http://erika-india-pics.blogspot.in/
Yup, it's what you think it is! Only a few pics from Delhi for now... more to come shortly. Enjoy :)
Yup, it's what you think it is! Only a few pics from Delhi for now... more to come shortly. Enjoy :)
Thursday, 15 March 2012
Wednesday, 14 March 2012
Magnificent Hampi
If you want to feel like you are on a completely different planet, come to Hampi. I read that it was an other-wordly terrain, but never expected this. I won't even attempt to put it into too many words, because I think it just needs to be seen. In photos at least. On my soon to be created photo-blog. (I totally get it if you don't believe that for a second!)
After a cheap, cramped, bumpy (to put it very mildly) overnight bus ride to get here from Panjim, Blaire and I were not feeling uber-pleasant when we pulled up at 8am. But just looking around quickly changed that. We were surrounded by enormous sandy-orangy boulders, and mountains of them for as far as the eye can see, spotted here and there with beautifully carved temples and ruins. It is described as the result of volcanic activity followed by erosion, but I'm still at a loss to understand how the site can be so gigantic. The site and scope remind me of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, but the scenery is quite different. Yesterday, Blaire and I got a tuk-tuk guided tour of part of the grounds, with a great, friendly driver. Our last stop was the sunset look-out... mesmerizing. That's all I'll say about it until photos.
Today, after a great and much needed sleep, I went up to our guesthouse rooftop to watch the sun rise over a palmtree-lined horizon. Absolute beauty. When Blaire got up, not much later, we headed to the river ghats where the "mascot" elephant, Lakshmi, would be given her daily bath. We sat on the steps and waited for her arrival. After about half an hour, we heard a voice from behind saying, "Please clear the way." We were sitting just below where Lakshmi was making her descent! She walked right by us, into the river, and slowly bent her knees to lay down for her morning scrub. Every day, around 9am, she gets a two-hour serious scrub-down. We stayed for half. When she turned over to have her second side done, we figured we had seen enough.
Then we went to rent our pretty pink basket bikes, to ride around some sight we hadn't been to yesterday. With much more energy and in a much better mood, we peddled along, giggling like 6-year-olds. Visited more incredible sights, including one panoramic viewpoint from the top of a mountain of boulders that required trudging up about a thousand huge rock steps to the temple at the top. What we saw from there is again beyond words. Having biked and hiked for a couple hours in peak sun and heat (it is hot here - dry desert heat, so bearable, but hot) we were thrilled to be back in "town" to sit for 4 icy cold Cokes and some satisfying mac and cheese. I know, not very Indian, but it's what we needed.
Back to our room after a long lunch-time chat (one of many great ones we've had), to pack up and shower before tonight's overnight journey take-2. But this time, we have a deluxe AC Volvo sleeper bus, so should be a tad more comfy than 2 nights ago (and for a mere $4 more!).
Back in Goa tomorrow morning, to the south this time, for some quiet secluded beach time. Yeah, real tough life we're living. I can understand if you're getting a teeny bit sick of hearing how wonderful everything is!
May your life be filled with such beauty as well, whatever form it may take...
After a cheap, cramped, bumpy (to put it very mildly) overnight bus ride to get here from Panjim, Blaire and I were not feeling uber-pleasant when we pulled up at 8am. But just looking around quickly changed that. We were surrounded by enormous sandy-orangy boulders, and mountains of them for as far as the eye can see, spotted here and there with beautifully carved temples and ruins. It is described as the result of volcanic activity followed by erosion, but I'm still at a loss to understand how the site can be so gigantic. The site and scope remind me of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, but the scenery is quite different. Yesterday, Blaire and I got a tuk-tuk guided tour of part of the grounds, with a great, friendly driver. Our last stop was the sunset look-out... mesmerizing. That's all I'll say about it until photos.
Today, after a great and much needed sleep, I went up to our guesthouse rooftop to watch the sun rise over a palmtree-lined horizon. Absolute beauty. When Blaire got up, not much later, we headed to the river ghats where the "mascot" elephant, Lakshmi, would be given her daily bath. We sat on the steps and waited for her arrival. After about half an hour, we heard a voice from behind saying, "Please clear the way." We were sitting just below where Lakshmi was making her descent! She walked right by us, into the river, and slowly bent her knees to lay down for her morning scrub. Every day, around 9am, she gets a two-hour serious scrub-down. We stayed for half. When she turned over to have her second side done, we figured we had seen enough.
Then we went to rent our pretty pink basket bikes, to ride around some sight we hadn't been to yesterday. With much more energy and in a much better mood, we peddled along, giggling like 6-year-olds. Visited more incredible sights, including one panoramic viewpoint from the top of a mountain of boulders that required trudging up about a thousand huge rock steps to the temple at the top. What we saw from there is again beyond words. Having biked and hiked for a couple hours in peak sun and heat (it is hot here - dry desert heat, so bearable, but hot) we were thrilled to be back in "town" to sit for 4 icy cold Cokes and some satisfying mac and cheese. I know, not very Indian, but it's what we needed.
Back to our room after a long lunch-time chat (one of many great ones we've had), to pack up and shower before tonight's overnight journey take-2. But this time, we have a deluxe AC Volvo sleeper bus, so should be a tad more comfy than 2 nights ago (and for a mere $4 more!).
Back in Goa tomorrow morning, to the south this time, for some quiet secluded beach time. Yeah, real tough life we're living. I can understand if you're getting a teeny bit sick of hearing how wonderful everything is!
