Tour of Northern and Southern India, Jan/Feb. 2015
Okay, here I am again – The Travelling Minstrel. “Why won’t he go on Facebook, yo?” You say. Sorry, this is just me. So I am writing of our travels and sending along some select photos. As usual, I am doing this as much so Linda and I can reminisce now that we’re losing our memories…SOOO please humor me: read it if you like – or not – but at least take in the photos, before you zip on to your next item in your inbox. No offense taken by non-readers!
Here’s what I have so far. We head out this morning to Ranthambore National Forest for two days of safaris (photographic), but probably will be out of touch for a few days. Read on – or not:
Tuesday Jan. 13 to Thursday Jan. 15
It's hell getting to India! We leave Atlanta around 10 pm on Tuesday, settle in, and arrive in London some 8 hours later.. Shuttle to the holiday inn, try to rest, get something to eat, shuttle back to Heathrow for another evening flight, try to sleep, another 8 hr flight to Delhi. Then an hour plus car ride to hotel. Oh did I mention they've lost my one and only piece of luggage? Whew!! Determined to press on, we head out to Chandni Chowk Market. Been to markets around the world, but I've never been so overwhelmed ... Thousands of people teeming through narrow alleyways, replete with motorcycles and bike caddies (all constantly honking!), past thousands of slivers of stores. At one point I get separated from Linda and guide- and I have no idea where I am, how to pass GO, etc. scary!! Finally I hear Linda - never so happy to see her. Then we try to find our way out. Ok that's enough for this day!
Back to hotel to refresh, and change clothes- okay, Linda changes clothes - then off to the Indian restaurant at Taj Mahal Hotel for some wonderful cuisine, though to be honest we can barely hold our heads up...
Friday (I think) Jan. 16: Delhi
After lovely breakfast at The Claridges hotel where we're staying, it's off to explore more of Delhi. First stop is the Jama Masjid, the best known mosque in India, built in the mid 1600s, by the same dude who brought us the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort. It's early, foggy, and we shoeless as watch as a young worker is laying out rows of rugs in the large plaza area for the thousands who will later come to pray (capacity: 25,000). Linda and I then board one of the bike taxis, and the young man navigates through the alleys and streets, so close to those next to us and heading toward us we are constantly groaning, thinking our demise is imminent. And we're back to one part of the Chandni Chowk market that has spices and dried fruit and flowers. The smells are invigorating! After walking around, we hop back on our trusty bicycle built for three, and back to meet our car and stop for lunch at the Deli in Lodi Garden, for some more lovely Indian food (but what do THEY call it? - "food" I guess...). We then head off to the Crafts Museum, which has displays of cultural works from India's past - sandstone and wood sculptures, huts, idols, etc., and an incredible wing of hand woven and hand stitched textiles. We also watch some folks from a more primitive area perform a local dance. Of course Linda tries to join in, but the guide and I were able to restrain her...and Linda, ever the troublemaker, insists that she can no longer keep looking at my same shirt (yes, still no luggage), so we stop in a men's store. I say "store" but these narrow slits can accommodate only -maybe- two people sideways... But she finds a shirt she likes, so we're off again...back to the hotel for a rest, then a great Punjabi meal at the hotel where Linda finds her tandoori chicken and I have some wonderfully spicy lamb curry with basmati rice. And naan (bread) of course. Then back to the room to pack up as we leave at 5:15 am tomorrow to catch our train ride to see the wonderful Taj Mahal in Agra, India. Of course when I say pack, I'm referring to Linda. But wait! Miraculously my luggage arrives, some day and a half late, evidently having its own tour of Amsterdam...no telling what kind of trouble it got into there...
Saturday. Jan. 17: Train to Agra - the Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal
It's up at 4:30 to get ready for our early departure to the train station for our trip to Agra. When we arrive at the station area, it is chaos, cars going every which way and its bustling with activity. We decide to walk the rest of the way. But as we get right outside we are practically accosted by men wishing to "help us" with our bags. As they are grabbing at our luggage and fighting with each other, we yell at them to leave us, holding to our bags for dear life. It is a relief to finally get inside the station and onto our car and into our seats.
