Bangalore, The Last Stop in India
Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2006--Hyderabad to Bangalore (Cont.)
I walked to the Public Gardens, a nearby park to spend the afternoon after being on the Internet and then eating Chinese noodles again for lunch. I sat in the shade of a tree beside a lake and read from my present novel. For a while I visited with a young man who was also there. He said I was the first foreigner who had spoken to him. He said he had tried talking to foreigners before and that they wouldn't talk to him. My bet is that they thought he was trying to be a guide or to sell them something. Anyway, I'm glad it was a positive experience for him.
I returned to the hotel and got my luggage at 6:00. Then I was at the bus station at 6:10. The mini-van arrived at 6:35 and took us to the edge of town where we were met by the bus. It's not as impressive as it should be. First, it's not as new as they implied it would be. And second, there is no place for luggage except overhead or under the seat. Fortunately, my small suitcase just barely fit under the seat and left just a little leg room for me to sit okay. The man sitting in front of me is one of those who likes to move his seatback back as far as it will go and do it quickly without looking to see if it will create a problem. Of course, when it is that far back, there is hardly any room for me to maneuver.
The ride during the night was rough. I had hoped there might be a nice highway between Hyderabad and Bangalore, but there isn't. It's rough, bumpy, and generally miserable for those who have to travel over it.
Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2006--Bangalore
The night wasn't as bad as I had feared at the beginning. I slept some. And the hours passed. There were plenty of stops for the toilet, and we stopped once for a meal.
We arrived in Bangalore at 8 a.m. in the area near the train station and bus terminal. This is the area with the budget hotels, too. But the more active part of town is about 5 km east from there. Because hotels in India are on a 24-hour checkout system (meaning you have to check out at 8 a.m. if you check in at 8 a.m.), I wasn't in a hurry to check into a room. I decided to walk to the center of town and check out the hotels there that my guidebook recommended before deciding whether to stay there or to return to the train station area. It was a nice walk through a big park, by some impressive governmental buildings, through a newly developing area with fancy shops and office buildings, etc. But the hotel rooms were over-priced and depressing. I could tell they were quoting a price far higher than they could get for the rooms. And I didn't want to spend my last 6 days in a dark, dirty, depressing hotel room. I returned to the train station area.
It took 3 tries, but I found a nice hotel in that area that is quiet, clean, and bright. It's at the top of my budget range: 600 rupees ($13 U.S.). I checked in at 10:30. I immediately took a nap. About 1 p.m., I forced myself awake from a deep sleep. I went out to explore the neighborhood and to have lunch. I ate pav bhavi, the same vegetable mixture (red peppers, garlic, tomatoes, etc.) with buns warmed on the griddle, that I had a week or so ago at the tea shop in Bijapur. It was really garlicy this time!!
After lunch, I wandered the streets and found a cyber cafe. Then when I tried to find my way back, I realized I was lost. My map in my guidebook has this area on a big map showing most of the inner city. Therefore, there are no details; it shows only a few major streets. I guessed which way to come. When I thought I might be near, I asked someone for the street of my hotel, and I was only 3 blocks away.
When I went out in the evening, I concentrated to learning the neighborhood. I went to a Chinese restaurant I had seen in the afternoon. I ordered two things I had never eaten before: sour and pepper soup and chicken in green sauce (along with white rice). The soup was a rich, heavy broth with chicken, egg, shredded carrots, fresh parsley leaves, etc. It was delicious. The chicken dish was a little bland. But the sauce was made with fresh leaves of some kind. It was a dark, bright green sauce. I have no idea what the leaves were that gave it its color and taste.
I returned to the room for an early bedtime, because I was tired from lack of sleep on the bus last night. I watched a little TV. But I didn't stay up late.
Thursday, Nov. 30, 2006--Bangalore
I walked into the downtown area again today. Bangalore is nicer than most places in India. There are many stylish stores, restaurants, etc. The city itself has lots of green areas. There are no cows on the streets. There are nice sidewalks. And many of the intersections have pedestrian crossing lights--something very unusual in India.
I wanted to go to Lufthansa to get my seat assignment for my return flight home. I went to the street where their city office should be, but couldn't find it. I walked the steet twice. From there, I went to the tourist office and asked them for the address. All they had was the street where I had been. But then they called around and found that they only have an airport desk now. They called about 4 numbers trying to reach Lufthansa while I was there, and none worked. I had seen a Thai Airlines office yesterday, so I walked to there. They have given me another number which I will try tomorrow unless I decide to go to the airport on my own.
I stopped at an Italian place for lunch. I had Pizza a la Rustica. It was okay, but it wasn't anything special. It needed more seasoning, I think. But it was a clean, nice place.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Leaving for Bangalore
Leaving for Bangalore
Sunday, Nov. 26, 2006--Hyderabad (Cont.)
I got a call from Dominic, one of my Internet friends who has been communicating with me for quite a while. He said he and some of his friends were going out for the evening. He had to drop another friend off at the airport, so he asked if I could meet them at the entrance to the Public Gardens, a big park with museums near the government buildings. It's just a short distance from my hotel. I met them there at 8:30. We went from there to a nearby mall by motorcycle. On the way, I asked Dominic about his not wearing a helmet, since I have been reading about the new helmet law here in town. Just a moment later, a policemen pulled him over. It wasn't an "official" stop, it was one to get a bribe to let him go--a typical occurrence here in India. He had to pay 50 rupees (a little over $1) before we were allowed to continue to the mall.
The guys wanted to see a film, but all the ones Dominic was interested in seeing were already sold out. Here in India, there are huge crowds at cinemas, and it is common for the sign out front to say "Sold Out." Anyway, the four of us ate at a Subway there in the mall. It was a good sandwich--better than I have gotten when I have tried Subway in the U.S. It was filled with many more vegetables, and it didn't have the wedge cut which I hate; it was cut straight across the bun. Anyway, it was chicken terriyaki and was great. It was the Sunday night special at 50 rupees for a 6-inch sub.
The friends found two seats available for a movie they wanted to see, so Dominic and I set out on our own after exploring the mall. It's the most modern and fanciest here in Hyderabad. Still, it is small compared to malls in the U.S. Essentially, it was about 5 floors in a building with a footprint about the size of a small department store (a Mervyn's, for instance). It had shops on two levels, a multiplex cinema and game area on a third level, and an IMAX (the newest and largest in India). It also has features like a climbing wall so that people milling around waiting for their films can be entertained.
Dominic took me on a tour of Hyderabad and Secunderabad on his motorcycle. We went to the Old Quarter to see the Islamic-inspired architecture. We stopped at a popular ice cream shop that is open until 3 a.m. I had a 3 scoops of mango ice cream for 10 rupees (about 20 cents). He drove me out to Hi-Tech City to see the many new office buildings housing all the American and European companies that have service centers located here. It was an impressive area on the edge of town which reminded me of how the medical center was in San Antonio at the beginner. But in less than 10 years, this place has far more buildings and employs far more people than the medical center does. We went to Secunderabad after that; it's his hometown and was where the British established their military bases and lived during colonial times. We didn't get back to my hotel until 3 a.m.!
Monday, Nov. 27, 2006--Hyderabad
I slept until 11 a.m. with my earplugs in! I feel a little sluggish, but I'm really just passing time until I leave here so I was glad that the morning was already passed.
I ate Chinese noodles for lunch. I went to a small hole-in-the-wall I had seen before called the Shanghai Express. It's a small storefront place. The cook has a wooden cooking station which is stored inside the storefront during the night. Then it is pulled onto the sidewalk during the daytime. He has a big wok and offers only noodles or rice with the same seasonings--cabbage, carrots, spices, and dried tomato chunks. A plate costs 15 rupees (about 33 cents). It was spicy and good. Inside the storefront are small plastic stools where one sits to eat. There's room for about 8 people, and it was full with the seats turning over constantly as people finished and left. He has a very successful small business. I may go back there again.
I didn't post to the blog although I was online today. I had a very slow connection. The problem, I think, is that too many people were online in the shop trying to use ONE modem line. The cyber cafes here in Hyderabad are not as nice as the ones where I have been elsewhere. Often they are just local shops that also provide other business services. They have one high-speed line for the Internet and 3-5 computers hooked up to it.
I finished reading Soul Mountain by Gao Xingjian in the evening. Although it won the Nobel Prize for literature, I was disappointed in it. Although supposedly a novel, it was more like a collection of essays and short stories. Each provided interesting information about customs, myths, localities, etc., but the lack of a continuous story made it seem like a long, less interesting book than I wanted to be reading. I gave it 2 1/2 stars out of 4. I think he was honored with the prize more for the fact that the Chinese government was unhappy with his writings than for the quality of that book as literature.
Dominic came at 10:00 and picked me up. He wasn't supposed to report to work until 1 a.m., so we went out for ice cream and were going to spend more time together until he had to leave. Unfortunately, one of his supervisors called him just as we were served our ice cream. (I had fig this time; he had pistachio.) Apparently, there had been a miscommunication about his working hours. One supervisor had told him to come to work at 1:00 rather than at the usual earlier time, because he had been there in the morning at 10:00 for a training session and would be attending another training session tomorrow at 10:00 after finishing his night of work. Anyway, this supervisor wanted to know why he wasn't at work. (He apparently hadn't read the messages that had been sent to him.) To settle it, Dominic had to leave and go to work. He was frustrated. It just served as a reminder to me that it is much better to be retired than to be an employee!! I went back to my hotel and got to bed at a decent hour.
Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2006--Hyderabad to Bangalore
Well, today is the day I leave for Bangalore, my last stop in India on this trip. My bus isn't until 6:30 p.m., however. I checked out of the hotel at 11:00 and paid them to keep my luggage until 6:00. I am spending the day just waiting for the time to go to the bus station. I've been on the Internet for a couple of hours. I will go have lunch. I have started a new book, so I will probably go to the Public Gardens and sit and read a big part of the afternoon. Then there will be the long night of the miserable bus trip ahead of me. My ticket, however, is for a modern, a/c bus with only 3 seats--1 on one side of the aisle and 2 on the other. I have one of the single seats reserved so that no one will be beside me.
My flight to Copenhagen departs a week from tonight. And I will be back in Texas a week from LAST night. The trip is finally coming to a close. I'm looking forward to the few days of seeing everyone in Copenhagen. And I am really looking forward to being back in Texas. I need to be sure not to plan more than about a month in any one country and not to plan more than about 3 months to be away at a time in the future. Next summer, I already will break those rules, but it should be better. I will be in Indonesia for 6 weeks, but that should be much easier than being in India. And I will probably be gone for about 4 months again. When I plan future trips, however, I will try to adjust to the new plan.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Quiet Days
Quiet Days
Saturday, Nov. 25, 2006--Hyderabad
Zubeen, one of my Internet contacts who have helped me plan my travel, met me in the evening yesterday. He works for Dell Computer here. We had a nice, long conversation. He is a Muslim and comes from a family that used to be royalty here in India. He has a great personality and smiles with his eyes. I think we both enjoyed the evening.
Today, I have felt tired. I went to the train station in the morning to try to get a ticket to Bangalore on the night train. I gave up after a while. Train reservations are so disorganized here. First, one must fill out a reservation form that includes the number of the train, the name of the train, the date wanted, the class of service wanted, your name and address, etc. Then you wait in a long line with people always trying to cut in ahead of you. When you get to the window, if that particular request is unavailable for any reason, then you must fill out another form (for another class of service, for a different date, for a different train, etc.) and do it all over over again. No one will work with you to investigate possibilities and then tell you what is available: that they can get you a sleeper on that train, but not in an air conditioned car, for instance. I was sent to a second window because the first man didn't want to deal with a foreigner. Then from that window, I was sent to a third one. AT that window, I was told I was on waiting list 5 and should go back to the second window. That window was restricted to foriegners and group purchasers. Well, 4 men were in front of me from travel agencies making huge group purchases that were taking about 20 minutes each. I just left out of frustration. It won't be as confortable, but I will just try to get a night bus for Tuesday.
I went back to my hotel along a long route. I stopped at a bakery and had a horrible pizza. The cheese was like a white version of Cheese Whiz, and the chicken topping was strange tasting. By the time I got to the hotel, I was tired. I fell into a deep sleep for about 2 hours.
I worried that I wouldn't sleep at night after that. I stayed in the room except for going to eat quickly in the evening. But around 10:30, I was tired and fell asleep easily and slept the whole night.
Saturday, Nov. 25, 2006--Hyderabad
Zubeen, one of my Internet contacts who have helped me plan my travel, met me in the evening yesterday. He works for Dell Computer here. We had a nice, long conversation. He is a Muslim and comes from a family that used to be royalty here in India. He has a great personality and smiles with his eyes. I think we both enjoyed the evening.
Today, I have felt tired. I went to the train station in the morning to try to get a ticket to Bangalore on the night train. I gave up after a while. Train reservations are so disorganized here. First, one must fill out a reservation form that includes the number of the train, the name of the train, the date wanted, the class of service wanted, your name and address, etc. Then you wait in a long line with people always trying to cut in ahead of you. When you get to the window, if that particular request is unavailable for any reason, then you must fill out another form (for another class of service, for a different date, for a different train, etc.) and do it all over over again. No one will work with you to investigate possibilities and then tell you what is available: that they can get you a sleeper on that train, but not in an air conditioned car, for instance. I was sent to a second window because the first man didn't want to deal with a foreigner. Then from that window, I was sent to a third one. AT that window, I was told I was on waiting list 5 and should go back to the second window. That window was restricted to foriegners and group purchasers. Well, 4 men were in front of me from travel agencies making huge group purchases that were taking about 20 minutes each. I just left out of frustration. It won't be as confortable, but I will just try to get a night bus for Tuesday.
I went back to my hotel along a long route. I stopped at a bakery and had a horrible pizza. The cheese was like a white version of Cheese Whiz, and the chicken topping was strange tasting. By the time I got to the hotel, I was tired. I fell into a deep sleep for about 2 hours.
I worried that I wouldn't sleep at night after that. I stayed in the room except for going to eat quickly in the evening. But around 10:30, I was tired and fell asleep easily and slept the whole night.
Friday, November 24, 2006
Hyderabad
Thursday, Nov. 23, 2006--Bidar to Hyderabad
Hyderabad is very conjested. It took forever to get into town after reaching the edge of the city. Out on the edge are many new apartment buildings and buildings for hi-tech industries. This is one of the top 2-3 cities in India for the American companies that have out-sourced their IT business.
I had trouble getting a hotel. I stopped at a place that I had seen on the Internet for 550 rupees and that one of my travel website correspondents had told me would be about 500 rupees. Well, when they saw me they immediately wanted 800. The place didn't look nice enough to be more than 400, so I walked away without even looking at a room. I went around the corner to a place that is new and looks much like the places where I have been staying for 250-600 rupees. The first thing out of his mouth when I asked how much a room for one person would be was, "What country are you from?" That told me he was going to give an inflated price, and he did: 1500 rupees! I walked from there to the Abids section of town which my guidebook says is the center of the budget hotels for backpackers. I went to one I had selected from the guidebook and got a room for 495 rupees, but I didn't really like the room. It was dark and depressing, and the TV was too small too far from the bed. I was tired, however, and just wanted a place for the night at a decent rate.
I walked back to a restaurant I had passed on the way to the hotel and ordered what I saw another diner having. It was a steamed mound of meal (cornmeal?) with vgetables in it. It reminded me of mofongo (spelling?) from Puerto Rico without the seafood inside it. It was tasty. I should have ordered a second one, since it was rather small, but I didn't because it was already about 3 p.m. and I knew I would eat dinner within 4-5 hours.
