Travelling as a woman of a "certain age" ...

It has been interesting to be travelling around India as a mature woman.  I find because I am not in a hurry, have no desire to do a great deal of purchasing, and dress as Dr Geetha, the Ayurvedic physician reminded me, in a "respectful" way, I am given a great deal of respect.  I am not nagged into coming into every little shop and both men and women seem to be very comfortable chatting with me about life in India, especially in the South, which is quite a bit more relaxed and easy than the North (where I had travelled in the past).

Life is relatively (for India!) quiet in Fort Cochin, really a "haven" compared to the heaving noise and dirt and congestion and pollution in other parts.  I have been here the last 4 days and have visited churches, monuments, museums and countless shops while basing myself in a "homestay", a large stately home right in this small town where the family rents out 6 rooms for bed and breakfast.  I lucked out and got the best room with a bright yellow theme and windows all round and a front balcony to sit on.  I've pretty much got used to the Indian systems of bathing and eating and travelling and using rickshaws (taking one's chances on getting to the destination in one piece).

Yesterday was an eventful day and one of the highlights was being dressed in a traditional cotton sari and I will place the photo on Facebook ... it was such fun but took quite a while to get it looking just so.  Two lovely young Indian women dressed me up and waited patiently as we took photos and I explained gently that no, I was not buying the sari.

Took a ferry over to the mainland today, a pretty rickety vessel, but I got there and back and had a wonderful Keralan lunch (not too hot food, again unlike the heavy food of the North of India) with lots of coconut milk.  I am eating excellent food and drinking lots of fresh juices, teas and bottles of water.  The food here is quite good and very very cheap!  Lots of fruit and fresh vegetables and much, much basmati rice.

Tomorrow I'm off to the mountains to Munnar for a 3 day stay at another Homestay.  The mountains are full of tea and coffee plantations and wonderful views as well as much cooler than near the sea.

I continue to enjoy every day, every minute of this journey.  India is not easy as a traveller and much patience and good humour is essential!  It is good that I don't have a tight Itinerary and can move around relatively easily.

Am flying to Chennai on Satuirday and will post from Auroville, my next stop for three weeks.

The treatments at Rasa

It has been 20 days since I arrived in Kerala to begin this Panchakarma journey.  I have not regretted it for one minute!  The staff - from the driver on my arrival to the cooks, cleaners/washing ladies, to the treatment young women - and even the owner who lives in the US - I spoke with her through Skype within a few days of arrival - everyone is truly kind, gentle and feels it is a privilege to assist us here at Rasa in any way possible.


The entire experience has been orchestrated smoothly and gently.  From the daily schedule (arising around 6 am, but the music and chanting from the temple starts at 4.30 or 5.00 am), treatment timings (each day morning or afternoon for approximately one hour) to the meal times (three meals, all delicious vegetarian according to our Dosha (or constitution which is determined by the Ayurvedic doctor who talks to us each day except Sunday) ... everything is well tuned, smooth and easy to enjoy ourselves.  I could probably stay another week but leave tomorrow.


The treatments have been especially interesting. It was determined quite quickly by Dr Geeta that I have a Vata imbalance - very very common - and would need to begin with some oil massages, head massages and steam baths.  Lots and lots of oil, slipping and sliding all over the treatment table.  The treatment area - because this is a very traditional experience - is on the rooftop with a thatched roof and four small rooms - two for treatments, and one room holds the steam bath unit which is constructed from thatching and we sit in there with our head popping out.  Ayurveda does not support head getting too steamy.

Other treatments have included hot compresses of herbs being pounded all over my body and then rubbing andmassaging with the herbs, followed by a quick oil massage.  I have also had an oil bath where the oil is dribbled all over the body (we wear little cloth g-strings which don't protect much!, one cannot be shy here) as well as a hot rice bath where the rice is held in a gauze bag and rubbed and dragged all over the body.  I have also had steam for the sinuses before bed, special medicines for sleeping and helping with overall rest along with the delicious food,daily fruit juices, herbal teas, water that is boiled with 7 different herbs for sipping throughout the day as well as lots of medicated ghee (clarified butter) through different orifices.  All very relaxing - lots of time to sleep, lie in the hammock and on one or two occasions I have had a taxi take myself and another "patient" into Trivandrum to see temples and do a little shopping.

