Friday, Aug. 29, Cairo, Egypt
Fridays in Egypt are like Sundays in the West. It's the day for religious services, so it starts quietly. It only comes alive in the lte afternoon and only to a limited extent then.
For some reason the water was off to my bathroom this morning. By the time they checked it out and I used the communal bath down the hall, it was 10:00 a.m. I had planned to go to the pyramids during the morning, but I postponed it until the afternoon. Instead, I walked across the Nile to see the opera house which is Islamic in design--okay, but nothing spectacular to see from outside. Then I went to an Internet cafe and returned to the room to read and rest.
At 1:30 pm., I left the room to go to the pyramids. I went to the nerest local bus station (behind the Egyptian Museum). I had to deal with a local man who wanted to ride with me (said he was going home to Giza) and arrange for me to have either a horse or camel ride to all the sights but who left the bus (after asking for money) when he realized I wasn't going to let him make money off me at the pyramids. (I gave him 1 pound for helping me get on the right bus.) The bus went all the wy to within about 4 blocks of the entrance.
My rection was probably like many others': The pyramids and the Sphinx seemed so familiar from photos, film, and TV that it was like re-visiting them. They also seemed quite small. The poor Sphinx is greatly eroded. But it's still impressive as are the pyramids, especially considering the accuracy they achieved in constructing them so large at that time.
It was HOT there. It's all desert sand around them. There is no shade. And the sand reflects the sun to make it much hotter than being in town. My black shoulder bag as hot to the touch. And my liquid crystal display on my watch became black and unreadable even though it was inside the bag and not directly in the sunshine. I took 1.5 l (1 1/2 qts.) of water with me and needed it. Then I stopped at a gas station convenience store and bought a 1.5 l Diet Coke and drank half of it on my way back into town.
The bus I caught back terminated before crossing the Nile. I decided to walk from there. My route took me by Cairo University, a very impressive campus although it is closed to the general public and has to be seen through iron fencing. I also went by the zoo and the botanical gardens.
As soon as I crossed the Nile, I went to a restaurant for dinner. It was filled with local families, so I could watch how they eat. They order lots of plates of food and eat family-style from them. Even just two people would order 4 kinds of salads, 2-3 kinds of meat, rice, etc. I had their mixed grill with baba ganoonj (their spelling). The latter is a dip made from garbanza beans, ground sesame seeds, eggplant, and seasonings. It's eten with pita bread. The mixed grill included a lamb chop, a tough piece of another kind of meat, a filet of pidgeon, and three spicy meat balls grilled on a spit. Surprisingly, the pidgeon was the best. It's skin was crispy, and the layer of fat between the skin and the meat was very flavorful.
Spellings in Western letters are interesting here. The "ganoonj" I mentioned above was different from what I've seen before, and the same menu said that their soft drinks are sold in "kanz." Apparently, it's a hobby of travelers here to collect such examples.
Note: So far, I am spending less per day ($16.54 per day for the first 5 days) than anywhere else on my trip. My hotel in Cairo is part of the reason. With a/c, private bath, and hot water, it's a real bargain at $10.04 U.S. per night.
Saturday, Aug. 30, Alexandria, Egypt
The train trip was fast and rather cool (good a/c). But I face a problem now that I am here. The government ruled two days ago that tourists can no longer go from Alexandria to Luxor or Aswan. They must go to Cairo and take one of the 3 trains per day from there that tourists are allowed to ride. Those trains are booked up for the next two days. So I'm trying to decide whether to go the long, uncomfortable route via bus (through Cairo and over near Sinai to avoid no-go areas for tourists) or to just skip seeing Luxor and Aswan. Right now I'm leaning toward the latter, since it will be miserably hot down there anyway. I'll think about it.
The route from Cairo to here was through farmland. There were mainly fields of corn and cotton, but I also saw cabbages, rice, and other crops. There are cnals and channels everywhere to direct the wtaer to the fields. And these also serve as bathing spots for the local people.
Alexandria has fresh air. And my hotel room has a balcony with a sea view, TV, hot water, etc., for less than $9 U.S. per night.
Saturday, August 30, 2003
Friday, August 29, 2003
Thursday, Aug. 28, Cairo, Egypt
I tried to go to the Islamic Museum this morning, but it is closed for restoration. I continued toward the Citadel. I refused to pay 12 pounds for the Hassan Mosque, but I paid to see the Citadel, the largest fortress in the Islamic world and the seat of Egyptian government and power for centuries until modern times. I was mostly disappointed. It has a decent mosque, a nice smaller mosque, a police museum, a military museum, and a palace musem. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone.
