Hey everyone! Just to let you all know I'm back in the States. I've been recovering from Dengue Fever since 11/9 with some complications. No worries, nothing life threatening! :)
I'll update the blog soon with my last few days in India and final thoughts.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
11/8/10 Delhi-Jaipur Road
On the road to Jaipur, the urban sprawl of Delhi with its concrete buildings, swarms of motorized traffic and an unending supply of pedestrians, gives way to an expansive countryside devoid of farmland. In place of rickshaws, motorbikes etc., are huge loudly decorated rigs hauling raw resources, finished goods etc between Delhi and Jaipur. We occasionally spot the herds of goats, donkeys, and cows as well as the ubiquitous camel found all over Rajasthan.
Our sightseeing for the day included:, favorite was water palace.
Marie and I end our day at a decent hotel located in a commercial business area which lends itself to a quiet night.
Our sightseeing for the day included:, favorite was water palace.
Marie and I end our day at a decent hotel located in a commercial business area which lends itself to a quiet night.
11/7/10 Delhi
Puri Chana for breakfast! Oh yeah! Deep fried fluffy dough served with curried dal, curried potatoes, picked chutney and a salad of purple onions, cucumbers and green chilies. That and a coffee drink was enough to last me till dinner. Since we have an open day until our driver takes us to Jaipur and Agra, Marie and I decide to take the Metro to Connaught Place, Delhi's premier shopping district. The efficient Metro was easy enough to tackle and was fairly pleasurable. Connaught Place on the other hand was a disappointment. With the sidewalks in disrepair and a lack of high end shops, it didn't measure up to my idea of "premier" for the capitol of India. I guess I'm just spoiled when it comes to high end malls (i.e. Stanford Mall, Santana Row, Philippines' Makati Mall, London's Oxford Circle and Harrod's Dept Store. etc).
One great thing about Delhi besides the history, multitude of historical monuments, temples, palaces all of which easily out date the birth of America are the clean and well maintained streets. Through my personal experiences thus far in India, I've seen a gross amount of trash littered all over the roads, sidewalks, waterways, alleys, parks, etc and have been witness to an inordinate amount of locals tossing trash all over the place. I even saw to the horror of myself and other foreign tourists, a passing motorbike driver tossing a bag of garbage over a bridge into a river! WTF!!! Sure India is still developing and I can understand that. I just hope India realizes soon how litter detracts from the beauty of its country and of its people.
We leave for Jaipur tomorrow.
One great thing about Delhi besides the history, multitude of historical monuments, temples, palaces all of which easily out date the birth of America are the clean and well maintained streets. Through my personal experiences thus far in India, I've seen a gross amount of trash littered all over the roads, sidewalks, waterways, alleys, parks, etc and have been witness to an inordinate amount of locals tossing trash all over the place. I even saw to the horror of myself and other foreign tourists, a passing motorbike driver tossing a bag of garbage over a bridge into a river! WTF!!! Sure India is still developing and I can understand that. I just hope India realizes soon how litter detracts from the beauty of its country and of its people.
We leave for Jaipur tomorrow.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
11/6/10 Happy DIWALI !!!
Marie and I arrive in Delhi a little before midnight on-board a Jet Lite airplane as our original flight with Kingfisher Airlines from Bangalore was suddenly canceled. In fact, according to the electronically posted flight schedule at the airport, it looked like half of all scheduled flights had been canceled. Kingfisher's help desk said it was due to technical difficulties but I couldn't help but think it was due to Diwali. Speaking of Diwali, as the flight closed in on the airport, bright flashes of light could be seen dotting the Delhi sky. The city looked like a festive Christmas tree with flashing strands of mini lights. It didn't stop for a second. As we got closer the details got clearer so you could see class B display fireworks being set off all over Delhi. I was told that fireworks were perfectly legal all over India with the unfortunate fact that it results in a lot of yearly accidents.
As Marie and I were driven to our hotel by our hired car, it was evident that Delhi had already been subjected to 3 consecutive nights of fireworks and will be for another 2 nights. The surrounding air was thick with smoke generated from the fireworks combined with the smog from excessive pollution. At some points on the road, visibility was only 50 ft. The acrid air smelled of burnt paper and gunpowder. The incessant bang of the fireworks permeated Delhi. The smell and sound even penetrated into the confines of our hotel room and the smoke hung thickly. Marie had a difficult time sleeping that night with the smoke hanging in the room and the nonstop crackle of fireworks all over Delhi.
Waking up to depart for our tour of Delhi, we quickly grabbed a typical North Indian breakfast of Puri Bhaji. The meal consists of a wheat flour that enlarges into a poofy ball when fried. It's served with boiled potatoes simmered in spices, chutney and raw cucumbers and onions.
Sanjay, our drivers takes us to see Jama Masjid, the Red Fort, Bahai's Temple (Lotus Temple), the India Gate, and the President's House. We spent a fair amount of time visiting each location. The most interesting experience of the day had to have been the Lotus temple. A recent architectural marvel of the Bahai faith, the temple was built to replicate the beauty of a half open Lotus flower with 27 freestanding petals made of marble. While queuing in line to store our shoes at the "full service shoe dungeon", I truly learned the extent to which people here disregard other people's personal space. It wasn't a matter of inches or centimeters between people, there was no spacing of any kind between people in line. The person behind me was literally molded to my backside. I could smell this man's body odor and taste through his breathe what he had for his last meal. I tried to maintain my distance with the man in front of me but due to the sheer amount of people this provide futile. I was soon molded to the backside of the man in front of me. This same thing played out again when I lined up to retrieve our shoes. It's truly laughable really. I chalked it up to personal experience and took it as something to learn from.
That night Marie and I enjoyed a tasty meal of Veg Biryani, Chicken Masala, Naan and a couple of beers to wash it all down.
As Marie and I were driven to our hotel by our hired car, it was evident that Delhi had already been subjected to 3 consecutive nights of fireworks and will be for another 2 nights. The surrounding air was thick with smoke generated from the fireworks combined with the smog from excessive pollution. At some points on the road, visibility was only 50 ft. The acrid air smelled of burnt paper and gunpowder. The incessant bang of the fireworks permeated Delhi. The smell and sound even penetrated into the confines of our hotel room and the smoke hung thickly. Marie had a difficult time sleeping that night with the smoke hanging in the room and the nonstop crackle of fireworks all over Delhi.
Waking up to depart for our tour of Delhi, we quickly grabbed a typical North Indian breakfast of Puri Bhaji. The meal consists of a wheat flour that enlarges into a poofy ball when fried. It's served with boiled potatoes simmered in spices, chutney and raw cucumbers and onions.
Sanjay, our drivers takes us to see Jama Masjid, the Red Fort, Bahai's Temple (Lotus Temple), the India Gate, and the President's House. We spent a fair amount of time visiting each location. The most interesting experience of the day had to have been the Lotus temple. A recent architectural marvel of the Bahai faith, the temple was built to replicate the beauty of a half open Lotus flower with 27 freestanding petals made of marble. While queuing in line to store our shoes at the "full service shoe dungeon", I truly learned the extent to which people here disregard other people's personal space. It wasn't a matter of inches or centimeters between people, there was no spacing of any kind between people in line. The person behind me was literally molded to my backside. I could smell this man's body odor and taste through his breathe what he had for his last meal. I tried to maintain my distance with the man in front of me but due to the sheer amount of people this provide futile. I was soon molded to the backside of the man in front of me. This same thing played out again when I lined up to retrieve our shoes. It's truly laughable really. I chalked it up to personal experience and took it as something to learn from.
That night Marie and I enjoyed a tasty meal of Veg Biryani, Chicken Masala, Naan and a couple of beers to wash it all down.
11/5/10 Attack of the Palak Aloo
"Delhi Belly" strikes again in full force on 11/2/10. I made the unfortunate mistake of ordering a Palak Aloo (spinach and potato) with garlic naan at the Seven Hotel in Bangalore. I've eaten here in the past and have actually ordered a similar dish, the Palak Paneer. But on this occasion, it put me out of commission for 2 days. It's going to be a long time before I regain the courage to eat Palak(you know it, that nuclear bright green Spinach dish you sometimes order at Indian restaurants) again. Bleh!!!
11/2/10 Short Recap
India, thrown into the international spotlight as the 2nd fastest growing country in the world and as part of the acronym, BRIC seems destined for great things. It is sure to develop and increase its ever expanding political and economic influence in the world arena. With its myriad array of religions, ethnic backgrounds and political parties, India looks to be able to work in a cohesive patchwork of different systems and beliefs. People here work hard to better themselves and their families. They generally seem to treat each other with respect. True each individual here from street vendors, touts, rickshaw drivers, farmers, bakers, cooks, etc. work selfishly for their own betterment. But in working for their own self interest, Economics explains through the idea of the "Invisible Hand", that self-interested acts results in socially constructive transactions.
A more detailed recap to follow on my last post after our Golden Triangle Tour.
A more detailed recap to follow on my last post after our Golden Triangle Tour.
11/2/10 Last day solo
With my thoughts still on the delicious street food from last night, I amble down to the hotel's complimentary buffet breakfast. Doesn't that last bit sound terrible? Complimentary and buffet just doesn't sound appealing. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad, just eh.................
Today I end my solo journey through South India and head back to Bangalore by way of Kingfisher Airlines. Why not the sleeper class on an overnight train? Well, for one thing I've done it and I need to get back in a hurry after being away from my wife for 2 weeks.
I'll end it there for today.
Today I end my solo journey through South India and head back to Bangalore by way of Kingfisher Airlines. Why not the sleeper class on an overnight train? Well, for one thing I've done it and I need to get back in a hurry after being away from my wife for 2 weeks.
I'll end it there for today.
11/1/10 It's going to be more Indian temples and palaces from here on out!
