I find myself in the middle of a tiger sanctuary. So it is forbidden to stop
8. Feb. GONIKOPPAL – MYSORE 108 km.
The road to Mysore was with hole most of the way, so it was again a demanding journey of my ass and back. The brake I had tightened up after the hard drive yesterday. But it needed again a strong tightening. I have a hard time understanding that the foot brake so easily loses its excitement.
I found Hotel Mayura Hoysala, which is driven by the state, with very fine rooms for an OK price.
After some relaxing days in Mysore, where I had completed MC. India Report No.2, I had decided to continue a little more south, to the town of Sultan Battery and then on to the small town Cheruthuruthy to greet Kaladdharan Viswanath, who teaches at the Academy Kerala Kalamandalam, which educates students in the Keralanske traditional dance style Kathakali.
I found Hotel Mayura Hoysala, which is driven by the state, with very fine rooms for an OK price.
After some relaxing days in Mysore, where I had completed MC. India Report No.2, I had decided to continue a little more south, to the town of Sultan Battery and then on to the small town Cheruthuruthy to greet Kaladdharan Viswanath, who teaches at the Academy Kerala Kalamandalam, which educates students in the Keralanske traditional dance style Kathakali.
Palace
The city of Mysore is the state of Karnataka's cultural capital and features Maharajens famous palace. Maharajaerne were Indian princes who ruled the many Indian principalities before the country's independence, and the palace in Mysore provides a fascinating insight into how and lavish their princely life has been. The palace is impressive in its grandeur, a magnificent example in Indo-Saracen architecture and interior similar to the Sultan's palace from Alladin, with mosaic marble floors, columns, silver doors, paintings, thrones, walls of rosewood inlaid with ivory and lots of gold - Not quite my taste 'too much fairy lights'. Unfortunately, it was forbidden to photograph inside.
Burger King
Close to my hotel here in Mysore, next to a gas station, there is a Burger King. As a confirmed vegetarian over 44 years old, I'm not exactly a fan of this type of fast food chain and never thought that I would ever step over the threshold of this Mecca of health deterioration.
On my MC.journey one year ago in Delhi where I was going to meet, Mohinder Paul, I had not met before. Wehad to met where the streets are circling in the center of Delhi. He suggested a corner right by a big Burger King. Then we should find a restaurant and eat together. He insisted that we went in and took our dinner at Burger King. I tried to explain in a friendly way, that I was a vegetarian and did not even want to step into this fast food land. So we took the restaurant next door, but they had no room for us, so he insisted that we went into Burger King, as there was no immediate other restaurants nearby. Moreover, he could not see that this was a problem as Burger King also served veggie burger. I could not bear to argue against, he would not understand my resistance. Again, I had this feeling ' Lost in Translation ' . Moreover, it was he who would pay for this dinner. So here I was, the otherwise principled, between a bunch of fast food eating young Inder. As I've written previously, I have a few years ago, lost my sense of smell by a head crash on my bike. In such a situation, I am happy that I could not smell. Burger King restaurant was very well decorated and vegetarian steak tasted good.
In the afternoon, where I can find something to eat for lunch dropped my gaze at Burger King right across the street. A healthy sandwich you will not find here in India. So here I was again in a Burger King restaurant and tried to decipher their signs. I ended up with a small veggie burger, there was no King over it. It tasted very good. So I bought another one.
When I was finished uploading all the photos and email late that night and it was it had been 10:30 pm. I could not bear to find a restaurant and sit alone and wait for the food. So it was a thousand times easier to go to Burger King. The range is short and the service is extremely fast. They use an assembly line system that quickly deliver wrapped from the kitchen to the clerks. They also had a drive in line .
This time I got what they call the whole 'package', in addition to the vegetarian burger I got a cup of fries and a Coke for the same price. All delivered in a bag and then I could continue the party at my hotel room.
I understand that young people fall for this easy temptation. You get satisfied your thunger quickly and relatively inexpensively with something that just affects one's taste onion in solaplexus. You can do other things while eating as the food is designed so that you can stand on the skateboard, you can write on the iphone or computer with one hand while eating with the other, so you do not have breaks in your workflow. Efficiency is important. Reason and health is another generation.
When I was young, I also thought it was a waste of time to cook and then spend time again to eat. Why could you just swallow a few pills and thus recoup his physical needs. But since I know how important it is that mind and body are receiving the correct nutrition, I had to accept that things require time and energy to get energy.
