First stop in India was Bangalore. I did not stay there as I got a pick up to go to Mysore straight away.

I have been in Mysore for the past 2 weeks and I love it here. This is a great place if you want to study yoga. Great teachers and quality yoga. I am studing with Barath Shetty which I have to say is amazing. He is going to be as famous as Pattabi Jois. I am convince of this. His technique is Hatta - Iyengar and I have learned more in 2 weeks than in 2 years in London. He is very serious in the class but he is sweet and has a nice sense of humour.

At the moment there is not many yoga students as the main shala is close but it is better like this. I have made really nice friends through the yoga classes. People from every corner of the world and I am going to feel sad when they will start going away.

In the mornings after yoga class we go to have breakfast to Tinas or Shakty and we like to take our time to do so. Then I go to painging class with Anand who is a fantastic artist and specialises in Mysore painting art. I am doing a Ganesha and is going to be great. I will probably ship it home because it will be a hassle to carry it around. And in the afternoons I have another sesion of Yoga. My days are going by with yoga, painting and going for breakfast and dinners with my new friends. My life here is easy going, relaxed and fullfiling. This is just what I was looking for and I am feeling much better physically, mentally and spiritually. I don't miss my hectic life in London at all.

I was a bit scare of coming to India on my own. But it seems that when you do something adventurous, life gives you good things back. Everything has worked out incredibly well. I feel like at home here and locals are so nice and friendly. Mysore is a great place to spend some time as it is a relatively small town and it is quite clean and easy going comparing  with other bigger places. The main reason to spend time here is yoga but you could stay for a while even if not doing that.

I haven't had much time to explore around because of my busy schedule. I have been to the organic market that is located at Bopis every Sunday morning. It is a very small market with locals selling organic products and you need to be there early as the things go very fast. There is a really nice atmosphere and you meet a lot of foreigners living here. And if you are lucky you can try the creps from Federica a lovely french woman living in Ireland who is also studying yoga.  I have seen  the royal palace at night when all the lights are on and it looks like disney world. A bit tacky but it is impresive. I have also been to Chamundi hill where there is a stairway leading to the hill. It is around 1000 steps in all. I have not done them all. But apparently is a way for locals to keep fit. On the top there is Chamundi temple and in the way up you can find an impressive statue of  Nandi the bull, the vehicle of lord Shiva and finally I have been to the swiming pool located at the Lalitha Mahal palace which was build by the Maharaja of Mysore to host his most important guests. Now it is one of India's most opulent hotels and you can go to the swiming pool where it is always empty and feel like a princess.

I still have another 3 weeks to go here so I am sure there will be other places to tell. Until then ciao from India!!!!!

We got off the overnight train in Bangalore and got a long 3 hour bus into mysore.  Bit tiring that bit - but we got there - negotiated auto rickshaws at the station - and were off to the hotel.  Or for some of us - to a restaurant of the same name whch caused some kerfuffle...  But eventually we were there - with the help of a man who would become our stalker - trying to be 'helpful' but trying to get us to see his mum making incense - mysore's trademark - and then trying to sell us weed instead.  Our leader got rid of him at some point.

We had a quick breakfast and then a wander round the amazing maharajas palace.  It really was stunning - pics of the outside attached - but we couldnt take pictures of the inside unfortunatly.  Its unique in that it was the last palace to be made in such an elaborate manner - importing the best materials from all over the world.  The main marriage room - gorgeous - had ceiling glass from glasgow and mosaic tiles form England.

After that I managed to quite easily wander round and post my parcel - for half the price in kochi and to go by sea mail and get there by Dec 11th - even after the atm opposite didnt work.  I'm getting used to the way things wrk here and its all getting much easier.  I even did a bit of internet after before heading back to the hotel - as some of us were going to a Bollywood movie.

Got a rickshaw out to the cinema - going through the suburbs a bit.  Everyone in India owns either pet cows, goats, dogs or horses and lets them roam the streets all day and night as we would cats.  Interesting!  The roads are just full of cows and goats etc just hanging in the middle of a dual carriage way.  Cows are holy - so I can see why they are taking the piss a bit - but the dogs and horses and goats should watch out! 

