Above – Datta, the 3-headed deity. The three heads representing (in this order) Brahma, Vishnu and Siva. Photo taken at Saibaba Temple on the way to Alandi.

Below, sights from the rickshaw along the road to Alandi (aka Alandi Road).

Part of the trip goes the same route I’ve taken to Ayurjoti. I’ve passed this granite mart several times. Behind this wall is a lot of granite.

The next two photos are of a military complex along the way.

Camel.

Oh look. A cow.

This is a very typical sight. People hang their laundry to dry … wherever. This happens to be a very busy street. Laundry hanging to dry and no one around. Odd. I think …

You can’t see this very well, but this vendor cart with two people on it is being pushed by the foot of a guy riding a motorcycle (see lower left hand corner). This is ok to do in India.

Here’s another one. See the motorcycle driver’s foot? Again, very ok here.

Ganesh Chaturthi, a Hindu festival and holiday (August 25 this year) is coming up so these Ganesh statues are being sold everywhere. A lot of preparations are made prior to the event.

This banyan tree has many long roots reaching down toward the ground.

When your car stalls in the middle of the road, find some tree branches and stick them into your windows and boot (trunk) so others will be aware that this car is going nowhere. This method, Nana tells me, works well for when buses come along.

Yes, I have a fascination with cows, ok? These are some beauties.

This apartment building and those around it stand out like a pretty good sized sore thumb.

Nana said the building at the top of this hill is a ballistics building where the military launches firearms.

Water tower with a whole lot of stairs spiraling up to the top. I reckon someone could get a bit dizzy here (not to mention some pretty sore quadriceps).

I’m not sure what this guy was doing here but I gave him 10 rupees to take his picture.

Here we are just inside the grounds of the Saibaba Temple where we stopped along the way to Alandi. Cows are sacred in India and cow statues like this one are seen in every temple.

Inside one of the many temples on the grounds.

(Saint) Shirdi Sai Baba (9/28/1835-10/15/1918) an Indian spiritual master.

Here is Datta again (see featured image at the top of this post) taken through a glass window. The cow (bottom center) is a symbol of making complete your expectations and the four dogs you can’t really see represent the four vedas.

Women inside the temple grounds.

Nana takes time to say a prayer.

We had a fantastic day. The photos in this post only represent most of the drive to Alandi so there are many more to look forward to.

How blessed we are to have Nana as our friend, driver and guide.

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone and MacBook from iNdia with LOVE!

Above – The Ayurveda treatment room and table. It’s not quite what you would expect in the US. The table is made of wood and the only thing separating me and the wood table top is a very thin mat and a linen sheet. It’s not the most comfortable massage table but the quality of the abhyanga and massage makes it well worth it, not to mention the price – 18,000 rupees which converts to $28.80 US dollars!

Here are some of the sights along the way. It’s about a 20 minute drive, keeping in mind traffic is unpredictable and people don’t drive that fast here because of the amount of people on the road. Then there are obstacles along the way, mostly in the form of cows and water buffalo.

Here is a guy walking with his flowers for sale and a tractor pulling a trailer full of bricks and the brick layers.

Buffalo – The next two were taken through the very dirty windshield which is why they’re a bit blurry and gray.

These two were taken from the side window. They were close enough to touch. They’re really icky dirty so I didn’t dare …

More cows. They’re everywhere.

Here’s something familiar.

This is the walkway to the Ayurveda clinic.

View from the opposite direction.

I’m being treated for tendonitis and bursitis at both hamstring attachments and the meniscus problem in my knee. The Ayurveda treatments are very good and I believe it’s helping.

Sunita taught the women’s class again this morning. It was all about hip openers. She’s been a breath of fresh air. Her instruction is precise, incorporating stories, humor and compassion.

Last night’s digital Pranayama class was taught by Nawaz who is very thorough and takes the time to make sure all instructions are understood clearly. She has a vast knowledge of Guruji’s teachings and weaves them into her classes.

Tomorrow, Sunday, no classes. I plan on observing the kids’ class in the morning and then going with Jill and Nana to Alandi. Alandi is a rural pilgrimage town about 40 minutes via rickshaw. I went there in 2013 and 2015.

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone and MacBook from iNdia with LOVE!

