Joyrides and riptides

Ok. I'm back in action!!!

I've had a chance (forcibly, but still) to charge the ol' batteries and realize my limits in regards to the heat.  These limits are much closer than I once had originally thought: India is not Florida, and who am I kidding? When I lived in Florida I had constant access to air conditioning, Walgreens and a pool or the ocean.

Here?  Well, we get a breeze from time to time, but there is nowhere to hide from the heat, ahh!! It's driving me nuts.  Just thinking out being outside gives me a headache, lol. I always hope that I don't have to walk back to my hut from the main hut after 10 a.m because of the heat. It's sunny everyday and it never rains.  Portland sounds like a good move right about now.

To stay cool I've decided I need a moped.  Yes, that's right, I'm the proud renter of a moped for the next few weeks.  I went from never having driven one on Sunday, to riding all over town with not only one, but at one point TWO people on the back (though one was a pocket-friend and only counts as half a person, lol).  Yeah, I guess I'm a bad-ass.

There's even a few people here that have taken to nicknaming me "Rock 'n Roll." Ha, I swear it's true, and no, I didn't ask them to call me that, it occurred naturally.  Oh, and I decided to name my moped Harvey Dangerfield (get it? like Harley Davidson, haaaahahhahaha). 

The Internet has been out here for like 4 days, and it has been kind of boring.  I do love the Internet, especially when it's my one joy, the happy little center of my middle-of-nowhere life that helps me to stay connected to my peeps.  And I'm not going to lie, I've been dying to update my blog, ha, I know: dorky!

While I've been out joyriding around the past few days, I've done the following activities:

• Eaten pizza (which was pretty good! The place, Tata, is owned by an Italian, it's totally reputable).
• Been to the beach (but haven't actually swam in it).
• Eaten vegan and non-vegan ice cream (I'm still warming up to the food at SF, eek). 
• Almost driven off the road while thinking about pizza (no joke, I've been DREAMING of pizza); have no fear, there were no casualties or injuries, just a bruised ego.

It seemed like more in my mind.  Today I'll venture out to the city center to meet a friend for tea.  Everyday people with mopeds leave at least once a day in search of CHAI!!! It's a huge deal.  I still haven't found my chai "place" yet.  I have a samosa "place" now, which is pretty darn tasty, they have this sauce for the samosas with cilantro, lime and chili pepper; it's like an Indian/Mexican mixture. And they serve 200ml glass bottle pop for about 12 rupees each.  I LOVE how cheap India is.

I ate a whole pizza and drank a whole pop for 125 rupees (less than $3).  And that's expensive.  If you get Indian food from the local places, it's usually wayyy cheaper than the American fare or "vegan" fare. 

Before I came here I was like "OOh, I'm going to be vegan, and I'm never going to leave Sadhana and I'll ride my bike everywhere." Ha, fat chance.  I'm riding all over the place on a gas-guzzling moped eating ice cream and pizza every chance that I get.  And I still haven't ridden an actual bicycle since I've been here: FAIL!

Oh well, our plans don't always work out the way we anticipate.  I'm just going with the flow.  Though I would sell a left arm (not mine, necessarily) for some Mexican food (Chipotle, even, who cares) and some Sour Patch Kids.  Six months is starting to sound like a really, really, really long time.  Really.

I'd ask for someone to send one, but shoot, burritos don't really keep in the mail, and sugar is definitely contraband.  I don't know what I was thinking, lol...

I don't have many words left, I've been talking a lot the past few days, but I do have tons of pictures; enjoy!

 This is Ida and Swati.  I told them to look cool.  They are succeeding.

 This is a Banyon tree in the courtyard at the pizza place.  They grow many trunks.

 This is an empty Coke bottle.  You've probably seen one of these before.

 This is a pizza menu.  You've probably seen one of these as well.

 This was a slice of the Mediterranean pizza that made me feel less homesick. YUM!

This is Kali.  She is the Hindi goddess of time and transformation.  She frightens me.

 
 Those would be intestines.

 This sharp lady was hanging out near Kali.  I don't know her name, but she seemed a bit friendlier.

 This was a giant tomb that was also at Kali's shrine, but it didn't look like Kali.  It's very large.

 Enjoy some palm trees.

 This was a pond at this sanctuary at the beach.  It's called "Quiet Beach." Don't worry, I didn't get kicked out.

 Ida on the path to enlightenment. Hehe.

 The ocean!!!

 These are huge lumps of fishermen ropes.  There are piles of them all over the beach (see: below).