Cow Pies

...are everywhere, which makes sense since there are cows everywhere. Well, I stepped in my first one today. I was in a different part of Mysore...Laxmipuram, and was walking around "tourist style", i.e. not watching where I was going, when I noticed the softness under my right foot. I suppose it won't be the last time this happens.

Back to Laxmipuram. This is where Guruji's old yoga shala is...he still owns it and returns often to offer puja in rememberance of his late wife. I was in that area for several reasons. First, to meet with Harini of "Three Sisters" for one of her famous massages...to have breakfast there after, and to become familiar with this neighborhood for future visits.

Harini uses an auyervedic (The science of life) technique to massage the body. She massages you with her feet. You are first covered in oil ( a tri-dosha balancing oil), and for an hour and a half massages your entire body with her feet...holding a rope above for balance. They say the feet are much more sensitive than the hands...and using one's own body weight can allow the therapist to go much deeper while using less energy. She immediately picked up on all of the areas of rigidity and imbalance in my body and worked those areas deeper...almost unbearable...but with wonderful benefit. After , you are led to a shower to wash the oil off, then into the next room for a meal. I had a huge fruit bowl with curd (yogurt), and muscelei...and wholemeal toast with jam. An excellent morning indeed. I will go back.

Yesterday went to see Kyun Hogaya Na...a Bollywood movie at the Lido theatre in Mysore. Cinema is huge here...in Mysore alone (a relatively small city by India standards) there are roughly 25 theatres. As I walked into the Lido, it was everything that was described to me...large, great sound system, comfortable with air conditioning...but it wasn't packed. Perhaps it was the time of day. Cinema is very affordable... the best seats in the balcony go for r's 35, but you can watch downstairs for as little as r's 8. Most movies are at least 3 hours long...with intermission. I need to see more...I find them quite entertaining...fun music, but the 3-4 hours takes some geting used to...I know I will though.

More sights...I've seen alot of new homes being built in Gokulam (the suburb of Mysore where the new yoga shala is). Most are made of brick or some sort of cement. As they are being built, there is a man assigned to watch over the house...day and night. That's right...he basically lives there. Usually a small brick hut, perhaps 8'x8', is built for him (and his family if he has one) to live in. Once the house is finished, the hut is taken down, and the bricks cleaned off for use later.

Always something new. I'll be back in a day or two.