Varkala and the Dalai Lama

Varkala and the Dalai Lama

Having left the ashram I head to Varkala with Sanne. It’s a small cliff town village very picturesque and a goan vibe. I’m staying at blue water and have a gorgeous room with amazing views of the sea and  I’m glad to be sharing with someone to keep the cost down…its paradise....its even more of paradise as can see dolphins playing in the sea!!

Even better is a planned visit to varkala by the Dalai Lama…it’s seem a bit surreal and I am still pinching myself. I got to the place where his holiness was giving a speech; a large stage was erected for the locals outside to listen to his speech via large televisions. However I asked a man for directions and he directed me to the devotee’s room inside past the dining hall I followed the press with their camera. The security was tight and I wasn’t allowed to take pictures but was allowed into the room!! Amazing to be in his presence with 300 other devotees and listen to his wise words. He talked about violence and corruption and inner peace and compassion for all humanity. Just so beautiful I feel very lucky to have been so close and felt his presence. It’s a shame I was not allowed to take pictures.

 

Kerala Yoga Vacation

Kerala Yoga Vacation

I leave Pondicherry and via Chennai fly to Trivandrum Kerala, for a yoga vacation at the Sivananda Ashram at neyyer dam. Strangely there is a sivananda yoga place in Putney and I have never been there.

I arrive around 7.30pm and the checking in procedure is long, and I realise I have no yoga mat dah!! Anyway I settle into my twin room. There are also dormitory but I prefer a twin room…my room mate is a Danish girl Sanne and glad to be sharing with someone whom is not to serious about ashram life and here for the experience. It’s an exacting schedule 5.30 am start meditation and chanting 8am yoga breakfast 10am karma yoga 11am yoga 3pm dinner 6pm meditation chanting 8pm. I actually liked the routine and the schedule and felt good for the yoga afterwards the teachers were good at explaining each pose and where to put your hand and breathing .Its a busy place as at the same time as the yoga vacation there is also the teacher training taking place so overall there are about 200 people. Not much thinking space….however met some wonderful people.
A highlight for me is a walk at 5am to the mountain temple to meditate the walk takes about 45 minutes and I am glad I have worn my trekking sandals!! It’s a steep climb without breakfast. We walk in silence…I need the energy to climb!! We reach the top in time for the sun rising and meditate and chant and take photos, the climb down is just as steep and slippery and I choose to walk in silence to concentrate.

By the time I get back to the ashram I have missed my Karma yoga (a selfless service) mine was to roll up the bamboo sitting mats after meditation and before yoga class however someone has already done it, oh well there always tomorrow.

Tirivannamali

Tiruvannamali

 

Part of the great experience of travelling in India are the train and bus journeys. Local buses here are well connected to every small village although less frequent.  I take a Local bus from Pondicherry to Tiruvannamalai. It’s a temple and a mountain town, as its Diwali a great occasion to see the town that worships Shiva in his fire incarnation. The bus journey should take tow hours but it take four as it definitely does go through every village and I find my self contemplating about life and acceptance and all the rubbish that the Indians don’t want to deal with.

The temple is vast and a magnificent structure and inside a small labyrinth of dark rooms where puja (blessings) take place a significant one is where people light diwa (light) and walk around the Shiva stone chanting. For a lot of Indians temple worship is a way of life, but when I ask for an explanation of how and what to do ,no one seems to know the answer. I guess for me you don’t need to go to a temple to be close to God, but its fascinating to watch the devotion and the happiness of there faces.

PondiCherry- Tamil Nadu

Pondicherry

For me anything with a cherry at the end has a sensual and romantic feel, amongst the Chaos of the Tamil streets you find a little piece of Pondicherry with a French and Portuguese influence that takes you away from the crowds and sometimes the stench of a large city. The large seafront not one for bathing in but definitely good for sitting on the rocks and feeling the much sought after gusts of wind on a hot humid day. The boutique feel of the shops shows a creative and a nurturing of home grown talent in an expressive and playful way. Art combined with humour is what I found at a shop called Play Clan and some French elegance at Via Pondicherry.  My stay at Villa de Creole was beautiful and really clean based round an open house there are only  five rooms all decorated in a colonial French style with beautiful textiles and very reasonable at 500 rupees a night, if you want to stay you will have to book a place fast!!.

