10 days in an ashram. Ommmmm

For the past 10 days I have been secluded in paradise, surrounded by trees, lakes and nature in southern India. Neyaar Dam, located in Kerala, is just far enough away from a major city that you don't hear the constant beeps and honks from cars or have to breathe in smog. It is pristine and beautiful, with vistas that make you want to just sit and stare. This is where the Sivananda ashram is located, and where I have slept, showered, socialized, eaten, and practiced for over a week.

We arrived about 11:30 am from Trivandrum on the 16th, and since then we have been doing 4 hours of yoga everyday (except Fridays, when we get to go on a organized day trip)! We have been sleeping in separate dorms, but since the ashram is so full, Paul has been on a mattress on the floor in the temple, and I was on a mattress on the floor above the Ayurvedic health center... There have been over 400 people here during our stay.. I was not anticipating that many people to be here! 300 something teacher training students and the rest "yoga vacationers"... The accomodations are busting at the seams!

Our typical day was like this: wake up at 5:20am (I always seemed to be wide awake at 5 when the Hindu music from the temple down the road started blasting.. Everywhere in India there are huge speakers pumping out songs.. It's like you have a soundtrack everywhere you go). Get dressed, head to satsang where we meditated for 30 minutes, chanted kirtan songs, and had a little talk.. This lasted 1.5 hours.

Then at 7:30 we met around this big tree and had tea time to perk us up before practicing at 8 am sharp..We practiced for 2 hours, including 30 minutes of pranayama (breathing exercises) 1 hour 15 minutes of asana practice, and then 15 minutes of relaxation.

At 10 am we head to brunch, where we ate typical dishes from Kerala, such as savory coconut curries with rice or another sort of starch. We sat on the floor on a long straw mat, sitting cross legged, and ate with our hands. We also ate in silence, so the energy from talking would be "used for digestion". Some of the dishes we had were amazing.. We ate off these big metal plates with little compartments for different dishes.. A big part for rice and curry, then 4 little parts for condiments, a little sweet made from tapioca, fruit, or salad. I cannot complain about the food... And I have actually started to prefer eating only twice a day with a little snack around 2.

After lunch, we had to do karma yoga..which is where you give selfless service for the betterment of the community. We had various jobs while in the ashram, luckily we didn't have to clean toilets! The first day, we stacked wood that the kitchen uses to cook. The rest of our stay, we used straw hand brooms to sweep leaves off the lakeside yoga area. It was nice to be by the water, and it was a quick and easy job.

We had some free time after karma yoga, where we could relax. A few times we got an out pass and headed to the lake for a swim. It's rumored that there are crocodiles in the lake, but according to the locals we met, it's not true. It was a good way to move the body in other ways than just doing yoga.. I'm dying for a run right about now.. It's been almost 12 days!

At 1:30 we headed back to the Tea Tree for another tea time and little snack.. This was usually some kind of fruit. One day we had a huge fried banana. I was not a fan, but I did enjoy the nice fruit bowls we had every now and then.

From 2-3:30 pm we had a lecture, where a staff member would have a talk about the Sivanada philosophy and history, chanting mantras, asana benefits, or other topics. I will say that this style of yoga is different from what I have done for years.. It has it's own beliefs and class structure, which I learned a lot about. I found it interesting to see how it compares to the style I learned in my teacher training. I have a lot to tell Terri about back at Mindful Motion Yoga! Some things I agreed with, some things I did not, and I have a lot of questions to discuss in regards to anatomy and safety.. Overall though, I feel satisfied with the knowledge I have gained from the classes and lectures.

After the lecture, we headed back to another asana practice for 2 hours. Then it was time for a much needed dinner at 6pm, usually the same style of food as lunch.. I personally found the brunch to be much better than the dinner, so after dinner we would make our way to the Health Hut, a little gem of a snack bar where you could purchase nice hot teas, fruit, smoothies, or other treats. This was a nice way to sit and chat with all the wonderful people we have met during our stay here, or get a little treat after dinner. (Healthy, of course!)

At 8pm we would head back to the large hall where we would have Satsang again.. Another 30 minutes of meditation, then hour of singing kirtan mantras and a talk based on Sivananda philosophy. Sometimes this was hard to sit through.. I have definitely gained strength in my supportive back muscles from having to sit cross legged on the floor for 4 hours a day.

After satsang, I would head back to my "dorm", have a cold shower (no hot water here!) and get ready for bed. Lights out was at 10:30, but more times than not I was snoozing by 9:45 easily. A good nights sleep and then wake up bright and early the next day to do it all again! 

I have joked with my roommates that this ashram reminds me of "summer camp for adults". We have a jam packed schedule, strict entry/exit policy, rules about clothing and using technology, sit around and sing songs, share showers and bathrooms, eat together in a dining hall, are awoken by a bell, have "lights out", and get to enjoy nature. Want to get back to your childlike state? Book a stay in an ashram and you are good to go.

That's all for now.... You get an idea of what we have been doing, on the 18 hour train journey we have ahead of us, I will go into more detail about things I enjoyed, things that surprised me, and places we have gone, such as a trip to the Backwaters and the Jungle. We have made some great friends and gotten to know some really cool people here.. 