Food - breakfast - lunch - evening
I have on my trips always had some problems with regard to breakfast and lunch. For breakfast, I managed many times to get curd / yogurt at the restaurant or in a shop and then supplement with apple and banana pieces. For lunch I eat fruit or raw vegetables when I have the opportunity to peel the vegetables. Along the way, I also try to get fresh squeezed juice. After 7-10 days I dare to buy juice of the street traders and carved fruits, because I think at that time I have built up some antibodies in the body.
I have a little bit of equipment like a plate, one little spoon, a fork and a small sharp fruit knife. I also have great pleasure from my thermos also have cup that I use when I drive . Occasionally, I enjoy the cold liquid. Also, I have the opportunity to fill the thermos with Thai in the morning and in the evening at one of the restaurants. That way I can enjoy it in my room. It is only at the major hotels that you can get thai or food to the room.
On driving days, it is great to sit in the shade somewhere along the route and enjoy fresh vegetables and fruit. Indian dinner tastes absolutely fantastic, they are true masters to use spices. But it is also oil-rich food. It can be compared with some Danish sauce and potatoes, just sauce and rice. My vegetarian stomach has difficult to cope with too much of this fat diet.
I have a little bit of equipment like a plate, one little spoon, a fork and a small sharp fruit knife. I also have great pleasure from my thermos also have cup that I use when I drive . Occasionally, I enjoy the cold liquid. Also, I have the opportunity to fill the thermos with Thai in the morning and in the evening at one of the restaurants. That way I can enjoy it in my room. It is only at the major hotels that you can get thai or food to the room.
On driving days, it is great to sit in the shade somewhere along the route and enjoy fresh vegetables and fruit. Indian dinner tastes absolutely fantastic, they are true masters to use spices. But it is also oil-rich food. It can be compared with some Danish sauce and potatoes, just sauce and rice. My vegetarian stomach has difficult to cope with too much of this fat diet.
Breachfast and lunch
Psychological and physical addiction
This time, I think my body has had it a little difficult to adjust. I was, as I said unlucky to get a cold in the throat right from the start. I sneeze still very strong and my nose is running . I've had this kind of strong cough / sneeze outbreak the past few years, where my nose every time runs strong. So far I have thought it was some kind of allergy. But since it has been a constant sneezing and it's only been 5-10 -20 sneeze in a row and a few days in a row with long pauses, I do not think that it was the big problem. I have instead tried to response to the irritation, with some really strong sneeze with sound, as a kind of primal scream that provides physical and psychological redemption of the lungs ((UK primal scream ) , screams at which an adult can try to let off steam to get rid of repressed loads from early childhood )) - Now, I think that it is a form of for cold infection that occasionally hits my lungs .
On this MC. trip it's hard to choose when do I have the warm or the thin scarf on and when can I just let the wind cool my throat. How fast can I let the wind fan rotate, before my lungs get irritated . During the day there are 34 degrees and at night down to 26 degrees. My throat has always been very sensitive and on this trip it's been a battle zone. Should I again take the little scarf on while sweating beads down the chest.
First 2 weeks into this journey, I normalized my stomach. I had constipation and no bowel movement for the entire 8 days. At the end of my last MC. journey I suffered also for constipation. I googled my way to that it still is not as critical, even if you have not emptied the intestines up to a month, very soothing .
It is very difficult to get high-fiber diet here in India. The fiber helps to keep it in the liquid in the intestine. I always take lots of fluid around 2 l But I 'll up the entire 3 l in addition to the liquid contained in it I eat. I try to eating vegetables and fruit enough. However, I could not really avoid fatty foods, because Indian dishes are filled with oil. At first I weakened my daily yoga when I would not stress my body too much when I had a cold. But exercise is incredibly important.
Figs have helped in my stomach process. They are hard to find. Yogurt pills that I have taken every day to stabilize the gut has not been enough. My mind and body have been struggling with the heat, because I do not really have to use tab to cool the room down. My burns were fortunately I managed to start up.
On this MC. trip it's hard to choose when do I have the warm or the thin scarf on and when can I just let the wind cool my throat. How fast can I let the wind fan rotate, before my lungs get irritated . During the day there are 34 degrees and at night down to 26 degrees. My throat has always been very sensitive and on this trip it's been a battle zone. Should I again take the little scarf on while sweating beads down the chest.