The effects of this entire Panchakarma (deep cleansing and healing) are continuing for the next 45 days so I will be especially careful not to overexert myself in India - I had not planned on this being a marathon tour anyway as I was aware that after Panchakarma one needs to be cautious about sun and too much swimming in the sea.  It has really been a challenging experience - my body, mind and spirit feel very relaxed and grounded now.   Yoga and meditation each day has helped as well; we do our own practices in the morning usually.

But I have chosen to come back to Rasa for 2 days before I leave India so I will be here from Dec 22-early on the 25 for a few more treatments and consult with Dr Geeta.


So tomorrow I'm off to Kovalam, a seaside resort south of here (I will stay at a quiet place called Tree Tops) and relax for a few days before taking the train north to Fort Cochin and lots of sightseeing and touring.  It is a busy place and promises to be exciting.


More to follow ...

Kickin' back in India

After an arduous journey from London Gatwick through Dubai Airport (beautiful place but after 7 hours lost its lustre especially with my flight departing at 0415 hrs).  Travel is sometimes overrated I say to myself.  Anyway, after two long flights, arrived safely in Trivandrum and a driver and car were waiting to whisk me away to Rasa Ayurveda Healing Centre for Women (called a private clinic here in Kerala).  30 minutes in the back of the car through Trivandrum reinforced for me that even after 20 plus years since I have been in India, nothing much had changed - at least in mymind - just as frantic and noisy and colourful as it was back when I was travelling 'round in the past.  But at Rasa it is all calm and cool as I expected it would be.  A warm welcome, a warm bath/shower (hot water is brought to the room by one of themany attendants here), then a lovely vegetarian meal (Kerala was once known as the Spice Coast of India) and a long oily hot oil massage in the afternoon, followed by a sleep, I felt pretty good.  And have continued to feel wonderful here, the hot humid weather punctuated by regular monsoon like rains at around 5-7 pm all contribute to it.  The greenery is magical and the birds/crickets/other unknown types of noisy critters outside my window at nite lull me to sleep.

Yesterday was a big day, the previous several days working up to it, when I had the actual Panchakarma treatment.  A hot oil massage at 6 am was followed by light steam - this is not a spa ladies and gentlemen - everything is done very traditionally and usually seems quite antiquated from our Western eyes!  But it works as Dr Geetha, the Ayurvedic physician here, tells me - and that's why I came, to sample the real authentic Ayurveda that has worked for people for thousands of years.  And it worked yesterday, after all the massage, steam and medicine at 7.30 am, I spent the day - I won't get too graphic here folks - but let's just say I had a nice calm cleaning out through all orifices.  I have an overhead fan but no AC and it was a hot day, good for sweating toxins says Dr Geetha.

So today is more relaxing, lots of nice food, another treatment from the lovely young women therapists here, then we are having a Divali celebration this evening.

There are two other patients/guests here now, a woman from the UK and another woman from Texas, US.  We have lovely chats over the wonderful nourishing food that is specially prepared for us.  And there is a great little library to choose reading material from.

I'm planning the next leg of my journey as we speak as I leave here on the 21st and will probably either go south to the sea at Kovalam and/or north to Fort Cochin.  Both are appealing and I would like to visit the very southern tip of India.

Loving my time here, it is such a rich place - colours, foods, spices, lots of caring and love, people are warm and thoughtful, can't do enough for us!  I know I chose the right place to do my healing journey and am looking forward to another 10 days here!

More to follow.  Hope all is well with everyone who is reading this!  Health is an attitude Dr Geetha tells me as we discuss growing old with Ayurveda.