Out of Africa

I return to India

After breakfast, Lokanath Prabhu and Yogendra Prabhu drive me from the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Ashram (where I have spent the last three days) to the airport to catch my return flight to India.

They are good kids, especially Lokanath Prabhu. The last time I was here in Johannesburg I blasted — and I mean blasted! — him for his frivolousness and for his cavalier attitude towards life in general, and Krishna consciousness in particular. He has so much potential, so many intrinsic good qualities; I could not stand by idly watching him waste his life.

I am therefore very much impressed with his newfound seriousness, his humility, his generosity, and his attitude towards Krishna consciousness this time around. All he needs — all we all need — is good association. It would be nice if he could come with me to Russia next time, to see how enthusiastic other kids his age (20) are about Krishna consciousness. We'll see...

I fly South African Airways from Johannesburg to Mumbai (Bombay), up the east coast of Africa and across the Indian Ocean, to the Land of Lord Krishna's Pastimes.

The plane is full; I sit in the very last seat at the back (145G). I am tired, but it is impossible to sleep; the seats on this Boeing 737 are much narrower than the seats on the Aeroflot Airbus.

We land at Mumbai at fifteen minutes after midnight. I have a six-hour wait for my next flight to New Delhi; I use the time to catch up with my blogging.