Slowly I'm getting to understand things around. Today I went to the Osho Ashram and enrolled, bought the necessary clothes (one maroon gown and one white for the evening). I had the tour which was quite a lot of PR about the place. Everything is pretty well organized. They say in lonely planet that this is the Armani of the Ashrams and it seems like it. It has activities from 6:00 AM to mid-night, additionally you can buy special workshops. It cost 1410 to enroll including one entrance day. And 550 a day. You have to take an Aids test before you can go in. I passed (thanks god) !.
It has a very nice swimming pool inside, and it seems that people stay there the whole day. You rent a locker and can leave you normal clothes in the locker, also you can have a shower and anything else you need during the day.
Surprising I already met two Brazilian ladies around. Their accent is so strong in English that is easy to find them out. One is leaving in Puna 6 months of the year and has an Indian boy friend. She buys merchandise and sends back to Brazil for sale. She also does massage and other spiritual stuff. The other was in the Ashram on the reception. She is participating in a 3 month residential program. They pay about $1400 for housing, participation in the workshops but need to work a bit. I also met a Mexican lady in the hotel, Tamara, guess what, she is jewish from Mexico city. She is coming to say a while in the area and is traveling for two months.
At the beginning my 9 months looked a bit long for a stay. But after you talk to people, many are staying many months locally or moving around India.
I'm looking for cheaper accommodation options. I'm paying 1200 (110 shekels) a day. The hotel is pretty nice. But people tell me that you can get buy with 600 or less a day in rented rooms.
Actually you don't much as you spend most of the time in the Ashram.
Nearby there is a place called the German Bakery, a hang around spot full of yuppie Indians and foreigners. There you can get European style bakery, omelets, pizzas, all kinds of coffes for reasonable prices. Very nice place, lively and always full. There is a happy atmosphere in this area. It is pretty messy as India, but you see many more motorcycles and young people.
They say Puna is an university city, that is probably the reason. Yuppie, modern dressed (no saris) young Indians is something I hadn't seen somewhere else.
Now is the middle of my day. Fortunately there is an internet by the hotel for 20 rupees an hour. That is quite convenient.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Puna November 14th, 2008
Just arrived in Puna today. Woke up early and actually did not sleep quite well because of the train at 9:00.
Actually the station was about 5 minutes in taxi and there is no point in getting earlier than 30 minutes in the station.
Everything else was pretty clear. The signs are clear and one can easily find the platform where the train departs.
There is only one AC Seated wagon, therefore the 24 shekels buys you the best spot in the train to Puna.
The trip is pretty slow, the train stops many times, people go up and down and finally you get to Puna. Four hours for 200 km, not bad.
The passengers are mostly Indian, not many (or any foreigners).
Hang-Up in Leopolds and become part of Bolywood. In the lonely planet they say that Bollywood producers come to the Leopold's Cafe and pick foreigners to participate in pieces of movies. No, I did not participate. But I met a German woman which did. Tina. Therefore this is not a lie. It happens. She has been doing small video clip pieces for 500 rupees a day. Not bad. Actually she is a taxi driver in Frankfurt. She does not earn much, but will be spending 6 months in India. She is really traveling on a budget and gave all sorts of tips where to eat the best and cheapest. She is spending 400 rupees in the guest house (no bath) while I'm paying 1400. It was an interesting talk, You meet some interesting people in this trips. It is her 15th trip to India and many others to Indonesia and other Asian places. Not bad for a taxi driver. I hope I keep meeting interesting people.
Puna train station is really India. After I saw it, I realized that Mumbai was India light. What a mess, that is the way I recalled Delhi and some others. Lots of rickshaws trying to take you to you hotel and lots of people crossing the rails, etc.
The SuryaVilla hotel where I'm staying is pretty good. Huge room, clean. No AC but you really don't need it as it is not very hot.
Walking distance to the Osho ashram. Quite a few foreigners in the area with the purple Osho clothings. I went to the Ahsram. They have a tour which was fully booked for today. So I booked for tomorrow morning. It shows you a DVD and gives you a short tour to the Ashram. I could just sigh in, but decided to take a look 1st. It seems that I'll only get in tomorrow at the earliest. I was really tired from the trip over. Now it is evening and I'll profit to explore around (not a big area, not in the center of the city). I bought a Yoga book and have been reading. I'm practicing my yoga daily.
Bombay November 13th, 2008
Two days in Mumbai is probably too much. Not much to see. I have
explored Colaba where I'm staying back and forth, the Fort area which
is not far too. Today I went a bit farther to the beach, to one big
Bazaar. Chor Bazaar. The farther places are not very interesting. Poor Indians, the
beaches are all polluted. You can only watch the water.
Colaba where I'm staying is pretty nice and friendly to westerners.
Bars, Cafes, good restaurants, etc. Thousands of stalls selling
everything you may want. I'm not shopping at all therefore I don't
care. Mom will love the saris, jewelery and other stuff.