It hasn't been easy finding Internet access here in Northern India. Internet cafes seem to be plentiful in the state of Kerala but not anywhere else. So to continue with my blog:
Over the hotel's adequate complimentary meal I met a well to do Indian businessman/farmer and and a retired British lady who's been vacationing in India once a year for the past 15 years. The Indian gentleman spoke perfect English. He's currently in Madurai on business purchasing farm equipment. The British lady was accompanying him to gain a better insight into the daily lives of Indian locals. Their fathers had been close friends in the past and both families remain so till this day. Emmanuel Johnson, the Indian businessman explains that he's currently wearing his Dhoti(white Longyi) instead of his usual dress shirt and slacks because he has to play his part not to look too Westernized, otherwise the farm equipment wholesalers will charge more money to those they identify as wealthy. I ask Emmanuel Johnson, the Indian businessman if he's had trouble finding laborers to work his fields. When traveling through the state of Kerala, I've been told on numerous occasions that its hard to find workers as everyone tends to move away for opportunities better suited to their high education level. Kerala boasts a 95% literacy rate. This was evident in the number of people who possessed excellent English speaking skills. Comparatively, in the state of Tamil Nadu where Madurai is located, I found it difficult to find anyone who spoke English much less with any amount of fluency. According to Emmanuel, this was in part due to the lack of education provided by the state. This lack of education was the reason why it was relatively easy to find laborers. They really didn't have any other opportunities afforded to their education level.
Taking my leave from an interesting insight into the educational differences between two states in India, I head out to do more sightseeing. I've reserved today to see the biggest attraction in Madurai, the Sri Meenakshi Temple. Constructed in the 1500-1600s, the temple is considered the heart and lifeline of this 2,500 year old city. The temple complex stretches around 45 acres and houses multicolored, multilayered, intricately carved idols on 12 Gopurams (towers). In the interior are halls which contain an immeasurable amount of shrines dedicated to a small proportion of the estimated 330 million Hindu gods. Just to be brief on this subject matter of Hindu gods, all these gods represents a different face of the one supreme god "Paramatman" or "Brahman".
I've never seen something so ancient and yet so finely preserved. The colors on the facade of the temples and towers were vivid and bold. There was a calming presence in the interior halls where hundreds of people of Hindu faith chanted and prayed. These same people used a a large amount of turmeric powder sprinkled on sacred images signifying fertility, prosperity, and good luck.
Walking back to the hotel, the sun was setting and it started to get dark. It was also starting to buzz with activity as most people were getting off work and began their shopping activities. Loudspeakers located every 50 ft or so were blasting what I gather were advertisements in the Tamil language. People upon people poured out onto the streets. Pedestrians, bike rickshaws, auto rickshaws, cow driven carts, people driven carts, motorbikes, cars, trucks, and cargo trucks dodged each other, each trying to get ahead in the rat race. Poking my head into a large gold/jewelry shop out of curiosity, I find outs its especially busy right now due to the coming Diwali festival. It's a Hindu festival and is India's biggest holiday of the year. Families save all year to engage in the ritual of buying brand new clothes and gold to sport around. This 5 day festival signifies the triumph of good over evil. To illustrate this, Hindus use lights to illuminate every corner of their house, incense sticks and firecrackers are lit all night long to demonstrate their joyfulness and gaiety.
Feeling the need to take this all in, I wander the overcrowded streets for the next 2 hours. While myself dodging traffic, I chance upon a street food vendor I spotted a night ago. With every thought in my head telling me not to, I risk it and order up two unfamiliar Indian dishes. One was an empty samosa crushed, sprinkled with raw carrots and onions, and topped with a liberal amount of a very spicy gravy. Yum! The other was an indescribably spicy mix of unknown ingredients that looked like bean chili that was equally delicious. Guess how much!? 20 Rupees or $0.45! What a way to end the night!
Over the hotel's adequate complimentary meal I met a well to do Indian businessman/farmer and and a retired British lady who's been vacationing in India once a year for the past 15 years. The Indian gentleman spoke perfect English. He's currently in Madurai on business purchasing farm equipment. The British lady was accompanying him to gain a better insight into the daily lives of Indian locals. Their fathers had been close friends in the past and both families remain so till this day. Emmanuel Johnson, the Indian businessman explains that he's currently wearing his Dhoti(white Longyi) instead of his usual dress shirt and slacks because he has to play his part not to look too Westernized, otherwise the farm equipment wholesalers will charge more money to those they identify as wealthy. I ask Emmanuel Johnson, the Indian businessman if he's had trouble finding laborers to work his fields. When traveling through the state of Kerala, I've been told on numerous occasions that its hard to find workers as everyone tends to move away for opportunities better suited to their high education level. Kerala boasts a 95% literacy rate. This was evident in the number of people who possessed excellent English speaking skills. Comparatively, in the state of Tamil Nadu where Madurai is located, I found it difficult to find anyone who spoke English much less with any amount of fluency. According to Emmanuel, this was in part due to the lack of education provided by the state. This lack of education was the reason why it was relatively easy to find laborers. They really didn't have any other opportunities afforded to their education level.
Taking my leave from an interesting insight into the educational differences between two states in India, I head out to do more sightseeing. I've reserved today to see the biggest attraction in Madurai, the Sri Meenakshi Temple. Constructed in the 1500-1600s, the temple is considered the heart and lifeline of this 2,500 year old city. The temple complex stretches around 45 acres and houses multicolored, multilayered, intricately carved idols on 12 Gopurams (towers). In the interior are halls which contain an immeasurable amount of shrines dedicated to a small proportion of the estimated 330 million Hindu gods. Just to be brief on this subject matter of Hindu gods, all these gods represents a different face of the one supreme god "Paramatman" or "Brahman".
I've never seen something so ancient and yet so finely preserved. The colors on the facade of the temples and towers were vivid and bold. There was a calming presence in the interior halls where hundreds of people of Hindu faith chanted and prayed. These same people used a a large amount of turmeric powder sprinkled on sacred images signifying fertility, prosperity, and good luck.
Walking back to the hotel, the sun was setting and it started to get dark. It was also starting to buzz with activity as most people were getting off work and began their shopping activities. Loudspeakers located every 50 ft or so were blasting what I gather were advertisements in the Tamil language. People upon people poured out onto the streets. Pedestrians, bike rickshaws, auto rickshaws, cow driven carts, people driven carts, motorbikes, cars, trucks, and cargo trucks dodged each other, each trying to get ahead in the rat race. Poking my head into a large gold/jewelry shop out of curiosity, I find outs its especially busy right now due to the coming Diwali festival. It's a Hindu festival and is India's biggest holiday of the year. Families save all year to engage in the ritual of buying brand new clothes and gold to sport around. This 5 day festival signifies the triumph of good over evil. To illustrate this, Hindus use lights to illuminate every corner of their house, incense sticks and firecrackers are lit all night long to demonstrate their joyfulness and gaiety.
Feeling the need to take this all in, I wander the overcrowded streets for the next 2 hours. While myself dodging traffic, I chance upon a street food vendor I spotted a night ago. With every thought in my head telling me not to, I risk it and order up two unfamiliar Indian dishes. One was an empty samosa crushed, sprinkled with raw carrots and onions, and topped with a liberal amount of a very spicy gravy. Yum! The other was an indescribably spicy mix of unknown ingredients that looked like bean chili that was equally delicious. Guess how much!? 20 Rupees or $0.45! What a way to end the night!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
10/31/10 Madurai
I decide to sleep in a bit before moving on to my next destination, the city of Madurai in the state of Tamil Nadu. After checking out, I heave my backpack on and stroll to a bus station located across a checkpoint bordering Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Before crossing over, I walk into a restaurant I've patronized before. There I have the most inexpensive meal I've had thus far. The total cost for a Masala Dosa and a glass of milk tea came out to Rs28. That's equivalent to $0.63! Beat that! After my outrageously cheap breakfast, I engage in my usual routine of asking bus drivers and locals for help in finding the right bus to my destination. Just to explain the bus system here in India, you first need to figure out which bus to board and second you pay your way to the on-board bus attendant based on your destination. On one occasion I was able to figure out which bus to take as the destination was painted on the window in English lettering. But that was only once. Like the times before I had to rely on the help of others, and this time I needed help to board 3 separate buses to Madurai. It's truly something to totally put yourself out there and trust the guidance of strangers. I consistently put myself in the hands of the Indian locals and they have yet to lead me astray.
Dropped off at the Periyar bus stand in Madurai, I was like a deer caught in headlights. There was a massive amount of pedestrians and traffic. I really didn't know where to find my hotel. LP states in the guide that the bus station was located some 6km NE of the city. Taking it all in and keeping cool, I decided to just walk. I must have passed hundreds of people, "Froggered" my way through street crossings, pushed my way through crowds situated in front of street vendors, and dodged a couple of touts. All of a sudden I look up behind me from where I intially came and low and behold there it was, the tallest building in the skyline, the Madurai Residency.
Sometime after checking in, I take a rickshaw to visit Tirumalai Nayak Palace and the Gandhi Museum. Compared to the palace which is currently in a state of decay, the Gandhi Museum was informative and located in a grand white building. Housed in its interior was the loincloth Gandhi was murdered in.
The temperature is climbing in this interior city. Craving some beer to beat the heat I duck into my hotel's dimly lit lounge bar. There I meet a local Indian businessman. We strike up a political conversation over beers and various complimentary Indian snacks. An hour into our talks, a local politician joins our table (place was crowded). We exchange greetings and soon start to talk about India. I notice the India businessman was trying to keep the conversation light and non-political and so I follow suit. The businessman seemed like he was treading on thin ice and this got me a little leery. Nothing came of it as the politician needed to depart for an engagement. I never did find out the identity of the politician but it made for an interesting evening.
Dropped off at the Periyar bus stand in Madurai, I was like a deer caught in headlights. There was a massive amount of pedestrians and traffic. I really didn't know where to find my hotel. LP states in the guide that the bus station was located some 6km NE of the city. Taking it all in and keeping cool, I decided to just walk. I must have passed hundreds of people, "Froggered" my way through street crossings, pushed my way through crowds situated in front of street vendors, and dodged a couple of touts. All of a sudden I look up behind me from where I intially came and low and behold there it was, the tallest building in the skyline, the Madurai Residency.
Sometime after checking in, I take a rickshaw to visit Tirumalai Nayak Palace and the Gandhi Museum. Compared to the palace which is currently in a state of decay, the Gandhi Museum was informative and located in a grand white building. Housed in its interior was the loincloth Gandhi was murdered in.
