2/7 through 2/9 in Kodaikanal

Morning reflection: An Open Palm
Traveling has helped me come to the realization that I don't have anything. I think even the process of trying to hold on to anything (a thing, person, idea, value) creates its own opposite energy. Maybe it's best to hold on to anything with an open palm.

Kodaikanal is a hill station about 4 hours by bus to the northwest of Madurai in the Western Ghats mountain range. It is a town of 30,000 people at about 7,000 feet above sea level. Though it is very warm during the day, it is very cold at night.

Kodaikanal Lake

This really is India.

I went for a 4 1/2 hour walk today through the hills. My legs are very tired right now. It's a little dangerous walking in the hills. In an attempt to save gasoline, the cars and motorcycles silently coast down the roads.

There are signs everywhere saying, "Keep Kodai Clean," but there are no garbage cans in sight, thus, litter every where. Behind all the shops at Pillar Rock I saw 4 garbage cans, dumped like garbage and unused.

I walked by a golf course with monkeys skittering all over the place. Then I came to a walkway to "Green Valley View." Both sides of the path are lined wall to wall with shops, selling everything from "hygienic chocolate" to fried chilies. The path was crowded with overweight Indian tourists, the women in beautiful saris walk even slower than I do (seems hard to believe, but true).

View of Pillar Rock

My attraction to the image of laundry continues.

2/5 & 2/6 in Madurai

Here I am with Sheila and our nice new Indian clothing, looking "super smart." My friend Ted said I am looking more and more like Mahatma Gandhi, all I need are some wire rim glasses.

In the distance you can see Menakshi Temple, in the center of Madurai in Southern India.

Construction started on Menakshi temple in the 1300's. It was added on to over the next three hundred years. It now covers almost 700,000 square feet. Walking around the outside edge of the temple is one kilometer long.

Four main towers hover over each of the four entrances to the temple. There are 14 towers in all, the tallest is 170 feet high, each elaborately sculptured and painted.

Once you enter the complex, you find temples within temples.

There are also busy markets selling all types of religious crafts and items for worship (it reminded me of the scene in Jesus Christ superstar when the merchants turned the temple into a market place - fortunately for everyone else, Sheila won't let me sing it). Over the two days we were in Madurai, I went to the temple three times. there are so many passage ways that I could not find places I wanted to go back to.

Most of the temples and hallways were so dark I couldn't get good photos. Also, the immensity of this complex is impossible to photograph. This is one sculpture within one of the most famous temples within the complex called "One thousand pillar hall," which now houses the temple museum.

The Hindus love ritual - chanting, smoke, candles, colored powders, chalk drawings, oil on statues, touching their hand or forehead to the top step, offerings of fruit or flowers, incense

colored chalk drawing

If you give the elephant money, she will bless you

We went back to the temple one evening to watch the ritual of "putting Shiva and Parvati to bed." These Brahmin priests are carrying statues of Shiva and Parvati, and perform elaborate rituals using smoke, fans, chanting, and music. They are being accompanied by musicians, hundreds of Hindus, and tourists snapping photos.

Sheila making friends

blowing Sheila a kiss goodbye

On our walk to the Gandhi museum, we passed this beautiful old building. It used to be part of the temple complex, but is now a market. The building is 400 years old. The man to the left and behind Sheila is third generation shop owner.

We walked through a Muslim village which had eight million children, all wanting their pictures taken.

Our last day in Madurai we ate idlis every meal. This is our street idli wala.

Sheila with her most beloved idlis

2/4 reflection and food

Reflection
Some times, when I put myself "out there" emotionally, I experience expectations, and with them, disappointment. So I asked myself, how do I live without expectations?

1) Focus on my five senses - "just being meditation" I call it. What do I see, hear, smell, feel, taste? Watching my mind as it wanders away from the senses, noting that I am "elsewhere," and not "here."

2) Investigation - what is the source within myself that is the cause of this expectation?

3) Love all aspects of myself - no denial, no rejection, just acceptance of all aspects of me.

4) Live with an open heart. The more I live in my heart, the more connected I feel, the less "me" getting in the way, and the more satisfied and content I am.

Food
Sheila mentioned to me that mostly, what I write about is food. "I really like food," I replied. India used to be number two on my list of favorite cuisines, just behind Thailand. While traveling in North India it had risen to a tie for first. With the addition of South Indian cuisine, she stands alone at number one.

Pondicherry is known for its "fine dining," but for me, the street is the place to eat. Here is my street food menu:
- 3 idlis, one vada, served with two types of coconut chutney and sanbar - 15 rupees (33 cents)
- puri masala (three small fried breads with a potato curry) - 15 rupees
- 2 prawn cakes (sort of like crab cakes) - 10 rupees (22 cents)
- a plate of puri masala chat (bits of crunchy fried bread, chick pea curry, onions, cilantro, with mint and tamarind sauces - 10 rupees
- egg paratha chop (flaky chapati-like-bread chopped up with eggs, onions and spices) - 15 rupees
- masala chai - 5 rupees (11 cents)

This morning our street stands selling idlis and chai were closed, so we went to our favorite restaurant. If you are visiting Pondicherry, check this place out: Surguru Spot at #12 Jawaharlal Nehru Street.

masala dosa - 39 rupees (86 cents)

puri masala - 37 rupees (81 cents)

And, of course, my favorite - IDLIS! - 26 rupees (57 cents)

2/3 in cow poo-less Pondicherry

I didn't realize until I left the French quarter, but there are no cows there. So I saw my first cow poo in about 5 days today.

Sheila and I rented bicycles today and rode north 45 minutes to the beach. Sheila looked up and said, "I am soooo comfortable here."

It turns out we rode back to Auroville. This is the place we stayed in about 5 days ago.

This was my hut. The family running the place lived downstairs and I had the hut above.

We walked north along the beach to the fishing village. I was very attracted today to laundry on the beach.

More laundry on the beach.

2/2 in Pondicherry

Pondichery is like a vacation from India. Sheila says it reminds her of New Orleans. Beautiful, tree lined streets, cute European architecture. There are sweet little restaurants, cafes and hotels everywhere (and prices to match). We actually have to search for Indian food with so many menus full of French cuisine (though we are staying in the French quarter).

Sacred Heart Church

water front just next to the French bakery

Not all of Pondicherry is so idyllic. As I wandered south below the "Heritage Walk," I came across this shanty town.

Someone's street stall

This playground doubles as a garbage dump

Besides prawns in coconut curry and fish tikka, that were so delicious in the restaurants, we have found some really great street food. Here we got some type of puri masala chat - crunchy bits covered with chick pea curry, onions, cilantro, mint chutney and one sweet sauce and one spicy sauce.

Here we had egg paratha all chopped up

This is our idli, vada and puri breakfast stand lady

And right next to her is our Chai wala