To Bali & beyond....

It was with very mixed feelings that I decided to come home as planned. The decision was made plain to me as I saw that Anne & Edie were very well supported by an incredible group of humans. This experience, though brutal for Anne physically, mentally & emotionally and painful for me to witness, brought many lasting lessons for us both. Not the least for me - trust & patience. I shall be forever grateful for a small group of incredible women who quickly became friends & supported me beautifully & for Anne's partner Praveen, who quite simply is an Angel.
My last morning started early with a visit to the old, original temple. It was quiet, no-one around except for priests & guards & women quietly preparing the temple & grounds for the day. Anne materialised & we witnessed a quiet blessing for the temple cows which happens, twice a day, every day, no matter what. The main cow had lost a calf a few days before, so the ceremony was extra poignant as she was painted & bestowed with mantra, flowers & music. We moved then into a smaller temple for an Aarti ceremony. The Aarti is performed by a priest waving lighted wicks soaked in ghee before the idol accompanied by various musical instruments, mantra & expressive songs which praise The God. Blessings from the lights were given to us also & we were given the opportunity to name those we wished to bless also. A beautiful, gentle experience. 🌸
A quick breakfast with the kids & it was into a car for a 4 hour drive to Bangalore. My driver was keen to practise his English so I learnt a lot about India & the area along the way. A full pressure hot shower was joyfully received upon arrival at the Hyatt for an overnight stay. Woo Hoo! A bit of an explore close by & then to bed for the long day travelling home began. Bangalore airport was quite the surprise - large, modern, beautifully decorated with cane lamps & structures flowing from the ceiling. Light, bright, efficient & not at all crowded. I was near tears as the plane with the red kangaroo slid into the gate. And so ended a pretty epic 3 weeks on all levels. I experienced every emotional state I knew of and more. Many great experiences, beautiful people met & lessons learnt which will remain deep within forever.
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