Hello again ... at last!!

I hope that it is some consolation that the reason I haven’t been writing this blog is that I have been having much too much fun to want to spend time in internet cafes.

Since I wrote last I have left Rishikesh and gone to McLeod Ganj / Dharamsala (home of the Tibetan Government in Exile, and therefore His Holiness the Dali Lama), up to Ledakh and then back to McLeod Ganj / Dharamsala. I have been moving much slower!!!

Ganges in Rishikesh

Mostly I came to McLeod to drop off my stuff. By the time I’d left Rishikesh

The weather in McLeod was pretty wet and miserable so I was advised to go to Ledakh where it is very dry and has sun approximately 300 days a year – a welcome change from the monsoon. The road up the mountains to Ledakh is usually closed by the middle of September because of snow so my timing was perfect.

Ladakh - Leh-1

I absolutely fell in love with Ledakh. The geography is very similar to Tibet and the people are also very similar – culturally and ethnically. It is a physically beautiful, peaceful region that has only been open to the rest of the world since 1974. The impact of tourism has been a mixed blessing for the local people but I have to say how grateful I was to be able to be there. To get there is a very very long trip!!! To get there from McLeod Ganj required a 10 hour drive to Manali and then an additional 18 or more hour trip on narrow, occasionally paved road through the Himalayas. A very difficult and uncomfortable journey but well worth it. If nothing else it is by far the cleanest part of India!!!

Ledakh - Mahabodi-10

While I was there, I attended a 3 day silent meditation course just outside of Leh (the major city in the area). It was a bit of a refresher course for the 10-day Vispassina meditation course I attended in January. I really got a lot out of it and also, once again, got lucky and met some wonderful people.

The best part of the meditation retreat was its location – right across from where the Dali Lama was speaking. Once the retreat was over, most of us stayed on at the centre and went to watch the Dali Lama each day. To be honest I found the teachings to be a bit … well … dull. It is hard to be entranced even by someone as wonderful (and adorable – truly THE cutest national/religious leader in the world) as the Dali Lama when you are listening to a translation and are unable to see their face. He was a bit too far away for me to be able to watch his face and spoke exclusively in Tibetan. His topic was also not a very universal – very detailed and of interest to Buddhist scholars. I enjoyed going to see the teachings anyway as just watching all of the Ladakhi people was a wonderful experience. And, of course, while the majority was a bit hard to follow there were wonderful moments.

Ledahk - HH the DL-19

While in Ledakh I also did some trekking. Well … kinda … I did a 5 day homestay trek. It was a very easy trek that involved walking only about 4 to 5 hours a day, climbing only medium-high passes, and spending the night with local families. The best part was that I could do it myself without needing a guide or carrying any equipment. I absolutely loved it!! The scenery was unbelievable – high Himalayan peaks, high desert, and beautiful villages tucked into small green valleys. Staying with local families was occasional awkward but mostly wonderful and fascinating. They were lovely, friendly, warm people and I really enjoyed getting to know the culture more directly. I would one day like to return to this region and spend more time with the people and learning more about their culture.

IMG_7098

I stayed longer than I had intended and may have stayed longer but wanted to come back to McLeod in time to see the Dali Lama teach here and also I needed to leave before the road was closed. Most of all – I just wanted to stop! I felt exhausted and most of the time I am not interested in seeing much more of the country. I feel like I have done an enormous amount of travel. Sometimes I feel driven to see more – there are only about 5 or 6 places that I would like to see but I don’t think I will go many more places. I am very comfortable here and am really starting to wind down and enjoy just hanging out.

I found the Dali Lama’s teachings here much more inspiring as he spoke some of the time in English but best of all because I was able to see his face while he spoke. I admit I had to learn forward and a little to the left but was rewarded by a perfect view of His Holiness.

Once the teachings were over I started my yoga classes. I had checked out this yoga studio when I was here before going to Ledakh and was impressed by the style and facilities. Right now I am in my 3^rd week of classes there and am getting a lot out of it. The style is Iyengar and it appeals to me as it is a slow and detailed form of yoga. I find it a good meditative and mindfulness activity. Class starts at about 6am and goes until 9:30-10. It is amazing how quickly the time goes!!!

