Day 13 – Day Off

Another lovely day off. Started with practice – I am really noticing the influence of the work we are doing here. Standing poses now much more dynamic – buttock bone below the thigh in the bent leg poses – no more hovering! Also I think before I came here I was 90 per cent in my head, 10 per cent in my body – whereas now the balance is really shifting the other way.

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Then headed off to Solaris Pool, Koregaon Park to meet Nicky. Often the rickshaw drivers will have a range of deities displayed in the front cab to keep them safe, I was intrigued by the flying-scorpion-monkey-dog hanging from this driver's roof. Perhaps a blending of more than one deity in a single body? Sort of three for the price of one? Upon arrival I was greeted by sunloungers, palm trees and cold cold pool. What more could I want?

After swim and a little sun we headed to the Yogi Tree where we had it on good authority that we could get safe green salad. Great super-healthy menu, probably because of its proximity to the Osho Ashram. I had tofu, brown rice salad and ginger juice that was bright pink. I was a little concerned until the waiter explained it was from a little added beetroot, not as it appeared from shocking pink food colouring.

On the way home as it was getting dark I had a sobering reminder of the poverty that exists side by side with all this new wealth. As we crossed the bridge back over to the other side of Pune there were so many famlilies huddling round cheerful little fires as their food was cooked at the roadside. The contrasts here are so stark – all the glitzy new shopping malls with UK prices, the rich Indians beeping self-importantly round Pune in their Mercedes and yet still the slums, the people living on the streets, the ragged and weary begging for a few rupees as the rickshaw stops at the traffic lights.

So to tomorrow and my first medical class …..