Hello everyone!
Since my last email, we left the former French colony of Pondicherry and headed back to "real India" (in some ways good, in many ways bad). Madurai is another temple town (there's lots of them here in Tamil Nadu) but what I'll really remember about Madurai is our first encounter with monsoon-type rain. We had just entered a palace ruin to a light rain when the skies just opened up and let loose. It has to be in my Top 5 hardest rains ever list (and I do have one). For a little while, the novelty of the situation was fun...after an hour, it was boring...after an hour and a half we were getting pretty desperate. Finally, the rain let up (a bit) and we dashed around the corner to find a taxi or autorickshaw. To no avail. Instead we found ourselves wading in almost knee deep water as we walked down the street. I tried not to think about the typical contents of streets in India (trash and cowshit) or the state of the sewer system (non-existant) or about all the cuts, scrapes, and mosquito bites I have on my legs getting exposed to the nasty water. I simply cannot imagine how this region copes when it rains everyday like this for 4 straight months...my guess is southern India turns into one big pond.
From Madurai, we headed to Kanyakumari - at the very southern tip of India, where three "oceans" meet - the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean, and Arabian Sea. It's a very cool place and there were a lot of Indian families there playing and enjoying the twilight. Families here in the south seem a lot friendlier - asking us to take pictures (of them for them, of us for them, or of us and them for them or us...got it?) and generally smiling more and saying hi. I think the difference is education (90% literacy in Kerala) and tourism (ie. rip-offs and touts) being a much smaller portion of the economy. Many places we can actually walk around without the incessant begging or offers of "come see my store? what do you want? it's free to look..." One other interesting note in Madurai - men have to take their shirts off to go into the temple. I would have thought that would deter fat men from entering, but from my survey of the people there, no such luck.
From Kanyakumari, Deanna and I headed north into Kerala and then parted ways temporarily. She is taking a course, and I decided "why should I try to improve myself when I can just sit around all day instead?" So that's what I did. I spent a week in the area around Thiruvananthapuram (the easier British name is "Trivandrum")...mostly at two beaches. The first was called Kovalam, and is quite nice. This being low season (it's way too hot except for fools like us), there are some tremendous deals to be had on accomodation. I've managed to find nice (for here) beachfront or sea view places between 125 and 250 Rupees ($3-6)...incredible. Of course, the downside is that there's no one here to talk to. I went to dinner the other night and it was just me, the waiter, a chef (this I'm assuming but it's possible the waiter cooked the food as well given how it tasted), and not one other person in this place that could accomodate 80 people. Luckily, they were showing a movie so I didn't die of boredom. Unluckily, it was xXx2: The Next Level and Ice Cube isn't half the actor that he is a rapper (with the exception of Friday of course). I found myself hanging out with the guy that worked at the hotel - since it was low season he could just leave the desk and hang out at the bar next door. This guy's name was Lalu (I thought that was a camel name!), he was 23, and much, much wiser than I at 31. After debating the merits of arranged marriages, I am considering his offer that his mother find me a wife.
The other really interesting thing in Kovalam was watching their traditional fishing method (yeah I told you there wasn't much to do). A boat goes and casts a net about 250 meters from shore and then a group of men stand in a line and pull the net in. There's between 15 and 20 men pulling on the rope and to keep time, they actually sing as they work. It's really cool and brought to mind cartoons where everyone sings as they work in the coal mines.
From Kovalam, I took the bus to Trivandrum and then went to the other bus station to get to Varkala - the next beach. As I waited, an old woman communicated that she was going to Varkala as well...which was a HUGE relief to me considering all the signs on the buses (and there area constant stream of buses pulling in and leaving) were in Tamil rather than English. Unfortunately I didn't realize I had found one of the few illiterate Indians down here. Eventually we got on a bus - after I memorized how "Varkala" looks in the Tamil script and ran to ask the bus driver - but I swear we missed a bus that looked exactly the same an hour before:
me: "is that Varkala?"
her (looking directly at sign that says Varkala in Tamil): "mm...not Varkala"
Anyway, we made it eventually. I am greatly looking forward to Deanna's return and then we're taking a backwaters cruise and then heading north to Goa and then way north to Himachel Pradesh (near the Himalayas).
Hope everyone is well -
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
05/10/05: It's really hot down here...
Hello everyone,
We're in Pondicherry, India near the region of Tamil Nadu - this is the area in Southeast India hardest hit by the Tsunami last December although the city of Pondicherry was spared the damage the coastlines to the north sustained. We had the humbling experience of discussing the Tsunami with our waiter one evening who lost his entire family and home (father, mother, three sisters). He also lost his teaching certificate (he taught English previously) and - as the Indian government bureaucracy will only accept the original - he is working as a waiter (at 1/10th his former pay) to save up to pay for another certificate. It's so frustrating that someone who's had to deal with so much must also be punished by an inflexible system. We tried to help with a cash donation - but it just seems like such a small gesture in the scope of what he is going through.
