Vadodara – The Tri-Temple Complex - 135 km
My early-ish departure was due to the desire to escape the morning traffic. Luckily,
things didn’t get busy until around 10h00, making it an uncomplicated cycle out of
Vadodara. A highway never offers exciting riding, but this one sported a spacious
shoulder. A shoulder used primarily by vehicles heading in the opposite direction, and
I had to keep an eye out for oncoming traffic. Even though a toll road, ox carts, camel
carts, trucks, busses, cars and tuk-tuks all headed south into the ever-present haze.
Ironically, while India was choking silently, half of parliament attended the Climate
Change meeting in France. Stopping to have a cup of tea or to fill my water bottle, a
crowd curiously inspected the bicycle. They looked and debated and then concluded
the solar charger was to charge the bike! Someone even suggested my water bottle
was petrol as surely a woman needed help carrying such a heavy load.
The highway made for easy riding, and I pushed on until the turn-off to Surat.
Enquiring about lodging (the word ‘hotel’ generally refers to a restaurant), directions
were toward a temple, which turned into an intriguing evening.
The Tri-Temple Complex was a non-denominational and non-sectarian complex for the
welfare and well-being of the entire world. A bed came at a mere INR100 and food at
an additional INR30. The brochures offered made intriguing reading. I found the
importance and power of the Trinity fascinating as virtually all religions have a three
of something. Although, mostly, the information was over my head, still, it made
intriguing reading.
The following day was spent reading the remainder of the brochures. “Adjust
Everywhere” was fascinating. Maybe it was my thinking of adjusting yourself instead
of expecting the world and others to conform to you. However, when looking at social
media, many expect society to change to accept them. Each to their own.