A Journey to Pakistan

(from Nov. 2015)
Pakistan!

I'm excited to share that I've been invited to visit and present choral workshops and church music training in Pakistan! I am thrilled to have this unique opportunity to visit this country, meet tons of people, including Pakistani Anglicans, and to learn about The Church of Pakistan!

Pakistan is a country I've been curious about visiting for a few years and, while I considered applying for the VISA in 2014, I did not. I was in India at the time and learned that Indo-Pak relations aren't the best. The VISA application was also pretty daunting... As it turned out, I now have an official letter of invitation and sponsors!

So what is this all about? 

Last summer (June 2015), I was very fortunate to be an Alternate Delegate to the 78th General Convention of The Episcopal Church, held in beautiful Salt Lake City, Utah. While there, I was representing our Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana (EDOLA) as Media in addition to serving as an Alternate. I was able to meet with friends, the fabulous and friendly group of Episcopal Communicators, and also various church leaders and representatives. I interviewed some folks and shook hands with or had coffee with others. One person I met was Bishop Samuel Azariah, the primate and president bishop / Moderator of The Church of Pakistan. His home Diocese is The Diocese of Raiwind. Here is some information about the Diocese, directly from their website: 

" The Church of Pakistan is the result of the union of four denominations: Anglicans, Methodist, Lutheran and Presbyterians (Scottish), which took place in 1970. Initially, there were four dioceses in the Church of Pakistan, i.e. Karachi, Multan, Lahore and Sialkot, but in 1980, through a special resolution and for better ministerial work, four new dioceses were created: Hyderabad, Raiwind, Faisalabad and Peshawar. There is a presiding bishop for the Church of Pakistan who is known as the Moderator and has responsibility for a three year term. The united Church of Pakistan is the second largest church in the country after the Roman Catholic Church."

The Diocese of Raiwind experienced several bombings in the spring of 2015 that had remained in my thoughts. We lifted them in prayer at St. Paul's Episcopal. The two churches that were bombed were St. John's Roman Catholic Church in Peshawar and Christ Church in Lahore (a Church of Pakistan church and a member of the Anglican Communion.) At the time, I couldn't get over how resilient those affected were or how awful the situation had become with regards to religious intolerance. Just how does one recover from a suicide bombing and retain faith in the community? This kind of thing means that the community needs you even more.

The Diocese of Raiwind is extremely active. They are leaders in peacemaking efforts and often hold conferences which involve international guests. Bishop Azariah told me about some of the activities, including a small group from Sweden that visited and taught about music. I was intrigued. The Diocese regularly holds educational gatherings and gatherings to promote peace and well-being. They love music and sometimes hold Christian music conventions. HERE is the link to their blog post describing the activities. Their Facebook page is very active and describes events taking place around the Diocese. 

The hospitality and friendship to me has already been amazing and I am super excited about having such a wonderful opportunity!

* Basic info and some interesting statistics here about Christianity in Pakistan.

The Episcopal New Service article HERE about the 2015 Pakistani bombings is eye-opening. In 2013, there were also bombings in Peshawar and Lahore. An article by the Episcopal Digital Network has details HERE. In looking for other info about the bombings, I also found this.

Pakistan's notorious Blasphemy Laws are also still in effect. Created to prevent blasphemy against any religion, these laws have been used differently in various situations by various groups over the years with most of the accusations against non-Muslim minorities, resulting in life in jail or death penalties which many believe were not warranted. Though I'm not sure if the death penalties have actually been carried out, I have read that Pakistanis have been killed as a result of blasphemy via mob attacks and similar events. Here is a recent story (Nov. 2015).

Photo of Christmas festivity in Christ Church, Lahore - by Shekeel Medeeha - http://www.christiansinpakistan.com/christmas-festivity-in-lahore/ 

How Safe is Pakistan?

Well, that varies depending on your source. Keeping a low profile, avoiding crowds and heavily-populated places, and limiting publicity/media/social media about the trip and details is recommended. In spite of U.S. Dept. of State Travel Warnings to defer non-essential travel to Pakistan, few Americans have been affected by incidents.

