Wednesday, May 23, 2007

India – 26th of April to 9th of May



We leave Denpasar and connect through Bangkok to arrive in Bangalore, India. Bangalore is the IT capital of India, and also a major site of USA outsourcing. Bangalore is described in our travel book as “a rapidly expanding, progressive city with great wealth.” Unfortunately, our first impression is a dirty, polluted mess. There is a definite infrastructure issue in Bangalore. The pot-holed streets are choked with traffic and the exhaust is sickening. For every new luxury building there seems to be a tin fence, which if peered through reveals a shanty slum. The poverty barely tucked away is eye-opening and very sad.



We stayed in the Casa Piccola Cottages, which was a sweet refuge from the city streets. It was near an area called Johnson Market, which was a true olfactory offense. Cages of chickens awaiting their demise mixed with diesel fumes, sweat, sewage and spices.

The Rickshaw…



Rickshaws are ubiquitous, three-wheeled diesel taxicabs puttering all throughout the city. Sounding like a 40 year-old lawnmower, they are the easiest way to maneuver through a big city like Bangalore. They are also the scariest mode of transport one could possibly imagine. With the safety impact rating of a beer can and open sides, rickshaws have the maneuverability of a bicycle and the drivers take advantage of that. After 10 or so near misses we just put ourselves in the mindset of “this is a professional driver and we will not hit that oncoming bus.”

When traveling to a new country it takes some time to adjust. Regardless of ones expectations, what really defines a place is the people. For the most part, the people we met were very friendly and we engaged in some great conversations with people on the street. One thing that took a little getting used to is the fact that Indian people are not shy about staring. Usually it’s a long, unblinking (Um…I’m getting a little freaked out here) stare. More often than not, that person will walk up and ask, “Where do you come from? What is your occupation?” and “What do you think of Bush?” Not very subtle but good fun.



And the food we had was amazing. We ate dinner at a vegetarian restaurant called Konnark and it was sublime. There is Indian food as we know it (the States) and then there is INDIAN FOOD. Of interest, in southern India most people eat with their right hand (no utensils), the left hand being reserved for bathroom duties and considered unclean. We are both left-handed. Fortunately, our ability to blend in was quite laughable and we were provided utensils.

After two nights in Bangalore we flew down to Kochi in the state of Kerala. From there we took a cab to Alappuzha (Alleppy), a small town surrounded by canals reminiscent of Venice. The allure here is to rent a houseboat and travel along the 900km network of backwaters of the area.



We chartered a boat recommended by our hotel neighbors for an overnight cruise along the waterways. The boat had 2 levels and was shaped like a Kettuvallum (rice barge). We had a crew of three: captain, cook and deck hand. The cruise was completely relaxing and the backwaters themselves were fascinating to slowly troll through. We cruised past small river villages and their shrines, mosques, temples and schools. Houses were built on narrow strips of land, some barely 20 feet wide.





Before sunset we docked near a tiny village and walked around making quick friends with a group of boys completely smitten with Dori. One interesting aspect of the geography here is many of the rice paddies off the waterways sit below sea level.

We hooked our ipod into the boat’s stereo, had a wonderful dinner and took in the sunset from the top level of the boat…ahhh.

Shortly after nightfall an electrical storm moved in and over us. While we were content to watch from the top, the crew quickly rolled down the rattan shades and said we had to go downstairs till the storm passed. I guess their insurance didn’t cover passenger electrocution.





We headed back to port the next morning and made our way back toward Kochi. The plan was to take an overnight train up to the state of Goa but we had an entire day to play since the train didn’t leave until 10:30pm. Using our trusty Lonely Planet guide we booked a ‘budget’ room in nearby Ernakulam as a place to store luggage for the day. Budget was a wishful description for the room. With its single fluorescent tube over the bed and it’s newspaper lined drawers, we felt as we stepped into a Bukowski transit room, all that was missing was cheap scotch and a penchant for street poetry.

We took a rickshaw over into Fort Cochin, which lies across the water from Kochi and wandered around the Portuguese streets. The Portuguese, led by Vasco De Gama, arrived in India in 1498 seeking a sea route between Europe and the East for spice trade. They established a strong presence in the state of Goa and a minor one in Kochi.

Onto Goa…

We took and overnight train from Ernakulam up to Goa for the last leg of our India trip. Goa is India’s wealthiest state, known for it’s beaches and laid back atmosphere. The Portuguese up until 1961 occupied it and the major religion in Goa is Catholicism.

We are there in low season so the area is relatively sparse as far as tourists. We stayed in Anjuna, a chill beach town (this time of year) toward the north end of Goa. We rented a scooter and had great fun driving all along the winding roads throughout the area.

Something that was very interesting for us is seeing swastikas on many shrines, temples and artwork (In Bali and Japan too).



From Wikipedia –
“The swastika (from Sanskrit svástika) is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing (卐) or left-facing (卍) forms. The term is derived from Sanskrit svasti, meaning well-being. The swastika is a widely-used symbol in Dharmic religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism). Hindus often decorate the swastika with a dot in each quadrant. It is also a symbol in the modern unicode. It is often imprinted on religious texts, marriage invitations, decorations etc. It is used to mark religious flags in Jainism and to mark Buddhist temples in Asia.”

We took a day trip into Old Goa to see some fantastic old Cathedrals. The remains of St Francis Xavier, the Jesuit missionary responsible for bringing Catholism to Goa, lay in Se Cathedral.



While we were in Goa there was no alcohol being served because of the upcoming municipal elections. The powers-that-be feel that emotions run too hot during this period and stop the libations for 4 days to keep the roads somewhat safe. The day after the election was like being at a Bears tailgate party, pick-up trucks stuffed with people with their faces painted blue screaming and honking all day. While we can appreciate the concern for public safety, the ice-cold Kingfisher beer was sorely missed for 4 days.

After Goa we flew to Bangalore for 1 more night before catching a plane to Dubai the next morning.

We have mixed feelings about India. On one hand, the history, architecture and countryside we saw were spectacular. We met some very cool and interesting people along the way who gave us great insight into the regions we explored and India in general. The downside was the heart-breaking poverty, the garbage (which was staggering) and the infrastructure in many parts. Of course, we only saw a miniscule portion of this enormous country with its 26 languages and 1 billion people. A land of contrasts to be sure.

Coming (relatively) soon – Dubai and Syria










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