Pondicherry is a former French colony - and quite beautiful with widestreets, great architecture and friendly people. Unfortunately, when we arrived at 5am in the morning off of an incredibly hot and sticky bus ride (compounded by having a few drinks before we got onto the bus)- there was no vacancy in the first 4 places we looked at (after much banging on the doors far too early for sane people to be awake). The silver lining was that we ended up in a very nice boutique hotel where our room overlooks a nice garden and is gorgeous even including a wooden swing and a daybed inside the room. And a good thing...because it's far too hot to leave the room here. The weather here reminds me of living on the coast of Mississippi in the middle of summer with 100 degree temperatures and 98% humidity where you have to change shirts four times a day. The good news: I have four shirts. The bad news: I only have four shirts.
When last I wrote, we were in Udaipur with a crew of old and new friends from our camel trek. From Udaipur, we left Rajastan and headed for the former Portugese colony/island (everyone had a piece of India at one time seemingly) of Diu off the coast of Gujarat northwest ofMumbai. Diu was an Indian resort town, complete with a not so nice beach - but with so little traffic it was the perfect place for us to rent motorbikes and zip around the island. Deanna, Josie, Tim, myself, and two other guys (Antonio and Basil) we met in Diu easily made up the least intimidating biker gang in the world. It would have helped the image if we hadn't run out of gas twice in the middle of nowhere (not so cool to have your “gang” all pushing their motorbikes up a hill).
From Diu, the gang (Josie, Tim, Deanna, and myself) headed for Mumbai (Bombay). The city is really great - so cosmopolitan and such a mix of Western billboard advertisements and every store you could find at home mixed with traditional India - we went to an overpass where you can look down on the dhobi ghat - where all the laundry in the city is taken to be beaten clean (literally smashed against stone in soapy water)...it's an awesome sight as in the morning there can be 5,000 washers at work. It's also a very expensive city (relative to the rest of India). The first morning we were in Mumbai, we got up before 7am and headed to the Gateway of India to find the “laughterclub”. This club was founded by a doctor who believed in the theory that “laughter is the best medicine” and we just had to check it out. We found a group of elderly folks standing in a circle and doing different laughing exercises - laughing from deep down, laughing like a movie villain, laughing while swinging your arms, etc... - it was strange but laugher is contagious and it really did seem like a nice way to start the day (for other people that is...I wasn't about to wake up for it again). The other highlight of India was going out for Tim's birthday - we made a reservation at a great restaurant (Indigo) and then thought we'd hit the great Bombay nightlife - which apparently isn't so happening on Monday nights but we still managed to have a really great time helped in no small part by great company and our good friend alcohol. So no Bollywood A-lister sightings...next time though.
From Mumbai, we sadly said goodbye to Tim and Josie and jumped on a 25 hour train ride (for once, a really comfortable journey - we sprang for the A/C car) all the way to the city of Mysore in southern/central India. This is an area where the Muslim maharaja's were not under the direct control (for the most part) of either the Mughal empire or the British. There is an absolutely fantastic palace in Mysore - room after room whose pictures belong in a coffee table book. I think it's my favorite palace in India (and on this trip so far for that matter). The only problem is it's summer vacation and there are thousands upon thousands of Indian tourists in the city trying to see exactly what you are - and they don't believe in waiting in lines of any sort. This was again the case when we visited the Chamundi temple where we were pulled out of line and suspiciously given VIP treatment which all became clear...when we were asked for a donation - which we gave. And then led to the rooftop of the temple for a great view of the city when we were approached by the priest and marked on the forehead...and of course asked for a donation - which we gave. Finally, we were about to leave and then the “guide” mentioned that all our offerings were for the temple - not him personally...and we were asked for a fee. I refused the outrageous amount asked for and got into a slight argument with the “guide” over ethics and the nuances of the word “donation”. It was very disheartening to leave a holy place like a temple feeling cheated - but I did slight penance when an Indian family (actually waiting in a line) asked me to help them get some communal water that was on our side of the rope barrier - after pouring out four cups and serving them on a tray - I felt much better. It's the small things.
Okay - back to Pondicherry after the bus ride, we've had a great time eating the good food and trying to stay indoors. We visited an ashram(temple) devoted to Sri Aurobindo and “The Mother” who are definitely heads of a cult in my mind. The ashram owns several hotels, a printing press, and even started a colony (commune) of an “ideal village” on the outskirts of Pondicherry where everyone works together for the common good. I think we'll check it out today - send help if you don't hear from me in the next month. It's rather fascinating though that people are still following the teachings of this couple - one of whom died in 1950 and the other in 1973 - particularly when their philosophy doesn't sound too compelling.
From here, we're heading to the Southernmost tip of India and then planning to travel north up the western coast through Kerala and then Goa. I haven't had a chance to upload pictures as I have not found a good connection...I'll definitely try to remedy the situation soon. Hope everyone is doing well!
We're in Pondicherry, India near the region of Tamil Nadu - this is the area in Southeast India hardest hit by the Tsunami last December although the city of Pondicherry was spared the damage the coastlines to the north sustained. We had the humbling experience of discussing the Tsunami with our waiter one evening who lost his entire family and home (father, mother, three sisters). He also lost his teaching certificate (he taught English previously) and - as the Indian government bureaucracy will only accept the original - he is working as a waiter (at 1/10th his former pay) to save up to pay for another certificate. It's so frustrating that someone who's had to deal with so much must also be punished by an inflexible system. We tried to help with a cash donation - but it just seems like such a small gesture in the scope of what he is going through.
