Wonderland

The sound of the sea and the sticky moisture of cloud rain drifting through pine trees and over dunes mixed with the smell of camp fire. An orchestra of voices and music danced across the village that grew from a handful to thousands over the first few days of the Prana Festival. We were all there on that lush and magnificent coast to celebrate the wonder of life. Prana means energy I believe and Prana is that which animates the myriad of things that exist in this world. That is, according to the sages of India. The festival was a massive collection of gypsy, Buddhist, angels, spiritual leaders and seekers, musicians, artist, and eco warriors, and this is where my adventure began.

What sweet luck I had to find such an incredible fairytale land and so soon after my arrival in New Zealand. Better than that: I was one of the elves that helped make it all happen. After arriving at the festival grounds I was put to work stringing electric cords for the many campers and vendors. We strung extension cords through the trees and across the access road to get power to the little encampment that could have been called Shangri-La with the various Buddha practices and meditation tents. The “grid” was pushed to the limit in the main area where trucks with freezers and blenders all tried to plug into the same overstretched system of adapters and plugs, and wires. I had the job of flipping breakers and sorting the loads until the fuses stopped popping and the vendors stopped complaining about the power outages.

All in a day’s work I suppose. We were fed well and the fun went on day and night. The volunteer work crew was divided into teams and as soon as the party got started I joined the recycling crew. We would sweep through camp like rats on a holiday, collecting endless varieties of refuse, rubbish, glass, plastic, and compostables. Ah what sweet joy when our shift was over and we were allowed the freedom to wander the festival and peek into the tents to see what workshop or lecture on spirituality or whatever was being delivered.

What sweet luck I had indeed. I had no idea what would happen when I got off that plane and stood on the street corner in Aukland. My first contact in New Zealand was with the many interesting residents of the "Earth Song Eco-village" on the outskirts of Aukland. I rode the train out to their place and again was standing on the street corner waiting for my contact to arrive. The eco-village was just what I imagined and more, and I was given a comfortable place to stay in exhange for a few hours work in the garden each day. My host invited me to come to the festival and I jumped at the chance. I was following my bliss.