Road To Mysore

It's been a while since my last post and there's been a lot of good things that happened before I left Mysore 8 days ago. The last two weeks in Mysore was crazy busy in a very good way. I did Narasima's philosophy and sutra class every morning and did the chanting class in the afternoon. I was driving to the city twice a day...that was exhausting but well worth it. The philosophy class really help me understand what I've been going through. I felt everything but didn't know how to verbalize it. I learned so much in those two weeks, some of it stuck and some of it was just way over my head...it's all good though. There were two things that really stuck.

For the longest time, I been concerned about the road ahead. I would make plans for the near future but it would never stick and then another one but it still wouldn't stick. Nothing made any sense. It reach a point about a month ago...I no longer saw a road ahead. All I knew was the step ahead and beyond that was a total mystery. I asked myself many times..."am I going to go through life blind?" It's a scary thought...not knowing what life has in store for you. I was not brought up this way...it doesn't make any sense. One day in class Narasima said, "Yoga is a pathless path." He elaborated beautifully but that one sentence hit me like a brick. I'm fine with where I am and what I'm doing. It's a scary thing...this yoga path, but deep inside me this is what I want to do...this is my path...this is my passion...this is where I want to be...this is my destiny...

The other thing that he talked about was how the east and the west view things. I won't go into details but the gist of it was...In the west, it's either black or white and in Indian it's all grey. I've been struggling with this for a long time. I was brought up to think of things in terms of black or white and wrong or right. At some point in my life, I started to see things in terms of grey and what I once thought of as black or white is now simply grey. This is important to me because I've realized that there is no point in discussing things when that person look at things as black or white and you're looking at it as grey...it's a stupid discussion and something I should simply avoid. We discussed a whole variety of things which I'm still trying to soak in and make sense of. One thing is for sure...I have so much more to learn...I haven't even scratched the surface.

The last day at the shala was surprising. It was a Friday led class. There were still over 60 people at the shala. I had expected that it would have thinned out by then. The energy was great and we all applauded Saraswati at the end of class. She did an amazing job running the shala alone. Outside the shala at the coconut stand, I stayed as long as I could. I didn't want to leave Mysore...I wasn't alone. I did tell Saraswati that I would see her in January though and she just smiled.

I left Mysore early Saturday morning the day after the last day for Bangalore. From Bangalore, I took my flight to Jaipur and spent about two days there. I visited the forts and did some sightseeing but for the most part, I didn't care much about Jaipur. One thing I loved about Jaipur though was the Lassiwala on MI Road...best lassi in the world...since 1944. I can't wait to get some on my way back to Bangalore. It's penned in my calendar...January 2, 2008.

I left Jaipur last Monday evening and took a sleeper train to Jaisalmer. The train was suppose to leave midnight but we didn't leave the train station until 1:30AM...it was freaking cold in the train station and I didn't have enough warm clothing. We didn't get to Jaisalmer until 4PM the following day. I was starving on the train because I skipped breakfast thinking we'll be in by noon...big mistake. I wanted to ask my fellow passenger if I could buy some of their food but resisted. When we got to the Jaisalmer train station, I made a B-line to the nearest food stall and grabbed some cookies to hold me over. My last meal was the night before.

I met a fellow traveller in Jaipur and we decided to stay in the same hotel in Jaisalmer. We reserved a room in the Ganesh Guest House inside the fort. The rooms were sweet and we paid only 350 rupees. I stayed in a crap room in Jaipur and paid 1,250 rupees...what a rip off. Let me say one more thing before I continue...OMG...Jaisalmer is an amazing place...love at first sight. I decided to stay a day longer than plan. A beautiful fort in the middle of the desert...breathtaking.

My love affair with the fort was short lived because we booked a two day two night camel safari the following morning. My travel companion had to leave on Friday so we had to do the safari immediately. I would have wanted to soak it in a bit but I knew I would stay for two more in the fort so it was all good.