The temperature is climbing in this interior city. Craving some beer to beat the heat I duck into my hotel's dimly lit lounge bar. There I meet a local Indian businessman. We strike up a political conversation over beers and various complimentary Indian snacks. An hour into our talks, a local politician joins our table (place was crowded). We exchange greetings and soon start to talk about India. I notice the India businessman was trying to keep the conversation light and non-political and so I follow suit. The businessman seemed like he was treading on thin ice and this got me a little leery. Nothing came of it as the politician needed to depart for an engagement. I never did find out the identity of the politician but it made for an interesting evening.
10/30/10 Periyar Safari
It's yet another 5 AM morning and my Safari jeep is slated to pick me up at the front at 5:30 AM. I'm joined by Zoe, a solo female traveler hailing from South Wales, and Stefan and Tanya from Germany. The 2 hr jeep safari itself was fairly non eventful. Our driver along with other safari drivers tried to make a concerted effort to spot wildlife but considering the jungle setting it proved futile today. We were only able to see some water buffaloes, Nilgiri Langoers, and the head of one elephant over tall bushes, but alas no tigers. After the game drive, we embarked on a strenuous two hour hike up the Nilgiri Mountain ranges. This is where it gets interesting. Leeches! Yup, you can literally see them crawling all over the ground. It was entertaining to see all the foreign and Indian tourists freak out at the sight of leeches extending their bodies up in the air awaiting their next victim. We had to constantly brush them off our shoes. Most of us ended up being bitten, myself included yet again. The leech's skinny bodies enlarge nearly 20 times their original size after having made a meal of our blood. It was actually quite funny to see Tanya find an enlarged leech and the commotion she made of it. I can still envision it now! :) We ended the day at the Periyar Tiger Preserve with a visit to a pathetic elephant bone museum and a nice paddle boat ride to a waterfall.
Returning home I quickly wash up and take a leisurely walk around town. The touts as usual descend on me eager to sell their wares and services. I easily brush them off as I'm a pro now! All you need to do is say "No thank you!" and keep walking. The second you stop, its all over and they've got you by the balls. I find a quiet restaurant at a quaint hotel recommended by a local. It turns into the most expensive meal yet at Rs740. The meal consisted of ginger Gobi (cauliflower), veg rice, Kerala style paratha and a couple of Black Label beers. Talking about Parathas, I have yet to taste a Paratha that rivals the ones handmade by an old lady in South San Francisco. (I know my Parathas!) Satisfied but a bit lighter in the wallet, I forgo hailing a rickshaw and walk home in the rain.
Returning home I quickly wash up and take a leisurely walk around town. The touts as usual descend on me eager to sell their wares and services. I easily brush them off as I'm a pro now! All you need to do is say "No thank you!" and keep walking. The second you stop, its all over and they've got you by the balls. I find a quiet restaurant at a quaint hotel recommended by a local. It turns into the most expensive meal yet at Rs740. The meal consisted of ginger Gobi (cauliflower), veg rice, Kerala style paratha and a couple of Black Label beers. Talking about Parathas, I have yet to taste a Paratha that rivals the ones handmade by an old lady in South San Francisco. (I know my Parathas!) Satisfied but a bit lighter in the wallet, I forgo hailing a rickshaw and walk home in the rain.
10/29/10 Onward to Kumily
5 AM rolls around and I roll out of bed, wash up, pack my bags and head out to the kitchen to grab some spiced milk tea. George, one of the Mission fellows is up. Apparently the roosters woke him up earlier than he had planned. Philip, our host at GreenPalms is up as well. We make small talk as we're all still a bit groggy from the early morning. Jacob crashes our tea party at 5:45 AM. He wanted to see my off. What a bud! Jacob's been another great travel companion here in India. He's a very amicable fellow with good wit and a kind heart. I'll miss him and our joking around. We shake hands, give bro hugs and say our goodbyes.
It's now 6:45 AM and the village is slowly waking up from its deep slumber. There's a fine mist hanging over the river. The motorboats are nowhere in sight. There is a strange calm hanging over the islands. Taking the canoe back to the other side of the river banks from where I first started seemed almost surreal. It felt like the canoe reached the opposite side faster than it had on my arrival. I wonder why? Reaching the shore, I hop on the back of a motorbike driven by one of the homestay's help. This is my first time on a bike and I'm not in the least bit scared. I just took it for what it is, a transportation method. You need to have that kind of attitude here in India. Just take it as it comes. Manu the bike driver stays with me at the bus stand until my bus arrives.
On the bus to Kumily, I befriend a group of high school kids making their way to a quiz competition. They've been quizzing each other non stop ever since they boarded the bus. "Who was the first to win Tennis' Grand Slam?", "Who wrote Romeo and Juliet?", "What is the capitol of China?" We exchange the usual introductions and I soon find myself being quizzed by them. They seemed thoroughly enthralled in my background and my opinions of India. I give them my honest opinion about the delightful people and how helpful everyone has been during my travels. They looked a bit shocked that the local Indians have been so kind to me. Maybe Indians treat their foreign guests differently, perhaps out of curiosity they're more engaging, or perhaps they're just trying to practice their English, but as far as I'm concerned I've had no problems thus far. In fact as I stated before, for the most part I've been treated with respect and kindness in India.
As we approach the Kumily bus stand, my fellow passengers urge me off and tell me that we've arrived in Kumily. They must have overheard my conversation with the high schoolers who have since gotten off the bus at an earlier bus stand. See what I mean by helpful? Once I step off I'm bombarded by touts selling their sight seeing service. Suddenly a chain smoking wiry old man approaches and with perfect English asks me "Where are you going?". I tell him my hotel is GreenView Homestay and that I'm to meet with the owner Suresh. "I work for him" was Sakiel's response. Hesitatingly I follow this man to a rickshaw. On an earlier phone call to Suresh, he advised me not to trust anyone at the bus station who claims to work for him. Well, as long as the rickshaw takes me to GreenView I couldn't care less. So the rickshaw makes its way past pedestrians, auto rickshaws, cars, trucks, etc and after 5 minutes pulls into GreenView. I place my trust in Sakiel and he pulls through.
At GreenView I decide on some activities to do in and around town. I place my trust in Sakiel again by placing Rs 1,800 in his hand to purchase tickets to another Kathakali Dance performance and a safari in Periyar (South India's largest game preserve). When the time comes, a rickshaw driver arrives at my hotel door and takes me to the performance. I've been given a front row seat in the middle aisle! The best seat in the hall! Sakiel's the man! Arriving early, I take my assigned seat next to the first person to arrive, an Italian native in her 20's doing volunteer work in Madurai. She's beginning her 1 week vacation from work to visit Kerala. She's also actually quite an attractive lady and from the stories I've heard from other foreign female travelers about the negative attention they've received from local men, I ask her how she's been faring in India. She tells me everything has been fine thus far. This is a bit surprising to me. I've been told that local men would sneak photos of Caucasian women with their camera phones. They would even ask to pose with them in group photos and sneak glances down low cut blouses. Whistling apparently is a common activity while for some men chanting "Sex, sex, sex!" is preferred. One Brit even told me that young kids on motorbikes once drove by and grabbed at her chest and hair. She also found a train security guard filming her while she slept on an overnight train. I've never actually seen any of these behaviors but I truly hope they're just off-chance encounters.
The Kathakali show was fine. It seemed more authentic than the one I saw in Fort Cochin. After the curtain call, I made my way to the exit in the back of the hall against the tide of people rushing to the front to take pictures with the extravagantly dressed performers. It's beginning to rain. I spot a bookstore and decide to duck in and wait it out. I need a new book anyways as I'm nearly through with "Norwegian Wood". I highly recommend it by the way.
Picking out "Shantaram", I notice that the rain is coming down even harder now. It's close to 9 PM and I'm getting hungry. Quickly making my way to a nearby restaurant recommended by the bookstore employee I inevitably get soaked and head to the wash room to dry up a bit. After I finish my Rs30 Masala Dosa I hail a rickshaw to take me back to the hotel. I strike up a conversation with the friendly driver. He tells me he makes good money on rainy nights but prefers not to work because it is "Very dangerous!" This is not surprising considering the rain and the manner in which drivers weave in and out of traffic. If I haven't pointed out already, drivers here don't follow the dividing lines, frequently using the opposing lane to pass other vehicles. I encounter the driver again the next day and have another brief conversation. He actually spots me first and waves me over to talk a bit. Nice people here!
It's now 6:45 AM and the village is slowly waking up from its deep slumber. There's a fine mist hanging over the river. The motorboats are nowhere in sight. There is a strange calm hanging over the islands. Taking the canoe back to the other side of the river banks from where I first started seemed almost surreal. It felt like the canoe reached the opposite side faster than it had on my arrival. I wonder why? Reaching the shore, I hop on the back of a motorbike driven by one of the homestay's help. This is my first time on a bike and I'm not in the least bit scared. I just took it for what it is, a transportation method. You need to have that kind of attitude here in India. Just take it as it comes. Manu the bike driver stays with me at the bus stand until my bus arrives.
On the bus to Kumily, I befriend a group of high school kids making their way to a quiz competition. They've been quizzing each other non stop ever since they boarded the bus. "Who was the first to win Tennis' Grand Slam?", "Who wrote Romeo and Juliet?", "What is the capitol of China?" We exchange the usual introductions and I soon find myself being quizzed by them. They seemed thoroughly enthralled in my background and my opinions of India. I give them my honest opinion about the delightful people and how helpful everyone has been during my travels. They looked a bit shocked that the local Indians have been so kind to me. Maybe Indians treat their foreign guests differently, perhaps out of curiosity they're more engaging, or perhaps they're just trying to practice their English, but as far as I'm concerned I've had no problems thus far. In fact as I stated before, for the most part I've been treated with respect and kindness in India.
As we approach the Kumily bus stand, my fellow passengers urge me off and tell me that we've arrived in Kumily. They must have overheard my conversation with the high schoolers who have since gotten off the bus at an earlier bus stand. See what I mean by helpful? Once I step off I'm bombarded by touts selling their sight seeing service. Suddenly a chain smoking wiry old man approaches and with perfect English asks me "Where are you going?". I tell him my hotel is GreenView Homestay and that I'm to meet with the owner Suresh. "I work for him" was Sakiel's response. Hesitatingly I follow this man to a rickshaw. On an earlier phone call to Suresh, he advised me not to trust anyone at the bus station who claims to work for him. Well, as long as the rickshaw takes me to GreenView I couldn't care less. So the rickshaw makes its way past pedestrians, auto rickshaws, cars, trucks, etc and after 5 minutes pulls into GreenView. I place my trust in Sakiel and he pulls through.
