Author: Lilly Acacia

When I left Sri Lanka 3rd of September around mid day, I was in very much doubt about where I would go to after the housewarming party in Goa, as was suppose to last around 4-6 days.

The doubt arised because I recently had been in a huge flood in Kerala and I really didn´t feel for going back to India. But on my way around Sri Lanka, I had talked to two of my friends from the Camino in Spain, both of them, wanted me to join them trekking in either Australien or at the camino again, but if I did that, then I wouldn´t have time to write my book, and that was my plan from the beginning of my travel to do that in India. Very quick I turned down the offer to go to Australia, couse it would be to much travelling. But I couldn´t deside about the camino in Spain, so I din´t reply to that offer, decided to wait with that until I was back in India.

In the airport of Goa, I was met by a driver I knew, and his first word to me was: “Welcome back home Ma´m”, these words kept me blown away and as we were driving to Asvem, I thought a lot about them. When we arrived at my friends resort, my friend met me at the entrance, and after I had been to my room we went for a talk at the beach, and here I really, after so long time away, felt I really was home!.

The next day I got the same feeling when I was putting my toes into the sand and I was no longer in doubt about where to write my book and settle down for a period. So as I took my phone, to write my friend in Germany, to tell her about my decision, a message came in from her, that told me, that she was not able to do the camino once more this year, she had to learn to live in her new appartement before she was to hike on the camino once more. So my decision became very easy about staying in Goa, showed up to be the right thing to do and now after 6 months here I still believe it was for the best.

When I arrived here, here seemed to be no villages, neither Mandrem or Aswem Beach seemed to exist, everything was wrapped into big colored plastic tarpaulins to protect the buildings from the monsoon rain which still not was finish, so empty here was and yet, if you listen, you would be able to hear the sound of an electric saw or two. So something was happening here but it didn´t lok like the small villages I used to know.

When I one day wanted to walk along the beach, from Aswem to Mandrem, I was not able to do it, because the tide was so high, so I had to walk by the road. There was only 4 km, so I enjoyed the walk even though I had to dress up and cover knee and shoulders, because there seemed to be no other foreigners than me, and I prefered not to show anything, not to give any Indians any funny ideas. In Mandrem was only one restaurant open, and here I gained the first new friends in Mandrem, and they are still friends after 6 months, I am really grateful for that.

After a short time, the inhabitants began to tear down the tarpaulins, and slowly the small city of Mandrem Beach revealed, and now I I had to fight for a good appartement within the other tourist for the hole season came. I got a place to stay at a friend, whom rent out houses for short time stays, but as she said, here is nobody yet, so I will give you this yellow house with the view to the ocean, for a temperary period until you find an appartement, for a very cheap money.

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11 of October I moved into a real nice appartement with tree rooms, kitchen and livingroom, this one I then had to share with two other women from Denmark and England so that the rent became low enough. Believe me, that was the best idé I ever had got, because the tree of us became really good friends and have bonded in a real nice way. So we have now decided, st when we come out here next season, we will stay in Southgoa and see what to create there.

This season in Mandrem, has been very quietly. Until Christmas there was not many tourists and all of the shopdealers complained a lot, sighed after some sale and after Christmas it didn´t seem to be any better, first now in february there are some more people here, and a little sale, but none of shopdealers clap their hands.. This silent time seems to be the result of the long and warm summer we had in Europe 2018. But is that really the only problem for why here is so quiet. Unfortunately there has been fully booked at 3 huge resorts most of the time, but for some reason we don´t know, nobody seems to like to walk the street, and people here is wondering why?

Huge contructions are going on here, all the inhabitants want to be rich and therefore they are building big houses with appartements to rent out og huge hotels, but all of these constructions makes a lot of noise, and this noise did not stop before Christmas, and still here are some there is not finish and do not care about how much they disturb the tourists with the noise of chainsaws and blowtorches. That has probably (I am sure) scared people away, from this small city there used to be a silent and peaceful place. And another reason to not so much traffic in the shopping street could be that all the shops has the same things, same boring clothes and other things as the last ten years . The shop owners does not want to listen to our words about having different things in each shop, so it doesn´t look alike one shop after another, they don´t like to renew themself or their shops.

All the prices seems to have increased, for both food, rents for appartements, massage, events and the taxidriving, so it is not a cheap place to be anymore.

Another reason could also be, that the russians has taken over the place, they are all over here, in Mandrem, Arambol, Aswem, Anjuna , they are all over the northern part of Goa. I am not a racist, I really like all human beings, and I also have some russian friends, but I don´t like when tourist in other countries does not behave in a good way, and I have to say that 75% of the russians here, does not know how to behave, they are drinking a lot, get drunk, take drugs, get vociferous, yell and are fighting each other. The women does not understand how to dress in a street, they walk down the street in a very tiny bikini, there does not leave anything to the fantasy. At the restaurants, they come in half naked, buy the food, go to the store next door to buy something to drink for their meals at the restaurant, and they do not care about the owners of the restaurants see it. They leave a mess after themselves when they leave restaurants, beach or where so ever they are, they never clean up after them selfes and they believe every indian has to obey their orders.. Yes I know this seems to be generalizing, but it is unfortunately the truth.

I don´t understand that the Indians seems to agree with this, some of them has even learned the russian language, just to talk to the russians, because the russian can´t speak english or other languages, they demand the people here to understand their language and behavior. I have talked to my indian friend, who is married to a Polish man about it, and the subject occured a day, where she was very tired after an episode with a russian guy at her resort. She came to that theory, that the russians succeed doing this, because they are so demanding in their attitude and that the Indians for many thousand of years always have had to obey the authority, so they dont know how else to do.. But they don´t really approve this kind of behavior. I believe my friend is right about this subject, but however, it is not the right way to behave Russian or not!

My stay here in India, Goa and Kerala, has however been so wonderful an experience, I have acchieved a huge insight of how India people think and act, and what India as a country and goverment stands for.

I have learned to know a lot of people, gained a lot of new friends, has been attending a lot of their parties, has looked into their schools, their traditions, now I have acchieved so much knowlegde about these south state Indian people, so next time (and there will be a next time), I come here, I will begin in the North part of the country instead of the south, I simple does have to learn more about this wonderful fashinating Country. But I will not be out here in any more monsoon time, its simple too humid and warm for me, and way too rainfull.

Besides that, I also have learned a lot of new skills, taken some courses and are now teacher in Sound healing/meditation, as well as in panchakarma treatments, yoga and some other kinds of massage, therapies ect..

So now I am even more capable, to do retreats, than before, just because of these new skills to my CV. And I really like to announce, that I, yes me Lilly Acacia, have learned to teach yoga in the english language, and every morning I am/has been teaching at a hotel/resort. And to fill in my days, well that is certainly no problem, but I write on my book and walk the beach to keep fit, and meditate, chanting and dancing.. Ohhh my life is so good 🙏😇

So der friends and citizents in India, Aluva , Fort Kochi in Kearala, Mandrem, Asvem, Arambol in Goa, I thank you of all my heart for giving me a wonderful, rich time with a lot of learnings, but also a tough experience in Aluva, (the flood) Kerala. And for the most relaxed stay in Mandrem with a lot of good friends around me, there have stand by my side in all my time away from my own country.

The time has now for me, come to continue my travel, I will from here go to experience Mauritius, before I go for my own Country in the middle of March.

Even though my blog has been silent for a longer time, though, I will keep on writing here, now and when I have time.. Sometimes there will however, be a long while with not much happening here, due to, that I am still writing my book, and it takes a long time to do that, But I will still be posting words here too..

So, If you want to read about my tour to Mauritius, then please stay tuned to watch the next episode of “SOAP” 😉

In love & light, Namasté 🙏❤️

Lilly Acacia

Jeg skrev som I nok ved, i min blog om Kerala, at der var advarsel om oversvømmelse i Aluva og Kerala hvor jeg boede, men jeg skrev også, at det heldigvis blev ved advarslen, da vandstanden sank i stedet for at stige i dette område.

Men som I måske har set i diverse nyheder i Danmark, så har Kerala været totalt oversvømmet, og når jeg først skriver om det nu, så er det fordi at jeg selv stod midt i oversvømmelsen, og ikke før nu har jeg været parat til at dele ud om den oplevelse. Derfor fik i min historie om Sri Lanka imellemtiden.

