robbie from San Francisco took off from Bangalore at 4am this morning. Yesterday there was a feast in his honour at the Dasaprakash Hotel, apparently the scene of the finest thali...in the world...my judgement is reserved, but, it was really good...really good. after the meal they served small sweets containing paan?, which is traditionally chewed and contains a mild stimulant...that and the chocolate I blame for keeping me awake well past 11!
that was after a 5am lead practise, which, to me felt like a really slow count...then, the coconut man wasn't outside the shala, so a tortuous 50m commute to guru, the coconut man on the intersection at contour road...for one coconut, then back home to lie down, then i was out like a light - heavy, deep half an hour sleep, then off to Alia's for coffee and omelette...then organic markets near the Green Hotel. The market kicks off at 10am on a Sunday...i was a newbie but picked up some dried celery, basil, lemon grass, all spice and drumstick leaves...this week i've resolved to get some structure to my days. The first week was a sensory overload - new at the shala, lots of new people, still very much getting accustomed to India...eating out...A LOT...so the herbs and spices i'll use in some stir fries, a bit of home cooking for some grounding...i've started to clean every couple of days - the flat has tiled floors, which is nice, but with the dryness, everything's really dusty and the ants are really persistent, so Andrew reckons sweeping and mopping regularly are essential...after my first sweeping session, I could see why...
then Dasaprakash for lunch...
then karenji lake, in a group of about 8, it was the first time to the lake for everyone, except me. it's on the opposite side of the city to Gokulam, so not really on the yogi's radar. I see myself spending some hot afternoon's there, it's so green and peaceful
what followed was a fun, random sequence of events...we were with a Hawaiian girl...there I am with names again...who heard about the Lassi's at the 3 sisters restaurant, we took 2 rickshaws with Lee and Nat on their scooter. I was in the rickshaw with the Hawaiin girl, so that means i'm going to Lakshimpuram looking for 3 sisters and lassi...the other guys are keen to head back to Gokulam, but somehow, since ours is the lead rickshaw, we all end up at 3 sisters...which isn't open...we try Aunty's, just down the road, who's somewhat overwhelmed by 8 parched westerners turning up at the small front door of her home on the hunt for good lassi...no luck there...
we're in the backstreets of lakshmipuram, the suburb where Pattabhi Jois' original shala is...with not many rickshaw options...that's when the most pimped rickshaw i've seen comes around the corner...6 people, no problem...headed back go Gokulam, my butt perched on the bar on the right hand side of the rickshaw, sticking out a bit...a little more exposed than i'd like to the traffic...
half way back to Gokulam, a beer at the Green Hotel sounds perfect, so we ask the rickshaw driver to change directions...he doesn't quite understand so it's a bit of chaos through Gokulam backstreets, taking corners on 2 out of 3 wheels, bopping along to some Bollywood tunes...then the sanctuary of the Green Hotel, where no one ends up getting beer, but we did end up with some nice afternoon tea...after paying the rickshaw man Rs 150 for the pleasure...
another 6 person rickshaw back to Gokulam for Rs 60...then an hour of general milling at the contour road coconut stand...where Ben "shouted" me a coconut. I'd introduced Ben and Robbie to the Aussie concept of a shout at the pub, which we then applied to coconuts...
by this time it's around 6 and the prospect of another rickshaw, back into the city is a bit too much for the Mysore Palace Illumination...
the next best thing is back to Lee and Nat's, via the chocolate man on 7th cross, armed with a couple of chocolate bars some more chatting and relaxing...chatting this time about a road trip to Ooty...
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