Early next morning we made our way along rolling hallways and pitching stairs to our 6:30 am class with Acharya Palaniswami. With senses not yet accustomed to this gentle (says the crew!) but persistent rolling motion, navigating this outer world has been an amusing array of lurches, swaying and dizziness, accompanied by nausea and malaise for some. Seasickness and its various cures have been conversation topics for many. For those hearty souls able to brave the ocean's endless swells, Acharya's class laid a wonderful foundation for our ten days with Gurudeva.

At 9:30 we met with Gurudeva for our first class together on color and Manipuri dance. His first words were addressed to the lingering seasickness, offering us this simple cure-move with the motion of the ship instead of attempting to right yourself against it. Flow with the bobbing river of life! Some personal testimony is that Gurudeva's advice works. Each area of our lives is never too insignificant for Gurudeva's counsel.

In a less etheric vein- Being greeted with Namaste upon entering the ship's elegant dinning room welcomes us. The food they have prepared for Gurudeva is wonderful. No western food, but delicious Indian food served with graceful attentiveness by the Indonesian staff. The private meeting room has a great view of the ocean moving by beneath us and is a wonderful space for gathering with Gurudeva. In dramatic juxtaposition to our innersearch, immediately outside our meeting room are an array of slot machines making their music-like sounds.

During Gurudeva's class this morning we had a wonderful and invigorating Manipuri Dance exercise practice. First standing and then sitting, we moved our inner body to the outer sounds of the music, projecting colors with our hands. Gurudeva shared with us how living in the lower chakras creates illness within the astral and physical bodies. He gave us the example of a lady who's left leg was badly swollen and no medical reason could be found. She came to Gurudeva who diagnosed the cause as pride. This lady moved out of that area of the mind and her leg became well.

We also were treated to a dramatic presentation this morning. "Mother", Mrs. Shushima Shekar, daughter Madhuri, "son" Sadhaka Dandapani and "husband" Swami Yoginatha and Gurudeva as himself were our cast of characters. The plot-a lady has difficulties with her mother-in-law. The mother-in-law will never give her blessings to do something, and if something was done without her prior approval, she criticized the daughter-in-law very much. This problem was laid at Gurudeva's Feet for a solution. He asked each family member to give their comments and some additional information came to light. The "son" said his father hit him, his sister and mother and that because he was afraid of his father and never shared his life with him, he had begun using drugs and skipping school. Gurudeva told this "family" of the husband's duty to keep his wife happy by fulfilling her needs and desires, family meetings, and positive discipline for children. After a lot of discussion, the "family" agreed to follow Gurudeva's advice, returning to him on their next pilgrimage to share their results.

In our outer world, we discovered that Holland America has put on board an Indian Chef just to prepare our food each day, for lunch and dinner. The food is fantastic! As one Alaska Innersearcher said, "Such an improvement!"

Our deep blue ocean continues to rock us gently as we steam toward St. Kitts, our first ashore day tomorrow. We are getting our "sea legs" and stomachs however. Everyone is in attendance today having conquered their physical malaise. Jai Ganesha! The first of our Broadway Shows took place last night with Gurudeva and Innersearchers in attendance. The show is very professional and well done. Gurudeva enjoyed it as did we all. Each one of us had our photograph taken with Gurudeva as well. They were all up for public display for all to see. Gurudeva looks radiant in each.

Six am hatha yoga class woke up our sleepy physical bodies as our floating ashram moved us gently to St. Kitts. While breakfasting in the Lido we could see dozens of huge frigate birds soaring around the Volendam, welcoming her to this tiny island country. By 8am this giant ship (and we mean really huge) was tied to a cement pier. No motion!

At Gurudeva's class the floor did not move while we practiced the Manipuri's mystical movements. Gurudeva taught us today to take in negative energy with our left hand, send it through our solar plexus "transformer", recharged to positive energy and out through the right hand.

"Improv with Gurudeva", act two, occurred at this morning's class. This drama centered on the inner conflict of a working mother as she tries to juggle career and the family needs. The cast of characters were Carole Kahn and Nilifer Clubwala as working mothers, Thilaka Sundar and Tara Katir as stay at home mothers and "children" Shushima Shekar and Sadhaka Dandapani in dual roles with both parents. Much lively and thought stimulating dialog ensued.

