I'm realizing this blog thing may have more challenge to it than I anticipated just because I have been in India for, what, 3 days? And I already feel like I could write a novel. Everything here screams adventure. Five minutes won't go by without me experiencing my complete range of emotions, and beauty keeps showing up in the most unexpected places.
The recent adventure began when Baburam picked me up from Pondy wearing dark solar shields and explaining that he recently had cataract surgery. I buckled up fast. After some close calls (as there always are on the streets on India) we safely arrived to Matrikunj—a natural, consciously functioning farm that is, in my eyes, Heaven on Earth.
When I arrived the first day, we spent quite some time discussing Matrikunj and his philosophy around conscious farming.. in this bungalow he built himself:
Okay, back to enjoying my last solo day before everyone arrives. I will be up at 2am to help them to their rooms but I don't even mind because I am so excited to see them all! Let the next chapter begin.
We then wandered the farm (/jungle) to the area where we would be planting the following day. I helped catch papayas out of a tree. And proceeded to cut one open and eat it...
EVERYTHING tastes better here. The following day we were prepared the most delicious lunch, and every single thing on the table came from somewhere within the 43-acre jungle behind me.
Spiced radishes, veggie yummness fried with pumpkin flour, rice from the fields, curry goodness with onions, garlic, ginger, and raw papaya that amazingly had the consistency of cooked potato. And yummy juice. ALL from the farm.. pure deliciousness.
It may have tasted that much better because of the work we had just done. We spent the morning clearning out thick jungle beds by hand (the bed on the left looked somewhat like that mess of green on the right):
Scattered around this area is an abundance of happy plants and trees that were more familiar to me than I knew... Did you know that the leaves of this tree are where cinnamon comes from?
And allspice?
And black pepper??
The papayas and bananas are more recognizable..
These are merely a few of the thousands of plants consciously cared for by Baburam. I could live here for years and still only have half of his wealth of knowledge on what each plant is and its specific health benefits.
After lunch I learned more about their fertilizing and composting, and helped plant seeds that had been soaking in "CPP" (essentially their own compost and manure in water).
I learned so much from Baburam and the workers, and shared conversations about everything from farming practices to medicine to living a happy life. Baburam is possibly the most content person I will ever meet, and his success is not measured in money but in the well-being of everything around him.
One of the best parts of it all was getting to travel to and from Matrikunj via motorbike! (Sorry mom...) I had to share about this wild experience because it has been the craziest adventure yet. I initially grasped onto the back of the bike as my pal Chandranath began to kick it into gear, but after seeing women casually riding side-saddle (and usually carrying a child or two), I found ease in riding with my hands in my lap. But oh boy was I on the edge of my seat.
There is arguably no better way to be a part of the real India than on a bike. Some of the craziest things I've ever witnessed continually flashed by as we rode. We dodged between all kinds of transportation.. tractors, ox-drawn carts, bicycles, tricycles, tuk-tuks, buses... all carrying something unexpected. Dead rooster on lap? Completely normal. Family of five on one bike? Safe enough.
I am amazed that millions of people commute like this every day, and somehow it all becomes mundane. But to me this will always be absolutely thrilling.
On the way there yesterday, Chandranath stopped at Sharanam to show me this magnificent place that I missed out on last year because I was sick. Pictures will do better than words for now but I'll write more about this place when I visit with the group (... arriving TONIGHT!)
