Abadiania

For thousands and thousands of people around the world the rural town of Abadiania is the only place they visit in Brazil. “Why is that?”, one would ask, when Brazil is such a large country with so many places to visit? Where is Abadiania anyway and what is there? The right question, rather, would be who is there and what attracts all those people to such a small place? Abadiania was not well known (even by Brazilians) until 1979, when the well known, highly regarded, and much loved Brazilian medium, affectionately called John of God (Joao de Deus) made it the location of his new spiritual center. The center is called the Casa of Dom Inacio of Layola. Dom Inacio is one of the many spirits that helps Joao in his healing work, and the closest to him on a personal level. Joao, the man and the medium has done his work for over 50 years now. He had his first mediumistic experience at age 9. He is a modest, humble and loving man that dedicates a big part of his life to helping hundreds of people weekly. He sees everyone that shows up, no matter how many hundreds per day, and does not charge for the service. The Casa supports itself from donations, with shops and a pharmacy located on the premises. Many people have been helped with physical, emotional or spiritual issues and many return over and over again, as the place has a magnetic draw. It is said that the small town is located over one of the biggest crystal deposits in the world and this assists the mediumistic work. What I know for sure, after my three weeks in Abadiania, is that the place has a great feel to it and one can relax to the point of desiring not to ever leave its beautiful sunrises and sunsets over the green valleys. I met a few people that came here and never left, a few that keep returning and a few that had left but then returned to stay. The peaceful, quiet, loving and slow rhythm of Abadiania has the magical touch of an angel’s wings. It quiets you down, makes you wonder, brings you back to your core and draws you back to it over and over. You may say it gives you an addiction to its energy but in a strange way – as many addictions have been cured here, too. A few people recall that they were drawn to see the medium Joao by some unknown force and they changed completely while here. It does not happen for everyone; or rather not everyone gets what they think they came here for. Yet, all get something, being what they know they asked for or something that they have to look inside themselves to notice. It might be the mysterious, hidden corner of your being that holds all the magic power of the innocent child we might once have been and may return to, or the easier to notice physical problems or addictions disappearing. If the reports of numerous doctors stating they have to accept that they do not understand how people are cured by Joao, but they are; or the mass popularity of the medium does not impress you, maybe thinking of how little we really know about our own world will make you wonder what else there is. Considering the limited five senses we possess, and how they fail or trick us at times, for me there is no way but to wonder what we don’t see or hear, but is present. One might not want to know while another might be curious, intrigued, or excited. What category do you fall into? Do you want to go and experience for yourself? To get to Abadiania, the best and faster way is flying into the capital city of Brasilia. A bus ride from there takes about three hours and cost approximately $10. If you take a taxi it will be faster but your pockets will have to be deeper: About $90 deep. The price for the most basic room with no meals included starts at $15 per person per night, and increases in price according to the amenities you desire or the meals you prepay for. The posadas usually have basic rooms. There are some nice hotels in town as well, so one can choose depending on pocket depth and willingness to pay. If you choose a posada keep in mind the owners ask what they desire and the price does not necessarily reflect the quality. The best option would be to go see some and then choose. If you can relax, go with the flow, and accept that you will end up where you should be so you can meet the right people by taking a chance, just go there- no reservations ahead. You can always pay for the first and second night only and look to move after, if you are not satisfied with what you have got. If you pay for a long stay and ask for your money back it might get tricky. Keep an open mind and observe how you end up meeting the people that are on the same vibration, have the same life path or are on your desired path. The magic reveals itself to the one that is open, receiving, accepting, observant and insightful. If all this sounds a little mumbo-jumbo to you and you feel insecure going with no reservations ahead, you will find various accommodations that you can prepay for on- line.