This afternoon Gurudeva accepted an invitation from the Chandraram family, one of the few Hindus on St. Kitts. Gurudeva and most of the Innersearch staff were graciously taken on a short island tour. Upon arriving at the Chandraram home Gurudeva was greeted traditionally and invited to enter.

A bright faced Hamir, Chandraram's ten year old grandson, asked Gurudeva several penetrating questions. Gurudeva answered each and then asked Hamir if he surfed the web. After a yes, Gurudeva gave this young man TAKA's address and asked him to send him any questions he might have over the internet too.

As we returned to the Volendam as big black limo pulled along side. Sir Dr. Cuthbert M. Sebastian, Governor General of St. Kitts, Queen's Representative stepped out of the car. He came expressly to see Gurudeva for a few moments before we boarded the ship.

Tonight's dinner was formal, which means diners in the main dinning room have a dress code-tuxedos and ball gowns are the general rule. We Hindus don't have to take a backseat here as our Innersearchers stand out with beautiful saris and kurtha suits. However the most elegant of us all is Gurudeva, dressed in a rich bronze colored kurtha suit with brocade shawl. As he descended the grand staircase into the Volendam's elegantly appointed dinning room forks halted in midair, conversation ceased and the staff stood quiet in respect. All eyes were riveted on Gurudeva as he gracefully entered.

"Anytime I am anywhere near Gurudeva my life changes-forward and upward. I receive a great wealth of knowledge for myself. It is also wonderful to be with my Saivite family-they are my family." Innersearcher Hitesvara Saravan.

Today we are being hosted in Martinique by Hindus from this lovely French enclave and Guadalupe, a neighboring island. A 20 minute walk brings us to a large hall where a group of Hindu's are waiting for Gurudeva. A very lively bhajan group inspires everyone to sing enthusiastically, building the vibration. Two dancers are set to dance for Gurudeva, with a Bharata Natyam performance first. She dances to Gurudeva, focusing entirely on him as a devi dasi would dance for God in the temple. A sufi man next dances in their traditional style of whirling. Going into trance, he whirls many many times (someone counts 400) until breaking the trance and falling at Gurudeva's feet.

Gurudeva speaks to this group, some of Indian descent and others are descended from the slaves brought hundreds of years ago from Africa. He introduces Loving Ganesha and talks about Hinduism Today. Afterwards the leader of the Hindu community on Guadalupe comes to ask Gurudeva how they can build a temple for their community. This small Caribbean island has 70,000 of Indian descent with half of those Hindus he says. They have no public temple, only small home temples. Gurudeva responds by giving them a murthi of Lord Ganesha which will arrive in a few months. Worship Lord Ganesha, and He will build the temple. This gentleman is nearly overcome with joy as he says, "To have Gurudeva here.I am shivering. To have Gurudeva come here creates a link for us with Hindus around the world."

We walk back to our ashram and board. Tomorrow we arrive in Trinidad.

"Here also the people are like ourselves. In this world, there is nothing whatsoever that can be the cause of anything new or curious." Yogaswami

At 7:00 am Ashram Volendam quietly slips into Trinidad's Port of Spain where we see nearly 100 children dressed in white with orange sashes waiting quietly on the pier. Close by are a group of Trinidadian South Indian drummers who begin their rythmic beats as our ship pulls alongside. Many other Hindu's wait with garlands to receive Gurudeva. Watching intently are newsmen with cameras and microphones ready to catch every movement and sound.

The drummers create quite a sensation on the ship, bringing many of the Volendam guests to the lower promenade deck to watch. Gurudeva is the first to disembark and he is greeted with garlands and prostrations. As the tropical sun shines upon us all, arati is done and the children sing a number of songs in his honor, while the rest of the innersearchers are asked to stand in two long lines behind him. The aratis are brought to the innersearchers and we also are blessed with the flames and garlanded by a child. Gurudeva then gives a short television and radio interview before leaving in a car for Shagaramas, formerly the US Army base on Trinidad. The innersearchers follow in a bus.

