I hit a bit of a wall yesterday. Spent several days in Kodai Kanal. While there, I hired a car/driver to take me to Periyar/Thekaddy to trek and hopefully see elephants in the wild. We had given up during the trek and were heading back when we heard a noise and my guide explored and he found 3 elephants (momma, baby, and daddy) eating, drinking and mudding themselves. It was very exciting. It’s quite forested so it was not easy to find them. Approaching to get close enough was scary as the guide had me back away twice as he felt they were making sounds like they might charge. Anyway, it was great.
Anyway, back to the wall hitting part, Kodai Kanal is full of people trying to hustle you to bad hotel rooms and on treks. The hotel where I got hustled to (with food under the covers!) actually gave my room number to a guide on the street. Pissed me off for sure. Checked out of there quick! On to Madurai where I am now and already have had two different people trying to be my friend and then it turns out of course that they have ulterior motives. A third person tried to be my friend and bought me tea this morning. When he asked me to go to his house to meet his family, I was very quick in cutting him off and saying “No.” My heart says he was actually being nice, but I’m becoming too guarded lately. A few minutes later he told me I had hurt his feelings by saying “no”so quickly and I explained to him what has been happening for me. He understood. It’s just tough. Then he asked me to meet his family (wife and 4 kids) by taking them to dinner next door. We went inside and looked at the menu and it was the priciest restaurant I’ve yet to see in India!
Anyway, rather than continuing on in my trip to Kanyakumari and then Tiruchipalli as I had thought I would for the Thai Poosam festival which could have a million people, I decided this morning that I need to take care of myself, so I booked an overnight cushy bus back to Tiruvannamalai where I can rest, hear talks, take yoga classes and just veg a bit.
Still not positive about heading back home to the US which I have already pushed out 10 days and am now booked for Feb12, but I’m leaning that way. Many things to balance, including a retreat I’m scheduled to go on there which is very important to me, but I’m doing my best to listen to my heart in making this decision and not my head. Thanks to those who have tried helping me to decide this, but at this point it is up to my heart, actually up to my soul, which may be getting a little tired here. We’ll see what a little rest will do.
One reply on “Hitting the Wall…?”
Dear Ted,Chloe was really cat-static about her postcard and we put it on the floor between her wheatgrass and her litter tray (NOT the new-improved plastic version, she had been promised, however). Now she can bond with her postcard before her morning meditation.We hope you will learn to chant before you return, in order to expand the very diminshed numbers of the Hindu Satsang here in Fort Bragg.warm regards,The 3 faces of Eve