Nu er så jeg klar til at dele oplevelsen med jer og hermed også klar til at fortælle hvad den førte med sig af beslutninger.

Da jeg i min sidste blogpost fortalte om Kerala, der fortalte jeg også at jeg ville tage ud og tømme min lejlighed næste dag, hvilket var en onsdag, men jeg vidste da ikke hvad det ville indebære, men mens jeg skrev det regnede det voldsomt og  den onsdag morgen, hvor jeg så tog afsted sammen med en af mine venner, som også var min chauffør, da vi talte om, at det dog var et forfærdeligt regnvejr (hvad det skulle komme til at betyde vidste vi heldigvis ikke på givne tidspunkt), men trafikken gled fint, og da vi havde kørt i 45 minutter kom jeg i tanke om at jeg havde glemt nøglerne til lejligheden, for hulen da også øv øv…

Vi måtte vende om, køre tilbage til Fort Kochi og hente dem, heldigvis viste det sig at gå hurtigt.. og vi fik sørme samme færge både den ene og anden vej..

Da vi kom til Aluva, havde vi snakket om de mulige oversvømmelser der tidligere havde skulle være, men jeg fortalte at der intet problem havde været der hvor jeg boede, da vandet var sunket istedet for at stige..

Men men, jo tættere vi kom på min lejlighed ved floden Peryiar, kunne vi se at der måske ville være et mindre problem nu, for vejen var spærret af grundet oversvømmelse.. Åhhh hvad gør man så..  Vi fandt et sted at parkere hvor der ikke var oversvømmet, og da vi kunne se, at det kun var et begrænset område der var slemt, hvor folk stod i vand til knæene, så kiggede vi på hinanden og tog så skridtet ud i det knæhøje vand, det gik fint, folk var søde og rare, og tilsyneladende endnu ikke bekymret, så de hjalp med at føre uden om løse sten. På den lille vej jeg boede på var vandet ikke endnu nået at komme til, så vi åndede lettet op, gik op til huset og her heller ingen vand, og kun 2 personer hjemme..

jeg fortalte dem at jeg rejste, at jeg ikke ville være i Kerala mere og derpå delte jeg ud af mine indkøb til henholdsvis familien og min ven.. DET tog ca. tyve minutter og så var vi klar til at forlade stedet.. Og

Ohhhh….. Nu viste det sig bare, at vandet ikke længere kun nåede os til knæene, men helt op midt på lårene, og folk var begyndt at forsvinde fra gaden. Denne gang gik det op for os, hvor alvorligt det var og vi kiggede på hinanden, og overvejdede hvordan vi dog skulle komme væk.. Jeg sagde til min ven;  At nu var vi bare nødt til at tage tingene på hovedet og hoppe ud i vandet, for væk det skulle vi !!! og helst i en vis fart” han nikkede, vidste det godt, men vi vidste jo ikke hvordan underlaget ville være at gå på?.

Hvis jeg havde haft tid, så havde jeg taget billeder af det, men tiden var for vigtig til at tage billeder, var måske ikke lige det jeg tænkte på i det øjeblik, (det kunne jeg jo så være ked af nu, men det er jeg ikke rigtig). Politiet var der, de hersede med os, for at vi skulle komme afsted, mens vi kunne. så ud i vandet gik vi med tingene oppe på hovedet og denne gang var det politiet og ikke befolkningen som stod klar med hjælpende hænder.

Gudskelov kom vi igennem og hen til bilen som kun lige havde vand til det halve af dækkene. Men hvor var det dog svært at komme ud af Aluva, for der var bare vand så mange steder og det tog så lang tid, også selv vi ikke vidste hvad klokken var, så føltes det som timer, inden vi var vel ude af det. Da vi nåede tilbage til Fort Kochi, hørte vi at de havde lukket for lufthavnen i 4 dage fra nu. Og jeg havde en studiekammerat der skulle flyve ud derfra næste dag.. Det kunne hun så ikke, men blev i stedet for hentet ved midnatstide af en taxi, der skulle køre hende 7 timer til Trivandrum lufthavn.. Det var så i sidste øjeblik de kom afsted, for det viste sig at vejene omkring Fort Kochi blev blokeret af vand senere den nat.

Jeg selv derimod blev i Fort Kochi, troede det ville stoppe med at regne, men nej, regnen fortsatte og jeg blev mere og mere deprimeret, for hvad i alverden skulle jeg dog lave i Fort Kochi, når man ikke kunne være udenfor for bare regn.

To dage senere sagde de i medierne at strømmen til Fort Kochi sandsynligvis ville forsvinde i løbet af samme eller næste dag. Så der tog jeg den næste beslutning: Jeg skulle bare væk fra Kerala og det kunne ikke gå for stærkt, så jeg spurgte efter en togbillet og fik svaret; “Desværre, det kan ikke lade sig gøre, al tog og bustrafik er også stoppet nu !!! “.

Så hvis jeg ville væk, så måtte jeg tage en taxa og det skulle helst være om morgenen inden vandstanden steg senere på dagen.

Jeg spurgte så en anden studiekammerat, der også var fanget i Fort Kochi,  om hun og hendes datter ville med, og ja det ville de rigtig gerne (de skulle nemlig hjem til Guatelope nogle dage senere).

Så tidligt næste morgen var jeg og taxaen parat, men det var de to andre ikke, så vi måtte vente næsten en time på at de fik gjort sig færdige og vi nåede lige akkurat ud af Kochi førend de lukkede vejene igen. 9 timer senere ankom vi til Trivandrum, (det tog så lang tid at køre den vej, der normalt kun tager 5-6 at køre, da der var mange der ville samme vej som os).

Og hvad så, så skulle jeg først til at bestille visa til Sri Lanka, og hotel til første dag derovre.. Sikke noget rod, for det tog så lang tid, at oploade de forskellige dokumenter (grundet ringe internet). Så det brugte jeg det meste af den nat på og om morgenen blev jeg hentet af en taxa kl 07:00 for at køre til Lufthavnen.

I det øjeblik jeg stod i lufthavnen, vidste jeg uden tøven, at jeg ikke ville komme tilbage til Kerala, for at tage de sidste to kurser i Ayurveda… Jeg havde det som om, at denne oversvømmelse var et spark i røven til mig, om at komme videre, simpelthen universets måde at fortælle mig på, at jeg ikke skulle være der mere og at de næste to kurser ikke var så nødvendige som jeg troede.. men hvad så??

Skulle jeg tage hjem til Danmark, efter at have været på Sri Lanka, eller skulle jeg tage til Australien og bo hos en vandre veninde?, jeg anede det simpelthen ikke, det eneste jeg vidste var, at jeg var inviteret til et 4 dages housewarming i Goa fra den 3-6 september. Og så måtte jeg jo bare udfylde mellemværende tid på bedste mulige måde og senere vende tilbage til næste beslutning, men lige i nuet, der skulle jeg bare så meget væk fra  Aluva i  Kerala, væk fra de indiske myndigheder, væk fra Akademiet.. Ja bare væk.

Jeg er tilsyneladende blevet mere mærket af denne oplevelse, end jeg troede, for hver gang jeg siden har været i nærheden af en sø eller flod, så kommer kommer tanken    “hvad nu hvis”? Og så må jeg lige stille ind, og fortælle mig selv, at der jo intet sker, det var en engangs oplevelse !!!  Men da godt nok en af de oplevelser, jeg rent faktisk godt kunne have været foruden.  – OG DOG.-  Det var tilsyneladende også en oplevelse, der var nødvendig for at jeg skulle forstå, at jeg ikke skulle være i Aluva Kerala mere. En oplevelse, som endte med, at sende mig det rette sted hen og gøre mig en kedelig erfaring rigere.

Universets måde at vise mig, at min camino stadig er med mig måske og måske englenes måde, at give mig svar på spørgsmålet, om hvad jeg skulle gøre.

Nej jeg er ikke overtroisk, men jeg tror på, at vi får besked fra universet, englene, guderne, hvis vi lytter til vores intuition, hvis vi mediterer og stiller de rigtige spørgsmål undervejs.

Måske vil du sige, at det intet har på sig, at du ikke tror på den slags. Men det gør jeg, for det har vist sig så mange gange i år, at alting pludselig falder på plads af sig selv, så der kun er en vej at gå..