A visit to the Sri Aurobindo ashram is a calm meditative place as you walk around in silence. More prominent to this place is a French women known as the Mother who married Sri Aurobindo originally of Bengali origin and settled into a life of meditation and yoga in Pondicherry. Flowers are her essence and the shrine is decorated in fresh flowers centred around a large courtyard, I walk around and feel the beautiful fresh smell of the flowers I stay here most of the day:

I take a visit out to Auroville not far from Pondicherry I tag along with  two polish girls and a guy and somehow we end up riding in a large truck with the locals, not much space to sit! we end up close to Auroville and walk the rest of the way….what we realise is there are no directions and no signs Auroville is a fairly secretive town, one largely based on different communities whom have occupied a piece of India but run separately with their own bank and taxes: there are creative communities, yoga communities, Italian, French Russian communities. I got the feeling that people were hiding: what is wonderful to see is the Banyan tree where everyone from Auroville gather to meditate and the solar kitchen where all meals are prepared. Its an interesting concept. Also great shops with individual art and pottery. I head back to Pondicherry this time on the back of a local man’s motorbike…I’ve ditched the polish friends… nice to be riding the wind in my hair again.

 

Mysore

It's not hard to believe there are 1.2 billion people in India! London seems sparse in comparison! Mysore is a large city and one that I have enjoyed getting around you can get a tuk tuk, however  walking in the breeze of the city is also good: I've arrived early in the morning and after a warming masala chai I've headed  straight to devaraja Market, a Huge Market mainly fruit and veg and flowers, this is one place that maybe smell o vision would be useful the aroma of freshly cut Jasmine garlands as well as essential oils all make for a pleasant welcoming and colourful start to Mysore. It's worth getting here early to see the people trade and for some interesting photos! .... Mysore is famous for it's sandalwood oil as well as other essential oils many traders are willing to negotiate if interested, by the time I’ve left the market I’m smelling of a rather strange mixture of jasmine, rose and sandalwood, hopefully will keep the flies at bay!!

 I take a trip to Mysore silk factory. silk is well renowned here  and is also waterproof! It's interesting to see the cocoon warped into thread and weaved into fabric then dyed and quality checked. The loom are all still manually done and its very noisy.

I was thinking of doing a yoga course here apparently the teacher K Pattabhi Jois taught Madonna her moves, however there is a two year waiting list…just as well as I don’t think I want to stay in Mysore too long!! I’ve now booked on a yoga course in Kerala from 16^th Nov so just to let you know in advance you might not hear from me for a while.

 

The maharaja palace here is beautiful and grand and worth spending and hour in the morning sun queuing, I don’t know why it takes so long!! I’ve had a good few days here I can’t say I’ve met many people I will now be heading to Pondicherry via Chennai on train journey: I look forward to hearing from you.

 

 

 

Gorkana and kudlee beach

Gorkana, I arrived very early morning, it was a ghost town nothing open no tuk tuk: luckily i was not the only one that stepped of the bus to spend a few nights in this town: Guest rooms are minimum and not very nice, my stay at Nimmu Guest house had a unwelcome visitor in  the night a big rat!! he too was looking for the best place in town...Needless to say i didnt stay too long and moved 5km out to Kudlee beach: Gorkana town is still accessible via a rocky dusty road.  Gorkana town is charming and worth watching young and old men take up the tradition of rituals and bathing in the ghats: it is known spiritually for conducting blessing of families of those died and have passed to the other side.
Gorkana is great for buying colourful bed throws and block print skirts I've been sporting a long green number which is so practical and easy to where its a must item for women when travelling. also beads beads and beads.

Kudlee beach is a relaxed place with a great beach: its well known with long term hippies, whats fascinating is the walk down to the beach, there no real road just a rocky hill and you need to watch your step:, I've seen people carry amazing amounts on there heads and still manage to walk gracefully...its even more amazing and astonishing when you seen a not so young man carry a wardrobe on his head!! down this rocky road...i pray for him and admire his strength, i don't take picture as i don't want him to loose balance, its just amazing the strength and balance these men and women have. i definitely can learn a thing or tow as to what my head is used for!!.

Magical Hampi and Anegundi

When the sleeper bus pulls into Hampi (Karnataka) and you step off, its like you’ve landed amongst an ancient site that could be mistaken for Athens. The large Boulders and the ruins are a majestic site especially as you arrive at sunrise. Life is centred around the temple and daily Darshan (blessings.) Virupaksha temple the high pyramid structure with exquisite carvings some fairly erotic, is visible from where I am staying at Padma guest house. The temple elephant Lakshmi can be seen taking her early morning (she’s cute with freckles) daily bath at the river. A stroll for  breakfast at the Mango Tree is a beautiful walk by the river through a banana plantation and the you arrive and sit under a huge mango tree and admire the views...food view and a good book....

Its amazing that India has millions of people however Hampi is far from the madding crowd Whilst walking through the ruins I am alone, just me and the goats!! Peaceful no horns!! The Market is very small and colourful and great for long skirts and Ankle bracelets. I could stay here longer but the storm is coming and don’t want to be washed away!!

For shopping with an ethical stance Anegundi is a small village across the river. Here you will find the Kishkanda trust actively supporting women’s empowerment and sustainability. I see a women craft bags and accessories from banana fibre and recycled plastic it’s a pleasure to watch and learn the process. Wwww.thekishkandatrust.org