A recent conversation with a waiter in India:
Me: Could i have a milk coffee please?
Waiter: (deadly serious) No maam the cow is sleeping.
Me: Ok could i have a chai then? (indian tea)
Waiter: Ok maam we can wake up the cow for a chai.
Totally serious conversation.Oh India.
Well ive landed on my feet in Mamallapuram and am a happy lady.After alot of searching,3or 4hours i finally found a gorgeous room with my balcony on the beach and i can hear the waves from my bed.So nice after the misery of Kodaicanal.Spent this morning having breakfast on the beach watching the fisherman unravel their nets and set themselves up for a day of fishing.Counted 23 cows on the beach,wandering around aimlessly.There are gorgeous shops in the little town here so ill make a few purchases,its a breath of fresh air,quiet and relaxing and the locals are so so friendly.I needed a break from the craziness of the busier and noisier places ive been in.Going to rent a bike now and try not to get killed on the roads :-) might stay here for longer than planned.
Sunday 30 November 2008
Kodaicanal
Oh India,i find myself saying that alot recently,peaks and troughs are so high and low on this trip,but i think im on the up now based on the last two places ive been and the place i am currently.Kodaicanal was horrible,wet cold windy and just gross,kinda got stuck there for a few days because of the cyclone that has hit india,flooding everywhere and couldnt move really til it stopped raining but once it did i made a quick getaway,and was so happy to get out of the horrible room i was staying in.A pity because Kodaicanal,weather permitting is supposed to be beautiful.
I was lonely,had no electricity and hated the place.The walls of my room were smeared with all sorts of disgusting things,there were reminents of cockroaches and the remains of what looked like a child's frantic scribbling on the wall.Half of the light switches worked the others did on occasion.My bedsheets were dirty and had traces of hair and stains.I threw my backpack in the corner of the room when i arrived and didnt even want to open it because it was soaking wet and all the contents were too.My initial plan to dry the clothes with my hairdryer was no longer an option when the electricity went so i sat in my room with my book,the light from my phone and felt sorry for myself.What a trough.
My bathroom contained a blocked toilet, a big bucket and a jug.At the bottom of the bathroom door there was a big hole,i wasnt sure had the wood just rotted away or was it the gnawing of some sort of rodent that had caused it,anyway i didnt want to leave it open so shoved a tray which was there for coffee and tea up against it attempting to shun any little creature that might try to pay me a visit during the night.
I had ventured out earlier that day,to purchase toilet roll,the latter is an absolute luxury in India,they use bum guns,a power hose type accessory which usually hangs by the toilet but i havent availed of this service as of yet.One day I may surrender to the Indian traditions wholeheartedly but for the moment ill pass.So i had bought toilet roll and spotted a cadburys dairy milk bar in a little shack type shop in the village.So these two items were my only sources of comfort on this particular night.sad i know.toilet roll and chocolate...leaving the little shack where i had purchased the latter,i had turned to say goodbye to the little 4foot indian man,with the massive pot belly and skeletal little legs,and didnt see the massive bullock behind me,the little man shouted at me but it was too late i got a big root into the arse with the bullocks horns.Toilet roll and chocolate fell on the ground,i didnt know what was going on and the little indian man chased the cow up the street screaming at him,trying to keep in the laughter as were the other by standers....By the time i got home the toilet roll was damp and when i opened the chocolate i looked at the sell by date........it was gone off.I gave up at that point,attempted to cover my bed in some dry clothes so that i wouldnt have to lie on the rotten sheets,and fell asleep eventually despite the incessant beeping of cars outside,the wailing of babies outside cold and miserable no doubt and the revving of motorbikes underneath my window.A rough day.I questioned my reasons for wanting to go travelling at that point.
I was lonely,had no electricity and hated the place.The walls of my room were smeared with all sorts of disgusting things,there were reminents of cockroaches and the remains of what looked like a child's frantic scribbling on the wall.Half of the light switches worked the others did on occasion.My bedsheets were dirty and had traces of hair and stains.I threw my backpack in the corner of the room when i arrived and didnt even want to open it because it was soaking wet and all the contents were too.My initial plan to dry the clothes with my hairdryer was no longer an option when the electricity went so i sat in my room with my book,the light from my phone and felt sorry for myself.What a trough.
