Did you realize that not every travel writer carries a big camera and a writing pad around? Some of those special ones are invisible at first; they make their mental notes using their energy field bank to remember and to download later on. They are able to use their smiles to decode hidden mysteries in people’s hearts. “Mind that kind!”
“Ma’am are you here for business or pleasure?”
She replied, “my business in my pleasure” and the man on the front desk had no idea, she will be “the one” who will write about many little strolls encounters – from a heart to heart — in his hotel. Hotel MADIN, Varanasi: Travel Writer Who Never Sleeps In Me. Excerpted from EBOOK: Facing Your Destiny, India 2016 written by Veronika Prielozna as aTraveling Lady Moon.
I felt been pressed between two stones: my body was screaming to go back to my bed and sleep when a travel writer opportunity just knocked on my door. The hotel has still “virgin smell” newly open for about two weeks. I pushed myself and started working for ‘free’ to help them out. I have a very keen eye for “luxury and pleasure” so pick up all those details that might take them weeks; I got all just in a few hours.
Yes, I donated my time and expertise under “pay it forward” awareness or “whatever you put in will return back to you” even in a different time or a form. But mostly, I love hotel stuff, all of them. I was spotted by a Front Desk Manager, Mr. Nitin, and then, when I met a General Manager, Mr. Sandeep, all was accelerated. I was invited to experience a spa session, in order to evaluate their service qualities.
Once all managers were gone, we got together with the spa team and I shared my stories working as a spa therapist in a European medical spa, and in Canada. “I am one of you, I know your worries and your fun.” Simply there was not enough time yet, so there were a few details that must be tweeted. I will say “It was well cooked but still a dish needs to be garnished”.
As a nurse, I paid a close attention to practical steps and safety first. I knew all procedures by my heart and making my mental notes to address all “oops” that can prevent them to a danger of falling or any other service complaints. My finding was diplomatically presented to a hotel management, and they completely surprised me by their ’pronto’ action. All concerns were addressed by the end of the day. “Consider DONE, Veronika!” Therefore, I loved so much to work with people who really listen to my heartfelt concrete, down to earth practical and reasonable suggestions.
But honestly, the most astonishment experienced during my Travel Lady Mooning time in Hotel MADIN came to me unexpectedly with goosebumps all over my body, and tears running down my cheeks.
I was on my way from a spa room, after giving a spa therapist feedback. In a limitation of her English, I pointed it out all “oozing spots” and demonstrated how to fix it up effectively. She got it all! In a very last moment of saying Good Bye, I inserted my tip into her palm saying “Thank you for your touch. This is only for you!”
She looked at money values in her hand, probably more that her week wage, than she kneed down and kissed my feet. Not knowing my name, she said: “Thank you, CANADA!” My soul was impressed by her graceful gratitude. My emotional body was touched and once I heard my country name, I started crying with her.
“Oh, Gosh, if only Justin Trudeau knows!”
He is our Prime Minister and it is his job keep spreading our Canadian spirit around the globe, not mine! My mind was putting some humor into this situation. We all know, each of us we carry on the energy of our ancestors and countries on our shoulders, wherever we go.
Wiping and covering my tears, I came down to a front desk, one hour late. Nanny, my personal guide in Varanasi, just commented, “Lady Moon, we just missed Banares Hindu University visit, you are late.” I took all his unspoken blame knowing a true reason why I was late again.
Varanasi evening traffic: “Rite of Passage”
I was ordered to be on time for our evening ceremony. This is a special one where a group of priests performs “Agni Pooja” (Sanskrit: “Worship of Fire”) daily in the evening at this ghat as a dedication to Shiva, Ganga, Surya (Sun), Agni (Fire), and the entire universe. This was a poster image imprinted in my mind from Travel Guru’s office! I came down on time.
In the city of Varanasi, there are plenty of ghats located on the Ganges, with many temples devoted all Hindus Gods, but the pilgrimage sites, we were heading to, are probably the most popular and overcrowded, and therefore, he came on a motorbike.
“This is only one transportation way,” he was pointed on a motorbike “I can get us there in a good time.” Varanasi traffic towards a fire ceremony is in a sane! I was speechless hearing his news. He gave me a travel scoop “You will be seeing a lot of unseen yet for your eyes, just trust me. I keep driving in this city more than 40 years. Just put your helmet, hold on and pray, so Great Mother will protect us!”
I was asking in my spirit “does Travel Guru know about this danger? “I doubted it he did. In spite of my fears, I followed his orders and sat behind this mature Indian man body with a cowboy like daring spirit in him. I had to lean onto him with my whole body a tight squeeze and we hit the road driving. Soon after, I experienced a “traffic nightmare” where everybody was driving following their natural instincts, not driving regulations, signs or lights. All was moving in and out from the different stream of yelling traffic with a high pitch honking and screaming.
Varanasi Traffic Is An Assault On The Senses!
Clogged traffic was getting worse. The smell of curry and fried naan, rickshaws, motor scooters, buses, and a woman in a red sari herding two goats and a mother on a motorbike with a breastfeeding infant in her arms, and holy cows! Oh, mine “everything holy” goes onward, and we were stacked just in between!
On a right side was oversized sticky building material moving on the bicycle, on the left, a big rickshaw with a group of teenagers happy to see me on the motorbike, stretching out their arms towards me and just in a middle of the road, a handicapped man without his legs was crawling onward using his arms only. All was moving in a fast dynamic chaos speed of Mother India.
Nanny was making all moves just right to prevent all traffic collision just in the last minutes. I was “airbrushed” by many overpassing scooters or motorbikes. I had to close my eyes numerous times, not to scream, not adding my panic to worsen a traffic situation that we were deeply in.
“Worship of Fire” – that evening ritual!
My devil mind was provoking me, “What for, do you have three exclusive travel insurances in your suitcase? If you drop here, all traffic will just smoothly run over YOU! No 911 will be called! No traffic blockage will be done to clear pathways for easy ambulance access. You and Nanny, you will be dead on the spot, on the street of Varanasi. “How glamorous” on the way to enlightenment! You are just a foolish girl; blindly believe in a local myth, “anyone who passes away in Varanasi will gain enlightenment, don’t you? “How pathetic!”
I promised to return home unharmed and untouched, to my grandsons. They deserve to know their adventure driven grandmother, and then, I said “NO!” I need to live here and now and nothing will happen to us.
“In a power of destiny invested in me,” I yelled in my spirit to all my spiritual commitees up there “ I claim my safe passage, HERE AND NOW!”
Then I opened my eyes and finally, we were there. Nanny, “this lucky son of bxxh”, like North American men call such a daring individual as he is, was smiled at me saying “and we are here, Traveling Lady Moon, just on time!”
At morning, I left Varanasi with still a vivid memory of my recent “rite of passage” hoping for an easier mission to be accomplished ahead. All was good at the end; I left many good friends behind with hope to see them next time around Mother India – AGAIN.
Excerpted from EBOOK: Facing Your Destiny, India 2016 written by Veronika Prielozna as a Traveling Lady Moon.
Edit: Glynn Williams
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varanasi
YOGA and TRAVEL 