I broke down and did something that I seldom do in the U.S. I went to McDonald's for dinner. I was just craving anything that was different from what I have been eating. They have no beef on the menu, so I ordered a value meal with a grilled chicken burger. Then I ordered a second grilled chicken burger, since they were so small--only about 3 inches in diameter (a little bigger than a Krystal's burger, but only about half the size of a normal U.S. burger). I got all that (including the medium fries and medium drink that came with the value meal) for 90 rupees--$1.93. The grilled chicken burger was interesting. The patty was thin and orangish in color. It had a spicy green sauce, tomato, and onion inside the bun with it. I wolfed it all down and was sorry that the medium drink was so small!
I don't feel well tonight. I'm very tired. The trip to town with all the traffic was stressful. So was trying to follow our path through the city on my guidebook map so I could get off at the right spot without going all the way to the bus station. Add to that the hotels trying to take advantage of the "rich" American and the fact that I actually considered just leaving town if hotel rooms were going to be so expensive, and it exhausted me. In addition to feeling tired, there is a slight flu-like ache in the bones. Hope I will be okay after a night of sleep.
Friday, Nov. 24, 2006--Hyderabad
I switched to another hotel this morning. I found an alternative place just about 4 blocks from where I am staying. The room is a little brighter. And the price is only 60% of what I was paying. It's still not what I would prefer, but it is better.
I walked to the Old Quarter of town. My guidebook map is so poor that I got lost on my way and crossed a bridge that was 3 bridges away from where I intended to be. But it was easy to ask for help and head the right direction.
I stopped at a local Arabic restaurant for lunch and had mutton masala. It was chunks of mutton (without bones, thank goodness, since mutton here often is not without them) in a spicy green sauce. I ate it with a piece of roti bread (like a big, round flour tortilla). It was nice and different from what I have been having and really filled me up.
I finally found the center of the Old Quarter. It, like areas in the last two cities I visited, had a very Middle Eastern feel. Almost all the people there are Muslims. And the architecture of the buildings is very Islamic in general with pointed arches, geometric stone grillwork, etc. I saw the Charminar (the "gate" of Hyderabad--a large arch in the middle of the roadway done in Islamic-style and providing a high viewpoint for looking over the city), a couple of old mosques, an old hospital, the court buildings, etc. There's a lot of character in the area.
It's now late in the afternoon and I will return to my hotel and relax. I have communicated with some people here via my travel sites, so I hope to hear from 1-2 of them while I am in town. One in particular, Dominic, a computer company professional, and I have communicated a lot.
Thursday, Nov. 23, 2006--Bidar to Hyderabad
Hyderabad is very conjested. It took forever to get into town after reaching the edge of the city. Out on the edge are many new apartment buildings and buildings for hi-tech industries. This is one of the top 2-3 cities in India for the American companies that have out-sourced their IT business.
I had trouble getting a hotel. I stopped at a place that I had seen on the Internet for 550 rupees and that one of my travel website correspondents had told me would be about 500 rupees. Well, when they saw me they immediately wanted 800. The place didn't look nice enough to be more than 400, so I walked away without even looking at a room. I went around the corner to a place that is new and looks much like the places where I have been staying for 250-600 rupees. The first thing out of his mouth when I asked how much a room for one person would be was, "What country are you from?" That told me he was going to give an inflated price, and he did: 1500 rupees! I walked from there to the Abids section of town which my guidebook says is the center of the budget hotels for backpackers. I went to one I had selected from the guidebook and got a room for 495 rupees, but I didn't really like the room. It was dark and depressing, and the TV was too small too far from the bed. I was tired, however, and just wanted a place for the night at a decent rate.
I walked back to a restaurant I had passed on the way to the hotel and ordered what I saw another diner having. It was a steamed mound of meal (cornmeal?) with vgetables in it. It reminded me of mofongo (spelling?) from Puerto Rico without the seafood inside it. It was tasty. I should have ordered a second one, since it was rather small, but I didn't because it was already about 3 p.m. and I knew I would eat dinner within 4-5 hours.
I broke down and did something that I seldom do in the U.S. I went to McDonald's for dinner. I was just craving anything that was different from what I have been eating. They have no beef on the menu, so I ordered a value meal with a grilled chicken burger. Then I ordered a second grilled chicken burger, since they were so small--only about 3 inches in diameter (a little bigger than a Krystal's burger, but only about half the size of a normal U.S. burger). I got all that (including the medium fries and medium drink that came with the value meal) for 90 rupees--$1.93. The grilled chicken burger was interesting. The patty was thin and orangish in color. It had a spicy green sauce, tomato, and onion inside the bun with it. I wolfed it all down and was sorry that the medium drink was so small!
I don't feel well tonight. I'm very tired. The trip to town with all the traffic was stressful. So was trying to follow our path through the city on my guidebook map so I could get off at the right spot without going all the way to the bus station. Add to that the hotels trying to take advantage of the "rich" American and the fact that I actually considered just leaving town if hotel rooms were going to be so expensive, and it exhausted me. In addition to feeling tired, there is a slight flu-like ache in the bones. Hope I will be okay after a night of sleep.
Friday, Nov. 24, 2006--Hyderabad
I switched to another hotel this morning. I found an alternative place just about 4 blocks from where I am staying. The room is a little brighter. And the price is only 60% of what I was paying. It's still not what I would prefer, but it is better.
I walked to the Old Quarter of town. My guidebook map is so poor that I got lost on my way and crossed a bridge that was 3 bridges away from where I intended to be. But it was easy to ask for help and head the right direction.
I stopped at a local Arabic restaurant for lunch and had mutton masala. It was chunks of mutton (without bones, thank goodness, since mutton here often is not without them) in a spicy green sauce. I ate it with a piece of roti bread (like a big, round flour tortilla). It was nice and different from what I have been having and really filled me up.
I finally found the center of the Old Quarter. It, like areas in the last two cities I visited, had a very Middle Eastern feel. Almost all the people there are Muslims. And the architecture of the buildings is very Islamic in general with pointed arches, geometric stone grillwork, etc. I saw the Charminar (the "gate" of Hyderabad--a large arch in the middle of the roadway done in Islamic-style and providing a high viewpoint for looking over the city), a couple of old mosques, an old hospital, the court buildings, etc. There's a lot of character in the area.
It's now late in the afternoon and I will return to my hotel and relax. I have communicated with some people here via my travel sites, so I hope to hear from 1-2 of them while I am in town. One in particular, Dominic, a computer company professional, and I have communicated a lot.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Fantastic Fort
Fantastic Fort
Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2006--Bidar (Cont.)
I spent the rest of the day at my hotel yesterday. Unfortunately, the cable TV has only one movie channel, so I didn't watch much TV. Instead, I read a lot in my current novel from China that I am reading.
I did go out to eat dinner at the hotel underneath my hotel. I wandered the area and didn't find anywhere better to choose. I had vegetable fried rice, and it was good with lots of peppers in it. Afterwards, I walked across the street to a juice bar and had a pineapple juice for dessert.
Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2006--Bidar
I have developed a bad problem lately. It seems that I awaken in the early morning (maybe 3-4 a.m.) and my mind starts racing through plans and ideas. I have a problem going back to sleep. Fortunately, I do fall asleep again, but it is frustrating when I and lying there wanting to sleep and can't get relaxed to do so. I thought I might avoid it last night, since I only slept about 5 hours the night before. I went to bed at 10 p.m. and was very tired. But it happened again. I did fall back to sleep, however, and it was 8 a.m. before I awakened again. I felt very rested even if I did have the moment when I was awake sometime during the night.
My sightseeing this morning brought a surprise. My guidebook had recommended coming here, but it hadn't rated it as highly as it had Bijapur. Well, the old fort here is better than the ruins at Bijapur. It is a massive fort with intact walls around it. There are multiple moats and a twisting entrance that used to have a draw bridge. Once inside, there are also lots of standing buildings and ruins of others. It's quite impressive. Here are more photos.
I visited with lots of people today, too. Two brothers on bicycles befriended me and walked with me for a while. Some art students inside the fort doing water color paintings were friendly. While I was in the fort, the way I entered was closed and locked. I approached some other men who seemed to be studying and asked how to get out. They were secondary education students planning to teach mathematics. One of them took me on his motorcycle back outside the walls. And at least 2 shop owners stopped me and talked to me as I wandered through the old town which reminds me as much of Egypt as it does any place I have visited in India. That's due to all the Islamic-style architecture and all the men wearing their Muslim caps.
Another beautiful building I saw here is the Madrasa of Mahmud Gawan from 1472. It used to be covered in colorful tiles, and a few are still there--enough to give an idea of how impressive it must have been when first built.
I ate idly (thick, spongy pancakes) with sauces for lunch and had another of those lime juices that tastes like a margarita. I think I will go back to the same place for dinner, too. In the meantime, I will spend the afternoon at my hotel now. I will read the newspaper that was placed under the door this morning, watch BBC News, read from my novel, and maybe watch a film or TV program.
To those of you in the United States, Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow!
Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2006--Bidar (Cont.)
I spent the rest of the day at my hotel yesterday. Unfortunately, the cable TV has only one movie channel, so I didn't watch much TV. Instead, I read a lot in my current novel from China that I am reading.
I did go out to eat dinner at the hotel underneath my hotel. I wandered the area and didn't find anywhere better to choose. I had vegetable fried rice, and it was good with lots of peppers in it. Afterwards, I walked across the street to a juice bar and had a pineapple juice for dessert.
Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2006--Bidar
I have developed a bad problem lately. It seems that I awaken in the early morning (maybe 3-4 a.m.) and my mind starts racing through plans and ideas. I have a problem going back to sleep. Fortunately, I do fall asleep again, but it is frustrating when I and lying there wanting to sleep and can't get relaxed to do so. I thought I might avoid it last night, since I only slept about 5 hours the night before. I went to bed at 10 p.m. and was very tired. But it happened again. I did fall back to sleep, however, and it was 8 a.m. before I awakened again. I felt very rested even if I did have the moment when I was awake sometime during the night.
My sightseeing this morning brought a surprise. My guidebook had recommended coming here, but it hadn't rated it as highly as it had Bijapur. Well, the old fort here is better than the ruins at Bijapur. It is a massive fort with intact walls around it. There are multiple moats and a twisting entrance that used to have a draw bridge. Once inside, there are also lots of standing buildings and ruins of others. It's quite impressive. Here are more photos.
I visited with lots of people today, too. Two brothers on bicycles befriended me and walked with me for a while. Some art students inside the fort doing water color paintings were friendly. While I was in the fort, the way I entered was closed and locked. I approached some other men who seemed to be studying and asked how to get out. They were secondary education students planning to teach mathematics. One of them took me on his motorcycle back outside the walls. And at least 2 shop owners stopped me and talked to me as I wandered through the old town which reminds me as much of Egypt as it does any place I have visited in India. That's due to all the Islamic-style architecture and all the men wearing their Muslim caps.
Another beautiful building I saw here is the Madrasa of Mahmud Gawan from 1472. It used to be covered in colorful tiles, and a few are still there--enough to give an idea of how impressive it must have been when first built.
I ate idly (thick, spongy pancakes) with sauces for lunch and had another of those lime juices that tastes like a margarita. I think I will go back to the same place for dinner, too. In the meantime, I will spend the afternoon at my hotel now. I will read the newspaper that was placed under the door this morning, watch BBC News, read from my novel, and maybe watch a film or TV program.
To those of you in the United States, Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow!
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Moving On
Moving On
Monday, Nov. 20, 2006--Gulbarga (Cont.)
I ate a mini-meals at one of the vegetarian restaurants for lunch. That's just the wording used here for the set luncheon plate. It had rice and about 4 sauces. It was good and filling. Then for dinner, I ate at the Garden Restaurant at my hotel. I had vegetable fried noodles which I seasoned with both soy sauce and green chile sauce. Then I followed that with a thick, rich banana shake. Ummm.
Had an interesting visit with several of the guys who work at my hotel when I returned. There was a reason for it; I could tell that they try to be friendly to the foreigners in hopes of getting a nice tip. Of course, they HOPE that someone will just hand them a bundle of dollars and solve all their problems. But they are nice guys, and they weren't pushy about talking about how difficult things are for them financially. It's obvious that they are poor, however; they wear rather worn clothing. What surprised me was their ages. I knew they were young, but I just figured they were young college boys. Instead, they represented three grade levels in school--one in Standard 8, one in Standard 9, and one in Standard 10. They were 14, 15, and 16 years old respectively. What a shock to find that out. India has a new child labor protection law. But they are good about passing laws that sound good and then never enforcing them here. And those laws were passed because kids were missing school. These guys work and sleep at the hotel and then leave at 10 a.m. for school each day. I don't imagine the law covers child labor in that case. Anyway, they asked about where I had visited. I showed them on the map. Then they told me places I still should go. Finally, we took some photos of me with each of them and them in groups. I promised to send them copies when I get home.
Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2006--Gulbarga to Bidar
I thought I would get out of the hotel this morning before the boys saw me. But two of them were already at work in the hallway when I left my room around 6:45. They rushed to help me carry everything downstairs. They were so pleased when I gave each of them 10 rupees for helping me. That's just 21 cents U.S., but this is a country where even a teacher is lucky to make $100 a month.
The roadway was nice all the way from Gulbarga to Bidar. What a relief. It even had striping!! We made the trip so much faster than we would have on the types of roads I've been encountering.
My guidebook had warned me that there are no nice hotels here in Bidar. I found a decent one, though. It's not as nice as where I have been staying, and it costs more. But it's still reasonable. And it is cleaner than some places where I have stayed. It's near the bus station, so it will be easy to leave when it is time to move on to Hyderabad in a couple of days. But it is far from town. It takes quite a walk to get to the walled city. I explored part of it around noon, but I could feel the heat and decided to postpone any more exploration until tomorrow morning.
I returned to the area of the hotel and had a paper dosa (very thin and crispy with two sauces) for lunch along with a lemon juice. I asked for a sweet juice, but they brought me the salty version. It was a surprise. It tasted like a margarita without the tequila. In other words, it tasted like most margaritas that one gets when ordering in a bar or restaurant since they tend not to put enough tequila to make a difference anymore. It was delicious considering that it cost me just 21 cents.
Oh, my hotel is owned by Hindus. There are some rules posted on the wall in the lobby: Absolutely no alcohol to be brought onto the premises. No card playing on the premises. No non-vegetarian food to be consumed on the premises.
Monday, Nov. 20, 2006--Gulbarga (Cont.)
I ate a mini-meals at one of the vegetarian restaurants for lunch. That's just the wording used here for the set luncheon plate. It had rice and about 4 sauces. It was good and filling. Then for dinner, I ate at the Garden Restaurant at my hotel. I had vegetable fried noodles which I seasoned with both soy sauce and green chile sauce. Then I followed that with a thick, rich banana shake. Ummm.
Had an interesting visit with several of the guys who work at my hotel when I returned. There was a reason for it; I could tell that they try to be friendly to the foreigners in hopes of getting a nice tip. Of course, they HOPE that someone will just hand them a bundle of dollars and solve all their problems. But they are nice guys, and they weren't pushy about talking about how difficult things are for them financially. It's obvious that they are poor, however; they wear rather worn clothing. What surprised me was their ages. I knew they were young, but I just figured they were young college boys. Instead, they represented three grade levels in school--one in Standard 8, one in Standard 9, and one in Standard 10. They were 14, 15, and 16 years old respectively. What a shock to find that out. India has a new child labor protection law. But they are good about passing laws that sound good and then never enforcing them here. And those laws were passed because kids were missing school. These guys work and sleep at the hotel and then leave at 10 a.m. for school each day. I don't imagine the law covers child labor in that case. Anyway, they asked about where I had visited. I showed them on the map. Then they told me places I still should go. Finally, we took some photos of me with each of them and them in groups. I promised to send them copies when I get home.
Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2006--Gulbarga to Bidar
I thought I would get out of the hotel this morning before the boys saw me. But two of them were already at work in the hallway when I left my room around 6:45. They rushed to help me carry everything downstairs. They were so pleased when I gave each of them 10 rupees for helping me. That's just 21 cents U.S., but this is a country where even a teacher is lucky to make $100 a month.
