The Boy with the Striped Mandalas

Sometimes you meet someone who you instantly connect with.. as if it was written.

My second day in Peru in Huacachina, an oasis in the desert, I walk past a young guy selling his drawings.. he has many Mandalas so I instinctively am drawn to take a closer look. We chat in both Spanish & English and I discover he's 21 years old from Cusco. He has a HUGE passion for travel and left his home town with just 300 Soles (about $100) 2 weeks ago and he's now as far as Huacachina selling his paintings and living a free spirited life. We of course instantly connect. He reminds me of the boy in the Alchemist (even living here in an oasis!) and as I've literally finished reading the book, I give it to him as a gift, although I'm sure he already knows most of the wisdom the book speaks of..

We meet again the same evening and I join him in drawing Mandalas. And again in the sunshine the next day. We chat about life, love, the universe and everything. I'm so surprised to realise how in tune he is. With nature, with energy... he talks of pachamama (Mother Earth) and I'm thinking ... you're 21! It took me 35 years so far to start to have a spiritual understanding of the world... but of course I realise that ancient Inca culture is so similar to that of ancient yoga teachings.. something that actually blows my mind when I think about it! How two ancient cultures on opposite sides of the world who never could have met, had and have the same ideas and beliefs.

He's an old soul, wise beyond his years, and with such a positive warm energy and whether he realises or not...a big open heart.

The ironic thing is when he tells me he hasn't practised yoga before... yet. So I begin to teach him.

We share our philosophies and I feel such a deep connection.

Suddenly I'm not in such a rush to get to the next town or activity.

The next couple of days we hang out some more, always bumping into each other in the street as if we had planned each meeting.

And I really don't have much more to say! Other than that the feeling you have when you meet someone like this is like the universe wrapped you in a big blanket and gave you the biggest hug.. it's a light shining out of your heart and up towards the stars.. you know you are absolutely in your flow just because your two souls collided...you found a true friendship in a place you least expected. Of course it is not love like a boyfriend or even a brother... it's simply:

"My soul honours your soul. I honour the place in where the entire universe resides.
I honour the light love truth beauty and peace within you. Because it is also in me. In sharing these things we are united. We are the same. We are one."

Forget the tours & the sight seeing... THIS is why I travel...
Thank you Stephano Morote
Thank you Universe. 
☺️🙏🌎