At GreenView I decide on some activities to do in and around town. I place my trust in Sakiel again by placing Rs 1,800 in his hand to purchase tickets to another Kathakali Dance performance and a safari in Periyar (South India's largest game preserve). When the time comes, a rickshaw driver arrives at my hotel door and takes me to the performance. I've been given a front row seat in the middle aisle! The best seat in the hall! Sakiel's the man! Arriving early, I take my assigned seat next to the first person to arrive, an Italian native in her 20's doing volunteer work in Madurai. She's beginning her 1 week vacation from work to visit Kerala. She's also actually quite an attractive lady and from the stories I've heard from other foreign female travelers about the negative attention they've received from local men, I ask her how she's been faring in India. She tells me everything has been fine thus far. This is a bit surprising to me. I've been told that local men would sneak photos of Caucasian women with their camera phones. They would even ask to pose with them in group photos and sneak glances down low cut blouses. Whistling apparently is a common activity while for some men chanting "Sex, sex, sex!" is preferred. One Brit even told me that young kids on motorbikes once drove by and grabbed at her chest and hair. She also found a train security guard filming her while she slept on an overnight train. I've never actually seen any of these behaviors but I truly hope they're just off-chance encounters.
The Kathakali show was fine. It seemed more authentic than the one I saw in Fort Cochin. After the curtain call, I made my way to the exit in the back of the hall against the tide of people rushing to the front to take pictures with the extravagantly dressed performers. It's beginning to rain. I spot a bookstore and decide to duck in and wait it out. I need a new book anyways as I'm nearly through with "Norwegian Wood". I highly recommend it by the way.
Picking out "Shantaram", I notice that the rain is coming down even harder now. It's close to 9 PM and I'm getting hungry. Quickly making my way to a nearby restaurant recommended by the bookstore employee I inevitably get soaked and head to the wash room to dry up a bit. After I finish my Rs30 Masala Dosa I hail a rickshaw to take me back to the hotel. I strike up a conversation with the friendly driver. He tells me he makes good money on rainy nights but prefers not to work because it is "Very dangerous!" This is not surprising considering the rain and the manner in which drivers weave in and out of traffic. If I haven't pointed out already, drivers here don't follow the dividing lines, frequently using the opposing lane to pass other vehicles. I encounter the driver again the next day and have another brief conversation. He actually spots me first and waves me over to talk a bit. Nice people here!
10/28/10 Chennamkary
Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I didn't have internet access for several days. Once I got back to Bangalore, the damn hotel food got me sick for another several days. So what follows are transcripts from my notes. Marie and I leave for Delhi tomorrow!
The four of us (Karen, Susie, Jacob and myself) wake early to take a morning walk around the island villages with Binu, our guide for the day. Binu is a native of this part of Kerala. His English is excellent and his demeanor very friendly, even if it was mainly directed at the Scottish girls. We came to learn many things from our guide through the course of the walkabout.
To give you an idea of the area where I'm staying, it's a collection of islands outside of the city of Alleppey. This community of islands form what is called Chennamkary. Alleppey is considered the Venice of Italy and while that may be so, it seemed to be overly commercialized with too much trash, businesses, and touts trying to sell you their overnight houseboat service. Chennamkary on the other hand was quiet, conservative, and didn't have any businesses to speak of save the one local produce/snack shack located on each island. No one here asks you to "Please come to my store", or "I give you tour in rickshaw". In fact, there wasn't a single motorized vehicle anywhere except the motorized houseboats and ferries hauling people between the islands. This meant no traffic to dodge and most important of all which has become standard here in India, no incessant honking by all manners of vehicles. Even the bicycles have bells! About the only thing you hear is the sporadic rooster crow. This meant a whole lot of peace and quiet.
After a nice long walk, we were treated to a tasty Keralan style breakfast prepared and served in a local villager's home. A home cooked meal beats any restaurant's food in my opinion. We followed this up with a lively game of Badminton. While playing I notice that I'm a bit rusty in my lateral movements. I'll have to work on this when I get home. Continuing our walk, Binu stops for a moment and fashions each of us a small musical instrument made out of a single leaf and thread pulled from his "Longyi". He instructs us to blow into it and voila, music! Well, not exactly considering it sounds like a Vuvuzela, but it keeps us occupied like kids for well over an hour.
Upon returning home, Jacob and I dig in with our books on the front porch while Karen and Susie attend a cooking class. Five minutes haven't passed and Jacob is fast falling asleep. It's quiet, the roosters seemed to have given me a reprieve. In the far off distance you can hear the chants of Mass being performed in the local church. They're very religious here in Chennamkary. The islands contain a mix of Christian churches, Hindu temples, and Muslim mosques. Each island or village has their own. I continue to read Haruki Murakami's "Norwegian Wood" under a whirling ceiling fan, intent on finishing a chapter or two before I fall victim to Mr. Sandman.
The girls finish their cooking class and soon we're called to lunch. Karen and Susie under the guidance of Ann, the matron of the family who owns this 3 house compound has done a fine job preparing our meals. The typical Keralan meal consists of a starch that's either a large grained rice or ground coconut mixed with rice flour. All the mains and sides contain some element of coconut, whether it's the coconut stem heart, coconut meat, coconut oil, or coconut flower. After lunch, and a bit more reading (or sleeping in Jacob's case), we rent a motorized boat to see more of the backwaters. Unfortunately, Karen and Susie are checking out this afternoon but we're quickly joined by a Canadian couple that just checked in. Jeff, Jennifer, Jacob and I decide to hop on the metal roof of our boat to get a better view. This proves to be extremely fun though a bit unorthodox. The whole way through, we're waving to kids and locals and they're waving back at us!
Midway through the boat ride, our captain, Anthony invites us to his house. Although not in the original itinerary, we all agree to this detour. Anthony's family proves to be very welcoming. They serve us coconut water out of a coconut and teach us about the various stages of a coconut's life and the way it's used in their cooking.
Arriving "home" we make our way to the dining room/green house and are treated to more of Ann's excellent cooking. I've never eaten more in India than I have here at GreenPalm's Homestay! Their traditional Keralan style of cooking is out of this world. Super! I had never been partial to coconut based foods like the way the Thais or Filipinos use coconut in their cooking, but the Keralan style was different. It used an abundance of spices which give it a kick that I'm used to in North Indian and Pakistani cooking. When I say spices, I mean ginger, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, curry leaves, allspice, curry leaves, etc., and not just the chilies.
We are again joined at dinner by a new round of travelers from the Mission in San Francisco. This is definitely a small world! After dinner we all retreat to the covered porch and talk the night away. At 11:45 PM, I bid my adieu and head to bed. I'll be waking up at 5 AM to catch a 5 hr bus to Kumily to see the Periyar Tiger Preserve.
The four of us (Karen, Susie, Jacob and myself) wake early to take a morning walk around the island villages with Binu, our guide for the day. Binu is a native of this part of Kerala. His English is excellent and his demeanor very friendly, even if it was mainly directed at the Scottish girls. We came to learn many things from our guide through the course of the walkabout.
To give you an idea of the area where I'm staying, it's a collection of islands outside of the city of Alleppey. This community of islands form what is called Chennamkary. Alleppey is considered the Venice of Italy and while that may be so, it seemed to be overly commercialized with too much trash, businesses, and touts trying to sell you their overnight houseboat service. Chennamkary on the other hand was quiet, conservative, and didn't have any businesses to speak of save the one local produce/snack shack located on each island. No one here asks you to "Please come to my store", or "I give you tour in rickshaw". In fact, there wasn't a single motorized vehicle anywhere except the motorized houseboats and ferries hauling people between the islands. This meant no traffic to dodge and most important of all which has become standard here in India, no incessant honking by all manners of vehicles. Even the bicycles have bells! About the only thing you hear is the sporadic rooster crow. This meant a whole lot of peace and quiet.
After a nice long walk, we were treated to a tasty Keralan style breakfast prepared and served in a local villager's home. A home cooked meal beats any restaurant's food in my opinion. We followed this up with a lively game of Badminton. While playing I notice that I'm a bit rusty in my lateral movements. I'll have to work on this when I get home. Continuing our walk, Binu stops for a moment and fashions each of us a small musical instrument made out of a single leaf and thread pulled from his "Longyi". He instructs us to blow into it and voila, music! Well, not exactly considering it sounds like a Vuvuzela, but it keeps us occupied like kids for well over an hour.
Upon returning home, Jacob and I dig in with our books on the front porch while Karen and Susie attend a cooking class. Five minutes haven't passed and Jacob is fast falling asleep. It's quiet, the roosters seemed to have given me a reprieve. In the far off distance you can hear the chants of Mass being performed in the local church. They're very religious here in Chennamkary. The islands contain a mix of Christian churches, Hindu temples, and Muslim mosques. Each island or village has their own. I continue to read Haruki Murakami's "Norwegian Wood" under a whirling ceiling fan, intent on finishing a chapter or two before I fall victim to Mr. Sandman.
The girls finish their cooking class and soon we're called to lunch. Karen and Susie under the guidance of Ann, the matron of the family who owns this 3 house compound has done a fine job preparing our meals. The typical Keralan meal consists of a starch that's either a large grained rice or ground coconut mixed with rice flour. All the mains and sides contain some element of coconut, whether it's the coconut stem heart, coconut meat, coconut oil, or coconut flower. After lunch, and a bit more reading (or sleeping in Jacob's case), we rent a motorized boat to see more of the backwaters. Unfortunately, Karen and Susie are checking out this afternoon but we're quickly joined by a Canadian couple that just checked in. Jeff, Jennifer, Jacob and I decide to hop on the metal roof of our boat to get a better view. This proves to be extremely fun though a bit unorthodox. The whole way through, we're waving to kids and locals and they're waving back at us!
Midway through the boat ride, our captain, Anthony invites us to his house. Although not in the original itinerary, we all agree to this detour. Anthony's family proves to be very welcoming. They serve us coconut water out of a coconut and teach us about the various stages of a coconut's life and the way it's used in their cooking.
