Seems that while we were away, and particularly over the past few days, Mudgee had very heavy rains.

And they’ve taken out the phone lines in our area.

I was able to post the previous post using my iPhone as a hotspot, but I can’t upload large images – and so my plan of posting more pics of the Assisi tour will have to wait until the lines are restored.

Good for the famers, all this rain. Driving in the country looked very green and lush. Shame about the phone lines. They probably look green and lush too.

Guess I’ll just have to sit back now and watch the Swannies play Hawthorne, home of the Landers Express!

Crikey it’s good to be home…

Go the Swannies!

After 48 hours of travelling from Central Turkey, we’re now home in Mudgee in Central New South Wales.

The trip was effortless.

We travelled economy class, had to transfer our luggage twice (in Istanbul & Rome) and had a total of 14 hours layover – with a wait of 75 minutes in the plane on the tarmac in Rome  while Muscat fixed its radio transmitters so that we could travel safely through its airspace.

It seemed that each time we had to get on or off a plane it was via a bus, which would then take the longest possible scenic route around the airport before depositing us at the arrivals hall, or the plane. So every little difficulty that we could encounter, it seemed we encountered.

Why then was the trip effortless?

For one reason:

We surrendered.

We surrendered to the time it would take, to the obstacles that would come our way, to the irritations and discomfit of long haul flights.

It was all out of our control, so why fret?

We relaxed.

Because we relaxed we slept on the flights. And during the layovers we found cafes or restaurants, and with all our luggage on a trolly (because we couldn’t check in until at least 3 hrs before the flight) we’d have a meal, have a coffee, watch the passing parade of travellers, and chat.

And the time whizzed by.
And the flights whizzed by.

What would appear to be an horrific amount of travel in fact turned out to be a breeze.

I’d like to try and apply this attitude to other aspects of my life.

Yesterday and today have been winding down days for Jennifer and myself.

Backing up all the footage and logging it, doing expenses, that sort of thing. Oh – and sleeping in, going for long walks, exploring the markets as well!

Jennifer and I love wandering around markets – the places where the locals get their produce. It tells us a lot about the culture.

I stumbled upon the markets in Konya by accident. I just walked into an odd looking building and it opened out into a huge three story complex selling all manner of things.

All sorts of salty cheeses –

And all kinds of olives. Check the prices – from Turkish Lire it equates to about €2.50 per kilogram for the highest quality olives!

Spices and honey too –

I loved that the lemons were all hand-wrapped. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that in a market…

This little fella was tired –

Outside, near a fish market three men sat drinking tea –

And this carpet salesman was proud of his wares…

Outside a stall, cheap bangles sparkled –

Jennifer and I discovered an alley, in the shadow of a mosque, where men sat drinking tea.

We sat down and joined them.

Right opposite a man was forging metal pans –

And at the end of the alley, a shop sold hookahs. Not to tourists, this was the real deal –

I bought a copper tea pot for the equivalent of €10. I’d brought one eight years ago when we visited Istanbul. I’ve used that teapot every day since, but its insides now are getting corroded, so it was time to replace it.

We leave first thing in the morning.

Konya to Istanbul (1.5hrs), then a five hour layover. Then Istanbul to Rome (3hrs), with a 6 hour layover. Then Rome to Dubai, 6.5 hrs, then transit 2 hrs, then Dubai to Sydney (15hrs), then Sydney to Mudgee by road, 4 hours.

I would hate to add that all up.

It’s been a hell of a trip. The tour was extraordinary, and I think I need to get back home and shake off Turkey to fully appreciate the significance of the walk.

And Turkey too has been amazing. I’ve learned a lot, I’ve got the footage and interviews I was seeking, and I’ve met some truly wonderful people in Zeyno and Fatih.

I don’t know when we’ll be travelling next – possibly in September for the Indian tour, but right at the moment I’m looking forward to settling back into Mudgee, and resuming normal programming – as normal as my programming is…

I’m sorry there’s been a delay in posting this second part.

It’s been fairly hectic these past several days in Konya, what with the filming and all.