Finally, I began traveling again!  A new chapter in my traveling journey as I have no job anymore. I will do all the new traveling like most other travelers do, with no airline help or interference. No more work schedules to shorten my stay anywhere, no more salary or covered ticket expenses.  Welcome to the real world,  Miha! Also, welcome to the free world! So, appropriately or not, I began my new adventure with Abadiania, Brazil.  Casa Dom Inácio de Loyola was established here by the medium affectionately called  João de Deus (John of God) in 1979. It is a place where thousands of people visit every month. They come from other parts of this big country and from all over the world. As the place grows in popularity more people show up. The Oprah Winfrey show and  CNN’s Sanjay Gupta report made the place even more popular in the States. People with medical, spiritual or existential issues, the curious and the reporters, all come to the small city of Abadiania, a place that was not much before the medium chose it for his Spiritual Healing Center. A lot of the people return over and over again. I have been here for almost a week and it is strange how relaxed and at ease I feel. My original plan was to stay a maximum of 14 days and now I think it will be way more. I also found out that the medium (born Joao Teixeira de Faria) will be 70 years of age on the 24th of June. How could I miss that celebration? Why am I here I can not tell for sure. I was intrigued by a  story my friend Luis told me. He visited last year with his wife and somehow their experience caught my interest. I Googled and found the reports Oprah, Sanjay Gupta, and Dr. Jeff Rediger did and my interest grew. I was always interested in the mysterious and the unexplained but I have a very suspicious mind as well. My father was always questioning everything, even the visible, while I was growing up. 🙂 So for my left brain the excuse is that since  the medium did his work for over 50 years and people come to see him and many return,  something out of the ordinary must take place. I want to keep an open mind even if that comes as a struggle at times. I do know that I can not know, see, hear, smell, taste or touch everything that is around me. Even the senses I have fail me at times so how can I entirely trust them? And how can I believe I know everything that is, the little me, with limited senses and a brain that we all hardly use, maybe to most 5% capacity? What would it be like if we used the whole brain? Would we see with closed eyes and hear frequencies we do not perceive now? Would we see the atoms that form our material world, hear the stars moving, our Terra rotating and hear her voice crying to us in despair? What else would there be to know and experience and how evolved our behavior would be? How would we then treat each other and how much would we care for money or material possessions? Would plastic and money become obsolete? Anyway… I am here, and happy and relaxed. The days pass by and people around me are wonderful. I had a smooth trip from Florida, despise my stand-by ticket. Not only one seat to make it from Miami to Brasilia but one full row so I could sleep like a good baby the whole flight. I got out of the plane fresh and energized for my next part of the journey: the 3+ hour bus rides from Brasilia airport to Abadiania. I made no reservation ahead and walked into the least expensive place, to discover the sweetest, and most accommodating owners. They took me to the place they have on the other street so it is quiet and green. Fruit trees and flowers all over that yard and a small kitchen and laundry place for all of us to use. Do you want my secret? I do not have one. Maybe I was guided, maybe I was supposed to come here. 😉 The name of the place I stayed at I will happily share, so you  too can benefit form the same. It is called Pousada Martins and it is on the main road towards Casa Dom Inacio, from the place the bus from Brasilia leaves you. In case you want to reserve ahead their phone number is 055 (62) 3343-1352 and the e-mail address is posadamartins@yahoo.com.br The address is Rua 04 Qd.16 Lt.02 Lindo Horizonte CEP 72940-000, Abadiania-GO, Brazil. They do not have a website as most of the places here do not but they do have internet connection and wi-fi. Yet, it is in the Pousada not at the house I stay at and they pay the internet for the time they use it. So, if you need to be on the computer a lot, you have a few other options: you might want to pay more for a room in a hotel; use one of the many Internet offices; take your computer on the street by the Hotel Brasil or Pousada Dom Ingrid, where the wi-fi has no log in; or go to a restaurant that has wi-fi.  Rooms in Abadiania are basic and each owner charges as he or she dares. The rooms at the Martins are clean and basic too, but Dalma, the lady of the house, is one of the most genuine and kind of all people I have met. Her son, Alyson, speaks perfect English and the father, Jose, built the place and fixes everything. There is no ATM in Abadiania and as I ran out of Brazilian Reals they had no problem with me paying later and later each day. Finally yesterday I gave my