May your life be filled with such beauty as well, whatever form it may take...
Monday, 12 March 2012
Greetings from Portugal!
Or at least that's what it feels like. We've made our way down to Panjim, the capital of Goa, described as the cutest capital in India. It is indeed extremely cute, with old colorful buildings lining the small streets, but it feels more like Europe than India. Yesterday, we walked around town, visiting the main attraction, the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (try that one with your mouth full!). Stunning white church, described as a gigantic wedding cake on a hill. And that's exactly what it looked like.
Last I blogged was from Arambol, and between there and here, we spent a few days in my favorite place yet in Goa: Anjuna. It wasn't at all what I expected. The guidebook refers to it as "Dear old Anjuna, that stalwart on India's hippy scene," and many people said it could be skipped and that the food was terrible. (The restos were among favorite in all of India, though the food did make Blaire quite sick for 24 hours. She then made a quick recovery after sleeping a full day.) Anjuna was much more relaxed than Arambol, and much prettier. We didn't end up getting our tattoos or staying up all night for the full moon party (which, anyway, is nothing compared to the scene in Kho Pagnan, Thailand). Just went for a late dinner at a gorgeous seafront outdoor restaurant (poshest, priciest meal yet - Blaire even opted for a glass of white wine, and I had a delicious cucumber martini), then back for a good sleep at our lovely guesthouse on a tranquil street (except for the constant scooters driving by). Despite the proximity of everything, everyone rides a scooter. Most people here are not tourists, but rather hippies who came and never left! On our last day there, we went for a long walk around town with two destinations in mind. One was Hotel Bougainvillea (aka Granpa's Inn) which is a guesthouse in a 200-year-old Portuguese-style mansion. The grounds and interior we "ridiculously pretty" (another guidebook quote) and there are also fabulous outdoor yoga halls where teacher training is available (hmmm, maybe on my trip back next year?). Our final destination was absolutely out of this world. Literally. Blaire and I both said it felt like walking right in and out of a dream or parallel universe. It's called Yoga Magic and is an eco-retreat center, with stunning tent/huts to stay in (for a hefty chunk-a-change) and compostable toilets, open-concept showers (think: watch the buffaloes graze in the sunny open field as you scrub yourself with natural organic soap), and plenty of other incredible aspects. Here's the website, worth checking out: www.yogamagic.net. Pretty sure it will be a non-negotiable eventual honeymoon spot!
So, again, I'll keep this pretty brief. So much more to say, but details will appear in the book...
Off on an overnight bus to Hampi tonight, a Unesco World Heritage sight that looks stunning. Then heading south for a week of Goa's best, most relaxed and secluded beaches, to do some beach reading and beach yoga before heading even further south, into Kerala, to meet Jim (Blaire's dad) in Kochi on the 25th.
Going to spend the afternoon in Old Goa today, another Unesco sight.
Still no photos from me, but Blaire has added more to facebook for you to check out :)
The marvels of this diverse country continue to take our breath away.
Beautiful, mesmerizing, fascinating India... Wednesday, 7 March 2012
Hippies and Heat in Goa
Haven't posted in a few days... get ready for a long one!
Haha, just kidding... I only have about 30 min to write. Blaire is getting a massage and I'm going at 12:30 (she got a full body 80min one, I got a 30min foot one, both at an ayurvedic center here in Arambol). So, gotta be speedy!
Boy, I thought Mumbai was relaxing... well, it feels like we've arrived on a different planet! Arambol is the Woodstock of Goa, filled with dreadlocks, tattoos, and t-shirts of Che and Bob. Spent a somewhat relaxing afternoon on the beach yesterday (after switching from a guesthouse our first night to a beach hut - a few minutes from the beach - our second. Today is Holi, so our faces are covered in colorful powder, and kids are running around spraying us tinted water while erupting with laughter :) Massages, beach, then tattoos... oops, was I not supposed to write that?! Hahaha.
Back to our last day in Bombay... I mentioned a very special event the night before we left. As I was walking back from the bathroom to my room, the desk guy said, "Excuse me, ma'am, I'm sorry to bother you..." and proceeded to tell me about an outdoor wedding taking place the next night, just across the street, where the family had requested white foreigners to greet people as they arrived and to serve some food. He said Blaire and I could do this if we wished, and we'd even be paid (500rs/$10 - which goes a long way here) and fed! I thought it all sounded a little odd at first, but the more I thought about it, the more excited I got. Blaire was still napping when I entered our room, so I anxiously waited for her to wake to propose the offer. When she arrived in India, she said; "I want to see an elephant and I want to go to a wedding." Well, Blaire, you'll more than just go to a wedding! As I expected, she was very enthusiastic about our job offer.
We were given beautiful saris to wear, which Indian women in the changing room helped us put on - what a process! Then they did our make-up (there were 3 other foreign girls with us), and then we took our posts. Blaire and I were greeters, the other 3 were inside serving food. It was a bit awkward to be hired for a Muslim-Hindu wedding, and we wondered why they wanted foreigners, but it was a great experience nonetheless... don't think I'll be getting another similar offer anytime soon. We smiled, with a little bow or Indian head-waggle, as we greeted the guests with a namaste - prayer hands and all - as well as a as salaam walekum. Said enough of those that night to last me a lifetime! Guests were of course stunning. Intricate, colorful and bejewelled Indian women in saris; Muslim women in gorgeous black burkas with discreet but ornate jewel embroidery; and the men looked pretty spiffy too ;) They all pulled up in fancy cars, their entrance contrasted with the little scruffy street kids who hang out just beside on the waterfront, and who kept trying to sneak into the wedding. At the end of a long 5 hours on duty (knees and lower back unhappy), we were able to head in and help ourselves to the huge, yummy buffet.