Above- The Om symbol on the front of Nana’s rickshaw

Now my dongle isn’t picking up wifi. Go figure.

It’s 6am and the birds in the park are going wild. They’re my alarm clock every morning without fail. As I sit in the dining area in this early morning darkness, small birds come and perch on the grill outside the window bobbing their heads and chirping at their reflection. I keep the lights low so they don’t get scared away. It’s a highlight of my trip and my every morning. Class (pranayama) isn’t until this evening and practice doesn’t begin until 9am so I have a bit of leisure time to enjoy this.

Below – Another outing with Nana which always leads to more photos.

The children here are beautiful. Many times they run up to us and say hi and stare at us just like this boy. They have a fascination with westerners. Of course, they’re always happy when I ask if I can take their picture.

This building like many others looks run down and uninhabitable but there is life inside.

There’s life inside the back of this tuck-truck also … (I just made that name up – “tuck-truck”)

I have to say that some of the best photos I’ve taken are those with people riding motorcycles and motor scooters. They’re usually also very happy to see westerners and wiling to smile when they see I’d like to take their photo.

India scaffolding made of bamboo. Scary. Oh, and look, they sell Levi’s.

Here is a deity on the front of one of the small temples we came across.

Selling “stuff” you can’t live without.

People People everywhere.

And now, the moment you’ve been waiting for … Cows!

Men at work. Look closely in the lower right hand corner. There’s a worker in the hole. This is a typical site around town – men working on the road or sidewalk. No cones, no traffic control, no safety gear.

Commuting …

If you need your ingin repaired, go to My Ingin.

Yesterday the institute offered a workshop on the rope wall. Three of the younger teachers demonstrated and gave all the students turns at the ropes for each pose demonstrated. Because there were three of them, we were watched closely and given adjustments when needed. What made this even more special was Sunita watched on from her practice in the corner where Guruji used to practice and she pitched in just as Guruji used to do. Sunita has had a great presence in the practice hall this visit. It’s wonderful to see her there and to be the recipient of her beautiful, genuine smile.

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone from iNdia with LOVE!

Above – Out to lunch with ManYee at South & more, a new restaurant since I was here in 2015.

This is what I had – Bisibelebath. I ate the whole thing. Yummy.

Here’s what I saw on my walk back to the flat. I’m not sure what this lady’s carrying on her head, but she can play the drum at the same time.

Another temple.

Cool courtyard.

School yard and boys playing cricket.

This statue is in the middle of a chowk. A chowk is what Indians call a round-about.

More things seen from the rickshaw.

Buffalo on the drive to Ayurveda treatment.

The item hanging in the middle is a gourd. The others are tablas.

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These five photos were taken from the top floor of a building looking down at a very busy street (180) degrees.

The stairway down.

More from the rickshaw.

Nana thinks this is being built in preparation for the Ganesha Festival that will take place later this month.

Guess what? The wifi in our flat went out again yesterday and didn’t come back up again until Govind from the Chetak came over and fixed it this afternoon. But I have a dongle!

Sunita taught the women’s class again this morning – forward bends brilliantly taught. Two hours sure goes by fast.

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone and MacBook with LOVE.

Above – This woman works at Dimpex hand designing batiked t-shirts. This is where I took my t-shirts to be batiked with my custom logo on the back. 

Here are photos I took while out on a rickshaw ride with Nana. They pretty much speak for themselves so I’ll keep quiet except to say the weather here has been mostly overcast with some rain but warm and humid. The cloud cover keeps the shadows down and makes for great photos.

About the rickshaw … I realize some people call these tuck tucks, but here in Pune they’re called rickshaws (short for auto rickshaw).

This sweet girl came running up to me when I returned back to the apartment building to say hi. She was very happy when I asked if I could take her photo.

Hey Bruce, this Mercedes was parked in our driveway. I’ve seen quite a few Mercedes around town.

The wifi in our flat is working again and so is the phone. I now have a dongle so I’ll have a back up. 4GB for 1,700 rupees +200 rental (that’s $30.40 US dollars). I figure with 24 days remaining, that comes to $1.27 per day. My cell phone is locked and it wouldn’t take the SIM but the dongle is just as good for my purpose.

