It has been long while again since the last time I have written. I have been moving a bit and that is why I have not written. We left Goa on January 8th with a sleeper bus to go to Hampi. It was a long, very long journey because we were on a tourist bus where the people who ran it had no respect. They stopped all the time at very bad places. At one point, we stopped at this in the middle of no where kind of restaurant place at 2AM for what reason god knows. Arnaud and I came out to stretch our legs. A was just bending forward and then I saw this car coming towards us and I looked at the parking spot which was next to us and thought they might park there... and I kept watching this car coming full speed towards A and only at the last second, I pulled him back. It stopped right in front of him and there were young (drunk?) Indian men, and the one who was driving got out and yelled at A something which I cannot remember now. I was really scared but more than being scared, I was feeling really stupid and almost passive because I kept watching the car, anticipating it to just pull towards the parking space instead of taking A and moving to the side... I was almost frozen until the last second and it could have been really late! What if as A raised his head when the car came too close and hit him on the head... all these things kept coming to my mind when we were later in the bus for many hours.
Instead of arriving to Hampi in the morning around 6-7 AM, we arrived around 1PM because of stopping for zillion of times. Just before we arrived, maybe 10 minutes before, we stopped again and at this point, Arnaud, with frustration, went to the driver to see why again we were stopping. The reason was they (people who worked for the bus company) wanted to have ice cream at this spot! But when A came to inquire, they all got into argument and the driver pulled off to continue, the bus company's name is "Island", so please avoid it if you can!...
After we arrived to Hampi and crossed the river to the other side, we began looking for a place. Of course, since we came late, it was a hassle to find a place to stay. All the guest houses were full and we did not think of making any reservations (dah!) thinking it would be easy to find something... After we found a room for Jeremy, we began searching for us... and at last, we found a nice bungalow house. It was a nice place and the people who run it were also very nice, the name of the place was Sunny Guest house if I am not wrong. Our bungalow was big enough that both of us could practice in the room in the mornings, outside there were too many mosquitoes to practice... We stayed in Hampi for about 4 and a half days... We did sight seeing, the ruins, temples, beautiful nature, rocks... So many tourists in Hampi while I was thinking that we were going to India from Goa... lots of young Israelis.. Our joke was "it seems like in Hampi it is Israelis and then us only". The amount of time we stayed was just right but then we ventured to eat out instead of the cafe of our our guest house the last couple of nights and the last place we went to did it! I ordered thali and A ordered Laffa. I looked at the thali, tasted the plain rice and then I told him I am not eating this. The rice was very old and the dhal did not look anything like dhal, vegetables were a paste, not able to tell what was in it... A ate some of his Laffa... Then we went back to the guest house to have Thali there which was quite good (we had that almost every night)... The next morning A was sick in his stomach, just the day we were going to leave Hampi.
We still left Hampi that night and before leaving, at last, we went to Mango Tree restaurant which was advised by Dorion. We could not go other nights because the boat men kept saying that the last boat is at 5PM when actually it was at 6:30PM, and the restaurant was at the other side, just by the river, really nice... Of course my poor A could not eat anything other than some bananas and I had a good thali, feeling a bit guilty since my love could not eat; he was laying down, feeling sick. Then we went to the train station to take the train to Bangalore. Katherine was also there to take the same train. A began feeling more and more sick... When we got to the train, he was first a bit agitated when he saw the small beds and realized he could not be with me and then the men who were at our section wanted to eat before opening the middle beds and A was refusing to go to top bed and telling me I should go and rest and I was just trying to control the whole situation by telling him I am totally all right to stay up until they are done and he sould go up and lay down... I guess men are much more difficult then women when they are sick :) ... At last, all was settled. The train got to Bangalore early morning. We went to bus station and took a local bus (!) to Tiruvannamalai ... The bus was totally full, with some people sitting or standing in the middle. We were the only Westerners in it but it went right to the destination with few stops, once to have short toilet break and other times to pick up passengers. It was tight space but it was all right... Of course a bit more difficult for A who was sick. Tiruvannamalai was no fun for me. We stayed in this hotel ( which was advised by someone) in the middle of industrial shops instead of staying where other Westerners stayed. We had to take a rickshaw in one day maybe 3-4 times between our hotel and this place where everything we wanted to see was ; to eat, to rest in the hotel, to see something, to eat again, to go back to hotel... Rickshaw drivers were not nice as usual, A was sick and I was not really into all this spiritual things that were in the town... I could not care less and I thought I was going nuts, I hit the point where I was panicking beyond reason, I had to get out! In my mind,I already began planning that maybe I should go back to Bangalore next morning with the first local bus and then to Mysore if A wanted to stay there. But he is so sensitive, he already felt that I was not willing to stay there more than one night. Also, I was looking to see how much it would take to take a cab to Auroville while he was sleeping but he came to see where I was instead and then asked me what I was asking to the man... So, he said okey we go next morning early, no need to take local bus, we ask for the cab and see how much it costs... At the end, we arranged a cab for 8AM to leave the town. I was very much relieved. Yet, I have to admit that the Krishna Temple in Tiruvannamalai was beautiful and very very big, I think it is the biggest Krishna Temple in the South.
We arrived to Auroville in couple of hours that morning. Our guest house in the middle of jungle, really nice. It was Pongal festival; therefore, everything was closed; the information center, the solar kitchen etc... A was still sick. We got a cab and went to Pundicherry to a nice French restaurant. He could eat at this point. But next day he was sick again and this time, he agreed to go to a doctor. The doctor prescribed him some antibiotics. He was getting better each day but then Sunday night we both got sick from our stomachs and had we both threw up... The next day I could still get up and go for yoga, A would not let me go alone, he wanted to drive me to practice. I wanted him to rest instead but it was actually good that he came because the place we thought Monica was teaching was not correct and we had to search for the place for sometime. I am sure if I were alone, I would not be able to find it. The next day, A also began coming to classes. Monica's place is really nice, beautiful. She is as a teacher very strict ashtangi, for me it is a bit too much since I have been studying with teachers like Rolf&Marci and Richard who incorporate Iyengar approach when needed. We are here until next Friday and then to Mysore. Auroville is beautiful and convenient for Westerners. There is this beautiful meditation center called Matrimandir which is a golden ball. We still could not go in yet because there is a bit of procedure to get in, watching a video, info session and then need to book 2 days a head every time when you want to go for meditation., This is for me a bit bizarre... It is good to have an orientation session before hand but needing to call 2 days in advance each time when one wants meditate makes it a bit unavailable as a mediation center... For me, it is the doll of the Auroville where you see it from outside...
Over all, I have to admit that I see a lot about myself in this journey and I get a good reality check. I say I love India but when I am faced with situations which are totally away from my Western ways, I still have hard time. It is good to be in Pune, Goa, Mysore... all these places where there are basic Western standards available and where I know my way around... but then when I am faced with new places new situations, I can freak out... and also I see myself in a relationship. This time, India trip is totally different. Showing how much I have grown up, matured up and how much more I still need to work...
