Most of us had a late breakfast, then we trundled down in tuk tuks to the Golden Temple.

The Golden Temple is perhaps the most sacred site for the Sikh community possibly throughout the world, and to enter the complex you’re required to cover your head with a turban or scarf.

I would not profess to be an expert on the Sikh religion, by any means, but I like what little I know of it. It’s a very inclusive religion, in that they respect all over religions. It’s also a relatively new religion, instituted in the mid 1500s by a Guru who laid down the principles by which Sikhs should live.

They are a proud, strong people, known for their honesty and bravery, and their fiscal expertise. They make good soldiers and warriors, and because they handle money well,  you often find Sikhs in banking and finance or CFOs.

After the Golden Temple, it was lunch time and Jennifer and I took the group to a cool little joint that we’d discovered on our scout – a fabulous place that only the locals know, which specialises in Punjabi food.

That’s us down the back –

I wandered into the kitchen, and I could have stepped back a hundred years… It’s no wonder the food is so good, because it’s all made the traditional way.

After lunch some of the girls did some shopping, some rested, until it was time to go to the crazy Wagah Border ceremony. on the Indian / Pakistan border.

The ceremony is done every day two hours before sunset – and both Indian and Pakistani border security forces strut their stuff and huff and puff at each other as the sun goes down and they lower their respective flags for the night.

The crowds are huge, even for a mid week ceremony –

After dinner, it was shoe shopping for Jennifer and Janet – in Jennifer’s favourite Punjabi store, selling the traditional jutis.

It was a good, but exhausting, day!

Got in late last night – didn’t hit the sack till 1:30am (writing up blog, reading, working…)

Woke up at 6:30am and went straight down to the Golden Temple.

Had to see it in early light…

Today we go to the temple again with everyone, then there’s some shopping for uniquely Punjabi cloths, shawls, and shoes! – and then this arvo we go to the Wagah Border ceremony. on the India / Pakistan border. It’s insane!!

More later, but here’s one of the shots I took this morning…

Today was all about the Taj Mahal.

We woke up early and were down in the hotel lobby by 5:30am. Shortly after 6am we were standing in line at security to get into the Palace of Love. Our aim was to see the Taj Mahal at sunrise.

And it was sublime.

Although in this picture it looks more like the Leaning Tower of Taj …

Nothing can prepare you for your first sight of the Taj Mahal.

To see it “for real,” after seeing it in so many photos and tourist posters and in magazines, well – no photo does it justice.

That’s why I took a photo of a dog.

Here are a series of shots I took of our group. Everyone was slightly intoxicated by the sheer beauty and magnificence of the place.

Marie loved it –

She even did some yoga there!

Jill fancied her footwear, which she thought was very chic…

I sat down and watched the sun come up over the outer buildings…

We took the mandatory group shot before heading back to the hotel –

Now we’re on a train to Amritsar, and tomorrow is The Golden Temple.

Big day today.

We left the Lalit early, checking out, and drove to the Red Fort to get there early before the crowds, and the heat, settled in.

We had a guide who was terrific, and explained the history and the workings of the Fort during the Mughal Empire, and later when the Raj took over.

Fascinating.

The gals proved to be selfie magnets for the local population, particularly the men. The gals duly obliged…

We then walked to the Jama Mosque, the biggest mosque in Delhi, and one of the biggest in India.

I sat under the crystal chandelier in the centre of the mosque, and meditated. The cosmic energies are meant to come down through a massive dome, which was above me – and certainly it was a most potent place to be.

The worshippers sat quietly and read from the Qur’an, or prayed.

We had a glorious lunch in a beautiful restaurant in Noida – then hopped on our bus and drove along the expressway to Agra. We got there just on dusk, and drove to the Moonlight Gardens across the Yumana River, with a view to the rear of the Taj Mahal.

Even at a distance it was breathtaking.

Tomorrow we’re getting up early to visit the Taj at sunrise.

Today was never meant to be.

When Jennifer and I planned this tour some twelve months ago now, we thought our guests would come in this afternoon some time, they’d check in and we’d have some drinks, then go out to dinner.

But everyone arrived a couple of days ago!

Dale and Lynda Lozner in fact have spent the last week in Rajasthan riding elephants and feeding monkeys!

Yesterday, Sunday, we all met up in Dale and Lynda’s room, where Lynda prepared cocktails for us all – complete with little umbrellas…

We sat and watched the cricket, and I tried to explain the rules to Dale and Lynda, which of course is totally impossible. Who can ever explain cricket??

So with everyone arriving early, what that meant was that we could use this morning for some sightseeing around Delhi, which is what we did.

We hired an additional bus to take everyone to India Gate first off…

…then to Gandhi’s Tomb,

…then to Chandni Chowk, which is a large market in Old Delhi – the oldest market in India.

We had some street chai made the traditional way, grinding the spices in a mortar and pestle and then filtering them out before pouring them into the cup.

Delicious!

We then went to a hotel in the heart of the market area – the hotel is called Crown Hotel, and it happens to be owned and run by my current film editor’s father in law!

