Rainbow

We arrived at the rainbow gathering with a drunk bus driver who probably hoping to sleep with Ilona and all the rainbow girls. We managed to lose them on the way up.

 

My first rainbow gathering is an amazing experience. People are kind to each other, they hug, they smile, we touch casually, like flowers in the wind. Ilona has trouble filling in, I am kind of curious of the experience. People are open, they don't expect bad things.  I think I like that. Groups have formed but remain accessible.

 

You can go into one group, people accept you even if you don't have anything special to say. You are not expected to do anything in fact. However the kindness that you experience, as unique as it seems is not. People are kind to everyone, that is the spirit of the gathering. But why be jaleous because it is the kindness that matters, not the exclusivity. Should you blame people for the size of their heart, for being kind to more than one person?

 

Food is prepared collectivly in the kitchen. There are several fires burning. Beforefood, we gather in a circle. We hug, we kiss. We pass the kisses. A kiss on the cheek from Natacha realeases about as many endorphins as a passionate kiss from a western princess.

 

Natacha is a russian readhead with a personality of the same color. She's many things, she's a mountain climber. Poli is her friend, they are travelling together. She sounds naive but she seems as free as you can get. She has a boyfriend in a free love relationship which is about the only relationship that I can believe in.

 

Flounder is American from Indiana. He's here with Sarah. Art professor and writer. Charismatic couple. I like talking with them. Everybody's hitchhiking. I don't know how to describe flounder correctly. Maybe am I writing with too much delay? I think you can tell the guy's American. He doesn't have that faded mentality known to europeans. But then again, not many people here are faded.

I like Sarah too. She writes and you feel it when you speak to her. Talking to her reminds me how much I like writing.

 

Jay is from Iran. He climbed mound Damavand. At first, I thought he was an asshole. Now I think he is a great guy. You have to give a chance to people.

There are several camps. There is a russian camp, an iranian camp and some mixed camp. There are several french there. I don't trust the french. They have a way of taking over stuff.

 

There is a guy from Quebec, his name is Alexis. He is quarter native american and has fled home when he was 16. Now someone stole everything from him and he is waiting to recover his passport and stuff. He seems happy though.

 

Nearly everyone is interesting. Some are inspiring. Natacha is an inspiring person. Sometimes she likes me, sometimes she doesn't. She could be a good muse. Some people are good candidates for muses and everyone needs a muse for psychological stability. A muse is a sort of a guide in life, someone you can safely idealise.

A long time ago and for some time, mine was Alex but it's been ages I'm not idealising her. Maybe it's time for a change.

 

With Flounder and Sarah, we go to the lake. Sarah throws her clothes of and jumps naked into the water. I'm kind of astonished to be honest.

"Brave girl", I say

"And how else would you do it?"

 

The casual conversation kind of stayed in my mind because of the easy going tone, abscent any shame which escaped from her lips. I am not used for people getting naked in such a casual way.

It turned out that almost everyone from the rainbow also got naked and jumped into the pond so Sarah wasn't so exceptionnal after all but still, you got to remember the first times.

 

Maybe I'll write some more about the rainbow, maybe when my feelings have rested for a little while.

 

Ilona is becoming a genuine hippie. Her first ill feeling towards the food ceremony has long gone.

 

As life goes on, still no reply from Iran. Alexis tells us we can transit trough russia to Kazakhstan. Maybe we will. Azerbaidjan seems a bit tricky after all. On the other hand, I'd love to see Iran. The more I talk to people, the more magic flows from this place.

Mahan looks a little tired walking from the shower a few hundered meters uphill.

"Marihuana", he says.

"Do you have some?", I ask

Marihuana is growing everywhere here, it's a weed. Marihuana bushes are growing next to the road and nobody cares. The thing is, it's mostly male plants.

"No I don't.  But I need." says Mahan.

"Come to my place in Iran. We have hashish and marihuana... eeeeverything". Good to know, usually the good people of hospitalable countries offer food.

"We have goooood LSD also."

That's Iran for you. I have a feeling we europeans are very mistaken about that country.

Honestly, I wouldn't have expected any drug. Drug-wise, Iran was just another Finland in my mind. But since this was the opium route, was there any drug, I would have expected opiates, heroin for example, not weed and even less LSD. But hey, I am glad that heroin shit is out of my way!

 

Rainbow, rainbow, I like you, people you inspire me but there is one thing I would like to do more. Even more than seeing unearthly beautiful naked russian girls swimming in rivers I would like to climb mound Aragat, 4100 meters high mountain, highest peak in Armenia.

Ilona can't go, her knee hurts. She must rest. So I'll go alone. I'll hitchhike alone in Armenia. I'll find that mountain. I'll find a route going to there. I'll find some people to go with. And for the first time in my life, I'll climb that peak.