Thursday, April 5, 2012

ROW Lecture Tour - Croatia 2012


Our first lecture in Croatia with my indefatigable interpreter Mariana.


And our most attentive audience, most enthusiastic and craving for more and more information. 


This group consisted of local organic gardeners who also were exteremly interested in the message, and information they were receiving. In all instances they kept us with them answering questions for at least three hours.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

ROW Lecture Tour - India 2012 Part 4


Each home in this district has its own well. Upon enquiring, I was informed that similar to what is occurring in OZ, the water table is dropping.


The rubber trees continue to be the main cash crop in this area.



And wherever you go you find the ubiquitous tuk tuk taxi.


And its variations, as in this pick-up truck.


In Cochin I stayed at the Healthy Life International Hospital. This is one of a series of seven or more Nature Cure Hospitals set up by the enterprising Dr Jacob Vandankencherry in India, and who is negotiating to develop them in the surrounding Asian countries such as Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, etc.


Here I am with Dr Jacob and one of his assistants. He is so busy that he does not have time for his photo to be taken without having to answer the phone.


An evening lecture to the inmates of the hospital with Dr Jacb as interpreter.


One of the delightful raw food meals served to me during my stay.


I then flew up to Delhi prior to flying out to Croatia via Moscow. On the streets of in India you can find people providing practically every service imaginable. As is this man with his Sewing machine.


As well as the services provided, there are the footpath stalls selling every possible article imaginable.


In the midst of all this activity there is to be found havens of sanity such as this park with its rather delightful children's play-ground.


The fibreglass figures are a delight to see and amuse.



What would we do without the slippery slide?


And to top it all off a train.


Outside of the real train station we found a line up of trishaws, the modern tricycle replacement for the rickshaw.


Whereas, as Noel Coward sang,"only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun", the wise man takes his siesta.


In the hot dry climate of Delhi we found this exhortation to plant a tree.


From the sublime to the ridiculous as we travel from the heat of the tropics to the coolness of Croatia via the snows of Moscow.



Monday, April 2, 2012

ROW Lecture Tour - India 2012 Part 3


Westerners were  not a common sight to these school children so naturally enough they would stop and watch as you walked by.


The tuk tuk Taxi, was of course, to be seen even in the remotest of villages being the most common form of motorised transport.


Because of the steepness of the land, stone retaining walls were commonly used to protect the soil from eroding.


The type of terracing as observed in this photo was commonly practiced to prevent erosian.


Dr K.V.'s new clinic in its last stages of preparation in Kerala.


As our last entry in this segment for today is this sign of the fact that on most country railway stations at least was a source of some living food, as well as.of course, the usual cooked and denatured foods to be found in today's world.

ROW Lecture Tour - India 2012 Part 2

And so to India. Not quite though. How could I not share with you our joy in a last minute meal of Durian discovered at a roadside stall just prior to departing Malaysia.











And of course the lady selling them was indeed pleased to be making another sale. Perhaps as pleased as we were to having found her and to be able to enjoy the feast as a farewell and parting gift for a most enjoyable time spent.








And now to India.

We were met, by of all things by an ambulance from the Anbagam Rehabilitation Centre, an NGO in Chennai. I felt that the fact that it was for the mentally ill and retarded orphans was most appropriate, as many many feel that describes us to a tee. Travelling in an ambulance has certain advantages when travelling in traffic. Although with the chaos that is normal with traffic in India, I am not at all sure that this is really of benefit, perhaps a little more dangerous - if that could at all be possible.

We spent the day with the Director of the Rehabilitation Centre whose home is taken up mostly by the office of the centre.

That evening we set off by train for Sengotta, an overnight journey of more than twelve hours duration, sleeping in bunks with four people to a compartment. Any-one who has travelled on the local trains will assure you of the uniqueness of such an experience.



We had the company of interesting companions one of whom was the founder and president of another NGO set up for the development of humanity. A most interesting Tamil gentleman who invited us to his home to meet and talk with his family and participate in a meal. This we subsequently did, spend a most enjoyable few hours discussing matters of mutual interest.





The trains of India seem interminably longconsisting of 25 or more carriages with them always being fully occupied. In the past people even travelled on the roofs, although I have not observed this to be true today.

During our conversation with our Tamil friend, seen here with Dr K.V. I questioned him as to whether he came from Sri Lanka, believing, incorrectly as it turned out, that the Tamil people originated in that area. I was quietly disabused of that error, and informed that the Tamil people came from Kerala and those in Sri Lanka had emigrated there. So I continued to learn something new each day.


Our Tamil host with his family with whom we spent a most enjoyable few hours.


Our next port of call was the Good Life Ashram conducted br Dr Vazimi. The clients attending this ashram were exposed to raw food eating and fasting.
The Ashram was in a most delightful bushland setting which in, and of itself was very conducive to healing.





The present Director with some of his staff. The Director is the son of the original founder.




These are some of the accomodation units in which the guests stay.
























After leaving the Ashram we continued our travels by car to the state of Kerala, and the home of my hosts sister. This gave me the opportunity to walk around the local village observing the houses in which the local people lived.














As can be seen, the houses are usually painted. The colours most commonly chosen are either pink, blue,  green or white, in there various phases. Some of course, are not painted and left in their natural state.

As can be well observed from the size and style of the homes, that whilst Kerala is the most prosperous state in India, this area in particular is definitly so.

Amidst all this prosperity were to be found the one and two roomed houses of the poorere people.