When we reach the hall the parking lot is overflowing and so is the hall. Gurudeva is welcomed as he gets down from his car by throngs of people. The large hall is filled to over flowing with Hindus from all over Trinidad representing many different Hindu organizations. Every chair if filled and devotees are standing three deep along the sides and back. Gurudeva and the matavasis are seated on the stage, while the innersearchers are given seats in the front. Acharya estimates over 3000 people are present.

The master of ceremonies announces that our purpose together this morning is to impart the knowledge of Sanatana Dharma, and he is here to "introduce a major source of this knowledge."

After a beautiful invocation dance and Acharya Palaniswami's introduction, Gurudeva speaks to the assembly. He praises the Trinidadian Hindus for bringing their priests and pundits with them when they came to Trinidad several hundred years ago, telling them this has kept the Sanatana Dharma alive in Trinidad. You cannot destroy Hinduism, he tells everyone, for there is no central place or person to attack. A Hindu unity is being created that cannot be destroyed and additionally there is no problem within the Hindu community that cannot be solved. Gurudeva tells everyone to "smooth the pranas through intelligent cooperation." He uses Thiruvalluvar's wise words of 2200 years ago showing that human problems are no different then than now, only then they knew how to solve the problems. But today we have the modern translation of The Weaver's Wisdom we can all use to solve any human problem.

Gurudeva tells everyone that Hinduism Today is helping Hindus network with one another worldwide. This is helping "everyone understand Sanatana Dharma is not relegated to history books."

Ending his talk he states, "You can take a Hindu out of India but you cannot take Hinduism out of the blood of a Hindu."

Sivananda Katir and Rachelle Perkins come to the stage to help Gurudeva place shawls around the shoulders of the dignitaries. Additionally many malas and Om Namashivaya braclets are given as gifts.

Before Gurudeva begins signing books, 3000 people stand to sing Om Jaya Jagadish Hare accompanied by a talented Hindu young woman playing on the "steel band", the classic Caribbean musical instrument. This captured forever the synthesis of Hinduism in the Caribbean.

Since August 1999 Smt. Ashwinee Ragoonanan and her husband Pundit Narendra Ragoonanan have been organizing the Hindu community in Trinidad for this day. Each organization had a job to perform, from venue organization, transportation, security (which was obvious and tight), food for 54 Innersearchers (prepared and served by the Swami Narayanan Fellowship) to the thousands of small details an event of this magnitude has. Ashwinee and Narendra were our hosts the entire day, never letting down, always attentive, and supremely organized.

We continued on our Trinidad visit after lunch and visited the Mahasabha, a well organized group of Hindus running 121 temples and a number of schools. There are about 1000 people waiting for Gurudeva in an open air pavilian. Gurudeva has already met with about 17 pundits from this group before we arrive and he praises the entire group for bringing their pundits with them when they came from India. This has kept the Sanatana Dharma strong in Trinidad, he says. People want to have Gurudeva's blessings directly, but there simply is no time. Our ashram will sail without us and we must return by 4:30. Late afternoon traffic is heavy, but we make it just in time. The Volendam slowly sails out of the harbor as our hosts Ashwinee and Narendra with a few others wait on the dock waving goodbye. The love and devotion showered on Gurudeva will be remembered forever from this small island country. For some this was the first time they have seen Gurudeva honored in such a way and it has made a deep impression.

Call not any man a sinner! That One Supreme is everywhere you look. Ever cry and pray to Him to come. Be like a child and offer up your worship. Forswear all wrath and jealousy; Lust and accursed alcohol eschew. Associate with those who practice tapas, and join great souls who've realized Self by self. Siva Yogaswami

Our morning hatha yoga/shumnam class with Sannyasin Yoginatha and Sivanadiyar Tejadeva continues today. Everyone wakes up the physical body with the exercises Gurudeva has taught us, proceeding on to the hatha yoga asanas. After breakfast in the Lido Cafe on the 8th deck (where the view is marvelous) we disembark at 9 am on the tiny island of Dominica. We board three small busses for a 40 minute ride into the forest to the Layou River Hotel. As we wide slowly through the narrow streets, one could think you might be in Sri Lanka or Kerala from the appearance of the houses and streets. People not clad in sari or vesthi and signs all in English remind us we are here and not there.

