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Magical Journey
May 31, 2010 |
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Dear Friends,
I was looking though my bookshelves the other day and came across the book 'Last Chance to See' by Douglas Adams the chap who wrote 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'. He was commissioned by the BBC to go around the world making a television documentary of all the animals that were on the point of extinction. The book was his story about that Journey. While he did talk sensitively about the plight of the animals, there was another dimension to the book that could not have been in the documentary. In the book he told the most interesting, colourful and amusing anecdotes of the unplanned encounters he had with people of all types and backgrounds that he met along the way, as well as the unscheduled incidents and experiences he had during his travels.
It got me thinking about how often we miss a 'Last chance to See' or a 'Last chance to Experience' something in the daily course of our lives, and how often we don't realize that our 'First chance to See' is also our 'Last Chance to See'.
I think it was the Buddha who said, that you cannot step into the same river twice. Similarly every time we forgo an opportunity of an experience, it is gone - the same experience will never be there to be had again. The same people, the same circumstances, will never be there to be met again.
And when we look back to the time when we let the opportunity pass for whatever reason: procrastination, 'just didn't get round to it', 'too busy', 'need to save the money', we generally find ourselves peering through a mist to nothing-in-particular. We cannot remember what we spent the time doing instead, whether our 'busyness' really achieved anything, or what it was that the money we saved was spent on. A bit of life has simply passed us by.
Why am I writing this? Because in the five fantastic Journeys which we have been telling you about in our emails, we are also presenting 'First/Last Chances to See' opportunities. If you join us, whatever we have put into the itineraries, whatever we have planned, just as Douglas Adams did,what you will really remember afterwards, will be all your personal impressions: the people and scenes that you encountered, the experiences that you had that cannot be planned or listed in an itinerary. You can be sure that those will all have been, in some way, your 'Last Chance to See'. They will never happen again. And we as planners and conductors of the itinerary, cannot script those memories. All we can do, is provide the stage on which the script of your memories
will be played out. The one thing that we can be sure of is that the memories will stand out and never disappear in the 'forgetting mists of time'.
There must be at least one, perhaps all, of the programs that captures your imagination. Should that indeed be the case, then to help in some small way to overcome those little voices that always seem to prefer the 'not doing' to the unknown of 'doing', we are offering a special $250 'Early Bird' discount on the cost of any of the programs to anyone who signs up before July 1, 2010. And of course for those of you who Carol and I will have the pleasure of hosting for the third time on one of our international Journeys, there will be a 10% 'Our pleasure to have you again' reduction, in the price.
Can you really miss this opportunity? Surely not!
So please contact Michele on info@magicaljourney.org or +1 (888) 737-8070 so that she can give you all the information you need.
Mark Hennessy
Magical Journey
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 Magical Journey to Israel & Jordan. A Soul Journey to the Holy Land
23rd October- 6thNovember, 2010
For many of us, the narratives of Abraham, Moses, David, Lot, Herod and Jesus of Nazareth helped shape the landscape of our awareness and morality. Epic action-filled tales - the crossing of the Red Sea, the defeat of Goliath, Sodom and Gomorrah, Samson and Delilah, Joshua and the Walls of Jericho, the Loaves and Fishes - became part of our early, everyday language. We heard legendary love stories and parables of devotion, loyalty and betrayal.
The incredible region where these legendary events played out is known as the Holy Land, the birthplace of three of the World's major religions. Hills, deserts and caves, the River Jordan, the Sea of Galilee, the Holy City of Jerusalem, and a Mount where a Sermon was delivered make up the landscape of the Holy Land. Even today, it is an area we are constantly aware of through news of borders, settlements, contested land and holy places.
Our systems of ethics and legal structures today bear the marks of teachings such as the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount. We talk of the Wisdom of Solomon; the Psalms of David and the Song of Solomon feature among the greatest poetry of our common culture.
But what real perspective do we have of this legendary land? How does the Holy Land of our collective imagination relate to the landscape of one of the most geologically and geographically unique places on our Earth? This is a land shaped by the movement of continents to form the deepest cut in Earth's surface, the Great Rift Valley, the axis along which the real River Jordan, the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea lie.
Travel with Carol Cumes and Mark Hennessy to the locations of these legendary events. Visit the holy and contested city of Jerusalem. See the real place called Armageddon, as mentioned in Revelations. Stand on what is perhaps the spot where Jesus delivered the sermon containing the Beatitudes, looking out on the same beautiful expanse of water. Cross into Jordan and visit the Roman City of Gerasa. Be mystified and intrigued by the magnificent Cave structures of Petra.
Join us and treat yourself to a Soul Journey to the Holy Land.
For a detailed itinerary and information on how to register for this Journey, please contact Michele on info@magicaljourney.org
'India is everything you've heard and nothing you can imagine.'