It was been nice to get away from news, current events, (yes, I did hear about Bieber thanks to those who did utilize the wifi I was surprised to see at the ashram) technology, Facebook, and all the things that distract me from really taking every moment in and doing things that really matter. Of course, I have missed talking to loved ones or seeing what people I care about have been doing, but to really disconnect from technology and the "real world" for a week has been nice. That, and the total lack of toxins that have entered my body..I feel rejuvenated and wonderful! Too bad we are heading to a place known for boozing and parties..Let's get real, we are meeting our newfound friends Steph and Pete at a place called "Cocktails and Dreams" in Palolem as soon as we arrive to Goa. It is difficult to refrain from these certain social gatherings while traveling, especially when you want to hang out with the cool people you meet.. But, I have felt how good it feels to be mentally and physically purified, and will be much more mindful in the future and when we return from our trip. It's all about balance! I am excited to see our friends and Ian and Celia very soon!

Until next time,

MC 

Lessons in Ahimsa

One thing that surprised me about the Sivananda yoga method was the obsession with headstand. The "king of asana" was the first pose we began class with after we did our breathing exercises, everyday. Yes, I know the headstand is full of health benefits and is one that most yoga practitioners strive to perfect. I will make a confession right here.. I am a yoga teacher and I cannot successfully get myself into headstand without the safety net of a wall behind me. For one, I have a fear of falling, and two, I feel like my legs are flapping around in the air willy nilly. I can balance, have very good flexibility, and I think I'm pretty strong, but the headstand is one pose I still have yet to master. Ugh.

In yoga philosophy, there are 12 guidelines to help you be a better person to yourself and those around you, called the Yamas and Niyamas. One of the Yamas is Ahimsa, which means non-harming. This can be translated as being kind to yourself by treating your body with kindness, having kind "self talk" in your mind, not hurting others, not eating or hurting animals, etc. 

In my ego driven quest to attain a headstand by the end of our stay at the ashram, I was practicing between classes, going through each of the 8 steps to get vertical upside down. The third day we were there, I was practicing and got my legs slightly up, and then slammed on my back on a hard marble floor. I shook it off, but a few hours later, I could tell something wasn't right. I ended up having a pretty deep impact injury around my right kidney and my hip joint felt a little out of whack. This is when I began my battle with ahimsa.

I am very stubborn and will be the first to admit it.... When I am sick or injured, I push myself through the pain and usually do more damage than good. Being a long distance runner and overachiever, I have pushed myself to illness and injury time and time again. I had never had a yoga injury before... I guess the universe wanted to send me an opportunity to let go of my ego and stubborn tendencies and really follow the path of non-harming during my ashram stay. It was hard, especially since I could no longer do the one pose I wanted to during our stay.

The next day, after my fall, I could hardly walk up stairs. I couldn't lift my right leg up to 90 degrees while laying down or standing up. There were poses and things I couldn't do in class because the pressure on my back hurt too bad.. If there's anything I've learned from my YTT or from dealing with various back issues in my family, it's that when it comes to the spine and back, you don't mess around. So while everyone else was doing leg lifts, head stand, or other poses that require you to put pressure on the lower back, I laid in savasana and did my best to be okay with it. 

This was my worst nightmare, to be in the place I had looked forward to going to for months and not be able to fully participate. I decided to take it as a learning opportunity, and be kind to myself and not criticize my foolishness by overdoing it or push through pain during classes. Sometimes I felt like a big baby though, because it did really hurt and put a damper on my experience. I hobbled around for a few days, stretching and applying ayruvedic muscle rubs, did some water exercises in the lake, and by the second to last day of our stay, I was feeling somewhat back to normal.

The day before we left, I did manage to get up into a headstand during class without a wall, but with the assistance of a teacher just to make sure I wouldn't slam on the same spot again should I fall. I now have great respect for this pose, and know each and every step to get into it.. From now on, I will take it slowly and not try and do it for the sake of "checking it off" my list of poses to master.

It's probably a good thing I didn't have use the internet at the ashram because I would have been Web MDing myself in an anxiety driven frenzy to see what I did to my lower back and hip. By practicing ahimsa and being patient, I eventually got back to normal. This may not seem to be a big deal, but it was for me... When it comes to injury, I am very impatient and want it fixed now! The fall was a good lesson for me and I have learned from it. The body is your temple and it demands respect.. I'm hoping from now on I can remember this experience and let myself heal with patience and kindness, instead of "sucking it up" like I usually do!

Chowing down in Chowpatty and beyond.

Our last day in Mumbai was all about trying street food. We hadn't planned to do this, it just worked out that way. We decided to see some last sights before we hopped a fight to Kerala, including Chowpatty Beach (no swimming here, friends) and the open-air laundry. Chowpatty beach has some of the best street food in town, and we wanted to see the famous beach that locals flock to, so per Steph's advice on which stall is a. safe and b. yummy, we hopped in a cab and made our way there. We decided to try the city's speciality, Paw Bahji and Bhel Puri, pictured below in that order.

Paw Bhaji is a tomato-based veggie curry made with a kick and lots of spices You dip what seems to be a yeast roll in it and enjoy. I bet these rolls came from the same bakery that we visited on the bike tour. It was pretty yum. The Bhel Puri is a mix of puffed-up/fried grains and rice, mixed with coriander, onion, tomato and spices. It's like a crazy Indian Rice Krispies meal... and it was also yummy. Something in it made it sweet, so the mix of sweet/spicy/salty dance on the palate! We shared both, but afterwards we were so full. That is one thing I have noticed, they eat curry-style food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It's really tasty, but I think Paul is loving it more than me.. There's only so many times in a row I can eat a heavy curry.. I'm dying for a salad at lunch or dinner or some yogurt for breakfast. Today I was craving fruit so much! I am interested to see what the Ashram has going on in the kitchen.