My bathroom contained a blocked toilet, a big bucket and a jug.At the bottom of the bathroom door there was a big hole,i wasnt sure had the wood just rotted away or was it the gnawing of some sort of rodent that had caused it,anyway i didnt want to leave it open so shoved a tray which was there for coffee and tea up against it attempting to shun any little creature that might try to pay me a visit during the night.
I had ventured out earlier that day,to purchase toilet roll,the latter is an absolute luxury in India,they use bum guns,a power hose type accessory which usually hangs by the toilet but i havent availed of this service as of yet.One day I may surrender to the Indian traditions wholeheartedly but for the moment ill pass.So i had bought toilet roll and spotted a cadburys dairy milk bar in a little shack type shop in the village.So these two items were my only sources of comfort on this particular night.sad i know.toilet roll and chocolate...leaving the little shack where i had purchased the latter,i had turned to say goodbye to the little 4foot indian man,with the massive pot belly and skeletal little legs,and didnt see the massive bullock behind me,the little man shouted at me but it was too late i got a big root into the arse with the bullocks horns.Toilet roll and chocolate fell on the ground,i didnt know what was going on and the little indian man chased the cow up the street screaming at him,trying to keep in the laughter as were the other by standers....By the time i got home the toilet roll was damp and when i opened the chocolate i looked at the sell by date........it was gone off.I gave up at that point,attempted to cover my bed in some dry clothes so that i wouldnt have to lie on the rotten sheets,and fell asleep eventually despite the incessant beeping of cars outside,the wailing of babies outside cold and miserable no doubt and the revving of motorbikes underneath my window.A rough day.I questioned my reasons for wanting to go travelling at that point.
Friday 21 November 2008
Varkala,India
This is a very quick post,in Varkala India,by the beach,its beautiful,relaxing and exactly what i wanted to relax after the week at the ashram in Neyar Damm...leaving here tomorrow and heading for Madurai with an English couple i met at the ashram.Trying to book a flight now for Dubai for Christmas...and make a rough plan for the next month...woke up yesterday morning with an elephant outside my window,ate shark last night and theres monkeys all around the place.Love this place :-)
Friday 14 November 2008
Settling into India...
so I finally feel like ive settled in India,i think im doing well considering.
Today was amazing even though I didnt do anything in particular.I decided to brave it and walk down the main street,something that I had been dreading doing alone since I got here.So i did it and it felt great.It was a challenge but i loved it!Its the most random place Ive been yet.Crossing the road is the hardest part so i usually stuck behind women who looked like they knew what they were doing cos the men just walk straight out,how they dont get knocked down i dont know.
I had lots of interesting encounters in the shops that i ventured into,a man who i bought water off,touched my arm and looked like he was waiting for some sort of magic to happen.He looked a little disappointed when nothing occurred.He was sporting a lovely little dhoti(thats the nappy type pants i was talking about before) another store i went into to get some yoga pants,there were 3people working there,one woman literally dropped her food on the ground when i came in.I smiled and laughed and she did that head wiggle a gesture that i have been trying to figure out.Its a little head wiggle they do,to say hello,yes,ok,everythings ok.So if you ask a question sometimes its just a wiggle back.the first few days i was wondering what this was all about.wiggle wiggle wiggle,all the time.I tried it on Sashi the other day and he was weak with laughter.Its like they have an extra elastic bit in their neck for it.ill keep trying,but i look ridiculous.Its annoying though,cos if i could do it back,theyd love it.Instead i look like an eejit with a crick in my neck.
Ive also figured out that when you smile,no matter how mean or serious they look,you get a big shiner of the biggest smile you could imagine,and a little nod of the head,so ive started nodding now too,their smiles automatically put you at ease.Ive gotten used to the stares now,and dont feel threatened by them like i did the first day.The biggest stares of course come from the elderly who im pretty sure have never seen a tall white girl like me.
Sashi has unfortunately started to stalk me,not in a threatening way,but he's literally around every corner i go and has called me,wait for it, 7times today.How do i draw this on me??
