Part Six: Pindamonhangaba, Brazil

[1 2 3 4 ]    Images below are thumbnails. Click on them to see a larger version.

We were scheduled to drive fifteen minutes away to the home of a dear friend of Avyakta's who was hosting this afternoon's cooking class to be run by your's truly. Time was short, but before heading out, we quickly entered the temple room to have a special audience, or darshan, of the presiding Deities, Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda. The special sanctified atmosphere of the cool marble temple was a refreshing and uplifting experience after hours on the road.

The afternoon class was attended by some local devotees and friends of the hostess, who was the widow of a famous Brazilian artist. Since the day was so warm and glorious, we held the class in the semi-outdoors in the back garden of the palatial house. We had chosen the same menu as a few days before in São José do Rio Prêto. As expected, the class was a great success, and before we ate we posed for a photo. Everyone enjoyed the fruits of their labour to their full satisfaction.The sun was setting as we returned to the farm to sleep for the night in some very comfortable accomodation.

Day Eighteen

Since it had been dark when we took rest, we didn't get a chance to see our sleep-over venue in daylight. After attending the early morning chanting in the temple, we returned in full morning sunlight to our reidence to pack our bags for the trip back to São Paulo.The building was a guest quarters originally constructed to house Hridayananda dasa Goswami Maharaja, a prolific writer and senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada who managed a great deal of the Movement's affairs in Brazil. But since Maharaja was always travelling, he had graciously decided to open it up to whomever guests were passing through the farm.

We had been invited to attend breakfast at the beautiful home of a family who lived on the farm with their children, a little way up on a ridge overlooking the valley. On the way we noticed a large mango tree with peacocks. The birds roam free all around the farm, the males of the species occasionally displaying their stunning plumage, and piercing the atmosphere with their unique cat-like cries.

<< Previous  Next >>