Three uneventful hours later we arrive in Agra, where we are met by our new driver- and very deep fog. This is not a good sign... We get or the hotel compound and its like a magical land - immediately peaceful and elegant - the Oberoi Amarvilas. Linda and I decide to eat and we are greeted by a wonderful smorgasbord of pastries, hot and cold assortment. And the cappuccino never tasted so good! Then it's off to our well-appointed room with a patio overlooking a magnificent pool and grounds with the Taj Mahal in the distance. Except we can't actually see anything because of the fog! Somehow my lovely wife finds this quite funny...and insists on taking my photo camera in hand engulfed by fog...
After a brief respite I head out with guide Rai to see the Agra Fort while Linda decides to do some sightseeing at the hotel boutiques... Uh--oh!
It's hard to convey what the cities of India are like. They are not pretty things, and they are not peaceful places. Streets are chaotic- with some cars, but lots of the covered yellow and green motorcycle cabs, motorcycles, bicycles, carts, whatnot. There often is a stripe down the middle of the road, but it appears merely as a suggestion - and rarely followed. Everyone moves in and out - and always have the horn on call. And people are everywhere, many going places, but many not. And not to mention the skinny dogs, random cows wandering about- and the occasional monkeys. And trash everywhere. Wonkaville it is not.
And then looming out of nowhere is this huge red sandstone fort that has sat there for centuries, a reminder of a different time. We walk inside the huge massive walls to see a beautiful plaza surrounded by intricately carved red sandstone buildings. In the middle of grassy plaza is this hefty concrete bowl. It turns out that this is the royal bathtub, which was carted across the land wherever the king went - all thousand pounds worth! And let the extravagance begin! We enter the residence and then open into another area similar to the first - this is the residence of the King’s son. Trekking through this area, we come onto still another huge plaza surrounded by room after room after room; these rooms of course are for the royal concubines, all 400 of them - and what self-respecting palace should be without that - and those. I am told the King’s son only had 200 concubines - what a loser! Overlooking Concubine Inn is the royal marble "deck" complete with a huge royal bath, whose walls have inset seats carved into them - these, of course, are for the dozen or so concubines to sit while the king bathes - or does whatever. What a reality show that would have made! Move aside, Honey Boo-Boo!
Then there's still another plaza where the king held court. And over the walls looms these magnificent pearly domes - which is the aptly-named Pearl mosque. All in all the Fort is simply amazing - it is difficult to even comprehend the massive extravagance of lifestyle that could even conceive of a "residence " to this magnitude, and then conscript the legions of workers and artisans over years and years. Where money is literally no object. Of course now all that remains of this Moghul ruler and kingdom is this huge fixer-upper.
Then it's back to our oasis to find Linda and have some late lunch. I am anxious to get to that Taj Mahal as the fog is burning off. I know that I will not be able to do a sunrise shoot tomorrow due to fog, so this is our only chance. From our hotel onward no cars are allowed, so we join a phalange of golf carts and horse or camel-drawn passenger carts on our pilgrimage to the Taj Mahal...
It is simply impossible to describe the feeling upon coming face to face with this ultra-magnificent structure. I am so thankful to be able to say I have had a number of moments in my life where all you can do is to stand there, take a deep breath, and take it all in - where all words simply fade away, there being none that do not limit what you are beholding. Some of these are built by nature - the Grand Canyon, the Glaciers of Patagonia - and same are fashioned by human hands - and this is certainly one of those. It is a wonder of design and engineering skills, replete with inlaid gemstones in the pure white marble contrasting with the red sandstone. I have often said that if I can't photograph something I'm not really that interested, but I would have been a happy camper today even without my lens...So while I am disappointed to not be able to do the sunset/sunrise shooting, all is well.
The silver lining is that we have some free time at our wonderful resort, so we squeeze in some spa time. It is a rough life... We then head out to dinner in the hotel. We were scheduled to have dinner on our little room patio, overlooking the Taj Mahal, but with the fog back, there is no "looking" in "overlooking", so we'll settle for Indian music and food downstairs. I am still beat from lack of sleep, so it's back to the room to crash. The good news about the fog is we get to (hopefully) sleep in.
Sunday, January 18: Ranthambhore National Park
We head out of Agra and head west into the province/state of Rajasthan. Lots of fields flowing with bright yellow blossoms of the mustard plants… interspersed with bustling markets wherever there’s an intersection of roads.