I skirted the Cities of the Dead as I left the Citadel. They are two parts of town that were cemetaries with some hug, elegant mausoleums that have been occupied by squatters who have built 2-3 story adobe slums on the open areas. So now it is a comglomeration of homes, shops, and graves!
I spent the afternoon in the room. I napped for about 1 1/2 hours reaching a very deep level of sleep. Then I began a new book, The Feast of Love by Charles Baxter.
For dinner, I tried kushari, a popular Egyptian dish that combines macaroni, spaghetti, rice, lentils, garbanza beans, and onions. There is a tomato sauce to be poured over it and then stirred in. And there is a chili sauce to add for spiciness. It was quite tasty. Then, on the way back to the hotel, I got an ice cream cone--a dip of mango and one of raspberry. Ummm--and only 25 cents U.S.!
One thing I like about Cairo is the way that apartment buildings are. They remind me of the ones I recall from 1950s films about France and Italy. There is a caged elevator that goes up between the turns of the central stairwell. The hallways are dingy and the walls are stained, although the floors may be marble. The doors to the apartments are double ones that are fancy with carved wood and glass panes that are shaped nicely. It's easy to imagine that, just like in those old movies, one could go from that gloomy hallway into a beautiful, elegantly furnished apartment with double doors leading to a balcony. There are buildings like that all over town. My hotel is on the 5th floor of such a building.
I tried to go to the Islamic Museum this morning, but it is closed for restoration. I continued toward the Citadel. I refused to pay 12 pounds for the Hassan Mosque, but I paid to see the Citadel, the largest fortress in the Islamic world and the seat of Egyptian government and power for centuries until modern times. I was mostly disappointed. It has a decent mosque, a nice smaller mosque, a police museum, a military museum, and a palace musem. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone.
I skirted the Cities of the Dead as I left the Citadel. They are two parts of town that were cemetaries with some hug, elegant mausoleums that have been occupied by squatters who have built 2-3 story adobe slums on the open areas. So now it is a comglomeration of homes, shops, and graves!
I spent the afternoon in the room. I napped for about 1 1/2 hours reaching a very deep level of sleep. Then I began a new book, The Feast of Love by Charles Baxter.
For dinner, I tried kushari, a popular Egyptian dish that combines macaroni, spaghetti, rice, lentils, garbanza beans, and onions. There is a tomato sauce to be poured over it and then stirred in. And there is a chili sauce to add for spiciness. It was quite tasty. Then, on the way back to the hotel, I got an ice cream cone--a dip of mango and one of raspberry. Ummm--and only 25 cents U.S.!
One thing I like about Cairo is the way that apartment buildings are. They remind me of the ones I recall from 1950s films about France and Italy. There is a caged elevator that goes up between the turns of the central stairwell. The hallways are dingy and the walls are stained, although the floors may be marble. The doors to the apartments are double ones that are fancy with carved wood and glass panes that are shaped nicely. It's easy to imagine that, just like in those old movies, one could go from that gloomy hallway into a beautiful, elegantly furnished apartment with double doors leading to a balcony. There are buildings like that all over town. My hotel is on the 5th floor of such a building.
Thursday, August 28, 2003
Wednesday, Aug. 27, Cairo, Egypt (Continued)
For my afternoon tour, I headed to Roda Island, a large island in the Nile River. First, I went to Manial Palace, a walled garden compound with multiple palaces and a mosque of Prince Mohammed Ali, the son of King Farouk. I found the various living quarters to be fascinating. They have very intricate carved window coverings, stained glass windows, tiled walls, parquet floors, detailed ceilings, etc. It would be a very comfortable place to live in Cairo!
From there, I walked to the southern tip of the island to see the "Nilometer." Unfortunately, it's in a barricaded compound, so I had to see it only from a distance. It's really a flood gage. It was used each year to measure the highest level of the Nile, and that would determine the level of taxes for the coming year. Too far on either side of the optimum level would indicate either drought or floods and would require lower taxes.
I walked along the Nile and entered Coptic Cairo, the center of the Christian community. It's actually located near where Moses was found among the reeds on the banks of the Nile. By then, it was 5:00 p.m., so it was too late to see the Coptic Museum or any of the churches. I took the metro from there back to Downtown where my hotel is.
For dinner, I ate a delicious chicken kebab sandwich which was very garlicy. I met a very nice family while there. I had been looking at the posted menu to try to decide what to order and asked a lady who was doing the same what she would recommend. She told me it is a new place and that she didn't know either. We both ordered, and while I waited for my food, she, her husband, and her son were near me. We began to visit again. I sat with them and ate when my food came. Then they said they were going to an English film and asked if I would like to join them. I walked with them to the theater, but the film they expected to see was no longer showing there. There were only Egyptian films. So I told them good-bye and headed back to my hotel while they went to see a film.
