Searchings of a Kiwi lass

Impressions indeed.... this town on the south east coast of India, a few hours south of Chennai, is a hugely popular tourist destination for Western and Indian tourists alike, though I don't feel to write about this. Instead, here is what has stuck with me.

Old, old stone. Centuries old. Reliefs of Shiva, Krishna, Arjuna carved into ancient sandstone. Temples by the sea all washed away except for one, which I visit at dawn in the muggy breathless heat. Walking beachward with me are a busload of Indian tourists from Andryha Pradesh. Most likely they have never seen the sea before, for they stand ankle deep in it and marvel at its foam circling their bare feet. Some stand with plastic bottles to capture some in rememberance, perhaps to use for future ceremonies - I'm not sure. All I know is that it was beautiful to be there with them, me all hunched up and hugging my knees on the beach as the sun made its way up into the sky, watching them all murmur in wonder and exclaim loudly whenever the water rushed in to touch their chappals (sandals)on the sand behind them. I go on to the temple alone - and an hour later I see them still in worship of this new element.

Two Keralan brothers - cousins actually, and both beautiful. I meet Manoj and Munnar, masseurs and yogi's both whose off season meant for a lot of time to sit and talk with me, and cook me a Keralan specialty on my last day. How was I to know they had had this planned - to purchase jackfruit specially and boil them inside banana laves with sugar and spices for their white sister. Delicious! Of course they made me eat twice as much as they - they even packed me up a little takeaway to eat on my upcoming train to Kolkatta (36 hours or so...). I leave them reluctantly with this hot little parcel clutched in my hands along with a small Ganesha statue and malla from them. Beauties both, indeed...

I meet a crazy man in a Tibetan cafe one night. He has the white stripes of the Shaivite (Shiva devotee) on his forehead although the only things he seems to be worshipping at the moment are alcohol, cigarettes and curse words! He certainly has some right interesting stories to tell about his carving expeditios in Europe (he is Tamil born)- and at first I am drawn in and bewildered by his swear-like-a-trouper shock factor but as soon as he calls me baby I decide I better hightail it. So many people here, using the 'right' spiritual words to try and hook girls. And I don't fall for it anymore. It's a good thing.

The water in this town is so bad I consider bathing in mineral water. Honestly, it smells like grease - or something horrid anyway, and the sea is not much better. The aftereffects of the tsunami are stil in evidence here, and although there were very few casualties (three I think) I do hear stories of water up to people's doorsteps. Terrible... so I bathe little, swim when i can and get bitten by a crab for the first time in my life! I had always had this crazy notion that, being a Cancerian, they would leave me alone forever... But it's a minor incident so all is forgiven.

The lady in the beauty parlour tells me I have too many wrinkles after she pulls her fingers from my nose, succeeding in changing my nosering. I suspect she's trying to sell me her products more than anything; these beauty parlours are the 'in-thing' I suppose but they certainly ain't MY thing... I marvel at her price list, wondering what exactly the 'top to bottom' bridal makeup entails - where does it begin and end?!? She does offer shiatsu which I am tempted by but I feel demeaned enough by having another person prod at my snout so leave with nothing more than a Neem face pack.

Sun, so much sun... for some reason it feels worse here than in other places, for although I go on to higher temperatures it just feels harsher on this coast. Even with my fan on full bore all thru the night I awake often, turning much, and dream strange dreams... after a few days I am tired of this off season tourist town, which although beautiful is starting to get on my nerves a bit what with all the hungry shopkeepers hunting for business. I don't blame them - it must be hard to anticipate four months or so with very few tourists - but I just don't want to shop right now, it's too hot and plus I'm feeling the pull of the north... so its off to Kolkatta I go, the city I first fell in love with two years ago, to revisit some of those first-time-in-India places so special to me...

'House of Om, it's late,
and yet you got me up writing about this great
adventure you took me on,
Om Om, you know your physical presences are gone at this point,
but the madness lives on...

Om Om...