As i was on my way home,through the droves of people and the chaos,I spotted two backpacks....so just going past them,i said hi and we got talking,a californian couple who are going to the ashram tomoro too.Was great to talk to someone like myself,3days in india without any foreigners is a long time!So ill be seeing them tomoro.On the last leg of my walk home(about 15mins to go) there was a massive powercut,I mean everything went black,gone, all in a second.I didnt know what was going on- all i could hear was hindi,beeps,and laughing and all i could see was white teeth.So it was bad enough getting through the crowds even with the lights coming from the shops,but this was so weird...people everywhere,trafficlights gone,not that they pay attention to them anyway,and i just crashed into one little indian after another,nearly crushing them-theyre fiesty little things though,well able and well used to bashing their way through the masses.So i had another long stretch to go,and i had to call on good ol nokia back up,i have an emergency light and this was my emergency,thank you nokia.I was tripping over god knows what aswell and afraid id stand on a rat,on many occasions i nearly fell into the gutter.They dont really have the luxury of footpaths so there is random crap all over the place.
But of course the light drew attention to me,and people wanted to see what it was.I could only laugh.Thats the last thing i wanted was to draw more attention to myself. Quickly enough the place started to light up with candles here and there and I finally made it back. I could see that the only building that wasnt in darkness and using candles was my hotel.Sweaty and exhausted,feet filthy, like a complete traveller i nearly fell in the door.The receptionist folk are finding me hilarious.I usually land in looking like ive been dragged through a bush and they always just laugh and wiggle.I laugh but dont wiggle....yet.
So tomoro is ashram day,ill actually miss the hustle and bustle of trivandrum.Theres always so much going on.I have so many more stories from just today.but ill save them for a book someday,at the rate im going id have one written in a few days...
Total mosquito bites= 3
Today was amazing even though I didnt do anything in particular.I decided to brave it and walk down the main street,something that I had been dreading doing alone since I got here.So i did it and it felt great.It was a challenge but i loved it!Its the most random place Ive been yet.Crossing the road is the hardest part so i usually stuck behind women who looked like they knew what they were doing cos the men just walk straight out,how they dont get knocked down i dont know.
I had lots of interesting encounters in the shops that i ventured into,a man who i bought water off,touched my arm and looked like he was waiting for some sort of magic to happen.He looked a little disappointed when nothing occurred.He was sporting a lovely little dhoti(thats the nappy type pants i was talking about before) another store i went into to get some yoga pants,there were 3people working there,one woman literally dropped her food on the ground when i came in.I smiled and laughed and she did that head wiggle a gesture that i have been trying to figure out.Its a little head wiggle they do,to say hello,yes,ok,everythings ok.So if you ask a question sometimes its just a wiggle back.the first few days i was wondering what this was all about.wiggle wiggle wiggle,all the time.I tried it on Sashi the other day and he was weak with laughter.Its like they have an extra elastic bit in their neck for it.ill keep trying,but i look ridiculous.Its annoying though,cos if i could do it back,theyd love it.Instead i look like an eejit with a crick in my neck.
Ive also figured out that when you smile,no matter how mean or serious they look,you get a big shiner of the biggest smile you could imagine,and a little nod of the head,so ive started nodding now too,their smiles automatically put you at ease.Ive gotten used to the stares now,and dont feel threatened by them like i did the first day.The biggest stares of course come from the elderly who im pretty sure have never seen a tall white girl like me.
Sashi has unfortunately started to stalk me,not in a threatening way,but he's literally around every corner i go and has called me,wait for it, 7times today.How do i draw this on me??
As i was on my way home,through the droves of people and the chaos,I spotted two backpacks....so just going past them,i said hi and we got talking,a californian couple who are going to the ashram tomoro too.Was great to talk to someone like myself,3days in india without any foreigners is a long time!So ill be seeing them tomoro.On the last leg of my walk home(about 15mins to go) there was a massive powercut,I mean everything went black,gone, all in a second.I didnt know what was going on- all i could hear was hindi,beeps,and laughing and all i could see was white teeth.So it was bad enough getting through the crowds even with the lights coming from the shops,but this was so weird...people everywhere,trafficlights gone,not that they pay attention to them anyway,and i just crashed into one little indian after another,nearly crushing them-theyre fiesty little things though,well able and well used to bashing their way through the masses.So i had another long stretch to go,and i had to call on good ol nokia back up,i have an emergency light and this was my emergency,thank you nokia.I was tripping over god knows what aswell and afraid id stand on a rat,on many occasions i nearly fell into the gutter.They dont really have the luxury of footpaths so there is random crap all over the place.