Home and in bed by about 1am, only to have the alarm wake us at 5:40 to catch our day train to Goa. Great ride on a sleeper coach, lowest of the AC classes, much better than what I expected. 15 bucks for a comfortable 11 hour ride. Blaire had her first train bathroom experience, and was not impressed with having to squat over a hole in the floor, ridding herself right out onto the tracks. Her reaction provided me with a very good laugh :)
Great time relaxing in Goa so far. But with the amount of sleep we've been getting since she arrived in Mumbai, I don't know how we're getting through the days. Last night's attempt was severely interrupted by the irritating buzz of mosquitoes outside the net, the obnoxiously loud people having dinner, drinks and laughs till 4am just outside our hut, and the roosters which took over just as the voices faded. Can't they wait till sunrise?? Isn't that the idea??
So, not too much planned for today besides massages and beach, then heading a little south to Anjuna this evening, to go to the night market and then the colorful Holi festivities combined with the full moon party. Probably not much sleep to be had tonight either...
Off to get my feet rubbed. Blaire posted a few pics on facebook... she's quicker than I am!
Peace out from Goa :)
(How'd you like that quickie?)
Sunday, 4 March 2012
Busy as bees in Bombay!
As much as I adore this city, I seem to be severely allergic to it. For the past 48 hours, there has been a steady stream of watery snot running out of my right nostril, uncontrollable tears rolling down my cheeks from the outer corners of my puffy eyes, and frequent fits of 6-8 sneezes in a row. Day and night. (Aaaa-aa-choo!) This morning seems to be a bit better, let's hope that's end of it.
I'm not sure what it is about March and writing, but my pen has serious diarrhea. In three days, I've filled as many notebook pages as the last 50 days combined! Hence the lengthy blog posts. And those don't ever cover the half of it! Not even my crazy travel day from Haridwar to Mumbai, or the missing details and anecdotes from Rishikesh. (Actually, to save you and I both some time and sanity, I will be keeping the full description of that day and the missing details for my book... stay tuned! Unless, of course, there's a rainy afternoon where I'm sick and have nothing else to do... or if I decide I really can't stand Blaire and need an excuse to get away for a few hours... kidding, kidding... she's incredible!) So, I told Blaire over breakfast this morning that I was determined to write a quick, point form post today. If I went into my usual detail about the past 2 days in Bombay, this one post would turn into a novella.
Come on, Erika. You can do this. Point form. And... go!
Saturday, March 3:
-Out and about at 8am, breakfast at Leopold's, walk along the waterfront to the Gateway of India and the Taj Mahal Hotel (2nd time for me, first for Blaire). This time, went closer to both, even entering the lobby of the Taj (after passing through security and bag scan to get in). Think the starting price for a basic room here is $500/night. Blaire asked why I hadn't reserved us a room here.
-Back to room, where Blaire napped for a bit, while I wrote and organized. When she woke, we headed out to the ferry at Nariman point (just down the road, at the Gateway) for the hour-long ride to Elephanta Island. Impressive caves, with massive basalt columns, carvings and worship statues. Awesome monkey-watching outside, including one picking away at another's butt-hole, looking for tasty treats. Not so awesome watching in horror as a dog pranced along the road, his teeth sunk into a baby monkey's neck, its body swaying from side-to-side below. Ferry back, great views as we approached the city.
-Back to room, quick break, then out for internet and diner dinner.
-Attempted good night's sleep, not achieved by either of us.
Sunday, March 4:
-Out and about at 8. (Seriously, jet-lag means nothing to this girl. It's taking all I've got to keep up with her!) Amazingly scrumptious breakfast at a guidebook recommended bakery up the street. We both opted for the same thing: French toast with brown butter apples, a dollop of mascarpone, flaked almonds and a maple glaze. It was even better than it sounds!
-Fiat cab to Victoria Terminus to book our train to Goa. One of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen. Sea of people and trains in the old/modern mixed interior. Monday's train was full, settled on Tuesday (which we are now both thrilled about, given the opportunity that has arisen for tonight... again, everything happening for a reason, and things falling beautifully into place). Fiat cab to Dharavi slum, the biggest in Asia, 2nd only to Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya. Weren't sure what to expect when we got dropped off. Didn't manage to book the slum tour we intended to take, and didn't know if we could even go on our own, or whether it was safe. After steeping out of the cab, it took no time to realize that Dharavi is home to the kindest, friendliest, happiest people in India, with the most beautiful and genuine smiles stretching ear to ear. Never have I felt more welcomed, openly greeted, heart-warmed. And they didn't ask for anything. Walking through the sprawling maze of narrow alleyways, with Namaste Jees to the elders and photo ops with the excited children, Blaire and I could not have felt happier or safer. One of my favorite places on earth.
