a variety of reasons, all with the intention of getting to know themselves better and lead better lives.

Karma Yoga

One aspect of life in the ashram is participating in karma yoga or 'selfless service'. Basically, everyone was assigned a daily chore for their stay in the ashram. I was asked to help serve the meals. Mealtime was interesting as we all ate together in a large dining hall. We all ate seated on the floor in long rows. You were asked to eat in silence, however it seemed that the rule was seldom observed. The diet was strictly vegetarian, however you could eat as much as you needed, as we only ate two meals a day. As servers we would roll out mats to sit on, set out the metal plates and cups, and serve the food out of giant pales. Walking up and down the rows of guests shoveling food into their mouths, eager faces would nod...signaling another scoop of sanbar or rice. The sweet rice was the ultimate treat that everyone coveted, which never lasted until we had finished serving and were ready to eat. While the meals were tasty, they were quite bland...and after 12 days were excruciatingly redundant. However, I quite enjoyed my karma yoga duties of food service as mealtime was such an important part of everyone's day. I was also working with a Korean women, who was one of the most kind and inspiring people I have ever met. She worked tirelessly and always had a smile on her face...inevitably brightening my day.

Ashram Life

Our stay at the ashram was quite a pleasant change of pace after a month and a half traveling. We planned to stay for the two week yoga course (aka yoga vacation). Our daily decisions were all made for us, we would be aroused by a bell at 5:20, and from then on bells would guide us through the day...beginning with meditation and chanting, a two hour yoga session, brunch at 10:00, a lecture (typically on topics of yogic lifestyle, Ayurvedic medicine, Hindu religion, etc), another two hour yoga session, dinner at 6:00, another meditation and chanting session, and tucked into bed and lights out by 10:30. The next morning, you wake up and repeat the whole schedule.

During an introduction to the ashram, the head swami (or holy man) simply asked us to be open to the experiences at the ashram. As it follows the Hindu beliefs, yet welcomes people of all faiths, there is the simple expectation for you to participate in and respect the rituals even if you are not a follower of the Hindu faith. So, we joined right in with the first Satsang (meditation and chanting). I stared at the booklet in front of me and I could hardly follow along with the call and response. None of the words that were chanted seemed to match what was printed on the page. If I was told that in 10 days time the chants would be engrained in my head and I would not even need the booklet, I hardly would have believed it! The meditation was another challenge. Sitting cross-legged on the hard floor for 30 minutes was quite a challenge for my stiff body....but once again, I surprised myself after 10 days how much body and mind had strengthened in that short time. (Mind you, I am simply able to concentrate better without fidgeting...I'm still a far cry from meditating!!) However, we quickly fell into the routine at the ashram and enjoyed the simplicity of life within the walls of the grounds. We were able to forget all the stresses of travel and planning. It was an opportunity to focus on ourselves for a few weeks and re-center ourselves before continuing our travels.

A fresh start to 2009

We heard the story of a traveler who said, 'when you go to Italy, you must see the Vatican...when you come to India, you must experience an ashram...it's just what you do.' We figured what better time to visit an ashram and practice some yoga than the start of the new year. So, we arrived at a beautiful Shivananda ashram, nestled up in the lush hills among the rubber and coconut palm trees, on the afternoon of New Years Eve. Knowing that on normal days 'lights out' is at 10:30, we didn't think we would have a memorable celebration at midnight...however, we thought we would be starting January 1 out on the right foot. Instead, we joined all the other guests down by the lake just outside the ashram grounds. There was music and singing, fireworks and dancing, and it all culminated in a huge bonfire made from a tower of dried palm fronds. We were in a truly international crowd (of perhaps 200 people) standing around this raging bonfire sending off 2008 and welcoming in 2009. We rounded out the year chanting 'Om Namo Narayanaya', a Sanskrit chant for world peace as the clock rolled over to midnight. People from all corners of the world were sitting cross-legged on the floor of the dark open air hall in the cool evening air chanting in unison and sending out positive energy for a peaceful 2009. It was quite a humbling and inspiring way to celebrate and welcome in the New Year.