Landing in Athens was one of the most happiest moments on my adventure, speaking to the taxi driver on the way from the way from airport, walking the streets in Plaka, at the foot of the Acropolis, and connecting, smiling, feeling warmth - both from the people and the extreme heat from the weather, was so joyous for me and I was so extremely happy and contented to be here since the moment I arrived. It was like coming home from a really hard day, taking off your shoes and just breathing out - ahhhhhhhh.
Everyone here speaks English, the people are all sizes, shapes, cultures, its happy and full of 'kefi'.
"Kefi is a hard-to-translate word which has been described by various Greeks as meaning the spirit of joy, passion, enthusiasm, high spirits, or frenzy. Kefi takes many forms. The custom of smashing plates is considered an expression of kefi, when the soul and body are overwhelmed with an exuberance that must find an outlet. The frenzied maenads - in ordinary life, Greek matrons - following Dionysus in ancient times were probably expressing a variety of kefi, as was the iconic image of Zorba dancing on the beach in Crete in the film "Zorba the Greek".
And its that 'kefi' that has put a rhythm and a smile back into my heart and my soul. Athens, especially where I stayed, is an incredible temple to humanity, to archaeological mastery, to feeling the stories, the mythology of days gone by, long long ago. The stories of Athena, Zeus, Dionysus, Asclepius, Apollo, and a myriad of other Gods and Goddesses, the ancient buildings and sites reflecting these times, adds an essence to Athens that touches the ancestral soul of all. And coming from Africa, the land of the beginnings of humans and its rich natural heritage and monuments is one thing but seeing and feeling this old architecture, seeing how communities lived here 1000's of years ago and seeing the ruins that are constantly being uncovered was phenomenal and breathtaking.
A visit to the The Acroplis Mueseum (http://www.theacropolismuseum.gr) was such a amazing experience and I spent hours and hours there looking at and absorbing the incredible pieces that have been discovered and preserved. I found it touching and I felt a deep respect for the work that has been undertaken and how majestically it has been put together and presented. An absolutely incredible experience. And just walking around the streets of Plaka, I came across ruins from Hadrian's library, the temple to Zeus and various arches and pillars that are there representing these stories and a rich history that is precious.
I spend 3 night in Athens in extremely hot temperatures and it feels like it was a lifetime. I experienced much in the 2 1/2 days and got to do quite wonderful things and act like a real tourist. On Sunday evening I went on a cultural night tour of Athens, was supposed to go to a museum of Traditional Greek Musical Instruments (which ended up being closed due to a sudden emergency) and went to a traditional restaurant with live music and Greek Dancing which was much fun and a wonderful experience to get up and dance with people from all different countries and places, eat yummy food and just experience a taste of life, the Greek way.
On Monday I went on a One Day Cruise, to 3 islands - Hydra, Pesos and Aegina - and it was such fun, and something that I think I could only manage for 1 day as its very commercial. I met a lovely lady from USA who lives in Israel, Tina Brown and a French couple who work and live in Mali and Ghana.
At our first stop Hydra I wanted so badly to swim and off I went with Tina in tow, to find the aquamarine clear water and a place pointed out to swim. As I was getting into the water, I slipped on the rocks and hurt the toes on my left foot really badly - what a bummer. It has turned out that I have fractured my one toe and bruised the other and it has been a tricky and difficult experience not being to walk around this week - but experience and an incident that got me to stop for a moment and take stock as to what is happening and why I am not present and paying attention. On a metaphysical level the specific 2 toes represent water and fire - emotions and relationships and the message is about worrying about the future - an apt lesson as I have been a bit preoccupied with what I am going to be doing and where I am going to be living when I get home and obviously not so focused on now ! And NOW I AM HERE - In Corfu and Present !
My reason for visiting Corfu originally was 2 fold - one was to meet my family and two was to attend a workshop with Deva Premal, Miten and Manose - In the Light of Love to be held at Buddha Hall in Corfu. And I arrived in Corfu on Tuesday and was met by my family and what an amazing experience that has been. I found my clan, a warm hearted, open, generous family that I resonate with and felt so comfortable with immediately. My cousin had left SA in around 1952 to go study and work in UK and met, feel deeply in love and married a local Corfu woman and they had a daughter, who grew up in Greece and the UK, and presently works in Athens. They took me for lunch on 2 days, showed me some of the sights, and on Thursday evening I went to dinner with Sasha and her friend Dora to a restaurant at the old fort, right next to water, where we could see many of the boats docked and the ferries moving between the main land and Corfu - it was a magical night.
August is high season in Greece and in Cofu and the weather has been unbelievably hot with temperatures reaching in excess of 39 deg some days. Because of my very sore toe, and the heat I have been taking it gently and easy and wandering around Corfu enjoying the buildings and the shops and spending time in the air-conditioned flat watching some wonderful movies and just enjoying my time.
And now its Saturday and I am in Magoulades (Souli). I am staying very close to Buddha Hall in a Leela House with a Greek lady, Niskriya who works with sound healing and is a Shamanic healer. This evening I went to a meditation session with Deva Premal, Miten, Manose in Buddha Hall where, for the first time, I witnessed their incredible energy in person. They sang and played their music, and the hall was filled with people, all singing and sharing this beautiful, light filled energy and space of love. And it was so amazing to be there, to witness this music and singing, be part of a collective group of people shining so brightly and to feel Osho's energy - I am so touched and excited about the week ahead and the workshop that I am going to be participating in.
