Traveling with a Serious Crocodile - INDIA : VALLEY OF BABA

I N D I A

V A L L E Y . O F . B A B A

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It is 2:00pm, my friend Bruno and I are leaving from the barber shop in order to comfort us after a long and useless morning, lost in the Indian's administration, trying to book a seat in that famous blue train, number 12993, in the direction of Udaipur, but which turn to be fully booked already.

Refreshed and with few hair less, we are heading back to the guest house, Raj, the owner of Anjali, told us about a temple situated in the north of Bombay, surrounded by a forest and perched at 2000 meters high. The day will not be completely lame finally and Eric, his butt still on the couch, is motivated to go for a walk.

Backpacks fix on our back, we grab a rickshaw to Andheri Station, then, platform number 3, we jump on the train to Vasai. One hour and a half later, few hustle in the wagon, a chai and an other rickshaw, we are in the temple of Tungareshwar.

– « Come, we are going to Baba’s home » order us Raj.

The small hut of Baba is murky, some rays of the setting sun cross the wooden slats that make up the ceiling.
A pit fire, in the center of Baba's place, heats chai tea. baba is sitting cross-legged, the right posture, speaking to his apprentice who is working near the fire to not burn the tea. In that small hut, there are Baba and is apprentice but also two friends of them, a dozen of young villager and now, Bruno, Eric, Raj and myself.

As we sink in that little hut, the Shilom follow already a circle, going from hand to hand, emitting at each turn a cloud of white smoke. Raj introduce us and hardly presented, the Shilom has already finished its turn to arrive in my hands before continuing in those of Bruno. Raj is taking over and hit on the Shilom. After three or four full circle, my brain is bubbling. A bit lost because of that ganja and betel nut Shilom, one of the guest is pulling me out of my dreams.

-« He likes foto ! » He has noticed my camera and he is asking me to take a picture of Baba. I draw my camera and Baba is smiling, takes a pose and another one.

The sun is going to sleep soon, we saluted Baba a last time and then heading to the forest, escorted by some new friends. Here it is hard to believe that we are still in Greater Bombay, the nature is everywhere, the wildlife is taking over. We are seating on the edge of a waterfall, almost dry. Eric is watching the birds with his binocular screwed on his eyes, Bruno is talking about this place with a new friend and the sun is setting without waiting too long. We have seen, we have been amazed and it is already time to go back.

T O . B E . C O N T I N U E D

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