Arriving "home" we make our way to the dining room/green house and are treated to more of Ann's excellent cooking. I've never eaten more in India than I have here at GreenPalm's Homestay! Their traditional Keralan style of cooking is out of this world. Super! I had never been partial to coconut based foods like the way the Thais or Filipinos use coconut in their cooking, but the Keralan style was different. It used an abundance of spices which give it a kick that I'm used to in North Indian and Pakistani cooking. When I say spices, I mean ginger, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, curry leaves, allspice, curry leaves, etc., and not just the chilies.
We are again joined at dinner by a new round of travelers from the Mission in San Francisco. This is definitely a small world! After dinner we all retreat to the covered porch and talk the night away. At 11:45 PM, I bid my adieu and head to bed. I'll be waking up at 5 AM to catch a 5 hr bus to Kumily to see the Periyar Tiger Preserve.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
10/27/10 Late night storm
Sometime in the middle of the night, I heard a loud crackle emanating from the sky followed by rain pelting the roof and grounds of Saj Homes. Too drowsy from my slumber to give a shit, I brush it off and fall back to sleep. Waking around 7 AM, I notice the rain hasn't subsided. It didn't matter I tell myself, I'm leaving Fort Cochin anyways. I just hope the rain doesn't follow me to Alleppey. I say my goodbyes to Sam and Saj, and with my rain jacket and backpack over my shoulders, I catch a rickshaw, then a ferry, then a bus, then a rickshaw, lastly a canoe boat to GreenPalms Homestay in Chennankarry outside of Alleppey.
I had to take a canoe boat because my homestay was located on an island. Sweet huh? The ferryman came from the other bank to pick me up. At this point, I couldn't help but think of Charon's crossing. With a little unease, I slowly board the canoe. Having been deposited on the other side, I make my way to GreenPalms where I'm immediately welcomed to have some lunch.
Later that evening, the other guests Karen, Susie, Jacob (pronounced Yacob), and I go for an evening walk with Thomas the proprietor. We learn about the town's two main crops, rice and coconut. Thomas also educates us on the recent development of tourism which centers on the hire of a thatched houseboat. Each houseboat can accomodate anywhere from 1-14 people with a staff of 3-5. This tourism boom while providing income for the local economy has also contributed to an increase in pollution.
After the walk through rice paddy fields currently in harvest, we take a canoe back to the homestay. The sun has already set and its dark out. Lightning and thunderstorms erupt overhead. The night is beginning to look ominous and we're all a bit worried being out on the water. With two oarsmen in the back and Thomas occupying the front, and the four of us seated in the middle , we slowly make our way back to the homestay. Thomas begins singing folk songs and rapping the side of the canoe to create a rythmic beat. Both oarsmen follow Thomas' lead and repeat the chorus line. The interplay of singing lightens the mood and soon we are enjoying ourselves. Looking to the banks, we spot fireflies dancing in the bushes. Thomas continues singing 4-5 songs until we reach home. This proves to be a magical night that would be better if not for the lightning, thunder and rain. I sure wish Marie were here right now!
Returning home we find a meal of paratha, curried potatoes and salad waiting for us. It was a real treat to have fresh cucumber, tomato and red onion salad. It reminds me of my Mom's recipe. All I've had thus far in regards to vegetables have been in curries that have been stewed. Nothing is raw. I crave biting into a fresh crisp salad.
I retire early to get some much needed rest.
I had to take a canoe boat because my homestay was located on an island. Sweet huh? The ferryman came from the other bank to pick me up. At this point, I couldn't help but think of Charon's crossing. With a little unease, I slowly board the canoe. Having been deposited on the other side, I make my way to GreenPalms where I'm immediately welcomed to have some lunch.
Later that evening, the other guests Karen, Susie, Jacob (pronounced Yacob), and I go for an evening walk with Thomas the proprietor. We learn about the town's two main crops, rice and coconut. Thomas also educates us on the recent development of tourism which centers on the hire of a thatched houseboat. Each houseboat can accomodate anywhere from 1-14 people with a staff of 3-5. This tourism boom while providing income for the local economy has also contributed to an increase in pollution.
After the walk through rice paddy fields currently in harvest, we take a canoe back to the homestay. The sun has already set and its dark out. Lightning and thunderstorms erupt overhead. The night is beginning to look ominous and we're all a bit worried being out on the water. With two oarsmen in the back and Thomas occupying the front, and the four of us seated in the middle , we slowly make our way back to the homestay. Thomas begins singing folk songs and rapping the side of the canoe to create a rythmic beat. Both oarsmen follow Thomas' lead and repeat the chorus line. The interplay of singing lightens the mood and soon we are enjoying ourselves. Looking to the banks, we spot fireflies dancing in the bushes. Thomas continues singing 4-5 songs until we reach home. This proves to be a magical night that would be better if not for the lightning, thunder and rain. I sure wish Marie were here right now!
Returning home we find a meal of paratha, curried potatoes and salad waiting for us. It was a real treat to have fresh cucumber, tomato and red onion salad. It reminds me of my Mom's recipe. All I've had thus far in regards to vegetables have been in curries that have been stewed. Nothing is raw. I crave biting into a fresh crisp salad.
I retire early to get some much needed rest.
10/26/10 Delhi Belly
I had a tough time sleeping last night. Something I ate the prior day hasn't settled well with my stomach. Considering this I change my itinerary and stay in the homestay one more night to wait it out. By 1 PM, I'm feeling better and getting hungry. Risking it, I take a rickshaw to the last historical site I've yet to visit, Mattancherry Palace. After receiving an interesting history lesson of the Royal Indian family and grabbing a fresh but bland lunch, I head back to the homestay to freshen up before attending a cultural presentation of the Keralan's local dance, Kathikali. Having fully recovered from the bout with my stomach, I begin to really look forward to attending. Like all ethnic groups all over the world, the people of this region are trying to preserve a dying art form, in this case their dance form. In this day and age where everything is slowly being homogenized, preserving one's identity is a really noble undertaking.
The Kathakali dance performance was fun and very unique. Indicative of this type of dance is the complex use of 9 facial expressions, 24 hand gestures, and of course the footwork. The background music was an interplay of traditional and modern which didn't quite make it authentic, but did provide an upbeat tempo.
After the performance and another so so dinner, Sam (who happened to book the same show) and I made our way back to our favorite haunt, "Cochin Fort Restaurant" where we had ice cold "teas" in their respective bottles. We talked the night away with a Vancouver couple, Bob and Vicky who we met at Saj Homes.
The Kathakali dance performance was fun and very unique. Indicative of this type of dance is the complex use of 9 facial expressions, 24 hand gestures, and of course the footwork. The background music was an interplay of traditional and modern which didn't quite make it authentic, but did provide an upbeat tempo.
After the performance and another so so dinner, Sam (who happened to book the same show) and I made our way back to our favorite haunt, "Cochin Fort Restaurant" where we had ice cold "teas" in their respective bottles. We talked the night away with a Vancouver couple, Bob and Vicky who we met at Saj Homes.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
10/25/10 Fort Cochin Jew Town and Cherai Beach
I must say that Fort Cochin is a world away from the rest of India. Although touristy, its got an indelible charm about it. There's significantly less trash than any of the cities I've visited thus far, far fewer traffic with less pollution, and the mix of British, Portuguese and Dutch architecture makes for a rather quaint town.
Having had a tasty Keralan breakfast this morning at the homestay, Sam and I agree to venture out to Jew Town to have a look. To give a brief history of Sam, he's a 6'4" Jew on a business trip to Bangalore where he is literally training his replacements. Having finished up early, he decided to visit the Kerala region of India. Sam possesses a very easy going attitude and has proven to be a fun companion through our days here in Fort Cochin.
The highlight of Jew Town is the very modest Pardesi Synagogue originally built in 1568. After a brief run through, Sam and I catch a rickshaw to Cherai Beach an hour north of our current location. I'm not expecting much at this point considering it received a one sentence mention in the LP. But you never know! Sometimes taking the road less traveled yields unexpected treasures as evidenced in Munnar.
So with myself and the 6'4" Sam in the back of the rickshaw, we head out to "discover" Cherai Beach. On the way we board a ferry while in our rickshaw to take us to the north side of the lake. Bumping along rocky, pot hole ridden roads, the surrounding trees suddenly opens up to an narrow but expansive beach. It must have been a mile long. I notice several things on arrival. There's barely any trash in sight! There's hardly anyone here! It's a nice sunny day! This is sweet! I roll up my pants and I make my way to the water. Feeling the warm Indian Ocean swirling around my feet made the hour long rickshaw ride well worth it. Sam joined moments later and we both remarked with positive enthusiasm at how great a find this was.
Now only if only there were beach chairs with beach umbrellas and a bucket of beers, we would be set to laze the day away. Not finding this we spend the next 2 hours "chilling", I with a coconut and Sam with his drumstick ice cream.
Arriving back at Saj's, we both clean up a bit and head out for some dinner and another round of beers. As this was the day of elections, the ban on serving alcohol was lifted at 5pm. We decide to find a properly served beer out of a bottle instead of the "tea" mugs from the past two nights. We find a new spot and with a beer in hand we make a toast. Yuck! Usually Kingfisher is a great lager but they served it to us slightly chilled or slightly warm, whichever way you look at it. To be fair the waiter did tell us it was "medium cold". Yeah right! After only one beer, Sam and I head back to our rooms to call it a night.
Having had a tasty Keralan breakfast this morning at the homestay, Sam and I agree to venture out to Jew Town to have a look. To give a brief history of Sam, he's a 6'4" Jew on a business trip to Bangalore where he is literally training his replacements. Having finished up early, he decided to visit the Kerala region of India. Sam possesses a very easy going attitude and has proven to be a fun companion through our days here in Fort Cochin.
The highlight of Jew Town is the very modest Pardesi Synagogue originally built in 1568. After a brief run through, Sam and I catch a rickshaw to Cherai Beach an hour north of our current location. I'm not expecting much at this point considering it received a one sentence mention in the LP. But you never know! Sometimes taking the road less traveled yields unexpected treasures as evidenced in Munnar.
So with myself and the 6'4" Sam in the back of the rickshaw, we head out to "discover" Cherai Beach. On the way we board a ferry while in our rickshaw to take us to the north side of the lake. Bumping along rocky, pot hole ridden roads, the surrounding trees suddenly opens up to an narrow but expansive beach. It must have been a mile long. I notice several things on arrival. There's barely any trash in sight! There's hardly anyone here! It's a nice sunny day! This is sweet! I roll up my pants and I make my way to the water. Feeling the warm Indian Ocean swirling around my feet made the hour long rickshaw ride well worth it. Sam joined moments later and we both remarked with positive enthusiasm at how great a find this was.