But here are some shots which tell the story of the pilgrimage. As I said in the previous post, they’re not necessarily the best shots – I’ll be posting my personal favourites later – but they mean something to those of us who participated in this amazing Via di Francesco.

Also, these shots only take us up to Gubbio, about two thirds of the way. I’ll have to past a part 3 to complete the walk.

The photos remind me of what an extraordinary time we had – it all seemed to go so fast though. And only now, some time later, am I starting to realise what we actually did…

I’m sorry for all the typos in my recent posts.

I usually don’t finish the post until midnight or after, and I’m so damn tired I have not been as diligent with my revisions as usual.

I apologize,

Or,

I apologise.

My apologeys.

Here’s what was on the wall beside me as I had breakfast this morning – all made from ceramics, with Whirling Dervishes as leafs.

Or leaves.

Isn’t it cool?

After more than four weeks of being on the go, today was thankfully a slow day – although slow for me was hitting the sack at 12:30am last night after finishing my blog, then waking at 6am to work on the logistics of the Indian tour.

By 9am I was ready for breakfast, the last morning together with Zeyno and Fatih.

They have been incredibly generous in all ways – not the least being accompanying us to Konya and helping organise our time and our filming permissions here.

They were asked by a friend why were they doing it – what was in it for them – and Zeyno just shrugged and smiled and said there was nothing in it for them, it just felt like the right thing to do.

In other words they’d made an intuitive call on it.

Like Jennifer and me, they live intuitively, and they make decisions, big and small, by listening to their inner guidance.

In this case I’m very grateful that they did.

After breakfast I interviewed Zeyno – and it was a cracker. Her interview alone was worth the trip to Turkey. Because of her previous life in Washington as a high level political advisor, she was used to speaking on camera. And she’s a smart articulate woman. Plus she knows her stuff.

She spoke about intuition from an Islamic and Sufi perspective – and perhaps most importantly she gave very sensible and well articulated advice on how someone can learn to trust their intuition, and how they can begin to tap into their latent intuitive powers.

Her interview with contribute significantly to the film.

I’d wanted a location for the interview which featured Rumi’s mosque in the background, and so we shot on a rooftop restaurant – Mevlevi Sofrasi – just across from the mosque..

We were ably assisted by Ozcan and his staff, who kept backgrounds quiet for us, and positioned our table in the perfect spot for the interview.

Here’s another shot of Ozcan, because he’s an actor and he’s handsome – and he gave us free tea…

At dinner I asked for a beer but Konya doesn’t serve or sell any kind of alcohol. Not even beer. They do they have a great yoghurt drink, which you can mix with soda water. Yummy.

After the interview Zeyno and Fatih very kindly did a past life session on me, where they accessed my past lives and found something which I’d done in a previous life that was still impacting on me – detrimentally – in this current life.

I won’t go into details, because it’s very personal, but I was a bad boy some 350 years ago. A very bad boy. And I’ve been paying for it ever since. And harbouring a lot of guilt.

Together Zeyno and Fatih determined what I’d done, and why I’d done it, and they placed it before me so that I could see it, feel it, taste it, touch it, and then apologise for it. And then they released me from the guilt.

Strangely, while this was happening I felt a sudden exhaustion, and then hot flushes running up the right side of my body, right up to my neck.

It was very odd.

The whole session took about half an hour, and at the end of it I was yawning with tiredness – which they said was only me releasing energies. I have to admit it was fascinating, and I felt much lighter after it was over – like something oppressive that had been weighing me down for a long long time had been lifted.

Zeyno and Fatih can do these sessions via Skype, so if you’re interested in finding out what past life karma you’re still holding, then get in touch with me, and I will put you in touch with them. You might think it’s Weird and Whacky, but it works.

We then said our goodbyes to Zeyno and Fatih, with the possibility that we’ll meet up again later in the year in the US in Sedona – another spiritual power point.

Jennifer and I now have two days in Konya before we make our way home. We’re spending those days relaxing, preparing for the long flight, and taking stock of what we’ve learned, and what we’ve shot here in Turkey.

