On the night of the 19th, we arrived at Coorg, a forest area with coffee plantations and tropical woods. Coorg is a 100km drive from the nearest train station, and the hilly roads make this close to three hours.
This morning, I went in for an Ayurvedic massage while my parents watched Ro. The walkway into the spa area was paved with giant granite stones which formed a bridge over a pond with lilies. Both sides were lined with bog plants, leading to an equally serene check in area. From there, I went on to the 'relaxation' area, awaiting my massage therapist.
I walked into a patio that spanned the length of the building, constructed of dark wood floors and wood paneling. It was surrounded by lush vegetation, such that I couldn't see any signs of civilization from there despite being in the middle of a resort. There was a pond off in the distance surrounded by trees. A crisp wind was blowing, causing the banana plants to sway their leaves like giant fans echoing the wafting of the breeze. I was leaning over the patio railing, barefoot, wearing yoga pants, and suddenly it hit me - You know the ads for yoga vacations where there is a really serene scene, often on a beach front or in a tropical forest, a very calm looking woman staring out into the open, yoga pants fluttering around her legs, wind blowing her hair ever so slightly? That was me. I think i've found my Zenville. It is 7000 miles from home.
Then the massage started. This is no towel wrapped, bikini shy, massage. They started by politely taking the towel away from me, for a good five minute boob massage. I was liberally slathered with oil, and the masseuse came to know everything about me except that which was concealed by the scant loincloth. After 50 minutes of this awesomeness, I was ushered into the steam area. You guys remember my post about the portable 1-person sauna? This was exactly that box, except with steam. I enjoyed my port-a-steaming and was so glad I got to try this sweat-in-a-box contraption! After a quick shower, I was ushered back to the Zenville patio for herbal tea.
I had an amazing experience, and came back refreshed. It took Ro two whole hours to spoil my zen :) at which point,this was going to be an entirely different post about life as a parent, finding peace while balancing toddler tantrums, and how a veil of paradise can barely cover the storm within, but I have new-found peace right now. The boy is asleep!
I tend to keep my life very packed in Austin, and often my vacations are packed the same way. There is so much to explore in the world! But when I visit India, I want my pace to slow down. I was raised here, I've seen a lot and done a lot and I don't have a list that needs any more checky marks for me to feel fulfilled here. I just want to drink coffee, read a book, spend time with family and unwind, visiting places for quiet instead of touristy sightseeing. The original plan for this vacation was a whole week of unwinding in Thailand with my parents, but since we couldn't make our travel arrangements work, I,ll take these three nights in Coorg as my downtime. I need it. And
I hope I can find something like this in the Carribean or Central America so
I don't have to blow all my vacation to find peace :)
Meera Images { www.meeraimages.com }
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