Og Nej nu er det ikke sådan, at mit svar fra universet var årsag til oversvømmelserne, for sådan fungerer det da heldigvis ikke!!! Hvorfor befolkningen i Kerala skulle den oplevelse igennem, det ved jeg ikke, for det var da en rigtig sørgelig oplevelse.

Der døde ca. 400 mennesker og ca 200.000 blev evakueret og i skrivende stund er de igang med at genopbygge Kochi og Aluva og hele Kerala i de områder, der blev ramt. Men det vil tage lang tid inden de igen kommer tilbage, hvor de var ør end oversvømmelsen.

Dog var oversvømmelsen et sikkert tegn til mig, om at jeg bare skulle se at komme væk..

Flere af ovenstående billeder er nogen jeg senere har fået tilsendt.

Hvis du skulle havelyst til at høre mere om min rejse ud , så følg med i næste afsnit af “SKUM”.

I lys og kærlighed, namesté 🙏 ❤️

Lilly Akacia

 

Pedrouza to Santiago:  The end or the beginning? ❤

I left Junction Pedrouzo the 13th of July 2018 exactly 38 days after I started in St. Jean Pied du Port.

I was sleeping at a 3 beds pension together with two other pilgrims in this city, (all due to all the school classes and other tourist pilgrims, there only took the 114 km trip from Sarria to get a certificate) so there was not any more space at the hostels when we (real pilgrims) at least arrived at 4pm. What to do then, other than book a pension for 3.

This last night at Camino, was very special, we went to the supermarked, got some chocolate, something to drink. After this we went for eating a real nice Paella with vegetables.

Back in our pension we started talking about, what this Camino had been doing for our body, mind and soul, if we had any expectations before we came, if we felt changed in anyway, we were looking back in our books and somehow we suddenly could remember more from all the cities and landmarks we have seen.

We wanted to go to the church to get our second stamp, and for some of us, to pray and say thank you, we just reached it before they closed the church.

The morning of the 13^th, I did start my walking with one of  my pilgrim friends from our pension, but we were only walking together until our breakfast restaurant. There  for some reason, we decided to split up, without talking about it, and to do the walk 18 km into Santiago alone and in silence.

Suddenly it felt so strange, to be so close to Santiago, after so many days and so many kilometers of walking. To walk alone, in our own thoughts, seems to be the only right thing to do. We didn´t talk about it, it just happened at the café, when suddenly large groups of tourist pilgrims walked in.  I sent my friend away (she only had colacao, so she was finish before me, who had a real breakfast), in silence we hugged each other and said “I will see you in Santiago” and then she walked.

I hurried up, went to the bathroom and left the restaurant alone, where the sunrise meanwhile was painting the most wonderful light on the sky and in the background I could hear all the cliks from all other pilgrims walking sticks, on this beautiful forest path. It went, of course uphill, what else? Oh we have had so many up- and downhills, so I knew that there soon would be another downhill, and so it was.

Soon I left all the tourist pilgrims behind me, and then I was total alone on the path, it was so nice, my thoughts was like this:  Did I realize anything on this tour, how could I ever walk this 800 km km? How could I ever even think of being doing it? To climb a mountain or 3? I couldn´t understand how I did it. I have allways being afraid of heights, and suddenly I found myself climbing mountains, how could I do this, who made it possible for me to do it?

After another 10 km there was a new bar/restaurant and that was so good, because I really needed coffee and a break! While I was sitting there, there suddenly arrived a Danish married couple, and we ofcourse started to talk. It showed up, that they had done the tour several times, but only one time they had started from St. Jean Pied du Port in France. He, the man told me, that I should not be surprised when I started to cry on my way into Santiago, and if I didn´t cry there, he was completely sure, that I would burst into tears at the mass in the Cathedral. And off they went, I never met them again.

I did, at that point start to quest myself, while I was walking, why should I cry? I didn´t at that point have the feeling about that. I walked up and down, up and down , saw the most beautiful landshape along this walk, and then suddenly I realized that I was at the last hill before Santiago, and I really don’t know from there, what happened to me, but as I took pictures of the Cruz and the monuments and of the sight of Santiago below the hill, it was laying in sunshine, while we at the top, at that time were cloudy.

I saw Santiago down there, I saw all the Koreans, all the bikers, all the schoolkids, all the Tourist walkers, and all the tourists there just wanted to see this point, and then I saw all the pilgrims, Koreans, Canadians, Americans, Europeans, I saw all the pilgrims  from all over the world, and my thoughts was, that we were all alike, no matter of the colour of our skin, no matter how many steps we have walked, we were all human beings, there took this journey, for some reason, and I suddenly didn´t care if those 100 km tourist walkers got a diploma or not.. Because I had not walked in their shoes, I didn´t know for which reason they did this. But deepest inside I knew, that I was a real pilgrim, I had a story to tell, I walked the line, I did 8-900 kilometers in 38 days, and suddenly the tears came and along the last 5 km into the sign of the cityport, my tears silent run down my cheeks, I couldn´t stop them, and I didn´t even try to remove them from my face.. And then suddenly I was at the cityport, and some Korean friends/pilgrims took pictures of me, and they said: YOU are suppose to raise your arms and say “YES I DID IT”, I then told them I couldn´t, but we smiled, and hugged each other, for all of us had tears end were really sentimental human beings there.

YES WE DID IT , we did really walk all these kilometers through Mountains, Mesetas, City´s, rain, sun, mud, real nice roads, real dangerous path´s, through thoughts where we called our GOD for help, through thoughts, where we laughed for no reason, we walked with and without other pilgrims, we walked these 800 km with GODs and the angels help. God and the angels helped us to open our mind, to see the world is full of love, to let us know, that if we could do this walk, we could do everything, everything is possible, to let us know that love and happiness and faith is all you need to keep continueing, even though your feet, angle, shinbones are hurting, even though you are in all kind of pain.. Have faith, faith faith 🙏

Yes I entered Santiago in tears, but also in gratefulness, for I had never thought, that this walk, could give me anything than blisters and pain, but it did, it gave me so beautiful views, it gave me inner peace, it gave me new friends, it gave me the feeling of belonging, the feeling of no one of us is different, we are all alike, no matter our color of our skin, no matter age, no matter genres, we all want the same, and that is properly to live a full life with joy and happiness inside and not to be scared of war. And then most of all, it gave me strength and new ideas of what to do with my life. Even though there was not a flashlight coming down from heaven.

To be in the Cathedral the next morning, was very emotional as well, the priest told us, that he knew which travel inside ourself we had done during this Camino, because he also had done it himself years ago. He also told us that even though many of us now was thinking that the Camino was to end in Santiago, then he knew, that Santiago was not the end, but the beginning of the Camino, and he said, from now on, the Camino will always be with you, and from now on you know, that whatever you want to do, you can really can do!  And you will have the Camino in your thoughts.

Many of you will tomorrow go to Finesterre to finish the person you were before the Camino, and put the new YOU on the path, the you, you became during this walk. May the Camino for always be with you 🙏❤

 

Epilog:

After and up-hill there will always be a downhill, and after the downhill, there will for sure come an uphill. Life will always have up- and downs, sorrows and happiness will always be a part of our lives, for have we not experienced either of these, then we had not lived our lives truly. We are not supposed to give up in pain, there is no other way out of pain than to walk on.

When I on the Camino had this enormous pain, sitting in a pension one morning with so much pain, I was thinking, how to get of this Camino, from this place, in this small city in the middle of nowhere., And my next thought was, well how can I continue with this serious pain? Then I realized, that there was no other escape, than to continue, there was no way out of it, I had to continue! I did then put my booths on, put my backpack on my back, took my best friends = my walking sticks in my hands, slammed the door and continued! I really realized, that there is no escape from the world, other than just go on with my life.

My body, mind and soul needed this walk to recover from stress symptoms, my body, mind and soul needed this walk to find peace deep inside of me, my body, mind and soul needed the walk, just because I needed to tell people around me, how they can- and will be able to change their life /lifestyle, if they want too !!!.

