This is a self-portrait in paradise, the same day I was called not fit and bulky. One thing's for sure, check it out- I'm sweating!
Check out where Communism still reigns, in south Kerala, which was way more Christian than any other part of India. Here I dwarf a pair of twins who accompanied us all the way to the Allepey beach, let me tell you, a glamorous resort destination if I've ever seen one. (Note my sarcasm.) Allepey is considered the Venice of India, and, well, that made the beach the Venice Beach of India. The lifeguard, who materialized out of nowhere, was sure excited to talk to us, as no one was bathing anyway.
So, I'm back in Barcelona, back at work, finished traveling around and almost back to my regular yoga practice (tried to do everything again last week but I've realized that my last few postures are too strong and you have to build up slowly, slowly, slowly. Ow.)
It actually feels great to be back, thanks to friends and company and my king-sized IKEA bed with soft squishy pillows. I've deepened my yoga practice, and learned four things: 1.) Yoga is one of the most important things in my life. 2.) I don't necessarily need to be living in Spain. 3.) I should be spending more time with my family. and 4.) Being blond in India is like being queen of the world, even with all the nuisances and annoyances that it brings with it, including constant attention from pesados and having 10 pairs of eyes on you at all times, even on the highway inside a vehicle.
I thought Madurai was a fantastic dry, hot, pure Indian town with some fantastic food and four-plus hours of entertainment inside the temple. I think a study needs to be done on the art deco/glam 60s aesthetic of Indian hotels. Kerala was paradise, an oasis of coconut trees and watery bliss, but take good company and don't spend more than 4 or 5 days. And if I ever see the guy who did our river boat tour, I think I'll shove a dry coconut up his nose for telling me that I'm not fit just because I couldn't shimmy up a 40 foot tall coconut tree in one minute flat. He told me I was "bulky", and golly, I should've said straight out that he was bollocks. Not fit! He should see me in Kappotasana, or swimming a half hour in the ocean when most of his paisanos don't even know how to swim, or running for an hour just cuz it feels good. Just because I didn't grow up climbing coconut trees from the age of 4. The jerk.
Anyhoo, I promise to supply the link to some fantastic pictures as soon as the technical difficulties on my Picasa page are gone. In the meantime, content yourselves with these still images.......