We pull in behind Gurudeva and get down into a fairyland of bird songs and lush greenery. The Inn sits under stately tamarind trees surrounded by colorful coleus, papaya trees heavy with fruit, ti plants and gingers. Just across the river, which we can hear, rises a 300 foot cliff. Into this lush tropical setting Gurudeva has come to meet with Garnette Joseph, Chief of the Carib Indians here on Dominica. Gurudeva speaks to Chief Joseph and a few others who have come about inner life and spiritual leaders. He says everyone has an inner life but most want to conceal it because we don't know how to handle the memories from the past. So we distract ourselves with computers, tv, buying things and throwing away other things. We like to watch tv to enjoy other's suffering so we can feel better. But Gurudeva has taught us how to handle memories from the past so we feel better inside through vasana daha tantra. Then we can have uplifting spiritual experiences which will create uplifting spiritual experiences in others. That is what creates a spiritual leader Gurudeva tells us. In talking with the indigenous people of Alaska last year they asked Gurudeva if he had any advice for them. Gurudeva told them he noticed Christian influence deep within the tribe. He said everything they do (traditional dancing, basket making, jewelry making etc) will all become just a tourist attraction unless the people go into their own religious/spiritual practices. Then he gave examples of the Hawaiian people who dance for money in the hotels for the tourists.

Gurudeva continued, "We must clearly define and articulate the indigenous cultures and religions. Go to a village in India. Everyone is living as they've lived for 1000 years." Europe and America the New Age movement is based on Sanatana Dharma. They are breaking out of the traditional American way of life, for example living in shared communities. Also the Canadian and European pagan communities are gathering around people who can uplift them spiritually. When our inner and outer lives are compatible, then we don't need to distract ourselves with TV etc.

After Gurudeva's talk a man named Anthony Toulon, who is studying the effects of sound trough Vedic practices, led everyone in a meditation while he chanted pure sounds. He first has us close our eyes, smile and "taste" the prana, then we begin a long meditation on sounds.

After some Chinese vegetarian rolls and some delicious fresh fruit juices, the Innersearchers go to the river for Ganga Sadhana. During this time Acharya Palaniswami speaks to Chief Joseph about his people. The Chief says first that "the Guru has given me some things to think seriously about today." The Chief says he works with a small handful of people who are traditionalists to move the people along. He says they have serious challenges, but they are not insurmountable. We ask how many traditionalists there are and he says only 15, out of a population of 3500 which live on special reserved land of 15 square miles. He also estimates only 30% are of pure Carib blood. When asked if any of his people live in the traditional way, he responds no. The educational system, judicial system, "everything is imposed on us." The children begin their public education by the age of 3, and "then there's a detachment because their values are not transmitted." The Carib children are taught their people were savage and warlike (which was exactly how our Lebonese bus driver described the Caribs on the way to the Hotel). The Chief says, "The whole system is designed to be a denial of self and makes us wide open to other influences."

Acharya asks how can we help? Joseph replies, "We need support and to know that others are there who care. Lines of communication are very important and we need to be organized. We have email, but no website." Acharya says we designed a web site for the Hopi Indians of North America. Their traditional stories and values are now on the internet for everyone to have access to. Acharya asks if Joseph can give us something of their tradition to use for a web site.

Joseph explains there was no written tradition and that colonization destroyed everything. For 200 years the Carib peoples resisted the colonial advancement. It was a violent history which included mass suicides. Joseph continues that by 1511 a small band of Caribs escaped deep into the interior for if any Caribs were found they were immediately taken into slavery.