I'm very excited for the possibility of taking this trip! I feel called to share my gifts in my own special way and to talk to the people there, make new connections, and show them that we are the same. Because there are not very many Americans in Pakistan, I feel like having this chance to make a good connection is a unique and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I am especially honored and blessed to be doing it as an Episcopalian and with the connections that will be made. We have the chance as travelers (different sometimes than tourists) to stand up to society's fears, bust through stereotypes, create goodwill, and see beyond the cover of the book. It helps us see life for the beautiful, diverse, wonder that it is.

~ Caroline

(written Nov. 2015 and slightly updated March 2016)

For Peace Among the Nations

Today, I offer some simple ponderings :-)

A butterfly and a caterpillar on plants in the breeze at The Audubon Zoo, NOLA

Life is good, isn't it... Life, this short time of existence in community on a fragile planet in a fortunately habitable zone. An infinitesimal fleck of matter and spark of momentary awareness in the vast cosmic realm. Life is SO SHORT for us. The only thing that makes this brevity bearable in our social, political, technological, and global adolescence is ourselves. We have each other. I dream of what is impossible in my lifetime: one open world with distinction rather than divisiveness. I dream of borderless equilibrium where strife, poverty, and fear of each other no longer exist, yet uniqueness remains and is celebrated. It would take one or two thousand years, but it could happen. 

NASA: Earth, east

I love to explore other cultures and learn from people different than myself. I find different ways of living and alternately functioning societal structures fascinating. Thus far in my life, I've been to 30 countries. Soon, I will take a very exciting trip! 
I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED about this trip and a bit nervous as well. I will be teaching music, visiting choirs, working with youth to plan worship service presentations, sharing fun times and knowledge, and I will also be giving presentations as a NASA Solar System Ambassador in the school systems! What a FABULOUS opportunity! Still, I know that where I'm going, as an American, presents its own set of problems and I have been mentally preparing for them. I feel certain I will be safe, but there are always chances that something could happen which could change that.I would be remiss if I did not address that. It's not a place where single women, especially Americans, travel on their own very much, if at all. Folks are saying "Oh you're so brave"! I am pretty unafraid at times, but it can indeed be mixed. Still, I feel very strongly called to go there. I have ever since I met the leader of the community I'll visit. I want to show them that we are the same. People are people. I want to be a bridge and one of love. I've tried to do that in my own life between people, programs, and more. We can each do our part.
This June, I'll travel to Israel on my first pilgrimage to the Holy Land! I am so greatly blessed by God, people, by opportunities, and by my own energy and initiative to create more opportunities. II'm living and leading a great life. 
I write all of these thoughts today because I am simply pondering life and in particular, my life. I think it's healthy to do that periodically. We never know how long we have and seriously, EVERY DAY is a gift, every single one. If you are reading this, I wish you a big hug and I wish you peace, happiness, and hope!

A prayer for peace in our world (from the Church of England)

Make your ways known upon earth, Lord God,

your saving power among all peoples.

Renew your Church in holiness

and help us to serve you with joy.

Guide the leaders of all nations,

that justice may prevail throughout the world.

Let not the needy be forgotten,

nor the hope of the poor be taken away.

Make us instruments of your peace

and let your glory be over all the earth. Amen

The Fortress and City of Gori, Georgia

Previous Post: Jvari Monastery and the City of Uplistsikhe, Georgia.
July 2015
When our group left Uplistsikhe, we headed to the small city of Gori, Georgia. "Gori" means "hill" and is the birthplace of Joseph Stalin (1878-1953). There is a museum dedicated to his belongings and his leadership located in the town square. The fee is nominal and the square is a nice place to relax. The day we arrived, there were hardly any people around and I think this is partially because it was at least 100 degrees.

I found the museum to be small, too hot, dusty, and drab. No photos were allowed inside the museum and while I will occasionally break this (always without flash), the only items on exhibit were old and dusty clothing, a few paintings and drawings, and various framed documents in Russian. Completely not my kind of museum. There was a smaller museum which consisted of one train car, but as it was an extra fee, I opted not to see inside it. People coming out of the train car were audibly underwhelmed. One can tell this in pretty much any language. I went to the central grocery store instead and bought some apple juice.

