Eternity Beach
Auroville
January, 2007
Wooo hooo!!! Happy new year, indeed. I've arrived! I know I say every place is amazing, and this is one is no different. In this community for human unity started in 1968, I am staying with a wonderful couple- Anna from Norway and Uval from Israel- who have lived here for the last 20 years during which time they created Etermity Beach. They raised a family of five children and now have four grandchildren. There are a few guest houses on their property, including one which has a kitchen on the first floor and a bedroom loft on the second floor with a grass thatched roof. This is where I sleep, drifting off to the sounds of animals all around and the waves of the Bay of Bengal lapping on the shore.

This area is basically a desert from which Aurovillians have created cool forests, farms (vegetable, spirulina, orchards, etc), schools (very free spirited, kind of a mix of home and community schooling), healing centers (where I had a great chanting session), and much more. This makes it easy to buy all kinds of locally produced goods like soap, candles, clothes, and even kambucha! It's like a permanent Burning Man. The community has about 1800 people with the capacity to grow into 15,000. It's paradise here this time of year and probably even more so during mango season (April/May). But then comes the hot, hot, humid summer. The community is made up of Indians (from the north and south) but there are lots of white people too-- many from Europe (especially France, who colonized the nearby city of Pondicherry). Local Tamil villages also overlap with much of the area, to create an interesting mix of cultural flavors. It's the first place in India where tank tops are acceptable. Phew!

Auroville is pretty spread out and even with a bicycle, it takes a while to get around. So, I've been riding around on a moped. What great fun and oh, the adventures to be had! The first time I took it out, it made it about 10 KM away and then broke down every 20 yards. I dropped it off to have it repaired (which ended up costing a whooping 75 rupees) and took a loaner, which had no gas. So, I stop on the side of the road to ask, "Where is the closest petrol station?" And this man responds, "How much do you need?" In a few minutes, he returns with an old Brandy bottle full of petrol and oil (which they mix with the petrol here). Excellent!