-Then, another Fiat to the nearby Juhu district, the poshest place in town. Glamorous designer stores line the tidy streets, huge, multi-storied shiny shopping malls are guarded by security at every door, all this just a few steps away from sky high "projects/ghetto" concrete buildings, and low to the ground shacks (each tin or plastic roof dotted with a satellite dish, of course). First, we walked along Juhu beach, stepping into the ocean for the first time, stopping for animated chats with local kids playing cricket on the sand, and then we tuk-tuked back into central Juhu for our first Bollywood movie.
-Hour long cab ride back home, through the ever fascinating city streets, both of us collapsing on our beds as soon we reached our room. Much needed rest, then out for internet and canteen dinner around 10pm.
Today (including tonight's very special event) will blogged about tomorrow, from Goa!
To end my last post from magical Mumbai, I want to leave you with the description of this city from Blaire's guidebook, which I love and is so, so true:
Mumbai is beautiful mess, full of dreamers and hard-laborers, actors and gangsters, stray dogs and exotic birds, artists and servants, fisherfolk and crorepatis (millionaires) and many, many other people.
Indeed, like much of the rest of India, it is a city of stark contrasts. Love it or hate it. I choose love.
(Ok, so some points were not so point-like, but I think I did pretty good! Yet, as I re-read, it seems scandalous to have left out so much.)
I'm not sure what it is about March and writing, but my pen has serious diarrhea. In three days, I've filled as many notebook pages as the last 50 days combined! Hence the lengthy blog posts. And those don't ever cover the half of it! Not even my crazy travel day from Haridwar to Mumbai, or the missing details and anecdotes from Rishikesh. (Actually, to save you and I both some time and sanity, I will be keeping the full description of that day and the missing details for my book... stay tuned! Unless, of course, there's a rainy afternoon where I'm sick and have nothing else to do... or if I decide I really can't stand Blaire and need an excuse to get away for a few hours... kidding, kidding... she's incredible!) So, I told Blaire over breakfast this morning that I was determined to write a quick, point form post today. If I went into my usual detail about the past 2 days in Bombay, this one post would turn into a novella.
Come on, Erika. You can do this. Point form. And... go!
Saturday, March 3:
-Out and about at 8am, breakfast at Leopold's, walk along the waterfront to the Gateway of India and the Taj Mahal Hotel (2nd time for me, first for Blaire). This time, went closer to both, even entering the lobby of the Taj (after passing through security and bag scan to get in). Think the starting price for a basic room here is $500/night. Blaire asked why I hadn't reserved us a room here.
-Back to room, where Blaire napped for a bit, while I wrote and organized. When she woke, we headed out to the ferry at Nariman point (just down the road, at the Gateway) for the hour-long ride to Elephanta Island. Impressive caves, with massive basalt columns, carvings and worship statues. Awesome monkey-watching outside, including one picking away at another's butt-hole, looking for tasty treats. Not so awesome watching in horror as a dog pranced along the road, his teeth sunk into a baby monkey's neck, its body swaying from side-to-side below. Ferry back, great views as we approached the city.
-Back to room, quick break, then out for internet and diner dinner.
-Attempted good night's sleep, not achieved by either of us.
Sunday, March 4:
-Out and about at 8. (Seriously, jet-lag means nothing to this girl. It's taking all I've got to keep up with her!) Amazingly scrumptious breakfast at a guidebook recommended bakery up the street. We both opted for the same thing: French toast with brown butter apples, a dollop of mascarpone, flaked almonds and a maple glaze. It was even better than it sounds!
-Fiat cab to Victoria Terminus to book our train to Goa. One of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen. Sea of people and trains in the old/modern mixed interior. Monday's train was full, settled on Tuesday (which we are now both thrilled about, given the opportunity that has arisen for tonight... again, everything happening for a reason, and things falling beautifully into place). Fiat cab to Dharavi slum, the biggest in Asia, 2nd only to Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya. Weren't sure what to expect when we got dropped off. Didn't manage to book the slum tour we intended to take, and didn't know if we could even go on our own, or whether it was safe. After steeping out of the cab, it took no time to realize that Dharavi is home to the kindest, friendliest, happiest people in India, with the most beautiful and genuine smiles stretching ear to ear. Never have I felt more welcomed, openly greeted, heart-warmed. And they didn't ask for anything. Walking through the sprawling maze of narrow alleyways, with Namaste Jees to the elders and photo ops with the excited children, Blaire and I could not have felt happier or safer. One of my favorite places on earth.
-Then, another Fiat to the nearby Juhu district, the poshest place in town. Glamorous designer stores line the tidy streets, huge, multi-storied shiny shopping malls are guarded by security at every door, all this just a few steps away from sky high "projects/ghetto" concrete buildings, and low to the ground shacks (each tin or plastic roof dotted with a satellite dish, of course). First, we walked along Juhu beach, stepping into the ocean for the first time, stopping for animated chats with local kids playing cricket on the sand, and then we tuk-tuked back into central Juhu for our first Bollywood movie.
-Hour long cab ride back home, through the ever fascinating city streets, both of us collapsing on our beds as soon we reached our room. Much needed rest, then out for internet and canteen dinner around 10pm.
Today (including tonight's very special event) will blogged about tomorrow, from Goa!
To end my last post from magical Mumbai, I want to leave you with the description of this city from Blaire's guidebook, which I love and is so, so true:
Mumbai is beautiful mess, full of dreamers and hard-laborers, actors and gangsters, stray dogs and exotic birds, artists and servants, fisherfolk and crorepatis (millionaires) and many, many other people.
Indeed, like much of the rest of India, it is a city of stark contrasts. Love it or hate it. I choose love.
