Ayurvedics Anonymous

ok, I have had a bit of writers block since the last entry in Nepal, which I blame entirely on a terrible Ayurvedic head massage in north india (ayurveda can be dangerous apparently if misapplied), from which I've only just recovered...

(I've put good and bad things in so you don't feel too jealous.)

1. First 2 weeks spent with my brother jack in north india. First we went to Dharamsala, home of Dalai Lama in the mountains. positives (+) Slightly illegally sneaking into teaching session, then getting a wave and benevolent smile from dalai. Washing clothes in stream outside our idyllic mountain hostel. negatives:(-) Turning round to find goats trying to eat my laboriously washed underwear. Not willing to risk goaty pants I took them to a shop to be 'properly' washed by machines.

2. We also went to Agra, home of taj mahal (+): for Jack's 24th birthday we splashed out and went to 5* hotel for swim and massage and then to taj mahal. negatives (-): Pool tasted and smelled of varnish of the newly done up pool house, masseuse/pool lifeguard/pool cleaner gave head massage which involved pulling out most of my hair, squashing my brain (it really hurt!) and then i had to pay extra to have stinky oil/vinegar rubbed into my hair that left me red eyed and squinty. (+)taj mahal was very very beautiful at sunset, (-)hard to appreciate with squashed brain, squinty eyes, and self concious of having greasiest hair in world.

3. before the Taj Mahal, in fact, went to Punjab, Sikh heartland (+) Sikh Golden Temple is beautiful, golden, shimmery and in middle of lovely lake, next to which everyone just chills out there late into evening (including jack and I), and they give you free food accomodation and a temporary turban. (-) Afterwards an itchy michael worried that turban had nits in it.

Umm. So there was mildly chronological, good and bad things. Now (as I fend off mosquitos from my bare legs) I'll go for some unequivocally bad things.

4. Mosquitos: I could write a whole email about these, but essentially, after a week in lovely south india I had more bites on each hadn than fingers (actually, 10 on one hand and 8 on the other, so way more). I started spotting constellations, I was one bite short of the 'big dipper'. one of my doctor uncles admitted that recent years have seen mosquitos go from pesky buzzing blood suckers to silent, practically invisible, cold blooded hunters. He speculated either an evolutionary leap or a new form of biological warfare from China. (they carry resistant malaria and elephantiasis among other things down here).

5. Power Cuts: These are not romantic (especially not when you're travelling with your brother and silent mosquitos) as some people think. Rather, it means that a) at night the fan and AC that you splashed out for don't work and you cook slowly b) you have to be extra careful about putting your shaving razor and your torch in the same backpack side pocket (yes, this happened, as my poor knuckles will testify. but in nepal, i just forgot to mention it last time).

Ok, enough being miserable, because I'm actually very happy. Its just that somehow its harder to explain the good stuff. But i'll try some unequivocally good things. And also because they far outnumber bad things so I'm not sure where to start.

6. Relatives in South India: I have relatives everywhere, and they are wonderful and loving, and cook tasty food, and have great names like 'diamond' 'baby' 'prince' 'Dr. Annie' and the rest are called 'walsa' or 'rohit'. I have had to go into hiding from them a little, because otherwise I would not get to email you or have any free time. But I'll really miss them.

Actually, i'll leave it at that, because my legs are getting bitten, I should have worn trousers. Such is life near the equator. I have a lot more to write, which I will do over the next couple of days. I'm back on August 24th though, which is both sad, but also I am looking forward to seeing everyone.

lots of love
Michael x
p.s. will try get some photos up too, but that is a serious undertaking.