For my afternoon tour, I headed to Roda Island, a large island in the Nile River. First, I went to Manial Palace, a walled garden compound with multiple palaces and a mosque of Prince Mohammed Ali, the son of King Farouk. I found the various living quarters to be fascinating. They have very intricate carved window coverings, stained glass windows, tiled walls, parquet floors, detailed ceilings, etc. It would be a very comfortable place to live in Cairo!
From there, I walked to the southern tip of the island to see the "Nilometer." Unfortunately, it's in a barricaded compound, so I had to see it only from a distance. It's really a flood gage. It was used each year to measure the highest level of the Nile, and that would determine the level of taxes for the coming year. Too far on either side of the optimum level would indicate either drought or floods and would require lower taxes.
I walked along the Nile and entered Coptic Cairo, the center of the Christian community. It's actually located near where Moses was found among the reeds on the banks of the Nile. By then, it was 5:00 p.m., so it was too late to see the Coptic Museum or any of the churches. I took the metro from there back to Downtown where my hotel is.
For dinner, I ate a delicious chicken kebab sandwich which was very garlicy. I met a very nice family while there. I had been looking at the posted menu to try to decide what to order and asked a lady who was doing the same what she would recommend. She told me it is a new place and that she didn't know either. We both ordered, and while I waited for my food, she, her husband, and her son were near me. We began to visit again. I sat with them and ate when my food came. Then they said they were going to an English film and asked if I would like to join them. I walked with them to the theater, but the film they expected to see was no longer showing there. There were only Egyptian films. So I told them good-bye and headed back to my hotel while they went to see a film.
Wednesday, August 27, 2003
Tuesday, Aug. 26, Cairo, Egypt (Continued)
What a day I've had. It's been fascinating. It's like seeing a National Geographic pictoral series live. Cairo is truly an impressive city. There is SO MUCH to see. I now realize I could easily spend 7-8 days just here in the city. And I've learned today that it's only nearest the tourist sites where there are hassles. Thank goodness.
Here are various notes about today:
1. There are monumental buildings everywhere. From art deco hotels to 1800s apartment buildings to mosques and fortresses handreds of years old, there are grand buildings to see all over the city.
2. I like the detailed Islamic geometric patterns that are incorporated into buildings via stone carvings, wooden trim and shutters, iron grillwork, etc.
3. The play of the sun on the buildings is beautiful due to the shapes and patterns built into the designs.
4. There are coffee and tea shops everywhere with men smoking waterpipes and drinking.
5. I heard the women doing their high-pitched, excited-sounding trilling with their tongues.
6. I wandered through the tight alleyways of the Islamic market area of the city where deliveries are made by donkey cart.
7. I had nice visits with several men including one at the tourist office, one who owns a papyrus shop, one who is in the military, etc.
8. I saw a woman walking down the street with a big metal pot balanced on her head without the aid of a coil to steady it like they use in India.
9. I was given dates to eat by two men who were snacking near where I stopped to check my map, and the dates were wonderfully soft. Even the outer skin was soft.
I walked over big sections of Cairo and am tired tonight. I went out briefly to get a shawarma sandwich for dinner. It was delicious with high quality red meat (no telling what animal, though). The streets were jammed with shoppers. Many were having ice cream cones, but the lines were so long I decided to skip dessert.
Wednesday, Aug. 27, Cairo, Egypt
I'm sitting in the Grand Hall (just past the Atrium) of the Egyptian Museum. I've read about this museum many times, and now I am here. It's not a very large museum, but it is filled like a warehouse with antiquities from ancient times. I've now toured the whole museum twice. First, I followed my guidebook to read about the highlights. Then I went through agian looking at everything in general. I had seen similar items at museums in New York, London, Berlin, Copenhagen, and elsewhere, and I had seen the King Tut touring exhibit about 25 years ago in the U.S. So there wasn't much that was really different from what I've seen before, but it's fascinating to see what is here. One thing I hadn't seen were the pyramid-shaped capstones from pyramids. And, of course, there were many more items in the Tut exhibit than had traveled to the U.S. I find it interesting that the Tut exhibits are included in the general admission price, but they charge extra for the Mummy Rooms--twice the general admission price. I actually skipped the mummies, since my guidebook said that many people write to tell them it is a rip-off and not worth the price. I've seen plenty of mummies before.
What a day I've had. It's been fascinating. It's like seeing a National Geographic pictoral series live. Cairo is truly an impressive city. There is SO MUCH to see. I now realize I could easily spend 7-8 days just here in the city. And I've learned today that it's only nearest the tourist sites where there are hassles. Thank goodness.