Right in front of the Stalin museum center is Stalin's birth home, preserved under a stone framework. The little house is very modest and had several plaques around it.

Gori has been invaded multiple times over the centuries and as late as 2008 had Russian troops occupying the area. It was inhabited by people of Iranian heritage, called the Alanians or Alans as well as people of Armenian descent. Most of Georgia was in dispute at one time or another over its history. Monguls invaded the Eastern Georgian territories as well as Arabs, Ottomans, Iranians, and Persians.
                      
The Medieval Gori Fortress rests atop a hill overlooking the town of Gori. The immediate area has empty guard stands, decrepit walkways, and rusting handrails (where they haven't already fallen down). I learned that there was an earthquake in 1920 that destroyed many buildings in town and did damage to the fortress. From wikipedia "The fortress first appears in the 13th century records but archaeological evidence shows that the area had already been fortified in the last centuries BC. The fortress controlled major strategic and economic routes and accommodated a large garrison. In the 16th century the Ottomans captured it to overawe Tbilisi, and then it continually changed hands between the Turks, the Georgians, and the Persians."

One can walk up to the fortress and around it on a lower level. Next, a layer of ground mid-fortress level contains a few openings to empty room areas. Then, one can walk up a series of steps into the top level of the fortress. There is an empty guard area and old security surveillance setup, but it was completely empty when I climbed up, after my fellow adventurers were on their way down (van of Latvians, see previous post!) Even though I do not know very much about architectural styles, I do enjoy seeing Medieval styles from around the world. I also LOVE photographing doorways and windows.
 
View from the top of Gori fortress, overlooking the city on one side and the low-lying beginning of the Caucasus mountain range on the other side and in the distance here. At some point, I would like to return to Georgia and visit the higher Caucasus mountains.

I must add here that it was pretty cool to be the only one in the fortress for a while. I stood still for a while, listening to the wind against my ears and body. I imagined what it would have been like in the Medieval times when the fortress was an active bulwark. I wondered what the city below would have looked like or if it would have been as hot as it was this day. I spent a few moments feeling myself standing, swayed by the wind, pondering about wars and humanity on the Earth. What a cool place this fortress was! Then, I decided that it was an awesome place to eat the remainder of my leftover Tbilisi cheese sandwich as well....and so it was.
                   
At the top, I made a little video and please excuse me, but for half the day, I thought we were going to Batumi Fortress and as it turned out, it's simply called Gori fortress and Batumi is a Georgian city along the Black Sea. Here's the video link
In fact, Here's the whole Flickr album of my Georgia photos!

All in all, I was glad to visit Gori, but we didn't stay there for much longer than it took to explore the fortress and visit the Stalin museum. The next post will explore the Svetitskhoveli Church in Mtskheta.
Super cool apple juice label - I LOVE the Georgian script!
                      

Jvari Monastery and the City of Uplistsikhe, Georgia

In the summer of 2015, I had the good fortune to travel to formerly Soviet Georgia for a few days. Having long-desired to visit this beautiful Orthodox country, I was only able to stay for three and a half days, but it was a highlight of my year and I hope to return!

                 Photo by Caroline Carson, July 2015                    

When I return, I'd especially like to see the Caucasus mountain region and some of the high country! I flew into the capital city of Tbilisi, found my hotel, and immediately ventured out to walk down the street to one of the town squares. Tbilisi proved to be very friendly, clean, beautiful, and full of sites and activities. As I also wanted to see some of the surrounding areas and get into the real countryside of Georgia, I talked to several people while at dinner and strolling around with gelato later that evening. After several recommendations, I entered a tourist shop featuring t-shirts, knick-knacks, and tours. 

Collage of photos by Caroline Carson

I hired a driver, through a travel agent/clerk, to travel to Uplistsikhe, a city I knew nothing about, but which seemed intriguing and was itself a UNESCO World Heritage site. Of the several dusty brochures in the store, this city had the prettiest pictures and was not very expensive. It ended up being about $25 for about 9 hours of tour! What an AMAZING journey! After an early morning stroll downtown, I met up with my driver and a van full of Latvians who would soon be my new friends. Before long, my fellow adventurers and our Russian driver, Georgi, were singing (me humming), Russian Orthodox melodies to the radio in a beat-up, smoke-infused van on the way to see one of the earliest important crossroads cities between the Orient and Oxident in the world. 

