Nothing makes me ready to come home like being sick.

Cubbon park is a beautiful oasis in the middle of Bangalore.

The day after my train ride to Bangalore I woke with aches, chills and fever. At first I was hopeful that I was only travel sore but no - I have some kind of illness that doesn't sleep off so easily. With only two days in Bangalore I made a big effort to haul myself out of bed and get out a bit. I've done a bit of touristing but I've also done a massive amount of sleeping. I'm trying not to think too hard about the 20 hours of air travel ahead of me or how committed my time is once I arrive.

The "flower clock" in Lal Bagh botanical garden. Its a clock surrounded
 by disney-like dwarf statues. Behind the clock there is a green metal
door that says "Sno White Cottage" in stenciled white paint.
Like the stencils you would use to write "Utility Room".
 As far as I can tell there is no other disney content in the park.

Given my state, I've been rather drawn to parks here over palaces, temples and shopping. Yesterday I visited Lal Bagh botanical garden which has a strong colonial aesthetic. It is a manicured garden harboring lots of foreign species from all over the globe, little paths, bridges over nothing and a large glass house historically used for horticulture shows - after all no outpost of the British empire would really be complete without a place for horticulture shows. Despite my cynicism, most of Lal Bagh is quite pretty and peaceful. I spent a long time mesmerized by the cactus room staring into sprialing spine patterns and marveling about radial symmetry in nature. The fever might have had something to do with that experience.

Bangalore City anti-rape campaign.

Today I ended up in Cubbon park which is beautiful and houses a large library which unfortunately was closed for unknown reasons. If I hadn't been nauseous and feverish I would have spent a lot longer here reading in the shade.

Besides parks, I've done a bit of walking around, got a pedicure and slept a lot. In 24 hours I will be back in the U.S. which is weird to think about. I look forward to being able to communicate more effectively, not getting asked about my marital status by strangers, and eating salad. 

There's a lot I will miss about India in general and Mysore in particular. Despite my mixed up feelings, KPJAYI is a a pretty magical place to learn yoga. Sharath's devotion alone is inspiring and powerful. I haven't decided if I will be back soon. If I do come back I think it should be for two months at least which might be pretty hard to wedge into my life so maybe not for a bit but probably eventually.

Fancy shopping strip close to Cubbon park

View of Gandhi Bazaar while regaining my strength sitting on some steps.