We walked all the way up and down the beach and then made our way to the outdoor laundry, Dhobi Gat. This is where much of the laundry for area hotels and hospitals get done.. and it is huge.

We ended our day with lots of different street foods and snacks. Steph and Pete were nice enough to take us to some of their favorite local spots where we could try "must-haves" in Mumbai.

First, we went to this place that was themed around a garage, called "Toto". All the servers looked so cute in their bright yellow mechanic jumpsuits and little caps..This place has taken bar peanuts to a whole new level.. Masala Peanuts. I will have to bring this back home with me: it's peanuts, cilantro, onion, tomato, mango powder and a little lime juice. We ordered 2 portions and they went pretty quickly. We also tried fried baby corn, and that's about as good as it sounds.. The dipping sauce was nice, though!

We headed to the Main Street where we could try some local and safe street foods. That's one thing I do not want, to get some stomach bug again. Ugh. Awful.

First, we had what Steph describes as "a watery explosion of flavors in your mouth". After trying, I'd have to agree. It is called Pani Puri, and basically its a little fried ball suffed with cold chana masala (chickpeas) and other little bits, then before eating it is dunked into a watery tamarind sauce. You eat it all in one go. I will say, it was delish, and I'm sure would be refreshing on a hot day, because it's served cold. 

We then walked across the street to try Sev Puri, which resembles Indian nachos. It has lots of complex flavors and hits pretty much every part of your palate.. Also, really really good.

I cannot take credit for these photos, thanks Google Image. I was too busy stuffing my face that I failed to take my camera out.

Steph did, however, get a nice video of us trying this crazy digestive called "Paan". I would like to compare its taste to first, eating an inscent, and then the flavor morphs into what I could imagine launry detergent to taste like? I have no idea what's in it, but the man making it put in dashes of all kinds of spices and some weird jelly? I noticed strong hints of anise and soap. Definitely cleansed the palate. Paul got a special bonus, if you pay close attention at the end. (ew!)

https://www.facebook.com/paul.o.hopkins/posts/10152175366527359

Our street food tour filled the belly for sure, and was the first of many I am sure. Southeast Asia and Taiwan are also known for the huge street food halls where you can sample soup and scorpions in the same place. We had such a blast with Steph and Pete, and are so glad we were able to stay in their home.

Currently, we are in Trivandrum, Kerala as I am sitting in the hotel room using my last few hours of technology for 7-10 days. We have seen a lot of the city, but we weren't able to make it to the famous backwaters due to time. We did get to go to the zoo where The Life of Pi zoo was inspired, check out the "tourist village" at Lake Veli that had what seemed to be no tourists (not western, anyways) and walked on the beach. We also went to Sree Padmaswamy, a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. I'm not sure if it had to do with the full moon or if it was always like this, but it was crazy there! Tons of people walking around, going to prayer, eating a makeshift restaurants, and taking pictures. It was very beautiful, though.

Well, tomorrow marks our first full week in India, and so far it has been a blast. Tomorrow we retreat to a spiritual haven about 45 KM outside Trivandum in a natural preserve called Neyaar Dam. I am excited for some peace, quiet, and 4 hours of yoga everyday. The 5:20 am "waking bell" will be tough to handle at first. My dear friend 5 AM I haven't missed you that much. Crazy to think I used to get up that early to run or hit the gym. 5 AM and I have a love/hate relationship. No ipad, no phone, nothing for at least a week! Our daily schedule is pretty rigorous and structured, so I probably won't even notice! We will be at the Sivananda Yoga Ashram in Kerala, if anyone is interested. Just google it, it tells you allllll about it. If you're not into yoga, you will probably wonder what the heck we are doing there. Being miles away from smog and noise is enough to make Paul go..that, with his vision of coming out loose and limber. I want to get thrown out of my comfort zone, learn, practice and get a deeper understanding of thier method of yoga to help me become a better teacher. I am going to soak up every minute! Until we have wifi again in Goa, I am going off the grid and back to journaling. I'll be sure to take lots of notes and fill everyone in.. Namaste!

Newest Members of the Bombay Bicycle Club

Before reading any further to understand what I am about to explain, please watch this short yet informative 55 second video of traffic patterns in India:

http://youtu.be/KZBuDPx9r44

Organized chaos. The sound of beeps, honks, and bicycle bells fills the air all day long. I have grown accustomed to it at this point, even being able to sleep in a cab with the windows down on our way back from doing the Reality Tours bicycle tour. That may have been because I was so dog tired from being constantly alert for pedestrians, cars, bikes, motorcycles, dogs, cats, cows, rickshaws, small children, potholes, buses, etc. for 3.5 hours while riding a bike. The beeps, honks, bells and exhaust were like a lullaby on the way home from Colaba to Bandra.

The tour began early Sunday morning at 7:30.. It usually starts a 6:15 during the week, and now I know why... The traffic here is so nuts all day long, especially during the work week. We passed hundreds of runners completing their last runs before the Mumbai Marathon that is scheduled for the upcoming weekend, and met our guides at a local restaurant near the bike rental store. There were 3 others on the tour, a solo traveler from the Netherlands and a couple from England. Our tour guides were awesome, the chemistry and knowledge between them made for a great morning.

Our first stop was along the seaside, where we could get some nice photos as they sun rose over the water and the Gateway of India. It was nice to see it without tons of people, as we learned later when we went back for some close up photos.... Constantly avoiding beggars, scammers (people trying to clean out your ears? Yes. That happened) people trying to take your picture and sell it to you or sell you other random stuff can get tiring.