The roadway was nice all the way from Gulbarga to Bidar. What a relief. It even had striping!! We made the trip so much faster than we would have on the types of roads I've been encountering.
My guidebook had warned me that there are no nice hotels here in Bidar. I found a decent one, though. It's not as nice as where I have been staying, and it costs more. But it's still reasonable. And it is cleaner than some places where I have stayed. It's near the bus station, so it will be easy to leave when it is time to move on to Hyderabad in a couple of days. But it is far from town. It takes quite a walk to get to the walled city. I explored part of it around noon, but I could feel the heat and decided to postpone any more exploration until tomorrow morning.
I returned to the area of the hotel and had a paper dosa (very thin and crispy with two sauces) for lunch along with a lemon juice. I asked for a sweet juice, but they brought me the salty version. It was a surprise. It tasted like a margarita without the tequila. In other words, it tasted like most margaritas that one gets when ordering in a bar or restaurant since they tend not to put enough tequila to make a difference anymore. It was delicious considering that it cost me just 21 cents.
Oh, my hotel is owned by Hindus. There are some rules posted on the wall in the lobby: Absolutely no alcohol to be brought onto the premises. No card playing on the premises. No non-vegetarian food to be consumed on the premises.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Slow Days
Slow Days
Saturday, Nov. 18, 2006--Bijapur (Cont.)
Today is 3 months since the date that I left Texas.
I had trouble with the cyber cafe. One of the websites where I communicate with people about travel planning wasn't working. Every time I tried to send a message to someone, the screen would close. I had that problem in Vietnam, and just figured that the Communist government had decided that was a site it didn't want its citizens being able to access. But this is the first time it has happened here in India.
I met some nice young men just around the corner from my hotel. They were all medical students at the ayurvedic college. Ayurvedic is the Indian form of holistic medicine. It depends on massage, oils, herbs, etc. They were all on their lunch break with nothing to do, so they were eager to have me stop and visit with them. They all spoke English quite well and looked nice in their white shirts and red ties with blue slacks.
I went back to the local tea shop for both lunch and dinner. For lunch, I had a seasoned rice. It came with a dark, thick sauce that looked like chili. It was very spicy and was good with the rice. It also came with a yogurt-tomato-onion salad. All of that cost me 19 cents. I spent another 19 cents for a lime flavored soft drink. For dinner, I had Gobi Manchurian. It was pieces of cauliflower and broccoli that had been cooked so they were coated with a thick, spicy, dark red covering. On the side was catsup to dip the pieces in. It, too, was delicious.
Sunday, Nov. 19, 2006--Bijapur to Gulbarga
The trip was so promising when it started. The roadway was wide and smooth and even had striping on it. But that only lasted about 1/3 of the way. The rest of the trip was more like what I have been used to here in India--old, rough, pot-holed, one-lane roadways. It was a jarring trip that rest of the way.
Gulbarga was a bit of a surprise. First, there was a new bus station that was in a different location from where the guidebook had shown we would arrive. Fortunately, it was on a major road which was marked on the guidebook map. Second, the town is very spread out. It is more like a town in the western part of the U.S. in which walking is not very practical. But I did walk. I rolled my suitcase behind me as I headed into town. I passed a few lodges that didn't look good enough on the outside to satisfy me. I stopped at one and was quoted a rediculous price of 300 rupees for a room that I wouldn't pay more than 150 rupees to occupy (and still wouldn't want to stay there because of it being dark, dirty, and depressing). I saw a lodge that looked okay at a major intersection and looked at it. It was about like where I have been staying, but it was 50 rupees more. So I left just to look around some more. I quickly decided that it would be the best place for me and returned. It really is a nice place--nicer in some respects than others. And it is a good bargain at $5.40 per night. So I am staying there and am happy with it. The boys who provide the room service are a little aggressive--stopping by to see if I want to order food for each meal, checking to see if I want to have laundry done--but it's not really a problem.
I ate at the hotel's dining room for lunch. It had a good crowd, so I figured it was a good place to eat. I had one of my old stand-bys--palak paneer (spinach and cheese) with naan. Then I stayed in the room the rest of the afternoon and watched TV and read in my book. The town was too spread out for me to want to explore it in the heat of the day. In the evening, I just went next door to a bakery and bought two samosas (pillows of dough stuffed with a potato-onion mixture and accompanied by a slightly sweet sauce and two chili peppers) and two kinds of pastries. I took them back to the room to eat them.
Monday, Nov. 20, 2006--Gulbarga
Well, it's been a long morning of walking. I left the hotel around 8 a.m. and walked along a roadway that curved to the eastern side of town where there are several large tombs. The local people (Muslims) were all very friendly. They seemed surprised that I am an American traveling alone and that I have never liked George W. Bush and have never voted for him. They seemed almost proud that I was walking through the small walkways among their homes.
From the tombs, I went to the fort at the center of town. The walls are still there, but inside the walls, not much stands. There is a huge fortress-type building inside. And there is an unbelievably large mosque with many domes inside. That's about it. People have homes and are raising goats and other animals in there. It was interesting to see, however.
There are more tombs west of the fort, but I didn't go to see those. I could see them in the distance from the top of the fortress, and they didn't look as if they would be different enough for me to want to make the walk. By then, it was already almost noon. Instead, I went to a juice stand and had a creamy, delicious pineapple juice. Then I came here to the cyber cafe.
The internet service here is having a problem with their Google connection. It doesn't take me to the sites I want to use as a link so you can read about Gulbarga and/or see photos of it. Therefore, I could not provide any links. So if you are interested, you need to do your own search for it. Here is a website that ought to work but doesn't on this computer: www.karnataka.com/tourism/gulbarga/
Saturday, Nov. 18, 2006--Bijapur (Cont.)
Today is 3 months since the date that I left Texas.
I had trouble with the cyber cafe. One of the websites where I communicate with people about travel planning wasn't working. Every time I tried to send a message to someone, the screen would close. I had that problem in Vietnam, and just figured that the Communist government had decided that was a site it didn't want its citizens being able to access. But this is the first time it has happened here in India.
I met some nice young men just around the corner from my hotel. They were all medical students at the ayurvedic college. Ayurvedic is the Indian form of holistic medicine. It depends on massage, oils, herbs, etc. They were all on their lunch break with nothing to do, so they were eager to have me stop and visit with them. They all spoke English quite well and looked nice in their white shirts and red ties with blue slacks.
I went back to the local tea shop for both lunch and dinner. For lunch, I had a seasoned rice. It came with a dark, thick sauce that looked like chili. It was very spicy and was good with the rice. It also came with a yogurt-tomato-onion salad. All of that cost me 19 cents. I spent another 19 cents for a lime flavored soft drink. For dinner, I had Gobi Manchurian. It was pieces of cauliflower and broccoli that had been cooked so they were coated with a thick, spicy, dark red covering. On the side was catsup to dip the pieces in. It, too, was delicious.
Sunday, Nov. 19, 2006--Bijapur to Gulbarga
The trip was so promising when it started. The roadway was wide and smooth and even had striping on it. But that only lasted about 1/3 of the way. The rest of the trip was more like what I have been used to here in India--old, rough, pot-holed, one-lane roadways. It was a jarring trip that rest of the way.
Gulbarga was a bit of a surprise. First, there was a new bus station that was in a different location from where the guidebook had shown we would arrive. Fortunately, it was on a major road which was marked on the guidebook map. Second, the town is very spread out. It is more like a town in the western part of the U.S. in which walking is not very practical. But I did walk. I rolled my suitcase behind me as I headed into town. I passed a few lodges that didn't look good enough on the outside to satisfy me. I stopped at one and was quoted a rediculous price of 300 rupees for a room that I wouldn't pay more than 150 rupees to occupy (and still wouldn't want to stay there because of it being dark, dirty, and depressing). I saw a lodge that looked okay at a major intersection and looked at it. It was about like where I have been staying, but it was 50 rupees more. So I left just to look around some more. I quickly decided that it would be the best place for me and returned. It really is a nice place--nicer in some respects than others. And it is a good bargain at $5.40 per night. So I am staying there and am happy with it. The boys who provide the room service are a little aggressive--stopping by to see if I want to order food for each meal, checking to see if I want to have laundry done--but it's not really a problem.
I ate at the hotel's dining room for lunch. It had a good crowd, so I figured it was a good place to eat. I had one of my old stand-bys--palak paneer (spinach and cheese) with naan. Then I stayed in the room the rest of the afternoon and watched TV and read in my book. The town was too spread out for me to want to explore it in the heat of the day. In the evening, I just went next door to a bakery and bought two samosas (pillows of dough stuffed with a potato-onion mixture and accompanied by a slightly sweet sauce and two chili peppers) and two kinds of pastries. I took them back to the room to eat them.
Monday, Nov. 20, 2006--Gulbarga
Well, it's been a long morning of walking. I left the hotel around 8 a.m. and walked along a roadway that curved to the eastern side of town where there are several large tombs. The local people (Muslims) were all very friendly. They seemed surprised that I am an American traveling alone and that I have never liked George W. Bush and have never voted for him. They seemed almost proud that I was walking through the small walkways among their homes.
From the tombs, I went to the fort at the center of town. The walls are still there, but inside the walls, not much stands. There is a huge fortress-type building inside. And there is an unbelievably large mosque with many domes inside. That's about it. People have homes and are raising goats and other animals in there. It was interesting to see, however.
There are more tombs west of the fort, but I didn't go to see those. I could see them in the distance from the top of the fortress, and they didn't look as if they would be different enough for me to want to make the walk. By then, it was already almost noon. Instead, I went to a juice stand and had a creamy, delicious pineapple juice. Then I came here to the cyber cafe.
The internet service here is having a problem with their Google connection. It doesn't take me to the sites I want to use as a link so you can read about Gulbarga and/or see photos of it. Therefore, I could not provide any links. So if you are interested, you need to do your own search for it. Here is a website that ought to work but doesn't on this computer: www.karnataka.com/tourism/gulbarga/
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Passing Time
Passing Time
Thursday, Nov. 16, 2006--Hospit (Cont.)
There is a wonderful juice place 2 blocks from my hotel. It has anywhere from 5-10 customers at any given time, so others realize it is good, too. I stopped there this afternoon and decided to try something different. A man was having a dark red drink, so I asked him what it was. It was grape. So I ordered that. It was so tasty. Then I saw that the apple juices were thick with pulp, so I returned in the evening after I ate dinner and ordered an apple juice. I asked them to leave out the sugar, and that was a mistake. It was okay, but it would have had much more flavor with sugar in it.
I went back to the same restaurant for dinner where I had eaten the night before. This time, I tried their rice biriyani. It was good with cashews and lots of vegetables. And it came with a side salad of tomatoes and onions in yogurt. I was so hungry that I gulped it down.
Friday, Nov. 17, 2006--Hospet to Bijapur
There are the cutest boys who sell newspapers at the bus station in Hospet. I talked to a couple fo them yesterday morning before going to Hampi, and one of them was there this morning as I waited for my bus. They are both about 11 years old. Ahmit told me yesterday that he leaves home at 4 a.m. to come sell papers. Then he goes to school starting at 10:00. He and the other boy both speak English so well because of their experiences of talking with foreigners (and probably because he also reads the English papers he sells). And Ahmit had a nice sense of humor, too. After he asked me the typical question of what country "is my native place," I asked him the same. He said, "France." When I said, "So you speak French," he started jabbering in French making it obvious that he speaks it as well as he does English. There's no telling what other languages he speaks. Probably German, too. Both boys were clean and neat with their hair slicked down into place. They are the kinds of kids that one wishes there was a way to help. Instead of begging for pens, chewing gum, rupees, or whatever they might get free, they are working and going to school. They were both nice when I told them that my hotel had the newspaper already. And both of them rushed back up to me when my buses arrived to tell me that this one was the bus I wanted.
The further northward I go, the poorer things seem. People seem less clean and wear clothes that are definitely dirtier and more worn than people in the South. Also, many people are living in fields in tent structures made of either plastic or palm fronds. The poorest houses in the South are at least houses with wovan cane walls.
Bijapur is an old walled city with lots of mosques and, therefore, lots of Muslims. Most of the walls around the city are still in good condition. My bus entered through one of the old one-lane-wide gates. I found a nice hotel that is fairly new. Then I went out exploring. Unfortunately, the two main sites to see here have implemented the now traditional Indian custom of gouging the tourists through admission prices for foreigners that are 20 times what the locals pay. I've now gotten to the point where it has become a principle with me. I just walked away from both places. My life will be a good one whether I ever see the insides of such places or not. I just refuse to submit to this form of cultural rape. Imagine if an Indian walked up to a museum in San Antonio and it said Locals $7; Foreigners $140!
For lunch I ate a thali plate. It was good with chipati flat bread, papadum crispy bread, rice, and four sauces. It was the first time I had done that in a couple of weeks, so I enjoyed it. In the evening, I had something totally new for me at a tea stall across the road from my hotel. It is called pabaji and is a thick vegetarian mixture (or sauce) that is dark red. It was served with two soft rolls which had been sliced and slightly toasted and chopped red onion. The taste of the mixture was a little like brochutta. My guess is that it was made from red bell peppers, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and other spices. I ordered a Sprite to have with the meal. That was my first American soft drink since leaving Texas. Wow, it tasted sweet!
Saturday, Nov. 18, 2006--Bijapur
Well, I am really just biding my time for the most part. It is still 2 1/2 weeks before I leave India. The only places I really want to see are Hyderabad and Bangalore. My guess is that I will not want to be in either more than 5-6 days. So I am staying an extra day here in Bijapur even tough I have nothing left that I want to see or do here. The hotel is good and cheap. And I want to go back to the tea shop where I ate last night and try some other things. Then I will go to two more towns on my way to Hyderabad. Both are old historical places. I don't know if there will be much for me to see (meaning places either free or with admission prices I will accept) or not. But going to each will pass some of the time. I hope the kids won't be as much of a problem there as they are here in Bijapur where 90% of them who talk to me ask me for a pen, chewing gum, rupees, or "anything else." The tourists have spoiled this place as far as having any meaningful interaction with the locals. Even a college-age guy asked me for a pen today!
Thursday, Nov. 16, 2006--Hospit (Cont.)
There is a wonderful juice place 2 blocks from my hotel. It has anywhere from 5-10 customers at any given time, so others realize it is good, too. I stopped there this afternoon and decided to try something different. A man was having a dark red drink, so I asked him what it was. It was grape. So I ordered that. It was so tasty. Then I saw that the apple juices were thick with pulp, so I returned in the evening after I ate dinner and ordered an apple juice. I asked them to leave out the sugar, and that was a mistake. It was okay, but it would have had much more flavor with sugar in it.
I went back to the same restaurant for dinner where I had eaten the night before. This time, I tried their rice biriyani. It was good with cashews and lots of vegetables. And it came with a side salad of tomatoes and onions in yogurt. I was so hungry that I gulped it down.
Friday, Nov. 17, 2006--Hospet to Bijapur
There are the cutest boys who sell newspapers at the bus station in Hospet. I talked to a couple fo them yesterday morning before going to Hampi, and one of them was there this morning as I waited for my bus. They are both about 11 years old. Ahmit told me yesterday that he leaves home at 4 a.m. to come sell papers. Then he goes to school starting at 10:00. He and the other boy both speak English so well because of their experiences of talking with foreigners (and probably because he also reads the English papers he sells). And Ahmit had a nice sense of humor, too. After he asked me the typical question of what country "is my native place," I asked him the same. He said, "France." When I said, "So you speak French," he started jabbering in French making it obvious that he speaks it as well as he does English. There's no telling what other languages he speaks. Probably German, too. Both boys were clean and neat with their hair slicked down into place. They are the kinds of kids that one wishes there was a way to help. Instead of begging for pens, chewing gum, rupees, or whatever they might get free, they are working and going to school. They were both nice when I told them that my hotel had the newspaper already. And both of them rushed back up to me when my buses arrived to tell me that this one was the bus I wanted.