Acharya asks for rewritten stories or paintings, feeling there is rich material that can be used on a web site. He tells Joseph the tribe can analyze and criticize everything before it is put up. The Chief's response is that this is very interesting and let's begin. He says his focus is with the young people. "We look up to the elders for guidance, but they are discouraged and burdened. We need to look to the young people." He also states that the Carib have revived some dances and songs and a group now performs for money. "The Guru made me think a lot about this. We need to strike a balance doing dance for money and the true sense of dance so the young will be strengthened." He then tells Acharya the Carib traditions are not accepted into the schools. "How do we get the Ministry of Education to accept us?" Acharya tells him Gurudeva will write a formal letter to the Minister of Education and will have others from around the world write also. Our interview ends with a most sincere assurance from Acharya that we will do what we say. We are not just talking then going away. We are talking and doing to help raise up the Carib peoples and network them with other indigenous peoples around the world.

We reboard our busses and head for the Volendam. A huge snarl of traffic through the winding streets threatens to delay our arrival, but Lord Ganesha removes every obstacle and we arrive in time for sailing.

"Elder brother, younger brother, mother---listen! Wondrous gods are we! Know this and live! Can anyone describe our nature? What fear is there for us? Are not all things Siva? Can we forget the perfect saying uttered by sages long ago, "Not an atom moves but by His will"? It is good to live with calmness in the world, not thinking that God is here or there, but knowing that He is everywhere." Siva Yogaswami

We are sailing from Dominica across the calm waters of the Caribbean. Close your eyes for a moment and visualize yourself sitting at a table eating breakfast on the 8th floor of a building with glass walls. You are enjoying tasty fresh strawberries and melons with the rich smells of coffee wafting from the urns. You eat and gaze out the windows at a deep azure sea stretching to the horizon in every direction. That is our daily experience on this beautiful ship. The glorious deep aquamarine color of the Caribbean is the perfect meditative color as we sail toward St. Johns in the Virgin Islands.

In Gurudeva's class this morning he introduces Shum and Tyaf to all the Innersearchers. While some have rudimentary knowledge of the languages, to many this is a completely new subject. He encourages everyone in the learning of these languages by telling us "the study of Shum strengthens the mind."

Gurudeva also speaks to the men telling them they must see that their wives are happy. To be happy they need to receive everything they need and want. And how do they know if she is unhappy, they ask? "You business will do poorly," Gurudeva says "because she will withdraw her prana from you and then you will feel all alone with no support." For businessmen Gurudeva says they need to keep their employees happy in the same way for the business to prosper. Everyone agrees this is sound advice.

We dock in the U.S. Virgin Islands this morning during Gurudeva's class. Everyone who wants to has "shore leave" until Acharya's class in the afternoon. After lunch Gurudeva and the staff are met on the dock by a few of the Hindus living here. In three cars we caravan through the picturesque town alongside the bay. There are seven cruise ships visiting today, plus a number of very large sail boats and the town is packed with visitors. Our hosts drive Gurudeva up an extremely steep and winding road, which seems to be taking us to the top of a big hill. Upon arriving we are treated to the best view of St. John's harbor imaginable. Even the huge Volendam appears like a speck below us. This is a beautiful location to take Gurudeva. After a few photos, we depart for our host's home and a small gathering of Hindus who live here.

Gurudeva is greeted in the traditional way with a foot washing ceremony and led to a special chair next to a small shrine set in the hall. A brightly colored five foot long sign greets Gurudeva with "Welcome Gurudeva" and a smaller one says "We love you Gurudeva". Nearly 50 people are in attendance, mostly ladies with many in their teens or early twenties. Our host explains that the Hindu community owns many shops downtown and most of the men were unable to get away due to the cruise ships being in the harbor today. This community has just received the permits to build a cultural hall and Gurudeva suggests they partition off one end to use as a small temple while they wait for the permit to build the temple. He also introduces Loving Ganesha and Merging With Siva, giving the community a copy of each. After an initial shyness the youth sits closely and ask Gurudeva many questions. We can hear happy voices and laughter as they get to know him. There are a lot of smiles all around. An amazing piece of coincidence (of course we know there really is no such thing), our host is Hinduism Today correspondent Lavina Melwani's nephew and niece. While Gurudeva is meeting with everyone, Sivananda Katir is working on an internet connection on our host's phone with Kauai Aadheenam to download many photos and text of Gurudeva's journey through the Caribbean. There are several hundred photos and the progress is slow. We can wait no longer to leave so Gurudeva begins departure, blessing many by placing his hands on their heads as he moves to the door. Two staff depart with Gurudeva while the others wait for the downloading to complete. We must drive through a very congested town to the ship-we will make it on time, but will the others? We have discovered that if you miss the boat's sailing all is not necessarily lost. If they are within a few miles of port, you call the ship and they send one of their lifeboats back for you. Now these lifeboats aren't rowboats, but are fully covered luxurious lifeboats that speed along. We didn't leave anyone behind. The rest of the staff arrive a few minutes before departure. Jai Ganesha!