After six long hours we arrive at our destination just outside the Ranthambhore National Park. The Aman-i-Khas Resort has just eight “luxury tents,” each similar to what the Rajah might have used on his hunts at the royal preserve - which is now the national park. We have come here to see the wildlife, but really we have come so Miz Leenda can see tigers…We are greeted by our butler Luvdi (oh the decadence!), and ushered to our wonderful “tent” where we rest up before heading to the Dining Tent for a wonderful dinner of – you guessed it: Indian cuisine. We are getting hooked!
Monday, January 19: Safaris
We are awakened early by Luvdi The Butler bringing us coffee and pastry (oh the decadence!), then onto our jeep and off to the National Park. We make our way through very rough, very bumpy dirt roads taking in the park. On our way we see spotted deer, sambar (very large deer), Langur monkees, a male and female antelope, myriads of peacocks, colorful birds (long-tailed parakeets, osprey, cormorants, kingfishers) – but no tigers. Still it is good to be out of the city and enjoying the tranquility of the park. We arrive back at the resort for a late breakfast on the patio, then a brief break, another quick meal, and then off again with our trusty (and dusty) guide. This time we are more lucky, right off seeing a tigress and her cubs in a very rare sighting of them all swimming across the lake. It is mesmerizing! Then it’s up and down the winding mountain roads in search of more tigers, passing along the way much more of the wildlife types we saw in the morning – and finally running into a large male tiger resting in the grass. What majestic creatures! Well, we have seen FIVE tigers this outing, which is extremely rare as well. So with smiles on our faces we return home, to be greeted by Luvdi the Butler again, of course, who takes us back to our tent where he has drawn us a hot bath in the solid stone oversized tub (oh the decadence!). Then its time for dinner, and they have a special surprise for us – a dinner under the stars with lanterns all about and a large fire pit, all with the chef waiting for us with his tandoori oven and various open pit items being cooked. He demonstrates how to make naan, then we sit and have a wonderful Indian feast. WoW! Then it’s off to bed in prep for another repeat of today.
Tuesday, January 20: More safaris
Our morning safari is fairly uneventful – with no tigers seen. But the territory we cover is different than yesterday – more open than jungle. We do see more spotted deer and a herd of antelope, an eagle, a baby owl sleeping, a clatter of parakeets, and finish off with a small herd of gazelles. So it’s back to our tent for some breakfast and rest. The afternoon hunt is pretty uneventful other than the very bumpy road. At one stop Linda gets friendly with one of the natives (see photo). We do see some wild boars and a herd of gazelles this time out, and lots more fawns, which are cute to watch. Finally just before it’s time to leave, our guide hears an alarm by one of the peacocks, so we dash off to see what we can find – scurrying along at breakneck speeds, then stopping. In the distance we can see a leopard – a rare sighting. It is about 50 yards away and its difficult to get a clear shot, but it is fun to watch him as he stalks a spotted deer. But we have to leave as it’s closing time and they literally lock the gates. So we rush back winding along holding on for dear life, and arrive at the gate just as the attendant is closing the gate. I’m not sure what our alternative was if we get to a locked gate (“Sleeping with the Tigers?”) but we get out and on to our respite.
Wednesday, January 23: On to Udaipur
We head out of Ranthambhore southwest to our next stop: Udaipur. We have a six hour drive, and it is fairly pleasant – farmlands with wheat, mustard, and the occasional poppy field. And, of course, at every crossroads, the small stores, hordes of people and the ubiquitous cows and pigs . I am a bit concerned because I have lost clear sight up close – double vision, which makes it difficult to handle stairs, reading, etc.
We arrive at Udaipur, a city of less than a million. Were told it is a clean city, but that isn’t saying much. But it is full of lakes, which is nice. We arrive at our destination – the lake. Out in the middle of the lake is a large hotel, which turns out is where we’re staying! We load our luggage onto a skiff and a short ride later we’re at this gorgeous white marble “palace,” aptly called the Lake Palace. We have a lovely dinner overlooking the lake and the royal palace on the banks. My vision problem is not going away, so I write my brother in law, Doctor Dan, who encourages me to see some docs.