The further northward I go, the poorer things seem. People seem less clean and wear clothes that are definitely dirtier and more worn than people in the South. Also, many people are living in fields in tent structures made of either plastic or palm fronds. The poorest houses in the South are at least houses with wovan cane walls.
Bijapur is an old walled city with lots of mosques and, therefore, lots of Muslims. Most of the walls around the city are still in good condition. My bus entered through one of the old one-lane-wide gates. I found a nice hotel that is fairly new. Then I went out exploring. Unfortunately, the two main sites to see here have implemented the now traditional Indian custom of gouging the tourists through admission prices for foreigners that are 20 times what the locals pay. I've now gotten to the point where it has become a principle with me. I just walked away from both places. My life will be a good one whether I ever see the insides of such places or not. I just refuse to submit to this form of cultural rape. Imagine if an Indian walked up to a museum in San Antonio and it said Locals $7; Foreigners $140!
For lunch I ate a thali plate. It was good with chipati flat bread, papadum crispy bread, rice, and four sauces. It was the first time I had done that in a couple of weeks, so I enjoyed it. In the evening, I had something totally new for me at a tea stall across the road from my hotel. It is called pabaji and is a thick vegetarian mixture (or sauce) that is dark red. It was served with two soft rolls which had been sliced and slightly toasted and chopped red onion. The taste of the mixture was a little like brochutta. My guess is that it was made from red bell peppers, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and other spices. I ordered a Sprite to have with the meal. That was my first American soft drink since leaving Texas. Wow, it tasted sweet!
Saturday, Nov. 18, 2006--Bijapur
Well, I am really just biding my time for the most part. It is still 2 1/2 weeks before I leave India. The only places I really want to see are Hyderabad and Bangalore. My guess is that I will not want to be in either more than 5-6 days. So I am staying an extra day here in Bijapur even tough I have nothing left that I want to see or do here. The hotel is good and cheap. And I want to go back to the tea shop where I ate last night and try some other things. Then I will go to two more towns on my way to Hyderabad. Both are old historical places. I don't know if there will be much for me to see (meaning places either free or with admission prices I will accept) or not. But going to each will pass some of the time. I hope the kids won't be as much of a problem there as they are here in Bijapur where 90% of them who talk to me ask me for a pen, chewing gum, rupees, or "anything else." The tourists have spoiled this place as far as having any meaningful interaction with the locals. Even a college-age guy asked me for a pen today!
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Hampi, the Ancient City
Hampi, the Ancient City
Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2006--Hospet (Cont.)
After being at the cyber cafe, I wanted to eat. It was only 5:30, but I had eaten nothing all day because of the long bus trip. I was starving. I went to a local place recommended by my guidebook. I knew it was really too early to eat, but I knew I could get something. My only choices were dosa, idly, and puri. Well, I've had dosas too often. So I went with puri. It's like having dosa in that all the side dishes are the same but the bread is different. Instead of a crispy, thin pancake with dosa, puri is three fried flat breads that puff up. Actually, they are almost exactly the same as Mexican soapapillas without any sugar or honey to sweeten them. They came with coconut chutney, masala sauce, and the potato-onion mixture that is usually inside the dosa. I will still hungry, so a little later, I had some fresh pineapple juice with some butter cookies.
I walked out to the river and back just to mingle with the local people. Actually, there are two parallel channels to the river. One is a wide channel that has been paved with steps down to it for women to do the laundry and people to bath. The other channel is the bath room. As I walked by, at least 5 people were squating with their asses in the air out over the channel so that the waste would drop in and float away. Of course, every town probably uses the same system, so the waste from town upstream is already in the water that goes into the washing/bathing channel here!
There is a power problem here that is worse than most places in South India. The power goes off often and for long periods of time. Tied to it is a cable TV problem. Sometimes half or all of the channels (probably brought in by two satellite dishes) go off after a power problem. I've learned not to try to watch movies while here. I was in the middle of a thriller tonight when the power went off. The hotel started a generator a few minutes later, but after about 10 minutes, half of the cable channels, including the one I was watching, went off and stayed off until after I went to bed.
Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2006--Hospet/Hampi
The main reason for coming here is to visit Hampi. It's a huge area holding the ruins of an old capital city. Here are more pictures. It is much like similar places I have visited in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Myanmar. UNESCO is helping pay to restore the ruins. It's impressive with its old stone roadways, ruins of a huge bridge, many huge market areas, more temples than anyone would ever want to see, etc. It reminds me a little of Efesses in Turkey.
I ate lunch while I was there in Hampi. It's a backpacker center, so there are many restaurants with food other than Indian food. It's easy to find pancakes, muesli, noodles, etc. I ordered vegetable momos (steamed dumplings). They were made from scratch while I waited. And they were delicious. I also had a banana lassi--a yogurt-banana drink.
I was rather miserable all day unfortunately. I was suffering from allergies on the right side only. My right nostril and my right eye were watering all day. I had toilet tissue with me and had to keep blowing my nose. It was raw by the end of the day, and blowing it didn't help much, since I was sniffling again within a minute or two. I'm sure it was a reaction to all the dust from two days of bus riding over roads that were under construction.
I was still starving after two days of one meal each. So I went to dinner early again. This time, I found a place that would serve me fried vegetable rice even thought it was early. It was spicy and came with a sauce to put over it. I enjoyed it. And to deal with my hunger, I followed that with a slab of mango ice cream.
I had a nice visit in my hotel in the evening with Raghu. He's a 22-year-old software engineering student who I met over one of my travel sites. He helped me plan the rest of my stay here in Hospet and the rest of my travels here in India. But we had a great time together, too. He's an enthusiastic person. He has a bit of a sad story, though. His father had a stroke and is parallyzed. Therefore, his sister is postponing marriage and is working until Raghu finishes his schooling two years from now. Then it will be his turn to work while a marriage is arranged for his sister. It's going to be a while before any of them live well. He's hoping for a job overseas. He would like to go to the US, but he says it is more likely it will have to be in the Middle East or Asia.
Thursday, Nov. 16, 2006--Hospet/Hampi
Caught the 7:30 a.m. bus to Kamalapur--the beginning of the Hampi ruins I didn't see yesterday. It was about 4-5 km from the center of Hampi. I spent the next 4 hours slowly walking towards Hampi and seeing each of the main sites for ruins. There were some spectacular ones--bathing halls, ceremonial pyramid, underground temples, mosques, etc. It was a good morning of exploring. See some of the photos at this site.
I had lunch in Hampi before returning to Hospet. Today, I had fried noodles with mixed vegetables at the same restaurant where I ate yesterday. (I had seen the cook eating this dish before I left yesterday and thought it looked good.) It was spicy and tasty. I couldn't have a lassi, because the electricity was out and the blender wouldn't work. So I followed the lunch with a milk tea.
I wandered the back streets of Hampi. It's an interesting town. It's definitely a backpacker area. All the housing is in small places. Baths are often shared. My guess is that rooms there cost only 100-200 rupees per night (about $2.25-4.50). But I am paying only 200 here in Hospet and have a private bath and cable TV. But there are interesting shops, bakeries, etc., in Hampi that make it a backpacker's delight. It's too bad there are some nicer places to stay there, too. There's no reason to be in Hospet other than the fact that Hampi doesn't have "normal" hotels.
Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2006--Hospet (Cont.)
After being at the cyber cafe, I wanted to eat. It was only 5:30, but I had eaten nothing all day because of the long bus trip. I was starving. I went to a local place recommended by my guidebook. I knew it was really too early to eat, but I knew I could get something. My only choices were dosa, idly, and puri. Well, I've had dosas too often. So I went with puri. It's like having dosa in that all the side dishes are the same but the bread is different. Instead of a crispy, thin pancake with dosa, puri is three fried flat breads that puff up. Actually, they are almost exactly the same as Mexican soapapillas without any sugar or honey to sweeten them. They came with coconut chutney, masala sauce, and the potato-onion mixture that is usually inside the dosa. I will still hungry, so a little later, I had some fresh pineapple juice with some butter cookies.
I walked out to the river and back just to mingle with the local people. Actually, there are two parallel channels to the river. One is a wide channel that has been paved with steps down to it for women to do the laundry and people to bath. The other channel is the bath room. As I walked by, at least 5 people were squating with their asses in the air out over the channel so that the waste would drop in and float away. Of course, every town probably uses the same system, so the waste from town upstream is already in the water that goes into the washing/bathing channel here!
There is a power problem here that is worse than most places in South India. The power goes off often and for long periods of time. Tied to it is a cable TV problem. Sometimes half or all of the channels (probably brought in by two satellite dishes) go off after a power problem. I've learned not to try to watch movies while here. I was in the middle of a thriller tonight when the power went off. The hotel started a generator a few minutes later, but after about 10 minutes, half of the cable channels, including the one I was watching, went off and stayed off until after I went to bed.
Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2006--Hospet/Hampi
The main reason for coming here is to visit Hampi. It's a huge area holding the ruins of an old capital city. Here are more pictures. It is much like similar places I have visited in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Myanmar. UNESCO is helping pay to restore the ruins. It's impressive with its old stone roadways, ruins of a huge bridge, many huge market areas, more temples than anyone would ever want to see, etc. It reminds me a little of Efesses in Turkey.
I ate lunch while I was there in Hampi. It's a backpacker center, so there are many restaurants with food other than Indian food. It's easy to find pancakes, muesli, noodles, etc. I ordered vegetable momos (steamed dumplings). They were made from scratch while I waited. And they were delicious. I also had a banana lassi--a yogurt-banana drink.
I was rather miserable all day unfortunately. I was suffering from allergies on the right side only. My right nostril and my right eye were watering all day. I had toilet tissue with me and had to keep blowing my nose. It was raw by the end of the day, and blowing it didn't help much, since I was sniffling again within a minute or two. I'm sure it was a reaction to all the dust from two days of bus riding over roads that were under construction.
I was still starving after two days of one meal each. So I went to dinner early again. This time, I found a place that would serve me fried vegetable rice even thought it was early. It was spicy and came with a sauce to put over it. I enjoyed it. And to deal with my hunger, I followed that with a slab of mango ice cream.
I had a nice visit in my hotel in the evening with Raghu. He's a 22-year-old software engineering student who I met over one of my travel sites. He helped me plan the rest of my stay here in Hospet and the rest of my travels here in India. But we had a great time together, too. He's an enthusiastic person. He has a bit of a sad story, though. His father had a stroke and is parallyzed. Therefore, his sister is postponing marriage and is working until Raghu finishes his schooling two years from now. Then it will be his turn to work while a marriage is arranged for his sister. It's going to be a while before any of them live well. He's hoping for a job overseas. He would like to go to the US, but he says it is more likely it will have to be in the Middle East or Asia.
Thursday, Nov. 16, 2006--Hospet/Hampi
Caught the 7:30 a.m. bus to Kamalapur--the beginning of the Hampi ruins I didn't see yesterday. It was about 4-5 km from the center of Hampi. I spent the next 4 hours slowly walking towards Hampi and seeing each of the main sites for ruins. There were some spectacular ones--bathing halls, ceremonial pyramid, underground temples, mosques, etc. It was a good morning of exploring. See some of the photos at this site.
I had lunch in Hampi before returning to Hospet. Today, I had fried noodles with mixed vegetables at the same restaurant where I ate yesterday. (I had seen the cook eating this dish before I left yesterday and thought it looked good.) It was spicy and tasty. I couldn't have a lassi, because the electricity was out and the blender wouldn't work. So I followed the lunch with a milk tea.
I wandered the back streets of Hampi. It's an interesting town. It's definitely a backpacker area. All the housing is in small places. Baths are often shared. My guess is that rooms there cost only 100-200 rupees per night (about $2.25-4.50). But I am paying only 200 here in Hospet and have a private bath and cable TV. But there are interesting shops, bakeries, etc., in Hampi that make it a backpacker's delight. It's too bad there are some nicer places to stay there, too. There's no reason to be in Hospet other than the fact that Hampi doesn't have "normal" hotels.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Bus Accident
Bus Accident
Sunday, Nov. 12, 2000--Mysore (Cont.)
I tried again to go back to the good, cheap vegetarian restaurant after leaving the cyber cafe, and it was still full with a waiting line. Then I tried going to the fancy restaurant only to find it is not open until 7:00 p.m. I went back to the room and ate some snack mix.
I left the hotel about 6:50 to go to the City Palace for the Sunday lighting ceremoney. The palace, its gates, its temples, etc., are outlined in 50,000 light bulbs. They are lighted for 30 minutes starting at 7 p.m. on Sundays and holidays, and it draws a huge crowd. It's one of the great bargains of India, since there is no admission fee for the lighting. Also, there is a band that plays in the courtyard in front of the palace. Everyone mills around looking at the lights and taking photos of them. I arrived at the front gate just as the lights flickered on at 7. Even though I had seen it before, it was a wonderful sight. I seem to recall that some of the bulbs were missing last time I was here. Tonight, it looked perfect.
I didn't spend long looking at the lights, because I was hungry. I also knew that it is necessary to get to the nice restaurant early if one wants a table without waiting. (And I would be miserable taking up a table by myself with others waiting.) So, I took my photos and appreciated the lights and rushed off for the restaurant.
I asked the waiter to recommend something new for me. I got kalimirchia with butter naan. The dish was a chicken dish (boneless chunks) in a spinach-pea sauce. It was much like the sauce I get when I order palak paneer. I throughly enjoyed it. And I especially enjoyed the slaw salad which was served again. I made a mistake of ordering a beer to go with it, however. I hadn't had any alcohol for 7-8 weeks, and it sounded good. But I couldn't even finish the beer (650 ml), because it affected me too much and because it made me feel bad. (I've always been somewhat allergic to alcohol and feel bad if I drink too much.)
Monday, Nov. 13, 2006--Mysore to Shimoga
I decided not to go all the way to Hospet in one day. It's about a 10-12 hour trip, and that's just too far. Shimoga is a town a little over halfway there, so I bought a ticket to there. Unfortunately, the bus was late arriving in the station, and there was a huge crowd for it. Indians are not people who queue. Instead, they push and shove. And the women are worse about it than the men. (They definitely are not the weaker sex when it comes to commanding the right to get on an Indian bus!) Anyway, I just waiting back, because it is difficult to get on a bus anyway with my suitcase. When I did enter, however, I had a pleasant surprise. A man and his family I had asked earlier for help finding the right bus had saved me a seat on their 3-seat bench. I pushed my suitcase under the seat and sat down while others were already starting to stand in the rear of the bus. By the time we left, it was sardine time in the aisle. And it remained that way for about 4 hours. I'm so glad I had a seat, even though some of the people in the aisle were pushing against me and leaning over me.
It was mid-afternoon before I arrived and found a hotel. It was too late to eat lunch, so I went to an ice cream parlor. I ordered a gud bud. It was a layered concoction in a drinking glass: mango-cherry ice cream with a cherry on top, followed by nuts (cashews and another kind), followed by strawberry ice cream, followed by jello and candied fruits, followed by vanilla ice cream, followed by fruits (grapes, chopped apples, bananas) and marshmallows in a syrup. It was tasty and good. But I still wasn't full. So I ordered a pineapple juice to drink.
My hotel is cheap and nice. It is only about $4.50 per night, but it has cable tv, is clean and bright, has good curtains, has nice sheets and a waffle-weave towel, etc. It even comes with a morning paper under the door. These non-touristy towns are more of a bargain than the ones I have been visiting. I looked at a room in a place that was only $1.75 per night. But it was so depressing. I'm glad I splurged and paid $4.50!!
I noticed that the restaurant in the hotel was busy when I arrived. So I went there for dinner. No one spoke English. There was no English menu. So I ordered a dosa. It was so good. The sauces and chutneys that came with it were much tastier than normal--more of a homemade taste. My dinner cost me 43 cents.
Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2006--Shimoga to Hospet
We had a bus accident today. The drivers here are agressive, and the roads are busy. The highway we were following today was especially bad. It was either old and worn out, or it was under construction. We were entering a section where one lane had been paved and work was progressing on the rest of it. I saw two boys ahead on bicycles obviously enjoying playing on the smooth surface of the new lane. One was in front of the other. The younger boy was behind. Both were in the middle of the lane. They heard the bus honk. The younger boy looked around and saw us. I think he panicked. Anyway, he wobbled. Then as he tried again to take off, I saw that his rear end was too far to the side to be balanced. He started wobbling again just as the bus pulled off to the side to pass. I feared for the worst, and it happened. We heard a crunch. The bus stopped and almost everyone ran off. (I stayed inside.) I saw then lift up the boy and carry him to the front of the bus. He was limp. They moved the bicycle to the side, too, and it didn't look badly bent. I think the boy wobbled and fell into the bus, but the driver may have slightly sideswiped him, too. Anyway, they rushed the boy (still completely limp) to the hospital via an oncoming bus. After about an hour, we drove back into town to the police station. Because I was sitting in the front seat and had seen what was happening, they asked me about it and I told them. There was an angry crowd there. In India, crowds have been known to kill a man for hitting a child while driving. The family were arguing that it was the driver's fault. The policeman pointed to me and told them, I guess, my version of the event. Anyway, the police served me a glass of tea and then stopped the next bus to hospet and put me on it. It was over for me. I hope the boy is okay. He was too small for his bicycle. I guess he was no more than 8 years old.
I had trouble finding a hotel here in Hospet. I went to two of the nicer places, and the rooms were expensive and depressing. I found only one place where I was willing to stay. It is a local lodge with squat-style toilet and no phone in the room. But it is bright and clean and has cable TV. So I should be fine there. Will update you more later.
Sunday, Nov. 12, 2000--Mysore (Cont.)
I tried again to go back to the good, cheap vegetarian restaurant after leaving the cyber cafe, and it was still full with a waiting line. Then I tried going to the fancy restaurant only to find it is not open until 7:00 p.m. I went back to the room and ate some snack mix.
I left the hotel about 6:50 to go to the City Palace for the Sunday lighting ceremoney. The palace, its gates, its temples, etc., are outlined in 50,000 light bulbs. They are lighted for 30 minutes starting at 7 p.m. on Sundays and holidays, and it draws a huge crowd. It's one of the great bargains of India, since there is no admission fee for the lighting. Also, there is a band that plays in the courtyard in front of the palace. Everyone mills around looking at the lights and taking photos of them. I arrived at the front gate just as the lights flickered on at 7. Even though I had seen it before, it was a wonderful sight. I seem to recall that some of the bulbs were missing last time I was here. Tonight, it looked perfect.
I didn't spend long looking at the lights, because I was hungry. I also knew that it is necessary to get to the nice restaurant early if one wants a table without waiting. (And I would be miserable taking up a table by myself with others waiting.) So, I took my photos and appreciated the lights and rushed off for the restaurant.
I asked the waiter to recommend something new for me. I got kalimirchia with butter naan. The dish was a chicken dish (boneless chunks) in a spinach-pea sauce. It was much like the sauce I get when I order palak paneer. I throughly enjoyed it. And I especially enjoyed the slaw salad which was served again. I made a mistake of ordering a beer to go with it, however. I hadn't had any alcohol for 7-8 weeks, and it sounded good. But I couldn't even finish the beer (650 ml), because it affected me too much and because it made me feel bad. (I've always been somewhat allergic to alcohol and feel bad if I drink too much.)
Monday, Nov. 13, 2006--Mysore to Shimoga
I decided not to go all the way to Hospet in one day. It's about a 10-12 hour trip, and that's just too far. Shimoga is a town a little over halfway there, so I bought a ticket to there. Unfortunately, the bus was late arriving in the station, and there was a huge crowd for it. Indians are not people who queue. Instead, they push and shove. And the women are worse about it than the men. (They definitely are not the weaker sex when it comes to commanding the right to get on an Indian bus!) Anyway, I just waiting back, because it is difficult to get on a bus anyway with my suitcase. When I did enter, however, I had a pleasant surprise. A man and his family I had asked earlier for help finding the right bus had saved me a seat on their 3-seat bench. I pushed my suitcase under the seat and sat down while others were already starting to stand in the rear of the bus. By the time we left, it was sardine time in the aisle. And it remained that way for about 4 hours. I'm so glad I had a seat, even though some of the people in the aisle were pushing against me and leaning over me.
It was mid-afternoon before I arrived and found a hotel. It was too late to eat lunch, so I went to an ice cream parlor. I ordered a gud bud. It was a layered concoction in a drinking glass: mango-cherry ice cream with a cherry on top, followed by nuts (cashews and another kind), followed by strawberry ice cream, followed by jello and candied fruits, followed by vanilla ice cream, followed by fruits (grapes, chopped apples, bananas) and marshmallows in a syrup. It was tasty and good. But I still wasn't full. So I ordered a pineapple juice to drink.
My hotel is cheap and nice. It is only about $4.50 per night, but it has cable tv, is clean and bright, has good curtains, has nice sheets and a waffle-weave towel, etc. It even comes with a morning paper under the door. These non-touristy towns are more of a bargain than the ones I have been visiting. I looked at a room in a place that was only $1.75 per night. But it was so depressing. I'm glad I splurged and paid $4.50!!
I noticed that the restaurant in the hotel was busy when I arrived. So I went there for dinner. No one spoke English. There was no English menu. So I ordered a dosa. It was so good. The sauces and chutneys that came with it were much tastier than normal--more of a homemade taste. My dinner cost me 43 cents.
Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2006--Shimoga to Hospet
We had a bus accident today. The drivers here are agressive, and the roads are busy. The highway we were following today was especially bad. It was either old and worn out, or it was under construction. We were entering a section where one lane had been paved and work was progressing on the rest of it. I saw two boys ahead on bicycles obviously enjoying playing on the smooth surface of the new lane. One was in front of the other. The younger boy was behind. Both were in the middle of the lane. They heard the bus honk. The younger boy looked around and saw us. I think he panicked. Anyway, he wobbled. Then as he tried again to take off, I saw that his rear end was too far to the side to be balanced. He started wobbling again just as the bus pulled off to the side to pass. I feared for the worst, and it happened. We heard a crunch. The bus stopped and almost everyone ran off. (I stayed inside.) I saw then lift up the boy and carry him to the front of the bus. He was limp. They moved the bicycle to the side, too, and it didn't look badly bent. I think the boy wobbled and fell into the bus, but the driver may have slightly sideswiped him, too. Anyway, they rushed the boy (still completely limp) to the hospital via an oncoming bus. After about an hour, we drove back into town to the police station. Because I was sitting in the front seat and had seen what was happening, they asked me about it and I told them. There was an angry crowd there. In India, crowds have been known to kill a man for hitting a child while driving. The family were arguing that it was the driver's fault. The policeman pointed to me and told them, I guess, my version of the event. Anyway, the police served me a glass of tea and then stopped the next bus to hospet and put me on it. It was over for me. I hope the boy is okay. He was too small for his bicycle. I guess he was no more than 8 years old.
I had trouble finding a hotel here in Hospet. I went to two of the nicer places, and the rooms were expensive and depressing. I found only one place where I was willing to stay. It is a local lodge with squat-style toilet and no phone in the room. But it is bright and clean and has cable TV. So I should be fine there. Will update you more later.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Mysore Days
Mysore Days
Saturday, Nov. 11, 2006--Mysore
I went to a vegetarian restaurant last night and did I find a good one!! I ordered vegetable fried rice and ate it with lots of chile sauce. It was hot and fresh and tasty. Best of all, however, was my fresh lime soda. It was the best one that I have had on this whole trip.
This morning, I took the bus to a nearby town named Srirangapatnam. It's an old fortified town on a river island that is 1 km wide and 3 km long. It has the old summer house for the local sultan whose palace is here in Mysore. The trip was a mistake, however. The town has far too many people trying to make a living off tourism than there are tourists. There were beggars, rickshaw drivers, tour guides, etc., bothering me most of the time. And the local kids were more persistant: Can I have a pen? No pen? Can I have 10 rupees? No? Can I have ____? Then beyond all that, the admission price for foreigners to see the summer house of the sultan was 18 times the price it is for local people!! The town is just a rip off and a mess. I was happy to catch a bus back to Mysore realizing that my life will be a good one whether I see anything in that town or not!
I sat with some Muslim men on the way back. Their wives and mother were in another seat. (Women and men do not sit together on buses in India.) They were brothers and nice guys. They were coming into Mysore for a day at the zoo--an outing they said they make about once a month. They were very curious about me and asked lots of questions and had me take their photos.
I returned to the vegetarian restaurant from last night for lunch when I got back to town. I ordered a paper masala dosa. It was thin and very crispy. And there were four bowls of chutneys and curries to eat with it. Again, it was one of the better meals of my trip. And the dosa cost less than 50 cents. I ordered another fresh lime soda, and this time it had pepper sprinkled in it. Like pepper in pepper nut cookies, it added a nice tingle to the sweet taste of the drink.
Mysore has so many huge wonderful buildings. I walked around the medical center during the afternoon. There is one impressive building after another for blocks. Then I returned to the hotel and rested and watched TV.
In the evening, I went to a fancy restaurant in a hotel near mine. My guidebook had recommended the chicken tikka there, so that's what I had. It was another good meal. The chicken was so tender that at first I wondered if it had even been cooked. The sauce on it (masala) was spicy and good. I had garlic naan to go with it. And it came with a side salad of slow--cabbage, carrots, green pepper--with lime slices to squeeze over it. Man, it was good, too. I've lucked out with the food in Mysore.
Sunday, Nov. 12, 2006--Mysore
After a lazy morning in the hotel, I left to wander town. I took some photos of some of the impressive buildings. Then I walked to the zoo. I didn't remember going there before, but the entrance looked familiar, and I knew I had been there once I was inside. It is a good zoo, though. And Sunday is a good day to go to a zoo even if you have been to it before. I wandered and watched the people as much as I did the animals. The zoo is known for its propagation of tigers and leopards, and they have many of them--each living in an area with a label giving its date of birth. It has the only gorilla in India. It has wonderful, huge grassy areas for its animals. Any city anywhere would be proud to have such a nice zoo.
I tried to go back to my vegetarian restaurant when I left the zoo. Unfortunately, it was full with a long waiting line of people. So I'm not the only one who appreciates its good food and cheap prices. Instead, I walked here to the cyber cafe. It's already 4:30 p.m., and I haven't eaten yet today. When I leave here, I will try the vegetarian place again, I guess. If it is still full, I may try to eat at the fancy place where I ate last night, although it will be an awkward time to go there. It's cheap, too, really. My meal of chicken tikka masala, salad, garlic naan, liter of mineral water, and 20+ percent tip came to less than $4 last night.
Tomorrow, I will catch a bus to Hospet. I will leave off my earplugs so that the mosque noise will awaken me around 5:30. I want to get a bus around 6:30, because it is at least a 10-hour trip to there. It may be longer taking a regular bus. All the "fast" buses go in the afternoon (arriving in the middle of the night) or overnight. I didn't have anything to do here all day tomorrow waiting for a night bus, and I didn't want to arriving in the middle of the night. So I will take my chances with the regular day bus tomorrow morning.
Saturday, Nov. 11, 2006--Mysore
I went to a vegetarian restaurant last night and did I find a good one!! I ordered vegetable fried rice and ate it with lots of chile sauce. It was hot and fresh and tasty. Best of all, however, was my fresh lime soda. It was the best one that I have had on this whole trip.
This morning, I took the bus to a nearby town named Srirangapatnam. It's an old fortified town on a river island that is 1 km wide and 3 km long. It has the old summer house for the local sultan whose palace is here in Mysore. The trip was a mistake, however. The town has far too many people trying to make a living off tourism than there are tourists. There were beggars, rickshaw drivers, tour guides, etc., bothering me most of the time. And the local kids were more persistant: Can I have a pen? No pen? Can I have 10 rupees? No? Can I have ____? Then beyond all that, the admission price for foreigners to see the summer house of the sultan was 18 times the price it is for local people!! The town is just a rip off and a mess. I was happy to catch a bus back to Mysore realizing that my life will be a good one whether I see anything in that town or not!
I sat with some Muslim men on the way back. Their wives and mother were in another seat. (Women and men do not sit together on buses in India.) They were brothers and nice guys. They were coming into Mysore for a day at the zoo--an outing they said they make about once a month. They were very curious about me and asked lots of questions and had me take their photos.
I returned to the vegetarian restaurant from last night for lunch when I got back to town. I ordered a paper masala dosa. It was thin and very crispy. And there were four bowls of chutneys and curries to eat with it. Again, it was one of the better meals of my trip. And the dosa cost less than 50 cents. I ordered another fresh lime soda, and this time it had pepper sprinkled in it. Like pepper in pepper nut cookies, it added a nice tingle to the sweet taste of the drink.
Mysore has so many huge wonderful buildings. I walked around the medical center during the afternoon. There is one impressive building after another for blocks. Then I returned to the hotel and rested and watched TV.
In the evening, I went to a fancy restaurant in a hotel near mine. My guidebook had recommended the chicken tikka there, so that's what I had. It was another good meal. The chicken was so tender that at first I wondered if it had even been cooked. The sauce on it (masala) was spicy and good. I had garlic naan to go with it. And it came with a side salad of slow--cabbage, carrots, green pepper--with lime slices to squeeze over it. Man, it was good, too. I've lucked out with the food in Mysore.
Sunday, Nov. 12, 2006--Mysore
After a lazy morning in the hotel, I left to wander town. I took some photos of some of the impressive buildings. Then I walked to the zoo. I didn't remember going there before, but the entrance looked familiar, and I knew I had been there once I was inside. It is a good zoo, though. And Sunday is a good day to go to a zoo even if you have been to it before. I wandered and watched the people as much as I did the animals. The zoo is known for its propagation of tigers and leopards, and they have many of them--each living in an area with a label giving its date of birth. It has the only gorilla in India. It has wonderful, huge grassy areas for its animals. Any city anywhere would be proud to have such a nice zoo.
I tried to go back to my vegetarian restaurant when I left the zoo. Unfortunately, it was full with a long waiting line of people. So I'm not the only one who appreciates its good food and cheap prices. Instead, I walked here to the cyber cafe. It's already 4:30 p.m., and I haven't eaten yet today. When I leave here, I will try the vegetarian place again, I guess. If it is still full, I may try to eat at the fancy place where I ate last night, although it will be an awkward time to go there. It's cheap, too, really. My meal of chicken tikka masala, salad, garlic naan, liter of mineral water, and 20+ percent tip came to less than $4 last night.
Tomorrow, I will catch a bus to Hospet. I will leave off my earplugs so that the mosque noise will awaken me around 5:30. I want to get a bus around 6:30, because it is at least a 10-hour trip to there. It may be longer taking a regular bus. All the "fast" buses go in the afternoon (arriving in the middle of the night) or overnight. I didn't have anything to do here all day tomorrow waiting for a night bus, and I didn't want to arriving in the middle of the night. So I will take my chances with the regular day bus tomorrow morning.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Elephants in the Wild
Elephants in the Wild
Thursday, Nov. 9, 2006--Ooty (Cont.)
I went back out in the evening and forced myself to eat, since I had only one meal yesterday. I wasn't hungry, though. And my stomach ached a little--not from being sick from something I ate, but just a slight pain. Anyway, I had palak paneer (spinach with paneer) and naan. It was tasty even though I wasn't hungry.