With its incredible diversity and array of amazing sacred sites, it is not possible to do justice to India in one visit. Magical Journey is offering two separate, spectacular programs that travel to the most fabulous destinations in India. Visit North India, in-depth Rajastan, and South India, the Tamil Nadu temples and Kerala.
Magical Journey to North India: Regal Rajasthan.
8-24th November, 2010
Regal Rajasthan is an inspiring ancient land that explodes with vibrancy, color, excitement and wonder. Take this journey back in time and enter royal residences, ornately decorated mansions, and Rajasthan's renowned haveli's, mansions of rich merchants with beautifully carved facades, inner courtyards and richly decorated apartments. Marvel at engraved temples, exquisitely decorated palaces, and magnificent stone forts that encompass entire cities.
Most of India's major religions are represented in Rajasthan where you will tap into the true spirit of the country. Extraordinarily intricate Jain temples and stories of the Jain vision of the universe, Indian Islams' holiest shrines, the white marble Bahai temple, and an in-depth understanding of the Sikh religion interspersed with spell-binding stories of the Hindu gods and their temples will be shared by our two expert Indian guides. Explore feudal villages where forts command spectacular views of kingdoms and valleys. As we wander into temples and meditate in Northern India's sacred lakes, forests, desert terrain and rolling sand dunes, we have time to tune into Nature's heartbeat in this ancient land.
For a detailed itinerary and information on how to register for this Journey, please contact Michele on info@magicaljourney.org
Magical Journey to South India: Temples of Tamil Nadu, Exotic Kerala.
28 Nov.-14 Dec.,2010
The diversity of South India is breathtaking, throwing the senses into a frenzy of delight. Teeming with paradoxes, there is always something that comes along to astonish you. No one will leave India without being impressed, delighted, challenged and filled with gratitude for this grand opportunity. On this unforgettable journey through the incredible sites of the South, allow yourself to open the senses of your soul in ways you never thought possible. Your Indian guide, Sanjay, has been selected because of his in-depth knowledge, his stories, his humor, his classical dance, his spirituality and assistance to our guests. Sanjay is without doubt one of the most extraordinary and inspiring guides we have ever worked with. Join Sanjay, Mark and Carol, and receive this gift of a Magical Journey-of-a-lifetime.
For a detailed itinerary and information on how to register for this Journey, please contact Michele on info@magicaljourney.org
Magical Journey Dream Safari to South Africa and Botswana
13 - 27 March, 2011.
From the beginnings of human time to the threshold of our common future.
A land half as old as time itself, and yet the most vibrant in the modern world. The cradle of humankind, mountains, beaches, mighty rivers, wall-to-wall wildlife, incredibly beautiful seascapes, complex cultures and a staggering diversity of people. This is South Africa.
Come and experience her wonders on a trip that will take you back to your first beginnings. Soak up millions of years of spiritual energies in one of the oldest places on earth. Fly to Cape Town with its sunlit beaches and four hundred-year-old vineyards. The highlight of this journey will take you to the lowveld region and across the border to Botswana to track the Big 5: elephant, buffalo, rhino, lion and leopard - as well as hippo, giraffe and a myriad of other animals - from an open vehicle on a camera safari.
Stay in five star camps and dine out under the African skies, where, as the Bushmen say, 'you can hear the stars sing'.
For a detailed itinerary and information on how to register for this Journey, please contact Michele on info@magicaljourney.org
Magical Journey to Machu Picchu, Cusco and Willka T'ika, Peru:
Choose from two dates: July 7-17 or September 11-21, 2010
Join Carol Cumes, Qero Pakko Don Benito, and Andean guide Gabriela on the ultimate Sacred Journey to Machu Picchu. Meditate in ancient Inkan sites, learn about the history and culture of the Inka and their Quechua ancestors. You will be based at exquisite Willka T'ika with its organic vegetarian food, ancient Lucuma tree, meditation sites, and two light-filled Yoga Studios. You will have time to enjoy the spectacular Chakra Gardens, learn about Andean healing and participate in Authentic ceremonies, Inkan plants, and much, much more. Spend a day working as volunteers with Quechua children in one of the four isolated Mountain School communities that the Willka T'ika Children's Fund supports. Wander through local markets, hike in the valleys, soak in a solar bath under the stars, enjoy a crystal bed session, or treat yourself to an Andean massage. There is something for everyone at the most environmentally conscious, Luxury, Spiritual Retreat Center in the Sacred Valley.
Carol is the author of Journey to Machu Picchu and the triple Gold award winning book Chakra Gardens, Opening the Senses of the Soul. Proceeds from the sales of both books help support the Willka T'ika Children's Fund.
For a detailed itinerary and information on how to register for this Journey, please contact Michele on info@magicaljourney.org
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