Visiting the gypsy camp with Surya

The old French guy Surya was still constantly present at Aravali, he kept visiting me and seeing me. We visited town major with him to talk about the issues in Pushkar - I almost told the major about the priests' mafia that was disturbing me but decided that it was better to keep my mouth shut at that moment. I helped Surya with e-mails many times, translating the incoming ones and typing in the outgoing ones. One day he told me that he is going to visit the gypsies' camp again that is outside the town and asked me if I would like to go along with him.

For me it went surprisingly easy to get permissions from Ravi when I told that Surya needs me. I already had quite some freedom there and it was no problem. So he came after me to Aravali guesthouse and we left together. We went to the market place and he bought some oranges to take with us, when we started to head outside the town to the desert area.

We walked on a hot day few miles on the sandy roads, and meanwhile Surya told me that one guy in the gypsy camp had fallen from a motorbike and he has a wound that needs to be healed in the hospital, but he has no money to pay to the hospital.

We reached the gypsy camp at it was really like few tents, some miles outside of the town. In one tent there was a woman lying down on a bed, and Surya asked for her health and explained that he had helped her to give birth lately in that tent (I am not sure about this, but this is highly probable). And now he asked about how she is and if the baby is okay. They seemed to be alive and ok, the woman seemed weak, but smiling.

We shared the oranges that we had brought and one very kind-looking gypsy woman peeled them and gave pieces of fresh orange back to me as I was sitting down next to these wonderful people. I was surprised, they were like in complete poverty, but sharing food in such a natural and loving manner to a white guy! I was not expecting such heartful and warm behaviour.

Then the guy who had fallen from the motorbike showed the wound on his head to Surya, and it did not seem too bad. (Later I think we also went to hospital or drugstore with Surya to get him something, I don't remember this part too well. But this guy needed help and had no money, and Surya was bringing medicine to them and giving medical help.)

Then there was one of the most wonderful things I had seen for a long time! There were two gypsy girls playing around us (I think about 4 and 7 years old)  hide and seek and running around, and they were full of such pure joy and enthusiasm and laughter, I had never seen anything like this before! They were like true starchildren, and I got instant connection with them! They found it funny that I was this tall white guy (you know, 192 cm at those areas is very tall!), and they started to play with me. They both grabbed one of my hands, and I lifted them up and as if I was a big swing for them. They also liked when I lifted them up high and they laughed and laughed and took turns doing this. It was so much fun and they were like pure joy, eyes shining with starlight.

I kept playing with the children as Surya told the older women that he was about to build house for them and he showed them where. Surya later told me that the gypsies are "his caste" (in the hindi caste system).

When we left their small camping area or village of few tents, the news had already spread that there's a big white guy visiting them, and when we walked back, more local children followed me and approached really openly and I lifted them up with my arms and walked on, this was truly awesome. I felt so strong and joyful at the same time. They were following us for a while, laughing, and then went back.