I could sneak some minutes in for my japa meditation prior to the trip to the airport, so I accomplished some rounds on foot around the temple and rounds on fingers with my beads. The circumambulation of the presiding deities is always auspicious. Then off we went to King Shaka Airport and in my company were a few of devotees so loyal to our drama.
The flight to Johannesburg was short. From there to Mauritius, a bit more lengthy - 3 hours. My passenger partner was Hamsa, a young Hindu who has juts come from visiting his fiance in South Africa. It takes a few minutes for me to adjust hearing a brown man with a French accent. It turns out he's way Mauritian and also shows interest in the culture of Krishna. "I'll visit you at the place you're staying," he said.
Now, I am in Mauritius. The plane landed. At customs they check on your health status. Authorities want to make sure you're not bringing in viruses from abroad. I know from the past a health official will come to where you are staying and prick you for a blood sample, just to make sure.
I exited the airport and am greeted by the faithful. Many flower garlands were rung around the neck. With gratitude I smiled and pulled off a few that were lovingly weighing me down and offered them to three co-passengers. I believe they were Dutch, maybe French.They warmly received those garlands.
Hey, it's not Hawaii. This is Mauritius. People at Vedic/ Hindu culture have been doing flower greetings for centuries.
Source: https://www.thewalkingmonk.net/post/moving-on-to-mauritius
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