Here are various notes about today:
1. There are monumental buildings everywhere. From art deco hotels to 1800s apartment buildings to mosques and fortresses handreds of years old, there are grand buildings to see all over the city.
2. I like the detailed Islamic geometric patterns that are incorporated into buildings via stone carvings, wooden trim and shutters, iron grillwork, etc.
3. The play of the sun on the buildings is beautiful due to the shapes and patterns built into the designs.
4. There are coffee and tea shops everywhere with men smoking waterpipes and drinking.
5. I heard the women doing their high-pitched, excited-sounding trilling with their tongues.
6. I wandered through the tight alleyways of the Islamic market area of the city where deliveries are made by donkey cart.
7. I had nice visits with several men including one at the tourist office, one who owns a papyrus shop, one who is in the military, etc.
8. I saw a woman walking down the street with a big metal pot balanced on her head without the aid of a coil to steady it like they use in India.
9. I was given dates to eat by two men who were snacking near where I stopped to check my map, and the dates were wonderfully soft. Even the outer skin was soft.
I walked over big sections of Cairo and am tired tonight. I went out briefly to get a shawarma sandwich for dinner. It was delicious with high quality red meat (no telling what animal, though). The streets were jammed with shoppers. Many were having ice cream cones, but the lines were so long I decided to skip dessert.
Wednesday, Aug. 27, Cairo, Egypt
I'm sitting in the Grand Hall (just past the Atrium) of the Egyptian Museum. I've read about this museum many times, and now I am here. It's not a very large museum, but it is filled like a warehouse with antiquities from ancient times. I've now toured the whole museum twice. First, I followed my guidebook to read about the highlights. Then I went through agian looking at everything in general. I had seen similar items at museums in New York, London, Berlin, Copenhagen, and elsewhere, and I had seen the King Tut touring exhibit about 25 years ago in the U.S. So there wasn't much that was really different from what I've seen before, but it's fascinating to see what is here. One thing I hadn't seen were the pyramid-shaped capstones from pyramids. And, of course, there were many more items in the Tut exhibit than had traveled to the U.S. I find it interesting that the Tut exhibits are included in the general admission price, but they charge extra for the Mummy Rooms--twice the general admission price. I actually skipped the mummies, since my guidebook said that many people write to tell them it is a rip-off and not worth the price. I've seen plenty of mummies before.
Tuesday, August 26, 2003
Monday, Aug. 25, Frankfurt, Germany
Spending Update: I was in India from Sunday afternoon, Aug. 10, through Monday morning, Aug. 25, for a total of 15 days. I spent $274.21 for an average of $18.28 per day. For the entire trip, I have spent $1657.05 (not including dental expenses of $89.87) over 70 days for averages of $23.67 per day and $710.10 per month.
I can tell I am in Europe. The smell of cigarette smokers permeates the whole terminal although it is supposedly smoke-free with smoking allowed only in areas at the ends of the concourses. Even in India, air terminals are totally non-smoking today. I can't recall now, but this may be the first airport on my whole trip that allows indoor smoking. It's definitely the stinkiest airport I've had to spend a few hours in.
Luck hasn't been with me since I began the trip. For the flight from Mumbai to Frankfurt I got the aisle seat I had reserved, but it turned out to be the Row From Hell! Neither of the other two passengers had flown before, so they didn't know any of the procedures. That wasn't a problem. The problems were:
1. The woman in the window seat left 4 times over a 7-hour flight to go to the toilet.
2. The young man in the middle seat (next to me) was the one who really made the trip bad. His problems:
a. He, too, got up 3 times to go to the toilet.
b. He was hyperactive, moving and bumping me constantly through the entire night.
c. He had "flying elbows." He couldn't do anything (operate a seat belt, eat, adjust his position on his seat, etc.) without his elbows going out across the adjoining seats and hitting me and the lady.
d. He had a stiff leather jacket he kept in his lap. With every movement, the air or collar of the jacket would press or move against me.
e. Worst of all, he had a terrible cold and was coughing and sneezing all night. I'll be lucky if I don't become sick because of sitting near him.
I ended up with a 4-5 hour wait for my flight to Cairo. It wasn't planned that way. When I checked in last night, Lufthansa somehow (for what reason?) switched me from Flight 590 at 10:35 a.m. to Flight 582 at 1:30 p.m. When I discovered it this morning here in Frankfurt, they tried to use the excuse that all people on my originally scheduled flight (#626 which was eliminated after I booked my ticket) had been switched to Flight 582, but that's not true. My updated itinerary I typed for myself shows that I had been changed to Flight 590 (the one at 10:30) and assigned Seat 21H. (That's also what shows here on my Blog under the itinerary that has been published since before I left on my trip.) So Lufthansa made a change that was not in my favor, and they won't admit it!