Rishi Shukla is doing a fabulous job on my PGS film, and through him we had a gorgeous Thali lunch at his father in law’s place –

… and when I came to pay, Rishi’s father in law said: No, you are my guests. No payment thank you!

So very generous –

We then headed back to the hotel –

And had dinner in Connaught Place at a restaurant called Pind Ballucchi. We invited along a beautiful and very smart young lady, Disha, who works with Rachit making small films on social issues involving women and gays and minority groups.

She spoke at the table about these issues, and answered questions – and Jill in particular had a fascinating conversation with her because she was able to learn so much about what’s really happening in India with women and gays, as against what’s reported in the press – and also it seemed that they had a lot in common, because of work Jill has done in the past with similar communities in the States.

It was Janet’s birthday too – and we bought her a cake and sang happy birthday.

We also collectively said “wish you were here!” to Sue Hansen, who was to have joined us and had to pull out because of cancer surgery.

Our thoughts also went to Steve, who also was due to come but again had to cancel because of lingering issues with his cancer surgery.

Tomorrow we’re on the move – we check out of our luxurious 5 star hotel – The Lalit – and do a little sightseeing at the magnificent Red Fort and the huge Jama Mosque, before leaving Delhi for Agra, and the Taj Mahal.

This is going to be an amazing tour!

As some of you who follow this blog might know, for the past twelve months I’ve been filming my documentary on intuition.

It’s called: PGS – Intuition is your Personal Guidance System.

Or I might call it –

The Voice That Saved My Life.

Here is a link to a reel – we call it a “sizzle reel” which we created about 15 months ago, detailing what the film will be about –

PGS SIZZLE REEL

Here is an updated reel we’ve just finished detailing what’s happened the last twelve months, and what’s needed to complete the film.

PGS PRODUCTION UPDATE REEL

Some of you who follow this blog have very kindly supported this project with investment. To those of you who have done so, Jennifer and I thank you sincerely.

I hope the film will ultimately deliver to you, and to the world, all we wish for.

A Brisbane woman, at the age of 30, began experiencing tremors in her thumb.

A few years later she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.

At the time she was taking an interest in photography, and being a strongly creative person, she began to wonder whether she could incorporate the effects of her debilitating disease into her photographic art.

She went to a fellow photographer who mentored her on the techniques involved, and slowly her own style developed, using the Parkinson’s tremors she experienced.

She called her style the “PD Effect,” or Parkinson’s Disease Effect.

Her name is Mary-Louise Levick, and her work is now being exhibited by a gallery in Brisbane. The Gallery is Maud Creative, and the exhibition is called “The Perquisite of Parkinson’s.”

Mary-Louise uses light, and long exposures, combined with the subtle movements of her tremors to create stunning abstract patterns. Here is a shot of Brisbane’s Story Bridge –

The exhibition has been the most successful in the gallery’s history.

Why am I posting this on this blog?

Well, I’m inspired by Mary-Louise’s determination to rise above her physical condition. Some people with Parkinson’s would regard their impairment as an obstacle, and restructure their life accordingly. They would give in to what they would see as being an inevitable decline.

This woman decided that she would use her disease to not only better her life, but to see things around her in a different way, and to allow the broader public to understand the nature of Parkinson’s through her photographic interpretations – through her art.

She is a wonderful example of how the creative force cannot be stopped.

One thing photography needs is a steady hand – because photography on one level is about the pursuit of the perfect shot, and the perfect shot is always clean and sharp.

Mary-Louise will now never have a steady hand. Yes she could have chosen to take photos on a tripod with a shutter release, so that her images were sharp and clear, as current convention requires.

But instead she’s chosen to use the very nature of her disease to create a unique visual language that speaks to us on a deeper level. It speaks to us about what she’s experiencing. What she’s feeling.

Mary-Louise obviously followed her intuition. It led her to this way of seeing the world, to this way of sharing what she’s experiencing. She’s a remarkable woman and a wonderful photographer.

Here is a link to the exhibition: https://www.maud-creative.com/perq-of-park/

The first of our wonderful Mother Ganga tour guests come in tonight –

Britta & Janet.

They’re flying in from Australia, via a 24hr stopover in Kuala Lumpur.

And then at about 3am overnight Jill Langham flies in from Texas.

Jennifer, who usually doesn’t give much attention to her looks, as most of you who follow this blog would know, has decided that this occasion deserves some beautifying.

Here’s the result…

I love India.

It’s a crazy place.

Today Jennifer and I flew back to Delhi from Dharamsala. And as we were about to go through security I noticed a notice on the wall, detailing what you weren’t allowed to carry in your hand baggage.

I surreptitiously took a photo, because you’re not allowed to take photos in Indian airports – and so you might need to size this up to see it, but let me give you a rundown on some of the things on this quite comprehensive list –

They have weaponry pretty well covered. You’re not allowed to take on board –

• Pellet guns
• Pistols
• Replica Weapons
• Riffles (their spelling – rifles with two “f”s
• Revolvers
• Shot Gun (their spelling, two words)
• Starters Pistols
• Toy Weapons
• Flair Pistol
• Automatic Weapon

It’s pleasing that their policy is so all encompassing. I’m not sure what the difference is between a pistol and a revolver, and I wonder if either can be an automatic weapon.

