Coconuts and Crocodiles

Please enjoy some more pictures of life in and around Mysore.


Peymon decided to try the art of coconut chopping. We all thought he would lose a finger learning.


Sweet success. "Coconut is good. I like."


Eve, part of our TTC group, has a true Swiss sweet tooth. This is our favorite lunch desert: roti (like a small tortilla) + ghee (clarified butter) + jaggery (unprocessed sugar). It's delicious.


Empty bowls are all that's left of Sandia's never ending buffet after we hungry TTC students get at it. So much yoga makes so much hungry!


Food at Sandia's is prepared on the floor in her colorful kitchen. She's been cooking amazing meals for yoga students for years now. (Sandia not pictured)


This is it for many Ashtanga yoga students and teachers: Shri K. Pattabhi Jois's Ashtanga Research Institute of Mysore, India. Although Pattabhi himself isn't teaching any more, yogis come from all over the world to practice here.


It's best not to give begging children money. Most of them belong to "begging circles" and the money they get might be put to bad use by the leaders. Better instead to give them food directly, especially if that food is a coconut that you get to see them drink and eat.




You have to do something...


On Saturday Rishal drove us out of Mysore to a neerby bird sanctuary. Migrating Herons, Cranes, Spoonbills, and Stork were nesting in great numbers. I'm afraid without a telephoto I won't be able to provide very good wildlife photos, but here you can see a crocodile eyeing a couple Painted Storks.


The little white dots are exotic birds... everyone should be really impressed.



Rishal and Peymon heckled the boatsman for a turn at the oars. Their antics were for me one of the best part of the boat ride.


"We can't stop here... this is bat country." Oddly enough, there were as many bats in this bird sanctuary as birds. With the crocodiles, storks, and bats the place really made me think of Australia and Kakadu.


The Green Hotel, once home to Sunday's fantastic organic market, tries to be environmentally friendly. Government owned, the proceeds go to environmental funds, and renewable energy is utilized wherever possible. Food is really good here, but you can expect the typical Indian service whic is uniquely, sometimes endearingly, and always utterly, atrocious.