                 Photo by Caroline Carson, July 2015                    

On the way to Uplistsikhe, we stopped at the Jvari Monastery which is on the top of a hill and absolutely amazing. I had no idea that we would be stopping here at all! This could be due to the fact that I do not speak Georgian, Russian, or Latvian. Jvari is a UNESCO site.

Photo by Caroline Carson, July 2015

The Jvari Monastery is the "Monastery of the Cross" and was built in the 6th century. It is near the beautiful city of Mtskheta, one of the oldest cities in the country and one of the oldest continuously inhabited places on Earth. Mtskheta is about thirteen miles outside of Tbilisi so a very easy trip to make. It was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kartli (Iberia) and has become known as the "Holy City" because it is the birthplace of Christianity in Georgia. In the fourth century, Saint Nino, a female saint, placed a large cross on the hillside at the site of Jvari monastery. After time, there began to be rumors of miracles and strange, yet wonderful happenings at the mountain. A church was built on the site and later, a monastery founded. Around the back of the monastery, we were treated to stunning views of Mtskheta and the Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers below. 

Photo by Caroline Carson, July 2015

Inside, the smell of incense wafted through thickened sunbeams, bringing a hush to everyone who entered. Donning a scarf to cover my head, I stood in silence for several moments, just taking it all in. I did wish we had more time, even if I hadn't previously known we were stopping here. There is something quite special and holy about the sacred spaces of Orthodox churches with the thin candles leaning in quiet effort to the Divine and the fragrances of incense and flowers in the air. The light in these places always has a different quality to me...one threaded with purpose and meaning. 

Photo by Caroline Carson, 2015

After being still and saying a few prayers, I went out of the monastery chapel and walked the grounds a bit. I found these three hanging bells, calling to the hills and claiming together a congregation of anyone who could hear them.

Photo by Caroline Carson, July 2015

Next, we were back in the van, already drenched with sweat and gulping water. I think it was about 100 that day (I know it was 103 the following day when I visited Azerbaijan.) After an hour or more, Georgi took us off the main highway and toward an embankment of low, rolling mountains. Here, somewhere, was Uplistsikhe, the famous cave city, known as "The Ruler's Fortress" and often called "The Lord's Fortress" of long ago. An ancient city hewn out of the mountainside, Uplistsikhe was one of the oldest urban centers in Georgia and became an important religious, trade, and political center. It is in the midst of what is known as the Kartli region.The road began to be rocky and VERY bumpy, enough to where I was wondering how many spare tires might be in the back. A few cows were sighted, what looked like several abandoned townlets, and a river. 

Photo by Caroline Carson, July 2015

When we finally got there, our driver parked and we got out. There were a few old men sitting at small, rusting tables, selling wares and a ticket desk leading to a snack cafe and a very small museum. Our driver gave us a few hours and so I took off to climb the old city and see what I could. After a few large rock outcroppings that I climbed, there were sets of stairs, about 50 steps each and boy were they RICKETY. Each step consisted of metal bars lined on the top with a rotting wooden plank. I will add here that I am ok with two or three flights of stairs and then I'm not ok. I have to stop a lot and hold on to things and take it slowly. It was also extremely windy and I couldn't use my umbrella to escape the relentless sun so I just gave up and prepared myself for massive sunburn. I was a bit surprised that handrails were not in certain places and that getting from one set of steps to a higher area involved large...no....gigantic leaps from one rock to the other. If no one had been around, I would have been on "all fours" at times (and I'm ok with that if I want to climb on steep rocks), but I did ask a hand from a stranger to get up onto one rock where this picture was taken.

Finally, I made it to the top and could explore some of the cave rooms. There were cave ceilings with decorations on the top and it seemed that the inhabitants had thought of everything from cooking pits to individual cells, to a theatre and to wine presses in the ground! A couple of the ceilings were so ornate that it reminded me of a Western European Baroque style. Here is one example of the decorated ceilings.

