I read somewhere recently that whatever you say about India the opposite is also true. And that, I believe, is a deeply insightful way to explain the day to day living in India. It has now been three months since I first arrived in India, this being my fourth trip here, but my first time to rent an apartment and stay in the one spot, the one city, and the same neighborhood. Why? Because I came to study ashtanga yoga - at the source, in Mysore in the southern stat...

THIS IS A MARKET MAN GIVING ME THE HARD SELL ON PINK PAINT - I HASTEN TO ADD THAT I DID IN FACT REFRAIN FROM A PURCHASE. NOT MUCH TO SAY RIGHT NOW AS I'M GOING TO BE IN MYSORE FOR A WHILE TO STUDY YOGA. I'VE RENTED A SIMPLE APARTMENT FOR THE DURATION. GREAT TO BE IN ONE PLACE FOR A WHILE - THINK I MIGHT STAY FOR AT LEAST TWO MONTHS...

I drop off my motorbike hire at 11am. An hour and half early. It's already too hot to think. It's also a long way back to the hotel. I know an air-conditioned cafe, 'Hot Breads', is close by. I shuffle round, order a large coffee and salsa bun. The large coffee is in fact a small cup. Forty-two rupees for the quick little breakfast. I rifle through The Hindu newspaper, checking the exchange rate, the weather guide and the Indian style cryptic crossword. The coffe...

Made it to India. It doesn't take long to fly here from Bangkok. Bit of an anti climax journey - need a transition period, especially as I was thinking I might not be ready for India at this point. I knew it was going to be hot and even after South East Asia it has been a shock to arrive in south India at the hottest time of year. Decided to miss out Chennai for the moment as the heat there can be ferocious. Came south to Mahabalipuram, the one place I missed ou...

Arrived in Dali today around 330pm. Minibus from Lijiang. Only three hour journey through miles and miles of rice paddy fields. I have never seen so many farmers toiling in the fields before. These small paddocks take huge amounts of preparations, even prior to the backbreaking planting of the little bright green shoots in perfectly spaced rows. I saw it all from the bus, from start to finish - there is an unbelievable amount of work for plain old rice. And t...