India

When Colin and I travel,  he has the habit of taking notes on what we do and see each day. We always enjoy going back through the notes upon our return and relive our experiences. Now that I'm traveling alone, I figured I'd continue the tradition. My notes will also help me share my experiences with Colin. I figured I can post my rough notes online, whenever I get wifi access, for a quasi real time update. Hopefully Colin can add the notes from the first to weeks of our trip. 

Nov 2 - toddy; houseboat theft

Nov 3 - dropped off Colin at Kochi airport, drove back to Kumarakom. Had nice dinner at the homestay. We enjoyed some traditional South Indian fare in Crispin's house, including: puttu, appam, idiyappam, fished wrapped in banana leaf, the most delicious dahl, sambar, coconut chutney, etc. The food in his house was one of the highlights of our stay in Kumarakom. 

Nov 4 - 

Told Crispin about theft, he made me write a report. 

Lynn, Fred and I left for Kochi. Checked into Tissa's Inn, very nice hotel, a true island of luxury (well, our standards of adjusted while on the trip). It feels good to have a clean room, comfortable bed and hot water. Wifi very flaky, so unfortunately it was hard to catch up on email and plan the rest of the trip. 

Went out for a couple of shows at the cultural center - a traditional Keralan kalarippayat (martial arts) demonstration and Kathakali (play) performance. We also watched the performers apply their dramatic make-up and prepare for Kathakali. Seeing one of the traditional South Indian performances had been high on my list and I was not disappointed. 

Nov 5 

fort Cochin

Sree Krishna resto - masala dosas

fishing nets

Accepted Groupon offer.

Nov 6

Shopping for antiques. Almost got an entire container to ship from Crafters, but backed out at the last minute. Got a single wooden carving of a door protector deity. Let's hope it makes it to our house in one piece and can protect our door and house for a long time.

Oceano - had a delicious meal! My favorite was the shrimp vindaloo - I wish Colin could try it!!!

Nov 7 

Got up before 5, said goodbyes with Lynn and Fred at the airport and flew to Delhi. As soon as I landed, I saw Obama had been re-elected, yay! In Delhi I managed to get to a FedEx drop off (of course, not without being given the wrong address, trying to get fleeced by tuk tuk drivers and coughing  my way through Delhi traffic) and shipped 10 kg of luggage to my hotel in Jaipur. It's mostly wedding clothes, which I don't need to carry with me around. With a lighter load, I was ready for the next stretch.

16.5 hrs after leaving Cochin, using a variety of transportation devices: car, plane, public bus, auto-rickshaw (x 2), inter-state bus and cycle-rickshaw, I finally made it to Haridwar! 

First impressions: what a difference from Kerala! Clearly, I'm in North India. The weather was actually quite cool - people were wrapped in warm shawls (I need to get one). Saw stands with veggies and fruits that are well familiar - nothing exotic to my eye. Air is breathable. Because I arrived after dark, I didn't want to take any chances and bee-lined for the most highly recommended property in the area, Ganga Lahari. It's on the expensive side: $72/night, breakfast included, but it's right on the Ganges and it has a decent standard. Fortunately,they had availability, so i checked in for two nights. 

I'm clearly getting into more remote India, it's exciting! Haridwar  is a big pilgrimage site and especially with Diwali being only days away, the place is packed with domestic travelers. 

Nov 8 - 

Wow. Haridwar by daytime was quite an experience: Pilgrims, beggars, sellers, wondering holy men, madmen, dogs, cows, monkeys, water buffalos, donkeys and horses all crowding the roads and competing for space with an array of vehicles including bicycle rickshaws, auto rickshaws, carts, trucks and busses. Wondering through the maze of alleys in the bazaar and navigating all this traffic took all of my energy in the morning. In sight were colorful saris from across the country; flower garlands for the temples; garbage of all origins; shawls, sweaters, hats and blankets to keep warm; vegetables and fruits; pirated Bollywood movies; and piles of completely useless things crowding the stalls. My nostrils were offended by rotting "stuff", urine, spices, burning intense, shit, diesel, to name a few recognizable scents. 

At night, I went to a fire ceremony and even got talked into having a pooja (prayer) performed for me. At the end of the ceremony hundreds of flower baskets, with a candle inside, get sent down the Ganges. I sent mine too. It was a lovely sight. 

I'm off to Rishikesh - the "yoga capital of the world"- tomorrow for a night. It's just an hour away by bus and it's a bit of a foreigners' spot, because The Beatles were here in 1968 and wrote a lot of their White Album songs during their visit. I have mixed feeling about checking it out (supposedly it's very new agey & I have no interest in quick spiritual fixes), but it's close by...