But of course the light drew attention to me,and people wanted to see what it was.I could only laugh.Thats the last thing i wanted was to draw more attention to myself. Quickly enough the place started to light up with candles here and there and I finally made it back. I could see that the only building that wasnt in darkness and using candles was my hotel.Sweaty and exhausted,feet filthy, like a complete traveller i nearly fell in the door.The receptionist folk are finding me hilarious.I usually land in looking like ive been dragged through a bush and they always just laugh and wiggle.I laugh but dont wiggle....yet.
So tomoro is ashram day,ill actually miss the hustle and bustle of trivandrum.Theres always so much going on.I have so many more stories from just today.but ill save them for a book someday,at the rate im going id have one written in a few days...
Total mosquito bites= 3
Day3 Trivandrum
Travelling isnt as easy as one might think.I have to admit,India has been the biggest challenge so far on the travelling front.It fabulous,exhausting petrifying and intense all in one.But today is the first day where im beginning to feel like Im settling in a small bit.
Yesterday was amazing- i drove a tuk tuk,Sashi's of course on a relatively quiet part of the road,such fun!after that we went and saw crocoldiles,monkeys and elephants,god i love elephants....went on an elephant ride through the jungle which i loved....
After that we went all the way down the coast,over the roughest of roads,and nearly crashing on numerous occasions,how i am still alive i really dont know,ive really adopted the saying 'inshallah' which the arabs and indians use basically it means ' its in gods hands'....not when youre driving in a three wheeled tuk tuk its not,but anyway...so we went to kovalam beach where there was a lot of commotion because the local fishermen were dragging in nets full of fish...it was amazing to watch so i went straight in amongst all of them to get some shots....ive never seen such excitement.
Had a real indian meal after that,and watched sashi destroy the plate of food,with his right hand,its rude to use your left hand,his fingers were his fork and knife and he looked at me strangely as i used mine.Its the small things like this that are fascinating.Tired and sweaty,we got back on the tuk tuk to face the long journey back,but i was so caught up in watching the people on the streets as we drove that the journey flew....
Last trip was to an indian supermarket,another experience in itself.All the different rices and spices,was fabulous,but again i could feel eyes on me every move i made,people looking in my basket to see what i was buying....
So today im taking it easy and am more comfortable walking around the city on my own,tomoro is the beginning of the yoga ashram so im looking forward to that and getting away from the intensity of the city...
Yesterday was amazing- i drove a tuk tuk,Sashi's of course on a relatively quiet part of the road,such fun!after that we went and saw crocoldiles,monkeys and elephants,god i love elephants....went on an elephant ride through the jungle which i loved....
After that we went all the way down the coast,over the roughest of roads,and nearly crashing on numerous occasions,how i am still alive i really dont know,ive really adopted the saying 'inshallah' which the arabs and indians use basically it means ' its in gods hands'....not when youre driving in a three wheeled tuk tuk its not,but anyway...so we went to kovalam beach where there was a lot of commotion because the local fishermen were dragging in nets full of fish...it was amazing to watch so i went straight in amongst all of them to get some shots....ive never seen such excitement.
Had a real indian meal after that,and watched sashi destroy the plate of food,with his right hand,its rude to use your left hand,his fingers were his fork and knife and he looked at me strangely as i used mine.Its the small things like this that are fascinating.Tired and sweaty,we got back on the tuk tuk to face the long journey back,but i was so caught up in watching the people on the streets as we drove that the journey flew....
Last trip was to an indian supermarket,another experience in itself.All the different rices and spices,was fabulous,but again i could feel eyes on me every move i made,people looking in my basket to see what i was buying....
So today im taking it easy and am more comfortable walking around the city on my own,tomoro is the beginning of the yoga ashram so im looking forward to that and getting away from the intensity of the city...
Wednesday 12 November 2008
first 24hours in India
well im absolutely exhausted after the last 24hours.To say i was out of my comfort zone would be an understatement :-)
its going to be difficult to describe this place but ill do my best.
my initial fears started boarding the second plane from oman to trivandrum(india) i was the only woman on the plane,and the only white person.heart was pounding to say the least.the stares would go through you and i felt nervous and out of place and uncomfortable.being the only white person in such a place is really intimidating.the reaction towards you is hard to deal with.but i have already learned alot of the time they're just staring out of curiosity and not for any other reason.my trips to romania and central america have served me well in that regard.
