Thursday, November 6th 2009 8:85pm

After a total bus ride of about nearly 12 hours and a traveling time from 6am to 8 pm we finally made the 300km from Gokarna to Madikeri, where we're now. Here we're staying in a private house, owned by an Indian family who lives right above us. They're married since 17 years and both are total sweethearts, especially he is funny as he reminds a lot on Mr Bean.
Alicia and me are wondering how it comes that people here don't have diabetes as everything is so sweet. The coffee is more sugar than anything else.

Friday.

Today we went our big hike and it should turn out to be really big and a a real challenge, too… After an awesome breakfast at Honey Valley we left at about 10 am heading towards nature, mountains, waterfalls, crazy trees and whatsoever. Our orientation was a little brochure with rough directions written by an American family who used to come here years ago. But everybody who ever experienced or saw a monsoon rain knows that any kind of directions to paths or trails become useless once the rain washed away everything. Not thinking about we started fresh and full of excitement. After about 2 hours we reached a way which led us into a rainforest, where my personal nightmare would be waiting for me. We entered totally in awe about all the tropical plants and sounds. Then suddenly I would feel something really could and wet on my foot (wearing just sandals). Stil not knowing what I’m dealing with I looked down and found a disgusting looking wormy animal, which was so hard to remove. I got rid of him looked at Alicia and at her feet and had to realize that both of her shoes were covered with…now we started realizing: LEACHES!!! These fricking things were everywhere and whenever we removed one there were two others quickly approachung our yummy heels. Alicia wearing sneakers quickly gave me her socks to at least have a little chance against these little monsters and then we started running and running and running, totally groced out. Her heel was bleeding already-one of the bastards was faster than us. I don’t remember ever been so groced out by anything in my entire life and I’ve seen many “challenging” things already! We finally reached a little pond which was the end of the forest. Finally! It took us about 15 minutes to remove all these horrible f….. bloodsuckers before we could carry on…The rest of our hike was just awesome with stunning views and beautiful landscape. When we came back home our shower – heated by a little fire – was already waiting for us. Man what a pleasureful shower and then we had the yummiest dinner since I’m here. Organic veg in numerous variations served in a buffet just for the two of us. I love this place so much! It seems I found the Austrian India here with all its rusticness and beauty.

Sunday. 6pm
We arrived in Mysore yesterday and after hours of painful booking and searching and trying I got my transportation to Mumbai. I’m taking the overnight bus to Mangalore from there a flight to Mumbai then taxi to the train, then train to Nasik and taxi to Ashram. I’m starting to get nervous. Today we went to the Maharadscha Palace here and it’s gorgeous! I’m gonna miss Alicia and Singh, it was so much fun to travel and hang out with them. I feel feveresh today and my body is aching. I hope that’s nothing serious-being here and being sick does not go well together. I wonder what the Ashram will be like and the other students. After all the payments probelmes for the course and the hard time I had to get all my tickets to get back there, sometimes I wasn’t sure anymore if it’s meant to be for me to go there. But now everything is booked and I’m going. Wow, an eight hour bus ride just for 250 km. This would take me maybe 2,5 hours back home. Well, then I should start packing again.

Monday 8.23 am
After a sweaty and bumpy 8 hour busride next to an obnoxious Indian guy I arrived in Mangalore, where I got dropped off not at the City Bus Stand but in the middle of soewhereelse. Well, I took a rikshaw to a chai-restaurant things, where I was the only woman again and then managed to get the right bus here to the airport. Now I'm waiting to get into the terminal thing sitting in the middle of about 30 women veiled in total black (even their eyes!) as a colorful little spot of oddness. I'm glad that everything is working out so well, so far.