Brianaaimee: India Travels- Kochi, part 4

Jan. 26, 2010

hello from Fort Kochi!
(I loved this mini door!)

Journal Entry:
"This is our last day in Fort Kochi. We are being picked up tomorrow for the Ashram. I am unsure what to expect. I think it will be a great experience if (the Guru, will be left unnamed, don't want any bad Karma for my viewpoints being blasted;) is there. I am sure it will be super busy if so. I will go with the flow, or try to like I have been trying to do since we got here!

Yesterday we went on a river boat trip and had an Ayurvedic massage . The massage was definitely an 'experience'. I had to undress in front of the 2 women that were to give me the massage. If you've never gotten a massage this may seem 'normal', I mean, you DO have to take your close off to get a massage. However, the normal practice for shy and prudish Americans is for the practitioner to step out of the room to let you jump out of your clothes and into the blankets. Ok, so undressing. Down to my skivies. Nope, not enough. I am signaled (because they do not speak English) to take ALL my clothes off... Ok?! Breathe. There is no hidden camera. This is not a weird kidnapping place. You are here to get a massage. Just breathe, trust and remember this is an experience... Then I lay on the floor on top of a towel. I repeat, on the floor. While I have sunbathed topless in the French Riviera I would never imagine going nude because at least in Los Angeles, and I am sure other parts of the world, there are bugs at the beach. Bugs that can crawl in your neither regions. Yuck. TMI (too much information), I know. But I am trying to create a visual of me laying on the floor in India... Ok. Got it. Then, oil, straight oil, is poured all over my body and I am massaged by two women who continuously pour quarts of oil over me. 'It's an experience, it's and experience', I kept repeating. I mean, it was F'in' incredible, dont' get me wrong. And I did have some trippy visualizations during this experience, one being opening my own center, and hearing a call to heal..I think that is what is supposed to happen during Ayurvedic massage, no? Then, the shower. Here is a bar of soap to wash off the gallons of oil. I will stand here and watch to make sure you do it right?! OK... Water turns on, 1,000 mosquitoes fly up and around me at once. If you know me, this is hilarious, I swat anything and nothing that flies in my face, frantically. I was teased immensely in Africa for this. I digress, back to the shower. Cold water, of course. I rush to wash, and then am dried by the lady. All in all, it was an experience. I ended up tipping the lady a 100 rupees so I MUST have liked it! haha

After the massage we took a gondola ride through the backwaters of Kerala. Once we got out of the main area with the houses, it was relaxing. We talked to some couple on a floating house boat, learned about prawns in the water ways, and cuddled. On our way to our romantic lunch at a place along the water we came across a lot of filthy water, and at least 2 dead, bloated rats floating in the water! (shiver) I was hungry, and the food looked good at the table set for two, but I definitely had to suppress my gag reflex after just floating by those things! Travis is so good about being straight forward with people, they brought us two whole fish, eyes included, and he told them we were vegetarians. I would have just felt bad and left them there. And then felt bad for wasting food in India... Yikes! It's just better to say something! I don't know why I get shy with those things. We had a romantic day and evening. Today was a good day!

Email response from home:
"EHHHH YUCK!!!! You are right!!! No thank you... Have a fantastic time at the Ashtam. I know it will be amazing. Remember, live each day as they come :) I will try to get on Facebook soon so I can keep up with Travis' pictures and everyone else's lives..." - Love you tons, Kelly

Last Days in Fort Kochi

Tea house we sketched, wrote, and read at..