Thursday, Jan. 22: Udaipur and health care
Today is Indian heath care day. We meet up with our guide after breakfast. It turns out his family is from here so he knows local docs. I go to the ophthalmologist, who examines me and says my eyes are fine and I should go to a neurologist. Off we go. It’s a little hole in the wall, open air waiting room with chairs on either side and a plastic corrugated roof. At the end of this alley is his office door open, and inside are his desk, a treadmill, and a bench. He is wearing a Converse sweatshirt. But he does his diagnostics. Says I most likely have a problem with my 4th Cranial Nerve. The usual cause is a nagging spouse. No, really. Says I need an MRI – now. I pay him: $9! Off to the imaging “center”- a small office with a receptionist, a computer room and the machine. After a short wait I get my MRI. Cost: $80. Come back in an hour. Off we go to lunch and some shopping, pick up my results, and off to Dr. Vat the neurologist. He sees us shortly (the “waiting room” is full now). To our relief my brain is “perfect” - my words, not Linda’s. So he puts me on steroids for the next 21 days. It’s off to the pharmacy – which is simply one of the open air shops, with a counter and a wall of open shelves with half opened boxes. He finds my steroids. 65 pills: $1! Unbelievable. I’ve seen two doctors, gotten an MR and gotten 21 days worth of pills all in less than five hours at a total cost of under $100! Of Course, the doc says I may have weight gain from the pills and Dr. Dan says I may get grumpy. “ Great!” Linda says, “I’m gonna be married to a nasty Marlon Brando (the later years)!”…I feel my 4th cranial nerve twitching…But it is relief nonetheless, and I’m hopeful I can resume reading with two eyes soon.
Friday, January 23: Leaving Udaipur, Royal Palace and onto Galthani
This morning we check out, tour the royal palace across the lake, then head north toward the city of Jodhpur. But on the way we spend a day and night in the little village of Galthani where we stay with a family overnight. Should be a trip!
We leave the Lake Palace (which by the way is where parts of James Bond's Octopussy was filmed), and tour the Royal Palace. The doctor has told me to watch out for stairs, and Linda and our guide Jai take me here, which is nothing but uneven stairs and low overheads. I think Linda has decided that I'm damaged goods and it's time for Bill #4. (Note to self: in your condition read with one eye closed: in your "situation" sleep with one eye open). But maybe it's the steroids talking...but my 4th Cranial Nerve IS twitching…
The palace is amazing - immense, ornate, breathtaking, with wonderful views of the lake. The royal family still lives in one part of it, but they have turned part of it into a hotel. Turns out a wedding party has rented out the entire palace and they are setting up this incredibly elaborate wedding "arrangement" in the plaza. Must be either some celebrity or royalty. I was hoping my Laurie and Dan would be having Chase and Hilaire's wedding here, but alas....
Then we head off to our next destination, the small village of Galthani. This is a four hour road trip and it is exhausting. I can hardly adequately describe what being on the road is like here. Of course, we have an excellent driver to take care of us, but still. First of all, they're driving on the "wrong side" of the road, which is unnerving. And when I use the word "road" I am using it liberally. Many times the road is about 1.5 cars wide, with no center line. You are constantly faced with oncoming traffic, often large trucks, in a constant game of chicken. Sometimes the road is more of a suggestion of a road. And there are four lane "highways" with medians, which is nice. Except many of the larger trucks don't want to go long distances without turning around, so they simply drive on against traffic in your lanes! God, I'm hoping our driver is paying attention... And then of course there are the ever-present cows, monkeys, goats, camels, etc. in the road. And I have never ever seen one of the hundreds of "road cows" change his direction or ambling pace due to oncoming traffic. You simply brake suddenly or swerve around. I did see a chicken cross the road for the first time yesterday, and it was scurrying. Of course then I realized the answer to the age-old conundrum: "Why did the chicken cross the road?" The answer: he learned it from the freaking cows! But mainly it's the bumpiness of it all that is tiring. And unfortunately I have a wife with a bad back, and it is starting to get to her. I guess we're both slowly falling apart...or maybe, just maybe, we're not as young as we think we are...Nah!
Of note, as you may realize, President Obama is coming to India and his security “arrangements” are causing a fuss. And of course, the Indian government wants to put their best face forward – so they are making huge effort in Delhi to get rid of the cows and monkeys in the streets where Obama will be. Which is a big problem because many of the people here consider both cows and monkeys to be sacred – so you can’t call in the NRA. What’s an Indian to do??