(Ok, so some points were not so point-like, but I think I did pretty good! Yet, as I re-read, it seems scandalous to have left out so much.)
Saturday, 3 March 2012
And one becomes two!
She's 18, she has only travelled to Ireland (outside of Canada and the US), and she chose India as the destination for her first trip to a third world country... brave girl! I can tell already that Blaire will be a swell travel companion :)
I'm going to try keeping this brief (you don't believe me, I know... I don't even believe myself) because, as swell as she is, Blaire did not cooperate in spending the day sleeping off jet lag. We've been out and about since 7:45am, after hitting the sack at 2. I'm totally zonked! It's now quarter to nine, and I want to be in bed very soon.
After leaving internet after yesterday's long post, I walked along the waterfront and saw the Gateway of India and the luxurious Taj Hotel, one of the 2008 bomb attack targets (Leopold's was another). Then walked around a little more, stopped for a delicious carrot-beetroot juice at a roadside stand (more thirsty than hungry in the heat...), checked Blaire's flight status: 45min early :) and booked my ride to the airport from the guy at the front desk of my hostel. Back out into the streets as it got dark, and that's when I found out that Mumbai is a night city. The streets are crammed full of people from all walks of life, and that's when the street kids and beggars come out. There are already quite a few during the day, but not nearly as many as at night. And the night ones aren't as calm as the day ones. A woman about my age held onto my shoulder, following me for a few blocks before finally sighing, rolling her eyes, and giving up; an old woman sitting on the ground grabbed and tugged on my shoulder bag; and small children pointed pleadingly at chocolate bars from the roadside stall as I paid for a bottle of water. As heart-wrenching as this all is, and as much as I wish I could help, the way to do so is not by contributing to the twisted, corrupt beggar industry of Mumbai. So I kindly tell them no when they approach, becoming stern at times when they persist. As fascinating as the night-life is, my love affair is more with Bombay by day. Back to India Guest House at 10:30pm to catch my ride to the airport.
The reserved black and yellow Fiat - staple Indian ride - was waiting for me downstairs. Hostel guy had come down to make sure I got into the right one, and opened the front door for me. I hesitated momentarily - do I really want to ride shotgun through the crazy streets of the city? - but, what the heck. Prateek (astrologer #1 from Rishikesh) told me it wasn't my time to die anytime soon, so really, what did I have to lose? I hopped in, greeted the driver in Hindi and peered over my left shoulder, hoping - but not at all expecting - to find a seatbelt. Negative. I shrugged and settled in for a beautifully hectic ride to the airport in the company of Anwar. We chatted about Mumbai, traffic, car models, cops, snow, Junu, jobs, and more. I used a little a Hindi; he used pretty decent English. We neared the airport a little over an hour later, at which point he told me there were now problems with the cops not letting the city cabs wait by the arrivals (only the airport cabs could be there). He said he'd drop me as close as he could (5-minute walk), but that as he waited for my return with Blaire, he'd have to go back to the gas station he pointed out earlier - 15 minute walk from arrival area. Ohhh boy. This was going to be quite the introduction for poor Blaire! I waited at the very nice, modern, outdoor arrival area for over an hour, and finally, at about 12:30, spotted Blaire across the square, walked over to her and gave her a nice big welcome hug (was supposed to also give her one from my dad and her dad, but in the moment, I forgot... tomorrow, promise!). I asked about her flight, then told her about the not-so-scenic walk we had ahead of us and offered to grab a bag, but she had packed so incredibly light (good job!) that she didn't need the help. I walked her in about 7 different directions before finally heading the way I thought Anwar and I had come. We walked for a good ten minutes down a busy road leaving the airport, some stretches with sidewalks, some without, while cab after cab, and tuk-tuk after tuk-tuk, slowed down beside us, offering rides, surely thinking, "Where do these two girls think they're going on foot away from the airport in the middle of the night??" After warding off dozens of them, some more persistent than others, to my (and surely Blaire's) huge relief, I saw the dim Indian Oil sign up ahead. Anwar waved as we approached, and moments later we were settled into the back seat, starting to catch up on the last 8 years of our lives.
Back at India Guest House, we walked up the 3 flights of stairs and knocked on the padlocked entrance door. First, a towel-wrapped western man peered out from the barred window, wondering what we wanted (wasn't it pretty obvious?), then proceeded to tell us he didn't have the key. Seriously?? Was I really going to have to tell Blaire that we were sleeping in the staircase after taking her on a sketchy, dark airport walk? Surely, she was already planning her flight home in the morning. But luckily, moments later, the desk guy's smiling face appeared through the window and he unlocked the door to let us in. Ouf. Close one. He immediately asked Blaire for her passport, which she handed to him, but in his groggy, sleepy state didn't want to do the paper work right away, so told her to come back and pick it up in the morning. "Huh?" She clearly - and understandably - was not overjoyed by this idea, but I told her she could trust him and showed her to our room. (I suppose I could have told the guy we would bring it back in the morning, but I wasn't in the mood to argue... not that it would even have lead to arguing... oh well. Yes, she got her passport back this morning.)
(Sorry, Jim - and Kim, if you're reading too. I probably gave you a mild heart attack with all that!)
We got shushed several times as we kept chatting away, forgetting how late it was and that lots of people were sleeping. The wall partitions between each room do not reach the ceiling, so voices and light travel far. After more shushing and a couple knocks on the door asking us to reduce the light (how, without a dimmer, I don't know), we finally called it a day/night and closed up shop at 2am.