We then rode to this tiny bakery where it was warm from all the fresh bread that was about to be distributed around the city. This place was known for the traditional morning treat - a fresh buttered roll that you dip into hot chai. It was really good! A nice little breakfast before our cycling adventure.

Some of the other sights included the Victoria Terminus, the "backbone" of Bombay. Our guide explained that if this place stops, the whole city stops. More than 7 million passengers pass through daily! Thats more than the population of Croatia and Iceland combined!

We visited the Crawford Market, which holds tons of fresh produce sold at wholesale.. Some of the fruit and vegetables looked amazing. I've had a diet rich in pineapple during our stay so far and it has been verrrry tasty.

Other stops included the Hindu temple from which Mumbai was named.. It usually has a long queue of people out the door waiting to go in for worship, but we were able to get in without problem. The craziest thing was having to go through airport-style security before entering.. It's sad that the terrorist attacks that have plagued the area have made it come to this.. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside (it was common on the tour, because our guide expained that is how the attacks happened.. the terrorists took pictures of the sites and plotted from there) but it was gorgeous and so colorful. I love all the flowers and colors used in Hindi shrines.

We also visited a Jain temple. which was a white building with many intricate desgins carved into the stone. Jains believe in not killing anything.. They are strict vegetarians and do not even eat root vegetables because that would involve the act of pulling the root from the earth, therefore taking its life. So much to learn about all the religions here, its fascinating.

My FAVORITE part of the tour (which we rode down through a busy market to get to.. very stressful!) was the cow shelter!!!!! In the middle of the city, surrounded by markets and homes, is a shelter that over 400 cows! I was in heaven.. I've wanted a cow (strange but true) since I was little. We even got to feed the cows. I got to pet a calf and I think it was "special" because all it wanted was to have its neck rubbed. When I rubbed its neck it would lick the wall... When I stopped it would nuzzle me and lick my arm. Did you know cows have rough-ish tongues? Well they do. You can't really see it now due to the new color I have on my skin thanks to the hot Indian sun, but yesterday I had little scratches on me from the cow's tongue. It was so funny.. We also met some cute kids that were in the shelter who follwed us around, saying "hello hello!" and asking us our names and where we were from. When I said "America" one kid looked iike he was going to lose it.

That's another thing about this place... It must be a novelty to see people who are white. We are constantly getting asked to have our pictures taken when walking around like we are something special. I decided whenever we get asked, we should ask to get a photo of the people who asked us. So today we did. 

Anyways, back to the tour...

We rode on from the cow shelter and that's when it started getting really busy.. Walking across the street is hard enough here when everyone's out and about. Being a part of it is another story. I had some close calls with elderly men and people walking out in front of me carrying large loads on their heads. Luckily a feverish ringing of the bell translates to "I'm behind you! Get out of my way" and that seemed to work well, for the most part.

The last stop on our tour was the Fish Market, and that was a sight (and smell...yuck!). The fishermen here have to travel for 2 days to get far enough out to sea where the fish is safe to eat. As noted in my post about Dharavi, there was drainage going through the village.. Welll all that drainage from Dharavi and other slums around Bombay have to go somewhere. Hence why you can't drink the water nor swim in the sea here.

The fish market was full of women and girls, all sitting around peeling skins off of prawns. There must have been hundreds of them working.. There were also people walking around with baskets of fish on their heads, carrying the catch to be sold in markets. The smell, or "perfume" as our guide described, was pretty intense.. The smell of Bombay is "unique" in itself, and when you throw in fish smell, you really want to cover your nose.

On the way to return the bikes, we were stopped due to some weird fancy car parade.. This was not part of the tour, but was entertaining regardless. There were Porches, BMWs, Lotuses, Mercedes, etc. driving down the street and revving their engines, and the people were going nuts! I was surprised they weren't getting their toes run over because they were so close to the cars.

After waiting almost half an hour, the parade was stopped by a crossing guard and we were able to cross through to the other side. And away we sped!

We ended our tour with a meal with our guides, and we really enjoyed our time with them and the other British couple. Our guides were true characters, and we were even serenaded with some Enrique Iglesias. The other people in the restaurant probably thought we were nuts. We tried "Dal Puri" and "Puri Bahji", which are two breakfast dishes made with curry and puffy bread.

Although at times it was nervewracking riding along with the madness, I must say it was an amazing time. I realized I had never ridden on a busy road in a big city before, and now I've done it a place that has the most mental traffic/lacking of traffic rule enforcement I've ever seen! It is organized chaos, but I think that may be a common thing here in other realms as well. 

Today was all about street food.. and that will be my next post. Tomorrow we head to Trivandrum, Kerala, where we will relax for 2 days before we begin our yoga ashram experience. I'll be sad to leave Bombay and our amazing hosts, but lucky for us, we will get to see them again for a couple days in Goa, as they will be there the same time we are! Funny how the world works. :)

Bombay..or Mumbai if you're not smart, apparently.