I am not sure how much longer I will stay here in McLeod. There are a few more places in India I’d really like to go before I leave at the end of October. I am busy re-evaluating their importance however, as I am really enjoying my time here doing not much of anything. I am considering another week of yoga and I had intended to take massage classes … there is just so much to do here and I am just so lazy.

I hope you are all doing well.  Lots of love,

K

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Hello again,

I do, of course, have photos but at the moment I am travelling light and have no way to share them with you easily.

I finished my yoga ashram stay less than a week ago.  It was disappointing in several ways but I am still glad I went.  I would not, however, recommend Yoga Niketan in Rishikesh as a serious place to learn yoga ... or eat good food ...

Right now I am on my way from Macleod Gange to Leh.  I have just finished day 1 of a 3 day drive up there.  ICK.  I have however splashed out on shared jeeps as they are mush faster than the bus - in fact we may be able to do the big 2 day trip in only 1 really long day.  yipeee ...  ???? 

The Dali Lama is scheduled to speak in several places up in Ladak (the region I am going to) and I am hoping to catch him there as I think it will be a nicer and less crowded experience than seeing him in September in Dharamsala.

I will not be able to be in touch for a few weeks as email is expensive and unpredictable up there so fret not if you don't hear from me.

Love to all,

K

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Hey,

Well, I am back in India … and wondering why I wanted to do that!!  It was not a very smooth re-emersion.  However, things are going better now.

I am not even sure where to start … since I last wrote I have been doing a fair bit of wandering about. 

After giving in to my sloth for weeks, a friend and I decided to go on a trip away from Kathmandu for a few days.  We went to Bhaktapur – a beautiful old town in the Kathmandu valley.  It has cobblestone roads, stunning old buildings from the 12^th to the 15^th centuries, and best of all NO traffic.  We stayed with a sweet Nepali family I had made friends with through the painting school (so I guess it hadn’t been a complete waste of time). 

Bhaktapur - Hosts-1

The next day we went for a short hike up a hill to see a temple – Changu Narayan.  The temple itself wasn’t all that special to look at (and there were lots of annoying kids trying to make us buy tickets) but the walk there was lovely. 

Walk to Nagarkot from Changu Narayan-10

From there we walked part of the way up to another town – Nagarkot.  Nagarkot is famous for views of the Himalayan mountains.  I had very little hope of being able too see anything as it is definitely monsoon time here now and was told the chances weren’t good.  But we got very lucky!!  For only a few hours in the very early mornings (not my favourite time of day!!) we had amazing views of the mountains.

Nagarkot - Mountains-12

Mostly though, we spent a few days in Nagarkot sitting around reading books, enjoying the cooler weather, and having naps while it rained.  Traveling is sometimes such hard work ….

My first stop was Bandipur.  It was absolutely lovely!!  I think it was my favourite place in Nepal in many ways.  It was the most peaceful, quiet place, and it looks and feels very much like a living museum.  It was also so nice because the people were absolutely wonderful – helpful and friendly without being oppressive or pushy.  The village is also known for views of the Himalayas but I was not as lucky this time and was merely teased by the tops poking out from behind the clouds from time to time.

Bandipur

I was lucky and met with a group of young people there on a cultural exchange program and joined them for a day hike to a tiny ethnic village called Ramkot.  It was a beautiful walk and the villagers there, while not used to seeing foreigners, were welcoming and friendly.

IMG_6016

I only stayed a few days before heading off to Pokhara.  Pokhara is Nepal’s “second city”.  It is primarily a base for treks to the of the Himalayas.  However, once again, there was a lot of rain and this time I had no luck at all and saw absolutely nothing.  I had intended to spend a week or so there but with constant rain there didn’t seem much point in hanging out.  The place had a weird, empty, off-season feeling that I didn’t really enjoy.

My next stop was Lumbini.  This is the birthplace of Buddha.  There is a very bland building built over what is believed to be a stone laid there in the 3^rd century BC to mark the ‘exact’ spot of the birth.  Other than that, there is a collection of large modern and exceptionally dull monasteries built by countries from all over the world.  I rented a bicycle and went around for most of a day.  The next day I was ready to leave. 

The Mahadevi Temple in Lumbini - built over the "exact" spot of Buddha's birth.

