I was intentional when I chose to travel to Ganeshpuri at the end of winter and beginning of Spring. Previously, I had only experienced Ganeshpuri in the winter, and it was hot then. Yet, I dream about spending more time here, so I figured I should see how hot it could be. And if I could take it!
The answer is it can be hot - very hot here. I don't talk much about the heat. I mean, what's the point, right? Complaining about it isn't going to make it any cooler. Everyone has a different ideal temperature. Just to be clear, my ideal temperature range is in the low to mid 70's. For the high, not the low.
But then again, everything is relative. I never imagined that an 80 degree room would feel cool and refreshing. But when it's over 100 degrees outside, an 80 degree room is quite cool and refreshing. And I have really been taking fans for granted. It's amazing to me what a difference a good ceiling fan makes! There are fans everywhere, and they make indoors quite tolerable without air conditioning.
My room has AC - that was a must have. And sometimes I'll put it on in the middle of the afternoon when the heat is at it's worst. Usually though, I just use it at night. I was sleeping with my window open, but there's a dog across the street that likes to bark all night long. My room also has tinted windows (they are greenish) that are situated right behind a tree. The shade that tree provides is everything. I keep the room closed up and the fan on, and it feels quite comfortable in here. Everything is relative!
The pace of the day follows the heat. Early mornings are quite active. Temple programs start well before dawn. Shops open early and produce vendors are set up on the roadside by 6:30am. Mornings are very pleasant, with the cool temperatures, bird song, and the sounds of sweeping filling the air as shopkeepers prepare for the day. Things slow down to a crawl after lunch, which is the main meal of the day. I have lunch when I return from the noontime Arti at the temple. People keep mentioning the glow I have about me in my pictures. While I don't deny that being in Ganeshpuri does give me a glow, I think all the sweating I'm doing also contributes to that. LOL!
I was walking back and forth to the temple every day, three times a day. That return trip up the hill after noontime Arti was the hardest. About halfway back, I pass the bus station, where the tuk-tuks wait for passengers. I knew there would come a time when I would grab a tuk-tuk back to Yogini's. Every day, I would check in with myself and see if that day was the day I gave up walking for comfort and speed. That day happened a few days ago! Most people take rest in the afternoon. I do as well, holing up in my cool, cave-like room. Depending on how late I went to bed the night before, or how hot it is, sometimes I'll take a nap. The heat is exhausting. I do yoga practices during that time, too.
Things get moving again in the late afternoon. I often don't often venture out again until 6 or 7pm. Once the sun sets, there is a noticeable cooling to the air. Most people get their exercise and walks in first thing in the morning, or at night. Also their visiting, shopping, and anything else you need to do. As a result, I'm up past my usual bedtime of 9:30pm. That's when social time is just getting started! This split schedule of sleep and socializing works here. It's really the only way to manage in the heat.
I can keep my slower pace of activity here quiet easily. I can't imagine doing all that I do at home with these temperatures. And it's not even as hot as it gets. Locals tell me that mid-April through the end of May is the worst. They endeavor to get everything they need to get done completed in the morning. They don't have the energy for anything during the rest of the day. I know, from watching the temperature here from back in the states, that it can get up to 120 degrees. I don't know how one manages to eat or do anything else when it's that hot.
That being said, this is still a bliss filled place. The heat doesn't take that away. When I look back over past trips, it's the bliss I remember, not the heat. I'm sure that will be the case with this trip as well. And, in the future, I may plan my travels for cooler times!
Thank you for educating us about the climate & differences in dealing with it. You have a great room & A/C! I loved your comment about “your glow,”. Good one!