So far my time in Bombay has been sensory overload. After leaving our hotel by the airport (which I was glad to leave.. it was smelly, windowless, and in a crazy area) we had our first rickshaw experience, during rush hour. With our bags shoved in the back and between our feet, we made our way to West Bandra, a neighborhood on the seaside. After trying to navigate the driver to the apartment, we met our host Steph. Our hosts Steph and Pete have lived in India for a year and both work for an NGO in India, called Reality Gives. This company offers a variety of tours that are off the beaten path, and some that are more "normal" for tourists. We instantly had a lot in common with them, as they are a American-British couple as well and have both traveled and lived around the world. Steph gave us some insight on the different tours offered, showed us around the apartment, and then headed off to work to leave us to explore Bandra a bit. We didn't plan to do much, as jetlag was still looming over us. It was so nice to walk along the seaside in the sun and clear sky, with a t-shirt on and take the day slowly.. Our bodies and tired eyes needed it!

We decided to book up 2 tours during our stay here, the Dharavi Slum Tour and the Bike Tour. 80% of all the money collected from the tours goes directly to the Reality Gives foundation, so we were happy to sign up. The foundation has provided children in the slum an NGO-funded school, English language learning classes, sports activities such as girl's soccer and boy's cricket, skills training for older students who dropped out (they can at 14 to work), a pre-school that has teachers who are from Drahavi and trained to teach, and various other programs to better the citizens of the slum. To learn more about this foundation, check our their webpage.. The people who run it are so passionate about their work, and they are doing some really great things. 

http://realitytoursandtravel.com

The Slum Tour began at 10:30, so we hopped in a cab and went across town to the train station that is on the perimeter of the slum. I really did not know what to expect... I had seen Slumdog Millionaire a while back, and this particular slum was where the movie was set. I had anticipated seeing lots of blue tarps and oil drums, with people walking around shoeless.. because that's what we see in the media. When we entered the Slum, it was very chaotic, with people (mostly men) going about their morning business. Our guide informed there are 2 parts to the slum.. the industrial area and the residential area. First we would walk through the industrial, and then head to where the people live... Who knew they had an industry? What could they possibly make in a slum, you ask?

Well, I had the same questions going through my mind. I thought these people were just homeless and had nowhere to go, so the slum was their home. Boy was I wrong. For some, the citizens of Dharavi had been there for generations.. The slum itself was dates back to the 1700s, when Koli fisherman inhabited the swampland. Then in the 1800s when India was under colonial British rule, and the natives were segregated and basically driven into the area and called it home. Later, after India received independence from Britian, the land was used as a dumping ground for waste. Now, almost 60% of the population of Bombay live in slums, Dharavi being the largest at around 2,000 people per acre.. And the slum now spreads over 500 acres. It's like a city within a city.

We entered the industrial area of the slum and I had to watch my step as trash and puddles dotted the path. Many migrant workers live in the industrial area, and since they only have running water from 6-9 AM, many men were finishing up their morning wash outside their places of work, so the dirt path was pretty muddy. We were dodging people walking around, pushing carts, carrying loads on their heads, and walking single file to our first stop, the plastic recycling facility. 

The workers in the plastic recycling facility had created a full blown process to gather, sort, break, file down, melt, and create new plastic products. They had created machines within the slum to chop up the plastic materials into small pellets to be used to create items such as plastic chairs. We walked through the "plastic factory" and saw each step of the process in full swing. We even got a birds eye view when we climbed up a ladder to the top of a factory buiding (a 2 story shack with a reinforced corregated metal roof) and saw piles of yellow, blue, white, and green plastic stacked and sorted ready to be crushed up and made anew. It was mindblowing to think that these people created a process to take things that could be found all over the city and make new items to sell within the market of the slum and to other areas. Bombay has no public trash cans (from what I can tell, at least) so finding plastic items would be an easy task. Not only are these workers picking up waste, they are using it to create job and products. But, it's not a "factory" when you think of the Western concept of a factory.. the working conditions are pretty unsafe, and I did not really see anyone wearing any kind of safety gear, or shoes for that matter. It's not an ideal working environment, but it gives these citizens of the slum a purpose and a skill.

After the plastic recycling factory, we headed to the metal recycling area. Now this is where things get dangerous.. They find aluminum products, put them in a furnace to melt, and then create new materials from the recycled materials. I literally could not breathe, because of the toxic fumes created in this process.. Our guide told us that the average life expectancy of someone working in these conditions is around 42.. I can see how.. They do not wear masks, nor is the air filtered through some kind of exhaust pipe..they just breathe in toxic fumes day in and day out.. It's no wonder they don't live long, especially when they are living among trash and squalor.

There is also a leather factory within the industrial area. Workers use every part of the animal in Dharavi.. They remove the skins and fur, salt the skins in a room and then send them off further south to to the tannery. Then, the leather returns to Dharavi, where workers make purses, wallets, belts, etc. that are sold all around Bombay. It was not nice for me to see this process, but it was interesting nonetheless. I just could not get over how hard these people work, for basically couple of dollars a day. They really have dedication to provide for their families, in the hardest of conditions.

There were also people who worked in textiles, and I saw lots of men hard at work on sewing machines, making shirts and other items. There were vegetable vendors, people giving law advice, hardware stalls, meat markets, and a number of other merchants down at the main market. Women in the Hindu section were busy making jewelry, pappadums, pottery, and other crafts. The women in the Muslim section were confined to their homes and raising children, as that is part of their beliefs. Or guide told us that often in the afternoon, when the men came home from their job, you could often see the Muslim women out and about. 

We walked through the lively industrial area and market, and then made our way to the residential area. On the way, we saw the "playground" where the Dharavi children play...It was an open area, with layers upon layers of trash. The smell walking past was almost unbearable.. I do not want to think about what kinds of things these children step on as they play, or the vermin that live nearby. The alleyways we walked through were so narrow, and you had to watch your step to ensure you don't step into the open drainage system. Luckily, I only saw soap bubbles drifting down, but I don't want to know what that system looks like during monsoon season.

