Tucson, Whispering Palms and the Ashram

Tucson, Arizona has been a very welcome and interesting experience, so far.  We have been here for about a week and have thoroughly enjoyed the sun, cool mornings, ethnic cuisine, and the friendliness of the locals.  Upon arriving at our RV Park, The Whispering Palms, we were immediately invited to a barbecue that a handful of the park guests were enjoying, and before we could even unhitch our rig we were eating barbecued pork, and chicken breast.  There were pot luck style salads and typical barbecue food, but what was remarkable to us was that we were expected to join in, and they were not taking no for an answer.  We felt welcomed! www.whisperingpalmsrvpark.com/

Would I recommend this RV Park?  The answer is yes, I would.  It depends on what you want in an RV Park.  This one is not as snazzy as either of the last two places we stayed.  I will explain and you decide.

This is taken from our lot!

 

There is one bath house with two separate bathroom/ shower combos.  This is (evidently) quite common in RV Parks.  There is a toilet, shower, and sink in each, and a chair or someplace to sit.  These are large enough for families or for a parent and a child…not unlike the bathrooms we all have in our own homes.  However, these are open for both sexes, and are locked on the outside with a numbered keypad.  Our park has two of these, back to back and it seems to be adequate for the size of the park.  They are tiled from floor to ceiling, very clean and in good repair, although quite basic. This is a different arrangement than we had in the other RV Parks, but t is still fine, just different than what we have experienced so far.

 

The spaces are of adequate size and each one has a beautiful decorative cactus arrangement somewhere on the space.  Ours has a shade tree also, which is a godsend in the unrelenting sun of Tucson. There is not a speck of grass except near the office/home of the hostess, Anna.  She is a doll and adds a real “at-home” feel because she allows us all to enjoy her back yard, with a huge pine and shade trees and also the internet works well near her office.  It does not work well throughout the park, which is a huge annoyance to me, but we have found is the norm in RV Parks.  So, to overcome this we do our internet stuff like emails and skyping our family from Anna’s back yard, and when I do blogging and researching we go offsite for that.

 

There area that Whispering Pines is located in (North Tucson) is a declining area of town, so no new building and such, but it is close to a few really great eateries, ethnic food, carnicerias, cocinas, and services; close to everything.  There is the Tucson Mall closeby, the biggest mall ever, but who cares?  We are tucked in a snug right here, and happy to boot!

We found a mom and pop place called Pappy’s that we get a killer breakfast of 2 sausages, eggs, toast and hashbrowns for $1.95.

  Man, it is good eating, but not too healthful,as breakfasts go, so we don’t go there much.  There’s a hole in the wall called the Elbow Room that has an all you can eat fish fry on Fridays for $6.50.  There are lots of these kinds of places all around, because we are in a retirement area, but if you are looking for a bit more healthful fair, the Mexican markets are the way to go.  We eat at home a lot, cooking a bit of meat on the George Foreman grill and eating fruits and veggies frot he markets.  Life is good!

   

 Right now I am doing laundry at a coinless laundry. I had never heard of on e either!  You buy a card from a machine and for $30 you get $40 worth of laundry services.  On Tues. and Thurs. you can wash for $1.09 and they have sales on there double size washers at certain weekdays, just to give you an idea of what a well run laundry is like.  Lance is next door getting a $10.00 haircut and shave, by barber students.  I hope he has both ears and his nose when he gets back over here to help me fold clothes.  I am blogging right now on the free wifi at the coinless.  All in all, it’s been a good morning.

Last night we watched the college basketball championships at a nearby sports bar.  What a poor experience that was!  Our team lost, the food was a gastronomic gut-bomb and it cost us $40!  Zounds!  We paid all night with Rolaids and bicarbonate of soda.  Why do we do this to ourselves, all in the name of our gladiators?  We learned.

 

Let me tell you about our experience at the Ashram!  We were invited to a service/meal at the ashram by a darling Indian lady in a silky turquoise colored sari and beads draping across her brow and embellishing the part in her hair.  She was soft spoken, and with palms pressed together over her heart she graciously invited us to a vegetarian meal at Govinda’s.  We met her at the International Community Festival (I don’t think this is exactly the correct name,) at Pima Community College last week, and could not possible pass up on an interesting opportunity like this one presented.

We drove down Oracle St, a main drag, complete with carwashes, taco joints, and window tinting bays and tattoo parlors, as well as very posh retirement apartments and condos, until we came to the over-arching gate into the fenced compound of Govinda’s.

