Friday, 1 February - 7:00 AM

Yesterday was one of the best days of my entire life.

In the morning, Poonam took me and Elizabeth to visit the school where she teaches. It's a Jaycees school and is actually right next to their house. She works there a couple hours each day as an 8th grade teacher.


Sitting with the teachers from the Jaycees school.

The rest of the team met us around 11:00 AM and we went to visit another Ayurvedic hospital. This one was a million times better than the creepy one we saw in Dharwad. We got to see their herb garden and visit the actual pharmaceutical lab where they turn the herbs into medicine.


Herbs = medicine.

I got to sit and talk with one of the doctors and learn a little bit about Ayurvedic medicine (which is actually really interesting!) and then we got to sit and talk to a roomful of medical students.


"Well, at least you have a pulse..."


Future Ayurvedic doctors.

Afterwards, the Gadag Inner Wheel ladies took us to a couple historical spots. The first was a temple to meet a Guru who had only recently begun speaking after a 38-year vow of silence. Apparently he was silent in order to pray for world healing.


Did not speak for 38 years!

Then they took us to a couple more temples, but we were all a little templed-out from Hampi. The team was invited back to Poonam and Mohan's for an incredible lunch. There were lots of great family and friends and we all just hung out having a great time.

Mohan brought out a bottle of vodka that he'd had in his closet for a really long time. They don't really drink any alcohol in their home, but he served it to the men in the living room while we ladies hung out at the dining room table.


After copious amounts of vodka,
Bernie attempts some yoga.


The best of times.

I can't explain this awesome bond I feel with this family. It was like I knew them all so well. I hung out a little with their son, Mayur, kicking a soccer ball in the driveway. I also met Poonam's niece, Sneha, who is studying textile engineering. It was just such a great afternoon, I didn't want to leave!


A prayer in the puja room for safe journeys.


A new friend I've known forever.

But when we finally did, we took a ride to visit their family farm before leaving to Hubli. The team took the party van and I got to ride with Sneha, Poonam and her sister. The four of us stopped off at this HUGE old house where their family stays and where Mohan grew up. Then we met up with everyone else at the farm.

Ever have a moment when you feel as if you're experiencing heaven? I think the memory of walking through the banana fields next to Poonam and Sneha, with the sun beaming down on our faces, will stay in my mind as one of those moments. I really don't have the words to express how full my heart was (and is). It was heaven.


Heaven.

We stayed longer than we probably should have. We were meant to arrive in Hubli by 5:00 and it was already 6:30 and we still hadn't left Gadag. We made one more quick stop at a yoga retreat center and then set off for Hubli.

Our new hosts met us at this huge, beautiful hotel. I think they were a little pissed that we were three hours late! It was so hard to say goodbye to Mohan and the rest of the Gadag hosts who took us to Hubli. Hopefully we'll see them at some point during the conference.

My new hosts here in Hubli have a very nice home. I'm staying in a quiet room downstairs with a mosquito net and a nice, big bathroom. I even got to play "Whack-A-Bug" with this great gizmo... a bug-zapping tennis racket!!

We met back up at the hotel around 9:00 PM last night for the opening meeting of the conference. There was a huge room full of Rotarians - mostly club presidents and their wives - and were introduced. District Governor, Bazil D'Souza was there and so were many of the people we'd met along the way. It was so cool to recognize all the faces and feel like we were in a room full of friends.

I think we'll really enjoy the district conference, even if it is just a bunch of speeches and food for three days. I really think it will be nice to see so many great people and hear about all the great projects they're doing.

I slept soundly last night. This morning, the team is supposed to meet up to work on a new presentation for Sunday. I know I have some great ideas and am looking forward to putting something together.

Damn, I just feel so frigging GOOD!

Thursday, 31 January - 6:30 AM

So I'm feeling much better today that I did last night. I slept soundly for about 7 hours - a much needed rest. Yesterday actually was a very good day. Hampi was so cool and our tour guide and Rotarian escorts were a lot of fun. Excellent company.

I had excellent chats with Elizabeth and Misty in the van on the way to Hampi. I can't believe how easy it is to get along with the team. I can't believe that after spending 19 straight days together, we're not at each others' throats. They're a great support system - all 4 of them - and I cannot imagine a better chemistry. We seem to balance one another, especially when one of us is having a meltdown.

Yesterday's talks also really taught me a lot about myself. I think I came to a lot of realizations about why and how my life has turned out as it has. How I ended up doing what I do and the roads that have led me to who I am. This trip is proving to be the best therapy I could have ever received.

Every day, with every new adventure, I am learning more about the person that I am and the person I would like to become. I also feel a new sense of direction - of purpose - and I look forward to starting down this new path when I return home.