Friday afternoon: Galthani Village
Anyway, we arrive at our little village of Galthani safely, where we are staying with a family there. We take a tour of the village. We visit the oldest potter in the village and Linda makes the worst clay pot ever created… and then it’s back for our cooking lesson. Then its dinner time in the “drawing room.” There are wedding photos around the room, but they are all only of the men. We learn that no women are pictured here in this room. Now the owner/host is heading out tomorrow to go to Jaipur for his sisters engagement party, when she will MEET her fiancé. I am shocked to learn that still today most marriages in India are arranged marriages. Both the host and his brother (in their thirties) have been married for three and five years respectively – both arranged. Hard to believe in this day and age. When I share we met online and this is our third marriage, they look at us like aliens…But it’s off to dreamland…
Saturday morning January 24
They have a wonderful breakfast for us, including oat Masala – a delicious hot oatmeal with Indian spices. We take another tour of the village. We visit with the woman who strings the flowers for the morning offerings. Linda takes a whirl. Then we visit a home where they are churning the milk to get the butter. I take a whirl at that – just like the old days on the farm…
Then its off for another road adventure on our way to Jodhpur. On the way, we stop at the beautiful Jain Temple...We get to Jodhpur in late afternoon – and run right smack dab into incredible traffic, with no traffic lights and what appears to be chaos and pandemonium. We head through the famous Bardar Market and there behind a huge wall is our hotel – the Raas, which was converted from a two century old palace. It is magnificent, and our room has a spectacular view of the large fort which was part of the 15the century wall around the city. I make the decision to head out into the market – big mistake. After about half an hour I decide that the market is just a little too aggressive and unfriendly for my taste. Unfortunately the market is just a bunch of winding alleyways packed with motorcycles, walkers, and auto-rickshaws – and soon I become totally lost – with no phone, hotel address, etc. I wander around for 1.5 hours and it’s getting dark. I guess I should have left bread crumbs, but then the wandering cows would have eaten them. Finally I find a rickshaw who knows the hotel and for 55 Rupees ($1), he weaves through byways to my hotel. Best $1 I ever spent!! Just in time for a quick shower and lovely dinner under the open sky with a great view of the Fort.
Sunday, January 25, 2015: Jodhpur
We head out this morning for the Meherangarh Fort overlooking our hotel – it is incredible feat of engineering and architecture dating back to the 1400s. Then a quick visit to a nearby “memorial.” Then we decide to buy a prescription we have trouble getting at home. What an experience! The first little “shop” we stop at has some, but it has go get them from the “distributor.” So off he runs. We then cross the street to another one for more. There is simply on open shop with a crowded counter. People are showing the half dozen “clerks” their empty pill containers or used-up tubes of ointments (one of the clerks has a Playboy headband!). How they know if they even have them given the number and disarray of stock is beyond me. Suddenly I see a bucket drop down with a rope attached. This is the delivery system from the second floor! Turns out they don’t have it, so we’ll have to try Mumbai..
Then it’s back to the hotel for some lunch and R&R. Another dinner under the stars of some great Indian food – we’re getting hooked – and hope to take our cooking lesson home to Sea island…
But we are very excited because tomorrow we head north for Nagaur and the Camel Festival...
Monday, January 26: Nagaur FESTIVAL
After breakfast we head out north for the town of Nagaur, which is at the edge of the Indian desert and close to the Pakistan border. It is actually a petty decent road, so that is nice. IN about two hours we arrive and find ourselves in a bustling square/marketplace called Gandhi Chowk. We then turn into a fort, taking a few turns and Shazamm! We’re in another world of quiet serenity. Inside the fort is a tent camp where we are staying. The tents are basic, but we do have a rug floor, a toilet and a crude shower. Linda is not thrilled but it’ll have to do, as it’s the only hotel in town. Then we take a tour of the palace grounds inside the fort. It was magnificent. And quiet as a ghost town. At one point this was full of giant pools of water. We have some lunch there outdoors.
