mysore mornings....

you are now reading the post of a newly-graduated 200 hr. yoga teacher. the end of the course finished with a small ceremony to hand out certificates and dinner. the setting was beautiful. we were in a cliff-side restaurant next to a sizable waterfall with big boulders all around. the yoga crew had gone for a silent group hike earlier that day up to a buddhist temple and more large waterfalls, perfect for some sitting meditation or pictureques yoga posing. it was like coming back home to korea for me on that hike. the scenery was almost identical, save for the temples. it felt great to be back in the trees and the urge to run was overwhelming but i had to settle for playing 'photographer' instead.
after dinner ended,it was time for some teary good-byes and many promises about future meetings. although i'm not sure i will ever see any of those friends again, i am certain we will all be connected for a life-time. a few of us did meet up at a cafe for some very un-yogic indulgences such as coffees, amazing brownies and beer. yes, beer and lots of it. the party escalated at the reggae bar and then moved over to copper and vanessa's place. before long, it was 4 a.m and all decided to call it a night, except for keef who had already claimed the crow's balcony floor. lauren stayed over at my place while i, who was way too wired from the nights' party, decided it was time to start the tedious process of packing and sorting.
i left chiang mai on the 10 pm night train on my way to bangkok. it was my first time on the train in thailand and i will be sure to book many days ahead next time to ensure that i get a 'sleeping bunk'. it wasn't too bad. i was stuffed on a bench seat next to the largest asian man i have ever seen and after i accepted that i would be sharing my seat with him, it was actually quite nice as he kept me warm during the breazy night. trying to pee on an erratically swerving train while perched on a squatter toilet is a whole other story, though :)
after a quick few hours down on kao son road, i was newly waxed and outfitted with some travelling clothes on my way to catch my flight to bangalore, india. i had some sort of plan about where i would go when i arrived in bangalore (good idea) but hadn't thought about calling to book something (bad idea when arriving at 12 am). after some tedious deal-makings with the taxi driver, he took me to a few hotels by the bus and train station, and i think the seediest part of bangalore. i wasn't to keen to be trucking around with a big pack on and hoped the hotel workers would be kinder than the taxi people i had been dealing with. no such luck. i was greeted with several disapproving frowns when i entered the hotels, telling me they had no single rooms and quoting me room charges double than what were posted on the wall. after the third hotel, i went outside with my taxi driver still annoyingly trailing after me (wanting a tip (probably), worried about my safety (doubtful)). when he suggested that for some extra rupees he would take me to some great place he knew about, i put my hand up for him to stop talking and i started to cry. my lack of sleep for the past 4 days was catching up on me and i only wanted the driver to take me back to the airport so i could get on the next plane back to thailand and be sipping an iced coffee on the beach before i knew it.
reminder to self; you came to india because it would not be easy. oh right. back inside the hotel, i accepted the inflated room charge and made my way upstairs. i was terrified of everything and anything that moved. why? because it is unfamiliar to me. i knew that feeling would subside as i got to know my way around a bit and reminded myself that it was similiar to how i felt first arriving in nepal, like everyone was trying to take advantage of your 'newness'. alas, after a sleepless night, i got up to make my way outside and tried to find the bus station and some internet. it wasn't as accessible as thailand but i managed to find myself on the bus to mysore for 11 a.m, gratefully seated next to a young indian woman and instantly fell asleep. occasionally when the bus would suddenly slam on the brakes, my eyes would drift open to gaze outside the window and sights seemed dream-like; ladies in multi-coloured saris walking, cows everywhere, horse-drawn carts, bmw's, scenery like i had never seen. my photographer's instinct was urging me to get the camera out but the need sleep overpowered. i will have to rely on memory instead.
once in mysore, i made a telephone call to hiroko, penni's friend, and the two of them came to meet me at the apartment penni, and now also myself, is staying at. it's a lovely place on the third floor with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a wrap-around balcony. laskshmi, the indian cleaning lady, came today to tidy the place and for $2, she will come 3x a week. deal. penni and i have been busy walking around town today talking to the other yogi's about who is in town teaching what and if they are good or not. i hope to get myself into some ayurvedic cleansing and some yoga instruction by tomorrow or the next day. in the mean time, there is lots to see and i hope to have pics soon. namaste...