Not quite sure what our plans are for today. I'm hoping to get a chance to hang out with my hosts for a little bit. This afternoon we leave for Hubli and tomorrow is Day #1 of the Rotary district conference. I can only imagine what kind of crazy schedule we're in for over the next three days. But feeling fresh and renewed, I can handle just about anything. I think...

Wednesday, 30 January - 11:00 PM

Today was one of the best days so far... up until about two hours ago.

I got up this morning and had breakfast and great chats with my family, then we left to spend the day in Hampi. It was really very amazing, but also very hot! It took about two hours to get there, we spent about six hours walking around, and then two hours to get back to Gadag.


Big statue at Hampi.


Really big temple at Hampi.


I want one!!

I was really looking forward to taking a shower and having a relaxing dinner with my hosts, but instead we were dragged to the president of the Rotary club's house for dinner.

It was 9:00 PM, we were sweaty, tired and just gross. And everyone at the dinner wanted to talk with us and they were all taking photos and feeding us a tremendous amount of food. I tried to be smiley - had a good conversation with a Rotarian who is a science teacher. He wanted to know all about the education system in the U.S. and how we deal with students' individual differences in large classes.


Angst-filled dinner.

By about 10:45 I started to get a little cranky. The president owns an Ayurvedic pharmacy and he was showing us all his little bottles of medicines. It was a little bit creepy, so finally I just asked outright if we could please go home. So they took us home! When I got to the house, Poonam and her daughter Mrinal were there waiting and asked how my day went. I guess they could tell from my face that I was a little worn out and a little bummed. They're so nice. I really wish I could have spent more time at home today.

Poonam teaches English at a school nearby which we're supposed to visit tomorrow. I think the Rotarians have plans for us that involve visiting another hospital, but I am a little burnt on hospitals. I kind of wish we had more of a say in the places we visit.

On a very positive note, I got to see monkeys at Hampi and feed them bananas!


"Oh my God... MONKEYS!!!"



Hell, any day that includes feeding bananas to monkeys is pretty darn awesome in my book. I'm guess I'm just tired, that's all. Tomorrow is a new day -- and God only knows what it will bring!

Tuesday, 29 January 11:00 PM

I appear to be on a lucky streak!

We arrived in Gadag after a very bumpy ride. I didn't sleep much last night at the hotel - I guess I just wasn't used to having other people in the room. When we arrived in Gadag, they immediately took us to another temple and the photo "snaps" started up again. We hadn't had anything for breakfast this morning except for some biscuits in the van so I was feeling a little cranky.

After the temple and introductions to the Gadag club, our respective hosts claimed us and took us back to their houses. My family is AWESOME!!! Totally the best so far. As soon as I got in their car, they told me to consider myself part of their family. And they're just so easy and comfortable to be around -- it's almost weird! It's like I've known them for longer than just a few hours.


Awesome Gadag hosts: Poonam, Mohan,
me and Grandma.

Mohan and Poonam (my host and his wife) took me back to their house and we had an amazing lunch and just sat around chatting. They have two kids, Mayur and Mrinal, and Mohan's Mom also lives with them. Around 3:00 we left to see some Rotary projects. The first one we visited was a music school for the blind.



This was absolutely amazing. A free education for underprivileged, blind students. A school that offers them a chance to develop their aural sense and may allow them to find vocations as musicians. Brilliant. This was, by far, my personal favorite of the projects we've visited. And ironically, the matching grant club in the U.S. is Paramus, NJ. Wow.



Afterwards, we went and saw a clinic that performs free cataract surgeries:





And then a Rotary-sponsored, English-medium school for the poor. This is unique in that most poor kids who do get to go to school end up studying in Kannada-medium schools (the state language). If kids are given the opportunity to learn English, it gives them a much better chance to be able to go on to college.





Of course we visited another textile factory and a few more temples, but there's a much better vibe for me here in Gadag. I was considerably less cranky! By 7:00, we went back home to freshen up and change clothes. Grandma made me some nice strong tea and we were on our way to the Rotary club meeting. It started a little after 8:00 and we had some dinner around 10:00.

On the way home, Mohan, Poonam and I chatted very easily about all kinds of things. I really love them and wish I could just spend the day tomorrow hanging out with them but we're finally going to visit Hampi. I've heard that it will be 6+ hours worth of temples -- it may be the death of me. But fortunately, they've cancelled our plans to go to Yellapur and we get to stay an extra night in Gadag.

It's funny how I have these highs and lows. Just when it feels like things couldn't possibly get worse (like in Bijapur) they somehow turn 180° and I'm on top of the world. I suppose that Guru at the ashram in Belgaum was right: there must be a balance between good and bad. Savor the good and know that the bad will pass. Besides, without the bad, how else would we appreciate the good?