I had to Call Cairo to inform them at the hotel, because they are providing free pickup at the airport. Lufthansa gave me access to a phone, but the agent sent with me didn't know how to make a long distance call. I had to figure out (based on knowledge of phones in general and Danish procedures) to dial 9 for an outside line and then dial 00 for international access. The line was busy over about 5 tries, and the agent didn't want to wait longer; she wanted to shift me to the long line at the Transfer Desk. Again, that would have been to Lufthansa's advantage and not to mine. I insistedon trying one more time and got through. I'm NOT having fond thoughts about Lufthansa!!!
So I have a 4-5 hour wait for my flight to Cairo and will not leave until almost the time that I should have arrived there. I exchanged some old Marks for Euros, but I had to do it through Travelex, a commercial company, since there are no banks inside the customs area in the terminal. That meant that I had to pay about $9 U.S. to exchange the equivalent of $37 worth of currency. Everything today seems to be going wrong.
While writing this, CNN has reported that there have been two explosions in Mumbai. How exciting, since I was there less than 12 hours ago. Of course, I wouldn't have been near either explosion even if I had still been in Mumbai.
Cairo, Egypt
I made it here. The plane was late, and it was 8:45 p.m. before I got to the hotel. It's been a long, exhausting trip during which I finished Mistry's latest novel I was reading and read several newspapers and magazines.
So far, Cairo is impressive. It is clean and organized compared to India. There are beautiful buildings with many having exterior lighting. The highways and streets are well paved with curbs and sidewalks, etc. It's much nicer than I expected.
My hotel is about what I expected. It's a lot, I think, for the price. It's a basic room with twin beds and yellow stucco walls. It has an a/c, and I have my own bath with hot water. There's no view, but my room is to the back and quiet except for the a/c which hums loudly. Downtown Cairo is just outside the building. Best of all, the room is clean and the bed is comfortable. It's time for me to get some sleep.
Tuesday, Aug. 26, Cairo, Egypt
Wow, the air is dry here. I noticed it immediately as we drove from the airport. Then as I went to bed, I had a nosebleed. Instead of using my Chapstick only when I brush my teeth, I'm using it about every hour.
As we flew in, everything was brown--the earth and all the buildings. Inside the city, however, it's not that evident. There are trees and there is color to the buildings. It's going to be interesting exploring it all.
So far, I have only wandered within a few blocks of my hotel this morning. I need to get a map so I can plan a proper itinerary for exploring the city. But it is still early and many businesses are not open yet. I've been impressed with what I have seen, however. Cairo is filled with very nice buildings. The city is majestic. It's going to be HOT, too. It was very warm last night at 9:00 p.m., and it is barely comfortable this morning at 9:00 a.m.
I forgot that this is Tuesday, and it's within the hours that university e-mail is unavailable, so I cannot read my mail. I'll have to get on the computer later or wait until tomorrow to see what people have written.
Spending Update: I was in India from Sunday afternoon, Aug. 10, through Monday morning, Aug. 25, for a total of 15 days. I spent $274.21 for an average of $18.28 per day. For the entire trip, I have spent $1657.05 (not including dental expenses of $89.87) over 70 days for averages of $23.67 per day and $710.10 per month.
I can tell I am in Europe. The smell of cigarette smokers permeates the whole terminal although it is supposedly smoke-free with smoking allowed only in areas at the ends of the concourses. Even in India, air terminals are totally non-smoking today. I can't recall now, but this may be the first airport on my whole trip that allows indoor smoking. It's definitely the stinkiest airport I've had to spend a few hours in.
Luck hasn't been with me since I began the trip. For the flight from Mumbai to Frankfurt I got the aisle seat I had reserved, but it turned out to be the Row From Hell! Neither of the other two passengers had flown before, so they didn't know any of the procedures. That wasn't a problem. The problems were:
1. The woman in the window seat left 4 times over a 7-hour flight to go to the toilet.
2. The young man in the middle seat (next to me) was the one who really made the trip bad. His problems:
a. He, too, got up 3 times to go to the toilet.
b. He was hyperactive, moving and bumping me constantly through the entire night.
c. He had "flying elbows." He couldn't do anything (operate a seat belt, eat, adjust his position on his seat, etc.) without his elbows going out across the adjoining seats and hitting me and the lady.
d. He had a stiff leather jacket he kept in his lap. With every movement, the air or collar of the jacket would press or move against me.
e. Worst of all, he had a terrible cold and was coughing and sneezing all night. I'll be lucky if I don't become sick because of sitting near him.
