My first trip to India was in December 2016. I have been practicing Iyengar yoga since 2000 but I had never been tempted by a month long stay in Pune where the Iyengar Institute is located. A journey to the unknown for a whole month just seemed like too much of a risk ! When the opportunity of visiting for 2 weeks presented itself it seemed a little less daunting, if I hated it I only had to make it through 2 weeks and if I loved it I could go back again for a month.
I had heard lots of stories from Pune, good and bad but the time had come for me to experience it for myself and I set off on my little adventure with two yoga friends. We flew from Dublin to London and then London to Mumbai. Our taxi ride from Mumbai to Pune was not for the faint hearted ! The traffic in India has to be seen to be believed !
We arrived to Pune and our lovely little hotel The Ketan which had come highly recommended. We had spacious rooms with balconies and were very close to the convention venue where Yognusasanm was held. I think that the guidance of our wonderful senior teachers in Ireland allowed us to have the very best possible experience of Pune. Aisling Guirke gave us a guide which became our bible and we referred to it every day. We knew where to eat, what to eat, where to shop, where to sightsee, where to find a pool on our day off, where to find great jewellery in a lovely shop that gives you chai and nibbles while you shop, even what type of car to request when booking a taxi to the airport.
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