And here's a quote that was painted on the wall at the school we visited today:



True dat. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a mosquito net to sleep under!

Monday, 28 January - 11:00 PM

Wow, what a day! It started off fine in Bagalkot. After practicing some pranayama with my host's wife and daughter, they presented me with a beautiful salwar kameez and I had a great breakfast of real coffee and fresh fruit.



But as the day wore on, I became a miserable wretch. We were supposed to go to Hampi but ended up in the Podunk town of Ilkal after driving all over God's creation, not knowing where the hell we were going. We went and saw some more ruins and to an underwater temple.


Great signage at the underwater temple.


250 stairs to... another temple.

I was such a grump all day and I just couldn't snap out of it. I was sick of being swarmed by kids asking, "What is your name?" and being jostled around the party van for hours on end. We had no break except for a quick lunch, and our escorts barely spoke English except for, "No problem, no problem."


There I am, all smiles!

In the evening, we ended up at one of the Rotarian's houses to freshen up and wait to make our presentation. I was just so miserable. All I have to say is, thank God for Misty. I don't know how she stays so positive. She has this terrible case of bronchitis and fought two days of a fever, and she still manages to be upbeat. I think she is pure goodness and I really need to take a lesson from her. Maybe that in itself is a lesson.

Then suddenly - miraculously - everything changed! The Rotarians ended up taking us to this really decent hotel to stay. The three of us girls are sharing a room with three beds and a shower!! And the Rotary meeting ended up being awesome too!

We all met this guy's tiny apartment and climbed up lots of stairs to the roof where the meeting was held. We did our presentation and then had this amazing feast afterwards.


Rooftop feast with the awesome Ilkal Rotarians.

Everyone had a great time and, as Bernie says, "Every cloud has a silver lining."



Indeed. And it's all about perspective. Tomorrow... Gadag.

Monday, 28 January - 6:30 AM

I did manage to sleep last night. I took the last "mind-easing" pill from Belgaum. I wonder if I can snag some more from another doctor -- they were great! I'm supposed to do some yoga with my host's eldest daughter this morning.

I'm not really sure where it is we're going today. I think it starts with an 'I' and I'm fairly certain it's about three hours away. We've been traveling in the party van and our driver has a tiny little head. We've aptly nicknamed him "Little Head."

It's fun being able to all travel together. I really love the team. We're such an odd combination of people, but somehow we all balance each other out. I just feel really comfortable with all of them. I hope we stay in touch when we get back to real life.



Tomorrow we're supposed to go to some historical place called Humpty (or something like that) to see some ancient ruins. Not really my cup of tea, but I'll be okay.

Sunday 27, January - 11:00 PM

Oh thank you, Lord Vishnu and all of your ten incarnations!!

I have landed in Bagalkot with an awesome family -- the president of the Rotary club here!!

Tonight's presentation went very well. The crowd had a good sense of humor and we had some great food. It was actually the first real meal I'd had all day. We left Bijapur around 10:00 AM and made some stops and saw some ruins.


Temple carved into a rock.



I don't know why it is but I am not super-interested in seeing all the historical sites and temples. I'm kind of that way with museums too. Yeah, I get it - it's all old and amazing that they carved these big, impressive buildings out of rocks and stuff. Cool. Neat-o. Can we go somewhere else now?


"Oh goodie... more temples."

I thought this was pretty funny. At the sites, they charge foreigners 25 times more admission than citizens:



At least I did get to see some monkeys today. They were really funny and cute! One went after this guy who was carrying a bag full of fruit. The guy screamed like a little girl and ran away, dropping his bag (which the monkey ran off with.) I'll take monkeys over monuments any day.


Consider yourself warned.


Monkeys!!


"I love you, Monkey!"

On the way to Bagalkot tonight, we stopped off at this little farm which was way off the beaten path. We turned down this desolate road into a place which turned out to be the herbal garden of a holistic medicine man. The sun had already gone down so it was pretty dark and we couldn't see too much, but this skinny guy in an orange turban took us all around his yard, naming the herbs and trees, and telling us what each one was used for.



I asked him if they had something that cures cancer and he said practicing yoga and eating a raw diet will heal the body of just about everything - including cancer. I found that interesting and wonder how difficult it is to eat a raw diet.


Possible cure for gout?

I also wonder if I will be able to continue being vegetarian when I get home. I suppose I will miss chicken, turkey and fish to an extent. It's definitely easier to be veg here because they make such a great variety of food and you never even miss meat. Maybe I can learn how to cook some Indian food while I'm here. I've definitely felt better - cleaner - since I've been eating veg. I think I'll fold and put away my wet laundry... which hopefully is dry now.