Camp Al-Gon-Quain: The Later Years

So, to recap:

The second flight was easy-peasy: 3.5 hours, no big deal.  The 2 hour car ride from the airport in Chennai to Auroville, where Sadhana Forest is located, was something else.  The driving was so wild!  It's kind of my dream: you can drive all over the road, pass on all sides, and no cops will pull you over! And, the best part, you get to honk the horn and flash your brights all the time; it's expected, especially if you're passing another vehicle. 

As I normally do not like to ride in vehicles with other drivers, I was rather impressed with my ability to keep my cool; I actually had full faith in my taxi driver to get me to my destination both quickly and safely. It almost felt like a controlled environment, like Mr. Toads Wild Ride, on amphetamines.

When we were almost to Sadhana, the driver pulled over and asked if I wanted some coconut.  I was thinking to myself 'hmm, everyone says not to eat fresh food or eat street food', so.... of course I partook, lol. 

So this guy on the side of the road hacks open a coconut, grabs a straw, and I drink.  It was utterly delightful, much better than the coconut water that you buy in the tetra pack (sorry, Zico).

Upon arrival to Sadhana, I was feeling energized and exhausted simultaneously. It was only 7am and I had a whole day to go.  After some asking around, I found Jamey, the guy I was here to "report" to, or the only person I had been in contact with.  Then I just hung out, ate some food, met some people (there were so many, lik 70 the day I got here, and already 20 have left in anticipation for the hot season), and volunteered to work in the kitchen.  By the time lunch rolled around, I was delirious!

Thus, some nice folks that live here showed me to my new home/hut, where I proceeded to cry a little bit, make my bed, get things tidy enough, and fell asleep. For hourrrrs.....but I still managed to wake up in time for dinner, duh!  It's that Harkins stomach, it knows when feeding time is, lol.

The past few days have been a blur of working, making friends and getting to know sadhana.  On Thursday night "Night Out" is imposed, where you have to fend for yourself for a meal.  Many people who are staying here long term have motor-bikes or mopeds, yet I haven't even checked out a bicycle yet.  The roads are so crazy I don't want to be on them at all!

However, I found myself hurtling down dirt roads and past cows on the side of the road on the back of a moped with a new friend, in pursuit of an ATM and some authentic Indian food for dinner.  If I thought the taxi ride was wild, this moped ride was horrifying!!!  I was like "Slow down, I'm an only child!" which of course elicited much laughter from my co-rider.  Geez Louise.  But once again,
I'm obviously safe and sound:)

For the work life, I've been volunteering to water the garden the past 5 days, which is really nice, but is also a job that requires work on the weekends.  Early.  Each day, I work outside with a hose and water cans from 6:30a-12:00p (with a break in between for breakfast).  Whew.  I'm looking forward to some new 1st and 2nd work (that's the insider terms for the work we do before breakfast and after) next week. For sure.

I'm not trying to knock it; I've learned so much about plants in a small amount of time, which is awesome, it's just sooooo hot.  The high here is in the mid-high 80s everyday, and it doesn't rain until monsoon season, which means it's super sunny, all day everyday.  Meow!  Luckily, I've been rockin' the SPF 100 to protect the tattoos and the skin, lol. Everyone here is tan besides me, especially my legs, eeew.

All in all, I'm loving it here.  I wake up everyday and can't believe I'm actually here while at the same time I feel like I've been here forever.  Also, each day when we wake, it's to several people walking around with an acoustic guitar, singing lovely songs.  It totally beats an alarm clock!  I had a dream about John Lennon the first night I was here and woke up to realize that the people walking around were singing "Here Comes The Sun."  It was soo awesome!!!

Here's a visual recap of the living situation: (and I get a personal hut because I'm "long-term" meaning I don't have to sleep in the dormitories: Yeah, privacy!)

This is what they look like from the outside, there's like 30 of them, they look like scary birds.

This is the view of some of the tapestries that act as a door and curtain.

This is my bed on the floor.  The mosquito net I have doesn't fit, so I sleep with the bugs :)

This is bed #2, in case I have any visitors/sleepover buddies. Or it's an alternative spot to nap.

Uh, this would be me, in my hut, decked out for watering the garden (sans sunglasses, duh).

So that's India, in a nutshell.  Stay tuned for more grown-up summer camp tales from yours truly:)