Were still adjusting to life here but the past two weeks have been a blast. Weve planted a bunch of trees with the aid of several local school groups, gone to the beach, attended a yoga session, run amuk through Auroville, gone shopping in pondicherry, and risked our lives daily driving two-wheeled vehicles in India. Great Fun!

Im totally getting a moped when we get home, those things rock. And if I can drive one and not kill myself in India I should be OK in Austin.

A bit about our home away from home...

Sadhana is a totally vegan (No animal at all, no processed foods, no refined sugars) community run by a super dedicated couple who have committed their lives and life savings to saving Indias teeny tiny bit of remaining tropical dry evergreen forest. There are 25 or so volunteers here, from more countries then I care to think of at the moment, and that number will swell dramatically in the next few months as we head into the busy season.

We sleep under a mosquito net in a huge hut made of pine, bamboo, and woven palm leaves, fall asleep to jackals, and wake up to Christine strumming the guitar and cooing goodmorning-goodmorning at 5:45. If you put Giligans Island, Swiss Family Robinson, Camp Anawana, and PETA all into a centrifuge, you'd end up with something like the essence of Sadhana.

I need to go help cook dinner so this is all for now, but sometime in the near future I hope to have more written.

Love yall!

written by  Slade's Elucidation on November 18, 2008 from Pondicherry, India
from the travel blog: Slade's Elucidation
tagged India, Auroville and SadhanaForest
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Sadhana Sunsets

Wow, what an interesting couple of weeks it has been since I last wrote a blog. Let me first say, No we are not in the part of the country where the attacks have been happening. We are however in the part of the country that has been buffeted by a cyclone, but more on that later.

Over the past few weeks we had been trying to settle into life at Sadhana Forest and making new friends. The volunteers at Sadhana are a special breed of people, really the best of our species. Im sure we will see some again after weve left Sadhana, and are possibly going to travel India a bit in the company some really cool people weve meet there.

A couple more school groups have come to the forest and watching the kids enthusiasm for replanting their native forests, and life at Sadhana in general, is rather exciting. It's good to know that at least this part of India's youth will have a deeper respect for their natural environment.

I've learned to drive a moped, on dirt jungle roads and the chaotic main roads of India, which only gets more interesting when its been raining balls. Im pretty confident I'll be able to drive a moped around Austin now ; )

I think I can safely say James and I will never be vegan. Its amazing how clearly your body lets you know its not getting the nutrients and vitamins its used too. Even after eating a big lunch at Sadhana we'd find ourselvs still wanting to eat. Not hungry mind you, just craving more, our bodies way of trying to get what it was missing.

Thanks to those cravings though we've found a couple really nice places to eat around Auroville and nearby Pondicherry. The terrace above the Solar Kitchen has killer cappuccinos and lattes, not to mention the chocolate banana crêpes. Out on the main road, between Auroville proper and Sadhana Forest is a hole in the wall local place that serves some really tasty stuff on banana leaves. I think one of the things they serve are dosas(?) but i really have no clue what we ate there :P I have found a replacement for garlic bread, and I must find a good Indian restaurant when we get home to fufil my naan cravings.

The first week or two of our stay was desperately dry, the monsoon being a month late. Baby trees were dying and the volunteers had to work that much harder to keep them watered and get then in the ground as quick as possible. The past week however, weve had the blessing or curse of a cyclone settling in over the area. A cyclone here is a bit like a tropical depression in the states but it lasts a lot longer. The first day or two of the cyclone we just had a lot of rain, which we happily watched filling up all the rain water catchment areas around Sadhana. We started to get a little concerned when one of the bunds in camp started spilling over into the next, the last one before the bathrooms, little did we know what the storm still had in store for us. The next morning the wind started, and by this time the ground was so saturated that the trees started toppiling like dominos. While in the kitchen making breakfeast we saw the first one starting to go and within five or ten minutes another ten or so trees around the compound had also fallen over or broken.

Attempting to cook breakfeast during the cyclone

Poofy scoping out the damage with James

James and Arya saving the bunds

The intense wind and rain kept up all day, blowing in all the windows around our beds. Everything by this time was damp and starting to smell. Our beds felt horrid and between the wet sheets and the hut swaying all night I got no sleep the next evening. The following morning due to the cyclone and some other issues that I wont go into on a public blog, we made the call to leave.