I am not religious, but I am very spiritual, so all the times I have been writing about God, it´s up to you, my dear reader, to decide if its means you believe in the God above us, or the God inside of you?? <3

But I had the feeling, from church to church I was visiting, that Madonna, Santa Maria, Jesus and all the other figures became more and more alive on this tour, and even Madonna was crying with me in the Cathedral this last day 🙏 ❤

Would I walk the Camino again? YES YES YES! And did I wnt to to finish it off at Finisterre, YES ofcourse I did.. BUT by bus 😄

I am so grateful that my God and my angels helped me to walk all the Camino and to release my pain and set my body and mind free 🙏

This is the end of my story at the Camino, but it´s not the end of my blog, I will continue writing from India, when I go back there in the end of july 2018, but for now I will wish you to have a wonderful summer, where ever you are in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you so much to follow my blogs, and I hope you have had joy out of it. Please stay on for the next chapter of “SOAP”.

 

In love and light, Namasté 🙏 ❤Lilly Acacia

 

 

 

 

 

From Leon To Pedrouza: Up and down, life in a a nutshell 😆

To walk out of Leon was just as boring as to walk in to Leon. 7 km through a huge area of industry, pavement after pavement, noisy cars, and a lot of uphill. At some time I had to walk behind some Korian pilgrims, whom walk with their walking sticks in a funny noisy way, where you hear the cliks all the time. It is so annoying to listen to. It is not only Koreans there uses the stick this way, but this morning it was them, and when you are used to the silence when you walk, then these sounds can be too much, or maybe I was just real sensitive this morning.

Patient is a the word, I had to be patient, cause these sounds will disappear again at the time where we will be apart from each other due to our different pave.

Out of the city I walked with another pilgrim, a pilgrim I also walked into Leon with, but now was the time to walk alone again. I hate to feel a pressure, when we don’t walk in same pave, and I had to tell her that. I did not feel good about telling it, and that’s properly why I felt sensitive.

After 7 km we came to a coffee bar/restaurant, and the the last part of the Meseta lay in front of us, it was so beautiful, a long meadow path filled with beautiful lavender, and yellow bushes and heather, the scent was just as wonderful as the path itself.

The silence and my thoughts filled my head and my feets seems to be walking by themselves, no rain, just a little cloudy, never had the silence been more welcome. Suddenly I was in a very small city called Oncina de la Valdoncina, and while I were having lunch, God himself sent me a lot of rain. It stopped and then I walked on toward the next albergue, but then it started rain again, and I was so wet, when I arrived at Villar de Mazarife, where I stopped for the day. In this city it was diffecult to navigate, so I got lost.. lost in a little city, ohh come on, how could this happen to me.

The albergue was cozy, but cold, but had a good bed and then Jaquline was there, she was a german pilgrim I had shared a room with before, and here was also a young Danish couple, there just had begun their camino in Leon. So it turned out to be a real nice evening.

I left the small city early next morning, total alone on the road, walking and listening to the birds there were singing, and the day was so new, that the smell of night still was hanging in the air. Wonder if you might be able to smell the air, when I am telling about it?

In front of me, I had a short walk to do, cause I wanted to stay overnight at a speciel albergue in the city Hospital de Orbiga. At this albergue, the book says they have yoga, meditation and vegetarian homecooked meals. So ofcourse that was meant for me. The city has the most romantic roman bridge and a real nice energy , but it was hard to find the albergue Verde, but I did. This place was run by 3 famililies and they offered massage and healing as well. The yoga was not very good, but the teacher did his best. The healing though was quiet nice, and the food was real good.. a real nice place to stay overnight if you are coming to this city.. I real recommend it.

Late afternoon, it began to rain again and it was raining a lot during the night and in the morning.. So I came late out walking, because I hoped for the rain to stop, remember, I was walking in sandals, and the path´s are often real muddy for dsys after the rain.. But the rain only stopped for a very little timem so there was no other to do than walk.. ohhhh It was muddy, and rainy, just one of those days, where I questioned myself why I was doing this? In the afternoon I arrived in Astorga, a medium size city, a real nice one, and the sun appeared at the sky. Came to a nice albergue and here I found Jaqueline again and later I run into Chris, Sue Ellen, and Graham. (Woow this young guy Graham keep amazing me, I never thought he would be able to walk this far, but he did and are still walking on).

In Astorga is there an amazing Cathedral and the museum called Gaudi Palace is real worth taking a look at.

I had a mission to find a jacket, because a lot of people was telling me, that it would be real cold in the mountains there was coming up, so I went to do that, not an easy job, but I succeded, it was expensive, cause the cities are making their living by us, the peregrinos money, I could properly find the same jacket to the half price in Denmark, but I needed it now, so had to pay the pric

From Astorga the days started out dry, and with a nice path out of city and within a few kilometers we came to a tiny little church, with a wonderful alter, and on their wall they had this small prayer, it says so much and it will forever be in my mind from now on.

And then the uphill to Fonchebadon was starting,  it went up and down, up and down, straight, and the up , up, up through a city, and then throught a narrow beautiful path in a plantaion. The silence was noisy, even though summerbirds, bees, and birds was breaking the noise. My feet just kept walking up, up and up and then the area turned into a forest with a nice resting area, but also with a huge mudhole after the break, the muhole was enormous and I really had to climp not to sink into the mud, ha ha ha.. I must have been a real laughing sight.. 😂

But late afternoon I succeded to reach Fonchebadon almost at the top of the mountain, I found a nice albergue, and all my trouble disappeared, for heye, I did then not have to do that much uphill, the next morning, wiieeee so nice!

To be at the top of Fonchebadon, and see the“Cruz de Ferro” in a height of 1.500 m that was special, the highest point at the hole Camino, and it would have been so nice if it has been on a day with clear blue sky, but it was misty.. some people had arranged a place where we could, if we wanted to, buy some necessary food and drinks. The fog/mist did, that even though there was some people here in the morning, it was still very peaceful, and you could walk up to the Cruz and put whatever you wanted to leave there on the staf or the stone, you might have picked up.. Or if you had some mental luggage you needed to get rid of, this was a very good place to leave it behind. I sat at this place about 30 minutes in a form for meditation

And then I started my downhill trip number ????, to the next small city where breakfast nr. 2 was waiting. And futher it went to Rio de Ambros, where I eally was in need of a toilet, wooow, it turned out to be just another ghost city, and even though they had a sign with a bar, there was no bar.. so I had to use the nature for a toilet. Well that is just one of the things, you have to do sometimes at this camino. This city was really depressing, and every time I cross one of these ghostcities I am being filled with sadness.

And then it went down, down, down through a very narrow path with rocks, granite, and rolling stones, water, it was real a dangerous steep steep downhill, it was just the worst downhill on this camino until now.

 

And then suddenly I came to my next albergue in Molinaseca, and in this town I lost my new ring, the ring I bought in India, it was so beautiful, silver and with a lot of real gemstones, but it seemed like it just not wanted to be with me anymore, maybe it was time for me to be remembered about, that all these material things, does not mean anything in the world, for what is material stuff vs having a good health and a exiting life.. Life is so much better, when you feel good, is in good health and having a good time.

To arrive to Ponferrada the next morning, the last big city at the Camino was a bit weird, everything seemed to be closed, there was no life in the old city, and even the tourist attraction Knights Templar was closed for the day, and it was raining. Lucky me, I found an open café, and could put down my backpack, lean back and put my feet up at another chair, and just wait for church office to open at 2pm with a cup of coffee in my hand.. well life is not to complain about.

Next day I decided to find the Mc.donald, well usually I do not eat Mc.Donalds food, but somehow I really needed this kind of food, I was so sick and tired of the Spanish Camino food, so just the sign of Mc.Donald did that I suddenly had a craving for it, and then it turned out to be in a shoppingcenter, this was nice, my first shopping, real back to the normal world for an hour, with NO rain. Ohhh yes I really enjoyed this.

Ponferrada – Villarfranca, Villarfranca – laguna de Castilla O´Cebreiro to the third and last mountain top with a height of 1.275 m. It went up, up up over 15 km in rain, and as higher I came, more cold it became, stormy, misty, rainy uhhh, and at the to, by the borderline to the next area Galicia was a museum, etnografisk museum. It was nice looking, but I continued into the other side 7 km more, here my legs seemed tired. And I knew that a big downhill would be coming up the next day, so I decided that it was enough for today.

A surprice for me the next day was, that it turned out to still be walking uphill for some kilometers, before I reached a tiny place Alto do Polo, which were the highest place at this mountain 1.337m, but from here it went down the next 33 km through rain, mud, cold weather ect. Until I met the city “Sarria” The city, there now was turning the Camino into a tourist path on the last 116 km, even a lot of schoolclasses is coming on the camino here, because the students can not graduate if they have not been walking 100 km, and here they can get a certificate to show.

