I suppose it's time to write one of these things, but I'm getting an inferiority complex and feel like I bore people with what I write, I know oyu'd all rather see pictures but it's a nightmare getting pictures uploaded on really old slow asian computers.
SO Vietnam I never finished really, I missed all about visiting Halong Bay, Hoi An and Hue. At the end of it all I had to get back up to Hanoi for my flight to Bangalore which unfortunately took place for something like 15 hours in what's called a sleeper bus but is incredibly uncomfortable unless you're as tiny as a Vietnamese person. The toilet stops were particularly amusing, seeing lots of western women walk towards the communal squat and turning around saying "I can wait", I was used to it though at that point and I've realised Asia has taught me to let go of any feelings of humiliation I have linked to that kind of thing and now I can drop my kegs in front of anyone and not care!
But now I'm in India. I've been here for 5 weeks now I think, time flies strangely here. I'm studying at the Astanga Yoga Research Institute, I'm training in Ayurvedic massage and Reiki in my spare time. Monsoon is here but not really, just the occasional cool day and some downpours, we get very sunny and hot days too but not humid thankfully.
Indian hospitals are funny....but only in retrospect. I've been ill three times, the first time was the worst and involved me urinating blood which is always a bit concerning no matter what country you're in! I went to the hospital at 4a.m. in a rickshaw and was then instructed to sleep on a bench in the corridor with just my sari scarf for warmth for around an hour until i got seen too. The other illnesses have just been delhi-belly style things.
I'm hoping to not get sick again. But I figure it's just India washing herself through me.
I moved house last week to a homestay with a lady that makes chocolate and sells it to yoga students, which means I'm eating lots of chocolate.
I'm here I think till 1st August then I'm hoping to go up to Rishikesh for some ashram action then thailand for some thai massage action then back for Calcutta for my final flight. I hope I can get that all done in one month!
Lots of love to everyone, congrats to J and Lora for getting engaged and Christina for getting through her exams successfully x
