Adipoli

The Indian way of life ;provides the vision of the natural, real way of life. We veil ourselves with unnatural masks. On the face of India are the tender expressions which carry the mark of the Creator's hand. Unknown


A very different day today. We got on our bikes early - 8am, before the heat really set it, and cycled up to the Ashram ... a very small basic ashram right by the beach .. about 12km away and through some thick sand ... Mr A says it is like cycling through the empty quarter (Re Lawrence of Arabia) in parts .. the sand gets washed onto the road in mounds .. but today it was not so bad but the potholes in the road are as bad as ever so it takes some navigating to get round the crevices ...

It was school bus boarding time.. groups of children lining the road.. It always amazes us that these children emerge from the most basic of dwellings with no running water and their uniforms are immaculate... This group a little less so!!

It is the children that we love most in India.. their innocent curiosity has not been dimmed by the securites and fears that we have in parts of the UK ... All speak some English .. "What is your name?" "What is your country?" "You have a pen?" and some much more than that .. there was one girl with this group who chatted on for ages but she chose not to be photographed with the boys!

So my arrival at the Ashram was somewhat later than that of Mr A's who had swerved his way though this little highway band ... not sure whether they got to school on time! However the Swami - Swamiji was there to greet us. He is a very good friend, a very educated man and an ayurverdic doctor. The ashram was shored up with sandbags against the high tides but had now been filled with plants since our last visit there earlier this year ... All the plants are for medicinal purposes even the Oleander that is poisonous in most circumstances but used carefully is a part of some very special medicines.. Swamiji talked to us about each of the plants .. including the Pepal plant .. apparently very valuable in treating jaundice and heart complaints ... but also, he explained, a very accommodating plant.. It will let any other plant grow alongside it... I think we humans could learn a lot from it! IAnyway more about Swamiji and his knowledge in future blips undoubtedly .... We were invited to join him for breakfast ... Keralan rice, tapioca thoran, coconut and oranges ..

A hot ride back broken by a stop at a roadside shack for some freshly juiced oranges.. nectar in this heat ...

Adipoli = superb in Malayalam (language of Kerala) and it was another adipoli day ...