Sangam House day one - jetlagged

I'm sitting at my desk at the window with a lovely warm breeze wafting in and the sound of someone sweeping beneath the sound of an obnoxious bird cawing, maybe a crow? The morning was crazy with birdsong and the shutters were open, so at about 7 a.m. the hazy light was filling the room and the birds sounded like they were in my room. Luckily I brought earplugs which I can see I will need. I also brought a lavender-scented eye mask ( a loan from my yoga teacher). It will come in handy.

All the travel connections went so smoothly. I arrived in Bangalore to find my baggage which I had parted with in Kelowna thinking, "goodbye forever." It seemed impossible that it would find its way to a carousel 12,000 kilometres away (is it really that far? google says so). Yet there it was, in India. I had been told to look for the sign with (no, not my name) Sangam House on it. I stepped out of the airport into the humid night to a long line of people with signs. And there it was, again. I said "hello" and the man said, "Frances?" Almost as good as a sign with my name on it. Maybe better.


We walked to his cab and I got in the back seat and looked for the seatbelt. "Not necessary. No problem," he said. But as we took to the highway, I heard my son's voice, "Mom!" so when there was a lull in traffic I asked if he'd mind if I moved to the front seat. Once there, I buckled up. It's not like when I was 24 and mentally made the sign of the cross like the Mexican bus drivers do, then surrendered. I'm 50 and I'll damn well sit in the front seat with a seat belt. The drive was a bit surreal. Quickly out of the city and onto a shortcut, down narrow red dirt rural roads closed over by gnarly, vine covered trees, past sleeping little villages. We were stopped at one point by a railroad crossing. The driver got out, looked down the track, then went to a little house and called out the sleepy guard who raised the arm for us to pass through.

My room

This place is incredibly beautiful and peaceful. I just had one of the best hot showers of my life and walked down to the dance studio (open air) to watch the practice. I've heard I can join them for yoga in the morning. I'll attach a couple of pictures.

Through one of the window screens