Cairns!

BULA(bringing that one back)family and friends!

Since our last post,we have finished up a relaxing week at the Chenrezig Buddhist Retreat Center, where we learned about the various teachings and traditions of the Buddhist religion. Once we ascended "the hill", a(very steep)hill which set the boundaries of the center, we were asked to adhere to a set of Buddhist guidelines:
1. Avoid killing (all creatures - including ants)
2. Avoid stealing (that which was not specifically given to you)
3. Avoid lying
4. No sexual contact(including hugs)
5. No intoxicants
Though seemingly obvious social guidelines, the rules were surprisingly hard to follow - the mosquitos taunted us as if they knew they would not be swatted.

Daily activites at the center included gardening, maufacturing miniature "stupas"(holy artifacts meant to be a physical manisfestation of Buddha's mind), and yoga with our incredibly serene and patient hungarian teacher Tiag. Our vegetarian (eek!) meals at Chenrezig consisted of a light breakfast and dinner, with a filling and delicious lunch. At night we laid relatively low, watching Buddhist themed films, reading, and once attempting to follow an advanced lesson in Buddhist theory,taught by the centers "geshe", an enlightened Tibetan monk. We also partook in a two day seminar focused on creating better relationships, inspired by and following Buddhist teachings. Through meditations and examples from her own life, our teacher Alyse showed to us how to eliminate anger and destructive feelings from our lives, asking us to take and value people for who they are, rather than who we expect them to be.

After our relaxing stay at Chenrezig, wedeparted for Cairns on our 30 hour (yes, you read correctly) train ride. Staying on an overnight train has been a dream of mine, ever since I saw "Some like it Hot". I was pumped, and the ride did not dissapoint. Though mildly claustrophobic at first, our triple-sleeper train compartments proved cozy habitats, accomodated with a bench that folded into three bunk beds, a sink, and a trash can. Train activities included reading, card games, college essay writing, and filling the tiny rooms way past their capacity for rediculous hangout sessions. The rare half hour stops were almost comical, our group bursting out of the train doors, spilling out onto the train platform to stretch, walk, do pushups, and dance to Michael Jackson tunes. We made it though our cabin fever however, to arrive safe and sound in Cairns, our final destination of the trip.

Our first day in Cairns was spent milling around the boardwalks of this seaside city, peering into the various shops and restaurants. The following two days were spent in "scuba school", where, you will be happy to learn, we all passed our written and underwater tests. Tomorrow we ship off on a scuba overnight aboard the Cairns Diving Center's dive ship, to explore the Great Barrier Reef, and earn our "open water dive" certifications.

Looking forward to a great last week, but also to seeing our families once again!
Cheers to the last leg of our incredible trip!
-Meghan