Ashram in Review

My dad arrived today, utterly travel weary and a little thrown by this ashram business. Jason gets here tomorrow, which is taking up a lot of my meditation time ;)
Since we'll be leaving the green sanctuary of the ashram shortly (Friday), I thought I'd give a quick review, especially for those of you who are considering a sojourn here (Gislaine, Shikara -- Hellooooo!).
The double rooms are nice enough, all beds are ROCK hard. Seriously, they bruise! There are 3 different dorms for women, two are newer and nicer than the old one, so ask.
I sleep on my yoga mat, to temper the hardness and keep the damp of the mattress off. It is intensely humid, but not always hot-hot. A blanky might come in handy for meditation and at night, since they only provide 2 sheets and it can get a little nippy while you sleep.
I love the food. It's stadard Keralan cuisine -- idlis, chapatis, rice, poppadoms, sambhal (mixed veg), chutneys. There's a lot of starch and carbs, but I've been fine because I drink the Ayurvedic water they provide which aids digestion.
Only 2 meals a day and you can get REALLY hungry by the first meal at 10am (remember you're up at 5:30am), so I recommend bringing a few nuts and snacks to have after morning Satsang and before the tough 2 hour yoga class. In the afternoon you can get something yummy at the Health Hut, which is cheap and provides fruit shakes, coconut treats and such.
Some of the people who work here are really lovely, others not so lovely. It takes all kinds...
As for the inmates, at the moment lots of young sexy singles, so if you're looking ;) Mostly I've enjoyed the interactions, but since people are going through a rather intense sleep deprived experience here, tensions can arise.
A lot of people don't like all the chanting, I adore it.
A lot of people love the asana, I loathe them.
If you can get past the peculiar sing-song way in which all the teachers go through the class script and you're into challenging asana (think Bikram, Ashtanga, Iyengar) then I think it would be a breeze.
The so-called Beginner's Class does not really differ from the Intermediate/ Advanced.
I've tried both and they're equally punishing, even though you do get a blissful pranayama intro at the start of each class and occasional Shavasana (never has the 'corpse pose' rung so true) rests in between breaking your neck in Headstand and breaking your back in Crow.
But like I say, most people seem to enjoy the asana most of all. So to each his own.
There is a great opportunity in the afternoon for coaching if you need help with any of the poses, and I do find that they're particularly good at making adjustments here. However, if you do do everything that's on the schedule, you will no doubt burn out on Day 3, as I and many people that I spoke to did.
The Ayurvedic Rejuvenation Massage that they offer here helps, but take it easy the day that you get one. There are lovely gardens, use them to rest and chat to a few like-minded souls from every corner of the globe.
What else?
The Boutique offers just about everything, from yoga mats to cushions to mossie stuff (you'll need it!).
If they offer the KanyaKumari trip to the southrn tip of India, don't hesitate to go. Kovalam is nearby and makes a nice Friday beach escape.
I love the daily lectures, very informative on yogic philosophy. Karma yoga's not so bad. Today I cleaned toilets in the dorm, but it only took about 20 minutes.
Come with an open mind.
Be patient....with yourself and others.
Enjoy!
Can't wait to hear your take on it.