Let's (NOT) make a deal!!

Yesterday Diana and I ventured up Chaimundi Hill, a popular tourist destination and therefore a place to get thoroughly fleeced. Lots of vendors, rickshaw drivers and holy types tried to strike up deals with us while we earnestly attempted not to strike up deals in return. Some of you may receive a postcard from me in the next 2 weeks (or months- not sure about the postal system yet) which is testament to the fact that I am utterly rubbish at not being taken in by anyone with a sob story. The gorgeous boy who sold them to me only had to say "to pay for school books" and I was emptying my purse feverishly!

This sign was halfway to the top of Chaimundi Hill. I didn't get to enjoy the view too much here because it was incredibly hazy. Mysore is very spread out and pretty big. There are some lovely buildings including the Maharajah's Palace and a couple of other palaces.



The temple is dedicated to the goddess Chaimundi who freed the city from an evil war-mongering slave-driver chappie. He also bore an uncanny resemblance to our rickshaw driver!I can't say it was a spiritual experience- there were too many hard-selling postcards vendors and freaky monkeys hanging around! These are fruit and flower offerings that people take into the temple to be blessed by the priests:Another unclear photo. It says 'Godly Museum' on the right of the building. Incidentally one of my favourite Indianisms is, when referring to the backdoor or back entrance of a building, they will say 'You can find it at the backside'- call me childish but this always has me in fits.
We walked down the 1000 steps and passed this bull half way down. He is the second biggest in India- so there.

Here are some of my favourites signs this week: The photo isn't too good but in the corner underneath 'Addiction' it says the wise words "Never Again'- is this meant to encourage or dissuade us from buying their apparel?

There seems to be a bit of an epidemic occuring over here. And a pattern emerging in my blog. This morning at the talk given by our yoga teacher, he was talking a disproportionate amount about piles. Is it something to do with curries? Suggestions please...Also I didn't know what a proctologist was (lucky me?!) until I got here- I love my American flatmate, Diana's explanation: "It's an ass doctor".

Since the Ganesh festival, some households and the Ayruvedic place I went to for a massage have created these beautiful flower patterns on their thresholds.The massage was very good and I felt very relaxed afterwards but it was one of the more bizarre experiences I've ever had. For a start they don't do the coy 'stay half dressed' stuff that litigation-fearful masseurs do in UK. It's kit off completely round here and then you're given an extremely long loin cloth (which later becomes a tripping hazard) which one of the ladies helpfully ties around you. There are two masseurs who chatter away to each other most of the time- not something I mind too much apart from my paranoia has me thinking that they are obviously talking about the size of my white ass! They use a lot of lovely smelling herbal oils and then pummel you to within an inch of your life for about half an hour, all the while asking 'Pressure ok madam?' and paying little perceptible attention to the fact that you can't actually reply because they've got your face pressed into the table so hard. After the pummeling comes the steam bath which is powered with steam by a pressure cooker. You gingerly make your way into a wooden box with a hole for your head to peep out and sit on a rickety stool while being asked, at very close quarters, 'You from?' 'You marry?' 'You have hair fall?' (this seems to be another common Indian health complaint which I suffered from in China and am hoping to avoid over here). After you've been steamed till your temples throb, it's your job to try and get rid of all the oil, in the dark bathroom (the power went off mid massage which was good in that it stopped the so-called relaxing background music which was starting to do my head in) with a couple of buckets of (mercifully) warm water. The ladies then sat on the bed and watched me very carefully while I got dressed, chatting away together (I don't even want to think what they were observing this time- from my China experiences of this nature I find it better not to dwell too hard on this or I'd end up in the nuthouse). Finally a short ritual involving some chanting, a couple of sharp smacks on my forehead and a dab of oil between the eyes and Bob's your uncle...6 quid and you're 'good to go' (as my flatmate would say).

And here are some pics of the flat- which is in a building called 'The Whitehouse'. We have a resident nutter here too (no it's not me) but he doesn't weild any power so we're ok. Just have to put up with some wailing occasionally in the afternoons (a real siesta killer).

My ensuite. Who was saying I was posh?

My double bedroom- not much to see!

The kitchen. We have gas and plates and cups now but are still waiting for something to heat water in and some cutlery so we just sort of look at it once in a whiole and then go to a restaurant!

Diana 'acting natural' in our living room with my smalls hanging out to dry. There are a lot of septic tanks (yanks or Americans for anyone not familiar with the rhyming slang) here in Mysore and I'm afraid I've started adopting some of their expressions. If you notice this is getting out of hand and I'm losing my grip on Englishness and the good old British idiom, please let me know. I know how strong my tedency to pick up accents is and I don't want to start calling my trousers pants- it's not not right.

The balcony or where the resident loon sometimes stands and wails.

The coconut tree that shades the balcony. Every morning after yoga, students gather outside the shala and have a coconut juice straight from the coconut with a straw- 10 rupees a pop and it's the only thing that gets me back to the flat after the exertion.

So I'm fine- I've had 3 days off yoga due to Saturday rest day, a moon day and these coinciding with my 'lady's holiday' so I'm feeling rested and ready to start again on Tuesday. We have a full moon party this evening to raise money for a local orphans' charity. I am already tempted to start work as they are looking for English teachers but I think I'll hold off a while- I can just see myself creating a London-style full-on schedule here and that's NOT the idea.

Lots of love to all. And expect more next week...