On Wednesday morning, Chris and I met up the rest of the crew and headed to the desert to meet up with our camels. There were 8 of us doing the safari. We were on the camels for about 4 hours each day...two hours from around 10 to 12 and around 2:30 to 4PM. We camped beside the sand dunes...they were amazingly beautiful. We ran around the sand dunes...it's great fun...and the sunset...OMG!!! At night we hung out the camp fire and got to know my fellow safari mates. One thing I've learned on this safari is that you realize how little you've travel when you start meeting other travellers...it's very humbling. We slept under the stars...no tents just scorpions...our guide told us that the scorpions don't come out during the winter so we would like to believe that they were under us keeping warm. It was a great time and I learned so much about myself. Camping in the desert for two nights is definitely not within my comfort zone. The thought of not being able to take a shower for two days was difficult but I survived it and I would do it again.

I spent last Friday and Saturday sightseeing in the fort and surrounding areas. I met some really cool people...a group of New Yorkers and an Indian family from Mumbai. I was a little worried about travelling alone but now I'm glad, I did this trip alone. I could have easily stayed another day in Jaisalmer...I love that place.

I left Jaisalmer on a 10AM bus this morning. I'm glad I arrived in the bus station early. The bus was packed like a sardine can. I was fine with it though. I arrived in Jodphur around 4PM and checked in my hotel. I'm not feeling the vibe here...felt like Jaipur. I met a couple of Americans during dinner and they said they were heading to Mt. Abu tomorrow. I was supposed to go there but I was told that it was too cold to go. They're from Colorado so they said, "How cold can it be?" My landlady kept telling me before I left that I should go to Mt. Abu but ditched that idea when I was talking to other travellers in Jaisalmer about Mt. Abu...too cold. Since I don't care much of Jodphur, I decided head to Mt. Abu the day after tomorrow. I'm told that the fort in Jodphur is a must see and worth it...beyond that, I would rather be away from the hustle and buzzle of Jodphur. It's late and I have a long day ahead of me...ciao...

I only alloted a full day to check out Jodphur. I booked a train from Mt. Abu early tomorrow morning so I wanted to do the 3 major sites in about 4 or 5 hours. First stop was the Meherangarh Fort where the maharajah of Jodphur use to live. I could see it from the rooftop restaurant in my hotel. It's massive and impressive from a distance...it's amazingly stunning and beautiful up close. I spent two hours touring the fort. The audio tour was good and informative...one of the better audio tours I've ever done. If the only thing I saw in Jodphur was the Meherangarth...my stop in Jodphur was well worth it. It's very different from the Jaisalmer Fort...more elegant in a way and well kept. I stayed in a hotel in the Jaisalmer Fort and there were many hotels, restaurants and shops inside. The Meherangarh was primarily for sightseeing, there were a few shops but it was more organized and less chaotic. I wanted to stay longer but I had contracted a ricksaw driver to take me to a couple other places.

The next stop was the Jaswant Thada...a milky white marble memorial a kilometer from the Meherangarh. It was a nice place but nothing compared to the fort. From a distance, I could see the Umaid Bhawan Palace and Museum. That was my last stop. It was a huge and beautiful palace but from some reason I wasn't too impressived...I wasn't feeling the place.

I met a few travellers from Hong Kong at the Jaswant Thada. They told me that to skip Chittorgarh from Udaipur and head to Bundi instead before heading to Pushkar. They told me that it's a must see. They were the second group of people who told me to go. My plans are constantly changing...in a good way but I my have to take another day from my trip to Pushkar or Udaipur...decisions, decisions, decisions...it's a great feeling though...having all these great choices. I know I'm going to be exhausted when I get to Mysore. I'll need a vacation from my vacation...

My stay in Jodphur is short and straight to the point. It was worth the stop. I'm sure there are more things to do but I'm ready to move on. My train for Mt. Abu is at 5:30AM tomorrow. I hope to sleep early tonight.

This whole traveling thing is exhausting. I'm having a great time but Rajasthan is so amazing that there is so many place to see and things to do. My plans keep constantly changing too. I'm not sure what I'm going to do next.

A couple of days ago, I was in Mt. Abu. It was a nice place...something like Ooty but nothing spectacular. The downside to seeing amazing places is that when you see something good, it becomes a waste of your time. It's hard not to compare one place to another. I was planning of staying in Mt. Abu for one day but I spent one afternoon and decide to leave the following day for Udaipur...good decision.