I haven’t really understood Islam up till now. And I don’t profess to be an instant expert by any means. In these few days  I’ve only glimpsed what Islam has to offer.

Sufism interprets the Islamic teachings in a softer more empathetic and loving form, and that’s what we’ve been dealing with in Istanbul and Konya.

I like Sufism. One of the gentlemen I spoke to, a senior Sufi, talked about being “comfortable.” Sufism makes me feel comfortable.

Here’s something which should make any sane human feel distinctly UNcomfortable –  I took this portrait of Fatih last night at the Whirling Dervish ceremony. It’s hard to believe he’s one of the gentlest souls you could meet. This can only mean one thing – that I’m a damn fine photographer.

Did I mention that one of the strong tenets of Sufism is about letting go of ego?

This morning we got up early because the Cultural Ministery gave us special permission to film at Rumi’s tomb before opening hours – before the hordes of worshippers descended on the place.

For Sufis it’s perhaps their most sacred site – and we had it all to ourselves for an hour this morning.

We then returned to the hotel – a boutique hotel right opposite the main mosque – and had one of the most extraordinary breakfasts I’ve ever had –

We then went our separate ways for a few hours – Jen and I wandered around the town and then came back to the hotel and had a nap – Zeyno, Fatih and Priyanka also had a kip – before reconvening at 3pm to meet the head of the Rumi Foundation in Konya.

The gentleman couldn’t speak English, however based on a question I asked him, he  spent quite a bit of time drawing a diagram to show me what happened to your soul after you die.

We then went to Shams tomb – Shams was the man who most influenced Rumi in the mid 13th century – and is referenced by Rumi in quite a bit of his poetry. HIs tomb is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

After all this tomb action, we were hungry, so we went and had a traditional Koyna early dinner at a fabulous restaurant, generously hosted by Zeyno and Fatih.

Here is a photo of two of our cooks –

After the lunner (lunch/dinner), we then made our way to a huge modern stadium where there was to be a large public Whirling Dervish dance ritual.

It was held in a large indoor arena – like for rock concerts or indoor sports games. The place was packed, and while the Whirling Dervishes were polished and highly professional, it smacked more of entertainment rather than a deeply humbling spiritual experience, such as we’d witnessed in that outer suburban hall in Istanbul.

Dervishes were originally ascetics. Like Indian sadhus. They were very much like Franciscan monks, renouncing all material possessions and largely begging for food.

Rumi is said to have begun the Whirling ceremony (Sema) – a form of movement meditation designed to bring the practitioner (the Semazen) closer to God. Here’s an excerpt from Wikipedia:

In the symbolism of the Sema ritual, the semazen’s camel’s hair hat (sikke) represents the tombstone of the ego; his wide, white skirt (tennure) represents the ego’s shroud. By removing his black cloak (hırka), he is spiritually reborn to the truth. At the beginning of the Sema, by holding his arms crosswise, the semazen appears to represent the number one, thus testifying to God’s unity. While whirling, his arms are open: his right arm is directed to the sky, ready to receive God’s beneficence; his left hand, upon which his eyes are fastened, is turned toward the earth. The semazen conveys God’s spiritual gift to those who are witnessing the Sema. Revolving from right to left around the heart, the semazen embraces all humanity with love. The human being has been created with love in order to love. Mevlâna Jalâluddîn Rumi says, “All loves are a bridge to Divine love. Yet, those who have not had a taste of it do not know!”

Wiki link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufi_whirling

It’s a fascinating ceremony – and the Dervishes have to undergo intense preparation and cleansing before they can become Semazens.

The more I learn about Sufism, the more I feel aligned to it. In fact, I feel very aligned to Konya. I feel comfortable here…

This evening we said goodbye to Priyanka. She had to return to Istanbul for work. She said she might join us on part of the Indian tour, which would be fabulous.

Here is her jewellery website. She’s a very clever young lady –
http://aamaya-by-priyanka.myshopify.com

This morning started early – with a wonderful interview with a lady who is a direct descendent of Rumi.

Her name is Esin Celebi Bayru, and she’s the 22nd granddaughter of Mevlana (Rumi) – and vice President of the Mevlana Foundation. She is recognised internationally as a key representative of Rumi’s works and teachings.

