Puttaparthi...

After our gruelling 4 hour drive yesterday from Bangalore it was nice to be able to chill out in our air conditioned rooms at the Sai Towers Hotel in Puttaparthi. This hotel is on the main road right next to Sai Baba's ashram so it's right in the heart of the action and there is lots to see in the busy streets. Hot, steamy, busy, noisy, beggars, dogs, bullocks ... you name it and it is here right at our front door.

I think Liz and Charlie were a bit overcome with the rush of the past couple of days and being thrown into the hustle and bustle of India but they have both taken it in their stride and are coping very well with the cultural shock.

After a quiet breakfast at our hotel we ventured to the bazaar where I was fitted for three pair of darshan pants (those white cotton pants the Indian men wear). I had some made last time I was here but when we went to find the tailor ... the building had been demolished! This discovery was a double blow. Those of you who remember the photo of the lady and the baby I took last trip ... this family lived in the same building so suffice to say ... who knows where they would be now. I am really quite disappointed as I had hopes of seeing them again and maybe helping them a little as Ian and I had done 2 years ago.

It was good to see a familiar face soon after we arrived here. Our old friend Chris who has been living here for the past 2 years turned up ... as things often do here ... so we headed of to catch up on news. Chris is not in the best of health and will be heading home to Australia the same day we leave here next Thursday.


But we managed to find a nice restaurant where Ian and I, and Chris and his friends had frequented when I was last here and we chatted until the all the travel finally caught up with us and we headed to our hotel and a good nights sleep.

This morning we ran into Chris and one of his friends Barbara and we found a new cafe off Chittravathi Road and away from the teams of beggars and we chatted for a couple of hours. While Chris and I were sorting out his trip home, Liz and Babara had gone off and ordered a white silk outfit to wear to the ashram this afternoon. Liz was amazed that it would only take a couple of hours to make and it would cost pennies. Stay tuned for the photos!

And Charlie has bought a white outfit to wear as well so this afternoon we'll head off to the Mandir in the ashram and see what it's all about.

So, we are all ok ... I had a slight touch of the "collywobbles" this morning but with just some yoghurt and dry toast for breakfast I'm feeling ok now. It's all part of the experience of India.