There were several "temples" carved and I was told they were to a Sun goddess who was worshipped by the pagans in this area before Christianity arrived in Georgia. The sloping sandstone cave city was founded in the late Bronze Age (before 1000 BC) and inhabited steadily until the 13th century with, at times, both Christians and pagans. The Christianization of surrounding areas such as Tbilisi and Mtskheta pushed the city to lose favor in deference to the larger cities. Over time, Uplistsike and parts of Georgia were conquered by the Mongols, Annatolians, Arabs, Persians, and more. At its highest population, Uplistsikhe was about 20,000. It didn't look that large to me, but then again, I only had a couple of hours to explore it and it was about a million degrees so I wasn't in top form. The short film in the small museum mentioned that Uplistsikhe's rock-cutting styles were influenced mostly by Northern Iran and Cappadocia's (Turkey) rock city formations.

Photo by Caroline Carson, July 2015

Another hike took me up to the top of the city where there was a monastery and beautiful small chapel. This has been rebuilt a few times, but is still very old. 

Photo by Caroline Carson, July 2015

I always feel good when I look down at where I have come from on one of these hikes. I can accomplish a great distance, even in my slow, labored style. I'm always so glad I ended up doing it.

Photo by Caroline Carson, July 2015

Making my way down the mountain, I nearly collapsed from the heat once I was low enough to where the wind wasn't so strong. 
IT WAS SO HOT. If you decide to go, PICK A NON-SUMMER TIME.
I wandered into the snack cafe and bought a chilled (not exactly "cold") Georgian lemonade. It was slightly carbonated and sweet, but was the best thing 

                                                              IN. THE. WORLD. 

                        
Pretty soon, my Latvian buddies came in and we sat, drinking lemonade and beer and cokes, trying to will the temperature down with sheer contempt for the tragic sun's crusade to melt.....EVERYTHING.
Next, we went to the museum and watched a small film about Uplistsikhe and its history and then saw some amazing archaeological finds. 

The way out of the city took the whole van's determination. I'm not quite sure what kind of lemonade Georgi was having while we were exploring, but we missed the main road and ended up stopping at a giant hay pile. Next, we crossed a small riverlet, but not the one we had first come across. We ran into three men on scooters and asked them which way to go. This led us to a road made of small boulders and big sticks, nearly toppling the van twice. FINALLY, we saw a highway and took it. Next, we were headed to the Batumi fortress and the town of Gori (where Joself Stalin was born), and the wondrous Svetitskhoveli Church. 
I'll also share a bit of travel to David Gareja (also Davit Kareji) monastery and crossing into Azerbaijan.

Photo by Caroline Carson, July 2915

Here is a link to my Facebook album of my photos from Georgia. 
I HIGHLY recommend seeing the city of Uplistsikhe if you have time while in visiting Georgia. Bring sunscreen, wear good shoes, and know ahead of time that parts of the city slope steeply and there is always the possibility in brushland of both snakes and larger-than-I-want-to-describe spiders. Also, wear your sunglasses as it is very windy and bright.
I love, love, LOVE ancient archaeological sites like this one. It is well worth it to step in the same paths of our ancestors and to touch our own planet's ancient history as our cities were being formed.

Photo by Caroline Carson, July 2015

10 Reasons Why I'm Not Afraid to Travel Alone

I'm not afraid to travel alone - not in the least! 
I am pretty afraid of spiders though...as any of my friends or students will tell you!
It's a very common idea that it is dangerous to travel alone, and even more so as a woman. There are differences of experiences when you compare men and women traveling alone, but it's 2015 and taking safety precautions has become a habit for almost everyone. I'm occasionally more worried about getting to my car safely on an early, quiet Sunday morning on deserted Frenchmen Street in New Orleans, than I am worried about trying to find a train station and get myself to an airport in a foreign country. Knowing about where you're going, the cultural differences, knowing how to dress appropriately in that culture, and being resourceful are all things that are vital to traveling alone. Being watchful of your surroundings and having an idea of where others are is good advice for anyone at any time.