I had very mixed feelings about coming back to India.  Nepal is much calmer, more peaceful, less aggressive and pushy, and also significantly cleaner.  I had also really enjoyed my time in Nepal.  I met a lot of great people, ate a lot of great food, and also bought a lot of cool stuff.  There are, however, a few things I still want to see in India – things I would feel awful if I missed. 

It was a frustrating return, mostly due to transportation challenges and being lied to and cheated by the first few people I encountered.  I had even tried to be organized and few things are more frustrating for me than when I put in effort and think it is all sorted it and then it all goes wrong.  Grrrr.

My first stop back in was Varanasi.  It is one of the most sacred cities in India.  It is on the Ganges river and is famous for being a place for cremations and putting the dead into the river.  I had heard a lot of stories about how filthy the river was and that the bodies of those unable to afford cremation just float by.  I saw none of that.  I think that is mostly due to the fact that the river was at very high levels.  It just rained and rained.  I think I read in the paper that over 110mm of rain fell in less than 24 hours my first day. 

IMG_6161

Varanasi is an interesting city with an interesting feel but not really what I had expected.  I guess I had just seen so many photographs of women drying brightly coloured saris on the steps.  Unfortunately when I was there, there were few steps ... just lots of brown water. 

I treated myself to a classy air conditioned train ride to Rishikesh where I am now.  This is another sacred city on the Ganges.  Being further north and near the source however it is a much cleaner river.  Rishikesh is also known as the Yoga capital of the world. 

In that spirit …I am off to a yoga ashram tomorrow for 10 days.  I am unsure of Internet access and availability, so don’t worry if you don’t hear from me for the next few weeks.

Hope all is well for everyone,

K

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Hello again,

I apologize for taking so long to write my latest update.  I haven’t been too busy or anything … basically I have just been being really really lazy – and enjoying it very much.

It was only after I arrived in that I truly realized how exhausted I was from my 6 months in India.  Arriving in Kathmandu (or more correctly in the Thamel area of where all the travelers are) immediately felt like a relief.  There is lots of great western food and, best of all, piles of other travellers to hang-out with.  I have also had the luck of making some really nice Nepali friends.  I am spending much more money here than I was in India but as I now see the end of my trip looming (now I have an actual end date) this doesn’t seem to bother me too much … OK, OK let’s be honest: me being me it DOES bother me … just not “too” much.

The meditation retreat I went to at Kopan monastery (just outside of Kathmandu) was very interesting.  It is wonderfully run and I highly recommend it.  The food was great (mmmm ... homemade peanut butter) and they are very well organized.  It was as much or more a learning experience than a serious opportunity for meditation.  Our main teacher – Ani Karin – is originally from Sweden but has been a Buddhist nun since coming to Nepal in the early 1970s.  I figure that, given the time of her arrival and some other things she said, she had been a total hippy and had lived a colourful life.  She has an interesting sense of humour and because of her background was able to explain things in a way we were able, most of the time to, understand if not accept.

For me it was not a particularly religious or spiritual experience.  I did, however, learn a great deal about the Tibetan form of Buddhism (Mahayana).  For me it is an overly religious and complicated version of the Buddha’s teachings but I very much enjoyed learning more.  There was a lot of information I would have liked to have had prior to my trip to Tibet a few years ago.

The highlight of the retreat was the group of people I met.  There were about 40 people from a wide variety of foreign countries.  There were, of course, a fair number of what I now refer to as “Happy Clappies” (desperate spiritual searchers who gleefully and entirely without discrimination accept whatever they are told) as well as wackos (you know who you are …) but for the most part it was a great group of interesting and open minded people.

I have been to only a few places since arriving but none are were more than a few hours from Kathmandu.  Patan is a lovely place and almost a suburb of .  I went there for the day a few weeks ago.  Nepali architecture is lovely and quite distinct.  Patan also has one of the best museums I have been to in Asia.  It is beautifully set up and very professionally curated.  They did an excellent job of explaining various themes and images in both Hindu and Buddhist iconography.