I discovered a problem after I was back in my room. I have lost the section of my guidebook for Andra Pradesh, one of the states I will visit toward the end of the month. I tear each section of the guidebook out and staple the pages. That way, I don't have to carry the whole heavy guidebook all the time, and the individual section just rolls up and sticks in my pants pocket. It is very convenient that way. I took that section out recently to see if I could find a hotel on the map that was recommended by a friend who has been communicating with me via a travel website. I will only go to one city there--the capital city of Hyderabad. But I feel lost without my guidebook. I have no maps, no information about tourist information offices, etc. Fortunately, I have the recommended hotel within my price range where I can go when I arrive. In the meantime, I guess I will try to do some research when I am at cyber cafes during the next coupl of weeks.
Friday, Nov. 10, 2006--Ooty to Mysore
I was lucky to catch a bus as soon as I arrived at the bus station. But it was one with BAD suspension. We traveled for hours over rough, muddy, potholed roads through the mountains. I was bouncing in my seat most of the way. And there was a delay of about 45 minutes when we came upon two trucks that had both bogged down beside each other due to their heavy loads. Each had a wheel in a pothole that was too deep for it to get out of. Lots of men from buses and trucks that were backing up on either side of the obstruction were looking and giving advice. I don't know who finally figured out what to do.
There was such a pleasant surprise on the trip. We passed through a huge nature preserve. I saw three herds of wild elephants, three herds of spotted deer, peacocks, monkeys, a red-headed woodpecker, large termite mounds, etc. The preserve also has tigers, leopards, other antlered animals, etc., but those were no where in sight. Everyone on the bus was craning his neck as we passed animals. It was a wonderful experience.
There were three Buddhist monks from the Himilayan region on the bus. What was interesting about it was that I was no longer the center of attention for children we saw at stops. They all pointed and looked at the monks and totally ignored me.
We didn't get to Mysore until 4:30 p.m.--about 7 hours after leaving. I was so tired from the rough ride. Then I had trouble finding a room that was acceptable to me. I found plenty that were okay and at good prices, but they were always just a little too dark or depressing for me to accept them. I finally went back to where I stayed before when I was here. I got a bright room that is clean (other than the windows which seem to never be clean anywhere in India) with a good TV and lots of light coming through the window for reading. It's 2 times the price of the darker, dreary rooms I saw, but it is worth it.
Thursday, Nov. 9, 2006--Ooty (Cont.)
I went back out in the evening and forced myself to eat, since I had only one meal yesterday. I wasn't hungry, though. And my stomach ached a little--not from being sick from something I ate, but just a slight pain. Anyway, I had palak paneer (spinach with paneer) and naan. It was tasty even though I wasn't hungry.
I discovered a problem after I was back in my room. I have lost the section of my guidebook for Andra Pradesh, one of the states I will visit toward the end of the month. I tear each section of the guidebook out and staple the pages. That way, I don't have to carry the whole heavy guidebook all the time, and the individual section just rolls up and sticks in my pants pocket. It is very convenient that way. I took that section out recently to see if I could find a hotel on the map that was recommended by a friend who has been communicating with me via a travel website. I will only go to one city there--the capital city of Hyderabad. But I feel lost without my guidebook. I have no maps, no information about tourist information offices, etc. Fortunately, I have the recommended hotel within my price range where I can go when I arrive. In the meantime, I guess I will try to do some research when I am at cyber cafes during the next coupl of weeks.
Friday, Nov. 10, 2006--Ooty to Mysore
I was lucky to catch a bus as soon as I arrived at the bus station. But it was one with BAD suspension. We traveled for hours over rough, muddy, potholed roads through the mountains. I was bouncing in my seat most of the way. And there was a delay of about 45 minutes when we came upon two trucks that had both bogged down beside each other due to their heavy loads. Each had a wheel in a pothole that was too deep for it to get out of. Lots of men from buses and trucks that were backing up on either side of the obstruction were looking and giving advice. I don't know who finally figured out what to do.
There was such a pleasant surprise on the trip. We passed through a huge nature preserve. I saw three herds of wild elephants, three herds of spotted deer, peacocks, monkeys, a red-headed woodpecker, large termite mounds, etc. The preserve also has tigers, leopards, other antlered animals, etc., but those were no where in sight. Everyone on the bus was craning his neck as we passed animals. It was a wonderful experience.
There were three Buddhist monks from the Himilayan region on the bus. What was interesting about it was that I was no longer the center of attention for children we saw at stops. They all pointed and looked at the monks and totally ignored me.
We didn't get to Mysore until 4:30 p.m.--about 7 hours after leaving. I was so tired from the rough ride. Then I had trouble finding a room that was acceptable to me. I found plenty that were okay and at good prices, but they were always just a little too dark or depressing for me to accept them. I finally went back to where I stayed before when I was here. I got a bright room that is clean (other than the windows which seem to never be clean anywhere in India) with a good TV and lots of light coming through the window for reading. It's 2 times the price of the darker, dreary rooms I saw, but it is worth it.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Sunny Cool Days
Sunny Cool Days
Monday, Nov. 6, 2006--Coimbatore (Cont.)
This is a horrible town for tourists. It is spread out, has wide streets with lots of traffic, has very polluted air, and has no processes to make it easy for pedestrians to cross intersections--no lights, no overhead walkways, etc. I went to a Chinese place after leaving the cyber cafe and ate Shanghai chicken with steamed rice. It was good, but the meal cost 1/2 the price of my room for the night!!
I figured out why I was feeling weak. It's because I have only eaten one meal a day for about 4 days in a row. I've had a side snack occasionally, but nothing nutricious. I gulped down my meal tonight. It was so good, and I was so hungry.
Spending Update: In the first 37 days in India, I spent $382.95 for an average of $10.35 per day. Since leaving the U.S., I have now spent $1483.87 for and average of $18.32 per day.
Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2006--Coimbatore to Ooty
My room included breakfast, so I had an omelette. It wasn't very good, because it was just eggs with nothing added. But I smeared some green chile sauce on it and made the most of it.
The bus station was across the street from my hotel, so I was there by 8:45 and caught a bus to Ooty immediately. I got a good seat and found a good place to store my luggage so I could watch it. As usual when going to a hill station, the road twisted and winded with lots of hairpin curves. Often, we had to stop as another bus or truck passed within a fingers width of us. It's a scary experience sometimes.
Ooty is similar to Kodaikkanal where I was in the mountains earlier. It has a lake. And it is a town where the British had their summer houses. It has a nice private school that has been in existance for over 100 years and draws kids from other areas of the country. (The boys and the girls at the school both wear dark suits with ties.)
I checked into a hotel recommended by my guidebook, but I am regretting it. The room is very cold. The carpeting is rather dirty. There is cable for the TV, but the TV itself only has 12 pre-selected channels that can be received.
I went to a halal place and had a late lunch. I had chicken masala with naan. It was tasty. Then I explored the town some. After I went back to the hotel, I just stayed inside for the night rather than go out in the cold.
Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2006--Ooty
I was COLD last night. My feet never felt warm. I used two blankets, but the weave of them seemed to let the cool air just flow through. I put the extra pillow over my feet, but it didn't help. Then this morning the promised hot water in the shower was better described as "not cold." It was cooler than it was warm. I was miserable all night and in the shower and will find another hotel today.
____
Well, I did it. I found another hotel. It costs 50% more than the previous place, but it is nicer. It is on a hillside with a view, it's away from the roads and quiet, it is new and clean, the TV is modern with a remote control, and the hot water steams! Still, it is only about $13 per night.
The daytime air here is so nice (except on the major streets where there is major air pollution). The sun has been shining to give a warmth to it so that I don't feel cold. I wandered through town exploring--past the race track, the bus station, the private school, some nice old British colonial buildings, etc.
I stopped at a Chinese place for lunch that was recommended by my guidebook. I ate fried rice with chicken and pork. The chicken was shredded and flavorful, and the pork was nice and lean. I ate lots of chile sauce with it and downed a whole liter of water.
I returned to the hotel, and it started showering just as I got there around 2:30. I watched TV and fell asleep for a short nap. Later, I just decided not to leave the room. I ate some Indian snack mix I had in my luggage and stayed under the covers to keep warm as I watched TV and/or read.
I finished reading White Teeth by Zadie Smith. When it came out several years ago, I remember reading the rave reviews and telling myself to remember to read it someday. It's about immigrants to London from Bangladesh and from Jamaica and their interactions with
British people and society. It's a good story and is told in a unique and refreshing way. I gave it 3 1/2 stars out of 4.
Thursday, Nov. 9, 2006--Ooty
I was surprised to see that I had slept 11 hours last night. I had no idea I was so tired. But the new hotel is so comfy. I just snuggled under the covers and relaxed, I guess.
I took the bus to Dodabetta Junction this morning--about 10 km (6 miles) out of town. Then I hiked back to town down a trail through the mountains. It was a good hike. I was all alone, and there were no vehicles to worry about. It was nice to be in a peaceful environment and to think. Also, it was nice to see the trees, the flowers, the birds, etc. I got back to town just in time for lunch around 1 p.m.
I ate at an interesting restaurant. The interior walls and ceilings were covered with woven straw mats with colorful patterns. It gave me the impression of being in a giant, colorful tent. I ordered butter chicken and plain rice. The chicken was the closest to the recipe I have cooked of any that I have had anywhere else in India. It was good.
Monday, Nov. 6, 2006--Coimbatore (Cont.)
This is a horrible town for tourists. It is spread out, has wide streets with lots of traffic, has very polluted air, and has no processes to make it easy for pedestrians to cross intersections--no lights, no overhead walkways, etc. I went to a Chinese place after leaving the cyber cafe and ate Shanghai chicken with steamed rice. It was good, but the meal cost 1/2 the price of my room for the night!!
I figured out why I was feeling weak. It's because I have only eaten one meal a day for about 4 days in a row. I've had a side snack occasionally, but nothing nutricious. I gulped down my meal tonight. It was so good, and I was so hungry.
Spending Update: In the first 37 days in India, I spent $382.95 for an average of $10.35 per day. Since leaving the U.S., I have now spent $1483.87 for and average of $18.32 per day.
Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2006--Coimbatore to Ooty
My room included breakfast, so I had an omelette. It wasn't very good, because it was just eggs with nothing added. But I smeared some green chile sauce on it and made the most of it.
The bus station was across the street from my hotel, so I was there by 8:45 and caught a bus to Ooty immediately. I got a good seat and found a good place to store my luggage so I could watch it. As usual when going to a hill station, the road twisted and winded with lots of hairpin curves. Often, we had to stop as another bus or truck passed within a fingers width of us. It's a scary experience sometimes.
Ooty is similar to Kodaikkanal where I was in the mountains earlier. It has a lake. And it is a town where the British had their summer houses. It has a nice private school that has been in existance for over 100 years and draws kids from other areas of the country. (The boys and the girls at the school both wear dark suits with ties.)
I checked into a hotel recommended by my guidebook, but I am regretting it. The room is very cold. The carpeting is rather dirty. There is cable for the TV, but the TV itself only has 12 pre-selected channels that can be received.
I went to a halal place and had a late lunch. I had chicken masala with naan. It was tasty. Then I explored the town some. After I went back to the hotel, I just stayed inside for the night rather than go out in the cold.
Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2006--Ooty
I was COLD last night. My feet never felt warm. I used two blankets, but the weave of them seemed to let the cool air just flow through. I put the extra pillow over my feet, but it didn't help. Then this morning the promised hot water in the shower was better described as "not cold." It was cooler than it was warm. I was miserable all night and in the shower and will find another hotel today.
____
Well, I did it. I found another hotel. It costs 50% more than the previous place, but it is nicer. It is on a hillside with a view, it's away from the roads and quiet, it is new and clean, the TV is modern with a remote control, and the hot water steams! Still, it is only about $13 per night.
The daytime air here is so nice (except on the major streets where there is major air pollution). The sun has been shining to give a warmth to it so that I don't feel cold. I wandered through town exploring--past the race track, the bus station, the private school, some nice old British colonial buildings, etc.
I stopped at a Chinese place for lunch that was recommended by my guidebook. I ate fried rice with chicken and pork. The chicken was shredded and flavorful, and the pork was nice and lean. I ate lots of chile sauce with it and downed a whole liter of water.
I returned to the hotel, and it started showering just as I got there around 2:30. I watched TV and fell asleep for a short nap. Later, I just decided not to leave the room. I ate some Indian snack mix I had in my luggage and stayed under the covers to keep warm as I watched TV and/or read.
I finished reading White Teeth by Zadie Smith. When it came out several years ago, I remember reading the rave reviews and telling myself to remember to read it someday. It's about immigrants to London from Bangladesh and from Jamaica and their interactions with
British people and society. It's a good story and is told in a unique and refreshing way. I gave it 3 1/2 stars out of 4.
Thursday, Nov. 9, 2006--Ooty
I was surprised to see that I had slept 11 hours last night. I had no idea I was so tired. But the new hotel is so comfy. I just snuggled under the covers and relaxed, I guess.
I took the bus to Dodabetta Junction this morning--about 10 km (6 miles) out of town. Then I hiked back to town down a trail through the mountains. It was a good hike. I was all alone, and there were no vehicles to worry about. It was nice to be in a peaceful environment and to think. Also, it was nice to see the trees, the flowers, the birds, etc. I got back to town just in time for lunch around 1 p.m.
I ate at an interesting restaurant. The interior walls and ceilings were covered with woven straw mats with colorful patterns. It gave me the impression of being in a giant, colorful tent. I ordered butter chicken and plain rice. The chicken was the closest to the recipe I have cooked of any that I have had anywhere else in India. It was good.
Monday, November 06, 2006
BED BUGS!
BED BUGS!
Sunday, Nov. 5, 2006--Kochi
Last night, I ate at a local restaurant that was recommended by some local businessmen, since it was still raining when I left the cyber cafe. I had chilly chicken with parota flat bread. It was okay, but it wasn't as good as I had hoped. I just haven't found any excellent local places to eat in Kochi for some reason.
They changed the sheets on my beds when I was out at the cyber cafe and restaurant last night. These new ones were infested with bed bugs. I have read that they are a problem in many hotels even in America now. And I have encountered them before on travels. This was the first time on this trip. It's a horrible experience. They are so tiny, yet one can feel them crawling and biting. It's impossible to find and kill them. I was awakened around 2:30 a.m. itching from their bites and couldn't go back to sleep for a long time. I just read until I got so tired that their bites wouldn't keep me awake. Then I slept again until 8 a.m.
Some observations/comments:
1. Kids in all the major tourist centers in all countries these days ask if you have a pen to give them. Apparently some guidebook author suggested that tourists could take ballpoint pens with them and give them out to friendly neighborhood kids as they traveled. Well, it has created a monster. I'm asked at least 15-20 times a day if I have a pen I can give a child. Unless I am off the main tourist circuit, I know when a child starts being friendly that he is going to ask for a pen.
2. I haven't had any alcohol now for about 7 weeks. The last time I had any was with a meal in Vietnam. None of the sidewalk places in Thailand where I ate served beer. And selling it is VERY restricted in all the southern states of India. The government licenses only places attached to big hotels to serve beer. It's caused by a reaction to men drinking up all their paychecks and the women pressuring the government to control where it can be drunk (to try to keep it in places where their husbands wouldn't be welcome). Of course, as I wrote last year, it has had an unexpected affect. The local men now meet in dark, out-of-the-way places and drink a home brew that includes anti-freeze. Occasionally a batch is made incorrectly, and 2-3 men die from drinking it. So now the women have to worry both about the paychecks still being spent on alcohol and about the possibility that the alcohol their husbands are drinking could kill them.
I ate Chinese food for lunch today. It was so nice for a change. I went looking for an ATM machine and found a Chinese restaurant on the way. I had garlic chicken with rice. And the rice was WONDERFUL basmati rice rather than the bland local rice that is served with southern Indian food.
I met Shyam in the afternoon and spent about 2 hours with him. He's a hotel management student who hopes to be working in a large 4- or 5-star hotel when he graduates in 6 months.