The residential area houses a public shared bathrooms for all the residents, both in the Hindu and Muslim sections.. I did not go inside, but from what I have seen of typical "washrooms" here in India, it is probably a hole in the ground. We were advised to find a restroom in the cafe across the street before the tour began, so I am sure the conditions in there were pretty dirty. I could not imagine having to get up, walk across the village and use a hole in the ground every day to do my business. 

The homes themselves were very small, and the people take pride in them. We actually got to look inside as we walked through, and some of the residents even had cable TV. I am guessing the exposed wires we had to duck under while waking through the alleys provided electricity and cable.. Or maybe they had a satellite dish? The homes were also clean, as Muslims and Hindu alike both revere cleanliness in the home as a top priority. I just could not imagine squeezing 6 or more people into a home the size of a kitchen.. The small one room homes are used as a living, sleeping, eating, and recreation area..I would get cabin fever for sure.

It was interesting though, to see a few 3 story homes within Dharavi. The Hindu section is older than the Muslim, so there seemed to be more space there and a few larger homes. Our guide explained that even in the slum, there is inequality between the people and that you could find a larger home next to a tiny shack. Kind of like outside the slum, where you have a big fancy high rise next to someone living under a blue tarp.

I could explain everything I saw here in this post, but it would be more like a book. The 2.5 hour tour through this area made a huge impression on me.. Mostly because these people endure so much hardship, and their work ethic and sense of community is inspiring. Here is an article from the Daily Mail featuring a video created by Reality Tours to give a visual of what Dharavi looks like.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2526887/Slumdog-Millionaire-district-doctors-lawyers-live-Squalid-poverty-stricken-Mumbai-no-one-wants-incredible-community-spirit.html

My next post will entail the bike tour adventure.. It was awesome and exhausting at the same time! Bombay you are one crazy crazy place.. But so far I love it.

*** Our bike tour guide informed us yesterday that only illiterate people call Bombay "Mumbai". So from this point on, I will use the pre-1993 name, Bombay.

Hönönö

LThis past week has flown by, and as I sit reflecting while we wait for our gate announcement at Ataturk airport, I am sad to leave Istanbul. We've had such a great time here, and met some really nice people.. It's a shame we have to go, but, India is calling! We went out with our friends Umut and Goçke last night for one last hurrah before our departure. We definitely did not intend on being out until after 2 am, but Istanbul is a city where you just lose track of time.. I did not think a random Tuesday night would be so busy.. This place is full of surprises! We have enjoyed ourselves (sometimes too much) and despite feeling sad about moving on, I welcome a break from late nights and various concoctions. Istanbul is not a place where you feel like you need to be in party mode, but it's so alive and the people are so fun and friendly it's hard not to just go with the flow and enjoy it... which is a feeling I haven't felt yet in any other city we have been to! The street culture is definitely bustling and invites you to join in on the fun.

We have done quite a bit since the last post.. Our hotel days passed and we shacked up in a little hippy hostel for 2 nights, called the. Mystic Simburgh. The guys that ran it were very laid back and cool, and despite having to wear earplugs because of the very lively steet below lined with bars, we had a nice stay. We went to see another movie, Walter Mitty, and it made me feel nostalgic for Iceland.. We played Cnuno (the Bosnian version of uno we picked up) and drank Turkish tea, and recovered from the stomach ailments that we had from our NYE bug.. The guys at the hostel cooked up a delish Turkish breakfast every morning and even offered us homemade wine while we relaxed in the common room. It's funny that we stayed in like 4 places during our Istanbul leg, but we also ran the gamut of accomodations.. Airbnb, fancy hotel, hippy hostel, and airbnb entire apartment.. I guess we like to move around! Luckily, all of our places were pretty close to eachother and very central to all the action.

Stephen arrived on the 4th and we were so excited to see him and show off "our" city. It was good we had some navigating under our belt already so when he arrived we knew our way around and what to do. The first night we headed to a jazz club we discovered after yoga class one evening, where a live band played every night. We planned out our next few days for the tourism marathon... The Blue Mosque, Grand bazaar, Turkish baths, archaeological museum, Bascilica cistern, Bosphorous cruise, Hagia Sophia, spice bazaar, and whatever else we could pack into 4 full days.. Looking back now I'd say we did pretty well and I saw almost everything I wanted to see... Although had we done more I may have been burnt out on being around tourists all the time....I can only handle so much of people walking around amazing places with a phone or iPad hovering in front if their face and running into me/stopping right in front of me while walking. It drives me nuts. 

Of course, between all these interest points we also had to show off the Turkish nightlife and amazing food! I say this like I am a local... But I felt like one after making friends and being there for almost 2 weeks! Istanbul is a place I could easily live for a little bit as an expat and teach English or something..Don't worry Mom, I am just toying with the idea.

We could have easily spent an entire day in the archaeological museum, it was 4 buildings with soo many artifacts, many dating back before bible times..It was cool to see things I had learned about in school, such as the code of Hammurabi, Egyptian sarcophagi, pottery, friezes, and other things I had seen or read about in art history or world history classes. There was also a section dedicated to the history of Istanbul. Unfortunately after walking around for 3 hours we began to get ravenous and kind of whizzed though the last exhibit. That's why I always need to bring almonds or little snacks with us.. We walk basically everywhere, so it's easy to get hungry/grouchy (or as I call "hangry") because we burn a lot of what we eat pretty quickly. Luckily there was a little cafe of site so we could get some nourishment before heading off to the next point of interest.