From an ashram near Trivandrum,
in which we twisted ourselves into crazy positions,
the sun was up and the palms were blowing
and every day at three o'clock don't you know it?
the skies would open...
the skies would open
and soak us all in the sweet southern rain
I'd like to see you all back again some day...

How we laughed the hours away...

Well the two weeks passed, we thought we'd better change the scene
so we went to this beach it was like coming into a dream
Var-var-ka-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, uh-huh, uh-huh
You can call me crazy but what times we had,
drinking beer after all of those headstands
thali's with the Shiva Moon crew
and a lot of other good times too

How we sang to the sand
while we played in the sea
and drove like crazy around
cause who need two wheels anyway??

Yeah we knew that it couldn't last forever
so we thought we'd part ways and no longer be together
and you left me a few days longer
while I did beautiful sadhana on the beach...
you took a bus ride and a boat ride
playing those drums by the water side
that Mexican that we all know
he had a clown for a friend and to us what stories he told..
all of them loco, lo-lo-lo-loco

Then there was this blue eyed boy
who decided he'd ride his bike up north
til a wheel fell off on one of them crazy roads
cause it didn't exist anymore

it seemed
it had fallen into the sea
so he thought he could use his feet
but he didn't get far - so on a bus he rode...

And then the girl with the hair so pink
and feet so bare and baked in the heat
well she found her colour in the market place
we waited til it set and then went out to play

Yeah, well that was in a different place after
Var-var-ka-la-la-la-la
it happened that we ran into wach other again
Munnar, you know it wasn't that far
it wasn't that far...

There there were plenty of faery fields
for us to run in and streets that gave us so many good things
fruit salads and songs to sing

You know we rocked you too
small town where the tea leaves grow
and Saturday night you can always find a show
'specially when you got a unicycle...

and a guitar, that's where I come in
and why I'm here, cause after you all just disappeared
and now we're all off having adventures silently
or maybe not as the two of you boys have shown
will I see you again I don't know...

I want to sing to the sand
while you let cows loose on the bad men
I'll meet you here again I know
casue we love this crazy country India...

House of Om, it's late, and yet you got me up writing about
this great adventure youtook me on
Om Om, you know your physical presences are gone at this point
but the madness lives on...'

well here I am AGAIN attempting to get back into the blog swing of things! he he, late as ever!
MUNNAR was / is an incredibly beautiful small town in the Keralan hills - the nearest thing the state has to a hill station so it was much cooler than Trivandrum or Varkala- a welcome thing!
It was a beautiful journey up those hills and I happened to have a driver who was obviously practising for some kind of competition - what should have taken five hours took less than four, and we stopped for about TEN minutes for lunch - the bus was even pulling away as I came back from the banana stand, geezz its funny how one has this idea about India being a laid back place!? Not on this day!!

Anyways, who was there to await me in Munnar but AMBIKA and LEVIK!! Yayyy! What a reunion we had.. After much hugging and jumping about I got my forehead anointed with red paste and my mouth stuffed with cashew sweets, and we heafed it up to the Shubramanya temple... so beautiful. We made it just in time for both Arati (lighting of lamp, such a sacred and special ceremony) and sunset. After this we went to eat thali while Ambika searched the market place for pink Holi powder with which to dye her hair...
Munnar, you know we rocked you... on the days that followed all manner of strange and wonderful things happened whereever we were. It is just so cool hanging out with a mad unicyclist! It basically means there is a show anywhere you go... Levik and I were waiting for a motorbike to arrive one day, and what did he do in the spare minutes of waiting? Pull out a crystal ball of course, and start to do an impromptu show which drew a crowd of about thirty men. So much laughter! So we promised them a show that night, with my guitar and the famous 'one wheel' cycle! It was great! I ripped out a version of 'Rebel Music' with verses tailored for Munnar - 'oh we're drinking tea in the sun' and 'you can put the money.. in my bag!' etc while Levik weaved his magic. Rakshaman!!!

