In the eerie light just before dawn David and I climb the steps to the Mirage Hotel. We find a thin, wiry man wrapped in a shawl against the cold breeze. He is sweeping and tidying the roof top terrace, getting things ready for when his guests wake. We call “namaste” and he turns, a bright white smile punctuating his dark features and he welcomes us in. He is Mr Ba who Continue reading
Eleven years ago I spent a blissful time in the Rajasthani lake city of Pushkar. The lake is sacred and I witnessed many Sadhus performing Pooja on the shallow ghats, I wandered the lanes browsing in the few shops and stalls. I remember doing an Ayurvedic massage course with a practitioner from the charming old haveli I was staying at and eating vast amounts of kheer a rice pudding/porridge type dish i
nfused with cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and peppered with jewels of green pistachios and creamy cashews.
A decade later and the lake is still beautiful and sacred – Sadhus still come Continue reading
On my first day at “work” I stand at the entrance to the hospital ward, on a threshold between a known world and one that is very different. The formation of beds lined up in rows is familiar, but the number of them in this vast hall, the grubby linen, thin cotton mattresses and spartan nature of it all is new to me. The patients and I survey one another, neither side quite knowing what to do next. Bewildered and uncertain I look for the similarities, but the differences are what stand out. Continue reading
The decision to sign up for a month long spiritual retreat in the depths of rural india which involved working with and alongside people who had been affected by leprosy wasn’t really made consciously. It came from a deep knowing that this was somewhere I needed to be. I did a little research about the people running it and the ethos behind it, but I knew very little about leprosy or what I might be doing when I got there. Continue reading
Daily life at Anandwan follows a simple routine and rhythm. I wake around 6am both because I feel rested having slept from about 9.30pm and because I’m cold! The temperature drops to about 8 degrees overnight (up to mid to late 20s in the day) and all I have are some thick cotton covers which are not very effective in keeping the heat in. I share a stone floored room with 3 other women, mosquitos, geckos and dust. The beds are simple painted metal with thin cotton filled mattresses. Continue reading
Travel With Grace 