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.
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