More yoga and now surfing
Finished the 10 day yoga holiday at Sadhana and felt greatly rejuvinated after the month of trekking. Slept well, was well fed, and feeling a lot more limber. I decided to do their 3 day GI cleanse which was an interesting experience. For 2 days I continued with the normal days activities, but only consumed 2 apples 3 times a day and washed that down with a hot lemon drink with honey. I was encouraged to also drink plenty of their herbal/digestive tea and water throughout the course of the day. This was a major challenge but I got through it without feeling too weak. The biggest torture was watching everyone else eating the delicious food that was served there. The 3rd day was the cleanse and at 8:30 I started the 3 hour+ process. I was to drink a minimum of 20 glasses of water with salt added and after every 2 glasses, I was to do a series of exercises to stretch my belly in various positions and work on breathing. Things didn’t move as quickly as I would have liked but by the afternoon it was eventually successful. They fed me afterward a puree of lentils, rice, garlic, and butter which was nourishment I desperately needed. The following day I was able to eat normally but they did not recommend dairy or spicy food. I was also able to participate again in the days activities. I felt a sense of accomplishment of completing this process, but don’t know how quickly I’ll be ready to do it again as it was quite draining. I think it was healthy for the GI tract to flush itself out though and did feel strong again shortly thereafter. The cleanse took place on the 7-9th days of my stay and I left on the 11th day. I did one more mud bath we makes you look like someone who lives in the jungle and Asanga who is the yoga instructor led us in laughing meditation which I had heard about and was quite a hoot. We basically rolled on our backs and laughed continually for several minutes.
Nepal had had a week or so of Maoist protests and ensuing strike when I left making my departure a bit of an ordeal. The reason for this Baanh as they call it, is that later this month Nepal is due to write their new Constitution. They have been without a proper one since 2006 when the King was dethroned and the Maoists are wanting their voices heard. None of the shops had been allowed to open except from 6-8 pm and there were no taxis or buses available. Individuals were also not allowed to drive their cars or motorcycles making the streets eerily quiet. Luckily the airport was not affected and I had already booked my flight back to Kathmandu. They did have a tourist only van available to the airport which I made use of and flew to Kathmandu at 1 pm. However, my flight from there to Bali via Hong Kong was 10 hours later and I was stuck at the airport, which has very few amenities. There was a restaurant but I could not receive my boarding pass until 3 hours prior to departure and thus they wouldn’t allow me upstairs to that area. I subsisted on crackers and a few other snacks and passed the time making new friends and reading. The flights were smooth but there was a 3 hour wait to get a visa when I arrived in Bali, not a very efficient system. I was exhausted at this point and was happy to see my driver from the Padang Padang surf camp as I exited the airport. I felt refreshed after seeing the lush environment on this beautiful island and the camp is really a sanctuary with a pool, hammocks, Buddha statues, and a relaxed environment. The camp is run by a Scottish man and his Indonesian wife. My room is beautiful with a big bed with accompanying mosquito net. Was able to walk down to the beach the first night and see the ocean after being landlocked with past couple of months. Awoke the first morning and met the group at 5:15 am for a dawn patrol session and we went to Uluwatu, a surf break I had heard of after reading Gerry Lopez’s book when he was exploring the area in the 70’s. It is a gorgeous spot with rock formations and cliffs overlooking the beach. Had the full day to relax after we got back and had breakfast and then went to Balangan beach in the middle of the afternoon. Back to Uluwatu this morning and had another good session. Planning to stay here a week and then go over to Lombok to meet Devin who was on the medical trek.
Themocracy