After leaving the Virgin Islands we set a course for Half Moon Cay (pronouned kay) in the Bahamas. We will spend one full day at sea to get there. The calmness of the sea turns to a gentle rocking, or not so gentle depending on your stomach's point of view, as we leave the protection of the Caribbean Islands and move closer to the Atlantic. By dinnertime the passengers have returned to swaying and lurching down halls and stairs. If you stand while talking to someone, you must position yourself just so, so the movement of the ship doesn't cause you to loose your balance. Hanging onto railings along every wall and staircase is a good idea for us novice seamen! Everyone sways to the movement in the dance of the Volendam.

This afternoon Gurudeva summarizes what he has talked about during the last few days. Staying in our private meeting room for only a short while, he leaves for the Java Bar, to sign personal copies of Loving Ganesha for everyone. The Java Bar is one deck down from our meeting room and we have been going there daily for a cup of cappucino or expresso with Gurudeva nearly every morning. Gurudeva and the Innersearchers have sat together in little alcoves talking of personal karmas or in larger groups on subjects from the seminars. To see Gurudeva so relaxed is a wonderful sight for everyone.

At dinner the other evening we celebrated two birthdays-Dr. Shan Sundar and Parvathi Rao. The kitchen staff made the birthday cake, which was brought out for dessert. We all assembled around Gurudeva's table where the birthday duo were seated and sang to them. Acharya said the kitchen staff had had a particularly interesting time putting Dr. Sundar's entire name on the cake. His name overhung the sides in two lines! Gurudeva presented Dr. Sundar an original watercolor painting by Sri. S. Rajam of Chennai. Yogaswami is seated in front of his hut in Columbuturai with Ardhanarisvara Siva looking over the compound wall. Dr. Sundar and his wife Thilaka were speechless with shock. Parvathi Rao received a beautifully framed picture of Lord Siva of Kadavul Temple, Kauai. She also was completely surprised and joined the Sundar's in expressing appreciation to Gurudeva for his beautiful gifts.

Last night nearly every Innersearcher joined Gurudeva in the Franz Hall Showroom at the bow of the Volendam. Each night, during our cruise together, Gurudeva and many of the Innersearchers have been on hand for the varied shows presented. We have been entertained with music and dance, harmonica playing, a comedic ventriloquist act, a comedic juggler, and a magician. Each show has been different from the other and very professionally done. Last night's show was particularly special for afterwards Gurudeva had been invited backstage for a private tour and meeting with the "Volendam Singers and Dancers". These ten young men and women are particularly talented when you realize they are dancing (with lifts, twirls, spins and back flips) across a small stage floor that is continuously moving about. Everyone accompanied Gurudeva as he toured the backstage area. The performers took us on stage where a group photo was taken. Gurudeva spent some time talking with the performers and having his picture taken.

Our Caribbean Innersearch is drawing to a close as we near our final destination on the Volendam's itinerary, Half-Moon Cay in the Bahamas. Sannyasin Yoginathaswami gently guides us through the hatha yoga asanas and the shumnam, concluding our early morning gatherings together. Afterwards most go to take their breakfast in the Lido Restaurant where groups of Innersearchers can be seen enjoying one another's companionship and the magnificent 360 degree view of the Caribbean's beautiful azure blue water.