Me in the amazing UNESCO site of Uplistsikhe, Georgia

I've written some about some of my travels here in former blog posts. Here are a few:
Chiusa, Italy
Mungeli, India and Mandwa Mahal, India
South Korea and Cheorwon
I usually get questions about my travels, ranging from "How can you afford that?" to "WHY are you going to X when you could go to Y or Z?!"
I'm expecting similar questions and a little more concern from folks regarding possible upcoming trips. I will surely blog about them, but in the meantime, wanted to write down some thoughts I have on solo travel.

                           The beautiful rolling hills and cattle of Azerbaijan. Photo by Caroline Carson

I mostly travel alone, not because I dislike people, but because I actually LIKE to have freedom to make my own choices about places to visit or activities and to be on my own schedule. Often, I am traveling with a group first, on mission work, a choral trip, or workshop, and then I want to explore another place alone. If I'm in one location for a week, there might be a day when all I really want to do is drink coffee in a park staring at flowers and petting dogs in Italy or to read a book along the banks of a gently wafting river in Scotland. I prefer visiting UNESCO sites, churches, and museums, but I love meandering through markets, strolling down picturesque streets, or finding myself a spot on the ground where I can lie down on greeny grass, and look up at the sky to ponder the meaning of life.

Handsome and sweet dog in Padova, Italy. Photo by Caroline Carson

10 Reasons Why I'm Not Afraid to Travel Alone

1. I have a sense of adventure that I refuse to limit simply because I live alone
I'm not going to wait until someone comes along and says it's ok to go to a certain place or decides to join me. Planning can often be easier when preparing a trip for yourself. I like having adventurous "me time". 

Paragliding outside of Ljubliana, Slovenia. Selfie by Caroline Carson :-)

2. I Do My Research
I enjoy spending time carefully crafting a unique trip! I spend hours online looking for deals and looking into the distances between cities. I was able to see the oldest musical instrument in the world and go paragliding for the first time while in Slovenia after I discovered that balloon rides were temporarily banned in the country. If I had not looked into this, I would have missed out on some history AND some fun. This is not to say that one should not be spontaneous while traveling - that has its own awesomeness to it! 

Throwing paint on a Buddhist stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal. Photo by Caroline Carson

3. I Trust My Gut
Regarding safety, I try not to do anything abroad that I wouldn't do at home. I stay aware of my surroundings, decently aware of the time and how much daylight I have left. I don't flash money or my cell phone around. I ALWAYS let people know if I am hiking or climbing somewhere. If any hikes include forested areas, I have a walking stick as well as a knife with me. I take enough water and some food for energy. I always carry Benadryl with me. Yes, sometimes it's possible to forget something (like sunscreen) or do dumb things (like the time I was on a mountain when clouds & lightning came up too quickly), but less over time and with experience! If something feels unsafe, it very well may be so I will avoid it.

Sunlit reeds and tree outside of the UNESCO Bulguska temple site in North Gyeongsang province. 
Photo by Caroline Carson

4. The real world isn't always what we see on TV...even in the news
The media can display much more violence than nonviolence. Some assume that all people of a certain culture are what they have associated with a negative person, group, or incident. On the ground where the real folks are, people around the world eat dinner, they dress and go to work or school or about their days, and they laugh and cry JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. 
We are HUMANS on ONE planet.
We need to make an effort to get to know one another!

Dancer of Columbian origin at a Rafain show near Iguazu, Argentina. Photo by Caroline Carson

5. People are people
With solo travel, I feel that I become a better observer of people and places around me. I'm much more compassionate as a result. I also occasionally realize what it feels like to be an outsider, however minor or major the situation may be. It can be uncomfortable sometimes, when you stand out based on your looks, gender, religion, language, etc. It can be an especially strong difference when you spend time with some people who have been born into certain conditions which prevent them from having a healthy or free life and/or future. These are very important feelings that can change your life and open your mind to what goes on in the world.
I'll repeat what I said for # 4 here! 
We are HUMANS on ONE planet.
We need to make an effort to get to know one another!

