Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Night Bus to Bengaluru (Premium)

Episode Date: June 28, 2021

This is a preview episode. Get the full episode, and many more, ad free, on our supporter's feed: https://getsleepy.com/support. The Night Bus to Bengaluru Tonight, in the first of a two-part visit to southern India, we take a night bus to the city of Bengaluru. As the evening winds down, you can simply gaze out of the window, watching the beautiful scenery and moonlit mountains pass you by. 😴  Sound design: market ambiance, light traffic, crickets 🛺🌾 Narrator: Abbe Opher About Get Sleepy Premium: Help support the podcast, and get: Monday and Wednesday night episodes (with zero ads) The exclusive Thursday night bonus episode Access to the entire back catalog (also ad-free) Premium sleep meditations, extra-long episodes and more! We'll love you forever. ❤️ Get a 7 day free trial, and join the Get Sleepy community here https://getsleepy.com/support. And thank you so, so much.  Tom, and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi, Thomas here. You're listening to a preview episode. You can enjoy the entire story tonight by subscribing to our supporters' feed. There you'll get access to the entire back catalogue, bonus episodes, and more, and it's all completely ad-free. Click the link below to learn more. And thank you so so much. Me and the team really appreciate your support. It's a cool evening in early summer. at that time of day when everything has started to wind down. Shops are closing their doors, and the hustle and bustle of afternoon is easing, as the town prepares for a restful night. You're sitting on a comfortable bench in the shade of a wide leafy tree.

There are a handful of people milling about, but for the most part, you're left alone to enjoy the scenery around you. You're here in this leafy small town to catch a night bus to Bengaluru. Formerly known as Bangalore is one of the biggest cities in South India. The exact opposite of this quaint little place. You have explored the countryside here for a few days and are excited to move on to your next destination. This part of the country is speckled with coconut trees and the air carries the familiar scent of both them and the nearby sea. There are also many factories here that make all manner of seafood, pickles and relishes. Whenever you've passed by them on your daily walks, the delicious scent

of prawns and coconut has captured your senses in a way you can't quite describe. The landscape around you is covered in verdant trees, vines and bushes because of how much rainfall it sees in a year. Everywhere you look, brighter and darker shades of green, intermingle in the lush growth. This small town you're in is also home to a famous temple that sees devotees from all parts of India. Every so often you can hear bells ringing in the distance. As you sit here and wait, you think about how excited you are to see the big city. You've been planning this journey for a long time.

You've heard so much about it from your friends who live there. It promises wonderful entertainment and amazing sightseeing opportunities. You can't wait to try the food, listen to an evening of jazz music, and maybe even visit some of the enchanting gardens the city is famous for. But you're also looking forward to the journey itself. The bus you'll take to get there passes through beautiful natural areas including a vast mountain mountain range called the Western Gats, which are grand, lush and full of wonder. Travelers who find themselves in this part of the country are awestruck by the views, and tonight you'll be one of them.

You think of how timeless mountains often seem, with tall green trees swaying gently on their slopes, shrouding the rock and stone and softening their edges like a veil. Even though you know you'll soon be on your way, you can't help but try to imagine what your experience on your journey. The greenery and the fresh, crisp air one only finds in the mountains. The western gats are enormous, covering 160,000 square kilometers of the Indian Peninsula and traversing many states on this side of the country. They're also older than the Himalayas. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site,

they're one of the best examples of a biodiversity hotspot. For that reason, they hold many national parks and sanctuaries within their boundaries. In addition to the numerous plants and animals they sustain, they are home to some of the most spectacular waterfalls in all of India. You're hoping to see a few along the route tonight. You've always thought that the sight of water cascading down the side of a steep mountain, creating a seemingly eternal ribbon of beauty, is quite relaxing to watch. The high montane forests of the western gats moderate the tropical climate of the region

and influence the monsoon weather patterns. Monsoon has just started here, and this little town had one of its first proper rainstorms of the season today. In South India, Monsoon is a sight to behold. It begins in June and stays until October, even longer in certain places, and brings with it days and days of rain. It's as though the whole place is renewed and rejuvenated every summer. During your stay here, you had the chance to see some of the many rice paddies in and around this city.

The crop appears as a swath of bright, healthy green, almost like grass, sprouting up from an immense puddle. The paddies need to be constantly irrigated and the heavy monsoon rains are part of what sustains them. In turn, the paddies produce the amazing grain that sustains the people who rely on it. you