From Sarria, the Camino turned into a path with many many walkers and a lot of noise to abstract from. I know a lot of the real pilgrimwalkers found it diffecult to walk side by side with the tourists, and even more diffecult to accept, that the tourist could get a certificate just the same one as the pilgrims, a lot of us, did not understand that. But You have to let it go, this kind of thoughts, its not our business to judge others, and we the pilgrims, we know what we have done of both inside mental work and footwork. Those tourists will never have that feeling.

116 km is not very far, so the next days went very fast even though it was raining. I came to the white city “Palas de Rei” which was nicely sourrounded by sea and flood, It was all white throught the hole city, but before the entrance I had to do a hard downhill and when I had reached the bottom I had to walk through a bridge and then opstairs, by many steps, that was hard, but the city was so nic

As more we/I was coming near to Santiago, as more silent we/I got, and as more irritated at the tourist walkers, it was like meeting the opposite world at the camino path, a world we the camino walkers was not yet, ready to integrate.

We/I came trough many small cities, everything just went up and down and sometimes straight, through a forest with the nice scent of eucalyptus trees. We/I slept my last night within Santiago in the city Pedrouzo .

At the picturebelow on right, you will see the ung Cminowalker Graham, as I had the pleasure of being walkingsome days with. At the picture, we are having breakfast, a local speciality “Curro´s” with a warm thick hot chocolate to, we just needed to do that, cause to the description in the book!

 

If you want to hear about how my Camino walk ends, and how my thoughts and feelings those days, by arriving to Santiago and Finesterre were, then follow me into the next episode of “SOAP”.

 

 

In love and light, namasté 🙏 ❤ Lilly Acacia

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thoughts and insights on the Camino 😇

To be a pilgrim or peregrino on the camino, does that you will be clever, clever on so many things, cause you have time to think a little between the walk and the Albergue, where you are going to sleep for the night-

I wonder about, why so many lovely people, whom are working at the different hostals, or should I call them albergues?, don´t know how important food, with af lot of energy and proteins is for the peregrino? I don´t understand, why we are offered a pilgrimmenu with a choice between fish and fries or chicken, well all kind of meat, just with some French fries, no salat/no veg. Nor the breakfast is good to walk 20 – 30 km on.

We, the peregrinos, are burning so many calories during a day, of walking, we are getting cold and hot, we are using all our psysical and mental energy, so there is nothing left at the end of the day, when we arrive at an albergue.

Therefore I wish, that they in the breakfast menu, (which unfortunately only consist of 2 peaces of light toastet bread with butter and jam, and if you are lucky a glas of orangejuice and coffee/tea), also would offer us fruit cut into pieces, and a boiled egg. The people at the albergues knows exactly what we need, to get a good start of the day, for they have a very few times showed it.

Only in one of the albergues, I until now have been on, has it been possible to buy a piece of fruit and a leg/sports massage.

It is hard to walk 20-25 km a day and a lot of the peregrinos  get blisters, hurting knees and legs there are hurting a lot. So after a day of walking it could be so nice to have an massage, so bad knee problems and other muscles injuries can be prevent or  totally avoid. What a business I could make there 😉

Please keep in mind, if you want to walk the camino, that it is real cool to have both a pair of threkking boots and trekking sandals with you in your backpack, then you can change from time to time, and believe me, sometimes it´s a big relieve to do it!

Somehow there is something total wrong, by walking the camino, it seems like there really is a trend about turning into bed about 9pm and get up and rush out of the albergue before everybody else. There seems to be rush hour at the albergues every morning between 5:30 – 07:00 am. Because if you walk early, then you will be able to get one of the best beds at the best albergues for the next night.

BUT it sure seems to be just a little too much, it feels like a competition, about who is the first, and at least not the last one to get out of the door in mornings.Al lot of people desire (after what I have heard on the camino during my now past 200 km, when they are planning their tour, is to get away from stress and away from the everyday and just to be present. Yes I know that some of them there walk it, just are walking it, so the can tell others that they have done it, and som are also doing it as a sports event. BUT there is so much run/stress here in the mornings, that people don´t get out of their stress symptoms if they are not carefully and aware, because to do that it will demand a lot of man or woman, to resist the stress /pressure from the mornings, but if they can do it, they will figure out, that there usually will be a bed for those who come in late afternoon as well for those who come in early.

This stress seems to fill a lot at the camino, cause people does not take the needed break as they should, (all due to, if there should not be any more beds for them at the next albergue).

It can really be it a challenge, one of the big ones, not to let themselves be infectet by this culture, cause if you are a part of it, in the mornings and during the day, then your brain does not have the vacation and that silence people desire so much, but they will then return home just as stressed, as they were, when they began the camino.

In the beginning of my camino, I was walking together with somebody, and had to set my temp after them and they after me, and while we are walking , and we talk. But if you came for silence, then this walking in groups does not work very well, cause many adjust, and take their breaks when the others do it, and quite often you forget to relax and take the breaks your body need when nesessary, due to that you will not slow down the others. This is also the reason why many get blisters and problems with muscles, which might had been avoided if they had listened to the body instead of following the others. Not everybody like to walk as far, but many people do not like to tell those they are walking, that they need to stop and rest for the night before them, so they often walk 5-10 km more than they should due to their body.

It is a question about balance to recognize what your body need and at the same time to tell others without being nerveus to hurt other feelings. Well understand what I am saying, nobody want to bother/hurt others, and therefore they do not tell, that they really want to stop for the day.

I have realized, that I do not want to walk with other people, not because I don’t want to be social, but because I really need the silence during my walk and then I will be very social, when I reach the albergue. In some albergues we are often between 40-70 people in one room, so it´s hard work to avoid being social there.

I do not want this rushhour every morning and I like to walk in my own pace, and will do that a lot more from now.

I have until now met at lot of real lovely people  on thre camino, with whom I  have shared  stories, and we meet different people every time we take a break at a reataurant, so if you want to be alone with your own thoughts during the day, it is really necessary to shop for lunch and food for the, so you can take your breaks away from the small cities, somewhere on the road.

At this time 200 km at the camino a lot of people has already left the camino due to injuries and has gone home, this is actually most young people, but also some at my age. I am injured, I have many diffeculties walking in my boots due to that I have flatfoot syndrome in my left feet, and inflammation in my right scinbone.. It is really hurting when I walk and the reason has to be found that I properly has tightend my boots too much, so I have closed for the oxygen to the muscles and tendons or it could be because of to much overwork walking downhills

This tedonithis/inflammation has given me so much pain and got me a downtrip and besides that also a long break in Logrono, nedded to take 3 nights. I really have to admit, that this really hurts and my mood has been on LOW. 😞

The average age here at the camino, is in fact higher than I thought, for the time the are most elder people are between 50 – 75 years, but here is also younger people. Here are really many Koreans and Canadians, and then the rest are a mix from the whole world, well not many from Denmark

To walk the camino, is like being counted in as a family member, where everybody is caring, and everybody and the speaking is friendly to you. If you take a break outside from the cities, you can be sure, that everybody passing you, will be asking if you are okay! So noboby will have the chance to feel alone. Cozy and yes, sometimes, it can be a little to much.

I have now learned to shop for the next days lunch and breaks, so I now only need to stop for coffee and can take my lunchbreak at the road instead.

I have also now learned to say “No thank you” when people like to walk along, because I do not want slow down others, and I really need to walk in my own pace. ❤Only sometimes I really enjoyed walking with other people.

To walk the camino is a big challenge, and I pray, and believe in, that my walk from now on will be without any more injuries, so  I will reach Santiago with style.

But believe me, I will walk in my own pace, cause I have no deadline, before the end of june and for me it´s really necessary to tell you, my reader, (maybe future caminowalker?) That if you are going to walk these 800 km, then you have to take your time to do it, not many can walk more than 22 km a day, so please divide 800 with 22 and add at least one week to a long stay at 2 or 3 nights in the big cities, or to have time for a break if you get injured. And if you walk faster than that, then you will have time to enjoy Santiago a day more when you arrive ❤ Watch out for having a planned airplane ticket home

Why do I do this camino walk, well let me tell you, I don´t know why, but the camino has been calling for me many years now, and despite all my complaining, then I love to walk the camino, and I really think the Spanish people are doing a great job for us, whom are walking this. They are mostly real helpsome and smiley people, but many of them do not speak English.

