The last months have been very intense, very interesting. Studying the Gita, teaching children from the village - being so close to poverty, experiencing a way of life I did not know existed - pure people, pure knowledge and pure food. Bathing in the holy Ganges, this is a magical experience. It is not possible to rationalize it, as the river is 500 times more polluted than officially permitted for swimming. But when this holy mother invites you for a bath, there is no way of resisting. And you get rewarded for it. Wounds heal, your hair gets soft and shiny, on your face comes a soft glow. Whenever I was thinking too much, I would sit by the river and she would make me feel calm again. Ganga the Goddess takes the dead to her and gives strength to the living.

On the land where I had been teaching, construction work was going on and the teaching had stopped. The last weeks I had spent writing a plan, making new contacts and continuing my classes in The Gita. Then it was time to leave. The plan I will continue in The Netherlands, as it is a long process and there I can also find ways to finance it - my mission for the coming time. So I left the holy town that stole my heart, feeling half relieved of its constant confrontation, intensity and working in 45 degrees, on the other hand feeling a pain in my heart when saying ‘pranam’ (goodbye) to the amazing people I had met, the children, the river….

By leaving Benares the journey back has started. After a 24 hour train ride I arrived in the valley of Dehra Dun and that is where I now am, staying with the same Indian family where I started in India. They live in a house just out of town, surrounded by trees, where birds are singing. They have many guests so it is never really quiet. They took me to Mussoorie earlier this week, a hill station nearby were the grandfather is working as an engineer. We visit museums, learn, talk, eat and play together. It is mango time in north India, and we are living on mango shakes at the moment: fresh creamy milk from the cow with juicy mangos, some sugar put together in the mixer. It is a good life.

Monday I am leaving for Delhi. In Delhi and Mumbai I still have some work to do before I leave the country. Plans almost suddenly changed as some days ago I wanted to take the train straight back to Benares. Government men had started molesting the boundary of the land where we are realizing the school/center. In the state (Utter Pradesh) elections had been held and now it is not possible to build within 200 meters within the Ganges. My colleague and some other people in Benares are now solving the problem, thankfully they have some influential contacts. Now hopefully the construction work can continue after paying bribes. I keep hope for the best. If there is anything India has taught me it is that everything is possible in the world