Promptly at 8:30 Gurudeva enters the Hudson Room and we chant the Guru Mantra, standing in loving respect. He is giving us a humorous but to the point demonstration of why need to keep supple and limber as the body ages, when suddenly he begins to dance. The sublime beauty of Gurudeva's Manipuri dance transfixes everyone. As his inner body leads, his outer body dances, twirling, gliding and swooping in graceful movements to the music. Words are hardly adequate to describe what we have been blessed to witness. Afterwards he summarizes all that we have been learning over the past nine days, encouraging everyone to put into practice all these wonderful teachings.

Gurudeva's morning class is shortened today to allow everyone "shore leave" on Half-Moon Cay. This tiny island, hardly above sea level, is owned by Holland America and a regular stop by many of their ships cruising through the Caribbean. We gently glide into the bay....where's the dock? We can see endless beaches of brilliant white sand, shrubs and palm trees, but not a dock in sight. The Volendam just stops and sits parallel to the beach a few hundred yards from shore. Several life boats are lowered and these will be our ferrys to the beach. Gurudeva, the matavasis and many innersearchers go ashore. Besides snorkeling and parasailing, strolling along the beach, eating or just sitting and enjoying the vibrant Caribbean colors, the Volendam's guests have some fun in the sun. Gurudeva and the matavasis were given a snorkeling trip where they enjoyed swimming in crystal clear water seeing many beautifully colored fish.

Our afternoon together is a combination class. Gurudeva begins, then adjourns with the church members to the Java Bar for a meeting accompanied by espressos and cookies. While upstairs in the Hudson Room, Acharya Palaniswami and the remaining group compose beautiful and heartfelt acknowledgements of appreciation to Gurudeva to be presented tonight during dinner, our last together.

Gathering together in the Rotterdam Dining room one last time we enjoy one another's company. Our little group has grown together and feels like one big family. We know tomorrow morning we will dock in Fort Lauderdale. Disembarking all at different times, everyone will go off to families, friends and places left only ten days ago. In some magical way it seems like years have passed since boarding this floating ashram. There is a bit of sadness and the feeling of wanting this wonderful experience with Gurudeva to go on forever. But all this is relatively real and destined to change, so accepting the inevitable we enjoy our time together.

After dinner everyone gathers around Gurudeva's round table where Shivani Rajan, 17 year old daughter of Deva and Gayatri Rajan, eloquently gives Gurudeva a special gift from the innersearchers. Each Innersearch group has always given Gurudeva a gift at the end of their time together, following in that tradition Gurudeva unwraps a small box. Inside he finds a chain for his reading glasses. Shivani now begins to explain this is only symbolic of the gift that is to come, for we must return home and have this gift made to order. The gift-a pair of 14k gold frames for his reading glasses, with a gold chain to hang them on for easy access throughout the day and a hand carved koa wood glasses case to store them when not in use. A simple gift given with full hearts to express the inexpressible to the most important person in our lives.

Afterwards Gurudeva remarks, "Something I can use. Thank you all very much." Three representatives now speak prepared remarks giving humble and heartfelt thanks to their Gurudeva for everything he means to each one of us.

The Volendam's waiters who graciously served us for ten days gather around Gurudeva as he departs the dining room. He poses for a photograph with them then gives each vibuthi. It also was noticed during dinner a guest dining nearby approached us quietly, snapped a quick photo of Gurudeva and just as quietly departed. He probably wondered who this person was who captured so much attention. Who was this person that when he arrived each night for dinner caused 53 people to rise from their chairs in greeting? Who was this person that when he left each evening, 53 people rose from their chairs to bid him goodbye? Who was this person that even when he arrived each night in the showroom many people would rise from the seats in greeting until he himself was comfortably seated? He may never know Gurudeva's name, but he will have darshan in that photo.

Sadhaka Dandapani waits upstairs in our now bare walled Hudson Room. The batiks of Yogaswami and Siva Nataraja have come down and packing up is well underway. Sadhaka is asking each of us to say a few words for the camera about our experiences. What can you say about ten days of inner beauty and transformation? There are many lovely expressions of gratitude, humor and reflection from each one, young and old.

