devamitenblog

budapest part two

we had the pleasure of having cornelia flatischler join us for the concert.
cornelia is a fine singer and percussionist and wife of mega drums maestro, reinhard flatischler.
as you can see, deva and cornelia are soul sisters...!

meanwhile, manose prepares for european domination...

the concert was deep joy

cornelia played water drums on ide were were, in honour of ochun, the water goddess...

it was great to see so many people for the concert – it was sold out weeks before we arrived.
we melted together in song and silence...a real communion.

thank you budapest!
we’ll be back!

budapest part one

our first visit to hungary – special for me because i remember meeting some young hungarians in the late 50’s when they escaped the communist regime and fled to england.
i was only about 10 years old, but since then i’ve always had a warm place in my heart from the hungarian people and harboured a wish to visit their country.
they were soccer heroes in my childhood!

manose captured these beautiful moments...sunset over budapest

the city seemed silent and magical..

the beautiful danube flowed below...

after the sunset, we returned to the hotel in time for the euro 2008 soccer finals on tv...(deva suffered the boys simple pleasures).

view from our room – we were allocated the yehudi menuhin room – very auspicious, but too smoky.

wild night in zurich part two

..until...

..it felt like...

..we were...

..all..

..becoming...

..one heart...

..one love...

..thank you zurich!!

wild night in zurich part one

just received these pix from our wild night at the zurich concert from jalal.
I thought you’d enjoy to see them!
it all started peacefully enough...

...but something was in the air...

...we could all feel it from the moment we walked on the platform...

..and began playing...

..the energy just grew...

...just grew...

...and grew...

...and didn’t stop growing..

r'n r on the dead sea part two

manose and lani at sunset

...and then it was time to hit the road – next stop budapest - or so we thought...

r'n r on the dead sea part one

journey to the dead sea part two

we drove down, down, down, way below sea level

and suddenly it appears, the dead sea – the lowest point on the planet – 400 metres below sea level

deva and lani found an oasis close by

even discovered a waterfall..

and then we hit the salt!

...for a well earned rest!

journey to the dead sea part one

we drove past bedouin encampments...once these people moved around the holy land with camels and tents, now they live in shanty town tin shacks and drive beaten up toyotas.

love these road signs..!

we stopped to hear the silence...

...and found life there...

sign of the times

jerusalem part three

ghosts were everywhere...

so was the graffiti –these crosses were made by the crusaders

the new religion

at the wailing wall...

pilgrims come to pray here...

my prayer was the gayatri mantra – and you gotta move...it just felt right somehow...

after so much much religious fervour we were ready for some fresh air, so we headed out of town, for the dead sea.
sunshine, open skies...and another new experience!

jerusalem part two

the seventh station on the via dolorosa marks the spot where jesus fell as he carried his cross – now it nestles beside a spice shop and a nike shoe store

another kind of pilgrim...

and another...

so here it is – the ‘official’ site of the crucifixion

the altar stands above the spot where the cross stood, and people really wanted to touch that spot

the way it came to be decided that the crucifixion happened here, is because helen, the mother of constantin, went on a pilgrimage to jerusalem 411 years ad, and found the remnants of three crosses there.
in order to decide which one was the one of Jesus she held them over a dead body and one of them brought the person back to life.
since then, the temples etc have grown up around it.
...hmmmm....

manose getting religious... i was worried for a moment