But we are anxious to see the goings on, so we head off to see the fair. There are people everywhere, come to town for the fair. The livestock are in different areas – one for camels, another horses, another cattle. Everyone basically is camping out with their animals, in hope of a sale. The camels are of the most interest to us, so we go there first. It is quite a scene. Camels all decked out, and the owners in small groups, mostly sitting in their “camel cart tents,” where they will spend the three days of the fair. We are quite a curiosity item to them, these gringos going around with their cameras…But everyone seems happy enough to have us here. In fact, we have found everyone in the country to be extremely friendly and helpful, except in the “big city” marketplaces, where it is jut too hectic and crowded, and people are fighting their way to get their goods and get home. And the women are friendly too, though many will cover their faces with their veils when they see me – and of course, some stay this way all the time in public.
Camels are funny looking creatures. And we suddenly hear these loud gurgling noises – which are the male camels ready to breed, and foam is coming out of their mouths, then this huge engorged tongue flops out and around. Disgusting really – except to a female camel I guess. But it is fun to watch…We then head over to the horse area. Now these tend to be higher-class folks, so we can see cars and motorcycles parked around and the horses mostly having their own tents. Some beautiful animals!
Then it’s time to go home and clean up and get ready for dinner, not knowing the night that was to come. First of all, we couldn’t get any real hot water, and though covered with dust, we opt for a quick sponge bath. Then dinner out in the open again, but by now the cold breeze blowing in all the way from the Himalayas is a bit stiff, so we down our Indian cuisine and head off to bed. By this time it is getting quite cold, and though we do have a little (stress “little”) space heater, it can’t keep up. I see Linda in full dress, two pairs of socks, fleece jacked dive into her twin bed under as many covers she can find. We are in for a long night…And as I get into my bed and lay me cold head down, one can hear what sounds like 100 dogs barking an fighting out in the city. It was a sleepless night. Fortunately (?) the call for prayer comes blasting away at 5:30, sounding like it was in the tent next door. At least it seemed to quiet the dogs. We often talk about how the night we spent in a tent in the Sahara in Morocco was the coldest worst ever; well this comes second. But at least I’m up and ready to shoot at sunrise. I bundle up and head out – but Surprise! Fog has rolled in so dense it makes no sense to proceed. So it’s back into bed (not sleep) for another hour to see if it’s better. No deal. But finally it’s breakfast time and the sun is starting to burn off the fog. So it’s time for another day at the fair.
Tuesday, January 27: dancing camels!
We arrive at the “fairgrounds” which is a big empty dusty field. With a stage set up and some crude fencing. It is 10:30 and time for the dancing animals competition. But no one seems to be in a hurry, as owners/trainers and their animals slowly arrive and the “crowd” starts to increase. Finally about noon, things kick off. We get a seat on stage somehow and are offered the opportunity to be judges (!), but decline. How does one know exactly what the criteria are for dancing camels? Anyway, Indian Idol this is not. First are the horses. To the beat of the drummers, they prance, dance, and rise up, much to the amusement and fascination of the young male audience. But it is most fascinating to watch the camels, all bedecked in their regalia, being led one at a time out into the “arena” as a trio of drummers starts to beat a rhythm. Then the camel is led through its “routine” – dancing to the rhythm, prancing, laying down, rolling over, picking up Rupees on the ground with its mouth, performing on platforms. Of course, there are some busts by a few – I would have given them low scores - but they are all entertaining. Finally, the winner is chosen and presented with a garland and some Rupees – and walks away to applause with a smile…
But we must be off. We have decided that another night like last night is NOT an option, so we drive back to Jodhpur to spend the night. Our tour company has made arrangements to stay at another former palace, not elegant, but comfortable – and had our requirements: heat, hot water, internet. Voila!
We get to the very peaceful and pleasant Bal Samand Royal Palace, and a hot shower never felt so good… We have a wonderful dinner at the hotel restaurant, and then it’s repacking and ready for our trip tomorrow. We have one more week to go. We fly to Mumbai, then transfer to another flight to south India known as Kerala. It will be MUCH warmer there, and we are looking forward to seeing a different part of the country – and our night on the houseboat. Though we have had some disappointments on our trip, by and large we’ve seen some incredible sights so far. Of course, physically we are not full speed – Linda with her back issues, and me with my eyesight. It is getting a little frustrating only being able to read, view photos, etc. with one eye at a time. Oh well, the joys of aging!!
