Blast from the Past

I'm doing some writing today, working on scripts and graphic novels. So here's a blast from the past: some photos from the last Chiang Mai trip.
Here's my lovely wife Aurora with the gentle giant whose heart of gold always shines bright: Gopa Kishore.

That's me and Gopa on our way to shoot the famous "Elephant Movie" directed by Indulekha.

Aurora at a Buddhist Shrine

Buddha Himself

This Buddhist Shrine is the highest in Chiang Mai

Later we filmed the famous Elephant Movie.

Here's a link to some videos we made in Chiang Mai last year. There's about 10. For our Russian and Ukranian friends, they are mostly in English.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0TwcxvZ_GYenSOXFSBFBihbVxyOI64g2

Chiang Mai at last.

Finally arrived in Chiang Mai Thailand. The mysterious Russian Swami gave me a big bear hug welcome.

Indulekha was tired after the long journey from Moscow, but happy to be back in Chiang Mai.

I slept like a baby after the long insomniac plane flight and was up for the Thai Pain massage, a deep massage of the tendons, for macho men only. This man has x-ray fingers and knows the skeleton. His motto, "No Pain, No Gain." There's no safe-word.

 After the massage therapy Avadhuta Maharaja and I met with Igor Baranko, graphic artist and comic book writer to go over the story boards for the Mahabharata Project.

I walked around the property to take photos of the Chiang Mai Yoga Ashrama, Chaitanya Saraswat Math. Here are some photos. What a difference from Moscow.

Devotees preparing prasadam

Welcome to Maya

Well, ladies and gentlemen, the tea and juice got me back on my feet. I staggered through security, Russian immigration, customs, and all the slings and arrows of indignity that air travel could throw at me. With the help of the nimble Indulekha, 12 hours later we made it through more indignities on the Bangkok side. We had arrived in Thailand, land of smiles and Buddhist Temples, So-wadi-Cop.

This blue gate-keeper (Yamadutta?) stands guard at international arrivals and departures along with his counterpart who is white.

With Russian film director Indulekha Devi 

Airport Roof in Bangkok

 Alas our respite from air travel was short-lived. We had to make the connecting flight to Chiang Mai. And so, once again we went through the security check for Bangkok Airlines, a little boutique airlines with friendly staff and plenty of water.

Bangkok Air

The sign that greeted us warned that we would be entering the land of Maya.

But I was determined not to fall for Maya's traps at this stage of the game. 

So long for now. We'll update this space regularly so keep checking in. Hari bol, Dandavatas, and Adios.

The Wall or черный чай с молоком , пожалуйста ...

Well, I'm happy to report that the Tilak-wagon made it through the mind-boggling maze of traffic that is Moscow.

Interminable Moscow Traffic winds along for hours. But the Tilak-Wagon forges on.

I had never heard of TransAero airlines before and suspect you haven't either, but that was our next stop. On this flight I would be traveling with Indulekha Devi, a talented film director from Russia. She was checking in a dozen high definition digital projectors for the fulldome project--no small feat. 

At the TransAero counter. TransAero?

I, on the other hand, was a seasoned traveler by now. I'm traveling with one checked bag and one carry-on. I know exactly what to do to get through check-in, customs, immigration, security, a second security check and final boarding.

The only problem: I had flown in from Kiev yesterday and by now I was having a hard time remembering where I was. Was I still in Mexico? Maybe all this was a strange dream. Kiev? No, that was yesterday. I said goodbye to Alakananda and Asutosh Krishna. Petersburg? A distant memory. No, this was Moscow. It was my birthday and I was on my way to Bangkok again.

Happy Birthday. 61. I hit a wall.

You young people out there probably don't understand this completely, but when you reach a certain age, miracles aside, your body reacts differently. After a complete 24-hour cycle of airplane travel, talks and lectures, and contemplative walks in the Moscow snow, I was exhausted. I hit a wall. I didn't know if I had the energy to walk back to TransAero and find Indulekha, Muralishwara, and Gokula Taruni. It was my birthday. I am now officially 61 years old. In Cuba they have some cars my age, but they are museum pieces. I really had no idea how to drag these sorry old bones through security and strap them into an airplane seat for a 12 hour flight to Bangkok.

 It was time for a cold, freshly squeezed glass of apple juice with plenty of foam, followed by a shot of black tea with milk no sugar, (черный чай с молоком , пожалуйста ...). 

Would some divine power descend from the heavens and give me the strength to walk another mile?

All things must be passing, isn't it?

Toothbrush in hand, I packed bags, tightened my shoelaces and said goodbye to the hearty crew who had treated me to so much of their hospitality and warmth, listening calmly to my humble attempts at talking philosophy and turning up the steam in the radiator.
.

Farewell Russia. With Ananya Bhakti and Arjuna

Bags loaded, we hopped in the Tilak-wagon for our run to the airport. It was a good two hours in traffic, I was told, so we left early. Prithu had to catch the overnight choo choo train back to Petersburg. So we said, Do Svidanya, Adios, Goodbye, Sayonara, and dandabats. It was time to complete the links in the chain and fly Moscow-Bangkok on the great Trans-Aero airline.

Moscow Nights

Traffic around Red Square

Stuck in Traffic

 With ice on the road and the Tilak Wagon stuck in traffic, the clock was ticking. Would we make it to the airport on time for the great 747 jet of the famous Trans-Aero?  Or would we sleep in the airport, waiting hopelessly for a flight out. Tune in tomorrow. Watch this space for updates. See you soon.