On Ambika/ Levik's last day (and Angel, he was also there - Levik's bro that is) we got an email from SAM and lo and behold, he was somewhere in Munnar! So we searched high and low for him, to no avail although he did manage to find us in the morning half an hour before their bus departed... REUNION CENTRAL!!
What great times we had... biking thru the tea plantations and calling 'I love India!' to all the poor pedestrians we passed... one well-to-do lookin woman also gave us the 'hang loose' sign as we passed them which was so funny we nearly fell off laughing... Sam and I went walking too, one beautiful day up a few good lookin hills and found a life sized crucifix - urgh. Little scary! but it was good.. we searched the town for 'Sharja' a very delicious (non vegan I'm afraid) milkshake, we ate idli and dosa at small dhaba's, we danced with boys at music shops.. and left together on another beautiful bus ride, I towards Pondicherry which I have already written about, and Sam towards Ooti... goodbye my brother! goodbye Om group! what times we had.. have just written a song about it which I will pen down here soon... my next unwritten destination.. Mamallapuram xxoo

These entries are totally out of order, but what to do? I am here in Pondi now and it seems fit to write about it although my beautiful Munnar experience is as of yet unwritten.

Pondicherry is a right pretty city. Once I escape from the hustle bustle business boutiques and the tooting traffic, there are wide, tree lined streets to explore, where old French buildings sag and sit peacefully in the 1.30 - 3.30 p.m siesta slump... My two favourite ragamuffin children know me well after only two days - the sister blows me a kiss after I buy them juice and share my water with them (The Indian style of drinking is so practical - the lips never touch the bottle or cup - takes a bit of practise but its worth getting used to).

Yesterday I rode to Auroville on the back of a motorbike and marvelled at the beauty of its red earth, forests-a-plenty and peaced out names for stuff - communities called 'Existence' and 'Bliss', a Spirulina farm called 'Simplicity'... Auroville is a community 16 kms out of Pondicherry which came into existence in 1968 as one of the wishes of 'The Mother' (French disciple that followed Sri Aurobindo and became his successor, they both believed in peaceful ways of raising consciousness and the whole city is influenced by their ways). She envisioned a place where people from all over the world could come and live peacefully together - it sounded, looked and smelt amazing to me when I briefly visited although like most other communities around the world it has its share of politics and problems... I had planned to stay there tonight and maybe for another few days but my plans changed, as they do - and I am here enjoying this beautiful city for another night before heding to Mamallapuram...

Gonna sign off as I am sweating like a sponge in this tiny email cafe... xxoo

March 1st it was and I arrive in the state of Kerala after almost two full days on various trains from Hampi... and it is HOT!! As I wait in the Ko Chin train station for my train to Trivandrum I hope I'll grow accustomed to the mugginess...
The train comes and it's a local one.. I crowd into the women's carriage with 200 other hopefuls and manage to somwhow find a seat as well as stow my pack on the precarious ledge above. It's four hours of cramped, knee-to-knee travel, although there are beautiful views and a lovely newly wed modern Indian girl, Remya, to talk to. Just before we reach Trivandrum she writes her email in my little travel book, as well as the following words:
'you are a very aprpoachable person I think so... I won't forget your name because I have a friend she is also Sharon. I think we will meet again. I am wishing you all the best for your future. And you will get a nice partner.'
he he he.. this constant romanticism so ingrained in the Indian psyche... at Trivandrum station Remya introduces me to her husband briefly, before I bid them farewell and rickshaw it over to Neyyar Dam, home of the Sivananda ashram.

I arrive to the sounds of 200 or so yellow t-shirted beings chanting outside the ashram entrance - it seems they are on their weekly silent meditative walk, as I have come at 8pm or so. I am fed a delicious wholesome dinner and shown my bed in the dorm so I prepare myself for my ashram routine, which begins at 5.30 the next morning...

SCHEDULE
5.30 Morning bell
(another warning bell will sound at 5.50)
6.00 Meditation / Satsang in the Satsang Hall
7.30 Tea outside under what will be known as the 'tea tree'.
8.00 First asana class
10.00 Brunch
11.00 Lecture
12.30 Karma yoga (selfless service, done for one hour per day)
2.00 Optional asana coaching class
3.30 Second asana class
6.00 Dinner
8.00 Meditation / Satsang
10.30 Lights out!!!