Special note to Mom (& anyone else who doesn’t know what a dongle is) – A dongle is a small device that serves as a hot spot that allows me to access emails and internet on my phone and computer. It’s this little device that will help to keep my blog up and running. My phone and computer connect to it just like your computer links to the wifi at your house. Now when the wifi in the flat is poor to none, I have this little device as a back up.

Even when the wifi is up and running, the access in my bedroom is very poor so the dongle will come in handy when I want to get online in my room.

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone and MacBook from iNdia with LOVE!

Above – Anita cooking our lunch Friday.

Below – Chapati. Nice pan, eh?

Our wifi connection yesterday lasted mere hours. We are now without internet again. Right now I am sitting in the Hotel Chetak lobby using its wifi. Oh, and our phone still isn’t working…

We had a big day today with Nana in the rickshaw. There was a lot of traffic and people everywhere. It seems there are a lot more people here now than there was in 2015. It’s really quite crazy. How can this many people comingle with this amount of traffic without any order and no one gets run over? It’s another one of those questions my inquiring mind wants to know.

Yesterday I walked to the Dimpex store to arrange to have the 30 t-shirts I brought to be batiked. On the way back I walked along the sidewalk only to find myself dodging motorcycles and scooters. Traffic was so bad they were driving on the sidewalk, headed right toward me. What’s worse is they were honking at me! Seriously.

Enjoy these photos, mostly of the country where it’s not as congested.

If I were a cow I’d lie down right smack in the middle of the road!

Bus stop.

The SIM card store was closed today so Nana is taking me there tomorrow. I will have wifi one way or another.

PS to Mom – Yes, I did try to FaceTime you yesterday. I will try again when I have a connection and it’s not 4:45 am your time.

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone and MacBook from iNdia with LOVE!

Above – Clockwise starting with me – Me, Govind (manager at the Chetak hotel), ManYee and Atul Sutar the government service person who fixed our wifi. As it turns out, wifi is controlled by the government here. Atul’s a hero at our flat. 

If you need your water tank maintained call Bapu.

Man or woman?

More country views.

This is the Kirkee Military Cemetery. I took photos of this site in 2015. If interested you’ll find more info here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirkee_War_Cemetery

Pigs.

The right of way is hard to come by in India, but one thing’s for certain, cows have the right of way. No argument there.

Take a close look at the center of this photo. There’s a cow in front of that white truck. What you can’t see is the line of cars behind the truck. Lots of them. Cows don’t walk very fast …

Here is Govind a few days ago at a failed attempt to fix the internet.

Ron, this one’s for you …

This morning’s women’s class was standing poses with Sunita – “I’m not asking for perfection, I’m asking for correction.” She was precise and compassionate. Wonderfully done!

I went to buy milk today. Me: “I’d like some milk.” Person selling milk: “Cow or buffalo?” Me: “Cow.” I’ll let you know if I decide to take a walk on the wild side there any time in the near future.

Tomorrow (Sunday) – No general classes besides the kid’s class early morning which I plan on observing. Nana is picking Jill and me up at noon for a rickshaw ride and perhaps some temple hopping which always leads to some great photo ops. Nana has a great appreciation for my excitement over seeing and photographing cows, pigs, goats, water buffalo, camels and whatever …

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone and MacBook from iNdia with LOVE!!

Above – Ayurveda oil.

Below – Here are some more temples in the neighborhood.

This the Jain Boarding school for boys. Boys were playing cricket on the grounds. Isn’t it beautiful?

This man is making and selling dosa dough (not to be confused with dosy doe).

This is what a dosa looks like. Really tasty!

Pigs.

This is what my driver to Ayurveda does when he comes to any sort of stop. Texting and driving is ok here. Everyone does it.

A look at the country side and more on the way to Ayurveda treatment.

I am sitting at the Hotel Chetak once again using the wifi because our wifi still is not up and running. Now our telephone doesn’t work either. 

Here’s a rundown of classes taken so far this week: Tuesday 7am with Prashant (“Look at Guruji’s pictures. 200 asanas and the same face. You (the class) do one asana and 1,001 faces.”) Wednesday 9:30am with Sunita (jet lag sequence – & I needed it!). Thursday 7am with Prashant. Today, soon – 6pm Pranayama with ?? Yesterday Dr. Knight conducted a very good practice session on how to practice.