Also very interesting was Pashupathinath where I had the fascinating/revolting experience of watching human cremations.  We were able to watch them prepare and then completely immolate several corpses.  I know that this is a weird thing to have gone to see but I have to admit I was fascinated.  I have lots of photographs as it is allowed there as long as you are discrete – thank heavens for my great zoom lens – but I will not post them here in case it offends or upsets someone.

The last week or so I have been taking Thanka painting classes (a traditional Tibetan style).  I met some Nepali people almost as soon as I arrived here and one of them owns/manages (it is hard to know as many people I met here tend to have a vague grasp of truth) a Thanka store where they run classes for foreigners to learn how to paint in this style.  He offered me free classes and I just couldn’t refuse (free!!!).  It turns out I probably should have refused as there is no real class just an indifferent and surly young employee who appears only about 10 minutes a day to take over your painting and who is unable to explain or properly demonstrate anything.  I am as clueless about how to paint in the correct style as I was when I started.  Oh well, it kept me amused and out of the shops for a few days at least.

The plan now is to start moving about a bit and see more of Nepal.  All of my friends from the meditation retreat have moved on so I am starting to get itchy feet again.  Right now I am not completely sure where I will go next – probably to the East for a few days, then back to Kathmandu, then to the West and eventually, by July 20^th (when my Nepali visa expires), back to India.

Love to all.

K 

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Hey,

I am in Kathmandu right now.   I have been taking things pretty easy since I arrived.  6 months in India seems to have been more exhausting and draining than I had thought and I have spent the last 11 days or so doing very little but meeting lots of really great people.

I will write more later and also post photos but I am off in a few hours to a Tibetan Monastery for a 7 day meditation retreat.  I am hoping it will help me get rested and prepared to take off on the next stage of this journey.

The only other news I have is a firm return date to North America.  I am flying out of Mumbai on October 29^th.  I only have a ticket as far as NYC so far and will have to see closer to the time about exact return date to Canada. 

More soon,

K

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Hey there,

Well, I am on my way out of India for a little while.  My visa expires in 2 days and I need to go to Nepal to get a new visa.

I am very much looking forward to a change of scene and pace.

I am currently in Gangtok in Sikkim.  The weather here is certainly a change from a week ago!!  It is between 10 and 15 degrees most days here and it is rainy and wet. 

Since I wrote last I went from the lovely sane environs of Pondicherry to a complete maelstrom of religious frenzy in Tirumala.  The only thing in Tirumala is a temple on a hill that attracts an average of 50,000 pilgrims a day!!  It is apparently one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the world.  Many of the pilgrims shave their heads in hopes of having their wishes granted.  For Indian women this is a HUGE sacrifice as most have long beautiful hair that they are very proud of.  Not surprisingly, I did not feel the urge to donate my hair to the cause.  There were no other western tourists and it was a bit complicated to figure things out but it was fascinating to be squished, jostled, elbowed and shoved like any other pilgrim.  Needless to say it was also very hot – about 40 again – which certainly added to the ‘fun’.  It was very ‘interesting” and ‘special’ but I am glad I went.

Bald Pilgrims in Tirumala

While in Tirumala I visited a workshop of a traditional artist in a nearby village.  The painting style had been practiced for many hundreds of years but has almost died out.  I had a nice visit with the leading artist and was able to talk myself into buying a piece (surprise surprise).

Painting near Tirumala

After 2 days I had had more than enough of the experience and headed to Hyderabad where I was intending to visit a friend.  Unfortunately while I was in Hyderabad he was in Russia … oh well.  I hung out in for a few days anyway and enjoyed the city quite a bit (in spite of the heat).  It is a very diverse place – the old part of the city is very Muslim and chaotic while the new part of the city is very modern indeed and reflects the city’s status as one of the leading IT cities of India.  Unfortunately a few days after I was there a bomb was planted in the mosque (which you can see in some of my pictures but not the one I'm posting).  I am not sure of all of the details but it certainly reminds one of the basic fact that the situation in India between the two main communities is a fragile one.

Charminar in Hyderabad

While in I realized that I had better get moving if I wanted to see some of the north east (Darjeeling and Sikkim) so I did what I had not done before – booked ahead.  I purchased all of the train tickets I needed for the rest of India.  This had the benefit of making me feel organized but the cost of making me have to move pretty fast through a great deal of territory. 

