July 25th 2003 First Day in Chennai
(Well, it is now actually Saturday morning after breakfast, and a wonderful night's sleep, but I will get caught up to date and hope to stay up to date now at least for the time being. Today we have planned a small outing to change money and then at 3 my first ayurveda treatment.
That brings us up to my arriving this morning at Ravin's house. Can't believe I've done all I did my first day here...Arrived early morning 5:30 and got to the house around 7. Met Ravin's parents...really nice and pleasant people. Then we spoke for awhile and talked about the things I want to do here. We had breakfast (will talk about my meals here later perhaps) and then I went to wait for my massage-When she never turned up, I took a shower and went to rest-At 1 Ravin woke me...we had lunch and I spent some time on the computer and then we decided to go to the ayurveda doc.
Did this on Ravin's motorbike and it was some experience...scary and exhilarating at the same time. Driving through an Indian city in a taxi or rickshaw is one thing-doing it on the back of a motor bike is another. But the truth is once I got over my initial panic, it was quite fun. I felt quite young and carefree holding onto a cute young guy on the back of a motorbike with an ISSTA bag strapped to my back.
We got to the doc where the consultation is free. It is a branch of the main institute in Kerala. I was diagnosed and given a long list of medications for before/after food, before bedtime and oils for massage treatments which I will being tomorrow for 14 days. The whole treatment will cost about 3500 rupees compared to over $1000 in Israel and 4 times as much in the states. And here it is the true experts in the field.. Then from there Ravin took me to get some nice quality but cheap traveling clothes for my travels and hopefully his mother will take me or send me to have better quality stuff sewn or bought before I leave. We then went and sat in a lovely coffee shop over ice cream and iced coffee and then headed home. Some computer, some talking, some dinner, some more lovely philosophical discussions with Ravin...a joy to talk to...amazing person...discussed his not getting married, his family obligations etc and then somehow got around to discussing Saddam, Hitler, organized religions, born again Christians and an endless stream of other fascinating topics. I am now in "my" room waiting to go to sleep. IT is 10 PM...I am exhausted-but the maid (who does cooking I see, ironing-another one comes to do the laundry-and every time I go out of the room she straightens up after me!) is now sitting and watching TV and I don't have the heart to tell her (even if I could speak Tamil) that I want to sleep...but I will soon
Tomorrow morning we will go out and take Ravin's father to his dialysis and then change some money and I even will get porridge for breakfast. At 3 I have my first massage and guess maybe will just rest. Still have to go for glasses...and to the yoga place and Ravin says I should go pamper myself for about 1000 rupees -hair styling, manicure, pedicure, facial...Just may do it
That's it for now...Maid went to sleep so will I. Fan on ceiling..no AC but seems to be enough. Will see how I sleep. Weather is not too hot but muggy...so far didn't see any rain.
That brings us up to my arriving this morning at Ravin's house. Can't believe I've done all I did my first day here...Arrived early morning 5:30 and got to the house around 7. Met Ravin's parents...really nice and pleasant people. Then we spoke for awhile and talked about the things I want to do here. We had breakfast (will talk about my meals here later perhaps) and then I went to wait for my massage-When she never turned up, I took a shower and went to rest-At 1 Ravin woke me...we had lunch and I spent some time on the computer and then we decided to go to the ayurveda doc.
Did this on Ravin's motorbike and it was some experience...scary and exhilarating at the same time. Driving through an Indian city in a taxi or rickshaw is one thing-doing it on the back of a motor bike is another. But the truth is once I got over my initial panic, it was quite fun. I felt quite young and carefree holding onto a cute young guy on the back of a motorbike with an ISSTA bag strapped to my back.
We got to the doc where the consultation is free. It is a branch of the main institute in Kerala. I was diagnosed and given a long list of medications for before/after food, before bedtime and oils for massage treatments which I will being tomorrow for 14 days. The whole treatment will cost about 3500 rupees compared to over $1000 in Israel and 4 times as much in the states. And here it is the true experts in the field.. Then from there Ravin took me to get some nice quality but cheap traveling clothes for my travels and hopefully his mother will take me or send me to have better quality stuff sewn or bought before I leave. We then went and sat in a lovely coffee shop over ice cream and iced coffee and then headed home. Some computer, some talking, some dinner, some more lovely philosophical discussions with Ravin...a joy to talk to...amazing person...discussed his not getting married, his family obligations etc and then somehow got around to discussing Saddam, Hitler, organized religions, born again Christians and an endless stream of other fascinating topics. I am now in "my" room waiting to go to sleep. IT is 10 PM...I am exhausted-but the maid (who does cooking I see, ironing-another one comes to do the laundry-and every time I go out of the room she straightens up after me!) is now sitting and watching TV and I don't have the heart to tell her (even if I could speak Tamil) that I want to sleep...but I will soon
Tomorrow morning we will go out and take Ravin's father to his dialysis and then change some money and I even will get porridge for breakfast. At 3 I have my first massage and guess maybe will just rest. Still have to go for glasses...and to the yoga place and Ravin says I should go pamper myself for about 1000 rupees -hair styling, manicure, pedicure, facial...Just may do it
That's it for now...Maid went to sleep so will I. Fan on ceiling..no AC but seems to be enough. Will see how I sleep. Weather is not too hot but muggy...so far didn't see any rain.
posted by Jane @ 6:43 PM
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