 

Hola spaniolas, Buenos dias, buen camino, gracias 😊

 

I lys og kærlighed, namasté 🙏 ❤ Lilly Acacia

 

St. Jean Pied du Port – Pamplona: Op af bakke 🙂

I started my Camino walk saturday 5/5-2018 going uphill! Yes, it was really really a lot uphill from day 1. Came late from my hostel, cause I had to sent a packet with som clothes home, so I had to wait for the postoffice to open. 9:30 am I was ready to start and from there it only went up, up, up the hill all of that walking uphill, it was so hard, and when I thought that it couldn´t go anymore uphill, it just turned out to be more around the next corner. Well I know that it sounds like a lot of sighs, but it was so har,d and in between, it was so such beautiful sights . A wonderful landscape opened up in front and back of me. Jeg had never ever believed that I was going to klimp mountains, knowing about my scare of heights, and now I was doing the Pyrenæers, at one point I even thought that I had gone mad, that I could get such an idea of doing this.

Actually I would have startet out in Reconcevalles, but a yogi friend Ceri told not to. She said I would be happy to do it, cause it was so magic and beautiful, and yes she was right, it is both thing and hard as well, so I would be sorry, If I had startet somewhere else as I planned.

After 8 km´s of uphill walking I came to a hostel and restaurant called Orisson, but I thought it was too early to stop walking, so I took a cup of coffee and a sandwich and was ready to start walking again.. But that was only until I heard there still was 18 kilometers to next hostel, then I decided, I would have to wait for the next day. And lucky me, they still, at that time, had one bed left, How lucky can I be 🙏.

At this place I met the first other danish people, a married couple from Ringsted, whose had walked this route 4 times. I thought, that something must be really good about the camino, since they keep doing it.

While I was sitting with my coffee, I was thinking about if I had taken my mind and mouth too full, would I be able to finis these 800 km?? Lise came out of the restaurant, looked at me and said: I believe I know what you are thinking of, and the answer is YES you can do it, if I can do it, you can do it, and I have done it 4 times as you know. And yes ofcause I can do it, I want to do do it, so yes I can do it ❤

First night in the hostel showed up, that it was in a sleeping area with a bunch of beds and together with some italien, canadians and indien people, sweet persons, very talkative, and already here it felt like that everyone there is walking the camino is growing in to be a part of the family. everybody is taking care of everybody and the service is warm hugs, positive psycology. For me personly, I think this is a just sometimes a little too much, but “Buen camino” are the words and here it is like that, doing Buen camino, you are a part of all of us, like it or not 😉

Day 2, was starting by walking uphill, people passed me, and I passed them, for we are stopping for breaks different places. At one time I reached a hill m´with an amazing view and where the Lady Virgin of Orisson was watching over us og maybe, it was Madonna with her baby, they just called The Lady Virgin of Orisson.

At noontime they had a car standing with food to buy, even boiled eggs and bananas.. Wiiie proteins, as we didn´t got for breakfast they were now offering to us ❤.

An from there it went even more uphill, on wet earth and rolling stones and here I figured out why it was necessary to have trekking sticks, I was so happy that I had bought mine in India. I also changed my socks every one hour, cause the danish couple said it was a real good thing to do, to avoid blisters.

Suddenly we had passed the border without knowing it, and now 1pm we were in Spain and then it was real time for a break and for lunch. I was so happy to enjoy a dry boring sandwich sitting and laying on my yogamat and to enjoy a spetacular view.. Woow I love my yogamat 🙏.

And now we just had to go down from this mountain again and believe me, it was a very steep going downhill in the forest on rolling stones, and my left forfeet was about to kill me.. Well it was hard to walk uphill, but that was nothing to compare walking downhill.. I tell you here a lot of people met their wall, and I was just about to do the same, but somehow I managed and came down without any injuries, though so tired that I with garanty looked like shit.

Went into the line of people to get a hostel bed to sleep in, throw my boots away, and took my klip klaps on, ohh it was such a relieve.. The hostel was very big, many new shielded beds, and very clean.. They woke us up next day to music from a man who played guitar.

Day 3, started soft and on a smooth road, thought this scenary changed after few kilometers to walking up and downhill again, on paths with tiles. My forfeet war hurting a lot, but it helped me walking in slalom when going downhill.. 7 km and then a cafe with coffee, changing socks, walking barefeet while having this break, so nice in the beautiful weather.

Of it went to another city for lunchtime and here I changed into sandals, the best idea, I had made until now at this trip, it was real good, a relieve for my poor left forfoot, no more pain.

Suddenly after that I was standing in fromnt of two signs telling me This way camine was 6,9 km and the other way was 7,5 km till Zubrini.. Hmm what to choose?

I took the uphill road, and this time I was sure, I had gone wrong, because it was a really dangerous path with lot of rolling stones and steep narrow uphill, but I came up and took a breathing pause, turned around to look for more backpackers, but no one was there, I really felt I was on the wrong path..Then I startet walking again and on more time it went steep uphill, it was very hard to walk there, lost my breath several times, but after 20 minutes I was at the end at this path, took of my backpack sat down and drank a half liter of water..

While I was sitting there a group of bicykles came uphill, woow I was amazed, how could they do it?? Then came a Korean woman sad down besides me and waitet for her husbanad and daughter to arrive.

From there, we had to go downhill again, again a very steep and on a slate coatet hill. Suddenly I was in  Zubrini, found my hostel and went to drink something like a beer, yes a beer, and here I met the danish couple again and then also the Aussies Michael and Helena all very wonderful people.

Day 4, seems to be a smooth road to Pamplona on the paper, but it showed, that it was indeed, a diffecult narrow and very wet path to walk and no coffee spots anywhere. First after 18 kilometers, we could get coffee and something to eat. I ws so tired and sore in my legs, that everytime I sat down, I thought it was so diffecult to get startet walking again, because the legs got stiff after just 5 minutes of resting.

After 3 more kilometers we finally reached Pamplona, and I booked a hotel, decided to stay for 2 nights, needed a break.. and fell asleep on the bed to next morning, where I couldn´t get out of bed. Felt my hole body was broken and my humor was on Zero, NO go!!!

I

managed to go out a bed and went for a massage, ohhh it was like comming in heaven, this massagetherapist was soo good, and her work on my legs, was so nice.. I really felt like in heaven.

The next day I sent on my backpack, for people told me it would be a very hard walk, and recommended to sent the backpack, so I listened and did that and walked very easy. Felt almost guilty, when I saw others with backpack on..

 

This was the first part on my camino trip, and if you were pleased to read that, you are so welcome to read the next chapter of “SOAP”

In love and light, namasté 🙏 ❤ Lilly Acacia

 

Nicely arrived at Fortkochin Beachinn 5:30 pm at the Tuesday I left the ashram, as I allready told you it was a pleasant surprise. But I arrived after a long trip by bus, bus and a rickshaw. And here is how it went.

After 3 hours drive, I got thrown of the bus at a highroad, by the sidewalk, well, sidewalks hmmm, not many in India, but at the side of the road , because they said I was where I wantet to be, but how, here was a big street, at lot of shops at the other side, a small café though at my side, and I entered to have a cup of coffee, that was nice. But how did I go on, I didn´t know how far we were from Kochin, and I didn´t know how to reach it. I walked around to find a busstation as they told me they had, but couldn´t find it, there was nothing, and nobody at this area wanted or  to speak English, I felt a little lost at that time, I must confess. But in the meantime I figured out, that when they said the busstation, it was an invisible busstop,  just a few meters behind me.. I had to take the bus and so I did, we crossed 3 bridges and then we stopped at a city with a roundabout and 4 streets surrounded it, these streets was full of small and big shops, a very busy city with a real busstop, now it looked a lot more like a real busstation.

