मुंबई Part 1

It's been a while.
I was in Mysore, seeking living accomodations and decided that I didn't want to stay in that city for an extended period. Soon after arriving, I departed, heading for Goa with a new friend!
It was a long ride on a bus where i suspect bed bugs feasted on my legs, and then a train where I slept sitting up because not only were bunks all taken but also every inch of floor space! Stepping off the train in Madgaon, Goa my traveling buddy and I hauled our heavy bags to the road to wait for a local bus, when a very adament taxi driver stopped to talk to us. He was heading to where we wanted to go, Panaji - an hour away, and would take us there for Rs.300. After some haggling, literally us walking away several times and him circling around again and lowering the price, we got the ride for Rs.100.
Panajai AKA Panjim is the capitol of Goa, maintains a European flavour, or after taste, from the former Portuguese colonialists. It is quite lovely, and a place i would definitely return to for further exploration! I didn't make it to a beach which is a major highlight of the state, but what evs. I did go and see a World Heritage site though! The Basilica Bom Jesus where the relics (i think that means corpse) of Saint Francis Xavier are contained. His dedication to the spread of Christianity lead him all over the world. He also founded the college of Jesuits. yep.
Onward! next stop Mumbai, en route to Aurangabad!
Meeting awesome people always assures me that i am on the right track, and this train was full of them! a mother-daughter-father team were going to secure a Visa to the USA so the daughter could join her husband there. They were awesome because we had similar interests in Yoga and Meditation and spirituality in general. Mother was reading a book on Sufism, daughter was reading a book on Holistic lifestyle and father had attended several Goekna Vipassana retreats and was cracking jokes. All were genuinely smiling, shiny and bright.
I made another friend with whom I discussed the Indian teacher Osho, and some of his lessons on being authentic. A ride i thought was going to be slightly painful flew by without measure!
Mumbai! the most expensive place for accomodations in the country. Very crowded city, feels worse then NYC. My room at the city Palace (for 2 nights) was basically a shoebox, and no one had the decency to cut out any windows. Oh well, clean enough! With my Osho reading friend from the train I visited Elephanta Island where there is another world heritage site, a Cave temple devoted to Shiva. Very breath taking!
Part 2 is to come!

Namaste!

First impression; Bangalore was jaw dropping from the moment we left the airport. Once we entered the city in a taxi the intensity thickened. From narrow streets, fast moving, non-stop jumbled traffic (not always dividing lines, so sometimes the drivers swerve around vehicles moving too slow and it seems for a moment that a head on collision with on-coming traffic is imminent, to cows and dogs roaming the streets। We arrived safely at the home of our beautiful hosts, friends of friends. After a day of getting oriented with the city, the pace and the culture the original sense of bewilderment subsided. Now I am more used to things here in Bangalore, and feeling ready to explore more of what India has to offer. Next stop Mysore!

Landed at last!

We've arrived in Asia!

Landed in Singapore at 8:00am local time.

The flight was not as bad as I anticipated! I always bring books with me on buses and planes, but never seem to read them. Outside the windows is much more consuming. The films that the airline offered were helpful too though. I saw more movies in 21 hours then i have seen in 6 months! I did bits of yoga on the planes and at the gates, very helpful although I got inquisitive glances and stares.

Singapore is wonderfully balmy. The highway from the airport lined with green bushes blooming purple blossoms. The architecture is cool, with lots of modern buildings in the works. We are staying with 2 of Steph's amazing friends. They live in a part of town that contains older buildings from the 50s or 60s, and while most of the old buildings have been torn down to make way for newer brighter, glass towers, this part of town is protected as historic. It is just my style, I'm not much of a condo liver.

We are going to check out a Dim Sum joint and a local market now. Feeling surprisingly fine energy-wise. I know jet-lag is looming.

Hurray! Singapore!

Tomorrow we're off!

I got my malaria prophylactic.

Clothes and toiletries in a backpack (back pack courtesy of the lovely "Sabs")

Money, cards, ID and insurance sorted out.

I'm trying to make the rounds and say good byes to all the loved ones, won't get to see everyone before I go though, Boooo-urns.

Not so much looking forward to the flight tomorrow. I have a feeling I will land in Singapore with a severe pain in the ass, I don't mean Steph ;D

Farewell Canada!