Here is a link to their website:
http://mevlanafoundation.com/index_en.html

Rumi was a 13th century poet and mystic. Sufism is the mystic tradition of Islam – also regarded as the feminine heart of Islam – and Rumi is at the heart of that heart.

His works have permeated contemporary western culture. Rumi’s quotes on love often appear on Facebook for instance. HIs poetry books on love are best sellers. He’s very popular on St. Valentine’s Day!

Here’s a wiki link on Rumi:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumi

Konya, which is where we are now, is his home – and where he’s now entombed. It’s a pilgrimage site for Sufis from around the world.

Here’s a wiki link on Konya:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konya

Whereas some Muslims have taken Islamic teachings to sometimes harsh and violent extremes, the Sufis advocate a philosophy of love, compassion, tenderness, and brotherhood. To that extend the philosophies sit in accord with the Hindu Master Yogananda, (author of Autobiography of a Yogi), and also those of St. Francis of Assisi.

In fact there are many similarities between Rumi and St. Francis.

Our trip in Turkey is being selflessly coordinated by a wonderful young lady named Zeyno, who was introduced to us by Joni Patry, the Vedic Astrologer in Dallas. Zeyno operates a spiritual centre in Istanbul, and on previous occasions has invited Joni to her centre to conduct astrology workshops.

Zeyno is a fascinating lady. Married to a former US diplomat and high level Government advisor, she lived and worked in Washington for many years. She too worked as a high level advisor, and became the go-to person for TV talk shows and the news cycles when they required someone articulate, knowledgeable and intelligent to discuss Islamic extremism.

Zeyno was raised in Turkey and gained a deep knowledge and understanding of Sufi principles, and so she takes a very compassionate and moderate line on Islamic matters.

She and her partner Fatih, who has a wicked sense of humour, have come to Konya with us to coordinate our filming here.

Their centre, in Istanbul, is called the Karmic Healing and Development Centre. I’ll do a separate post on it later, but one of the things they do is they work through your past lives to find an incident or recurring issue that is now impacting detrimentally on your current life. They work to clear that in the previous life so that you become unencumbered in the life you’re leading now.

They work one on one, in person – but they also work with clients via Skype. Here is a link to their website, with contact details. Or if you wish, contact me  and I can put you in touch with her – (billpgsblog@gmail.com). They also conduct tours to some really cool parts of the world…

http://karmiksifa.com/eng/index.aspx

Accompanying us on this trip to Konya is a gorgeous young Indian lass, Priyanka, who at the tender age of 26 is an internationally acclaimed jewellery designer who runs a highly successful business with high end buyers all over Europe and the UK.

So Jennifer and I are in good hands!

After arriving in Koyna we first got permission to film, then we went to Rumi’s tomb and did some location surveys for filming tomorrow morning.

For Jennifer, being in such a sacred place was a profound experience –

In the late afternoon we drove out of town to a church that was originally built in 320 AD -one of the earliest known Christian churches.

The surrounding hills are scoured with caves where the Christians hid during a period of intense persecution.

Later I did an interview with a high level Sufi who gave a wonderful Islamic perspective on intuition. It nicely balances the Christian view, and sits alongside the view of Hindus and Buddhists.

Konya is a deeply spiritual place. You can feel it. It’s dry and dusty, and the hills outside of town look like they must have looked more than two thousand years ago. You look at those hills and you’re immediately swept back in time, when the philosophies that many now live by were being hewn.

The film is like a stew – it’s getting tastier as I add more ingredients. The Islamic and Sufi perspectives we’re getting in Turkey are giving the film a complexity that is both fresh, yet wonderfully compatible with views gathered elsewhere.

Tomorrow is a big day – filming starts at 8am back at Rumi’s tomb – and we have a large scale demonstration of Whirling Dervishes tomorrow night.

More on the training and philosophy behind that tomorrow…

The day started at 4:44am. That’s what it said on the beside clock when the Call to Prayer wailed out in the dark.