First 2 weeks into this journey, I normalized my stomach. I had constipation and no bowel movement for the entire 8 days. At the end of my last MC. journey I suffered also for constipation. I googled my way to that it still is not as critical, even if you have not emptied the intestines up to a month, very soothing .
It is very difficult to get high-fiber diet here in India. The fiber helps to keep it in the liquid in the intestine. I always take lots of fluid around 2 l But I 'll up the entire 3 l in addition to the liquid contained in it I eat. I try to eating vegetables and fruit enough. However, I could not really avoid fatty foods, because Indian dishes are filled with oil. At first I weakened my daily yoga when I would not stress my body too much when I had a cold. But exercise is incredibly important.
Figs have helped in my stomach process. They are hard to find. Yogurt pills that I have taken every day to stabilize the gut has not been enough. My mind and body have been struggling with the heat, because I do not really have to use tab to cool the room down. My burns were fortunately I managed to start up.
Srirangapatnam is 14 km. from Mysore
11. feb. Mysore - Sultan Battery 125 km.
On my way to Sultan Battery I stop at a time to take some Photos unavailable by some abandoned hermitages and a little break. Another car stops and tells me that it is illegal to stop, as this is a tiger sanctuary. It is clear that it is dangerous. In order to provide better visibility for both the tiger and the drivers, they had burned all the little bushes between the trees along the roadway in a belt of approx. 30 m. For every 1 km. through this tiger sanctuary, there was a road hump one had to face that makes you immerses the move.
Few places are road humps marked,
so you do not suddenly experience a proper jump
so you do not suddenly experience a proper jump
Road humps used in many places, for example just before you go through a village
and extra large humps where they switch to a major highway
and extra large humps where they switch to a major highway
Massage on an oil oily torture bench
I have decided to stay an extra day in Sultan Battery Hotel Regency in addition to a swimming pool which I used a few times, they can also offer Ayurvedic massage. So although I do not have the big tensions following the last day otherwise hard MC. drives that I would otherwise have had on my other MC. journey. I ordered a massage. In this MC. journey I have tried not to drive more than 200 km. a day and then take a rest day if it was an OK hotel. In order to give myself time to fix the photo and write as well as physically be more rested for the next MC. driving.
The masseur led me into a room with a massage table cast in dark brown hard plastic, slightly seamy glistening with oil. Do I have to lay there without any cloth piece. With a questioning look that expressed - it can not be true that I have to lay up on this unappealing tough oil glistening plastic. I could understand in his eyes that I had to put me up directly on the hard cold shiny plastic, without a towel between me and it.
Massage bench had a molded edge all the way around and a small mound where I could lay my head on. It was much that I willingly put my up this oil glistening torture bench.
This bare room, illuminated by a cold bright neon tube, it seemed cool both mentally and physically. So light freezing, I was on this cold and hard plastic. He drove hard. First through massaged he right leg thoroughly with very fast massaging fluid motion from ankle to hip. He slid up and down with his probing hands so many times in a row, so I thought now he stops soon, but he went on and on and I kept the torment out. Then he took hold of left leg and the way he worked. Now I havbe to turn over. I could feel how the side of my skull by tining and jaw were pressed hard against the hard plastic. My right leg muscles did thankfully not as much resistance as he slid back and forth to push all waste products out of the muscles so that they could be quite soft and malleable. I did it without shouting stop. But then he took hold of my left leg muscles and there were some relaxations would not only surrender. So here I really tried if I could keep without shouting stop. It was hard. He completed every body part massage, with some tough rhythmic hand edge, in the same way just continued and continued, so I was left in a kind of rhythmic body ecstasy. The massage was incredibly efficient and depth. It was different and interesting. When he came to the head massage, I had to ask him not to use to much oil in my hair. I think I was oily enough already. To get in the shower and get all the fat of the body, was for me a liberating and healing process.
The next day I drove only 169 kilometers. But I was extra tired. It may result from the sharp ayurveda massage, which now affect on my body
The masseur led me into a room with a massage table cast in dark brown hard plastic, slightly seamy glistening with oil. Do I have to lay there without any cloth piece. With a questioning look that expressed - it can not be true that I have to lay up on this unappealing tough oil glistening plastic. I could understand in his eyes that I had to put me up directly on the hard cold shiny plastic, without a towel between me and it.
