Cacti, eagles and more gardens!

Yesterday some friends of ours came over in the afternoon with their two gorgeous little children and the poor things were the first to sit through the (slightly abridged) slide show of our travels! Luckily for us, they were quite keen to see our photos and we enjoyed reliving some special moments as the photos flashed up on the screen. So, here are some of the last photos from our pilgrimage (well, there are plenty more, but we need to bear in mind that there are heaps more photos and stories from India still to come)!

The formal garden terraces emanating from the Shrine of the Bab gradually give way to natural bushland, which serves as a wildlife corridor and also tends to make the transition into the built-up areas on Mt Carmel far more easy on the eye.

We spent many a thoughtful hour wandering on the Lower Terraces, with numerous stops to take in our lovely surroundings and to reflect on the future. Andrew spent a lot of time thinking about Wongan Hills and all the dreams and plans he will soon begin to set in motion there. The sound of softly flowing water from the fountains and the watercourse running down the centre staircase helped to block out the sounds of the city and give the terraces their heavenly feel.

Some of the gardens that surround the Shrine of Baha'u'llah and Mansion of Bahji. There is such a great emphasis placed on the beauty of the natural environment through the extensive gardens that surround almost all of the Baha'i Holy Places and it is these gardens that really help to create the reverent, sacred and meditative spirit that seems to encompass all of the places that we visited.

Gardens and ornamental decorations in front of the Mansion of Bahji - the last house that Baha'u'llah lived in and where He passed away in 1892. Baha'u'llah's Shrine is just to the west of this Mansion.

The International Archives Building with the Shrine of the Bab in the background. The Archives Building holds hundreds of original items from the time of Baha'u'llah, including thousands of original texts in His handwriting. This building was the first of the Baha'i Administrative buildings to be completed (in 1957) and is currently undergoing major restorative work to make it earthquake-resistant.

A view from beneath the main entrance to the Shrine of Baha'u'llah, which is a further ten minutes away straight down the path in front of this entrance.

Eagles abound! These majestic birds are an appropriate symbol with which to adorn the surroundings of the Shrine of the Bab.

More gardens! These ones are in front of the Haifa Pilgrim House, which was the main meeting place for all the pilgrims before the new Pilgrim Reception Centre was built nearby.

Cactus gardens, also in front of the Haifa Pilgrim House. I was never particularly taken with cacti but after seeing the gardens here I was somewhat won over, much to Andrew's delight, who is an avid cactiphile (I think I just invented a new word!)

Ten days of sunshine

Here is a very brief summary of some of the things that occurred during our time in Haifa on pilgrimage. Lots more to follow!

We arrived in Haifa at 9:09pm on Sunday 7th January, after an hour-long train journey from the airport in Tel Aviv. Our excitement went through the roof as we saw the distant glimmer of the Baha'i Shrines and terraces on Mt Carmel. We managed to navigate ourselves to our hotel fairly easily and then almost immediately after putting our luggage in our room we headed straight back out into the cool night air towards Ben Gurion Avenue. This is Haifa's main street which leads up to the very foot of Mt Carmel and was in fact realigned in order to provide a seamless transition from road to garden terraces. As you look from Ben Gurion Avenue towards the mountain, the Baha'i gardens and terraces rise magnificently all the way to the top of the mount. We walked to the gate at the bottom of the steps and gazed at an image that has been the subject of millions of photos and is proudly considered by Israelis to be the "Eight Wonder of the World"!

The sight we gazed on upon arrival in Haifa

The association of the Baha'i Faith in the Holy Land, specifically Mt Carmel, goes back to the time of Baha'u'llah, the Founder of the Baha'i Faith, who in 1891 pointed out a site on the mountain which should house the precious remains of the Bab, (pronounced 'barb' and meaning 'gate'), who, although a Prophet in His own right, and in a similar fashion to John the Baptist proclaiming the coming of Christ, prepared the way for Baha'u'llah and foretold His coming. Progressively over the years, land was purchased for the purpose of building a Shrine where the remains of the Bab now lie interred.