I manage to sleep fitfully on my first night and am up like a trooper the next morning for my first meditation... the hall is beautiful, and five orange clad Swami's sit onstage meditating. The actual meditation is short - maybe twenty minutes - and then Swami Mahadevananda, head of all Sivananda ashrams around the world, leads us in various chants. We begin every day with 'Jaya Ganesha', a chant you (hopefully) grow to love (we sing it twice a day so its better to love it rather than not...), also a chant which I wake up singing inside my head for the next week or so...
Yoga class is peaceful but sweaty, as I'm beginning to realise how it's much more muggier here than in Ko Chin, even next to the beautiful crocodile infested glassy lake that we do our asana's beside.
At ten o'clock we file like dutiful little yogi's into the lunch hall chanting 'Hare Rama, Hare Krishna' which is very beautiful actually - I love it at least... our meals for the next week pretty much consist of various combinations of rice / chapati / papadam / samba (south indian vegetable stew) / dosa (south indian bread) / idli (south indian rice patties)/ korma (veges) / salad / and about a teaspoon of sweet rice dessert... as well as ayurvedic water, which tastes musky and dusky and herbal and health giving.

Over the next week or so I hate to admit it but I find myself falling asleep sitting upright during the 11.00 lectures quite often - it's not that I'm not interested!! But it's just such a good chance to catch up on sleep... such a cool and breezy room and the Swami's peaceful voice sends me drifting...off...

All of the Sivananda ashrams around the world are big on karma yoga... but instead of at 12.30, I do mine from 6.30 - 7.30 at the 'Health Hut' - a canteen where I make fruit salads / juices / toast for those who are missing the fruit or Western food in their diets... I actually love this job and it doesn't feel like karma yoga at all. I quickly become part of the Health Hut crew - there is Balla-ji, a beautiful Keralan man if ever I met one - he kind of runs the show here, has gallons of patience, the best haircut in India ( a stylish bob I've never seen before) and puts up with our plotting to find him a good wife... Ange from Canada and I quickly name ourselves the 'Health Hut Hussies' and plan to co-ordinate our clothes and sing eighties songs while we work... well, the clothes co-ordination never actually happened, but it was fun to think about it anyway... and it's here I meet Levik, my crazy wonderful Mexican brother who also teaches some of the asana classes - the ones that leave us crying with both pain and laughter...

Soon, soon the days in the ashram all blend into a wonderful yogic holiday... lots of good times, Jaya Ganesha'a and bananas...the ashram itself is situated in a stunning area, surrounded by coconut and banana trees, loads of grass and twittering birds, unwelcome mosquito's and beautiful fragrant white blossoms... apparently some guy came face to face with a cobra near the lake side as well, though I was never privy to such a sight. In the few free afternoon hours every day I take my guitar either to the Health Hut, the lake or the communal lawn which results in many a sing-along... Levik and Ambika practise their acrobatics on the purple human rope which is tied to a tall tree while Mahendra and Sam entertain us all with their ways... it's a good life...

When the time comes closer to leave there is talk about our little gang (me, Ange, Levik, Ambika, Sam in particular) meeting in Varkala.. so one afternoon Sam, Levik and I trace a huge OM sign onto a white dhoti and set about making an OM flag with which we can mark our spot on the beach.. it takes about three hours in the Health Hut and is pretty damn magnificent if I do say so myself!

Leaving the ashram is strange... after two weeks of pretty much pure yogic living (no intoxicants, garlic or onions allowed!) it's a bit wierd to be back in the city (Trivandrum) until I catch another crowded as anything train to Varkala.. and I won't deny it, the sight of that beach with all its touristic commodities leaves me like an excited kid... I run into Sam and Angel (Levik's bro) as soon as I arrive and we race into the sea... drink cocktails and eat choco-banana cake... overindulge pretty much, although stil manage to get up for yoga on the beach the next morning.. but I think this story has already been told so I shall move on, move on and try to catch myself up in this travel blog...