Satish and I had searched Karnataka and eventually found it in Mandya District (near Srirangapatnam).
We needed it, as due to her health Manjula couldn’t safely and comfortably continue to ride pillion on my two wheelers.
We joked that not unlike the Bollywood movie — ‘Driving Miss Daisy” there was a chauffeur ( in our case a white old, not a black guy) and not an aged white woman as passenger but a brown ageless Indian beauty — my MAnjula.
Four years ago, Lucie is scrounging. Nowadays her access to street food is severely restricted as she’s getting on and sometimes had digestive issues. But this is the beginning of another story.
It was to be another two years before I met another light in my life.
School holiday is a great opportunity to spend wonderful adventures together.
In our first week, this year we’ve visited Kodagu, Kannur and Wayanad. A great mix of countryside, sea and sand.
Kodagu in the western ghats is a couple of hours west of Mysore.
I’ve been many time to Kannur, further west in Kerala, and taken quite a few friends. Radhika Kaveri’s sister (auntie) couldn’t join us as her mother had an accident and needed support. Lucie a French workawayer helped out at the school and stepped into the breach. A great help.
Finally Shabaz our wonderful friend from Kannur dropped is Wayanad for a final night before returning to Mysore.
No it’s not another posting about Shakespeare or Caesar —- it’s about a different inspiration —-
Manjula
As we approach the anniversary of Manjula’s partial departure five years ago (she is of course very much with us) I want to remember her beautiful wonderfulness and recall the good we’ve done together, in her name.
And so it’s also about you: ‘Manjula’s Kind’ friends who have given cash or help-in-kind or moral support to help me through the grief gravy and to take action.
Amongst these are (please follow the links for more information):
After a cycle tour I sometimes meander (MAnjula would call it a ‘rounding’ ) through the countryside exploring new places.
After today’s tour with Anni and Sankar I passed through Channahalli, one of my favourite villages, rediscovering another trail only to stumble across newly painted sculptures.
Crazy colours which usually seem to be the original stone colour, they caught my eye.
They’re ‘hero’ stones often a strip of three images. The hero in battle, the celebration afterwards and Pooja to god, usually shiva.
It was my day at school but Kaveri had tooth ache. So it became a trip to the dentist.
One tooth removed, followed by a visit to see grandmother and ‘sister’ Radhika and a special treat of ice cream.
The family work as ‘watchman’ on construction sites. It’s how I first met kaveri as they looked after a site opposite mysore bed and breakfast for years. The nine year old becomes a teenager.
I often joke about our very own version of ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ Hollywood movie with in our case the old white guy driving the beautiful MAnjula on her ‘rounding.’
Me and MYCycle 