THE LONELY ROAD

THE LONELY ROAD

Each of us feels the call, or urge, to take a certain direction in life. In fact many directions will call, through a lifetime, sometimes more than one at a time. We must then make choices at the fork in the road. Some roads we will never walk.

Other people will try to steer us in other directions, to suit them, or to remain with the crowd. We may indeed walk with the crowd; some never leave it. But we have the choice to leave the crowd if we don’t like the way it travels, or it ceases to travel while we need to move forward.

Did you notice after being away for a long time that the same people drink in the same bars, and talk about the same things. They are going no-where. If we have moved on there is no longer common interest.

There is being alone, and there is being lonely. They can overlap, but we all need some time to ourselves, and even couples are better being independent spirits who are at ease both with each other, and alone, away from each other. When one depends on the other, or each depends on the other, it is an unhealthy situation. Where each is independent that creates a stronger relationship.

As we choose our path through life we will meet fellow travellers and share a moment, a day, a week or even a lifetime. There will be inner peace as we are completely free to choose what we want to do.

We can go with the flow, and no-one is there to force us to do the opposite.

Copyright
David Millner
26 August 2010

Love will find a way

As you travel through life, your dreams will guide you,

determination will get you there,

and love will provide the greatest scenery of all...

♥´¸.♫•.¸¸.`♥.¸ .♥´ -:¦:- `♥:-♫♥ -:¦:-♫
¸♥´ LOVE ☆´.¸¸.`♥:-♫♥
♥´¸.♥´ `♥:-♫*WILL FIND¸♥´♥ ´´♥A♫•.¸
`♥:-♫*`♥.¸¸♥ ´¸♥´ ♥´´`•.¸¸´♥´♫ ♥´ ♥ ♫ WAY♥ ♫ ♥

Trish Kelman

RISHIKESH - INDIA (Yoga capital of the world)

RISHIKESH - INDIA (Yoga capital of the world)

Set in the foothills of the Himalaya mountains, and on the banks of the holy Ganga River (Ganges), lies Rishikesh, one of the most sacred places in India. Hindu temples abound, together with small market stalls selling everything the visitor needs, incense sticks, music CDs of mantras and devotional music, jewellery, food, clothes etc.

Visitors are by no means all Hindus as the yoga practice of the Hindu religion has become a world famous way to relax and to keep fit. Indeed many yoga aficionados are unaware of the Indian roots of the yoga lifestyle, and the philosophy behind yoga, and only see it as a fitness activity.

Yoga and meditation schools are everywhere, as are places to have ayurvedic treatments and training. In addition there are many ashrams, defined as “usually secluded residence of a religious community and its guru”, which welcome devotees from India, and spiritual seekers from all parts of the world, and from all beliefs. Ashrams usually house orphans who are educated and brought up as monks, and welcome strangers to stay. For many it is a place for a quiet retreat, for others a place to gather wisdom, for some a relaxation before exploring more of India..

Rishikesh lies on two sides of the fast flowing river. Two suspension bridges connect the two sides. The bridges are always busy with people, monkeys, sacred cows, which wander everywhere, and motor bikes.

As the sun sets the young monks chant and pay homage to the Lord Shiva, whose statue sits proudly above the river bank. Many foreigners join the nightly ceremony.

Life goes on as in many parts of India, bathing and washing of clothes in the clean waters of the river, people sleeping in the shade of trees, or sitting around for hours in the presence of a Baba, a Holy Man, for inspiration and guidance. People just “be”, seemingly doing nothing for hours.

The whole region lives a vegetarian lifestyle, The cow is sacred, but all life is also sacred. On asking permission to photograph a monk, offering food to passers by outside a monastery, he replied, “no, I am not important”, and presented his food offering. This humility is everywhere.

Getting there is another story, another article. However Delhi is the nearest airport, and taking a first class seat in a train, the most comfortable and cost effective way. But don’t arrive at New Delhi station and expect to buy a ticket.

And don’t expect to return to your home country without some effect from the strong energies of the place. A visit is for many a true life changing experience.

Excursion by ancient bus – Malta

Excursion by ancient bus – Malta

I am living in Mellieha, in the quiet north of the island of Malta, where the Maltese like to visit for weekends.

Previously I had donated my nineteen year old car to the technical college for the mechanic students to practice on, so now use the bus. That’s another story.

So in the heat of mid-morning I walked up the hill to the start of the village, and the bus stop. I hastened my step as I could hear an ancient bus struggling up the hill behind me. Was it mine? Miss it and wait twenty minutes for the next.

It was mine and I reached the stop on time. The bus was full and I thought I would be waiting for the next one anyway. But after half of the passengers had stepped off, and others had boarded, I paid my 54 euro cents for the forty minute journey to Msida Creek, just before the walled gem of a capital city, Valletta, mostly surrounded by water in the form of two harbours.

It was standing room only, all the way to Msida, and I needed to duck my head from time to time to see where we were. It was cool from the drafts from the open windows, and lack of door.

Unscathed, I walked along the edge of the creek, home to a large sheltered yacht marina, and brightly painted local fishing boats, to a shop and an office I needed to visit.

I walked back along the side of the creek, and crossed the busy main road to the bus stop. Conveniently situated at the stop is a pastry shop, so I bought the local delicacy, a ricotta cheese pastizzi for 25 cents, and ate it while waiting for the return bus.

Two things are excellent value in MALTA, bus fares, and savoury food from these prolific outlets.

Copyright David Millner
August 2010

Postcard from Malta – A walk around Ghadira Bay, Mellieha.

Ghadira Bay is a large sheltered bay in the north east of Malta. Despite some hotels, apartments and villas, there is plenty of nature. At weekends the locals flock to the bay to enjoy the wide, sheltered sandy beach with gently sloping shallow waters, joined by tourists and boat owners.

So at noon on a high summer day, I set out to explore the northern arm of the bay, from the village of Mellieha past the popular beach. Rows of yellow, and of blue and white sun umbrellas shaded the throng taking shade from the midday sun.

Walking slowly in the hot sun I turned into the road leading to the Mellieha Bay Hotel, and past the rear of the building joining the narrow but well used coast path.

The first obstacle to the walker is the delightful and sheltered tiny circle of a high sided bay, known to some as the lovers bay. A dozen small boats were anchored, the occupants swimming, sunbathing and eating.

Having climber around the rim of this circle I continued on easy ground to an area accessible by 4x4 vehicles. Two Land Rovers with roof bars had parked parallel so that they could drape an awning to provide shelter for the day. There is a small quay here and a few visitors had come by boat.

I used the shade from a deserted building to take my lunch snack. Continuing, the landscape changed with some pine trees and other shelter, and the first fig trees. It was a joy to pick the ripe figs and enjoy them, warm from the sun.

At the end of the peninsular, I looked down at the azure blue waters above a cave, and spent a few minutes in the cool of the tiny chapel, before descending to the minute, sheltered Slug’s bay to swim in the warm waters. There is virtually nowhere horizontal to relax, so I sat on the rocks, to dry off and enjoy a rest, before retracing my steps to the village.

Copyright

David Millner

August 2010