The 08.45 from Varkala to Ernakulam.

A yogic no no and some Varkalan ramblings.

Well that was a shame. Everything else about the place was great. Except satsang. We just couldn't get on with satsang. Satsang means 'in the company of truth' and is the first and last thing practiced daily at the ashram that we were booked in at. It is the spiritual practice of coming together for silent meditation, chanting and to share the knowledge of the gurus and swamis. But it just wasn't for us. The accommodation was very sparse but livable, the 5.20 morning bell was fine, the communal dining area and eating in silence was great as well. We met a lot of lovely people from around the world as well and doing karmic yoga gave a sense of purpose and community.

We missed satsang one night and were just chilling in our room when the knock came. 'Why aren't you at satsang?' I spent five or so minutes explaining our reasons but it didn't look like we were going to win her over. 'Maybe you could meet with the director tomorrow and discuss it with him?' Well.....maybe I could.
I think it was her parting comment that got me the most, 'well I hope you find peace tonight'. Until then I was sure I would sleep well and wake refreshed and ready for some more yoga. But I suspect in her mind I would be thrashing around sleeplessly all night because I hadn't cleansed my mind the evening before. So, sensing that this would become more of a problem in the coming days and not wishing it to taint the nice experiences we already had we decided to leave the next day and go back to Varkala.

And we ended up in the place above. It's in a compound of government buildings and when there are no visiting dignitaries a room can be rented for Rp220 (£2.46) a night. A real bargain but a lick of paint wouldn't go amiss. Or some more light bulbs and a mirror. When the wind blew dust and plaster fell down through the sizeable holes in the wood panelled ceiling. And there was a mongoose or similar that ran around up there at night. After three nights we moved back to the Akhil Beach Resort that we had stayed at before we went to the ashram.

We shall be here until the 26th Dec and then we will head to Fort Cochin for two nights, and then the tea plantations of Munnar for another two and then back to Cochin for two nights. The reasoning for this is geographical and the time of year. It won't be that easy to escape the area over new year and rooms were becoming less easy to find and book. Here are some photos from our time around Varkala:

A merry christmas and a happy new year to you all and thanks for reading these posts. Over a thousand page views so far!!

A few photos more from Alappuzha.

                              This was our lovely little place at Lake and Paddy resort.........

We had a few visitors..........

And saw these three when we were out and about........

Preparations for a Christian festival.............

And some more of the friendly Keralans............

Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa!

Ayyappan is a Hindu deity that is worshiped in a number of shrines across India. Ayyappan is believed  to be  an incarnation of Dharma Sasta, who is the offspring of Shiva and Vishnu. There is more about this here.

We were lucky enough to witness the pilgrimage ceremony over the course of a day......

The ceremony would take place at this house and preparations began early in the morning.

Great vats of boiled rice to feed everyone were prepared in the morning.

As ever the Keralan people wanted to be photographed and relished telling us all about themselves and their families.

By nightfall a small shrine had been built from bamboo and coconut leaves. The young men to the left are the thirteen pilgrims who will undertake a three day and night trek to Sabarimala in the hills of Pathanamathitta.

The man leading the proceedings brought round a flaming bowl and everyone scooped the smoke with both hands and inhaled. There followed a long part of the ceremony where he tied a bandana around the head of  each of the pilgrims, then a thin material belt around his waist and then a bag of coconuts is placed on his head, a cloth on top of that. His hand then reaches up to secure this load. A final round of blessings takes place, all the while the ladies of the village are whooping and shrieking ( think the typical 'red indian' battle cry ) and then in a great flourish each pilgrim smashes a coconut on a central rock spraying milk and splintered shell. All onlookers either catch or pick off the ground these remnants and devour the flesh. Through the smoke and people the holy man approaches me at a pace, a large black blade in one hand and something round and dark in the other, his eyes bloodshot from the efforts of his incantations and hours of  standing in smoke. My immediate fear is that we have offended him somehow. He stops in front of me and and lifts his machete, uncurls his other hand and delicately slices a piece of something mottled and brown. The steel is now right in front of my mouth. He gestures for me to take it, his eyes softening now. It is a piece  of sweet molasses or palm sugar. A delicious soft crumbly treat. ( I have since found out that this is jaggery )

And then everyone else came to us with different offerings, some rice wrapped in banana leaf, more coconut, babies and young children were hoisted aloft for us to scrutinize and pass praise. The holy man and his second were drawing heavily on cigarettes now, their work done. 