Monday, Nov. 6, 2006--Kochi to Coimbatore
I was up and at the train station by 6 a.m. It was due to the bed bugs. I couldn't sleep well for them biting me, so I finally got up at 4:30 and packed, bathed, checked out of the hotel, and walked to the station. I still had a wait of slightly more than an hour before my train pulled into the station, but it was better than being in bed and being bitten by bugs. By the way, I asked for my senior citizens discount (30%) when I bought my ticket.
I'm going to be spending a few days in the hills. Coimbatore is in the foothills. From here, I will go to Canoor and Ooty which are high up in the hills and have cold weather. I got a disappointment about my plans when I arrived here, though. I was planning to take an old steam train to Canoor--one that was featured in A Passage to India. But I was told by the tourist office that the train is not running because there was a major landslide. They had heavy rains in this area about 1-2 weeks ago; I guess that's what caused the landslide. How sad that I must miss the train ride. It's considered one of the great ones in the world.
It's one month until I will be in Copenhagen. And it's only 35 days until I will be back in Texas. I'm looking forward to both. I'm getting tired of traveling. In fact, I feel tired today. I don't have much oomph for getting out and doing anything.
I ate some banana fritters on the train and let that be my lunch. They were good, huge ones. But I am hungry for dinner. Hope I can find a good place to eat tonight. Then I will go to bed and try to sleep well after my two buggy nights!
Note: Cyber cafes in hill resorts are expensive and have slow Internet connections. Therefore, if I don't make another entry for 3-4 days, it will be because I'm postponing it until I get back to good, cheap connections. Instead, I will be hiking and enjoying the cool atmosphere of the hills.
Sunday, Nov. 5, 2006--Kochi
Last night, I ate at a local restaurant that was recommended by some local businessmen, since it was still raining when I left the cyber cafe. I had chilly chicken with parota flat bread. It was okay, but it wasn't as good as I had hoped. I just haven't found any excellent local places to eat in Kochi for some reason.
They changed the sheets on my beds when I was out at the cyber cafe and restaurant last night. These new ones were infested with bed bugs. I have read that they are a problem in many hotels even in America now. And I have encountered them before on travels. This was the first time on this trip. It's a horrible experience. They are so tiny, yet one can feel them crawling and biting. It's impossible to find and kill them. I was awakened around 2:30 a.m. itching from their bites and couldn't go back to sleep for a long time. I just read until I got so tired that their bites wouldn't keep me awake. Then I slept again until 8 a.m.
Some observations/comments:
1. Kids in all the major tourist centers in all countries these days ask if you have a pen to give them. Apparently some guidebook author suggested that tourists could take ballpoint pens with them and give them out to friendly neighborhood kids as they traveled. Well, it has created a monster. I'm asked at least 15-20 times a day if I have a pen I can give a child. Unless I am off the main tourist circuit, I know when a child starts being friendly that he is going to ask for a pen.
2. I haven't had any alcohol now for about 7 weeks. The last time I had any was with a meal in Vietnam. None of the sidewalk places in Thailand where I ate served beer. And selling it is VERY restricted in all the southern states of India. The government licenses only places attached to big hotels to serve beer. It's caused by a reaction to men drinking up all their paychecks and the women pressuring the government to control where it can be drunk (to try to keep it in places where their husbands wouldn't be welcome). Of course, as I wrote last year, it has had an unexpected affect. The local men now meet in dark, out-of-the-way places and drink a home brew that includes anti-freeze. Occasionally a batch is made incorrectly, and 2-3 men die from drinking it. So now the women have to worry both about the paychecks still being spent on alcohol and about the possibility that the alcohol their husbands are drinking could kill them.
I ate Chinese food for lunch today. It was so nice for a change. I went looking for an ATM machine and found a Chinese restaurant on the way. I had garlic chicken with rice. And the rice was WONDERFUL basmati rice rather than the bland local rice that is served with southern Indian food.
I met Shyam in the afternoon and spent about 2 hours with him. He's a hotel management student who hopes to be working in a large 4- or 5-star hotel when he graduates in 6 months.
Monday, Nov. 6, 2006--Kochi to Coimbatore
I was up and at the train station by 6 a.m. It was due to the bed bugs. I couldn't sleep well for them biting me, so I finally got up at 4:30 and packed, bathed, checked out of the hotel, and walked to the station. I still had a wait of slightly more than an hour before my train pulled into the station, but it was better than being in bed and being bitten by bugs. By the way, I asked for my senior citizens discount (30%) when I bought my ticket.
I'm going to be spending a few days in the hills. Coimbatore is in the foothills. From here, I will go to Canoor and Ooty which are high up in the hills and have cold weather. I got a disappointment about my plans when I arrived here, though. I was planning to take an old steam train to Canoor--one that was featured in A Passage to India. But I was told by the tourist office that the train is not running because there was a major landslide. They had heavy rains in this area about 1-2 weeks ago; I guess that's what caused the landslide. How sad that I must miss the train ride. It's considered one of the great ones in the world.
It's one month until I will be in Copenhagen. And it's only 35 days until I will be back in Texas. I'm looking forward to both. I'm getting tired of traveling. In fact, I feel tired today. I don't have much oomph for getting out and doing anything.
I ate some banana fritters on the train and let that be my lunch. They were good, huge ones. But I am hungry for dinner. Hope I can find a good place to eat tonight. Then I will go to bed and try to sleep well after my two buggy nights!
Note: Cyber cafes in hill resorts are expensive and have slow Internet connections. Therefore, if I don't make another entry for 3-4 days, it will be because I'm postponing it until I get back to good, cheap connections. Instead, I will be hiking and enjoying the cool atmosphere of the hills.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Out and About in Kochi
Out and About in Kochi
Friday, Nov. 3, 2006--Kochi
I never got sick last night. The bellyache from Pizza Hut was still there in the evening. I ate soup with flat bread at a nearby restaurant and went to bed. I was fine this morning when I got up.
Today, I have been lazy. I stayed in the room until 11 a.m. Then, I was dragging as I went about town. I ate chicken biriyani at a nearby restaurant for lunch. It was good with lots of onions in it. And it came with side dishes of pickled vegetables and yogurt with chopped onions and peppers. But the ceiling fan was blowing so hard that the food got cold before I finished it. That's always a potential problem here in India where all restaurants turn on ceiling fans above you when you are seated.
After a couple of more hours back in the room, I went to the nearby seaside park. The sun was setting to the west and many people were there. But the brightness of the sun made it difficult to enjoy being there. And the wetness of the walls and benches from a 4:30 shower made it impossible to find a good place to sit. Therefore, I walked on down the street to Darbar Hall, a local museum and saw a wonderful exhibit of photographs by various Indian artists. It was the last day of the exhibit, but it was open until 7 p.m. That gave me plenty of time to enjoy it.
On the way home, I passed a Himilaya store. That's a brand of health products for personal hygiene. It's similar to Matas in Denmark, except they only sell their own brand of products. I went inside and bought some toothpaste, shampoo, and lip balm. I've used their products before and know them to be good. They are expensive for Indians, but the price is reasonable when compared with products of that quality in the west. I paid only about $2.50 U.S. for what I bought.
I was still full from lunch, so I stayed inside and ate some Indian snack mix in the evening while watching movies.
Saturday, Nov. 4, 2006, Kochi
I feel more rejuvenated today. I left the room around 9:45 and tried to go to the Internet cafe, but it was closed. Instead, I went to a nearby Indian Coffee House (a chain throughout the big cities) and had breakfast--poached eggs on toast, a mixed vegetable plate to put over the eggs, and tea.
I caught the ferry to go to Fort Kochi. That's the old part of town. Every time I go there I think about what a nice place it would be for anyone to visit. It is filled with old buildings and has lots of atmosphere. The fishermen were pulling up their Portuguese nets (strung from bamboo polls that form a crane) as I walked down the waterfront. Tourists were buying fresh fish and taking them to the sidewalk restaurants to have them cooked and served with all the trimmings. Lots of work was being done to restore old buildings to become shops or small hotels. Among the things I did while there:
1. I stopped and talked to Roy who owns a homestay place--his and his wife's home that has 4 rooms that they rent out to tourists. It's a nice place. They showed me the rooms. They are big with nice windows and HUGE baths attached. They rent them out at 400 rupees for a single fan room ($8.60) and 600 rupees for a double fan room ($12.90). They also have an air conditioned double room for 1500 rupees (about $32), but there is no need for a/c here. They include breakfast for anyone commiting themselves to 3 or more nights. And the wife teaches cooking classes if anyone wants to learn to cook Indian food. The place is House Number 1/630 on Quirose Street in Fort Kochi with the e-mail address of simonroy@hotmail.com . It would be a good place to stay 3-4 days while enjoying the old town.
2. I also stopped by the Idioms Bookstore which is one of the nicest small bookstores I know anywhere. I go there each time I am here. I didn't buy anything this time, because I still have books to read in my suitcase, but the atmosphere of the bookstore just makes it a nice place to stop and browse.
3. And on this third visit to Fort Kochi, the St. Francis church was open. I had never seen inside it before. It's a nice old building form the 1500s that has been expended and renovated over time. It has lots of character. The seats are of woven cane so that one's bottom stays cool while sitting there. And there are long boards hanging from ropes that go perpendicularly to the seating arrangement. From the boards hang fabric cloths. Someone pulls on ropes and the boards and cloths swing back and forth cooling the people who attend the services.
It has been raining every afternoon around 4:30. Yesterday and the day before, I left the room right after the rain ended (which took just a few minutes of time). Today, I made it here to the cyber cafe before it started. There has been more rain with thunder and lightning today, however. I'm not sure if it is over yet, but I need to move onward. I am hungry, since I haven't eaten since about 10:30 this morning.
I'll remain here tomorrow and then travel again on Monday, I guess.
Friday, Nov. 3, 2006--Kochi
I never got sick last night. The bellyache from Pizza Hut was still there in the evening. I ate soup with flat bread at a nearby restaurant and went to bed. I was fine this morning when I got up.
Today, I have been lazy. I stayed in the room until 11 a.m. Then, I was dragging as I went about town. I ate chicken biriyani at a nearby restaurant for lunch. It was good with lots of onions in it. And it came with side dishes of pickled vegetables and yogurt with chopped onions and peppers. But the ceiling fan was blowing so hard that the food got cold before I finished it. That's always a potential problem here in India where all restaurants turn on ceiling fans above you when you are seated.
After a couple of more hours back in the room, I went to the nearby seaside park. The sun was setting to the west and many people were there. But the brightness of the sun made it difficult to enjoy being there. And the wetness of the walls and benches from a 4:30 shower made it impossible to find a good place to sit. Therefore, I walked on down the street to Darbar Hall, a local museum and saw a wonderful exhibit of photographs by various Indian artists. It was the last day of the exhibit, but it was open until 7 p.m. That gave me plenty of time to enjoy it.
On the way home, I passed a Himilaya store. That's a brand of health products for personal hygiene. It's similar to Matas in Denmark, except they only sell their own brand of products. I went inside and bought some toothpaste, shampoo, and lip balm. I've used their products before and know them to be good. They are expensive for Indians, but the price is reasonable when compared with products of that quality in the west. I paid only about $2.50 U.S. for what I bought.
I was still full from lunch, so I stayed inside and ate some Indian snack mix in the evening while watching movies.
Saturday, Nov. 4, 2006, Kochi
I feel more rejuvenated today. I left the room around 9:45 and tried to go to the Internet cafe, but it was closed. Instead, I went to a nearby Indian Coffee House (a chain throughout the big cities) and had breakfast--poached eggs on toast, a mixed vegetable plate to put over the eggs, and tea.
I caught the ferry to go to Fort Kochi. That's the old part of town. Every time I go there I think about what a nice place it would be for anyone to visit. It is filled with old buildings and has lots of atmosphere. The fishermen were pulling up their Portuguese nets (strung from bamboo polls that form a crane) as I walked down the waterfront. Tourists were buying fresh fish and taking them to the sidewalk restaurants to have them cooked and served with all the trimmings. Lots of work was being done to restore old buildings to become shops or small hotels. Among the things I did while there:
1. I stopped and talked to Roy who owns a homestay place--his and his wife's home that has 4 rooms that they rent out to tourists. It's a nice place. They showed me the rooms. They are big with nice windows and HUGE baths attached. They rent them out at 400 rupees for a single fan room ($8.60) and 600 rupees for a double fan room ($12.90). They also have an air conditioned double room for 1500 rupees (about $32), but there is no need for a/c here. They include breakfast for anyone commiting themselves to 3 or more nights. And the wife teaches cooking classes if anyone wants to learn to cook Indian food. The place is House Number 1/630 on Quirose Street in Fort Kochi with the e-mail address of simonroy@hotmail.com . It would be a good place to stay 3-4 days while enjoying the old town.
2. I also stopped by the Idioms Bookstore which is one of the nicest small bookstores I know anywhere. I go there each time I am here. I didn't buy anything this time, because I still have books to read in my suitcase, but the atmosphere of the bookstore just makes it a nice place to stop and browse.
3. And on this third visit to Fort Kochi, the St. Francis church was open. I had never seen inside it before. It's a nice old building form the 1500s that has been expended and renovated over time. It has lots of character. The seats are of woven cane so that one's bottom stays cool while sitting there. And there are long boards hanging from ropes that go perpendicularly to the seating arrangement. From the boards hang fabric cloths. Someone pulls on ropes and the boards and cloths swing back and forth cooling the people who attend the services.
It has been raining every afternoon around 4:30. Yesterday and the day before, I left the room right after the rain ended (which took just a few minutes of time). Today, I made it here to the cyber cafe before it started. There has been more rain with thunder and lightning today, however. I'm not sure if it is over yet, but I need to move onward. I am hungry, since I haven't eaten since about 10:30 this morning.
I'll remain here tomorrow and then travel again on Monday, I guess.
Out and About in Kochi
Out and About in Kochi
Friday, Nov. 3, 2006--Kochi
I never got sick last night. The bellyache from Pizza Hut was still there in the evening. I ate soup with flat bread at a nearby restaurant and went to bed. I was fine this morning when I got up.
Today, I have been lazy. I stayed in the room until 11 a.m. Then, I was dragging as I went about town. I ate chicken biriyani at a nearby restaurant for lunch. It was good with lots of onions in it. And it came with side dishes of pickled vegetables and yogurt with chopped onions and peppers. But the ceiling fan was blowing so hard that the food got cold before I finished it. That's always a potential problem here in India where all restaurants turn on ceiling fans above you when you are seated.
After a couple of more hours back in the room, I went to the nearby seaside park. The sun was setting to the west and many people were there. But the brightness of the sun made it difficult to enjoy being there. And the wetness of the walls and benches from a 4:30 shower made it impossible to find a good place to sit. Therefore, I walked on down the street to Darbar Hall, a local museum and saw a wonderful exhibit of photographs by various Indian artists. It was the last day of the exhibit, but it was open until 7 p.m. That gave me plenty of time to enjoy it.
On the way home, I passed a Himilaya store. That's a brand of health products for personal hygiene. It's similar to Matas in Denmark, except they only sell their own brand of products. I went inside and bought some toothpaste, shampoo, and lip balm. I've used their products before and know them to be good. They are expensive for Indians, but the price is reasonable when compared with products of that quality in the west. I paid only about $2.50 U.S. for what I bought.
I was still full from lunch, so I stayed inside and ate some Indian snack mix in the evening while watching movies.
Saturday, Nov. 4, 2006, Kochi
I feel more rejuvenated today. I left the room around 9:45 and tried to go to the Internet cafe, but it was closed. Instead, I went to a nearby Indian Coffee House (a chain throughout the big cities) and had breakfast--poached eggs on toast, a mixed vegetable plate to put over the eggs, and tea.