Massage bench had a molded edge all the way around and a small mound where I could lay my head on. It was much that I willingly put my up this oil glistening torture bench.
This bare room, illuminated by a cold bright neon tube, it seemed cool both mentally and physically. So light freezing, I was on this cold and hard plastic. He drove hard. First through massaged he right leg thoroughly with very fast massaging fluid motion from ankle to hip. He slid up and down with his probing hands so many times in a row, so I thought now he stops soon, but he went on and on and I kept the torment out. Then he took hold of left leg and the way he worked. Now I havbe to turn over. I could feel how the side of my skull by tining and jaw were pressed hard against the hard plastic. My right leg muscles did thankfully not as much resistance as he slid back and forth to push all waste products out of the muscles so that they could be quite soft and malleable. I did it without shouting stop. But then he took hold of my left leg muscles and there were some relaxations would not only surrender. So here I really tried if I could keep without shouting stop. It was hard. He completed every body part massage, with some tough rhythmic hand edge, in the same way just continued and continued, so I was left in a kind of rhythmic body ecstasy. The massage was incredibly efficient and depth. It was different and interesting. When he came to the head massage, I had to ask him not to use to much oil in my hair. I think I was oily enough already. To get in the shower and get all the fat of the body, was for me a liberating and healing process.
The next day I drove only 169 kilometers. But I was extra tired. It may result from the sharp ayurveda massage, which now affect on my body
13 feb. Sultan – Cheruthuruthy 169 km.
Keralanske traditional Kathakali dance style
Theodora Skipitares I know from New York and working with performance art, wrote an email to me in Mysore, where she suggested that I drove by the small town Cheruthuruthy and greeted Kaladdharan Viswanath, who teaches at the Academy Kerala Kalamandalam, which trains students in the Keralanske traditional Kathakali dance style. After having contacted him by phone and made a deal that when I showed up d.13.2 late afternoon we could be seen. The school closed 5 pm.
I had a hard time understanding his English on the phone. At the same time, he talked very fast and did not hear correctly after what I was saying, but talked rapidly on.
I looked forward to a personal meeting over a cup of Thai or dinner with an Indian working with performance art, like myself.
When I arrived in town and contact him by phone, it turns out that I have completely misunderstood him . He had only time to see me the next day at 10 am. and he would come by my hotel so I could get out and see the school. I tried to tell him that it was more of a personal meeting with him I was interested in, and not specifically to see the school. I felt clearly that he did not really understand me .
' Lost in translation '
I had a hard time understanding his English on the phone. At the same time, he talked very fast and did not hear correctly after what I was saying, but talked rapidly on.
I looked forward to a personal meeting over a cup of Thai or dinner with an Indian working with performance art, like myself.
When I arrived in town and contact him by phone, it turns out that I have completely misunderstood him . He had only time to see me the next day at 10 am. and he would come by my hotel so I could get out and see the school. I tried to tell him that it was more of a personal meeting with him I was interested in, and not specifically to see the school. I felt clearly that he did not really understand me .
' Lost in translation '
The next morning, I was standing outside the hotel waiting for him. After waiting ½ hour I called him up and asked when he would get past the hotel. It was better that I came out at his school, he said. I could take a tucktuck there.
What was it that I really like to look at the school he asked again and what kind of worked do I do. Again I tried to explain to him that I just expected a chat with him over a cup of thai as colleagues. He thought that it was best that got out to the school so he could show me some of it, now that I worked with theater. So I drove to school on my motorbike.
I came up to the office, where he sat with 20 others. He was very cordial and extremely friendly and welcoming towards me and would love to hear what I was doing and where I came from and if I knew Barba from Odin theaters in Denmark and where I knew Theodora from etc.
On my computer, I showed him some of my work as a visual artist and stage designer. After seeing a bit, he thought, that I would probably get the most out of watching their makeup department. Unfortunately, the 2 guides showing people around the school was both busy. But as someone who was an artist, I could walk around by myself. After 5-7 min. talk, he brought me over to the makeup department that he thought I would get the most of where the student was practicing there makeup skill on model heads with paper cut out as beard and hair decorations.
He went back to the office. Everything went so fast, so I never got to know exactly his position at the school. After some observation in the makeup department, I decided to visit him again and ask if I could also see a bit of dance and music departments and where they were located along the area.
