The Healthy Bit

As we left the 3 Elephants at Cherai Beach, they were getting ready for the wedding party of an Indian/Belgian couple who had taken over the whole place and the next-door property for all their guests. Lights being strung from every tree and bush and banqueting tables being dressed all around the grounds – probably a good time to leave.

Our taxi man arrived promptly and agreed to make a detour so we could call at one of the mobile companies to pick up a local sim – interesting detour into the heart of the busiest city in the region. The traffic flow while appearing chaotic seems to work - you just need to be assertive or large like the fuel tankers which gave no quarter whatsoever.

Our home for the next 6 days is Hinterland Village, a place developed by the owner – a naturalist – which has been replanted and developed over the last 10 years as a retreat with over 200 varieties of trees, their own rubber plantation, rice fields and market garden which provides most of the fruit and vegetables for the retreat. It is a really pleasant environment with a variety of pet animals roaming around – including Emma the Emu and some turkeys. The accommodation is comfortable but simple – although there is AC instead of a ceiling fan.

Our routine starts with yoga at 6.30am for 2 hours, breakfast, and massage treatments in the morning followed by lunch, and a break with a class on yoga theory and philosophy followed by another 2 hour yoga session at 4.00pm. By the time we fit in a shower and dinner, I think it will be probably be time for bed to be ready to start it all over again at 6.30 in the morning.

Since I usually only manage 1 hour of yoga each week, 4 hours a day for 6 days will either help me to improve or kill me – after our first session the jury is still out!