Goa and Kerala in a hazelnutshell

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Ah so much to tell - where to start? Imbolc found me ready to break out of the Pune cocoon and ma'am began her journey coastwards with fellow mystic rose Sandrine on an overnight bus to Goa.

Arambol in a nutshell:
YOGA, countless opportunities to stay in the middle until in the relentless heckling on the main drag or the inevitable haggling process when attempting a purchase, unending streams of the fab and fagalicious gliding by on their motorbikes svelte and helmetless, boho threads on their bronzed bods, the constant sound of the sewing machine going at it hell for leather, buffalo grazing at the plastic bottle mountains, the quiet vastness of the mountain peoples down for the season, the beauty of the cliff walk to Keri beach, the joy of sannyasin infused Magic Park where I ate many a delicious salad and watched a most enlightening documentary on ayahuasca, the enormous cockroach family whose bamboo hut I had the audacity to move into - it was clear I was merely the lodger- the night of the illness and then there was Agonda.

Agonda in a nutshell:
my sigh of utter peace and tranquillity, my sweet little room, morning satsang with Samdarshi, an Osho sannyasin turned guru with a predominantly Russian following - he is no enlightened master but the sannyas ceremony I witnessed was high energy and exquisitely beautiful - there is an undeniable freshness, innocence and joy to the proceedings, mouthwateringly delicious souvlaki at lunchtime, tantric yoga on the rooftop till sundown, 50 rupee thali at Fatima's in the evening, shanti shanti people, the river, the fabulously plumed cockerels and then the overnight train to Cochin, Kerala.

A night in Fort Cochin - a recipe
Ahh Fort Cochin puts me somehow in mind of Havana, both being ports with colonial architecture dating from the 16th century..I watched a spot of Kathakali, fabulous costumes and facepainting though I hadn't a clue what was going on and oh Next time you find yourself with a spare pitcher of buttermilk why not try tossing in a pinch of salt, a few curry leaves, some finely diced ginger and a couple of chopped green chillies?

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