Spiritual Fanfare!

So after being playfully dejected by the Goddess, I went to a major pilgrimage site in India of Thirupatti- home of the God/Idol Balaji. The South Indian story, in brief, is that Lord Rama promised to marry another woman, Vedavati, in another life because in that life he was observing the vow of only one wife (apparently you had to promise these things back then). So when He married her in His next life, his wife back home, Lakshmi, found out and when He was busted He turned Himself into a statue. I'm really putting it bluntly, so I hope if you're a devotee of Balaji that you don't take offense. My friend's joke about Balaji's darshan is quite accurate, "don't blink or you'll miss it." If you don't want to pay anything you'll wait probably over two days for the darshan, if you're international and don't mind paying about two dollars, I got to see Him in only about four hours. It was a sweet experience though, which surprised me, the stature was VERY alive and filled with such sweet childlike energy. But I was ushered through there, like everyone, very very fast.
I paid homage to other shrines in the city. Let me explain something, pilgrimage sites are like Disneyland in India. Families go together for their vacation and so all the street vendors are selling noise makers, cheap trinkets galore, one woman tried to sell me two illegal tiger's claws!! Those poor tigers! So it's like a vacation land only you have beggars and saints in the mix as well. Every temple is like this. An elephant blessed my head with its trunk for a rupee to its Mahut. After these experiences, I understand why so many Indians are dejected from their own land's spirituality-- most of the time the priests are just fakes looking for some coins. Don't get me wrong, this one priest gave me a blessing that was like a jolt of lightning through my system!! Intensely doing his mantra, I went for darshan of the idol there, and he put this silver cup on my head, I swear it was like a spiritually induced seizure, I happily tipped that priest but he didn't take any heed. Other priests put the cup on and nothing happens and then they stick their hand out and say 'money'. The ladoos (sweets) that you can get at the temples are apparently a favorite.
So I was walking in the city when I saw a picture of Ammachi which made my heart leap. Right then these guys come up to me and ask if I'm going to Purthapatti to see Sathya Sai Baba, saying it's only 130 rupees (about $2.50) for the 8-hour bus ride. So I went! Sai Baba, as my exquisitely lovely girlfriend back home puts it (there's your shout out babe! :) LOVE YOU), is like the Michael Jackson of the spiritual world. I thought he had an ashram in Purthapatii.. no, the whole town is about him!! The place is like a wonderland, Sai Baba has schools here, hospitals, even a space theater whatever that is, and everything is done up in lots of colors and breathtaking, but definitely playful, architecture. Almost like the kitch-y aspect of it is quite intentional. I wasn't sure what to make of this man, I'd heard lots about him-- that he 'manifests' things out of thin air like sacred ash and gold trinkets, that he's been accused of molesting little kids (again like Michael Jackson), and he's got this ridiculous fro that he's sported for probably sixty years now.
But when I got here, my doubts were quickly dispelled. This town is amazing, a real treat for a westerner because there are so many other whiteys here that you don't stand out finally. Everything is cheap! People don't cheat you here like they try to in the rest of India, and I swear the staff at the ashram serves you like you're G*d. I mean, I don't know if you've ever experienced someone looking at you like they're seeing G*d, but it's real quality service I'll tell you! The swamis here are awesome too, I've been in a very silent inward mood, avoiding socializing, but when I see the swamis, they're just so pure and childlike we connect instantly and then they explode in laughter as I bow to them.
Darshan was a little disappointing at first, Baba is 80 years old so darshan is him being driven around the devotees for a few precious minutes, if you're lucky he looks at you. The first darshan I got there three hours early (woke up at 330am, just for You Ma!) to make sure I had a good spot (and I still didn't) and was very disappointed. But the second darshan this afternoon was nice, he looked at me and I felt that he really is a good man, and this gift of this place to humanity is a real treasure. You can live here for less than $2/day with three full meals in the ashram. I'm avoiding all those spiritual crazies so I have my own place and am living on about $3.50/day :) Ahh, the good life of nothing but me and my spiritual practice!! Thank you Baba!