Now only if only there were beach chairs with beach umbrellas and a bucket of beers, we would be set to laze the day away. Not finding this we spend the next 2 hours "chilling", I with a coconut and Sam with his drumstick ice cream.
Arriving back at Saj's, we both clean up a bit and head out for some dinner and another round of beers. As this was the day of elections, the ban on serving alcohol was lifted at 5pm. We decide to find a properly served beer out of a bottle instead of the "tea" mugs from the past two nights. We find a new spot and with a beer in hand we make a toast. Yuck! Usually Kingfisher is a great lager but they served it to us slightly chilled or slightly warm, whichever way you look at it. To be fair the waiter did tell us it was "medium cold". Yeah right! After only one beer, Sam and I head back to our rooms to call it a night.
10/24/10 Backwaters Tour
The early 7:30 am breakfast of Masala Dosa at the homestay was good. Sam and I were slated to board a van at 8:00 am to take us on a 7 hr. boat tour of the area. An hour later we arrive at our destination and 8 of us hop in a canoe boat. For the next 2 hours the gondolier guides us through lush narrow waterways where we observe daily Indian life. Along the banks, people were washing their clothes, taking baths, or tending to various chores. At one point we hopped off to tour a spice plantation and to see the process of making coir (rope) out of coconut husks.
People lead such a simple life here. While it's nice to observe, I know its not a life for me.
Arriving back at our starting point, we board our van. They're taking us to the next part of the tour, a journey in a larger boat through a larger river system. After a brief stopover for a disappointing banana leaf thali meal, we continue in our thatched roof open boat. For the next 4 hours, the gondolier lazily guided the boat across calm waters around islands fringed with palm trees. The was certainly a very relaxing way to spend a sunny afternoon. I found myself drifting to sleep. I assume the other passengers followed suit as we all remained silent through most of the journey.
Back at the hotel that evening, I wash up and meet Sam for a dinner of whole tandoori butterfish and rice. The whole dished screamed tourist food but it filled me up nonetheless. That night we made our way back to the prior evenings watering hole to enjoy a couple more rounds of "tea".
People lead such a simple life here. While it's nice to observe, I know its not a life for me.
Arriving back at our starting point, we board our van. They're taking us to the next part of the tour, a journey in a larger boat through a larger river system. After a brief stopover for a disappointing banana leaf thali meal, we continue in our thatched roof open boat. For the next 4 hours, the gondolier lazily guided the boat across calm waters around islands fringed with palm trees. The was certainly a very relaxing way to spend a sunny afternoon. I found myself drifting to sleep. I assume the other passengers followed suit as we all remained silent through most of the journey.
Back at the hotel that evening, I wash up and meet Sam for a dinner of whole tandoori butterfish and rice. The whole dished screamed tourist food but it filled me up nonetheless. That night we made our way back to the prior evenings watering hole to enjoy a couple more rounds of "tea".
10/23/10 It's raining!
One last meal of Egg Dosa at SN Restaurant and I take off for Fort Cochin on the west coast of India. I wanted to change it up a bit from my regular breakfast of Masala Dosa and I was not disappointed.
Leaving JJ Cottage was hard only because I really liked the homestay. Great proprietors, clean rooms, and a hot shower gives it my top recommendation. The bus station was only a hop and skip away. Its starting to drizzle now but I expect it to last an hour before it dies down. I ask the station attendant how long till the bus arrives. With a thick accent he tells me it will arrive soon and to take a seat. The drizzle soon gives way to full on rain. It feels like San Francisco with the rain, cold air, and the fog.
I hurriedly step back into the station office to shield myself from the downpour when the bus arrives. It looks like it came straight out of hell. The buses yellow paint has long since faded and gave way to a reddish hue from the rust. It creaked as it settled in for a brief respite from whatever journey it has recently undertaken. As soon as it came to a full stop, the driver and the on-board ticket taker hopped off to enact some repair on the front right wheelbase. I told myself, "Oh boy, this is gonna be a rough ride. I sure hope we don't break down on the five and a half hour ride."
As soon as I take a seat, another lady boards the bus. She was an older woman dressed in hippy beachwear. "She must have been to Goa recently" I think to myself. Spotting me in the empty bus, she starts up a conversation. That's different was my reaction! I was so used to approaching others to strike up a conversation that I was a little surprised. This was actually really refreshing! Ovid, an Israeli woman was traveling around India for a month and ending her vacation in Thailand for the second month.
On the way there and despite the rain, I notice that the countryside here is soooo green and beautiful! They have a slogan for Kerala, "God's Own Country." I can't argue with that.
I arrive in Ernakulam and take the first ferry out to Fort Cochin. The rain has subsided and the weather is starting to look promising. Arriving at Saj Homestay, I was greeted at the door by the man himself with a warm greeting and a nice cold bottle of water. I instantly know that I'm going to like it here. Not too long after unpacking, I receive a knock on my door. It's Saj and he's introducing me to an Oakland, CA native by the name of Sam. What a small world this is! We exchange introductions and quickly decide to venture out into town together.
After seeing a few local sites and grabbing a mediocre dinner, we inquire of our restaurant waiter about the nearest bar in town. The waiter tells us, "It's not possible." The next establishment we seek out which clearly states in its signage "Beer and Wine", tells us the same thing, "It's not possible." Apparently the local goverment has frozen all sales of alcohol in the runup to the local elections. The 3-4 licensed restaurants/bars in town won't be serving alcohol for the next 3 days. Crap! Undeterred by this, Sam and I spend the next hour going in and out various establishments in our quest for beer. We try every corner market, restaurant, and bar we passed with no luck. After a couple of deadends and misleads, we get a tip that proves successful! The only catch was that the restaurant served them in white mugs. They called it "tea" and so we spent the remainder of the night having our fill of "tea".
The restaurant having emptied of patrons, began to close down for the night. Sam and I slumber back to our respective rooms after hitching a ride in an "auto" rickshaw with an Isle of Man couple we met over "tea". Count em, five total in the rickshaw including the driver.
Leaving JJ Cottage was hard only because I really liked the homestay. Great proprietors, clean rooms, and a hot shower gives it my top recommendation. The bus station was only a hop and skip away. Its starting to drizzle now but I expect it to last an hour before it dies down. I ask the station attendant how long till the bus arrives. With a thick accent he tells me it will arrive soon and to take a seat. The drizzle soon gives way to full on rain. It feels like San Francisco with the rain, cold air, and the fog.
I hurriedly step back into the station office to shield myself from the downpour when the bus arrives. It looks like it came straight out of hell. The buses yellow paint has long since faded and gave way to a reddish hue from the rust. It creaked as it settled in for a brief respite from whatever journey it has recently undertaken. As soon as it came to a full stop, the driver and the on-board ticket taker hopped off to enact some repair on the front right wheelbase. I told myself, "Oh boy, this is gonna be a rough ride. I sure hope we don't break down on the five and a half hour ride."
As soon as I take a seat, another lady boards the bus. She was an older woman dressed in hippy beachwear. "She must have been to Goa recently" I think to myself. Spotting me in the empty bus, she starts up a conversation. That's different was my reaction! I was so used to approaching others to strike up a conversation that I was a little surprised. This was actually really refreshing! Ovid, an Israeli woman was traveling around India for a month and ending her vacation in Thailand for the second month.
On the way there and despite the rain, I notice that the countryside here is soooo green and beautiful! They have a slogan for Kerala, "God's Own Country." I can't argue with that.
I arrive in Ernakulam and take the first ferry out to Fort Cochin. The rain has subsided and the weather is starting to look promising. Arriving at Saj Homestay, I was greeted at the door by the man himself with a warm greeting and a nice cold bottle of water. I instantly know that I'm going to like it here. Not too long after unpacking, I receive a knock on my door. It's Saj and he's introducing me to an Oakland, CA native by the name of Sam. What a small world this is! We exchange introductions and quickly decide to venture out into town together.
After seeing a few local sites and grabbing a mediocre dinner, we inquire of our restaurant waiter about the nearest bar in town. The waiter tells us, "It's not possible." The next establishment we seek out which clearly states in its signage "Beer and Wine", tells us the same thing, "It's not possible." Apparently the local goverment has frozen all sales of alcohol in the runup to the local elections. The 3-4 licensed restaurants/bars in town won't be serving alcohol for the next 3 days. Crap! Undeterred by this, Sam and I spend the next hour going in and out various establishments in our quest for beer. We try every corner market, restaurant, and bar we passed with no luck. After a couple of deadends and misleads, we get a tip that proves successful! The only catch was that the restaurant served them in white mugs. They called it "tea" and so we spent the remainder of the night having our fill of "tea".
The restaurant having emptied of patrons, began to close down for the night. Sam and I slumber back to our respective rooms after hitching a ride in an "auto" rickshaw with an Isle of Man couple we met over "tea". Count em, five total in the rickshaw including the driver.
Friday, October 22, 2010
10/22/10 Munnar
5 am and on queue the Muslim chants started up in Munnar. Its very exotic I have to say! I take my cold "tabot" shower in my $5/night hotel, pack some essentials and take off to do some trekking. On my way to the tea plantations, I stopped by SN Restaurant(recommended by LP) for some breakfast. There I had the best Masala Dosa I've ever eaten. The Dosa was light and crisp with excellent potato (aloo) filling. It was accompanied by small dishes of sauce: veg soup, chili paste, and a spicy rice/yogurt concoction. All this made for one kick ass meal. "Super" as the Indians would say it. I washed the meal down with a cardamom milk tea.
