Greetings, friends and family of the Carpe Diem Hongi group! The last two weeks of our adventure were spent in the Daintree rainforest. The first week, we stayed at the Bat House in little cabins cutting vines, stomping grass,and being eaten alive by the millions of biting green ants that inhabit them. Each sweaty, exhausting day was filled with the sound of cutting wood and the more than occasional shriek when someone was bitten. Each day ended with the beach and the promise of ice cream from the convenience store across the street. Our contact, Hugh, taught us much about the Daintree and had us watch documentaries on the local bats, envasive cain toad, and the rainforest’s political history.
This last week, we’ve been at the Prima Shanti yoga retreat, only twenty minutes down the road from the Bat House. Here, we’ve spent our time meditating in the mornings, doing yoga in the afternoons, and doing yard work in between. Before breakfast and after dinner each day, we are required to be in noble silence, where we don’t talk. Some of us became so inspired as to extend the silence and not talk for as long as two or three days, the only exception being the ‘ohms’ before and after each yoga and meditation session, and after each meal. Our contacts, Janardhan and Mara, taught us a lot about their philosophy, spiritual awareness, and how good eating vegetarian can be.
On the eighth, we will be in Cairns spending our last full day together soaking up as much sun as possible and beginning the heart wrenching process of saying goodbye.