The hotel we’re staying in is just around the corner from one of the most famous Islamic mosques in the world – the Blue Mosque.

I wanted to film at the mosque at the dawn prayer time, so somehow I coerced my wife to get up and join me. She did a pretty good job at pretending she was awake for the next two hours, until the sun came up and she got a coffee.

Visitors hours didn’t start till 8:30am, but the pre-dawn prayers were in session at 5am, so I walked in. The security guard gave me a nod of approval, and I began filming.

There was only a small group of worshippers at that time of the morning, and after they’d finished their service, which was eerie and mesmerising, they then left.

I had the entire Blue Mosque all to my self.

I completed the filming I wanted to do, then sought out a coffee place to resuscitate my wife, who would have passed an audition for The Walking Dead.

We had breakfast, had a twenty minute kip, then went out on what turned out to be a 10km walk around Istanbul.

We were scammed by a shoe shine guy – see earlier post – and two taxis, so decided to walk everywhere.

Got back with less than an hour to spare before having to go out to film a ceremony organised by a religious group that follows the philosophies and teachings of the ancient mystic and poet, Rumi.

We had to drive to the outskirts of Istanbul, to a hall in a rough part of town.

For ninety minutes one of the venerated scholars of the group talked about Rumi’s teachings, about the importance of the individual mind – and not blindly following ill informed doctrine.

He said that in the Qur’an, there is no justification for violence of any kind. Rumi advocates love in every manifestation ~

After the address there was then fifteen minutes of the most amazing chanting, and then the Whirling Dervishes walked in. By this stage there must have been about 250 people in the hall, who’d come to watch.

The Dervishes began their ritual – it’s not a dance, it is a very disciplined religious ceremony – and I found it to be completely mesmerising. I filmed a terrific sequence.

This was not some tourist event by the way, this was the real deal. Those who were in attendance were worshippers and followers of Rumi. We were the only blow-ins.

I will write a separate blog about the Whirling Dervishes – what they do, and the significance of it all – in another post in a few days.

Tomorrow I interview a descendant of Rumi, a woman who keeps his philosophies and teachings alive in this modern world – and then we fly to Konya, the spiritual heart of Turkey – the headquarters for Sufis, the mystic tradition of Islam.

It’s going to be a busy few days coming up!

I don’t scam easily.

I’ve traveled a lot, and I’ve met all kinds of scammers, but today they got me.

It goes like this –

You’re walking along the street. Up ahead is a shoe shine guy, with all his kit. Suddenly he walks off, but accidentally drops one of his brushes, without realising.

You, being a nice person, pick it up and catch up to him, and give it to him.

The shoe shine guy of course is incredibly grateful, and as a gesture of good will offers to shine your shoes for free.

In this instance, my wife was wearing dirty boots – accumulated over two weeks of walking the Via di Francesco in Umbria.

Oh, she says, I need my boots cleaned.

So the shoe shine guy cleans her boots.

And then he demands money.

I had walked away by this time, and didn’t realise that a financial transaction was in process.

The shoe shine guy was demanding 20 Turkish Lire..

Outrageous.

My wife, being a person of purer heart than me, gladly hands over a 20Lr note.

I meanwhile wander back, realise what’s happened, realise immediately that the whole thing was a set-up and a scam, and demand the money back.

My wife then starts abusing me and telling me I’m heartless, and she would gladly pay 20Lr for her boots to be cleaned.

I ask my wife if she knows how much 20Lr is worth in Australian dollars.

She doesn’t.

(It’s Au$10!)

I ask if she knows how much 20Lr is worth in Euros.

She doesn’t.

(It’s €7)

I tell her that for $10 Australian, I would not only clean her boots but I would polish her nails and clean her teeth as well.

She tells me that I should open my heart and be more generous.

I’m working on it…

Anyway, she said, it wasn’t a scam.

Later, as we were walking through a tourist area, the same thing happened.

A shoe shine guy accidentally dropped his brush in front of us as he was walking off – without him apparently realising.

I stepped over it and yelled out to him: Hey mate, you dropped your brush. You want your shoes shined?

My wife admonished me severely…