Traveling thoughts

I find myself losing time or difficulty tracking it.. A wonderful feeling to be traveling with a purpose and none at all dually. Today we said goodbye to Sunir and Sagun and headed down the "improved" roads and across expanses of millet/sorgum , dry grazed grasses, sugar cane, banana plantations, small worn down towns,. Bullock carts piled hight with harvested sugar cane edge the road and rickshaws, bicyclers, and cars weave in a out of one another, around dogs, pigs and cattle in the road, and numerous pot hoes.

The corn has been harvested, a gold yellow drying between the tilled rows adding a blaze of color to the red and brown clay fields thirsty for the summer rains. It hasn't rained here at all and it won't till April. The land is gently undulating, rolling with the fine grass cover. I expect that these lands like ours were once vast forests, and later conversations support my suspicions. A line of black goats and herders wrapped in dirty turbans and shreds of clothing string their way across this landscape. Some goats are blessed with a brilliant pink dye and the top ram's horns are painted blue. These colors honor their gods and blue especially indicates power and strength. Woman are seen collectively adorned in bright colored sauris of brilliant green, yellow, blue and red. They are striking against the worn lands and they themselves are worn by poverty and hand labor inflicted upon them by the cast system which remains strong. Like the flowers blooming brightly into the blue sky, the woman bring striking and strong beauty to the beaten lands. They shine in pride in they style and dress but their smile shines the most radiant. A namaste, a word of welcome and honor, brings the worn hands to the equally worn face in a nodding prayer that ends with hands to heart, a gracious thank you of acknowledgement.

People are seen bathing and urinating along the road. Brilliant advertisements are painted on building walls and the banyan trees painted in 3 thick stripes of alternating red and white protect the trees from being felled. Hindu temples are found everywhere and are of every shape and size. Each specifically for each caste layer. This peaceful religion is responsible for the happiness, smiles, and brilliant colors of India. They are content no matter what their hardship. They don't just follow their religion, they apply it whole heartedly to their lives. Yoga and meditation are just one part of their religious practices. Every morning, you can find men and woman alike practicing yoga in the park singly or as part of a class.. which mind you is free of cost.

We stopped at a shoe factory, where the sandals are hand made by elders sitting comfortably on the ground. Many of us would have difficult sitting and or standing up let alone sitting in lotus position for hours. These shoes will be sent off to Britain more 60 euros, they make less than 3 dollars a day... I am seeing what I already knew.. The cost of our embellishments, is someone else’s poverty and environment..