As mentioned earlier, we were up just a few hours later, and we just spent a great first day together - which I was planning to include in tonight's post, but I'm trying to keep my promise, it's 9:45 and my eyes are giving out on me, so it's time to head back to my room. (Blaire was here for a bit, but went back, also exhausted, about an hour ago. Time for me to follow.)
Hoping for a deep, long sleep...
(That wasn't too long, was it?)
I'm going to try keeping this brief (you don't believe me, I know... I don't even believe myself) because, as swell as she is, Blaire did not cooperate in spending the day sleeping off jet lag. We've been out and about since 7:45am, after hitting the sack at 2. I'm totally zonked! It's now quarter to nine, and I want to be in bed very soon.
After leaving internet after yesterday's long post, I walked along the waterfront and saw the Gateway of India and the luxurious Taj Hotel, one of the 2008 bomb attack targets (Leopold's was another). Then walked around a little more, stopped for a delicious carrot-beetroot juice at a roadside stand (more thirsty than hungry in the heat...), checked Blaire's flight status: 45min early :) and booked my ride to the airport from the guy at the front desk of my hostel. Back out into the streets as it got dark, and that's when I found out that Mumbai is a night city. The streets are crammed full of people from all walks of life, and that's when the street kids and beggars come out. There are already quite a few during the day, but not nearly as many as at night. And the night ones aren't as calm as the day ones. A woman about my age held onto my shoulder, following me for a few blocks before finally sighing, rolling her eyes, and giving up; an old woman sitting on the ground grabbed and tugged on my shoulder bag; and small children pointed pleadingly at chocolate bars from the roadside stall as I paid for a bottle of water. As heart-wrenching as this all is, and as much as I wish I could help, the way to do so is not by contributing to the twisted, corrupt beggar industry of Mumbai. So I kindly tell them no when they approach, becoming stern at times when they persist. As fascinating as the night-life is, my love affair is more with Bombay by day. Back to India Guest House at 10:30pm to catch my ride to the airport.
The reserved black and yellow Fiat - staple Indian ride - was waiting for me downstairs. Hostel guy had come down to make sure I got into the right one, and opened the front door for me. I hesitated momentarily - do I really want to ride shotgun through the crazy streets of the city? - but, what the heck. Prateek (astrologer #1 from Rishikesh) told me it wasn't my time to die anytime soon, so really, what did I have to lose? I hopped in, greeted the driver in Hindi and peered over my left shoulder, hoping - but not at all expecting - to find a seatbelt. Negative. I shrugged and settled in for a beautifully hectic ride to the airport in the company of Anwar. We chatted about Mumbai, traffic, car models, cops, snow, Junu, jobs, and more. I used a little a Hindi; he used pretty decent English. We neared the airport a little over an hour later, at which point he told me there were now problems with the cops not letting the city cabs wait by the arrivals (only the airport cabs could be there). He said he'd drop me as close as he could (5-minute walk), but that as he waited for my return with Blaire, he'd have to go back to the gas station he pointed out earlier - 15 minute walk from arrival area. Ohhh boy. This was going to be quite the introduction for poor Blaire! I waited at the very nice, modern, outdoor arrival area for over an hour, and finally, at about 12:30, spotted Blaire across the square, walked over to her and gave her a nice big welcome hug (was supposed to also give her one from my dad and her dad, but in the moment, I forgot... tomorrow, promise!). I asked about her flight, then told her about the not-so-scenic walk we had ahead of us and offered to grab a bag, but she had packed so incredibly light (good job!) that she didn't need the help. I walked her in about 7 different directions before finally heading the way I thought Anwar and I had come. We walked for a good ten minutes down a busy road leaving the airport, some stretches with sidewalks, some without, while cab after cab, and tuk-tuk after tuk-tuk, slowed down beside us, offering rides, surely thinking, "Where do these two girls think they're going on foot away from the airport in the middle of the night??" After warding off dozens of them, some more persistent than others, to my (and surely Blaire's) huge relief, I saw the dim Indian Oil sign up ahead. Anwar waved as we approached, and moments later we were settled into the back seat, starting to catch up on the last 8 years of our lives.
Back at India Guest House, we walked up the 3 flights of stairs and knocked on the padlocked entrance door. First, a towel-wrapped western man peered out from the barred window, wondering what we wanted (wasn't it pretty obvious?), then proceeded to tell us he didn't have the key. Seriously?? Was I really going to have to tell Blaire that we were sleeping in the staircase after taking her on a sketchy, dark airport walk? Surely, she was already planning her flight home in the morning. But luckily, moments later, the desk guy's smiling face appeared through the window and he unlocked the door to let us in. Ouf. Close one. He immediately asked Blaire for her passport, which she handed to him, but in his groggy, sleepy state didn't want to do the paper work right away, so told her to come back and pick it up in the morning. "Huh?" She clearly - and understandably - was not overjoyed by this idea, but I told her she could trust him and showed her to our room. (I suppose I could have told the guy we would bring it back in the morning, but I wasn't in the mood to argue... not that it would even have lead to arguing... oh well. Yes, she got her passport back this morning.)
(Sorry, Jim - and Kim, if you're reading too. I probably gave you a mild heart attack with all that!)
