Finally it was Tuesday, the day we had planned to go back to the Govardhan Retreat! We got up all early, packed our few things for the short stay, and went to meet Yamuna and Dina at the gate to go. They were there right on time too, and so we waited for our taxi, and waited and waited. About an hour later, we decided something was wrong, so we tried to get in touch with the devotee who told us he would arrange our taxi. Of course that was pretty impossible, so we ended up just having to get another taxi and leaving a couple hours later then planned. This only increased my eagerness and desire(impatience) to get there!! Then we were on our way! Over the incredibly, indescribable bumpy roads, and through the serene country side. This time I saw Govardhan way sooner, and even saw Kusum Sarovara and other wonderful places. But being beside Yamuna and Dina, sharing my intense excitement and anticipation with Kar, and singing all the most wonderful prayers all the way there, was an other-worldly experience in itself. Still I was so impatient to get there, it felt like the longest drive ever, with the most traffic I have ever seen, the longest waits at the railroads, and with a nagging doubt that our taxi driver didn't have the foggiest idea of where he was going. But soon enough we were finally there! Just writing about going back to Sri Govardhana is making me feel super excited inside! I just love that place!
We went straight to the small garden where they were holding the second seminar by Bhurijana Prabhu, after that seminar was over, me and Kar went to use the bathroom and put our stuff in KC's room until we could figure out where we were staying. On the way back we ran into Sacinandan Swami, and he was super happy that we were there! We walked with him back to the garden and he met Dina Prabhu, (Yamuna Prabhu was over by the hill at that time), and then started his seminar. He gave a nice introduction on how happy, thankful, yet nervous he was to have Yamuna Prabhu present for his seminar. The rest of the seminar was really good too. After the seminar, Yamuna Prabhu went up to meet him, and they talked briefly. I was so happy to be there! Then it was time for prasadam, so me and Kar went to get Yamuna and Dina some plates, and then ate prasadam too.
After prasadam we went with Dina, Lila, KC, and Nanda, to the dusty parikrama path at the foot of Govardhan, that place that I never want to leave. We offered our obesiances there, and made little homes out of the stones, so that we will always have a home by the side of Govardhana. I loved making the homes and taking pictures of the hill, although that almost got crushed by a monkey who figured there must be something to eat in my camera bag and so started taking my camera ( in the bag) towards the hill were I couldn't go after him! Thankful he realized there was nothing there quickly enough, and dropped it were I could still get it. Then we once again paid our prostrated obesciances and rolled in the wonderful soft dust of Govardhan!! What a wonderful feeling! You never want to get up ever again. heehee.
We started heading back to the ashram for the next part of the program, and got attacked by the village kids on the way. They were pretty fascinated with Kar and me, and somehow thought that we would give them our rings, earings, watches, bracelets. I was laughing at Kar because the little boys were trying to take his ring and watch off, and so I decided to take a picture, but as soon as they saw the camera they wanted that too! It was an interesting situation, trying to keep your hands above your head so that the kids couldn't reach them! Still they were very sweet kids, even though they definately would have stolen whatever we had if they could.
When we reached the ashram it was time for the play and then it would be the last evening kirtan. Yamuna and Dina had to leave right after the play, but me and Kar stayed for the night and were going to leave with the bus the next day. After the play, we all went to the temple for the evening kirtan. It was another wonderful end to the already extraodinary day! There is nothing more fufilling and satisfying then singing the holy names at the end of such incredible days. You want to and probably could sing forever! We stayed there late, because we had some presents to give to Sacinandan Swami, and it took awhile for him to be able to leave, so by the time we headed to our ashram building it was quite dark. Luckily for us some other devotees were heading there too, otherwise I think me and Kar would have done an unexpected parikrama around Govardhan hill. When we got to our building, we were so tired and cold that we really just wanted to go to bed, so we were so happy to get the key to our room.
Unfortunately when we got to our room, we found out that we had no power whatsoever. No lights, no heat, no nothing. I am not even sure the toilet worked. I mean water (at least I hope thats what it was) gushed out from everywhere when you flushed, but I am not sure anything actually went down the toilet. Anyway, we didn't care so much because we really did just want to go to bed. But even sleep wasn't really going to work out, because around 1;00 in the morning, some loud-speaker across the street started blaring who knows what. After lying in bed listening to it for about 3 hours, I still can't figure out what it was. It sounded vaguely like an old woman chanting some verses, but in a very jumbled up and down, high- low pitch way. Its the kind of thing that your ears and brain are never able to shut-off. Anyway, it was right beside our window, playing really really loudly all the way till about 4:30 in the morning, and then it finally shut off. Of course by then I was already awake, and decided I would just chant till it was light enough to try and take a shower. At about 6:00 in the morning it was still too dark, and so I went to get some water, and as soon as I stepped out of my room, some Indian man handed me a bucket with hot water. So I ended up taking a bucket bath in the dark, in a room where the toilet gushed water (?) all over everything, and without a towel, and I had to go to the bathroom, crossing my fingers it would all go down and not out all over everything in the room. Finally I finished, somehow feeling dirtier then when I started (drying with my dusty shawl from the day before might have helped), and decided just to go straight back to the main ashram. Kar had finally fallen asleep at around 5 in the morning, so I let him sleep. But I was definately ready to begin a new day!! A little more tired then expected but still blissful!
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