January 3rd ++ and I am in San Diego, California. Never having been there before I thought I would go there to see what its like. I'd say its a nice place for a vacation (if you have lots of money), and ideal for the poser type who likes skating or skate boarding around the street when they are really old enough to know better. San Diego, like many cities runs into a number of smaller places, that probably at one time were separate towns. Unlike most American cities, I found San Diego unusually easy to find ones was around, but not particularly amazing that it demanded being photographed, though many parts are indeed beautiful.
Escondida I thought was interesting for its Thrift Stores selling old fashioned houshold goods, computers, clothes, and other bric-a brack.
Oceanside was where I finished up spending a few days, and I thank the Harbor for supplying me (unknowingly) with parking space. Oceanside is the place to be if you want to buy a Motorcycle, or a car, or have your RV repaired, or you just want to watch the surfers splashing around as they attempt to do their thing on a board. Below are some pictures of Oceanside:
As you see the Harbor (below) has a Lighthouse (that works) as well as moorings for private Yachts and some resturants and a fish and chip cafe. I tried the fish, I have to say it was not as good as British Fish and Chips, but after all in that department we are the experts!
Carlsbad is a modern olde-worlde place full of shops selling things you dont really need, like pot pouri, and native american jewelry, and fake antique wooden toys. It also has shops selling art and clothes and there seems to be a hairdressers on every corner. Here are some pictures of Carlsbad:
This web page and the pictures on it are provided courtesy
of White Mountain Innovations - www.remedydevices.com
At the Bit O' Britain center shown above British people who I am told there are a lot of in Carlsbad can buy Typhoo Tea, Branston Pickle, Birds Custurd, and other items that you certainly wouldnt find in an American Supermarket, I suggested to the shop owner that she could have a real British person (me) to greet customers at the door, but she wasnt impressed!
Encinitas, a little further down the coast features the Self Realisation Fellowship, founded in 1920 based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda. Whilst the center was closed to visitors on the day I arrived, they did invite me to visit the gardens, which are indeed beautiful:
Yes, there are large Coi Carp swimming in the picture you see above, in fact there are three pools connected below each other by a shallow stream, so that the Carp in each pool could not possibly meet each other. It gave me the idea that the Carp in the two lower pools must have knowlege of the Carp in the upper pools, because they can taste and smell them in the water, but the Carp in the upper pool can only guess there is Carp in the lower pools, they cannot taste or smell their existance. I am sure there must be a parallel there with some spiritual principle.
On January 7th I left the San Diego area and headed East on Highway 94. As a point of interest to all Mexicans thinking of illegaly crossing the border here, Highway 94 has the most Border Control vehicles I have ever seen, in fact I would say 90% of the traffic on 94 IS Border Control. It makes you feel like a criminal when you have done nothing wrong!
That night was spent parked (boondocked) outside Yuma on the Algondas Road, another area I would not recommend to anyone who likes peace, though great for those who like to be spotlighted by Border Control Helicopters. Next day it was East again on Highway 8, crossing back from California into Arizona though endless miles of Desert, though the occasional interesting Mountain, as pictured below:
Then it was onto Highway 85 for the road to Ajo, and some more amazing mountain views. Just look at this flat topped mountain in the Sauceda Mountain chain:
Passing through the Crater Mountains, I took these pictures. Taken late afternoon, the shadows create a surreal effect. In fact these Mountains are very small, but these pictures prove that size doesnt always matter:
Then it was on to Ajo, pronounced Ahh-Hoe, where I parked the R.V next to the "Ajo Stage Line". I almost expected to see Horse drawn Stage Coaches, but no, they were just mini-buses. Next morning I took this picture of the Business Plaza in Ajo:
Drove through the Tohono Reservation and back to Tucson via Why (Name of place) and Sells.
Monday, Jan 13th, (this is becoming a diary) had a wonderful Spiritual experience. Earlier in the evening I had been to the Hare Krisna Temple in Blacklidge Road, Tucson, and had some of their Prashadam. Accidently, I spilled some of it onto my clothes and now have a wonderful stain on my Jersey. Now you know the background. I went to bed about 9.00pm and had a dream that I was doing Hatha Yoga. The Position was an extreamely difficult one that involved balancing ones whole body on ones hands. By going into a state of Meditation (in the dream) I was able to acheive perfectly still balance. This catapulted me onto a much higher Spiritual Level. I had a vision where I saw the human body and all its "meridians" and spiritual pathways, and I experienced a vision and sensation that I can only describe as being in Heaven.
Everything was in balance and Harmony, and I was in a state of bliss. I awoke from the experience with full memory of what had happened and still in a state of bliss and feeling wonderful.
My explanation of this experience is that when we dream, or astrally project we are in Yetzirah, the Astral World, corresponding to Yesod in the Cabbalistic Tree. From this level, to go into a state of meditation would automatically shoot one up to the next level, Tiphereth, and the vision of the Self and the Harmony of the Universe, or what other people call "Self Realisation."
