MariKelleysCows.org and India

Dear Everyone,                                                          

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with alot of family and friends!

Well I left for India on the 18th of November.  Got to Mumbia and they would not let me into the country.  I did not have a Visa and they were not let me buy one there.  I was told that you could buy one in country, just like Tanzania, Zanzibar, South Africa, and Uganda.  So I did not think that was unusual.  Thailand does not even require one!  Plus, when I check in at the airport they let me go right on though, so I really thought that you could buy one in India.  Boy, was I wrong!  After a 9 hour flight, they sent me back to Bangkok!  When you are deported they send you to the airport that you just left, plus you pay for your flight.  Not only that but you have to use the same airline because the other airlines will not take you....they do not know why you are being deported!  So that was an experience!

I arrived back in Bangkok and applied for an India Visa, and waited for 7days.  They said it would be 6 to 8 days.  Well, my reservation at the Retreat center in India said they were going to cancel my reservation on the 28th if I was not there.  So it looked like I was not going to be able to go on my long awaited retreat!  But while I was waiting in Bangkok, I did a 4 day, 3 night meditation retreat at the International Meditation Center (IMC).  It was really intense,  there was no talking, no phones, no computers, you wore all white all the time, you also did not eat anything after lunch and you were up at 5 am and in bed by 10 pm.  I realized that I needed more that just meditation.  Like other diversions, i.e. yoga, walks, lectures etc.  The IMC did not have any of that. But that was good to just focus on what you were there for!  Anyway,  I was not sure what I was going to do if my VISA did not come before the 28th.  I was thinking about other types of retreats are in Chiang Mai, which I checked out.  But lo in below!  I checked the web and my VISA was ready on the 27th, so I booked a flight out that night at 9 pm.  I flew all night and after 3 connections (Bangkok to Mumbai, Mumbai to Chennai, Chennai to Coimbatore) I got to India at 7:30 am and at the retreat center at 10 am on November 28th!  Just in time so my reservation was not cancelled!

The Ayurveda Yoga Retreat Center is more like a glorifed hospital with your own accommodations.  After your consultation with the Ayurveda MD, he puts you on a program for you, you get on this program with herbs, diet, herbal meds, oils etc.  So I started soon after I saw him on the 28th.  I had a oil massage, pounding with herbs, meditation, dinner and then went to bed.  The program is about like this; Starts at 6:30 am with Yoga, nature walk, breakfast, massage, lunch, power yoga, massage, meditation, dinner, bed.  You have free time when your masage is not scheduled and they have outings for you if you want to go.  Some of the activities include market, temple, cooking Ayurveda classes, Spiritual classes, etc.  But the diet is not so bad and it is not spicy!  However, the meds I am on taste terrible!  Anyway,  I am so glad that I am finally here.  So I should be really balanced, aligned and ready to get back into the swing of things when I get back to the states.

Also, while I was in Thailand I realized that I had Jiggers (also known as Chiggers) in my foot.  They are not the same as Chiggers in the states, plus I got one in my foot when I first got to Uganda.  So I knew what they were (it is a parasite in your foot that when it grows looks like a worm).  I must have picked them up before I left Uganda and now they are just larger, so my foot is swollen and itching.  I got some of them out while I was in Thailand, but still have not gotten them all.  The Ayurveda MD said that they handle the treatment differently and when he described it, I agree with him that I do not want him to do anything.  I will try to work on it myself, but if not when I get back to the states, they may need to be cut out.

Enough about that, I really need your help.....I hope that you have seen the facebook page for MariKelleyCows.org.  Cheryl Birch, my friend has put up the facebook page and arranged a video to help me raise money for cow’s for Iceme Farmers in Northern Uganda.  I was working on this project for a year with the farmers and Heifer organization.  However, Heifer will now only work with you if you if you have a large project and I am looking to only buy 10 to 20 cows.  Cheryl worked with LA International Association of Near Death Studies to sponsor the project for us and set it up with razoo.com.  The razoo.com site is a guaranteed secure and is fully PCI compliant. But if you don’t want to go online to give, you can always write a check to LA IANDS and mail it to Cheryl Birch at Cheryl Birch, USC/ICT, 12015 Waterfront Drive, Playa Vista, CA 90094.

Please pass on the facebook page to everyone that you know.  If you can not donate, then maybe someone that you know will be able to!  We will take any amount $1 to $1500 or more.  I am trying to raise enough money to buy 10 to 20 cows!

We less than one month before Christmas and I would love to inform the Farmers that a certain amount of cows will be purchased.  It will provide for them nutrition, income generating activities, jobs that HIV/AIDS people can handle, and milk....plus, they pass the offspring to another family.  So the your gift continues to grow to other families and live on and on!   So please, let it be a great Christmas gift to the farmers in Iceme this year.

I would like to Thank you in advance for all the support you have given to me.  What is more happier than a Giving Thanksgiving and Christmas!  Remember http://marikelleyscows.org/

I will keep you posted on my happenings! 

Until then, stay safe!

Love & Light, 

Mari