Now, back to the flat to prepare for Pranayama class.

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone from iNdia with LOVE.

Above – Om symbol painted on a tree trunk.

Internet the past couple days has been to say the least … horrible! Communications with the staff about when it will be back up and running has been frustrating and I am now sitting in the lobby of the Chetak Hotel using their wifi which also isn’t very good. I can only hope I’m able to get this post finished without losing any of my work.

Since I last blogged, I’ve spent two nights at the 9th floor flat at the Anugraha apartment. Home sweet home in Pune. There is much to tell you and two days worth of photos, besides the ones below from Tuesday, that I will post as soon as I’m able and wifi permits.

Meanwhile, enjoy what I have to offer. This photo is an example of one of many piles of dirt and rocks blocking sidewalks for some reason …

And below are just a few of the sights enjoyed while walking to the institute from the hotel.

This is Randy from Asheville, NC, a good friend of my good friend, Lynn. and now I suppose he’s a good friend of mine. We crossed paths in San Francisco twice and now here for a couple days. Randy was nice enough to leave a a couple items behind for us. He left Tuesday after studying here the month of July

Amin, one of our favorite rickshaw drivers gave us a ride with our luggage to the Anugraha.

At the flat (l-r) me, Anita (our cook), Sunita (our housekeeper) and Jill. Anita will be cooking for us M-W-F, and Sunita will be cleaning for us M-F.

This one’s for Bruce – the Institute from down the street. I’ll get other photos so you can get your bearings.

This is the Anugraha which is next door to the Institute.

Time is short & I have to log off now and go back to the flat. Cross your fingers for wifi!!

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone and MacBook from India with LOVE!

Above – Rakhis I bought to bring home for my grandkids. Rakhi (Raksha Bandhan) is an Indian celebration of any brother-sister type relationship between men and women who may or may not be biologically related. On Rakhi, a sister symbolizes her love by tying a rakhi (sacred thread) on her brother’s wrist with a prayer for his prosperity and happiness. The brother gives her a token gift and a promise to protect her.

Below – a walk through the park on the way to RIMYI to practice.

A look down the driveway at RIMYI.

There weren’t many people in the practice room which made for a nice quiet practice. I was told the July group was small so maybe the August group will also be a small one.

Typical sight on the return to the hotel.

You’re not supposed to spit in the bank.

Banking in Pune is difficult, beginning before walking in the door. We were required to sign a book listing our name, country of origin, address in Pune, time of day. I visited 4 banks in an attempt at trying to get rupees to pay for the month at RIMYI. I finally had to make multiple transactions at two different ATMs (which is what I was trying to avoid) in order to get this done.

I would have liked to take some photos in the bank to give you an idea of the confusion going on in there but taking photos in the bank was prohibited and I didn’t want to see what would happen if I broke that law. My friends told me that when I left to go to another bank next door (many banks here) someone climbed up a ladder to work on the air conditioning register in the ceiling. When the worker took the register cover off, a very large amount of water poured out all over the place. Apparently no one even flinched and business continued as usual. I’m really sorry I missed that.

There are hazards everywhere and it’s crucial to watch your step here. In the picture below, imagine those bolts are about 1.5″ in diameter and 6-7″ long.

Heaps of rocks are everywhere.

Good electrical craftsmanship too.

This man is roasting peanuts. I’ll have to try these sometime.

These are deep (or shallow) fried small peppers of some sort.

It started pouring rain so we passed some time with this man while we took shelter. He informed us “Rain is coming down!” That’s Jill on the left.

Cricket.

There are dieties in small temples in every neighborhood.

More typical sights.

Shopping for Rakhis …

The wifi went out last night in the middle of blogging so I lost some of what I was posting and had to recreate some this morning. Now attempting to upload a 44 second video onto YouTube which is taking a lifetime. So far 15 minutes and only 34% uploaded. It’s a good thing I woke up at 4am.

Here it is. Internet is very very slow. This took over 30 minutes to upload so enjoy it!

Today – 7am class with Prashant followed by practice. We’re also moving from the hotel to the Anugraha flat so I’ll need to shop for food. I will also get in touch with my favorite rickshaw driver, Nana, to hopefully book outings with him on Sundays for the month.

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone & MacBook from iNdia with LOVE!