We got shushed several times as we kept chatting away, forgetting how late it was and that lots of people were sleeping. The wall partitions between each room do not reach the ceiling, so voices and light travel far. After more shushing and a couple knocks on the door asking us to reduce the light (how, without a dimmer, I don't know), we finally called it a day/night and closed up shop at 2am.
As mentioned earlier, we were up just a few hours later, and we just spent a great first day together - which I was planning to include in tonight's post, but I'm trying to keep my promise, it's 9:45 and my eyes are giving out on me, so it's time to head back to my room. (Blaire was here for a bit, but went back, also exhausted, about an hour ago. Time for me to follow.)
Hoping for a deep, long sleep...
(That wasn't too long, was it?)
Friday, 2 March 2012
Salaam Bombay!
Well, I've gone ahead and done it again. I've fallen in love. With the most populous city in India no less (and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million - Wiki): the great Mumbai. People here are kind, friendly, helpful, not pushy, and overall just wonderful. Weather is also great, much less intense than I was expecting (back in Rishikesh, I overheard rumours about Mumbai being in a record heat wave, but shortly before the plane landed at 5:15pm yesterday, the pilot announced the temperature at 27 degrees celcius. Not bad at all. Though I did break quite a sweat today while walking from Carlton Hotel to India Guest House, which are only a few blocks from each other, but I haven't quite familiarized myself with the streets yet, so went around in circles for about half an hour before finally arriving at my destination, and then traipsing up the narrow staircase with my heavy bags to the 3rd floor of the building, where India Guest House is located.
You'll only find out about the reasons for the switch in my next post, which will describe yesterday's journey. I'm starting with today, because it'll be simpler and shorter. On average, I've written about 2 pages per day in my journal, but yesterday's count was: 26!!! (What the?!?) Nothing crazy or spectacular happened (well, aside from travelling half way across India using 8 different modes of transportation) so I guess I just had a lot of time to write since I was in transit all day, with my journal never further than an arm's length away. Was also just really inspired and motivated to write (because, clearly, until now, I haven't been... wink, wink), and I think I've officially decided to write a memoir when I get back. (Though I'm not sure when I'll find the time to sit down and write between getting my Intentional Community set up - finding land, resources, funds, material, participants, etc. -, teaching yoga, healing cancer patients, giving Tarot readings, doing a ton of research for everything I just mentioned, organizing fundraisers for Children of the Ganges, catching up with everyone, making a special photo and video montage of India, and hopefully starting a family and applying for adoption at some point... Yeah. I'm gonna be a busy gal. But have never felt more motivated, alive and inspired to do it all!
So, back to Bombay. Up around 6:45 this morning, but awake since about 6, after another pretty interrupted sleep. And not, as you might imagine, due to the unbearable noise of the city. It's actually a million times more calm and quiet than I expected. I can't quite believe how relaxed it feels. (You'd probably think it was nuts and terribly noisy if you were here, but after 50 days in India, I came to expect much worse.) The night-time weather was also quite pleasant. Even shut the window and turbo-strength ceiling fan, laying out on an amazingly comfortable bed (so comfortable, in fact, that I was tempted to just lie in it all day today) with just a tank-top, boxers, and light blanket. So, I'm not really sure why I woke up so often. The only thing I can think of is that I felt very itchy all over. I remember thinking, as I kept groggily waking up, "Please don't let it be bedbugs. Please don't let it be bed bugs." But I would just scratch away, then go back to sleep without checking for bugs. Morning verdict: no bites, no bugs. Don't know what caused it, but I recall a similar night when I arrived in Rishikesh... maybe it's just reacting and adjusting to new bedding. It looked greyish outside when I got up, but when the sun came up round 7, it yet again made its way into a blue sky. (I think I can count on one had the cloudy days since I've arrived, and on 3 fingers the times it has rained.) After using the nicest - though shared - bathroom (bowel movements still A1, fingers crossed!) I've seen so far in India (recently renovated, toilet paper supplied - a real luxury in India! -, hot water, nice tiling, glass division for shower, strong flush toilets), I dedicated almost 2 hours to a stellar packing job. (Sorry, that was a really choppy sentence!) Proper weight distribution and tightly rolled clothing makes the world of a difference. And I happily shoved all my warm heavy clothes down to the bottom, which shouldn't move from there till mid-May's mountain treks. Managed to fit my hiking boots in this time, and even had one less shoulder bag full of stuff than when I arrived. Awesome! Got dressed then went out to the common bathroom area to brush my teeth and splash my face (sadly, with Bombay tap water rather than fresh Rishikesh Ganga water), said good morning to the friendly staff of Carlton's Hotel on my way back to my room, and, packed up and ready to check out at noon, headed out to Leopold's, just two blocks down, for breakfast at 9.
I must stop here to explain that going to Leopold Cafe was one of the things I most excitedly anticipated when heading to India. It's the location of many important scenes from what is bar-none the greatest book I've ever read: Shantaram. I highly recommend giving it a read if you haven't already. The story is extraordinarily fascinating and mind-blowing, and the way Gregory David Roberts writes and expresses his experiences, thoughts, and realizations, is truly inspiring, riveting, and deeply thought-provoking. Are you convinced yet? No? Ok. Here's more: while reading, I would meticulously (those who know me well know I'm a little - fine, fine, a lot - OCD) fold the pages that had mesmerising and thought-provoking passages, and by the time I got through the novel's thousand pages (oh yeah, have to warn ya, it's a brick!), no less than a few hundred pages were missing a corner. It actually took me two years to through the book, and while I'm certainly a slow reader by nature, it didn't help that I reread countless passages several times, because I wanted to let the profound and beautifully expressed messages sink in. If you're not yet convinced, I don't know what to tell ya. The book is labelled as a novel, but it's primarily the true account of the time Gregory David Roberts spent in India, mainly in Bombay. Actually, he is still living here, and while I didn't spot him at Leopold's this morning, I do hope to do so when I return with Blaire in the next few days! The cafe was actually a little different than what I expected, but I suppose it's changed quite a bit since Roberts first went in 1982.