The pilgrims by now have started on their trek and the crowd have very quickly dispersed. Some mothers or other female relatives have followed this thirteen, still sending calls of encouragement into the night. The holy man came to me once again grinning this time and wiped his thumb across my forehead leaving a streak of ash. We ambled off feeling quite humbled at being allowed such closeness to this primal event and the warmth and pride of these lovely people.

Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa!

'Oh Ayyappa I seek refuge in you!'

On a houseboat in Kerala.

One of the things that just has to be done when in Kerala is a houseboat tour. After finding out how much our resort were charging we did a little investigating in Alappuzha, and viewed a few boats. We went with our resort as the price was fair and we got picked up right outside our front door.

For Rp6000 (£68) we had a well kept boat to ourselves with a crew of three for almost 24hours ( The captain, second and chef ). We were picked up at 11.30am and immediately given a coconut each with a straw sticking invitingly out of the top. After this is drunk the chef chops it in two and the flesh eaten.

The day before we had taken a canoe trip and had

seen all of the small waterways that branch off the large lakes and rivers. It was very intimate 

with the locals going about their daily business. Today we would see the wider rivers and lakes.

The water is truly their life. From bathing and fishing to washing and commuting.

There are homes and small buildings along all of these smaller tributaries, barely any space between

them for any other. 

Old women are stooped on the steps up to their thighs or waists washing out the various metal pots 

used for storage and cooking. And if it's not metalware then it's clothing. Every few metres there 

will be a flat stone adjacent to the steps that is used as a base for soaping and scrubbing, 

and when the garment is deemed clean enough it is rinsed in the river and slapped heavily in a 

wheeling motion on the rock, the sound echoing almost continually through the palm trees and

pandanus shrubs and then bouncing off the water into the sky. After walking to anothers house it

is common to rinse the feet and sandal before entering the property.

This 'Venice of the East' is of course polluted. The detritous of everyday life floats by and there

is the rainbow coloured splotches of diesel and oils on the surface. The Keralans that inhabit this

waterside scoop up a handful and sloosh it around the mouth before spurting it out again. I suspect

this is a form of prevention. Along with the rice that is grown almost everywhere here fish and crustachea

are part of the food chain that is in constant contact with this water. This is no place for an 

aquaphobic. 

And talking of food, it's lunchtime. Some Keralan rice which is large, light and fluffy, okra fried off

with slivers of coconut, some small pappads, a curd raitha, a bowl of finely chopped coconut with

other unidentified items, vegatable sambal and two small river fish which have been fried in a spicy 

coating. And as ever it is quite delicious!

We return to the upper viewing deck after and continue taking in the amazing vista. By late afternoon we have

turned off of the river onto Vembanadu lake which is huge and the paddy fields which line the other

sides of the retaining walls stretch to the far horizon. It is a busy area and many other boats are now

converging to one of the banks where there are rows of shops. We buy a couple of giant freshwater prawns to

supplement our dinner ( as if that were needed! ) and have a quick head and face massage. The latter 

leaves us feeling nicely mellowed and ready for the first beer which has been chilling in the fridge.

After about another hour or so we moor up for the night alongside many of the other boats that have

been out that day.

And then dinner time! Similar to lunch but with chapatis, chicken curry, and a lentil dal and the prawns

we bought earlier. A wonderful end to the day. I was gently awoken the next day by the first houseboat

leaving, the thrum of the diesel and then the wake gently undulating our vessel. Breakfast was a light

ommelette with toast and jam, coffee and freshly cut pineapple. Needless to say, today will be a day

of little food! Within minutes of finishing we were back

at base. A fantastic experience which will remain a high point of our time in 'God's own country'.