I had completely abandoned the idea of the personal talk and understand that I probably was one of may be 10 persons a day, which, for various professional reasons contacted him, to hear and see something related to the school. I guess that he is a kind of manager, as he travels a lot. So his job is to promote and show the school forward and create as many professional contacts as possible.
He had some official professional expectations for meeting with me, which he kindly tried to communicate as best he could. However, I had very different expectations for this meeting, namely some more human and personal.
' Lost in Translation '
It was interesting to walk around the area and experience a little of the school building, with small open bungalows as classrooms for all the different disciplines there required to perform Kathakali performance.
Unfortunately, I'm only seeing very little before they held their midday. When I professionally have seen so many different art school, over the years, I decided that I had seen enough. I did not really set my psyche that it was a school I had to explore and enjoy. I drove back to the hotel and drove on to the next town Thrissur, which was warmly recommended by the Kaladdharan .
I had driven 294 km.for this well-intentioned professional introduction.
' Lost in translation '
What was it that I really like to look at the school he asked again and what kind of worked do I do. Again I tried to explain to him that I just expected a chat with him over a cup of thai as colleagues. He thought that it was best that got out to the school so he could show me some of it, now that I worked with theater. So I drove to school on my motorbike.
I came up to the office, where he sat with 20 others. He was very cordial and extremely friendly and welcoming towards me and would love to hear what I was doing and where I came from and if I knew Barba from Odin theaters in Denmark and where I knew Theodora from etc.
On my computer, I showed him some of my work as a visual artist and stage designer. After seeing a bit, he thought, that I would probably get the most out of watching their makeup department. Unfortunately, the 2 guides showing people around the school was both busy. But as someone who was an artist, I could walk around by myself. After 5-7 min. talk, he brought me over to the makeup department that he thought I would get the most of where the student was practicing there makeup skill on model heads with paper cut out as beard and hair decorations.
He went back to the office. Everything went so fast, so I never got to know exactly his position at the school. After some observation in the makeup department, I decided to visit him again and ask if I could also see a bit of dance and music departments and where they were located along the area.
I had completely abandoned the idea of the personal talk and understand that I probably was one of may be 10 persons a day, which, for various professional reasons contacted him, to hear and see something related to the school. I guess that he is a kind of manager, as he travels a lot. So his job is to promote and show the school forward and create as many professional contacts as possible.
He had some official professional expectations for meeting with me, which he kindly tried to communicate as best he could. However, I had very different expectations for this meeting, namely some more human and personal.
' Lost in Translation '
It was interesting to walk around the area and experience a little of the school building, with small open bungalows as classrooms for all the different disciplines there required to perform Kathakali performance.
Unfortunately, I'm only seeing very little before they held their midday. When I professionally have seen so many different art school, over the years, I decided that I had seen enough. I did not really set my psyche that it was a school I had to explore and enjoy. I drove back to the hotel and drove on to the next town Thrissur, which was warmly recommended by the Kaladdharan .
I had driven 294 km.for this well-intentioned professional introduction.
' Lost in translation '
Discarded cars along the small town Cheruthuruthy's highway
perhaps it is its trademark.
14 feb. Cheruthuruthy - Thrissur 36 km.
I got a USB modem at the same time I got my Indian Vodafon phone in Goa. It has worked very slowly right from the start and lost quite often sudden connection. Now, it has not worked a whole week.
The only thing of interest in this city was the Hindu temple Vadakkunathan Kshestram right in the middle of town, which only Hindus had to tread. Therefore I took the time to find a larger Vodafon branch. They could tell me that there was more money on the Internet account. So I paid 5 $ for continued connection. They were unable to help me in terms of stronger and better connectivity. Overall it was a problem for everyone in the state Kanataka and also in Kerala. All internetcafer I have visited on this trip hat had problems with power.
The only thing of interest in this city was the Hindu temple Vadakkunathan Kshestram right in the middle of town, which only Hindus had to tread. Therefore I took the time to find a larger Vodafon branch. They could tell me that there was more money on the Internet account. So I paid 5 $ for continued connection. They were unable to help me in terms of stronger and better connectivity. Overall it was a problem for everyone in the state Kanataka and also in Kerala. All internetcafer I have visited on this trip hat had problems with power.
Thrissur was not my town. But I took this these photo of the eternal flame that burns in front Vadakkunathan Kshestram temple
Here a little spirtuel power sound
AUM
Bjarne v.H.H.Solberg