If you were someone intent on bad deeds, then you would be thwarted if your weapon of choice involved a blade. You would be turned away for instance if you carried a –

• Knives
• Scissors exceeding 6 cms
• Swords
• Razor blade
• Straight razor
• Axes (not just one axe, but plural axes)
• Box cutter
• Household cutlery. (I wonder if that includes a teaspoon?)

However if you gravitated more towards not a cut and thrust, but just a thrust, then you would be prevented from carrying –

• Knitting needles
• Screwdriver
• Skipole (their spelling, not mine!)
• Bows and arrow. (they must believe that anyone with multiple bows only carries one arrow)

They wouldn’t allow me to take my camera tripod on the plane as hand luggage, but I notice it’s not on the list. They do though have a real problem if you’re carrying explosives on board, and included in their no go list are –

• Plastic explosives
• Hand Grands (their spelling – presumably they mean hand grenades)
• Ammunition
• Gun lighter (that must be for your blunderbuss)
• Gun powder (that must be for your blunderbuss too)
• Road flares
• Tear Gas
• Gas lighter.

They seem to have a problem with tradies, because on their list you can’t carry on board –

• Trade Man tools
• Heavy and large tools
• Hammers

And the strangest of all, you aren’t allowed on board if you’re carrying –

• Pickles and spices.

They put pickles and spices in the same class of dangerous goods as plastic explosives and tear gas and hand grands.

Mind you, a dried red chilly can be pretty potent. And a cinnamon stick – whoa!

I wondered, standing as I waited for my turn to go through security, if you had any one of these items, would they allow you to put them through in your checked luggage.

Strangely, water or liquids of any kind were not on the list. I could have carried nitro-glycerine, which technically is not a plastic explosive, in a 1.5l water bottle, and they wouldn’t have checked me for it.

I love India ~

It was a bit of a rest day for Jennifer and me today.

We’ve been going flat out ever since we hit India.

Most of our work here in Dharamsala is done, so after a late breakfast we walked down to the Dalai Lama Temple, to replenish our energies.

The seats were still out for all those who had come for His Holiness’s teachings –

Before you enter the temple you have to take your shoes off, or in my case boots, and near the rack where you place your shoes, or in my case boots, there was a sign which said: Beware of thieves who steal your shoes.

This concerned me for a number of reasons:

1. What sort of person would steal shoes, or boots, outside the Dalai Lama temple?
2. In putting the sign up, doesn’t it create anxiety for those who have left their shoes in the rack and who are about to enter the temple, often for meditation or contemplation?
3. How can you meditate, or contemplate, if you’re worried all the time that someone is outside pinching your shoes – or boots?
4. If someone steals shoes, or boots, outside the Dalai Lama temple, will their bad karma be greater than if that same person stole shoes, or boots, outside an ordinary nondescript, non-Dalai Lama temple?
5. Was the sign a test to make you think about the impermanence of all things?
6. Was the sign a test to make you consider the nature of suffering?
7. If someone was caught stealing shoes, or boots, outside the Dalai Lama temple, would they be flogged?

You see, my problem was I’d worn my Scarpas, which are my serious Indian walking boots. They cost about $350. Now you might say: Bill, you moron, if you knew you were going to the Dalai Lama temple, you must have known you’re going to have to take off your footwear, so why wear your $350 Scarpas?

Well, I’ll answer that by saying that I would never even think that anyone would steal shoes, or boots, outside the Dalai Lama temple.

And yet that sign told me otherwise.

So there I was, inside the temple, with this incredible energy and these magnificent ancient Buddhist mandalas and statues all around me, and all I could think about was my boots outside on the rack, and someone stealing them.

And then of course I thought about impermanence, and suffering, and if someone stole my Scarpas how would I get back to the hotel? Because it’s about a kilometre and the road is rocky and full of sharp pebbles and my feet are soft and tender.

And it would hurt.
And I would probably cry.

So my visit to the temple was fraught with suffering – and so the sign did the job it was intended to do. Which was to make me realise that I didn’t really need my boots, and if anyone stole them they probably needed them more than me – and after all there were much greater things to think about, such as how the Chinese have dispossessed these wonderful Tibetan people, and what damage they’ve done to their ancient religious sites.

Here are my boots in the rack, waiting for me after my temple visit –

Outside the temple, two men sat begging. One of them spoke perfect English. He had a friend in Perth. He wanted me to like his Facebook page.

For taking this photo I gave them both a donation –

Jennifer and I then had a wander around – Jennifer in her crazy $5 hat which she bought from a chemist –

She took a shot of me which is technically putrid –

Wandering back to the hotel, with my boots on thankfully, I saw a stand selling plastic Lotus blossoms. The late afternoon sun was highlighting them. I had to take a shot.