I caught the ferry to go to Fort Kochi. That's the old part of town. Every time I go there I think about what a nice place it would be for anyone to visit. It is filled with old buildings and has lots of atmosphere. The fishermen were pulling up their Portuguese nets (strung from bamboo polls that form a crane) as I walked down the waterfront. Tourists were buying fresh fish and taking them to the sidewalk restaurants to have them cooked and served with all the trimmings. Lots of work was being done to restore old buildings to become shops or small hotels. Among the things I did while there:
1. I stopped and talked to Roy who owns a homestay place--his and his wife's home that has 4 rooms that they rent out to tourists. It's a nice place. They showed me the rooms. They are big with nice windows and HUGE baths attached. They rent them out at 400 rupees for a single fan room ($8.60) and 600 rupees for a double fan room ($12.90). They also have an air conditioned double room for 1500 rupees (about $32), but there is no need for a/c here. They include breakfast for anyone commiting themselves to 3 or more nights. And the wife teaches cooking classes if anyone wants to learn to cook Indian food. The place is House Number 1/630 on Quirose Street in Fort Kochi with the e-mail address of simonroy@hotmail.com . It would be a good place to stay 3-4 days while enjoying the old town.
2. I also stopped by the Idioms Bookstore which is one of the nicest small bookstores I know anywhere. I go there each time I am here. I didn't buy anything this time, because I still have books to read in my suitcase, but the atmosphere of the bookstore just makes it a nice place to stop and browse.
3. And on this third visit to Fort Kochi, the St. Francis church was open. I had never seen inside it before. It's a nice old building form the 1500s that has been expended and renovated over time. It has lots of character. The seats are of woven cane so that one's bottom stays cool while sitting there. And there are long boards hanging from ropes that go perpendicularly to the seating arrangement. From the boards hang fabric cloths. Someone pulls on ropes and the boards and cloths swing back and forth cooling the people who attend the services.
It has been raining every afternoon around 4:30. Yesterday and the day before, I left the room right after the rain ended (which took just a few minutes of time). Today, I made it here to the cyber cafe before it started. There has been more rain with thunder and lightning today, however. I'm not sure if it is over yet, but I need to move onward. I am hungry, since I haven't eaten since about 10:30 this morning.
I'll remain here tomorrow and then travel again on Monday, I guess.
Friday, Nov. 3, 2006--Kochi
I never got sick last night. The bellyache from Pizza Hut was still there in the evening. I ate soup with flat bread at a nearby restaurant and went to bed. I was fine this morning when I got up.
Today, I have been lazy. I stayed in the room until 11 a.m. Then, I was dragging as I went about town. I ate chicken biriyani at a nearby restaurant for lunch. It was good with lots of onions in it. And it came with side dishes of pickled vegetables and yogurt with chopped onions and peppers. But the ceiling fan was blowing so hard that the food got cold before I finished it. That's always a potential problem here in India where all restaurants turn on ceiling fans above you when you are seated.
After a couple of more hours back in the room, I went to the nearby seaside park. The sun was setting to the west and many people were there. But the brightness of the sun made it difficult to enjoy being there. And the wetness of the walls and benches from a 4:30 shower made it impossible to find a good place to sit. Therefore, I walked on down the street to Darbar Hall, a local museum and saw a wonderful exhibit of photographs by various Indian artists. It was the last day of the exhibit, but it was open until 7 p.m. That gave me plenty of time to enjoy it.
On the way home, I passed a Himilaya store. That's a brand of health products for personal hygiene. It's similar to Matas in Denmark, except they only sell their own brand of products. I went inside and bought some toothpaste, shampoo, and lip balm. I've used their products before and know them to be good. They are expensive for Indians, but the price is reasonable when compared with products of that quality in the west. I paid only about $2.50 U.S. for what I bought.
I was still full from lunch, so I stayed inside and ate some Indian snack mix in the evening while watching movies.
Saturday, Nov. 4, 2006, Kochi
I feel more rejuvenated today. I left the room around 9:45 and tried to go to the Internet cafe, but it was closed. Instead, I went to a nearby Indian Coffee House (a chain throughout the big cities) and had breakfast--poached eggs on toast, a mixed vegetable plate to put over the eggs, and tea.
I caught the ferry to go to Fort Kochi. That's the old part of town. Every time I go there I think about what a nice place it would be for anyone to visit. It is filled with old buildings and has lots of atmosphere. The fishermen were pulling up their Portuguese nets (strung from bamboo polls that form a crane) as I walked down the waterfront. Tourists were buying fresh fish and taking them to the sidewalk restaurants to have them cooked and served with all the trimmings. Lots of work was being done to restore old buildings to become shops or small hotels. Among the things I did while there:
1. I stopped and talked to Roy who owns a homestay place--his and his wife's home that has 4 rooms that they rent out to tourists. It's a nice place. They showed me the rooms. They are big with nice windows and HUGE baths attached. They rent them out at 400 rupees for a single fan room ($8.60) and 600 rupees for a double fan room ($12.90). They also have an air conditioned double room for 1500 rupees (about $32), but there is no need for a/c here. They include breakfast for anyone commiting themselves to 3 or more nights. And the wife teaches cooking classes if anyone wants to learn to cook Indian food. The place is House Number 1/630 on Quirose Street in Fort Kochi with the e-mail address of simonroy@hotmail.com . It would be a good place to stay 3-4 days while enjoying the old town.
2. I also stopped by the Idioms Bookstore which is one of the nicest small bookstores I know anywhere. I go there each time I am here. I didn't buy anything this time, because I still have books to read in my suitcase, but the atmosphere of the bookstore just makes it a nice place to stop and browse.
3. And on this third visit to Fort Kochi, the St. Francis church was open. I had never seen inside it before. It's a nice old building form the 1500s that has been expended and renovated over time. It has lots of character. The seats are of woven cane so that one's bottom stays cool while sitting there. And there are long boards hanging from ropes that go perpendicularly to the seating arrangement. From the boards hang fabric cloths. Someone pulls on ropes and the boards and cloths swing back and forth cooling the people who attend the services.
It has been raining every afternoon around 4:30. Yesterday and the day before, I left the room right after the rain ended (which took just a few minutes of time). Today, I made it here to the cyber cafe before it started. There has been more rain with thunder and lightning today, however. I'm not sure if it is over yet, but I need to move onward. I am hungry, since I haven't eaten since about 10:30 this morning.
I'll remain here tomorrow and then travel again on Monday, I guess.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Delhi-Belly?
Delhi-Belly?
Thursday, Nov. 2, 2006--Alleppey to Kochi
Well, I got up and caught a morning bus to Kochi. It's only about a 2-hour trip. The bus was packed later, but when I got on there was room for me to get a seat and to store my suitcase just behind me. I was lucky.
Last night, I went to a local restaurant and had tandoori chicken. I got two pieces--each a quarter of a chicken. It was spiced nicely with seasonings and with lemon juice. I ate it with roti, a flat bread, and the slices of onion and cucumber that came with it. It was good, but a little dry.
I slept well under the mosquito net last night. I was glad I had it, too. This morning when I got up, there were so many mosquitos flying around my windows trying to get out of the room. All of them would have been trying to bite me during the night.
Kochi is a very nice town. The old area has wonderful old buildings from hundreds of years ago. I am staying in Ernakulam, across the bay from Kochi. It's the main shopping district and the location for most of the hotels--especially the budget ones. I checked in at Biju's Tourist Home, the same place where I have stayed the two previous times I have been here. From the room, I just walk a couple of blocks to a jetty where there is a ferry that goes across to the old town.
Since arriving in India, I have had Indian food for every meal except one breakfast. Today, I felt like something different, so I went to Pizza Hut. I had a "meal deal" that included a bowl of tomato soup, an individual pizza, and a scoop of ice cream. I had it with a glass of limeade. Well, tonight my stomach is aching. I think I may have gotten Delhi-Belly from Pizza Hut!!
Abraham came to my room this afternoon. He's one of the guys I've written via e-mail for a while. He was the one who convinced me that I should return to Biju's. It's the best of the budget places in town, he said. Anyway, he has a master's degree in literature, and we have been writing about books we have read or are reading. I told him I would save some of my books to give him when I came here, so he came to the room this afternoon and picked up the 3 books I had for him. That will be a load out of my suitcase! While there, we had a good time visiting. He's a very professional man who speaks English well. We talked about all kinds of things, and both of us were saying at the end that it is too bad we don't live close to each other; we are sure we would become close friends if we did. He is 36, married, and operates a family business (two plant nurseries) in a suburb of the city. It was a pleasant way to pass the afternoon during the hours before my stomach started flaring up.
I guess I will look for something to eat before going back to my room now. It's already 7:30. I don't know what to have, however. I'll see what I can find close-by in the neighborhood.
Thursday, Nov. 2, 2006--Alleppey to Kochi
Well, I got up and caught a morning bus to Kochi. It's only about a 2-hour trip. The bus was packed later, but when I got on there was room for me to get a seat and to store my suitcase just behind me. I was lucky.
Last night, I went to a local restaurant and had tandoori chicken. I got two pieces--each a quarter of a chicken. It was spiced nicely with seasonings and with lemon juice. I ate it with roti, a flat bread, and the slices of onion and cucumber that came with it. It was good, but a little dry.
I slept well under the mosquito net last night. I was glad I had it, too. This morning when I got up, there were so many mosquitos flying around my windows trying to get out of the room. All of them would have been trying to bite me during the night.
Kochi is a very nice town. The old area has wonderful old buildings from hundreds of years ago. I am staying in Ernakulam, across the bay from Kochi. It's the main shopping district and the location for most of the hotels--especially the budget ones. I checked in at Biju's Tourist Home, the same place where I have stayed the two previous times I have been here. From the room, I just walk a couple of blocks to a jetty where there is a ferry that goes across to the old town.
Since arriving in India, I have had Indian food for every meal except one breakfast. Today, I felt like something different, so I went to Pizza Hut. I had a "meal deal" that included a bowl of tomato soup, an individual pizza, and a scoop of ice cream. I had it with a glass of limeade. Well, tonight my stomach is aching. I think I may have gotten Delhi-Belly from Pizza Hut!!
Abraham came to my room this afternoon. He's one of the guys I've written via e-mail for a while. He was the one who convinced me that I should return to Biju's. It's the best of the budget places in town, he said. Anyway, he has a master's degree in literature, and we have been writing about books we have read or are reading. I told him I would save some of my books to give him when I came here, so he came to the room this afternoon and picked up the 3 books I had for him. That will be a load out of my suitcase! While there, we had a good time visiting. He's a very professional man who speaks English well. We talked about all kinds of things, and both of us were saying at the end that it is too bad we don't live close to each other; we are sure we would become close friends if we did. He is 36, married, and operates a family business (two plant nurseries) in a suburb of the city. It was a pleasant way to pass the afternoon during the hours before my stomach started flaring up.
I guess I will look for something to eat before going back to my room now. It's already 7:30. I don't know what to have, however. I'll see what I can find close-by in the neighborhood.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Alleppey
Alleppey
Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2006--Kumbalam to Alleppey
Well, it was a rush this morning to get off. I wanted to finish the project I was doing for Joseph, but his computer kept going off line as the phone would ring. I finally got the information I needed from his e-mail and got online. I placed three notices on http://www.ideal.org , a website for non-profit organizations seeking volunteers--one for a volunteer to assist in teaching English, another for volunteers in other subjects to assist the teachers, and one for a job opening in which he is trying to hire a retired (or retiring) principal or master teacher from the U.S. to come serve as principal of the school. The latter is an effort to get someone who knows the U.S. system of active learning, development of thinking/reasoning skills, etc. The person would also do lots of teacher development trying to teach the teachers how to change the instructional program to emphasize these. Maybe there will be an Indian from Kerala who will see it and want to do like Joseph--come back and help his former State. If not, maybe a U.S. principal or teacher would like the challenge. It isn't necessary that he/she speak the local language.
I couldn't find Joseph when it was time to leave, so I had to leave without saying good-bye to him. I saw most of the kids and said good-bye to them. They all wanted to know when I would be coming back. I might make another visit in a couple of years to see them. I just have to see.
The bus was late, so I waited on the road for it for about 45 minutes. When it came, it was full. I had to stand up for the first 20 minutes. And my suitcase was in the way. But then I got a seat in front with my suitcase beside the driver. When we arrived in Kollam, there was a fast bus leaving immediately for Alleppey, so I was lucky.
We were slowed down on the way here, however. Today is the 50th anniversary of the founding of the four states in the southern part of India. There were celebration marches in every town we passed. These were big marches with drums, elephants, colorful umbrellas with bangles hanging from the rims, etc. Some of the marches stretched for very long distances and even stopped traffic as they turned to return into town. But it was fun seeing it, and I was in no rush.
I got to Alleppey around noon. I was approached immediately at the bus station by a guy wanting to take me to his place for a room. I took his card, but I insisted that I wanted to look at places by myself. I told him I could come look at his place if the first two places I wanted to try didn't work out. I crossed a canal on a footbridge and couldn't find my first place. I continued down a narrow street, and a guy met me and said he had rooms. It was a new place. I looked at it and really liked it. It is new and clean and bright and private. It has screened wire on the windows and a mosquito net over the bed. (That's important here, since this is the center of two epidemics of mosquito-borne diseases right now.) I got the room with cable TV (which he brought from the office) for $6.50 per night. I immediately fell asleep and napped. Then I watched CNN. Now I am in town exploring.
Alleppey is the center of the backwater tours in Kerala. It's a beautiful area. I've done the tours, though. I would like to take a houseboat trip, but they are too expensive for one person. It's best to have 5-8 people for those. Anyone want to join me?
Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2006--Kumbalam to Alleppey
Well, it was a rush this morning to get off. I wanted to finish the project I was doing for Joseph, but his computer kept going off line as the phone would ring. I finally got the information I needed from his e-mail and got online. I placed three notices on http://www.ideal.org , a website for non-profit organizations seeking volunteers--one for a volunteer to assist in teaching English, another for volunteers in other subjects to assist the teachers, and one for a job opening in which he is trying to hire a retired (or retiring) principal or master teacher from the U.S. to come serve as principal of the school. The latter is an effort to get someone who knows the U.S. system of active learning, development of thinking/reasoning skills, etc. The person would also do lots of teacher development trying to teach the teachers how to change the instructional program to emphasize these. Maybe there will be an Indian from Kerala who will see it and want to do like Joseph--come back and help his former State. If not, maybe a U.S. principal or teacher would like the challenge. It isn't necessary that he/she speak the local language.
I couldn't find Joseph when it was time to leave, so I had to leave without saying good-bye to him. I saw most of the kids and said good-bye to them. They all wanted to know when I would be coming back. I might make another visit in a couple of years to see them. I just have to see.
The bus was late, so I waited on the road for it for about 45 minutes. When it came, it was full. I had to stand up for the first 20 minutes. And my suitcase was in the way. But then I got a seat in front with my suitcase beside the driver. When we arrived in Kollam, there was a fast bus leaving immediately for Alleppey, so I was lucky.
We were slowed down on the way here, however. Today is the 50th anniversary of the founding of the four states in the southern part of India. There were celebration marches in every town we passed. These were big marches with drums, elephants, colorful umbrellas with bangles hanging from the rims, etc. Some of the marches stretched for very long distances and even stopped traffic as they turned to return into town. But it was fun seeing it, and I was in no rush.
I got to Alleppey around noon. I was approached immediately at the bus station by a guy wanting to take me to his place for a room. I took his card, but I insisted that I wanted to look at places by myself. I told him I could come look at his place if the first two places I wanted to try didn't work out. I crossed a canal on a footbridge and couldn't find my first place. I continued down a narrow street, and a guy met me and said he had rooms. It was a new place. I looked at it and really liked it. It is new and clean and bright and private. It has screened wire on the windows and a mosquito net over the bed. (That's important here, since this is the center of two epidemics of mosquito-borne diseases right now.) I got the room with cable TV (which he brought from the office) for $6.50 per night. I immediately fell asleep and napped. Then I watched CNN. Now I am in town exploring.
Alleppey is the center of the backwater tours in Kerala. It's a beautiful area. I've done the tours, though. I would like to take a houseboat trip, but they are too expensive for one person. It's best to have 5-8 people for those. Anyone want to join me?
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