Kids playing in the mud and water. There is something universal in having a great time.
Outside Bilaspur, India. Photo by Caroline Carson

6. I can stay within my budget. 
I have been EXTREMELY lucky to have traveled internationally on choir tours, mission trips, conducting workshops, partially or fully funded trips, and getting paid for teaching in various international programs. When I make trips like these, I try to go somewhere nearby afterwards - on the cheap. After a conducting workshop in Bulgaria when I was a student, I created a proposal to return the following year and teach about music and American music education. It was accepted and partially sponsored! I did this three times. Each time, after I left Bulgaria, I had saved up for a ticket and few days in a hostel, a friend of a friend, or a bed and breakfast in a nearby country. Buying tickets when and where I want them saves me time and money. Sometimes, I spend hours online, plugging in different cities within a specific distance from my original destination. I love Travelocity, SkyScanner, Booking.com, Hotels.com, and I read reviews ad nauseum.

Mask in Venice, Italy. Photo by Caroline Carson

7. You'll make plenty of friends if you want to
Sometimes, it's a kid sitting next to you in a train and he also has a big ice cream cone. Sometimes, it's a person you meet while asking directions. 
Whether it's a person, dog, elephant, butterfly, or capybara, you will have opportunities to make friends. 
You might even make friends with yourself.

My friend Bernardo, a Capybara from Brasil. Photo by Caroline Carson

8. Scenes like this:

Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain. Photo by Caroline Carson                  

When traveling alone, I have often have time to ponder and document my journey. Personally, I love photography and having several hours to photograph an area, building, or event makes me happy. My father was a photographer and sometimes when I'm deeply transfixed by the beauty of afternoon light (as above) or a scenic view in a particular country, I feel closer to him when I'm photographing it.

Paprika at a market outside of Sighisoara, Romania

9. Personal Growth and Confidence
You have to follow directions, find your way around, problem solve on the spur of the moment, figure out where to eat, learn who to trust, etc. Once, due to a series of train delays, I arrived in my destination in Slovenia at 11:00 PM. The station was closed, everyone disembarked and went about their merry ways, and I had NO idea in which direction to go from the station to find the street where my hotel was. In fact, it was quite scary. I had no cell service and my battery was dying. I ended up walking eight blocks and popping into a bar or two before I found someone who spoke enough English to point me in the right direction! I learned from this: to check out not only the map on my phone before I went, but the street view as well so that I'd know how it looked on the ground. I also learned that sometimes you just have to start walking.

No matter how much personal growth one experiences, being able to have gelato
any time you want it is still cool.

10. Life is Bigger Than Me
You might find yourself in the back of a truck with eight Chinese tourists at midnight, about to climb over the locked fence to get back INSIDE the nature reserve where your hotel is in the jungle of Nepal only to find the power is out, it's 100 degrees, and the mosquitoes aren't deterred by your netting. It happens. Or, you might explore a cemetery at the top of a mountain in Sighisoara, Romania and climb down the wrong part, to find yourself, and your students, lost. You didn't expect that and now have to figure out how to get everyone back to the city safely before dark and you can't go back UP the mountain because the cemetery is walled on the other side and now locked. You might even end up being the only hotel guest in a gigantic and creepy mansion on the edge of a massive loch in northern Scotland which provides you with nightmares, but also homemade whiskey pecan pie, stories from the barkeep, and two hours of throwing stones into the loch and pondering life as the dreary sun sets around midnight. 
Whatever it is, it makes you grow. It doesn't just enrich your life, it GIVES you life.

Hiking to the Obergurgl glacier, Austria. Photo by Caroline Carson

Dunnottar Castle, Scotland. Photo by Caroline Carson

Mandwa Mahal and Bhoramdeo Temples, Travels in India

Mandwa Mahal and Bhoramdeo Temples
(A visit on Tuesday, July 14, 2015)
Continuing our trek around Chhattisgarh, India, about 17-18 miles away from Kawardha, near a large lake and its dam, through the hills, tribal villages, and herds of cows, we headed toward the first of two temple visits. The village of Chairagaon lies there, among green trees and alongside very low foothills of the Maikal range. At each turn of the roads are goatherders, cowherders, but as there are hardly any people living in the area, one only saw these plus an occasional car or motorbike on the road.
Here is a link to what it is like while driving through the cows!