For those whose interest has been tickled:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_Cafe (basic info)
http://www.leopoldcafe.com/ (great homepage)
http://www.shantaram.com/ (An amazing, amazing site. If you have time to get through it all - I haven't yet - I'm sure you won't be disappointed. But if not, check out the fascinating author facts to learn in point form about his incredible past and admirable present. Was thrilled to see confirmation about the rumours I heard before leaving on my trip: he is currently working on a sequel to Shantaram!)
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18907.Gregory_David_Roberts (basic info)
http://ia.rediff.com/news/2004/nov/30inter.htm (out-dated but good article and interview)
Sat down for a deliciously sweet and refreshing cold coffee and what might be the best fruit salad I've ever had (papaya, green grapes, banana, watermelon and pineapple). From Haridwar, I wrote that I thought I might blend in a little more in Mumbai... mission accomplished! So many young westerners in Leopold's that if it weren't for the Indian staff and ceaseless honking outside (though shockingly, there's less here than where I've come from: only about 1 per second, rather than 5 or 6 overlapping at once) I could have been sitting in a cafe in the plateau. And out in the streets, it's the most multi-cultural place I've been yet (by Indian standards, at least). Very little staring, barely stand out at all :) I feel like I'm walking on clouds as I make my way down the streets, which are busy and crowded, but with calm, non-pushy vendors and tourists; and I glide gracefully and confidently through the oncoming traffic at chaotic intersections (where the street lights don't seem to make any sense at all) as if I'd been doing so for a lifetime. I have a strange and strong sensation of feeling at home here. And for a self-proclaimed non-city-girl, that's quite a statement! Must have spent significant time here in a past life ;)
My pace was often slowed as I passed by book street vendors, but I was strong enough to resist coming to a full stop. Went from Leopold's to an internet cafe, intending - again - to write a blog post, but getting through e-mails and facebook messages took even longer than usual since I didn't sign in yesterday. I've even started my healing working through e-mail. As people read through my accounts of physical, mental and spiritual growth and discoveries, some feel compelled to ask me for advice on all of these fronts. I could easily spend the better part of every day on internet, writing blog posts, answering e-mails about what's going on back home, organizing my Swati fund, giving sought-after advice, staying in the loop through quick scrolls down my facebook feed, researching my next destinations, planning trip details with those who are coming to meet up with me, starting research for all I want to get underway when back home, watching inspiring video links sent through e-mail and facebook, and keeping up with my finances through online banking (and there's probably plenty more I'm not thinking of right now). But please, don't by any means take this comment as a subtle message not to keep me posted with your e-mails, "therapy" requests, link sharing, or other. I absolutely love receiving and responding to all of these. It's just to say that I'm keeping myself uber-busy, what with web stuff and discovering India. My days are pleasantly packed, and I just wish they were longer! Maybe I can try sleeping less??
So, spent an hour and half at internet this morning, went back to Carlton's to gather my bags and check-out at noon, found my way back to India's, checked into a ultra-basic but nice room that I'll share with Blaire tonight, then walked back out to write this post at a different internet cafe... and I've been here for over 3 hours!!! (My OCD makes me re-read each post when I'm done typing - and remember, I'm a slow reader - to check for typos, edit vocab and fix or add details. Might save me some editor fees for my book!) Internet - along with everything else - is quite a bit more expensive here than in the north, so I kinda wish I had done the long photo-blog task from there! Well, I say everything's more expensive, but still so cheap by western standards.
Ok, I seriously thought this would be a quick and not too lengthy post, since it covers only about 10 hours of one day, but yet again, I've been carried away with words. (Possibly the longest post yet, I think.) I don't even want to think about how much time the account of yesterday will take me to write - and take you to read! As I prepare to click on the Publish Post tab, I'm realizing there's so much more about today that I forgot to include, but to let you get on with your day - and me with what's left of mine! - I'm going to wrap this up.
Coming up next, a photo-blog (soon, soon, I promise), and as soon as I figure out how to condense my 26 pages of notes on yesterday's travels into a reasonably-lengthed post (I do, after all, have to save a few details and surprises for the memoir, otherwise none of you will feel the urge to read it!), a description of my journey from Haridwar to Mumbai.
Can't stare at this screen any longer, so off to walk along the ocean waterfront for the first time, then dinner and a little relaxing before heading back through the busy streets for the hour-long ride to the airport, greeting Blaire who lands around midnight. I seriously hope she has some jet-lag to recover from, because after not much sleep last night, and going to bed in the wee hours of the morning tonight, I'm going to have some catching up to do myself.
Excited to see her! For those who don't know, Blaire is my 18-year-old (I think...) cousin from my mom's side of the family, who I haven't seen in about 8 years. Lots of catching up and fun times ahead I'm sure!
Signing out from Colaba district, on Arthur Bunder Road, a block away from the ocean!
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