Pondicherry is a former French colony - and quite beautiful with widestreets, great architecture and friendly people. Unfortunately, when we arrived at 5am in the morning off of an incredibly hot and sticky bus ride (compounded by having a few drinks before we got onto the bus)- there was no vacancy in the first 4 places we looked at (after much banging on the doors far too early for sane people to be awake). The silver lining was that we ended up in a very nice boutique hotel where our room overlooks a nice garden and is gorgeous even including a wooden swing and a daybed inside the room. And a good thing...because it's far too hot to leave the room here. The weather here reminds me of living on the coast of Mississippi in the middle of summer with 100 degree temperatures and 98% humidity where you have to change shirts four times a day. The good news: I have four shirts. The bad news: I only have four shirts.
When last I wrote, we were in Udaipur with a crew of old and new friends from our camel trek. From Udaipur, we left Rajastan and headed for the former Portugese colony/island (everyone had a piece of India at one time seemingly) of Diu off the coast of Gujarat northwest ofMumbai. Diu was an Indian resort town, complete with a not so nice beach - but with so little traffic it was the perfect place for us to rent motorbikes and zip around the island. Deanna, Josie, Tim, myself, and two other guys (Antonio and Basil) we met in Diu easily made up the least intimidating biker gang in the world. It would have helped the image if we hadn't run out of gas twice in the middle of nowhere (not so cool to have your “gang” all pushing their motorbikes up a hill).
From Diu, the gang (Josie, Tim, Deanna, and myself) headed for Mumbai (Bombay). The city is really great - so cosmopolitan and such a mix of Western billboard advertisements and every store you could find at home mixed with traditional India - we went to an overpass where you can look down on the dhobi ghat - where all the laundry in the city is taken to be beaten clean (literally smashed against stone in soapy water)...it's an awesome sight as in the morning there can be 5,000 washers at work. It's also a very expensive city (relative to the rest of India). The first morning we were in Mumbai, we got up before 7am and headed to the Gateway of India to find the “laughterclub”. This club was founded by a doctor who believed in the theory that “laughter is the best medicine” and we just had to check it out. We found a group of elderly folks standing in a circle and doing different laughing exercises - laughing from deep down, laughing like a movie villain, laughing while swinging your arms, etc... - it was strange but laugher is contagious and it really did seem like a nice way to start the day (for other people that is...I wasn't about to wake up for it again). The other highlight of India was going out for Tim's birthday - we made a reservation at a great restaurant (Indigo) and then thought we'd hit the great Bombay nightlife - which apparently isn't so happening on Monday nights but we still managed to have a really great time helped in no small part by great company and our good friend alcohol. So no Bollywood A-lister sightings...next time though.
From Mumbai, we sadly said goodbye to Tim and Josie and jumped on a 25 hour train ride (for once, a really comfortable journey - we sprang for the A/C car) all the way to the city of Mysore in southern/central India. This is an area where the Muslim maharaja's were not under the direct control (for the most part) of either the Mughal empire or the British. There is an absolutely fantastic palace in Mysore - room after room whose pictures belong in a coffee table book. I think it's my favorite palace in India (and on this trip so far for that matter). The only problem is it's summer vacation and there are thousands upon thousands of Indian tourists in the city trying to see exactly what you are - and they don't believe in waiting in lines of any sort. This was again the case when we visited the Chamundi temple where we were pulled out of line and suspiciously given VIP treatment which all became clear...when we were asked for a donation - which we gave. And then led to the rooftop of the temple for a great view of the city when we were approached by the priest and marked on the forehead...and of course asked for a donation - which we gave. Finally, we were about to leave and then the “guide” mentioned that all our offerings were for the temple - not him personally...and we were asked for a fee. I refused the outrageous amount asked for and got into a slight argument with the “guide” over ethics and the nuances of the word “donation”. It was very disheartening to leave a holy place like a temple feeling cheated - but I did slight penance when an Indian family (actually waiting in a line) asked me to help them get some communal water that was on our side of the rope barrier - after pouring out four cups and serving them on a tray - I felt much better. It's the small things.
Okay - back to Pondicherry after the bus ride, we've had a great time eating the good food and trying to stay indoors. We visited an ashram(temple) devoted to Sri Aurobindo and “The Mother” who are definitely heads of a cult in my mind. The ashram owns several hotels, a printing press, and even started a colony (commune) of an “ideal village” on the outskirts of Pondicherry where everyone works together for the common good. I think we'll check it out today - send help if you don't hear from me in the next month. It's rather fascinating though that people are still following the teachings of this couple - one of whom died in 1950 and the other in 1973 - particularly when their philosophy doesn't sound too compelling.
From here, we're heading to the Southernmost tip of India and then planning to travel north up the western coast through Kerala and then Goa. I haven't had a chance to upload pictures as I have not found a good connection...I'll definitely try to remedy the situation soon. Hope everyone is doing well!
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