My blog posts from Greece and Corfu are divided into 2 - this is the first one.
The next will be filled with Light of Love energy and it will be from a different space.
I cannot express this in words but it is with the gesture of an open heart and with such beauty within, that I say Nameste, Om Shanti Om.
Hi-lite, shift and right click on these 2 links and choose "Go to ......." to see Deva Premal and company singing and sharing their beauty.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EEFSB0zyE0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=vSR1L9IN03g
Everyone here speaks English, the people are all sizes, shapes, cultures, its happy and full of 'kefi'.
And its that 'kefi' that has put a rhythm and a smile back into my heart and my soul. Athens, especially where I stayed, is an incredible temple to humanity, to archaeological mastery, to feeling the stories, the mythology of days gone by, long long ago. The stories of Athena, Zeus, Dionysus, Asclepius, Apollo, and a myriad of other Gods and Goddesses, the ancient buildings and sites reflecting these times, adds an essence to Athens that touches the ancestral soul of all. And coming from Africa, the land of the beginnings of humans and its rich natural heritage and monuments is one thing but seeing and feeling this old architecture, seeing how communities lived here 1000's of years ago and seeing the ruins that are constantly being uncovered was phenomenal and breathtaking.
A visit to the The Acroplis Mueseum (http://www.theacropolismuseum.gr) was such a amazing experience and I spent hours and hours there looking at and absorbing the incredible pieces that have been discovered and preserved. I found it touching and I felt a deep respect for the work that has been undertaken and how majestically it has been put together and presented. An absolutely incredible experience. And just walking around the streets of Plaka, I came across ruins from Hadrian's library, the temple to Zeus and various arches and pillars that are there representing these stories and a rich history that is precious.
I spend 3 night in Athens in extremely hot temperatures and it feels like it was a lifetime. I experienced much in the 2 1/2 days and got to do quite wonderful things and act like a real tourist. On Sunday evening I went on a cultural night tour of Athens, was supposed to go to a museum of Traditional Greek Musical Instruments (which ended up being closed due to a sudden emergency) and went to a traditional restaurant with live music and Greek Dancing which was much fun and a wonderful experience to get up and dance with people from all different countries and places, eat yummy food and just experience a taste of life, the Greek way.
On Monday I went on a One Day Cruise, to 3 islands - Hydra, Pesos and Aegina - and it was such fun, and something that I think I could only manage for 1 day as its very commercial. I met a lovely lady from USA who lives in Israel, Tina Brown and a French couple who work and live in Mali and Ghana.
At our first stop Hydra I wanted so badly to swim and off I went with Tina in tow, to find the aquamarine clear water and a place pointed out to swim. As I was getting into the water, I slipped on the rocks and hurt the toes on my left foot really badly - what a bummer. It has turned out that I have fractured my one toe and bruised the other and it has been a tricky and difficult experience not being to walk around this week - but experience and an incident that got me to stop for a moment and take stock as to what is happening and why I am not present and paying attention. On a metaphysical level the specific 2 toes represent water and fire - emotions and relationships and the message is about worrying about the future - an apt lesson as I have been a bit preoccupied with what I am going to be doing and where I am going to be living when I get home and obviously not so focused on now ! And NOW I AM HERE - In Corfu and Present !
My reason for visiting Corfu originally was 2 fold - one was to meet my family and two was to attend a workshop with Deva Premal, Miten and Manose - In the Light of Love to be held at Buddha Hall in Corfu. And I arrived in Corfu on Tuesday and was met by my family and what an amazing experience that has been. I found my clan, a warm hearted, open, generous family that I resonate with and felt so comfortable with immediately. My cousin had left SA in around 1952 to go study and work in UK and met, feel deeply in love and married a local Corfu woman and they had a daughter, who grew up in Greece and the UK, and presently works in Athens. They took me for lunch on 2 days, showed me some of the sights, and on Thursday evening I went to dinner with Sasha and her friend Dora to a restaurant at the old fort, right next to water, where we could see many of the boats docked and the ferries moving between the main land and Corfu - it was a magical night.
August is high season in Greece and in Cofu and the weather has been unbelievably hot with temperatures reaching in excess of 39 deg some days. Because of my very sore toe, and the heat I have been taking it gently and easy and wandering around Corfu enjoying the buildings and the shops and spending time in the air-conditioned flat watching some wonderful movies and just enjoying my time.
And now its Saturday and I am in Magoulades (Souli). I am staying very close to Buddha Hall in a Leela House with a Greek lady, Niskriya who works with sound healing and is a Shamanic healer. This evening I went to a meditation session with Deva Premal, Miten, Manose in Buddha Hall where, for the first time, I witnessed their incredible energy in person. They sang and played their music, and the hall was filled with people, all singing and sharing this beautiful, light filled energy and space of love. And it was so amazing to be there, to witness this music and singing, be part of a collective group of people shining so brightly and to feel Osho's energy - I am so touched and excited about the week ahead and the workshop that I am going to be participating in.
My blog posts from Greece and Corfu are divided into 2 - this is the first one.
The next will be filled with Light of Love energy and it will be from a different space.
I cannot express this in words but it is with the gesture of an open heart and with such beauty within, that I say Nameste, Om Shanti Om.
Hi-lite, shift and right click on these 2 links and choose "Go to ......." to see Deva Premal and company singing and sharing their beauty.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EEFSB0zyE0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=vSR1L9IN03g
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