I ended up with a 4-5 hour wait for my flight to Cairo. It wasn't planned that way. When I checked in last night, Lufthansa somehow (for what reason?) switched me from Flight 590 at 10:35 a.m. to Flight 582 at 1:30 p.m. When I discovered it this morning here in Frankfurt, they tried to use the excuse that all people on my originally scheduled flight (#626 which was eliminated after I booked my ticket) had been switched to Flight 582, but that's not true. My updated itinerary I typed for myself shows that I had been changed to Flight 590 (the one at 10:30) and assigned Seat 21H. (That's also what shows here on my Blog under the itinerary that has been published since before I left on my trip.) So Lufthansa made a change that was not in my favor, and they won't admit it!
I had to Call Cairo to inform them at the hotel, because they are providing free pickup at the airport. Lufthansa gave me access to a phone, but the agent sent with me didn't know how to make a long distance call. I had to figure out (based on knowledge of phones in general and Danish procedures) to dial 9 for an outside line and then dial 00 for international access. The line was busy over about 5 tries, and the agent didn't want to wait longer; she wanted to shift me to the long line at the Transfer Desk. Again, that would have been to Lufthansa's advantage and not to mine. I insistedon trying one more time and got through. I'm NOT having fond thoughts about Lufthansa!!!
So I have a 4-5 hour wait for my flight to Cairo and will not leave until almost the time that I should have arrived there. I exchanged some old Marks for Euros, but I had to do it through Travelex, a commercial company, since there are no banks inside the customs area in the terminal. That meant that I had to pay about $9 U.S. to exchange the equivalent of $37 worth of currency. Everything today seems to be going wrong.
While writing this, CNN has reported that there have been two explosions in Mumbai. How exciting, since I was there less than 12 hours ago. Of course, I wouldn't have been near either explosion even if I had still been in Mumbai.
Cairo, Egypt
I made it here. The plane was late, and it was 8:45 p.m. before I got to the hotel. It's been a long, exhausting trip during which I finished Mistry's latest novel I was reading and read several newspapers and magazines.
So far, Cairo is impressive. It is clean and organized compared to India. There are beautiful buildings with many having exterior lighting. The highways and streets are well paved with curbs and sidewalks, etc. It's much nicer than I expected.
My hotel is about what I expected. It's a lot, I think, for the price. It's a basic room with twin beds and yellow stucco walls. It has an a/c, and I have my own bath with hot water. There's no view, but my room is to the back and quiet except for the a/c which hums loudly. Downtown Cairo is just outside the building. Best of all, the room is clean and the bed is comfortable. It's time for me to get some sleep.
Tuesday, Aug. 26, Cairo, Egypt
Wow, the air is dry here. I noticed it immediately as we drove from the airport. Then as I went to bed, I had a nosebleed. Instead of using my Chapstick only when I brush my teeth, I'm using it about every hour.
As we flew in, everything was brown--the earth and all the buildings. Inside the city, however, it's not that evident. There are trees and there is color to the buildings. It's going to be interesting exploring it all.
So far, I have only wandered within a few blocks of my hotel this morning. I need to get a map so I can plan a proper itinerary for exploring the city. But it is still early and many businesses are not open yet. I've been impressed with what I have seen, however. Cairo is filled with very nice buildings. The city is majestic. It's going to be HOT, too. It was very warm last night at 9:00 p.m., and it is barely comfortable this morning at 9:00 a.m.
I forgot that this is Tuesday, and it's within the hours that university e-mail is unavailable, so I cannot read my mail. I'll have to get on the computer later or wait until tomorrow to see what people have written.
Sunday, August 24, 2003
Sunday, Aug. 24, Mumbai, India
Today is my last day in India. I am spending it at the hotel and the area around my hotel (which is near the airport). I will fly out tonight for Cairo (via Frankfurt). I should be in Cairo about noon tomorrow and will be picked up by a driver from my hotel there.
It will be interesting seeing how irritating the situation is for tourists in Egypt. They have a long history of learning how to hassle us. I am, therefore, going with no definite plans that I feel must be fulfilled. I am reading about all the possible sites and deciding where I would like to go and what I would like to do. But I will not put up with too many hassles. I don't have to see certain temples and/or towns if doing some becomes more trouble than it is worth.
I AM looking forward to the food in Egypt, though. After a month of Indian-style food in both Sri Lanka and India, I'm ready for a change. I will enjoy some hummus, falaffel, shish kebab, shawarma, etc. UMMMM! I'm sure I will have bad breath from my first meal through the last while I am there!!
Today is my last day in India. I am spending it at the hotel and the area around my hotel (which is near the airport). I will fly out tonight for Cairo (via Frankfurt). I should be in Cairo about noon tomorrow and will be picked up by a driver from my hotel there.