Cristoff, Jess, James, Myself, and Anna and her kids all left that morning and came into Auroville to stay at the Aspiration guest house. We haven't regretted our decision yet and thankfully were able to dry out our stuff quite a bit yesterday. Only a few items have been lots to the mildew now. Today is the second day since we left Sadhana and the cyclone has finally worn its self out and save for a few light showers seems to be over. There are trees down everywhere, and power is still out but the storm is over and everwhere you look locals are clearing the trees and working to restore power. This blog is being posted courtesy of the generator outside the Internet point :P

written by  Slade's Elucidation on November 29, 2008 from Pondicherry, India
from the travel blog: Slade's Elucidation
tagged India, Auroville and SadhanaForest
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The view from our room at Aspiration

The huts are a pretty cool design. Two 'bedrooms' connected by a hall, off of which is the bathroom. The huts are squat though inside there is plenty of room to stand and the hall is half sunken in the ground, very well suited to cyclones :P.

Home sweet home take two

Its a wonderful arrangement for friends travelling together. Even the local dogs love the huts.

Theres...something....amongst the shoes

Since I can't, I'll try to make do with words.

To enter the Matramindir you first walk past the Banyan Tree and through the Gardens of Unity to approach the Mat by passing in between two of the 'petals' (which are also separate meditation chambers each with a theme and fitting colour) to descend a stone walkway to the base of the Mat. Directly under the Mat, which is suspended on the sides by four concrete 'feet', you see the lotus pond; a series of white marble scoops or medallions that descend inward becoming smaller and smaller until they end at a crystal globe directly under the Mat. The water flowing over the marbel scoops provides a musical backdrop to your approach. To actually enter the Mat you have to ascend a staircase leading into the spheres bottom. Once entered there is a circular hall running around in the inside of the base where you sit on white marble benches on white marble floors to put on your white socks. Around the inside of the hall, is a glass floor so you can peer directly into the lotus pond beneath. Once you have your booties on you pass through a door on the interior of the hall, immediately to your left is a small sculpture and to your right is a circular stair leading up, made of guess what....white marble. Ascending the stairs, the room opens up dramatically. The walls are covered with triangular panels which emit a faint golden red glow. The walls are quartered by four golden tiled bands running the vertical length of the room. In the centre of the room are two stairways spiralling down around eachother (the stair you just walked up being one), mirrored by two floating ramps, spiralling along the outer perimeter of the chamber up into the meditation chamber which is in the highest point of the Matrimindir. The ramps are carpeted with plush white carpet and are fairly steep, making the climb to the upper chamber a slight physical exertion. At the top of the ramps is a foyer of sorts leading into the meditation chamber. Thankfully, there are pictures of the inner chamber :P Go google matramindir and look for the big crystal globe.

We've been to the Mat a few times now, and one of the petal rooms, and not being in the practice of meditating regularly its been an interesting experience for sure.

Aside from going to the Mat, we've been mainly tooling about Auroville and visiting nearby Pondicherry.

The Botanical Gardens at Auroville

Crusing Auroville

We certainly have to get our fill of the place, because we're leaving Tuesday!!!

Tuesday we will be heading to Chennai to board a short flight to Pune India in the company of Jess and Cristoph.

From Pune it's anyones guess :D

written by  Slade's Elucidation on December 6, 2008 from Pondicherry, India
from the travel blog: Slade's Elucidation
tagged India, Pondicherry and Auroville
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Love yall!

written by  Slade's Elucidation on December 8, 2008 from Pune, India
from the travel blog: Slade's Elucidation
tagged India and Pune
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Yep, you read that right. After a thrilling 35 straight hours of traveling from Pune India we're back in the states.

Surprise :D

We're at James's mums place in Houston and will be here through the holidays and Savannahs b-day. We'll be heading back to Austin after January 3, probably the following weekend. Who knows though we may get the bug to drive up for a day or two sometime in the next week or so just to come smother everyone in hugs.

But for now, that's all folks. It is only by some miracle or force of nature I'm incapable of comprehending that I’m actually able to formulate coherent sentences at the moment. Or at least I think I am…

A cookie to whoever figures out first how James and I just had the gobsmackingly fun experience of a 35 hour day.

written by  Slade's Elucidation on December 16, 2008 from Houston, United States
from the travel blog: Slade's Elucidation
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A rickshaw was whistled up and the four climbed in and headed off for the shopping district known as MG road. MG roads by the way are like MLK roads in the states. Every towns got one. After wandering over hell and back again, the restraint of choice was located and food ordered. The four travelers then proceeded to stuff their pie holes with all sorts of tasty curries and a plethora of buttery bread type thingies that seem to make up the south-indian diet.

After their tummies’ cravings were satiated our four intrepid travelers headed back to their hotel via another rickshaw. Little did they know what evil this unassuming three wheeled conveyance had in store for them.

Upon arrival at their destination, all clambered out of the rickshaw and started rummaging in various pockets and bags to pay the man. Not one of the travelers noticed the lonely backpack still resting on the back seat. Someone did though. The rickshaw driver. After hastily grabbing his pay, the driver sped off into the chaos of Pune tires squealing. Not really, rickshaws have nowhere near the HP to make tires squeal, but if they did his would have.