The historical sights in Istanbul, such as the mosques, baths, and the cistern, were so well preserved and so gorgeous. Up until now, I had never been into a mosque before.. They are truly beautiful, with very detailed tile work and mosaics. At Sultanahmet, the Blue Mosque, we arrived just before they closed it to tourists during prayer. We all had to slip our shoes off and I covered my head before entering. It definitely looked a lot different than any church I have seen, with low hanging lights, no seats, and very high ceilings. Pictures really don't do it justice.. It was the same at the Hagia Sofia. People were walking around taking photos, but you just can't capture it all in a screen.. The only downside was there was scaffolding inside, which has been a common theme for a lot of the cool buildings we have seen.. They are all under restoration! 

The Bascilica Cistern was build for Justinian, who ruled during the Byzantine era. It is an underground waterworks system, supported by lots of columns. A couple of the columns were recycled from other buildings, and included upside down Medusa heads on the bottom.. Pretty cool. It was really nicely lit up and pretty to see. There were also all the huge koi fish swimming around. Definitely worth the 10 lira they charge to visit. Apparently Istanbul has always had water problems, and this cistern helped bring the water from the Belgrade forest to the people within the city walls. Now everyone there just drinks bottled water... I've read the tap water is safe to drink, but, from everyone we spoke to and by or observations, no one drinks the tap water there. Something I will have to get used to for the next 3 months.. NO TAP WATER.

The Turkish baths we visited, Çemberlitas, were very different from the "Turkish baths" in Budapest. The ones in Budapest were mostly various pools with different temperatures, saunas, steam rooms, and cold pools. Not in istanbul. Basically, you can pay for someone to scrub you down with soap and a buffer, or you can do "self service". You go in, and sit on a warming stone to open your pores and begin to sweat. Then, either you or a man/woman (separate baths for both) comes over and scrubs every inch of your body, exfoliating and ridding toxins. Then you can sit on the stone again and sweat some more, before rinsing off and going for a massage or on your way. I did self service, simply to save money.. I could have layed on the hot stone all day... I just like warmth, I guess.... Hot yoga, saunas, and breaking a sweat everyday are my thing. Maybe that's why I live in Florida! Anyways, it was definitely a different experience, and I felt so clean and relaxed afterwards. Definitely worth getting someone else to scrub you though, everyone who had a little lady scrubbing them looked so relaxed and seemed to enjoy it. Ah well maybe next time.

Unfortunately I used my big camera for a lot of the photos I took in Istanbul because they are better quality and don't take up space on my phone... So once I figure out where I have a computer to upload, I'll post.

Our last night in istanbul we showed Stephen the infamous drink we had tried before his arrival, called Hönönö. Basically it's a concoction of different clear liquids, and bartender puts a napkin around the rim, slams it down, and then you must drink the fizzing sensation as fast as you can before it spills everywhere. It is only available at the place we were, and was named from a guy who ordered so many that when he tried to say "I'll have some more" it came out as Hönönö, basically gibberish. It's definitely fun to order and have with friends, but as Umut says, "please don't have more than 3". We were also surprised when Goçke pulled out a special treat she made for us... Out of a little cooler came 3 small ramekins of chocolate soufflé and 3 spoons for Paul, Stephen and I. This is why I love istanbul... There are so many amazing things to see and the hospitality is truly genuine. "Turkish hospitality" is something the Turks pride themselves on, and from the shops to the bazaar, from our hosts /newfound friends to Turkish airlines, it is quit evident. I can say that I have never had homemade soufflé brought to me in that kind of establishment before.. It made my night. 

Currently I am in another continent. I was so tired when beginning the blog post I put it aside until now and am sitting on a terrace in Mumbai. The honking sounds below have been non stop since 7 this morning. Our flight arrived at 5:15 am, we got to the hotel at 6:30, and slept until almost 1. I booked us a hotel close to the airport for one night because I knew we would be shattered, so most of today will probably be confined to the walls of this hotel. One, because we are shattered and two, because it is more crazy here than Istanbul. I thought I was scared to cross the street in Istanbul, but where we are now is way more mental. Paul has been watching the traffic "pattern" for almost an hour now.. But that may be because he didn't sleep at all on the plane and is still a little delirious. I am just enjoying sitting in the sunshine and getting acquainted to the sights and smells so far.. Tomorrow we head to stay with a couple from airbnb, an American girl and British guy living inmumbai and doing nonprofit work.. Should be good! I think their flat is in a location that may be better for walking around and exploring. We went down to get some food earlier and the looks we got while walking down the street hinted that not many westerners come to this area for tourism.. That's okay though, it's just one night and gives us time to rest before we enter the madness in the streets below. Honk honk!

This place is mental.

I think Istanbul is a place that never sleeps... I mean, I've been to New York and London, and seen their city streets at various times of the day, and it doesn't really compare to here. It is packed full of people, out in the streets walking, talking, eating, drinking..pretty much all the time. It doesn't matter if it's a Tuesday night at say, 4 am.. People will still be out, somewhere around Taskim Square or Istikal Cadessi, having a good time, I am certain of it. Walking down the main roads is like some crazy game, where you try to dodge oncoming people and not get stuck behind the "strollers". Paul has suggested wearing a GPS walking around to see how much you really zigzag.