The cinema was cool - looked like a large old fashioned english one.  We saw the film - a Bollywood one called Dahmaal.  It was not so busy in the cinema because Bollywood films are from the north and in Hindi - but no one in the south really speaks Hindi.  They all have differing languages in the different states we have travelled through down south - and they mainly communicate in Englsh as a trading language between them, so the indiands inthe cinema understood about as much of the spoken words as we did!  The story as of 4 silly males who were friends and trying to get to the 10 million rupees a dying man they found at the side of the road told them he had buried.  But they are rubbish at it and keep bumbling everythign in a very charlie chaplin style classic comedy manner.  And then there is the butch police man who gets in their way and wants the money too - and a random terrorist that joins the hunt.  mad stuff.  But could ahve easily been an american film - not typical Bollywood.  apparently they are trying to make a stand against the typical dance stlye of bollywood with women in wet saris etc.  There were only 3 dance scenes in Dahmaal - and apparently thats rare.  But in each there were western women dancing in skimpy outfits and touching the men - while, of course, the indian women were suitably dressed and dancing in the back ground nicely.  No wonder they get a bad impression of western women!  I even noticed the typical head and shoulders shampoo advert - with a woman running her hands through the guys hair lovingly - was an indian man and a western woman - i guess because indian women are not to be shown doing that?  Interesting.  And not good for us white girls!!!

We had dinner in a cool restaurant with a live jambi drummer and guitar after - lots of people on the tour are getting really ill - some with liquid coming out both ends so to speak!  Apart from some tummy trouble at the beginning of the trip - i seem to be sailing through - touch wood!  Treated myself to a Kingfisher beer this evening and an early night watchuing the disney channel!  Highly entertaining stuff!

The next day I woke up early and explored the town.  Had an amazing dosa (indian snack of a type of crispy pancake filled with potato curry you dip in yogurt and masala sauce - yum!) and explored the food market and the streets where the locals lved.  Was really interesting - see photos attached.  Really enjoyed it.  But didnt like the animal part of the market - the butchers.  Chickens - about 10 - with their feet tied together in a circle lying in the hot sun for god knows how long until someone puts them out of their misery.  not nice. 

Managed to spend a few hours tidying up this blog on the net over lunch - which takes ages!- and then went to a water park a few klometers out with some ppl from the group.  Weird cuz the girls all go in in trousers and shirts - so conservative here - you can NEVER show knees or shoulder - but I had been told by the hotel and the entrace staff i could wear shorts and a t shirt.  Still everyone stared at me!  But we had fun - most of the people there were 15 year olds after school hanging with their mates. 

After that - it was a ruch back to the hotel to get a bus to Bangalore again - a private one this time - and jesus it was some ride.  Car wreckages allalong the road.  Bit unnerving.  And he reversed down the equivalent of the A12 for some way to get through a gap to go to theother side for a toilet stop.  Very Very touch and go.  We were alol a bit nervous.  Bangalore traffic was a stand still for an hour.  Apparently its likethat every day - and it was a rtopical rain shower a lot of the journey.  Which made it even better when the cover over our packs came off and all our stuff was soaked!  We were not hppy when we eventually got to the overnight train - completely soaked and bedragled!  I just set up my bed and went to sleep.  A decent nights sleep at that! 

Mysore- amazing palace and the usual india chaos.  This town has been dubbed My-sore-ass by my dad's friend.  I can image his reason for this, our reason for agreeing is a 7.5 hour bus journey on the bumpiest road ever in the worst bus ever.

Arriving at Mysore after the long trip, finally get to see the beatuiful campus and my room. I might want to sleep, but will definitly want to do some exploring.

OK, so after a couple of long waits and then long flights I finally arrived in India and then took a bus to my new home for 6 months. The campus is amazing- pictures will be posted soon. I'm in my room right now and it is great- I have my own room, and my own bathroom and it is air conditioned, but those things are not that important, what is important is that I met a lot of really cool people, and I think I am really going to like spending these next couple of months with them. OK, more posts to come later. Amit