Next stop was , Puri, and the famous at Konark.  I saw quite a few really beautiful temples in a very few days.  Yes,  MORE temples!!! 

Ths Sun Temple in Konark

More buses, rickshaws (motor and cycle) and trains and I reached Bodhgaya.  Bodhgaya is important in that is here, under a Bodhi tree, that Buddha reached enlightenment.  It is not much of a town and especially in the off-season it was a strange place.  It was however quite moving for me to see the tree (well actually it is a tree grown from a cutting of the original) and be able to sit under it.  Just 2 days there made me determined to experience cold, even if for just a few days, as it was over 40 and there was no electricity and therefore no fans!!  It was not a very comfortable place for good night’s sleep.

Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya

It was a good thing I had had enough of the heat because I arrived in Darjeeling, in the pouring rain, to temperatures around 12.  Within a few hours I remembered why I try to flee Vancouver every winter and why I found the time I spent in Hanoi so depressing!  Luckily it actually felt quite nice for a change … for a few days.  Darjeeling is quite a big city built on a steep mountain slope.  Getting around seemed to involve going up, up, up and more up which, or course I just loved … NOT.  There wasn’t a great deal to do but I found that was OK as it gave me time to sit around and drink tea.  The tea was different than I had expected – more bitter but still delicious.

Darjeeling Tea Picker

In Gangtok now and I am having problems actually getting to see anything.  I have tried to go several places but no luck (weather, cancelled trips, timing etc) so have given up and am heading to Nepal tomorrow.  Darjeeling and Sikkim have already been a break from as the populations here include a lot of Nepalese as well as local ethnic groups and Tibetans.  It is definitely a bit calmer and slower here and I wish I had had more time to explore the area but my visa expires in 2 days.  Also the weather is really not the kind I would prefer to trek in (it is impossible to see much because of the fog and clouds) and the full-on rainy season is only a few weeks away so I don’t think there is much point in coming back after Nepal.  Maybe next time.

Gangtok in Sikkim

Tomorrow morning, bright and early, I am heading to the Nepali border after which I will take a bus (18 hours apparently!!!) to Kathmandu.  I am sure there will be lots of Internet connections there so I hope to hear from all of you soon J

Love to all,

K 

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Hello again,

Sorry for the lag in postings (and therefore for the length of this one).  I have been spending the last two weeks doing as little as possible.  I had started to feel a bit worn down by the effort of travel in and was also getting tired of the frequent scene changes.

So ... in my last posting I was in Trichur/Thrissur.  While I was there I went to two different Poorams (temple elephant festivals).  I have posted some pictures of this but they certainly don’t show the crowd, noise, or heat at the festivals.  I think I can say I can’t ever remember being quite so hot!!  The second festival was by far the larger of the two.  It is an annual competition between two small towns - Nenmara and Vellenghy.  Depending on who I asked there were between 300,000 and 500,000 people!!  I am not sure I have ever seen so many people in one place before.  It was very festive and exceptionally crowded.  I, once again, got very lucky and met a group of 4 other tourists.  I think the 5 of us were the only foreigners there.  They were with a guide who had secured a safe, quiet-ish place from which to watch the festivities.  Otherwise I would have gotten completely swallowed by the crowd and certainly wouldn’t have seen as much.  I have posted a bunch of pictures.  I hope they give you some idea of the crowd size.  Also, if you look closely you will see that the photos almost seem foggy and out of focus– they aren’t, the air is just full of sweat-steam and dust.  Niiiiccceee.

Nenmara Vallanghi Vela (Small)

After that I went to Bangalore.  I was a bit nervous as it was the first large Indian city I had visited.  It turns out I liked it.  It was certainly a lot cleaner and organized than I had thought it would be.  You can definitely see the effect of all the IT call-centre and outsourcing money.  I have posted a picture of an air conditioned shopping mall.  It was certainly a bit of a change from the places I had been the last few months.  I was even inspired to do a bit of shopping.  I bought more Indian style clothes as I feel more comfortable in them here.  No chance of blending in but I feel like it shows a bit of respect and draws a less of the wrong kind of attention.  Also, to be honest, the local clothes are designed for this kind of hideously hot weather and are pretty airy while also being very modest.