Off the main artery pedestrian street Istkital, there are little side streets with hidden gem restaurants and bars, and tucked away cafes where you can escape the madness. It's funny... The Turks are crazy drivers, and counting the number of times I've been bumped into, they are crazy pedestrians too. It's kind of hard when walking with our bags, because we are constantly having to bob and weave through the crowd. Sometimes you have to just take a deep breath and know that you will eventually get to where you are going, and accept that everywhere you go, there will be a crowd.

Another thing that blew my mind was New Year's Eve. In Turkey, they celebrate NYE as a big blow out event, kind of like a Christmas/NYE hybrid. There are Santa hats, Christmas Trees, Christmas songs playing in stores, holiday lights strung around the streets, holiday sales.. It's like Christmas all over again, but for New Year's. I'm not sure if Christmas itself is a big thing here as it is a mostly Muslim country, but they definitely integrate some of our traditions into their New Year's.

The main dish on NYE is none other than a Turkey (how fitting!) and side dishes, but I doubt they have mashed potato or cranberry sauce or anything like that. The "mezze" I have had so far would be a perfect accompaniment to the bird... All I know is our host and new friend Umut said he stuffed himself New Years with his mother's turkey at their family dinner.

People here also exchange gifts on New Year's, like our Christmas.. There have been tons of people out shopping and taking advantage of the New Year's sales.. All I want to buy is some cool stuff from the Bazaar, I have no interest in shopping in the main stores here.. We have H&M, too, after all. It is so European here, yet so ethnic and diverse at the same time.. I love it.

Our New Year's Eve was pretty low key, although had we wanted to, we could have partied until 6 AM... Pretty much all of the bars/clubs/restaurants were open until then. The big thing here during NYE are the street parties dotted around the city.. There was Taksim Square, which resembes Times Square festivities, or other areas around where you could catch a free concert and fireworks. There were SO many people out, and everywhere was packed. We opted to go out for dinner and then head to the Bosphorous shore to watch the fireworks over the water...

 There were a lot of people sending up these Chinese lanterns into the sky... everytime one went up, the whole crowd cheered. There must have been thousands floating up before the clock struck midnight.

 Pretty lit up mosque on our way to the Bosphorous

 You can't really see, but, this group of people were wearing light up Santa hats...I heard "Feliz Navidad" at some point during the festivities, sung by a local. It made me giggle.

 Happy New Year!

Our low-key celebration was smart decision due to the events that occurred after the fireworks...

I don't know what it was, but, over the course of 48 hours we both developed some kind of stomach ailment, that affected first Paul and then myself... So needless to say our NYE festivities were halted just an hour or so after we entered 2014. No bueno. It was okay though, my family had booked us a hotel room for our Christmas present, so we had a nice room to recover in... and not have to worry about disturbing others with our agony.. I am assuming we had a little taste of the global stomach bug that's circulating around right now. Luckily Umut was kind enough to help me when I called and told him I needed to visit the pharmacy for dear Paul.... It would have been hard to do with by no-Turkish speaking self. And now we have meds in case we get Delhi Belly or whatever. Here's hoping we avoid that...

After our hotel camping for a whole day, we emerged today feeling a bit better and ready to see more of the city. We were able to do so by accident, because we got lost thanks to our booking.com directions for the hostel we are crashing at for 2 days before Steve arrives and we become tourists. We walked around for like 2 hours through sketchy and non sketchy places, trying to find a place that should have taken us 20 minutes to get to.. NOT FUN. I thought our wanderings through industrial parks in Brno would have taught me to make sure the directions looked legit, but alas.... third time is the charm.. I WILL have transfers lined up in Mumbai or know exactly how to get where we are going from now on....no matter what google maps (which got us lost in Brno) or a Booking.com-style site says. It also didn't help that the streets didn't have visible street signs or the map had no street names on the non-major streets. Live and learn... the place we are staying with Steve is literally down the street, so, I am hoping we don't get lost between here and there. I think we will be okay.. our track record has been good so far despite those 2 hiccups.

We plopped our bags down and went out to walk down on the water during the daytime, close to the Galatas brige. we walked past a cool university that looked like a nice place to get an education, and a really pretty mosque.. The architecture is amazing. I can't wait to go to see the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia...that will be out of this world.

Wouldn't mind doing a master's here.. pictures don't really do it justice.

The police have a cool logo.... dolphins that mean business.. Seriously though if you saw the heat they were packing on NYE, you would not mess with them.. Big machine guns strapped across their chest at the ready. No messing around.

Tomorrow we will be going to visit Dolmanace Palace, which dates back to the 18th century and used to house the Sultans and their families, and acted as an administrative center for the Ottoman Empire.. There's also Araturk's death bed in there. He had a comforter that looked like a giant Turkish flag, from pictures I have seen. All I know is when we walked by on NYE the building looked gorgeous, and I can't wait to see the inside. We also have bought a yoga package at Cihangir yoga, so we will be prepping for our ashram experience and doing lots of yoga everyday! The rest of the cool touristy things can wait until we have our travel buddy with us.. At least now we have had our time as "locals" and are well acquainted with central Istanbul and will know where to go... I still want to head over to the "Asian side" across the water, so I can be on 2 continents in the same day. Istanbul so cool, it had to spread itself across 2 continents! If anyone is interested in running over 2 continents, the Eurasia marathon takes place here yearly. Just FYI.

A little less than a week left here, and still so much to see! Excited for the Bazaar, authentic Turkish Bath experience, and all the mosques. More pictures and stuff to come. HAPPY NEW YEAR! :) :)