Wednesday, January 28: Travel to South IndiaWe have a leisurely morning hanging out at the Bal Samand Royal Place, still one more palace turned hotel. This has a wonderful peaceful grounds surrounded by a high wall, so it is still another oasis in the midst of the chaotic city of Jodhpur. We take a walk to the stables and take in some beautiful animals at play and work. The ever-present peacocks strut about. But we must be off, so we head out, hit the ATMs (an ever-challenging action) and the “pharmacy” again – with the dropping buckets of course… then a lovely lunch in a courtyard and then airport. The excess baggage experience was something else. Not sure how many people it took with me in the “back office” to get that done and paid for…
Then on to Mumbai and a connecting flight to our destination: Cochin, a city in the southern state of Kerala. This state lies on the southwest coast of India, near the southern tip, and is only 8 degrees north of the the equator – so it is quite steamy. We don’t’ get in until 9 pm. And we get in with our driver and speed off to our hotel. This is like a totally different country. Construction everywhere, highrises, billboards, huge showrooms, etc. But we drive on for 1.5 hours to arrive at the “old city” where Fort Cochin is. This looks like a laid-back beach town. We get to our hotel, the Brunton Boatyard, which is an old boat factory turned hotel. One feels like you’re going back in time 100 years to jolly old England…We have a wonderful suite overlooking the river, have a sandwich and off to dreamland.
Thursday, January 29: Tour of Cochin
I wake up early and head off camera in hand and run into these wonderful century old Chinese fishing nets being worked by the fishermen. Great to watch them pull up these huge nets with the help of five men and then let large weights bring it back under. Then I see a small gathering of men and some chattering. Turns out this is the local auction of the mornings catch. Fishermen bring in their catch, plop it down on a piece of burlap and the bidding begins. Then the winner, grabs up the burlap and carts it off to his “retail store,” or it goes off to a small cadre of bicycles equipped with ice buckets to carry the fish off to wherever. Fun, fun, fun to watch. And as I’m shooting a photo of the “fish store” I feel a small lobster picking at my shoe….
I pick up Linda a little later, have breakfast and then it’s off to tour the old city. Cochin was a hub of the spice trade in the 1500s and Vasco de Gama was buried here. Lots of old buildings….we visit an old Christian church, and a Jewish synagogue, and a mosque. We also run into a local festival, replete with drum and bugle “corp” and three very large adorned elephants. And we stopped by the Gobhi Khan, which is a local laundry, where clothes are washed by men and women in little cubicles, then aired out to dry and then laundered. Fascinating! Then, of course, shopping…Hours later it’s back to the hotel for a late lunch, some rest, and, then we simply MUST try out the Ayurvedic spa. This technique is famous the world over and was begun here. Well, it was quite the experience! I have to say I was a little unnerved laying buck naked while two young Indian men vigorously rubbed hot oil up and down my body – in unison, then tandem. Well, once I got over the initial shock, I settled into it and it actually was quite exhilarating – while constantly hoping it wasn’t TOO exhilarating, if you catch my drift…Then into the old style steam boxes, with your head poking out the side/top…Fun!
That evening we are scheduled to see a performance of Kathakali, with painted faces and costumes. Wonderful to watch….Then another wonderful dinner, of red snapper and tiger prawns Kerala-style, which usually included more cocoanut. Caught right next door no doubt. Delicious!
Tomorrow we head out again, via car to a little town called Alleppey, where we board a houseboat for an overnight cruise…Anxious to see what that’s like…
Friday, January 30: Alleppey and the Houseboat
After breakfast we head out by car to Alleppey. It is a wonderful drive with the Arabian sea on one side and the “backwaters on the other. Along either side of the road are cute, colorful little houses owned by the local fishermen. And on both sides they have created “farms,” mostly for king prawns. Palm trees abound and it’s quite scenic, as all the larger fishing boats are painted bright colors.