Not long after the bearer of the back pack exclaimed, “Where’s my bag? OH FUCK”, and then dashed off into the haze in search of the villainous rickshaw driver. Despite the valiant attempts of the two men of the party the bag, and its precious contents, were not to be recovered. The travelers were devastated, her in particular. Six months of travel photography lost, 3500 files gone, all her hopes and dreams of poster size prints of aqua marine Mediterranean waters, the topaz sea spray of Galway Bay, the golden fields of freshly mowed Tuscan wheat…gone.

All she can do now is console herself (aka smear salt in the achy hole in her heart) by looking at the photos on which her dreams rested in a CRAPY REDUCED QUALITY AND SHRUNKEN version edited solely for internet use.

RIP my lovelies.

Fountain by World Trade Center

Military Magazine in Phoenix Park

Druids Cave in the Rock Close @ Blarney Castle

Swans and seven signets

Cliffs in Galway Bay

Momma and baby duck on Leith Walk

Leith Walk locals

Firing of the one o'clock gun

Celtic Cross gravestone in Dean Cemetary

She wakes

Meow senora meow

Pretty Geraniums

Roof kitties

Fontana di Trevi

Nice walk

This makes my soul happy

not probable, not impossible, not for case, not unavoidable

The view from my favorite siesta spot, in front of the Mariotti residence

Trove

The 2008 Palio

Frescos in Sant'Anna in Camprena Monastery

Freshly mowed wheat fields

Hot springs bath on MontAmiata

Fluffy butt, think shed fit in my suitcase?

Cinque Terre

Views of the Mediterranean

Riomaggiore

A walkway down to the water in Riomaggiore

Autumns come to the vinyard

I think I have an obsession with this cat

Fall foliage on the slopes of Mont Amiata

Sun sparkaling through the trees in Tuscany

Fall foliage on the slopes of Mont Amiata

Inside the tomb of Mereruka

Pyramids of Menkaure, Khafre, and Khufu, and wives/childrens in front

Cairenes enjoying the park with the Citadel in the background

Sadhana Sunsets

The Botanical Gardens at Auroville

/tear

written by  Slade's Elucidation on December 20, 2008 from Katy, United States
from the travel blog: Slade's Elucidation
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Currently we’re staying with Ed at his apartment, sleeping in Ben’s former room, grats to Ben on shacking up with the lady btw ;) Providing the planets are where they need to be we will be getting a large place with Heather, Richard and Ed. I’m very much looking forward to living with people whom I enjoy being around so much. After living as we did while traveling I can’t imagine going back to a home with just the two of us, it would seem so isolated.

We’ve been back in Austin for 10 days and so far our return has been everything I could of hoped for. Our friends welcomed us home with both arms flung wide open, and I was relieved to see that we seemed to pick up right where we left off. Things haven’t skipped a beat and yet didn’t pause a beat either while we were gone.

Everywhere I look I see the people I love doing wonderful things with their lives, pursuing their art and taking it to the next level, pursuing new avenues of self expression, and pushing themselves to a higher mental plane by consciously engaging their reality. I couldn’t be happier for my friends.

I’ve caught the hoping infection from the ladies, and smile upon my bruised hips as a sign of progression. This is definitely what I was needing to undo all those huge dinners at Trove.

Many people have been interested to know how we’re adjusting to the reality of life in America, and to that I simple reply…HELL NO!  What I expect out of life now has changed drastically. I refuse to drain myself physically and mentally like I have done previously trying to pursue degrees and a career. I think everyone needs the time to pursue hobbies and activities that encourage personal growth and the expansion of our consciousness, which is near impossible if you live your life in the rat race that American consumer society has become.

To help us along in this journey we’re heading to the Dhamma Siri Vipassana Meditation Center on the 28th to participate in a 10 meditation course. This is an intensive meditation course, we wont see each other the whole time and you are silent with the exception of limited dialogue between students and teachers. If this doesn’t teach me how to make all the chatter going on in my head quiet down I’m a lost cause: P

After we return it’s time to jump head first into creating the lives we want to live now.
Perhaps I’ll write up some reflections on the trip and post em up, but for now just this update on where we’re at and what we’re doing.

A special thanks to all the wonderful people we meet while traveling. Our hosts, our fellow volunteers, and the other travelers we ran into along the way. You restored my faith in the human race and that we have the strength and compassion needed to help humanity along to the next stage.

I’ll probably still update and use this blog, because after all once a traveler always a traveler. It’s just a matter of how long until the next trip!!!

Love!

P.S Soon as I can get them transfered from James's new laptop to my computer there will be pictures and blogs from all the "welcome home" events.

written by  Slade's Elucidation on January 13, 2009 from Austin, United States
from the travel blog: Slade's Elucidation
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