I got to Udaipur yesterday afternoon and walked around a bit. There is something special about this place. I'm glad I'm here. Last night we watched the James Bond movie "Octopussy". I've seen it a long long time ago so I didn't really remember the story. A good number of restaurants here show the movie every night because a good chunk of that movie was filmed here in Udaipur. It was actually cool seeing the movie on a rooftap restaurant and just point out the Lake Palace or the Monsoon Palace while watching the movie. The was a good way to spend the first night in here.

Today, I went to the City Palace with some fellow travellers. It was nice but I've recently been to other more stunning palaces or forts the past few days. It was crowded and just average. Later that afternoon we headed to the Monsoon Palace up the mountain. The palace has been abandoned but the view from that mountain was stunning. I wish I could have stayed there longer. We watched the sunset and the lights slowly light up.

Earlier today, we called to see if we could have lunch or dinner at the Lake Palace. I'm told that the rooms are about $600 to $1000 a night. They told us that lunch was 2,500 rupees for lunch plus tax and 3,500 rupees for dinner plus tax per person...too much for my blood. I also was told that the restaurant was already booked for the whole month. Which means that even if I was willing to pay, I still could go. I hate places like that...they make me sometimes feel so small.

Tomorrow will be my last day in Udaipur. I've already schedule a half day horse riding excursion around the countryside in the morning. I'm looking forward to that. I'm should be back in the hotel around one or two. The rest of the afternoon I hope to just chill and get ready for my next stop...Chittor or Bundi or both. I'll decide tomorrow evening.

It took the sleeper bus from Udaipur to Bundi last Friday night. I was dreading it because it's an 8 hour bus ride. I hate sleeping vertically on a bus. To my surprise, I passed out for 5 hours and when I woke up we were two hours away. I could feel the roads were terrible but I slept through it. I must have been really tired or I'm getting used to the travelling thing.

We got to Bundi at around 5AM and headed to the hotel I had reserved the day before. It was dump of a hotel but was a good place to sleep until the town woke up. I couldn't sleep so at around 7AM, I started walking around town and looked around for other hotel. I found a couple of good one. I returned to my hotel, paid 150 rupees for a dump of a room and transfered to a better hotel.

Later that morning, I agreed to let one of the sons of the hotel to be my guide. We first hiked up the hill to the fort. It was big beautiful abandoned fort. We walked around for over two hours. It was really cool because I saw only one tourist the whole. I pretty much had the fort to myself. The rest of the day he took to to other sights...none of which were very impressive.

I was supposed to stay one more day to chill but I decided to make my way to Pushkar last Sunday. I needed a day or two to just chill and decided that Pushkar would be a better place to chill...I was right. When I got here yesterday, I immediately decided that it was second favorite place in Rajasthan...Jaisalmer being my favorite. It is such a chill place and I love the food here. After checking in, I walked around and bumped into a couple I met in Udaipur. I joined then for dinner and hung out until it was time to sleep.

Today was such a chill day. I woke up late, did a short practice and had breakfast. I meet up again with the couple and did a hike to a temple up the hill...I forgot the name. It was a steep kilometer from the base of hill but when we got there the view was breathtaking...this is exactly what I wanted. The couple headed down the hill after half and hour. I decided to stay a couple of hours just to soak it in. I really needed the chill time. I've traveling from one city to another for over two weeks now. I hope to do another chill day tomorrow...no more sightseeing. I've reached a point in my trip wherein I'm forted-out, templed-out and palaced-out.

My trip is slowly coming to an end. I can't believe that time has flown by so quickly. Before I left for Rajasthan, I was hoping to convince a friend in Mysore to travel with me. When I realized that there were no taker, I almost backed out. I went anyway and now I'm very pleased that I traveled alone. I learned so much about myself that I surprised myself. There is something special about traveling around India alone. It's nice to travel with other people but traveling alone has not only been a visual journey but an internal journey as well. I now look forward to do more traveling alone in the future. I am no longer the same person I was when I left Mysore a few weeks ago. I have a confidence about myself which wasn't there before I left. I was able to meet a lot of other cool travellers and also had time to reflect on my life. I am anticipating more drastic changes in the near future...it's going to fun...a little scary but fun. I don't know what life has in store for me but I know it's all going to be good. I'm a much stronger person because of this trip. I went out of my way to get out of my comfort zone and survived...that's a great feeling. I can't help but smile. Thank you India for being such a wonderful place and helping me discover who I am...I love this place!!!