Now I Know I Am Crazy - Bus to Goa - Oy My God!
I left Pune yesterday after saying "goodbye" to friends, purchasing some Whirling music and geting a manicure/pedicure. I was all excited to board my sleeper compartment bus for Goa, an overnight journey.
I purchased a ticket for a double compartment so nobody else could be near me (as I understand sometimes happens) and went off to catch the bus. I was shown to a dingy double matress-type arrrangement with no curtain and a 3/4 partician. No prob. I took out a bunch of sarongs and made the place more to my liking and relaxed, even dozed off for a hot second.
And then, things got exciting. I bounced around in that damn bus all night. When I say bounced, I mean literally bounced like a rubber ball, only it was my body. I've experienced whiplash before from getting hit by a car, but this was up and down hitting bumps in the road.
I covered myself up in a white shawl, must have looked like a freakish shite muslim in white rather than black. I did not want to attract attention to myself because in the bus I was surrounded by men and there was this light in my bin shining on me the blonde westerner. Luckily, I knew the two Brits who were in the bin above me in case I needed help. And then I finally got the bus man to disassemble the wires so the light advertising me went out.
Needless to say, I was way out of my comfort zone. The bus was supposed to stop twice during the night, but did not so I could hardly wait to arrive in Goa to use a toilet. This means I could hardly wait to arrive at the appointed time of 6:30am when my friend Amit was picking me up. Oops. Imagine in a third world country like India arriving early!!! That's right, we arrived at 5am! That meant I was being dropped off in the pitch dark in a strange city and I had 1 & 1/2 hours to wait until I would be picked up.
What to do?
I really had to pee, but I had all this luggage to haul and I only could see one thing to do - go over to the tea stand that was the only thing open at the end of the block, order chi, sit down and wait. Act like I do this every day no matter that the only people around were something like 25 men and it was pitch black except for the little tea place.
So, that's what I did. I calmly sat down. People asked me if I needed a taxi or a rickshaw and I said, "No, thank you." A few Brits from another bus came by and we chatted it up for a 1/2 hour or so, but when they left, there I was - "I and I," as Bob Marley would say. And wait I did.
At 6:30 on the spot, Amit arrived. I paid the bill and went to pee while he took care of my belongings. We junmped in the car he had hired to bring me to my hotel and drove through this beautiful once Portuguese colony as the sun came up.
All I can say is, "Wow." This Tantra stuff really works. Being calm works better than any toughness I ever exhibited in the past. I just chilled and everything was fine all night long in two very dodgy situations. Very good test.
Amit dropped me at this lovely place run by two Sannayasans (from Osho). They are a lovely couple. She is from Switzerland. He is from Iran. They have been here for 30 years. Again the perfect thing has happened. I am with delightful people who are on my energy wave and oh, did I tell you that he is a musician and makes guess what type of music? Sufi Whirling music! Need I say more?
I imagine I will have a fantastic time in this beach paradise. Of course, that's after I get some sleep :-)
Namaskar Beloveds,
Laurie
I purchased a ticket for a double compartment so nobody else could be near me (as I understand sometimes happens) and went off to catch the bus. I was shown to a dingy double matress-type arrrangement with no curtain and a 3/4 partician. No prob. I took out a bunch of sarongs and made the place more to my liking and relaxed, even dozed off for a hot second.
And then, things got exciting. I bounced around in that damn bus all night. When I say bounced, I mean literally bounced like a rubber ball, only it was my body. I've experienced whiplash before from getting hit by a car, but this was up and down hitting bumps in the road.
I covered myself up in a white shawl, must have looked like a freakish shite muslim in white rather than black. I did not want to attract attention to myself because in the bus I was surrounded by men and there was this light in my bin shining on me the blonde westerner. Luckily, I knew the two Brits who were in the bin above me in case I needed help. And then I finally got the bus man to disassemble the wires so the light advertising me went out.
Needless to say, I was way out of my comfort zone. The bus was supposed to stop twice during the night, but did not so I could hardly wait to arrive in Goa to use a toilet. This means I could hardly wait to arrive at the appointed time of 6:30am when my friend Amit was picking me up. Oops. Imagine in a third world country like India arriving early!!! That's right, we arrived at 5am! That meant I was being dropped off in the pitch dark in a strange city and I had 1 & 1/2 hours to wait until I would be picked up.
What to do?
I really had to pee, but I had all this luggage to haul and I only could see one thing to do - go over to the tea stand that was the only thing open at the end of the block, order chi, sit down and wait. Act like I do this every day no matter that the only people around were something like 25 men and it was pitch black except for the little tea place.
So, that's what I did. I calmly sat down. People asked me if I needed a taxi or a rickshaw and I said, "No, thank you." A few Brits from another bus came by and we chatted it up for a 1/2 hour or so, but when they left, there I was - "I and I," as Bob Marley would say. And wait I did.
At 6:30 on the spot, Amit arrived. I paid the bill and went to pee while he took care of my belongings. We junmped in the car he had hired to bring me to my hotel and drove through this beautiful once Portuguese colony as the sun came up.
All I can say is, "Wow." This Tantra stuff really works. Being calm works better than any toughness I ever exhibited in the past. I just chilled and everything was fine all night long in two very dodgy situations. Very good test.
Amit dropped me at this lovely place run by two Sannayasans (from Osho). They are a lovely couple. She is from Switzerland. He is from Iran. They have been here for 30 years. Again the perfect thing has happened. I am with delightful people who are on my energy wave and oh, did I tell you that he is a musician and makes guess what type of music? Sufi Whirling music! Need I say more?
I imagine I will have a fantastic time in this beach paradise. Of course, that's after I get some sleep :-)
Namaskar Beloveds,
Laurie
posted by Latihan at 6:10 AM
4 Comments:
Paradise on a sleeper bus. Sounds like a wonderful expression of non-attachment. Congratulations.
Love,
Jeremiah
Laurie, I am a dakini, and friend of Jen's. Have heard a bit about you :) I am planning on going to India end of february...will you still be there? would love to meet up. meanwhile your notes will be helpful! My website is at www.genuinegoddess.com
oops...just noticed you'll be back home by the time I get there okay then :) we'll have to just meet in N.Y. I know ill be back there! :)
Hadass,
Thank you so much for writing to me. Alas, I return from India later this week, the 19th. I will be in the States for 5 days and then off to Argentina for Tango. Back to States in early Feb. You should see if we can meet in March when I plan to be in Philly, but if you are still in India, use me blog and write to me. If I can help you in any way, I will.
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