We meet one more time at 6:30 am the next morning in the Hudson Room as the Volendam is guided to her Fort Lauderdale docking berth by the tugboats. Gurudeva greets us all then calls us one by one to receive vibuthi, the now traditional card giving the recipient a $201 discount for the next innersearch and a small gift. The men receive an Aum Namasivaya bracelet that Gurudeva personally puts on their wrist and rudraksha mala. The ladies receive beautiful shawls placed around their shoulders by Rochelle. Afterwards everyone departs for final packing, breakfast, clearing of shipboard accounts and waiting with other innersearchers for their departure group number to be called. It takes awhile for over 1400 passengers to be orderly disembarked. Greeting us as we leave the ship is Appolonia, cruise director par excellence! She remarks to us what a blessing it has been to her personally and the entire compliment of crew and passengers to have Gurudeva aboard.

The Caribbean Innersearch has been a magical time of personal inner transformation and on a larger scale the linking of Hindus worldwide with those in the Caribbean. Thank you Gurudeva for this intimate and cherished time you have spent with us on the Volendam.

Gurudeva's Visit Dispells Caribbean Myths by Anil Mahabir, Trinidad (Hinduism Today Correspondent)

A middle-aged woman from Iowa, an exuberant member of HINDUISM TODAY'S "Innersearch 2000" Caribbean journey, took the microphone at the Maha Sabha afternoon segment of Gurudeva's one day stop over in Trinidad and shouted, "I have been to Alaska on the last cruise with Gurudeva and now I have come to Trinidad and I have found Hindus!" She then clenched her right fist and raised it in the air. Obviously, she was surprised at the fact that a Caribbean island- a region normally promoted in the western media as banana and beach republics, populated overwhelmingly by people of African descent- contained such a significant and pervading Hindu presence.

To the Innersearch contingent, Trinidad probably turned out to be quite a pleasant surprise: not the steelpan playing, calypso singing, carnival frolicking image it is constantly made out to be, but a place with Indians and Hindus, looking like and doing the same things Hindus in India do. Even the local Christian-owned and Christian-oriented media were caught unawares by the nature of the Innersearch visit and that is possibly why [with the exception of one newspaper report published in the SUNDAY NEWSDAY of April 2 2000, that is 3 days after the visit], they boycotted reporting on the event. True Gurudeva's visit coincided with a public holiday to mark the activities of the "Spiritual Baptists": an African oriented religion, but the least they could have done was to publish just one photograph of the publisher of HINDUISM TODAY, a magazine, which in Gurudeva's estimation, "stands next to TIME."

The reason for the HINDUISM TODAY Innersearch print media boycott was clear to all those in this country with a level of consciousness to understand the sociological semantics of the Trinidad media. The visit of Grurdeva and his Innersearch entourage shattered a profound myth which is often used to stereo-type Hinduism and its adherents in this land and by extension, to propagate Christianity as the only universal religion in the country...and that is, the myth that Hinduism is a religion practiced only by "illiterate," "dark skinned" and "socially backward" ethnic East Indians, confined to rural, under-developed districts here in Trinidad and to remote villages in India. Here we had a Hindu spiritual leader and Guru who was white, an American with an Ashram and monastery in, of all places, "aloha country" in Hawaii, a non-Indian Hindu who also built a Temple in the far off tundra in Alaska [so, you now have Eskimo Hindus; a new and frightening category], a computer literate Hindu sage whose following is mostly non-Indian! That, I imagine, was simple too much for our Christian biased press to digest, so they blanked the event.

I can prove my case with reference to a completely unrelated event: Last year when the American evangelist Benny Hinn came to Trinidad and vowed to "exorcise the demons" from Trinidad's "pagan" population, the local media gave him all the prominence of a world cup cricket final in India. He was in the news for weeks and in the front pages of the press for days. Alas, Gurudeva is not Benny Hinn. Yet, Gurudeva's words have been reassuring enough. At the Chaguramas Convention Centre during the morning session of his one day visit, he waxed philosophically: "Where is the Internet?" he asked. "Is it here? Is it there? Where is it? Is it not everywhere? The Internet is like Hinduism, it is here, there and everywhere," he said. Now, this is something no biased press can ever change. They may scorn us or frown upon us, but Hinduism is alive and it's kicking. Like the Internet these days, Hinduism is everywhere. And, you can take this to the bank.