during the flight i could not sleep aware of the stares coming from chocolate skinned men,one in particular who incessantly tried to grab my attention by coughing loudly and banging his food tray.i know ridiculous.i later realised that he was drawing me on a napkin,with a pen he had borrowed from me.i pretended not to notice and when i was picking up my stuff to get off the plane,he had carefully placed the picture on the napkin on my bag.amusing.
getting out of the airport is something i could never have been prepared for.ive never felt anything like that.there were kids and adults all over me in a second,in broken english shouting at me and asking me to come with them.i will find you taxi.good price.no problem.i was so overwhelmed that instead of jumping straight in a taxi(a white lada type shitbox :-)) i took a seat on a nearby wall.i just need a few minutes to get my bearings.just like in the book im reading shantaram,i decided to find the man with the biggest smile to take me to my accommodation.however,the nice man directed me to another man,who i had spotted earlier wearing a nappy type 'pants'??he was as fat as a fool and had a ferocious look about him.massive eyebrows and i was not happy that this was my new 'driver'.he was surprisngly nice,just not blessed with the friendliest of faces..He threw my lovely backpack into the boot with petrol all over it and struggled with the door to get it open,revved up the engine and immediately nearly crashed shouting at the others on the road,a phenomenal change from the top class taxi treatment i have been receiving in dubai for the last two weeks.
We started out journey,i couldnt believe that at 6.30 in the morning the place was so alive,ox carts nearly crashing into us on several occasions.tuk tuks emerging out of every corner,women in saris carrying all sorts of baskets,and generally speaking absolute mayhem.near crashes left right and centre.my jaw just dropped and i couldnt believe the poverty i was seeing.families of 20 huddled together on the side of the street,men who looked so worn from living a hard life.cows being lead along the road....and the smell that everyone always talks of in india,a stench you cannot describe
1st hotel(lonely planet approved) no vacancies.
2nd hotel (a rude man at reception who looked at me like he hated me) im sure he had rooms he just didnt like the look of me....
3rd hotel,i finally got lucky and its all gone well since then.
so i retreated back to my hotel,exhuasted but couldnt sleep.I started laughing half from nerves half from disbelief of what i had seen and asking myself why the hell i was here.....
after taking a sleeping tablet i drifted into sleep and woke up,dreading the thought of leaving the surroundings of the hotel.Quick shower and out the door,hoping for the best,i started walking with no idea where i was going just taking in the surroundings so to be sure id find my way back....after a quick Atm visit i walked and
walked,soaking it all in,hoping to catch a glimpse of a fellow backpacker but no,instead i became increasingly aware of my misfitting self amongst the indians.The stares,the stares the stares.From head to toe.And the whispers and the laughing,you become paranoid and self conscious wondering should i have worn pants instead of a long skirt.Your mind is just all questions with no answers.But hoestly i think i could cover myself from head to toe and id still be stared at.Having two different coloured eyes isnt helping my case. :-)
Next thing a tuk tuk pulled up beside me,where you go madam,good price no problem,and there began my introduction to Sashi....my new friend.The tiniest little man with the biggest moustache about 4foot 10 with dark skin and a little beard sprikled with grey.Initially i told him i was fine,trying to look like i knew where i was going,but for about 1km,as i walked he would drive away around a corner and pull up again a few mins later,you certain u dont need my help?i make good business.no be afraid i help you.you m y friend i make you happy in india.after 5/6 reappearances from Sashi i finally gave in.,i told him i would love a coffee,and he brought me to the most beautiful indian coffee house,after that we did a full tour of trivandrum,in the pissing rain,going from market to market and temples and just everything he could possibly have shown me,i felt so safe with him,and it was so brilliant to have my own personal guide of the place.walking through the markets,my flip flop broke,sashi tried to fix it with his key,to no avail so i had to walk through the slum like streets with no shoes...people came out from behind their stall to put flowers in my hair and to give me fruit.....unbelievable.it didnt feel dangerous at all.and i soon forgot about my flip flops which were balanced on top of sashi's little head.I am actually the only foreigner in this place at the moment,or so it seems.he did all of that with me for 500 rupees(less than 10euros) and i think i overpaid him cos he nearly fell over when i gave him that much.
We had a quick beer together and hes collecting me tomoro at 10 to visit some elephants and lions,and a beach.
its only been a day and im amazed so i cant imagine what ill see over the next few weeks.An eye opening experience for me,even if i had to leave tomorrow.
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