Bangalore- Mall

Next stop, on my way to , were some temples in Belur and Halebid.  I have to say I’ve been feeling pretty templed-out recently but they were definitely worth a visit.  The stone carving was the most detailed and elaborate I have seen so far.  The two towns are quite close together so I did them in n evening and morning.  I really enjoyed them and found them to also be quite peaceful compared to some other sites I had been to.

Halebid- Detail of carving - corner

It was in Belur that I also realized I had lost some perspective … for some reason I was choosing to stay in the cheapest and to be frank quite unpleasant hotels.  They all had decent locks on the door so I felt safe but the filth and ick was starting to wear me down.  It took me giving my head a bit of a shake when I realized that I was causing myself significant discomfort for the sake of saving about 2-3$.  I am talking about the difference between a toilet and sink that have been cleaned this year and ones that have never seen the business end of a scrub brush (the disturbing lack of the blissful smell of bleach in India in general aside).

Next stop was Mysore.  Mysore is an interesting place in that it has a combination of colonial buildings and standard Indian ones.  There is a chaotic market and everywhere people are selling fabulous smelling incense and essential oils.  I can say that it is one Indian town that has NICE smells!!!!  I went to the sandalwood oil factory run by the government and it took days to get the smell out of my nose – not that I am complaining!!!  The best part was of course that I had taken a more decent room and I enjoyed the feeling of showering without being terrified of touching the walls.  I also became addicted to byriani at one restaurant and had to resist eating there more than once a day.  In general I haven’t been in love with a lot of the food in the south.  It tends to be a bit too greasy and there are only a few things that every local restaurant has - and a girl can only eat so many dosas (very think pancakes made of fermented rice flour) even if they are served with yummy coconut sauce.

Mysore Market-17 (Small)

After , I zagged my way back across the subcontinent once again to the east coast.  I stopped only to change transport in Chennai/Madras as there isn’t much there for tourists and I am still, in spite of having enjoyed my few days in Bangalore, not really interested hanging out in big Indian cities.  I went straight to Mamallapuram about an hour south of Chennai.  Mamallapuram is famous for stone carving and as a backpacker place during the winter.  It is a bit of a weird town especially as I was there after the season (all the clever tourists are up in the north now and not sweating to death here in the south).  I was tired and groggy and weak when I got off the bus and got talked into prepaying for a week at a vaguely grotty homestay/guesthouse.  This time the dirty shared bathroom was not due to being frugal/cheap but being tired/lazy.  It was a good week anyway – I read and went for walks on the beach.  The beach was nice … in spite of the smell of raw sewage that seemed to be released every time a wave crashed to the sand.  It was just good for me to take a time-out and think – specifically about what I wanted to do in terms of my ticket home (which is for the end of May).  I mentioned before that I have been feeling a bit tired so the thought of returning home to garbage removal and invisible sewage had some appeal but in the end I seem not to be ready to come home … quite yet anyway.

Mamallapuram- Beach

OK, so that brings me almost up to date.  After Mamallapuram I headed down the coast to Pondicherry, where I am still am.  Originally my plan was to leave after a few days and head up to Hyderabad but the friend I intend to visit there is away on business so I am going to hand out here longer.   Pondicherry is a pretty cool place (as in interesting, certainly not temperature-wise!!!).  It was a French colony and they built some lovely buildings that are shockingly in really good condition.  The main part of the old city is exceptionally well maintained.  I am particularly fond of the wide, straight streets.  I am in a lovely guest house with a balcony overlooking the water, huge windows, and what I believe to be the only perfectly clean bathroom in the entire country.  It is sparkling!!  I am eating everyday at the food hall of the Sri Aurobindo ashram for 20 rupees (1 CAD = 36 rupees) a day for 3 meals a day (not that I ever make breakfast).  The food is simple, but you just can’t beat the price.  I figure I’ll splurge at the end and treat myself to a super-luxurious meal before I go.   Pondicherry is a very peaceful place at the moment.  I am not sure what it would be like in season but right now it is a good place for me to ride a bike around and spend a bit of time doing … well ... absolutely nothing.  I have met some really interesting people but am also enjoying spending time by myself.

