Travel karma exists: you better believe it. If you find a wallet/ phone/ passport try your best to get it back to the owner (imagine if it was you!) Be nice to strangers! Help someone who's lost! Make someone's day! It will all come back to you times three.
I was travelling through Mexico with Boyfriend-At-The-Time and two of his guy mates. They lost our room key on the beach somewhere in Playa del Carmen. We spent the whole time there hiding our valuables around the hostel room and leaving the door chocked open a tiny bit, so we wouldn't have to pay for a replacement key. Bad backpackers. Karma coming to get ya. When checking out, the boys made a quick getaway, and I got asked about the whereabouts of the key. I mumbled. I lied. I said something about the boys handing it in.
What's three times worse than a lost key? That very afternoon, only a couple of hours later on the bus, I got paid back big time. Yep- passport, iPhone, bank card. The big three, all stolen out of my bag on the bus (the bag was between my feet as I wrote in my journal.) Ouch! Luckily, being with friends, I was able to use their money and phones to organise myself. If I'd been on my own, I would have been screwed. Then again, if I had been on my own, maybe I wouldn't have lost and needed to lie about the key...
Never mind, lesson learnt. I was very very honest for the remainder of my trip.
Has the universe ever paid you back for doing something bad?
I know a story... a story I wanted to tell you the first night I met you in my life. Yes, at The Horn.
ReplyDeleteThere is this beautiful Ethiopian woman called Enushu, late 30's, 2 kids, successful musician. her partner is Peter, also musician and both own this cool restaurant-bar very know by its food and warmth of service.
Enushu has been living in Australia for around 16 years. Her restaurant and her music for the last 2 years has been going up, becoming more famous each time, but it not always like this for her.
When she was 14ish she was sent by her mother to Egypt, escaping from Ethiopian hard times, to find a way for her life, totally alone. The mother only had one single phone number from someone they even didnt know anything about and who could POSSIBLY come there to pick her up and give her a roof for a couple of days. She was sent.
So she said bye to her family... took the bus ride alone, crossed the border with Egypt and there was this couple who received her into their house but quickly after a couple of days they wanted her out... she didnt know what to do, didnt even speak the language, so young... Luckly she met an ethiopian girl there, she had a family there and saved her from being left in the street. Her name was Mahlet. She took care of her for a while and didnt ask for anything back... "how could I leave her alone, so young, such a little kid... no no no..."
The time passed and Enushu moved on, after 12 years since she moved to Egypt, she followed her oldest brother steps into australia, they both as refugees in the beginning, things changed since then.
12 years after she opened the restaurant with Peter, one day she was at the front part of the place with her kids playing and this customer kept staring at her from the other side... she saw her and said hi, normally and kept playing, though she also felt something familiar... she ignored this feeling till this woman stood up and came to her and said "I think I know you..." Now, when Enushu told me the story she said: "Honestly Randy, this woman was making me feel nervous, I just thought to say -What the fu.. do you want? " Typical of her ^^
She was kind and replied with a simple "yes?" and smiled. But the customer couldnt remember well so she just asked "Have you ever been in Egypt before?". Enushu then turn her head to her a bit scared I guess... really looked at her and just when she was about to reply, the woman said "Arent you Enushu? the little girl I took care of? My name is Mahlet".
Of course, there is nothing to describe after this, every word would be totally overrated if I try to explain by words how they must have felt, I surely have no idea.
But what I can say is that Mahlet was looking for a job, which she got straight away at the restaurant.
I dont know if the universe pays back all the time, if its 2 ways or what are the requirements for this to happen. But I really hope the pay pack is not only one way thing, but 2 ways... like for example, I am sure Enushu paid back the favor Mahlet gave her and she is happy to do so and Mahlet got paid back for her inmense kindness. A perfect circle.
I got to meet Mahlet, he always says I am her boy :o) Definitely one of the most amazing people I have ever met in my life.
Ah! Mahlet still works at the restaurant...
:o)
Randy.
nice one! this should be in the good karma post, not the bad karma one.. what a nice story!
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