Having satiated my hunger and my first proper meal in 36 hrs, I made my way to the Pothamedu Viewpoint to check out the tea estates. Following the path outlined by LP, I found myself walking along paved roads straddling the estates. "This is it?", I thought. What I actually envisioned was walking in and amongst the the tea bushes. I decided to backtrack and discovered a section where the barbed wire fencing had been trampled on. That was my sign! I discreetly made my way through. Soon I was joined by a Swiss couple and together we forged on and upwards! It was a bit misty this morning but the fog seemed to roll in and out rather quickly allowing us fantastic views of the tea bushes hugging the hillsides. The tea bushes themselves were neatly trimmed and of various shapes. They seemed to fit together along the landscape like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. After a little difficulty deciphering which path to take to the top, we finally made it. There we met a British couple with their guide. I had initially considered spending 1,500 Rs ($35) to hire a guide but immensely glad I didn't. The only bummer so far was that the fog had rolled in and stayed put blocking any views of the countryside. It also began to drizzle so the Swiss couple and I decided to make a beeline back to the bottom. After making it back to the road, we wished each other safe travels and parted ways.
On my way back into town, I decided to investigate other hotels recommended by LP as the one I was currently staying was extremely "budget"! More so than the YWCA in Ooty. I found my way to JJ Cottage, took a quick tour of the rooms, was quoted 400 Rs ($8) and instantly decided to check out of Kaipallil Homestay. Upon returning to JJ, I took my first hot shower in 4 days. The room was immaculately clean and well constructed with stylish wood paneling. After my shower, I made my way back to SN Restaurant to have an awesome Veg Biryani. The meal was accompanied by small servings of yogurt with red onions and spices, chutney, and a chili ginger paste. Wow!
Returning to the hotel, I lounged a bit with a milk tea in hand and had a pleasant conversation with Eric, the on-site manager. His family owns the impeccably maintained establishment and have been in operation for the past 10 years.
I need to mention that I got leeched while trekking through the damp tea estates! Yup, after taking my shower in JJ, I discovered my right ankle dripping with blood. I tried cleaning it at first thinking it was probably from a sharp branch in the tea estates. But it wouldn't stop bleeding so I surmised that it was probably from a leech. (anti-coagulant). I later found the bugger under my boot and dispensed with it down the toilet. Now I have to wash my sock and shoe which is caked in blood!
Having satiated my hunger and my first proper meal in 36 hrs, I made my way to the Pothamedu Viewpoint to check out the tea estates. Following the path outlined by LP, I found myself walking along paved roads straddling the estates. "This is it?", I thought. What I actually envisioned was walking in and amongst the the tea bushes. I decided to backtrack and discovered a section where the barbed wire fencing had been trampled on. That was my sign! I discreetly made my way through. Soon I was joined by a Swiss couple and together we forged on and upwards! It was a bit misty this morning but the fog seemed to roll in and out rather quickly allowing us fantastic views of the tea bushes hugging the hillsides. The tea bushes themselves were neatly trimmed and of various shapes. They seemed to fit together along the landscape like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. After a little difficulty deciphering which path to take to the top, we finally made it. There we met a British couple with their guide. I had initially considered spending 1,500 Rs ($35) to hire a guide but immensely glad I didn't. The only bummer so far was that the fog had rolled in and stayed put blocking any views of the countryside. It also began to drizzle so the Swiss couple and I decided to make a beeline back to the bottom. After making it back to the road, we wished each other safe travels and parted ways.
On my way back into town, I decided to investigate other hotels recommended by LP as the one I was currently staying was extremely "budget"! More so than the YWCA in Ooty. I found my way to JJ Cottage, took a quick tour of the rooms, was quoted 400 Rs ($8) and instantly decided to check out of Kaipallil Homestay. Upon returning to JJ, I took my first hot shower in 4 days. The room was immaculately clean and well constructed with stylish wood paneling. After my shower, I made my way back to SN Restaurant to have an awesome Veg Biryani. The meal was accompanied by small servings of yogurt with red onions and spices, chutney, and a chili ginger paste. Wow!
Returning to the hotel, I lounged a bit with a milk tea in hand and had a pleasant conversation with Eric, the on-site manager. His family owns the impeccably maintained establishment and have been in operation for the past 10 years.
I need to mention that I got leeched while trekking through the damp tea estates! Yup, after taking my shower in JJ, I discovered my right ankle dripping with blood. I tried cleaning it at first thinking it was probably from a sharp branch in the tea estates. But it wouldn't stop bleeding so I surmised that it was probably from a leech. (anti-coagulant). I later found the bugger under my boot and dispensed with it down the toilet. Now I have to wash my sock and shoe which is caked in blood!
10/21/10 on to Munnar
Woke up this morning at the Y to what I gathered to be Muslim chants broadcasting from loudspeakers. They seemed to be emanating from the city center. That's just fine as it made for a perfect alarm clock 5 am in the morning. Took a "tabot" shower, gathered my belongings and headed for the Ooty bus station. On my way I spotted a tea shop and settled in for a few minutes with a milk tea. It was nice taking in the town as it slowly began to wake up.
On the bus, I soon befriended a British couple visiting India for 2.5 weeks. They were only my 3rd sighting of foreigners in as many days. We alternated between watching the gorgeous scenery of the Nilgiri Mountain ranges and talking about our personal history. Robert was a retired British Airways employee. I never did catch Jeanie's line of work but I swear that she's a spitting image of Helen Mirren. After the bus, the three of us soon discovered that three people could fit into an auto rickshaw filled with our belongings. Over stuffed, the "auto" meandered towards the train station where Robert and Jeanie hopped off. We said our goodbyes and off I went taxied in the same auto to the Ukkadam bus station.
After another round of "Frogger", I made my way to the Munnar platform where I soon found myself buying a milk tea and two Aloo Somosas. I spied a coconut vendor and bought myself some coconut water straight out of a real coconut. Ahhh!!!
As I was minding my own business waiting for the 2:15 pm train to Munnar, a male police officer waved me into his office where another lady was sitting behind her desk. I had been waiting near there thinking it was the safest spot at the station. After routine questions of "Where are you from?", "Where are you going?", I soon found that they were puzzled at why a Chinese guy was in Coimbatore. We made friends real quick and I was quickly introduced by the male officer to another lady officer as his "friend visiting from America!". The other lady sitting behind the desk was a Computer Science college student named Sonja. After another round of friendly and funny exchanges with the lady officer, she stepped outside and whistled over to one of the snack kiosks to fetch me some milk tea. How nice! I was really started to have fun as more officers came to have a laugh, when I found myself being ushered out of the office by Sonya to catch the last bus out to Munnar.
While on the bus, I was yet again the center of attention, this time amongst my fellow passengers. One particular fellow who looked like a bum, gave me somewhat of a hard time. He kept asking in Tamil (the major language in the area) for things to eat, my telephone number, to take him to America(holding my arm in the process), money, etc. Another passenger Srinath whom I later befriended acted as the translator, begrudgingly I might add. Starting to look annoyed, the "bum" translated through Srinath that he was only having "jolly". He even produced what looked like 10,000 Rs from the folds of his Longi. After the guy exited the bus, Srinath relayed that he was an unscrupulous pick pocket. Needless to say I checked my pockets and found all to be in order. Relieved, I began asking Srinath about himself. He was a Mechanical Engineer college student on his way home for a break. We soon exchanged e-mail addresses and then he was gone. Seems like traveling involves a lot of brief friendships.
It soon got dark out and I was still on the bus to Munnar!!! I began to worry if I would be able to find the homestay Matthias recommended. After 13.5 hrs on the road, I luckily found myself in an auto rickshaw taking me to my destination. Without a proper meal all day, I hunkered down to what I hope to be a restful night in a $5/night homestay.
On the bus, I soon befriended a British couple visiting India for 2.5 weeks. They were only my 3rd sighting of foreigners in as many days. We alternated between watching the gorgeous scenery of the Nilgiri Mountain ranges and talking about our personal history. Robert was a retired British Airways employee. I never did catch Jeanie's line of work but I swear that she's a spitting image of Helen Mirren. After the bus, the three of us soon discovered that three people could fit into an auto rickshaw filled with our belongings. Over stuffed, the "auto" meandered towards the train station where Robert and Jeanie hopped off. We said our goodbyes and off I went taxied in the same auto to the Ukkadam bus station.
After another round of "Frogger", I made my way to the Munnar platform where I soon found myself buying a milk tea and two Aloo Somosas. I spied a coconut vendor and bought myself some coconut water straight out of a real coconut. Ahhh!!!
As I was minding my own business waiting for the 2:15 pm train to Munnar, a male police officer waved me into his office where another lady was sitting behind her desk. I had been waiting near there thinking it was the safest spot at the station. After routine questions of "Where are you from?", "Where are you going?", I soon found that they were puzzled at why a Chinese guy was in Coimbatore. We made friends real quick and I was quickly introduced by the male officer to another lady officer as his "friend visiting from America!". The other lady sitting behind the desk was a Computer Science college student named Sonja. After another round of friendly and funny exchanges with the lady officer, she stepped outside and whistled over to one of the snack kiosks to fetch me some milk tea. How nice! I was really started to have fun as more officers came to have a laugh, when I found myself being ushered out of the office by Sonya to catch the last bus out to Munnar.
While on the bus, I was yet again the center of attention, this time amongst my fellow passengers. One particular fellow who looked like a bum, gave me somewhat of a hard time. He kept asking in Tamil (the major language in the area) for things to eat, my telephone number, to take him to America(holding my arm in the process), money, etc. Another passenger Srinath whom I later befriended acted as the translator, begrudgingly I might add. Starting to look annoyed, the "bum" translated through Srinath that he was only having "jolly". He even produced what looked like 10,000 Rs from the folds of his Longi. After the guy exited the bus, Srinath relayed that he was an unscrupulous pick pocket. Needless to say I checked my pockets and found all to be in order. Relieved, I began asking Srinath about himself. He was a Mechanical Engineer college student on his way home for a break. We soon exchanged e-mail addresses and then he was gone. Seems like traveling involves a lot of brief friendships.
It soon got dark out and I was still on the bus to Munnar!!! I began to worry if I would be able to find the homestay Matthias recommended. After 13.5 hrs on the road, I luckily found myself in an auto rickshaw taking me to my destination. Without a proper meal all day, I hunkered down to what I hope to be a restful night in a $5/night homestay.
10/19/10 additions
So I forgot to mention that the highlight of the bus ride from Bangalore to Coimbatore was a family of elephants blocking our progress. The sight of these majestic creatures seemed to perk up the passengers a bit as we all gathered towards the front to catch a glimpse. This was a much needed distraction halfway into the trip as I was tired from not being able to sleep through the road bumps.
