Katherine in India; Allenna in Germany

Reports from the wide world; here is Allenna -

I've had a super busy and/or internet scarcity time since
heading off from Esperaza ending up with five extra days in
Munich waiting for the ash clouds to clear.

Got back with two days to do laundry, etc. and be ready for
a pre-six a.m. start for Medellin Colombia where I did a
university talk and a conference. Back in Toronto last weekend
and still not even half dug out to say nothing of not getting my
tardy taxes done!

Did see lots of art including contemporary German stuff ...
Beuys, Baselitz, Richter, and a special show of Neo Raush.

Would have felt guilty if I didn't go out to Dachau.
It was really strange - like it had been disinfected and we w
ere looking at an empty container of poison. It was almost all
in grainy black and white and somehow less interesting if there
had been any redeeming features but there wasn't so it was
both boring and horrifying at the same time.

Also checked out the Nymphenberger palace and Residence -
completely over the top. They had a lot less taste and savvy
than the Medicis.

Did you know they surf on the river in Munich?

                                     and here is news from Katherine -

Hello all, 
am finally online after 4 afternoons at
mobile phone shop and computer place
and today having had my phone totally
wiped of all information and 140 euros
credit whilst they were clearing 
the block on it . 

Welcome to India!

All is well. I have a good gang of
friends and the treatments are
fantastic as is the yoga which has
kept me very calm through the 2.30 hrs
at the mobile place this afternoon. 
(Alternating between the stool and
the fan which of course were not
nearby. One sweats continuously).

India really is disgustingly dirty.
No-one seems to have heard of dustbins
and cow shit is everywhere as are the
cows and numerous sleepy dogs all well
fed on the rubbish.
I imagine this is why they take off
their shoes before going indoors.  
Even the Ayerverdic health centre
doesn't clean properly. 

This is the first thing that hits you
about the place. 

I have moved into the best room in
the hotel for an extra £7 per day.
This only took 4 days to organise!
It has a table I can put my now
functioning computer on,is much
bigger, reasonably clean and has
windows on 2 sides and a large balcony.
The first I got had mould on the
ceiling, loads of pigeon shit on the
small balcony, and was directly above 
the air conditioning units for the
main areas.  
It took me two moves to get to this
room. 
Things don' come easy in India even
with pesetas.
But what is great is the yoga and
treatments/massages of which I shall
write more another evening as it is
late now and my days start at 6am.
My love to you all.
Katherine x

How very unlike Arques!