I'm trying to eat mostly vegetarian stuff and the food is great. Lots
of south indian Dosas, Utappam, etc. The tallis are also very good and
cheap. A whole meal for 10 shekels including a pineapple juice, etc. A
few bars serving beers, about 13 shekels for a 1/2 liter bear on the
Leopold's the most famous bar in the area.
My hotel (Bentley's) is pretty simple, but very good. Clean, in a
quiet street. The bed is a bit hard, but I'm sleeping like a baby.
Today I woke up at 8:30, after going to sleep yesterday at 10:00 PM. I
sleep very hard (not typical to me) and have lots of wonderful
dreams). Seems that this is part of the process of having my brain
shrink to India pace. I don't have AC in the room but a very good fan,
and I'm not feeling any hot at all. Weather is quite pleasant which is
a good surprise.
I'm doing my Yoga in the room every day. This is good as I need some
exercise. During the day I walk many hours and this should help
keeping my weight under control.
Tomorrow I'm going to Puna, will have to figure where to find my train
in the cavernous train station.
explored Colaba where I'm staying back and forth, the Fort area which
is not far too. Today I went a bit farther to the beach, to one big
Bazaar. Chor Bazaar. The farther places are not very interesting. Poor Indians, the
beaches are all polluted. You can only watch the water.
Colaba where I'm staying is pretty nice and friendly to westerners.
Bars, Cafes, good restaurants, etc. Thousands of stalls selling
everything you may want. I'm not shopping at all therefore I don't
care. Mom will love the saris, jewelery and other stuff.
I'm trying to eat mostly vegetarian stuff and the food is great. Lots
of south indian Dosas, Utappam, etc. The tallis are also very good and
cheap. A whole meal for 10 shekels including a pineapple juice, etc. A
few bars serving beers, about 13 shekels for a 1/2 liter bear on the
Leopold's the most famous bar in the area.
My hotel (Bentley's) is pretty simple, but very good. Clean, in a
quiet street. The bed is a bit hard, but I'm sleeping like a baby.
Today I woke up at 8:30, after going to sleep yesterday at 10:00 PM. I
sleep very hard (not typical to me) and have lots of wonderful
dreams). Seems that this is part of the process of having my brain
shrink to India pace. I don't have AC in the room but a very good fan,
and I'm not feeling any hot at all. Weather is quite pleasant which is
a good surprise.
I'm doing my Yoga in the room every day. This is good as I need some
exercise. During the day I walk many hours and this should help
keeping my weight under control.
Tomorrow I'm going to Puna, will have to figure where to find my train
in the cavernous train station.
Bombay November 11th, 2008
I arrived OK in Bombay, everything was smooth. Got to the hotel at
about 12:30 PM. Pretty simple hotel but quite clean on OK on Colaba
,
very good location by the India Gate (Janine for you, the Apollo hotel seems pretty nice from the outside, it is on the Lonely planet
mid-range list). Better to stay in this area and it is quite close to
the CSTM train station).
Mumbai is pretty crowded, not very clean and quite chaotic like all of India. I did not expect anything different. For me I'm not feeling any shock from the crowds, pollution and mess as I've already experienced this in the past. I'm staying here two days before going to Puna. Not quite necessary as there is not much to see from tourist attractions.
As always shopping stalls everywhere. Things much more expensive here
than in other Indian cities. At least the weather is quite nice, warm
but not very humid, therefore quite bearable. I'm been walking for many hours and that is what I like to do. Shops, stalls, food, people, etc. Nothing quite amazing yet, except for the trains station, the CST, for the Victoria Terminus. Amazing Gothic building and I've never seen in my life human crowds like there. I'm eating mostly India food, Dosas, vegetarian stuff and also trying some stuff in the streets. The food is pretty good but quite spicy everywhere. There are plenty of
tourists in the area, but not loads of them. So far so good. Tomorrow will try to visit the biggest human laundry in the world, supposed to have 6000 people washing clothes. The to Pune.
about 12:30 PM. Pretty simple hotel but quite clean on OK on Colaba
,very good location by the India Gate (Janine for you, the Apollo hotel seems pretty nice from the outside, it is on the Lonely planet
mid-range list). Better to stay in this area and it is quite close to
the CSTM train station).
Mumbai is pretty crowded, not very clean and quite chaotic like all of India. I did not expect anything different. For me I'm not feeling any shock from the crowds, pollution and mess as I've already experienced this in the past. I'm staying here two days before going to Puna. Not quite necessary as there is not much to see from tourist attractions.
As always shopping stalls everywhere. Things much more expensive here
than in other Indian cities. At least the weather is quite nice, warm
but not very humid, therefore quite bearable. I'm been walking for many hours and that is what I like to do. Shops, stalls, food, people, etc. Nothing quite amazing yet, except for the trains station, the CST, for the Victoria Terminus. Amazing Gothic building and I've never seen in my life human crowds like there. I'm eating mostly India food, Dosas, vegetarian stuff and also trying some stuff in the streets. The food is pretty good but quite spicy everywhere. There are plenty of
tourists in the area, but not loads of them. So far so good. Tomorrow will try to visit the biggest human laundry in the world, supposed to have 6000 people washing clothes. The to Pune.
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