Mandwa Mahal is a small Shiva temple built in 1349 by Fani Nagavanshi King: Ramchandra Deva, after his marriage with the Kalchuri Haihaya Queen Ambika Dev'i. The temple is facing West. It is known as the Khajuraho of Chhattisgarh due to its resemblance to the famed temples of Khajuraho and that group of monuments.

It has several sections including one underground which is the "inner sanctum", accessed by steep stairs. Inside this, was a holy man sitting with candles, garlands, oils, and flowers.                          
One can make a prayer in the inner sanctum and leave an offering for Shiva or go outside to the stone figure and leave offerings and prayers.

Around the rear of the temple, one can see many roughly-carved figures of erotic couples in many positions of the Kama Sutra. The sign at the entrance to the temple ground stated that this represented a type of worship and influence of the cult of the contemporary period. The sign was so badly chipped, rusted, and destroyed that it can barely be read.

Next, we went a few miles further and came upon the Bhoramdeo temple complex. The area approaching the road to the temple had blockades and old advertisements for the temple. Apparently, the government is/was trying to make it into a tourist destination. A short walk from the parking area took us to a lovely lake with giant lily pads, swan boat rides, and a few vendors selling their wares in front of the temple.

The Bhoramdeo temple is a stone temple dedicated to a form of the god Shiva and built during the reign of Naga Vansi, king, in the early 11th century. The temple was built by Lakshman Dev Rai in the Paramara style of Malwa. Various kinds of art (I read "Vaishnava, Jaina, and Shaiva sculpture styles") are all found in the temple houses on the grounds. The temple itself is also said to be in Nagara architecture.

The temple complex is named Bhoramdeo after a ubiquitous tribal god Bhoram deo (a form of the Shiva god). As you approach and see the temple for the first time, it is quite striking! Large trees cover the grounds and some of the temple, bathing all but the tallest structures in shade.One can see how it was left to the elements for centuries without being widely discovered in the quiet solitude of central India. The main entrance faces east and the lesser two face north and south.

                     
The entrance sign reads: "The temple is equipped with a sanctum antechamber, a three-porched square assembly hall, a super structure of seven horizontal and vertical segments, four ante "fixesin". There is a superstructure above the porches and the antechamber. Outside along the sides of the temple, there is "a riot of images" depicting sex, war, dance, and music and this is supposed "to represent the ephemeral world of senses, giving way to the darkness, silence, and emptiness of the chamber (sign says "bomb chamber") inside where communion with God takes place".                        
                      

Entrance to one of the lesser temple side structures (below)

                     

There are other small structures on the grounds that resemble 8th century brick temples of Chhattisgarh. There are a few small statues and images around the temple grounds that were assembled mostly from the Chaura village and represent 12th to 15th century. 

Then, there are some erotic statues and symbols of Shiva that are said to be from the destruction of the Khajuraho temple of the 10th-12th century. There are so many pieces that the Bhoramdeo temple is also nicknamed "The Khajuraho Chhattisgarh" as with the Mandwa Mahal structure.   

Sacred phallic Lingua surrounding an egg

Sacred lingua covered by a cobra's head - you can see where offerings have been left                              

According to the Director of Archeology & Culture and culture board in Kawardha, this temple is "one of the finest flowers of Medieval architecture". 
There was a gigantic Shiva statue on the hill across the lake, but it was VERY obscured by tree cover so I didn't get any photos of it. After leaving the temple grounds and making our way back to the ambulance in which we had come, we saw a large herd of cattle and could hear their bells. I treasure this video and I wish we could have stayed longer.
Video of grazing cows and their bells
Some had bells on their tales and others around their necks....bells of all sizes. It was beautiful and calming to hear them! It almost sounded like a faint gamelan orchestra coming to order, but also reminded me of the Buddhist temples in Katmandu, Nepal, where there is an occasional cacophonous time of instruments in between chants and prayers. This was more gentle and lovely though, and brought images of a distant time and the onset of quiet evening on the mountain in waning half shadow.