It will be interesting seeing how irritating the situation is for tourists in Egypt. They have a long history of learning how to hassle us. I am, therefore, going with no definite plans that I feel must be fulfilled. I am reading about all the possible sites and deciding where I would like to go and what I would like to do. But I will not put up with too many hassles. I don't have to see certain temples and/or towns if doing some becomes more trouble than it is worth.
I AM looking forward to the food in Egypt, though. After a month of Indian-style food in both Sri Lanka and India, I'm ready for a change. I will enjoy some hummus, falaffel, shish kebab, shawarma, etc. UMMMM! I'm sure I will have bad breath from my first meal through the last while I am there!!
Saturday, August 23, 2003
Friday, Aug. 22, Gokarna, India (Continued)
It's 3:15 p.m., and I am sitting at Gokarna Road Railway Station. I have 3 hours to wait for my train.
I stayed in town until about 1:45. I went to the Internet cafe for an hour. Then I stopped for a spicy omelette and tea. I wandered through town, and a business owner invited me to sit and visit. I was there for half an hour when Lionel showed up coming back from a trip to the beach. I went with him while he had lunch. I had a lime soda. He had a newspaper with him, so we read it.
When he left for his room, I wandered again. There is a huge rectangular-shaped reservoir with concrete steps surrounding it where people go to bathe and to do their laundry. I went there and watched while slowly walking around it. There were many people both bathing and washing clothes.
After that, I decided to start walking toward the station. I had nothing better to do, and there was no rush to get there. I was definitely a person of interest as I walked through the countryside and small villages. And walking gave me a chance to see everything and everyone better. I was concerned when it became cloudy and began sprinkling, but it passed quickly and the sun came out again. I had covered about 6 of the 10 km (3 1/2 of the 6 miles) to the station when a van stopped and one of the men in it offered me a ride. It was 4 men about my age who were obviously professionals, so I accepted. They had been here for a temple celebration. They told me I should visit their city of Bijapur the next time I am in India.
____
A man came and sat beside me on the train platform and began talking to me. He had RED teeth, stained from chewing betal nuts. He was educated and could read and write English. But his teeth were so horrible looking that it was difficult to turn toward him and have a conversation.
There are two dogs also on the platform. As I ate some peanuts they came near. I feel sorry for them. I know the are hungry. But they just quietly looked at me eat. I can't imagine peanuts being a food that dogs would appreciate.
____
The train arrived over 1 1/2 hours late. It was dark, and the power went off at the station just before the train came in. It was a quick scramble in the dark to get onto the train. Fortunately, they have car markers on the platform and I knew where to be standing for getting on the right car.
I have an upper birth in a car with 3 tiers. I hate climbing into and out of the upper birth. But it's an air conditioned car which means there are bedding items--two sheets, a blanket, and a pillow. Furthermore, the movement of the train feels rather smooth. I hope I can sleep.
Saturday, Aug. 23, Mumbai, India
The monsoon rains caught up with me today. Mumbai is flooded! I feel trapped in my hotel room.
I slept VERY well on the train last night. I had my luggage locked to the metal brackets attached to the seats, so I didn't have to worry about anyone taking it. Furthermore, the ride was smooth with gentle starts and stops. My upper birth rocked just enough to be perfect. The only problem was the light snorring of two men nearby.
It was a SLOW train. It was already 1 1/2 hours late when it got to Gokarna. By the time we got here, we were 6 hours late.
I had already decided to stay at an airport hotel rather than try to go into town. A man in my compartment was coming to the airport, too. We shared a taxi and the expense.
They agreed to let me stay at the hotel until 5:00 p.m. tomorrow without extra charges. That's fine. My flight won't be until after midnight, but I would rather stay in the hotel with the TV and the privacy as long as possible. There are shops and restaurants nearby, but if it continues to rain hard while I am here, I can easily stay in the room and eat at the hotel restaurant.
Mumbai is like most big third-world cities. We passed lots of tent towns and shacks built of sheet metal and other scrounged items. It brought back memories of the neighborhood where the tailors in A Fine Balance lived when they first arrived in Bombay. And the traffic is atrocious. Lights stay red for long periods of time so that it becomes a go-a-little-bit-then-wait-a-whole-lot process that is repeated over and over. It's made me wonder if I ever want to really see this city or not. It is just so big and congested. We'll see....
It's 3:15 p.m., and I am sitting at Gokarna Road Railway Station. I have 3 hours to wait for my train.
I stayed in town until about 1:45. I went to the Internet cafe for an hour. Then I stopped for a spicy omelette and tea. I wandered through town, and a business owner invited me to sit and visit. I was there for half an hour when Lionel showed up coming back from a trip to the beach. I went with him while he had lunch. I had a lime soda. He had a newspaper with him, so we read it.