Pondicherry - Door

I am still planning to head north soon.  I can’t really figure out why I am still in the south but it just seems to have worked out that way.  The only think I HAVE to do is get out of the country and get a new visa before the 24^th of May.  The plan is to go to Nepal as I really want to go there anyway.  I will be sure to keep you up to date with my vague notions once they solidify into plans.  Until then I hope everything is going well for everyone.

More soon,

K

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Hi,

I'm sure you will be please to note: MORE NEW PHOTOS!!!

I was overjoyed to leave the ashram.  I am not sure why exactly but it filled me with, I’m sad to say, glee.  I got a lot of good things out of being there but there was definitely something missing from the place.  About half way through my stay I started to treat it as a yoga spa rather than an ashram.  It seemed to me that most of the non-physical bits of the Sivananda program are all about “The guru said ….”  and endless (I mean for hours and hours!!) repetitive songs/chants in a language no one there understands.  That said, there were some lovely people there - both “cynics” (like my fabulous dorm-mates and the rest of you) and “happy-clappies” (like some of our instructors).  There were also a fair few losers and feaks ...

Right now I am in Trissur.  It is the supposed ‘cultural capital’ of Kerela.  It is … OK.  I have been hanging about for a few days waiting for a festival that starts tomorrow.  In the mean time I went to another festival that I didn’t even know about.  It was a Pooram, which means it is about elephants or something …  I only went to the preliminary thing, as I couldn’t convince the other travelers to get up at 4:30am and go for the big parade.  This was it’s 1425^th year ( …or something like that I can’t quite remember) – they claim it is the second oldest religious festival in the I have some photos I will post once I go to the next one tomorrow. I have no idea what it is going to be like but I have heard it is pretty huge!

I am leaving here the night of the 4^th and heading to Bangalore.  I hear that, while it is hot there, it is cooler than here.  I certainly hope so!!!  I am a bit nervous about going to Bangalore, as it is the first big city I’ve been to in India.  I plan to do some shopping and then head to Mysore, Belur and Halebit before heading back to the coast of Tamil Nadu.  I am doing a bit of a zigzag across the South but it is just how things worked out.

Well, I guess that’s about it for now … I hope everyone is well.

Lots of love to you all,

K 

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Hey there,

Just a quick hello to say that I am still at the Sivananda ashram just outside of Trivandrum, Kerela (in the South of India).  Today is our "day off" so I have come into the nearest town to check my email.

I will let you know more about my experience once it is over but so far it is ... OK.  The actual yoga is great.  I feel like I am getting physically stronger all the time (as I would certainly hope given we practice 4 hours a day!!).  Unfortunately this ashram is all about the chanting.  It isn't even really what I would think of as chanting either ... it is kind of a tent revival /hari-krishna tambourine sing-along thing.  I find the sight of 300 foreigners singing and clapping along (and, yes playing tambourines) hymns in sanskrit a bit ridiculous really.  To be honest I find it a bit creepy and boring but have found ways to avoid having to deal with most of it.  No risk of me shaving my head and joing them here that's for sure!!!

I wasn't sure I was going to stay the 2 weeks but I figure I am here and have no where else I want to go and I certainly wouldn't be doing so much exercise or eating so healthy if I were wandering on my own again.

I will write more once I spring myself fron the cult ... I mean ashram ... in a week or so.

Love to all,

K

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Hello All,

This time I have pictures!!! :-)

Since I wrote last I have come to Tamil Nadu. 

I have visited:  Madurai (beautiful palace and amazing temple, loud, crowded and crammed full of touts and con-artists), Trichy (beautiful temples but loud and the hotels were dodgy),  and Tanjore (beautiful temple, dull palace, but quieter and OK hotel) where I am now.

I am leaving here tomorrow and heading down to the very south of India - a place called Kanyakumari.  I don't plan to stay there long before going back into Kerela.  The yoga course I am taking is in Trivandrum starts on the 16th and lasts for two weeks.  I am thinking I may spend a day or two on the beach before going there.

The temperature is certainly changing!  The daily highs are about 35 and the humidity is more noticably.  It will soon be time for me to head to somewhere cooler.

I am still really enjoying India and have been exceptionally lucky in that I have met some great people (thank you all!). 

Lots of love,

K

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