We were early and being unsure what to do, we stood with mouth agape and peered at the loveliness of our unexpected surroundings.  There were few cars in the parking lot and we were very much by ourselves.  In front of us was a patio paved with Moroccan shaped bricks,  circular tables with pale umbrellas, a bubbling fountain in center of it all, burbling out our welcome.
There was a very large netted area for two brilliantly colored parrot who were squawking away to each other.  WE explored and were met by a curt fellow in Indian garb who told us we were an hour early!  We don’t keep very close track of time these days and were happy to be early and not late.  We had time to explore the beautiful grounds and enjoy the peace and quiet in this paradisiacal corner of Tucson.  We found, an elaborate coi pond backed by a noisy waterfall made of brownish rocks, with monster coi silently looping about with big,  open and closed mouths.  There were turtles, sunning themselves on triangular tilted stones, and constellations of guppies.  I suspected these were coi food, although, as attentively watched, I did not see one guppy succumb to the fate of Jonah.

There was also, to my delight, an aviary of cockatiels, parrots, finches, and a pair of peacocks.  All these birds were rescue birds that had found refuge at Govinda’s.  There were exotic birds of the parroty kind, and only had attention called to it by a hand written sign posted low enough for the reader to learn that a white bushy parrot (I fail to recall what it was) had a pecking disorder and has been to the vet for treatment, so not to worry.  This aviary was a very busy place.  The pesky and hardy native swallows and other little commoners this spring’s baby birds, had found several tiny holes in the aviary mesh and were enjoying free largesse at Govinda’s expense.  I noted that these holes could easily be closed, as fisherman repairs his nets, but there was no sign of these openings having ever been tended to.   It came to me that these little beggars, for beggars they were, were “allowed.”  I was mesmerized!  Note to Self:  When we get to Ecuador and establish a house and home, we could have an aviary of rescued birds.  Lance and I will have the time and space, and wherewithal to have an aviary, where we cannot living a RVing lifestyle.

The time went by quickly and we were invited into the ashram.  It was a low slung building of brightly painted cinder blocks, with a set of cubbyholes for shoes outside the open door.  We went in and sat upon large squares of memory foam cushions.  A few people drifted in and plopped down.  Some were in loose fitting, white, cottony homespun garb with knee hanging crotches.  I will have to get a pair.  They looked very fitting for the surroundings.  What was most unusual was the life size figurine of a seated yogi, with flowers an candles and other finery stacked all around him.  There were light aimed at him.  There were placards saying who he was and what he did.  I couldn't read them from where I was.

 

Then it all started at once.  Everyone was seated, cross legged on the floor and there were hairs in the back for those who could not sit on the floor, for whatever the reason.  A blond lady dressed in a drab sari, sat in front, with a companion; an unlikely looking red headed, geeky looking fellow, who began playing an interesting square box of an instrument, of wheezing tonal quality, that had keys for making the notes and a bellows to wheeze them out into the air.  It was great!  The blonde ching-chang-ed a pair of tiny cymbals and they made some rather listenable music.  Another thickly built guy, with shaved head with the exception of a wimpy pony tail jutting out of the very back, chanted emphatically.  No words were spoken, but a chanting of sorts began.  Because the words of the chant were written in two places on the walls it became obvious that all were invited to participate.  We did!  And as we did, we too, became more confident and were inclined to let ‘er rip.  We participated in earnest, with whole heart and soul.

 

After the chanting, then there chanting and dancing, and after the chanting and dancing, there was kneeling and chanting, and after that there was chanting and flower smelling; and everyone was welcome to participate at whatever degree they wanted or felt was necessary for them.  It was a really fun, expressive experience.

 

We then were invited into the other part of the building to Govinda’s . (I thought the whole place was Govinda’s but part was also an ashram).  An orderly que formed and we were scooped a large plate of Indian food, all vegetarian and remarkably delicious.  Some of the food I recognize and can describe, so will try.  There was cooked lentils, shredded cabbage, cooked vegetables, a curry dish, some cheese stuffed pasta things in a creamy sauce, cubes of sweetened cream of wheat, squash, and all were delicious.  This food had various kinds of sauces and delicate seasonings that made it wonderfully delightful.  We want to eat there again! There was no charge for any of the evenings activities, and I in my American way, wonder, what is the catch?

I think they are attracting followers.  On one wall is displayed a poster charting  the raising of money to pay off the mortgage on the ashram, they had about $10,000 to go.  They do some charity work, and of course, they hold a lot of meetings and services.  It seems they are very concerned with the emotional and spiritual health, and personal peace, of the devotees.  Their reading material is all Hare Krshna stuff.  I took some to read and it seems innocuous enough, and I find that I agree with all of it.  I also feel like if people could participate in chanting, singing and dancing, it is a good thing.  In our culture we are strung too tightly, and could benefit from singing together, and dancing.  By dancing I mean physical movement for movements’ sake.  The devotees did not dance like what one might think.  They did not do the whirling dervish thing like we see in airports in the ‘60’s.  They bobbed back and forth and up and down in time to music.  That is it!  Easy and fun!

We met a couple, at Pima College, from Connecticut who went with us to Govinda’s.  They are David and Marge.  They are good folks and we enjoyed them very much.  They are also living on the road, and I hope to see them again.