The view from the uppermost terraces across the Bay of Haifa towards Bahji

The primary purpose of Baha'i pilgrimage is to visit and pray inside the Shrines of the Bab and Baha'u'llah (in Bahji, across the Bay of Haifa). Imagine what it would be like if we knew the exact sites where the precious remains of Christ, or the Buddha, or Moses lay - how many thousands of people would be making similar pilgrimages across the globe to visit these sacred places! So, for Baha'is, going on pilgrimage is an inestimable privelege that is often a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Many other things occur during pilgrimage - visiting many of the houses and areas associated with the lives of the Bab and Baha'u'llah, as well as visiting the administrative buildings on Mt Carmel which now serve the needs of the Baha'i Faith throughout the world.

Standing at the gates, a security guard suddenly appeared and apparently recognised me (I had no idea who he was!) and we struck up a conversation (later on someone else told me his name!). He was a lad from Perth and is currently at the Baha'i World Centre volunteering there for a couple of years. With our hearts satisified, we turned and headed back to the hotel in great anticipation of the journey still to come.

Standing outside the gates to the lower terraces!

Head in the clouds

The journey from Trichy to Kodai took the better part of a day, and gave us an opportunity to witness the different landscapes of India - from the flat plains dotted with coconut palms and fields of maize, sorghum and rice to the banana and coconut plantations nearer the base of the Western Ghats (mountains). The pace slowed dramatically as the road wound it's way up the thickly wooded slopes with stunning views of the farmland below and cascading waterfalls in the distance. We were treated to another lesson in 'horn etiquette' as we discovered that the horn is sounded before venturing around corners (a very good thing considering the many blind corners there are twisting up the mountain)! As we climbed higher we could be forgiven for thinking our travels through India were just a dream and that we were really driving though the Dandenongs. Towering eucalypts dominate the landscape through most of the area, along with blackwood and wattle...maybe we should send some koalas to Kodai to complete the scene!

We finally arrived at Kodaikanal at around 3pm in the afternoon. The hotel we chose had views overlooking the town and the hills in the distance. At times, the entire area is swimming in the clouds and we felt as if we were on the edge of the world! Kodai is a hill station, population approximately 30 000, and not a rickshaw in sight! This makes for a very pleasant atmosphere and our ramblings in town were much more enjoyable without the pressing crowds and overpowering pollution of the larger centres. On the second day, one member of our party succumbed to the dreaded nemesis of stomach trouble...poor Shanks spent the day in bed feeling a little bit feverish, nauseous and achey. Not entirely unexpected, it was a good thing that he had a couple of days to recover before we have to pack up and head to our next destination.

One thing that some of us were a little bit unprepared for was the cold...Kodai is approximately 2200 metres above sea level, and the night-time temperature drops to about 5 degrees. This sent us scurrying to reception for more blankets after we almost froze on the first night! Braving the cold, today we undertook the 7km walk to Pillar Rocks. On the tourist trail for both Westerners and the locals alike, we weren't quite sure what would be waiting for us at the end of the trek, and it is a good thing that we weren't too attached to the outcome, because when we reached the famous Pillar Rocks we found them bathed in a sea of cloud! A brief break in the clouds allowed for some photo opportunities and as we waited we chatted to an Israeli couple who live close to Haifa. We swopped phone numbers and travel plans and if time allows we hope to catch up with them after our pilgrimage to the Baha'i Shrines on Mt Carmel.

Tomorrow we head off bright and early towards the coast and into a new state - Kollam (Quillon) in the state of Kerala. Here we hope to explore the backwaters and experience life in India at a different pace and at a different temperature to Kodai! We have hired a car and driver to get around from place to place - the most efficient way to travel when you are short on time. Our driver, Rajendren, has told us to expect an eight hour trip, but this doesn't phase us too much as there is always plenty to see and discuss along the way. We are all having a fantastic time and can't believe that we have been here for almost a week already.

Next post...Kollam!