Well, now I realized my phone was dead, Ohh come on, that is so much me.. not first time I have done that, and it´s always when I need it most, and I did now, cause I couldn´t remember the name of my hotel, so I couldn´t go before, I had it charged, and I seems like this place wasn´t interested in helping me, cause no matter where I asked, they didn´t couldn´t help me.. Then I went to a small streetshop with magazines, and he was so kind to charge my phone a little so I could find the address, and off I went with the next rickshaw there stopped and yeald “Taxi Ma´m? “

5 km later we stopped in front of Kochin Beachinn and I met the most wonderful people there, and the energy in this Fort Kochin was just what I needed after three nights in Amritapuri Ashram and a long warm bustrip. Yes this was how I landed in this beautiful city Fortkochin.

This city became very hard to leave again. Here is so much history, four cultures Portugise, Dutch,English and India, which makes the citizens large for turists,cause here already lives people from all countries and some of them are having business like cafeés, European clothes and accessories. The only thing I think is a little sad here, is that I can´t go into the ocean, only very early in the morning, cause the Indians don´t like us to bathe in our swimwear, and especially not women. But they are more tolerant about it here, than in the rest of Kerala.

Cause to the history of this city, I decided to play tourist for a day at paid for a roundtrip in a rickshaw. I was then seeing a lot of interest things as museums, the potugise/Catolic church, The Dutch church, The buddhi temple and and the laudry of the city. They still wash clothes by hands and not in mashines and here they was all linen from all the hotels, after washing they hang it dry, by using the clothesline and no clamps. I was also in antique stores, where they real want to sell us everything nice and to send it home for us. I was shown the Chinese fishing area and at last I was in the theater to watch a peace of history. I was a long day at 8 hours with a lot of insights, so I was tired and went early to bed.

Two days after that I went Backwaters, it is very populare, and I wanted it real much, because it was a bit cooler backwaters than in town, and I really enjoyed it a lot.

Another day I was meeting af friend from my own city, she and her boyfriend had just arrived same day as me, cause they decided to give birth to their expecting baby in an birthvillage there only uses ecological  and natural methods. It seems to be a very proffessionel place with professional doctors. So this is also something you can get in India.

Now the time had come for me to search for more academies for ayurvedic training for a foreing student as me. At Amritapuri Asram  College I didn´t wanted to study, so I had looked up 3 more academies in northern Kerala.

Først I went to Indukki (Idiki), which I got told was a very nice place to study, but there I could only study for one month and it was in the mountains, very high up, at the end at the top I believe, so I was so happy to have Sajeer as a taxidriver (whom has been driving in Dubai for 13 years and just returned to India at Christmas time, cause he was missing his family too much).

He showed that he was a very good driver in the mountains, even at the most impossible and destroyed roads, he was driving very safely. At the end of the road, far up there, after having been driving through a lot of small cities, we found this amazing looking place.

Now I was ment to stay there for some days, but after having seen the roads I didn´t wanted anybody else to drive me down from there, so I asked Sajeer to stay and wait for me while I was talking to the leader of the academy.

This academy didn´t seem very professional at all, and the studies was only for one month and I couldn´t get any papers about what I was going to learn, he only told me and for that they were charing too many money, so cause to my intuition and af ter a long talk with Sajeer, I decided to say thank you, but NO thanks.

 

So back I was in <Kochin same evening after a long drive downhill in thunder weather .

Next day we ent to another place, a place I had looked up before I went from home, not very far from Fort Kochin and this place looked very proff. and they had everything I wanted to study and some more. I got a lot of papers and every course had a price, so no confusing about how much I was going to pay, and no one would get it cheaper, and they could answer all my questions.. So there I am going to start in july 2018.

After having seen the college, Sajeer took me to some waterfalls, ohhh my, it was so beautiful. But as in many other place where I was going , here was also people starring at me, just because I was white (many of them had never seen a white person before. So here was these two small girls coming at me, asking me my good name and where I was from, and they wouldn´t let me off, they kept running after me, so I decided to ask for their names, and then we took some pictures, I took of them and their family took pictures of them and me together.

It was incredible hot a the waterfalls and I was soaking wet of sweat, so when it began to thunder an rain, it felt just so nice and cooled it all of.

Sajeer has now become not only a good driver, but also a very nice friend, and he has been a very good help at the academy talking to the doctor, this support has been giving me a better overview

Cause it is not always easy to understand people here, they are speaking mahajalam English nd two ears are better than one.

To meet new people, has always been a part of my life, and some of them are going to be my friends, some are just walking by and say hello, others will stay for shorter or longer time.. But I am sure that we don´t meet them for no reason, everyone we meet has something to share or to teach us, it might be small or big things, but we won´t meet anybody for no reason. I strongly believe in that.

Back in Fortkochin, I stayed and enjoyed time together with Maria Therese and her boyfriend Jens for some more days and made the last arrangements for studying at KAL.

Fortkochin, this is going to be a city I will never forget, cause it is no less than amazing, and happily me, I am now going to study nearby it in July – November. But I really hope it is going to be just a little less hot, cause it is very hot, and the humidity is so high. So If you want to go to Fortkochin, my advice to you would be to do it in the season.

On the ninth day I took a plane for Chennai, I wanted to go and find out what Auroville would have of interesting things. Auroville is a community nearby Pondicherry, this area is huge and only 5 km away from the city. It’s a gathering of people from all around the world, at lot of them came in the end of 1960´s and the beginning of 1970´s. They came to a dessert and the only thing standing there was a huge banyan tree, an old woman had saved from destruction, this woman they now call the Mother of Auroville. There are still people coming there from all around the world to settle down and live there. These first people started slowly to build a village, and for some years ago they also was building this Mantri Mandir.

All this place have a wonderful energy, it´s in the woods, pathes everywhere and a lot of guesthouses. This huge Mantri Mandir seems to be made out of gold, but they only used 15 kg. gold for that, the rest is made of stone, inside its all white and so beautiful, I could sit there and meditate for hours, but we only got 15 minutes .

In this village they sing chants and are having worksshops around, they have schools and kindergarten, they are unique and I wouldn´t mind being living there.

Three night in auroville was what I got, cause I had to leave a day early due to my ticket out of Tamil Nadu for Goa.

In Goa I just had one night before I was off for spain, so I went to Shanti´s my friends hotel Lámore in Ashweem Beach, where I also saw my friends from Mandrem. I was a pleasure to say goodbye to the beaches and the sunsets in Goa, and I had a lot of swimming in the ocean, so nice, I loved it.

For now I will say, that I am going to miss all my friends in India, mango, watermelon, ananas, papaya and bananas every morning so much while I am home I Europe, but I will not miss the noise of the tuc-tucs. But due to my restlessness, cause I am not working 9-5 as I am used to, then I will love to walk every day for 4-6 weeks at the camino before I am going to Denmark.

This was all from my adventures in India for this time, I have been making so many new friends in this period, and I am so happy about that, you have all been so nice and helpful to me, thank you ❤ I am now on my way to Spain to walk the Camino, where I will be walking around 800 km.

But even though India will be left for Spain, then I will still be blogging and I will be happy if you want to read it.. I will be back in India mid july 2018.

If you want to do that, please make sure to read the next chapter of “SOAP”

 

In love and light, Namasté 🙏 ❤

Lilly Acacia

 

 

 

 

 

I reached Amritapuri Ashram sunday afternoon and I was really exitet to see what it had in store for me.

I got off the nighttrain from Goa at 3:55 pm. in Kayankulam, and took a rickshaw, (Same as a Tuc-tuc in Goa) for the last 12 kilometers to the ashram. already a few kilometers before we reached the ashram a very high music was played outside, it came from huge speakers, there were put on the trees, it was mantra and chants. This music made me filled with energy , and it showed, that it was comming from the ashram.

The picture on left handside shows the entrance of the asram.

At the international information counter, I got a key to, what was my room for the stay. It was in a really high building with 13 floors, and then I got some clean linnen and a lot of rules to follow. Some of those rules actually made me very unhappy, because it´s said too many bad things about the indian residents outside the ashram.

Anyway I went to the building, where I was supposed to find my room, I tried to take the elevator to the 13th floor, but that wasn´t possible, because it only went up to the 11th floor, what??? Help was certainly needed now, because I had then to walk up by an outside metal staircase!!! Sorry, but my brain froze, I couldn´t walk those stairs cause to my fright of heights, I really liked to, but couldn´t do it.. So I had to go back to the office to get another room. I now got one room at the third floor, that was much better, but then I opened the door to the room, I saw four bunk beds in a ok size room, there was however incredible hot, so I quickly turned the fan on and tried to open a window.. But I couldn´t, a mosquito net did, that it was impossible to open 😞. The room was very dirty, but there was an ok toilet and af zink and I did get that clean linnen, sooo I thought I could manage some nights in this very hot room.