Finally we arrive at the “docks” where we make our way to the old rice boat that has been converted into a houseboat. Quite pretty. We meet our 2 crew members and our chef and we’re off! It’s quite scenic, as we motor around the various hyacinth-covered waters, with small houses – and a few large ones – around. Past the houses are the rice fields, which are fed water via slips. In fact
these are the only rice fields in the world that are below sea level. Anyway, we have a lovely breeze and clear skies. Each cottage has a couple of steps down to the water where they wash clothes, dishes, and themselves. We ride past a duck farm with lots of little birdies swimming about. It was fun both chilling out on the boat and taking photos. We had a glass of wine as the sun set – very nice. At around 6 we walk back to the galley where Chef Raj gives us a lesson in Indian cooking – Kerala style. Due to the omnipresence of cocoanuts in the region, this plays a large part in their diets, using the oil for cooking, and the “white meat” as well. Anyway, he finished up and we had a wonderful meal. We docked for the night and went into our tiny – but cool, and mosquito-free room. Next morning we have a wonderful sunrise and then breakfast with fresh pineapple, then an hour ride glide back to the dock.
Then it’s off to the airport in Cochin and on to the metropolitan city of Mumbai, home of 20 million of our closest friends…
Saturday, January 31: Travel to Mumbai (formerly Bombay)
We drive to the airport, have some lunch, then fly to Mumbai. Then it’s a pickup, drive through traffic to our hotel, take a break, dinner, crash. The Oberoi Mumbai is a large gorgeous hotel overlooking the Arabian Sea.
Sunday, February 1: Mumbai
Mumbai is an incredible place! A sensory overload, an incredible mix of old and new, modern high-rises and tin shanties. Our first stop is at the Banganga Tank, which is a large tank (pool) of water considered sacred, where folks come to perform various rituals. Then we walk to another one of the “laundries,” the Dhobi Ghat. It is just amazing to see the slum sections operating right along with the modern buildings. What is truly amazing is that, as we tour the shanty-towns, they are filled with working class people (they can’t afford to live elsewhere it’s so expensive to live here in Mumbai), and they operate these mini-factories in each room – complete clothing processes (dying, etc.), pottery factories, etc. Some are multiple stories and the access is by skinny “fire escapes.” It gave us a totally different view of this. And all the “apartments” have discs on top for their TVs.
We also drive by the famous icon, the Victoria Terminal and the massive Gateway to India, by the Arabian Sea, teeming with visitors. Amazing place, hard to put into words. We also had a wonderful buffet at the Hyatt with the Chairman of Peirce & Leslie (our tour company). We stopped by the Spice Market where we picked up some spices for our home cooking (hopefully). We did a little shopping, and then off to a local restaurant for some Indian seafood, then rest up for our final day in India…
Monday, February 2: Super Bowl and Mumbai
I had arranged to watch the Super Bowl in the Hotel Business Office where they had it all ready for me. It was fun to be watching the Super Bowl in Mumbai of all places, but I didn’t get any of the US ads, which is such a big part of the event. Oh, well, that’s what You Tube is for…
After an exciting game, Linda and I had breakfast and then it was off for our final day in India. Our first stop was the Crawford Market, a huge old structure, with just about everything – a huge fruit/vegetable area, an area of various animals for sale, and a gigantic butchering area. While there we had a great time talking with The Spice King, smelling all the wonderful spices - and, of course, getting some to bring home. Then we stopped by the Victoria Station to see the innards of the old trains running – all leaving on the designated time – and providing daily commutes for over 6 million Indians. We then went to see the Dabbawallas, which sounds like the Umpa-Lumpas – and maybe they are similar… For over 100 years, the DWs have been delivering hot lunches to workers in the city, with today over 5,000 people doing this service. Men collect the lunches in stacked tins from the spouses and/or catering. They then pass these off to someone who takes them on the train into the city proper. Then the final persons take the lunches and deliver them to their recipients. All this takes place in about 2 hours, delivering over 200,000 lunches every day. It looks like total chaos from the outside, but they have had fewer than 3.5 errors per million transactions – and there is a Harvard Business School case on the process.
We then went to the “Thieves’ Market,” which is an antique/garage sale section of shops, with every random thing you can imagine, including a goat or sheep or two. Bizarre. After lunch we did a little shopping, then back to the hotel for rest. Today was Monday, so the traffic returned and was pure chaos. As bad as every other city was, this is like that on steroids. And there are over 55,000 little black and yellow taxis on the streets, all honking their little horns almost constantly.
Finally we had a simply wonderful and romantic dinner at one of the best restaurants in Mumbai – called the Khyber Restaurant – where we finished our tour with the best Indian food we’ve had so far.