10/20/10 Ooty After 16.5 hrs
So it took 16.5 hrs to get from point A (Bangalore) to pt B (Ooty). At least I got to ride the Toy Train:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nilgiri_Mountain_Railway.
The slow pace of the "Toy Train" ride coupled with the scenic views made for a very relaxing 5 hrs. I was fortunate to receive the first class caboose and sat window side in the front row! First thing that pops out in this part of India is its lush landscape. Similar to the Philippines in many ways. What made this trip even more enjoyable was meeting two Indian lovebirds who were on their 2nd honeymoon. They were very nice people. The husband was a banker for Citibank and the wife a school teacher.
The miniature train stopped at 5-6 hillside stations where everyone had a chance to freshen up with some chai and various Indian snacks. Most stops had spectacular views of the countryside. I have to admit contrary to numerous warnings about eating roadside food, I partook in many 4 Rs($0.09) teas and one fried dal snack. Yumm!
So, upon checking into the YWCA (very budget if you get my drift), I made my way to the middle of town (Commercial Rd) to have my first meal in 24 hrs. Recommended by Lonely Planet (LP), I headed straight for Kabob Corner where I proceeded to devour a whole plate of mutton kabobs and a good sized Aloo Paratha. Oh baby! I had initially vowed to limit my meat intake during this trip but I just couldn't resist. How can you not order a kabob from a restaurant with that as its namesake?
Met a couple of Canadian girls and a German fellow named Matthias. Matthias recommended a hotel for my next destination in Munnar. Its an unfinished homestay but has fabulous views of the town and surrounding tea plantations. I think I'll check it out.
Well, its going to be a short day as I need to leave early for Munnar tomorrow morning. Time for my "tabot" shower.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nilgiri_Mountain_Railway.
The slow pace of the "Toy Train" ride coupled with the scenic views made for a very relaxing 5 hrs. I was fortunate to receive the first class caboose and sat window side in the front row! First thing that pops out in this part of India is its lush landscape. Similar to the Philippines in many ways. What made this trip even more enjoyable was meeting two Indian lovebirds who were on their 2nd honeymoon. They were very nice people. The husband was a banker for Citibank and the wife a school teacher.
The miniature train stopped at 5-6 hillside stations where everyone had a chance to freshen up with some chai and various Indian snacks. Most stops had spectacular views of the countryside. I have to admit contrary to numerous warnings about eating roadside food, I partook in many 4 Rs($0.09) teas and one fried dal snack. Yumm!
So, upon checking into the YWCA (very budget if you get my drift), I made my way to the middle of town (Commercial Rd) to have my first meal in 24 hrs. Recommended by Lonely Planet (LP), I headed straight for Kabob Corner where I proceeded to devour a whole plate of mutton kabobs and a good sized Aloo Paratha. Oh baby! I had initially vowed to limit my meat intake during this trip but I just couldn't resist. How can you not order a kabob from a restaurant with that as its namesake?
Met a couple of Canadian girls and a German fellow named Matthias. Matthias recommended a hotel for my next destination in Munnar. Its an unfinished homestay but has fabulous views of the town and surrounding tea plantations. I think I'll check it out.
Well, its going to be a short day as I need to leave early for Munnar tomorrow morning. Time for my "tabot" shower.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
10/19/10 Fortuitous Encounter
This post is dedicated to a very nice gentleman by the name of K. Viswanath. Sorry K, I didn't want to botch your name so I'll just use K.
After exiting our Volvo bus, K overheard my queries to the bus driver asking where I might find the Coimbatore Junction train station. At this point I only had 10 minutes to catch the train. According to my ticket we were scheduled to arrive at 3pm but actually arrived 2 hrs later. Go figure...Well, my savior quickly stepped in and took me to a local bus stop where he boarded with me. K even paid my way. As soon as we got to the stop K told me to run for it. Looking back through the crowded bus I spotted K making sure I got off. All I can say is if it weren't for the generosity of this man, I wouldn't be on my train.
We did have a chance at a quick conversation en route to the station. Through our talk, I found out K was in the silk business and frequently traveled to China where he has many friends. He seems to be a very religious man as he stopped by a temple to pray and donate money on our way to the bus stop. Now you may think I was stressing at this slight detour but nope. I was actually impressed by his religious devotion.
My only regret is that I wish we had more time to talk. He is the consummate Samaritan through and through and I'll never forget his good deed.
After exiting our Volvo bus, K overheard my queries to the bus driver asking where I might find the Coimbatore Junction train station. At this point I only had 10 minutes to catch the train. According to my ticket we were scheduled to arrive at 3pm but actually arrived 2 hrs later. Go figure...Well, my savior quickly stepped in and took me to a local bus stop where he boarded with me. K even paid my way. As soon as we got to the stop K told me to run for it. Looking back through the crowded bus I spotted K making sure I got off. All I can say is if it weren't for the generosity of this man, I wouldn't be on my train.
We did have a chance at a quick conversation en route to the station. Through our talk, I found out K was in the silk business and frequently traveled to China where he has many friends. He seems to be a very religious man as he stopped by a temple to pray and donate money on our way to the bus stop. Now you may think I was stressing at this slight detour but nope. I was actually impressed by his religious devotion.
My only regret is that I wish we had more time to talk. He is the consummate Samaritan through and through and I'll never forget his good deed.
And I'm Off
Having left the comfort of Marie's embrace, I made my way to Bangalore's Kempegowda bus station. (yeah I know... :p )
The bus station was maddening. Tons of people, I happened to catch them just in time for rush hour...bleh! Walking there I had a chance to practice my Frogger skills and I must say I did quite well dodging motorbikes, autorickshaws, cars and buses. You just need to have a bit of faith that the vehicles aren't there to run you over. Perhaps, but it felt good nonetheless that I could do as the locals did. Anyways, after walking around a bit I located platform 7 and proceeded to wait for my Volvo A/C bus. Meanwhile I was treated to a barrage of sounds, smells and visuals. There were people conversing everywhere, loud Indian music blaring, yummy aromas of fried Indian snacks, other not so pleasant smells, and a wave of bright colored saris going this way and that.
The actual bus ride wasn't too bad. The only exception was sitting on my bony ass got painful real quick going into hour 4 of the 9.25 hr ride over some tough terrain. The bus ride got really hairy with what seemed like a 2 hr descent through 27 hairpin turns in our Greyhound sized bus. I'm sure glad it was dark out. Not sure how I would take seeing the cliff side as we made our way down.
I'll post pictures soon. This netcafe's computers aren't accepting my camera's usb.
The bus station was maddening. Tons of people, I happened to catch them just in time for rush hour...bleh! Walking there I had a chance to practice my Frogger skills and I must say I did quite well dodging motorbikes, autorickshaws, cars and buses. You just need to have a bit of faith that the vehicles aren't there to run you over. Perhaps, but it felt good nonetheless that I could do as the locals did. Anyways, after walking around a bit I located platform 7 and proceeded to wait for my Volvo A/C bus. Meanwhile I was treated to a barrage of sounds, smells and visuals. There were people conversing everywhere, loud Indian music blaring, yummy aromas of fried Indian snacks, other not so pleasant smells, and a wave of bright colored saris going this way and that.
The actual bus ride wasn't too bad. The only exception was sitting on my bony ass got painful real quick going into hour 4 of the 9.25 hr ride over some tough terrain. The bus ride got really hairy with what seemed like a 2 hr descent through 27 hairpin turns in our Greyhound sized bus. I'm sure glad it was dark out. Not sure how I would take seeing the cliff side as we made our way down.
I'll post pictures soon. This netcafe's computers aren't accepting my camera's usb.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Bangalore
Well, we had a chance to take in a little of Bangalore the other day. We arranged for a car through the hotel reception and found ourselves being driven to a state sanctioned emporium. Hmmm….seems the receptionist talked us into accepting a “free” ride into town but didn’t let us in on the fact that it was first taking us into a high end gift shop. I don’t think I’ll fall for that one again as these schemes always results in high pressure sales and overpriced souvenir items. I will say that the emporium did have some fabulous looking stuff. If you’re curious, no we didn’t but anything. It was fairly easy to say no to $200-300 pashminas. Yep, that was USD.
Before leaving for India, I had always envisioned the Silicon Valley of India to be a thoroughly modern city. Of course, I’m comparing this to the SF Peninsula/South Bay. My idea of a visually modern city includes an assortment of businesses (retail, commercial), well paved streets, orderly traffic (signal lights, etc.), little to no rubbish from periodic street cleanings or a good drainage system. Of those criteria, I’ve only seen Bangalore to contain an inordinate amount of businesses and malls. You can certainly tell that Bangalore is growing considering the amount of construction and traffic going on everywhere.
For a little background on Bangalore, before its immense expansion, it was and still is considered the “Garden City of India” for its numerous parks. That may certainly be so but the increasing level of pollution is creeping up on that title due to industry and traffic. The local government did not plan for Bangalore to grow to its current 6 million or so inhabitants. But due to the many local and multi-national companies opening offices there, it has grown from a sleepy town to India’s fastest growing high density metropolis. Looking to modernize its transportation system, Bangalore is currently building a metro system to alleviate their traffic congestion. I’ve been told that during peak hours, driving a car 10-15 miles can take an hour or more. Ouch!
Marie and I have had a positive experience thus far. Meeting her coworkers has been an absolute delight and I look forward to spending more time with them. I’m sure I haven’t seen all that Bangalore has to offer, but I plan on exploring Bangalore some more when I return from my two week journey through South India. Now I have to concentrate on getting better before my journey tomorrow.
Oh, and besides the many cows that roam the streets of Bangalore, there are numerous stray dogs as well. Hmmm…didn’t get my rabies shot…I’ll need to pay particular attention to those dogs.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Itinerary
Here's a brief outline of my itinerary.
1. City of Ooty by way of Toy Train(World Heritage relic from the British Days). Tea plantation trekking.
2. Fort Cochin - beaches, backwaters, homestay.
3. Alleppey - Backwater cruising, riverfront homestay, toddy tapping
4. Kumily - Periyar Tiger Preserve( safari!)
5. Madurai - temples and more temples.
First Post
I've been nursing a slight reaction to the immunization shots(Hep A, B, typhoid and Flu). Hopefully I'll be better before leaving for my 2 week journey through South India from Bangalore.
Giants 1-0!!!!!!
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