I then put my things down to the floor and went out to see the ashram. I was tired and hungry after this long ride by the train, so I went to get some som food in the Indian café, and here I met an american woman, who told me, that she had been living at the ashram for 13 years, 13 years wauuw, She told me that I needed to go and get an Darshan by Amma Bhagavan, cause that Amma would go for touring the next day, and then be away for 14 days. I ate my dinner, and then I went to get this “Darshan” .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dar%C5%9Bana

And there I was sitting in this huge hall , where there really were many people to see what was going on at the stage. At the stage Amma was sitting, and she had been sitting there since noontime, now it was 8pm. I sat besides a lot of other europeans and waited for it to be our turn to get the Darshans, it was an beautiful experience, cause there was a band there was singing mantras and the people around me was all like dancing on their chairs. Everybody who want Dashans, is excitet to see Amma in person and to be giving this Darshan.  The Darshan it self was an honor to recieve from such a holi person as Amma, we had to neele down, while she was blessing us one by one. The energy in the air was high and we were all high after these blessings, but the time was 1am before it ended and I was now very tired, so I went to sleep.

However here was so hot, but i made my bed and slept like a stone for hole 3 hours.. Then I woke up, due to a singing Ohm outside my window. Arrrhhh.. but I was so tired, so decided not to go for the meditation, turned around and tried to sleep. But I couldn´t fall asleep again, so turned again and stood out of my bed. at 6am I got out of bed and did some yoga in my hot sweaty room.

After my yoga I went out to find some breakfast, and I found a western café, but I had to wait to 8am before I could get any coffee and breakfast. When it was time and I was sitting eating a man man came by and asked for sevas, sevas is dutyes, free of paying, due to a cheep room. I thought okay, I would like to help, so I went to wash milkcartons so they were clean for recykling.. nice, now I knew that the indians was doing something very good for the enviroment. But it was so boring 2 hours, turning the cartons inside out.. However I felt good, cause my time, It was for a good ting to happen.

After that I was free to do whatever I liked and I went together with an austraulian girl to see if there was anything going on at the ashram we could attend too.. But there was nothing to do, no workshops, nor yoga, nor anything.. All stopped due to that Amma was out of the ashram, everything closed down.. We then went to the small town, and there was nothing there we were interested in, so we could only walk around the ashram and do nothing.. The temperature was high, no wind only humidity… Then we decided it to be an early night in and went for bed. I couldn´t sleep at all, it was to hot and there was only one thing I then was capable of,: it was to write.

Tuesday morning I was so tired, couldn´t think, went for coffee and breakfast 8 am, but there was closed, every one café st the ashram was closed, cause it was tuesday and then all the residents was meditating and in silence.. So no coffee and no breakfast.. Whatt?? I found out then, that there was comming a little serving shop from outside, from where we could get coffee and danish pastery, but no real breakfast.. I was so devastatet, and then I could be looking foreward to a long day, doing nothing, cause nothing was going on… big sigh !!!

I then made a quick decision about that I had to leave this ashram to stay alive, so I packed all my stuff, cleaned the room the best I could, and went to the office and got signed out of the ashram.

And this was here my  first, single and last trip into an ashram ended. A life with so many rules and a room with to much heat is definitely not me, sorry to Amma Bhagavan, but now I have tried it. I will however say ,that this is not a common thing in all the ashrams in India.

After this I took a taxi to the busstation, found a bus and was driven to Kochin within a drive on 3 hours, then another bus for half an hour, then my phone ran out of battery, so I went up and down a street to find a place to get it charged, it took a while, but I found one place, and first, when I had power on my phone, I could see the address at the hotel I had booked while driving the bus. Then I could find a richshaw (was not hard to find, cause they are everywhere) for the last five kilometers to Fortkochin.

And YES when I got out at the rickshaw I felt a light energy and the hotel I had choosed, showed to be a wonderful place, and I got a room with aircondition.. wooow that was good.. I love this room, and I quickly went into a nice shower and cleansed myself free of the ashram smell and dirt.

I am really grateful to my angels and my inner God, to have shown me the way to Fortkochin

I am so happy and grateful, for having the experience of this ashram life, and how grateful I am for all the indians oppposite lifestyles.

Do you want to follow me into my next steps of life, please read the next chapter of “SOAP” 😉

In light and love, namasté 🙏 ❤ Lilly Acacia

 

 

 

 

This last week, has been so wonderful , because I have honored myselv by getting a beachhut with aircondition. I have paid about pounds 2,5 for this luxury beachhut with a huge kingsize bed, which had a heaven of a moskitonet instead of the small one , where we always have to fight it. And in this room, there also was a couch and a table and a huge bathroom with enough hot water to get a decently hairwash.

The restaurant here og the people who work here are also very nice. The beach and the small street with shops is quiret and sort of cozy. But here as well in Mandrem they are they closing their shops because to the end of season. Everything at this beach has been having the atmosphare of peace, just what I needed to go deep.

But everything has an end and today I am on going to Kerala, well I will however first be leaving around midnight, where I am taking the nighttrain. I have bought a bed in a sleeping car with aircondition, and will now be looking forward to be on the train for 16 hours. This I am happy about, cause I like to travel by train.

But when I had to book the ticket, I felt cheated, (and have never tried that feeling here before). The story is, that first I got the message, that I couldn´t get a ticket with aircon, they were sold out, but he would try friday instead, if he got an advance of 500 Rs (50 d.kr.). The following day I was told, that he now had got a ticket with aircon sleeper to me, and to travel saturday, but that him who should come with it would like a little for the inconvenienceto gt it. The ticket itself would cost 1,600 Rs (160 d.kr.), so I gave the booker another 2000 Rs (200 d. kr) and then got the ticket in the evening .. Hmm afterwards I came to think, that I had already given him 500 Rs in advance, but now the ticket cost me 2500 Rs (250 d.kr.) and on The ticket was the gross price of 1,190 Rs (119 dkr.) Tradaaaa, yes, I felt cheated, but I had got my aircon sleeper .

Such things happens, but it’s the first time, it’s happened to me, thinking, yes, I can only learn from it, because it was myself, there forgot, that I had given this advance on 500Rs. The end of the story is now, that my ticket has a cost a total of $250, which may correspond to a return ticket from Næstved to Copenhagen, maybe not even that. So everything is okay. I land in Kerala Kayankolum tomorrow at 4:00 pm.

While I have been here, my mother was on a bus trip to Poland, and she had been looking foreward too. But she was no more than just there, before she fell and broke one of her knees and twistet one foot, so it turned big and blue. This was how my care for her suffered, because I could do nothing, but talk to her via messenger and on the phone, all the practicalities I had to leave for her guide and then to my sister and swear. My mother is now to be flown home today, and is going to have an operation tomorrow, but she is feeling good now, that she knows, when she’s going home, and that’s the most important thing. But that came into my mind, that suddenly we found ourselves to be extremely vulnerable, when we are travelling. Because there is no help to get from our family. And when it comes to one’s old mother, or for that matter, it could have been one of my children (it happened to my son 4 years ago in Paris) then my/our thoughts of care will take a huge amounts of energy, just by thinking about it.

Well, everything is most likely as it should be, and we/I just have to learn to let go of what we/I can not really do, nevertheless, and there are probably others at home who are able to take care of our loved ones.
Back, I sit and have topack my physical backpack again and leave this beautiful paradise (which has both ordinary forest and a beach and here is onfortunenately more clean than both Mandrem and Arambol), with my new friends/acquaintances in my inner backpack. However, I’m incredibly pleased to have experienced this beautiful place, but I’m really prepared to go on, because I’m ready for new exciting experiences and a more (busy) day.

Thus, these first four weeks, has for me, been like having a holiday, to learn to relax, let go of the stress I had in my body, before I was to find the place, I would like to study. Goa is however and forever in my heart and I will definitely return to this next season, as I have left my physical suitcase and some amazing friends in Mandrem. But now I’m ready for the next chapter.

So, If you want to read about my tour to Kerala, then please make sure to watch the next episode of soap 😉

In love and light, namasté 🙏 ❤

Lilly Acacia