“Tourists
don't know where they've been, travelers don't know where they're going.” Paul
Theroux
Diabetes
and Blood Pressure are diseases that do not afford you much latitude in terms
of diet and medication; any negligence of either or both is fraught with
serious consequences. Since late 2010 I have been on medication for a host of
ailments and the 9 tablets had to be taken without fail so as not to upset the
medical balance that had been stretched thin over many years of wanton use of
the body and its capabilities. Ummachan suggested a trip to the Bishop
Kurialasserry Nature Cure and Yoga Centre at Idayirikkapuzha, near
Changanacherry/Kottayam, Kerala. He had benefited from the ‘treatment’ there a
few months back for a bad back; in the process he had also shed a few unwanted
‘bags’ around his waist. When I got back from the Coast-to-Coast and East-West
drives in early February Ummachan asked me if he could book us both in for 6
days into the Centre in March. I agreed to be ‘billetted’ in the Centre for a
week in early March and accordingly I reached the Center late on 3rd
March. Dr. Sr. Jyothi, the Doctor in charge of the Centre, reviewed my
condition late in the night and suggested that I undergo a 15 day course at the
Centre. An inner voice got me to agree to the suggestion and I was scheduled
for a 15 day treatment course. Since that morning I had also stopped the
medicines I had been having for Diabetes, BP and Reflux. I mentioned this to
the Doctor, who was more in favor of it being gradually tapered; I went ahead
for the drastic action, nevertheless. Ummachan and I settled comfortably into
the spacious double room, which had an attached bathroom and toilet. A couple
of youngsters from Cochin had ‘checked in’ too – they were hilarious company
throughout the stay and became good friends too. The ‘dinner’ on 3rd,
when the treatment had not officially begun, set the tone for the rest of the stay
at the Centre. We were expected to have only drinking water from the mud pot in
the room. Dinner consisted to a few table spoons of thick porridge accompanied
by specks of ‘thoran’. When I ‘encountered’ the dinner I knew that I would
either collapse in the Centre or go back in ship shape; what happened over the
next fortnight was nothing short of a miracle, as far as I was concerned. In
the first four days I dropped 7 kgs and felt fitter. Within the week the Blood
Sugar readings showed normal and so did the BP. I did not have any problem with
my digestion and the Reflux issues were nightmares of the past. Within another
week my shape changed and I sensed as if a sculptor had worked on my body. The
look of 32 weeks of pregnancy vanished – I could look forward to taking my
expectant daughter to the hospital without being asked who the patient is! The
treatment at the Centre starts with Yoga early in the morning, a brisk walk for
an hour thereafter, physiotherapy sessions, mud packs, a vigorous 60 minute massage,
a steam or mud bath and many glasses of nutritious drinks made of gooseberry,
watermelon, papaya, lime, ash gourd, etc. I discovered that a glass of Ash
Gourd juice is a recipe for all round health and a panacea for Reflux. Solid
food and salad were limited, but extremely tasty and nutritious. The 15 day
stay also gave me an opportunity to hear mass daily at the local church and be
part of the evening prayers in the chapel at the Centre. The three Sisters at
the Centre were great company and it turned out that the Mother Superior, Sr.
Modesta, had taught in Nirmala Bhavan and was my sister’s class teacher, where
I had studied for a couple of years too. All in all, the experience brought
about a life style change in me and I wished to continue with it. Most
importantly, I considered the experience His gift, for I was completely rid of
my physical problems and I had become more active. This change helped me
considerably in setting the new record for the Golden Quadrilateral Expedition.
I did not feel tired or soporific during the entire drive and it was only on
account of the changed physical condition. It helped me go on for long hours –
in fact on the first day of the drive I drove continuously for more than 22
hours and stopped only because I thought that the car deserved a rest!
Therefore,
the aches and pains during the drive were limited to just that of the lower
body due to long hours of squatting. At the conclusion of the drive the legs
felt leaden and were swollen. In fact, when I met Ajay, Anita and Joe at
Millers46 for dinner my legs almost gave way. I could not balance properly. Early
on the fourth day of the drive I fell to the ground when I got out of the car
to relieve myself. The legs could only react to vibrating pedals – I could feel
the throb even when the engine was cut. The swelling vanished after a night in
bed. Most importantly, the sense of achievement pales into the background every
discomfort. After the expedition the biggest discomfort was the pain in the
rectum. The many hours of sitting behind the wheel must have generated so much
of heat that the sight of a toilet or the urge to do the big job was mentally
searing. Food which consisted mainly of dry fruits and nuts must have added to
the ‘internal combustion’. I did not have cooked meals during the entire
duration of the drive.
The
wonderful meal at Millers, the excellent company of Anita, Joe and Ajay, the
tremendous sense of fulfillment, the ‘gift’ of Peated Amrut Single Malt by
Anita and Joe; all sealed the action packed four days. The planning had paid
off yet again and another record was in the bag.
“Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I
remember, and remember more than I see.” Benjamin Disraeli
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