When he left for his room, I wandered again. There is a huge rectangular-shaped reservoir with concrete steps surrounding it where people go to bathe and to do their laundry. I went there and watched while slowly walking around it. There were many people both bathing and washing clothes.
After that, I decided to start walking toward the station. I had nothing better to do, and there was no rush to get there. I was definitely a person of interest as I walked through the countryside and small villages. And walking gave me a chance to see everything and everyone better. I was concerned when it became cloudy and began sprinkling, but it passed quickly and the sun came out again. I had covered about 6 of the 10 km (3 1/2 of the 6 miles) to the station when a van stopped and one of the men in it offered me a ride. It was 4 men about my age who were obviously professionals, so I accepted. They had been here for a temple celebration. They told me I should visit their city of Bijapur the next time I am in India.
____
A man came and sat beside me on the train platform and began talking to me. He had RED teeth, stained from chewing betal nuts. He was educated and could read and write English. But his teeth were so horrible looking that it was difficult to turn toward him and have a conversation.
There are two dogs also on the platform. As I ate some peanuts they came near. I feel sorry for them. I know the are hungry. But they just quietly looked at me eat. I can't imagine peanuts being a food that dogs would appreciate.
____
The train arrived over 1 1/2 hours late. It was dark, and the power went off at the station just before the train came in. It was a quick scramble in the dark to get onto the train. Fortunately, they have car markers on the platform and I knew where to be standing for getting on the right car.
I have an upper birth in a car with 3 tiers. I hate climbing into and out of the upper birth. But it's an air conditioned car which means there are bedding items--two sheets, a blanket, and a pillow. Furthermore, the movement of the train feels rather smooth. I hope I can sleep.
Saturday, Aug. 23, Mumbai, India
The monsoon rains caught up with me today. Mumbai is flooded! I feel trapped in my hotel room.
I slept VERY well on the train last night. I had my luggage locked to the metal brackets attached to the seats, so I didn't have to worry about anyone taking it. Furthermore, the ride was smooth with gentle starts and stops. My upper birth rocked just enough to be perfect. The only problem was the light snorring of two men nearby.
It was a SLOW train. It was already 1 1/2 hours late when it got to Gokarna. By the time we got here, we were 6 hours late.
I had already decided to stay at an airport hotel rather than try to go into town. A man in my compartment was coming to the airport, too. We shared a taxi and the expense.
They agreed to let me stay at the hotel until 5:00 p.m. tomorrow without extra charges. That's fine. My flight won't be until after midnight, but I would rather stay in the hotel with the TV and the privacy as long as possible. There are shops and restaurants nearby, but if it continues to rain hard while I am here, I can easily stay in the room and eat at the hotel restaurant.
Mumbai is like most big third-world cities. We passed lots of tent towns and shacks built of sheet metal and other scrounged items. It brought back memories of the neighborhood where the tailors in A Fine Balance lived when they first arrived in Bombay. And the traffic is atrocious. Lights stay red for long periods of time so that it becomes a go-a-little-bit-then-wait-a-whole-lot process that is repeated over and over. It's made me wonder if I ever want to really see this city or not. It is just so big and congested. We'll see....
Friday, August 22, 2003
Thursday, Aug. 21, Gokarna, India
Gokarna was recommended as a destination by Joe and Philly, the couple I met last year in Laos and traveled with through northern Thailand. I can see why they liked it. Thank goodness, the rain has stopped and this looks like a clear day for the beach.
____
Last night was a bad night. Lionel and I checked into rooms quickly yesterday because it was raining. On closer inspection, my room was not very clean. It looked as if the sheets were clean, but the pillow cases were not. I went to bed without a pillow. Then by 1:00 a.m. I was awake fighting bus. I killed at least 10 mosquitos, two fleas, some ants, and a couple of long, skinny bugs. I put my travel sheet (like a sleeping bag made of cotton) on the bed and climbed into it. I inserted by book into the pillow compartment to use as a pillow. I still got up a couple of more times to deal with mosquitos.
This morning Leonel came to my room to see if I wanted breakfast. We went to a local eating place and had pani with sambal. Pani are light puffy fried breads similar to soapapillas in Mexico. Sambal consists of marinated onions in a spicy sauce. We had a glass of milk tea afterwards.
When we finished, we went to the nearby Gokarna International Hotel. They had a clean room with cable TV, a balcony, and a telephone for 150 rupees--50 rupees less than I paid for the fleabag last night. So I checked in and moved my luggage later. Lionel took his luggage and stored it there while he considered whether he wanted to stay in a room on the beach or get a room at the hotel. He'll probably stay at the beach.
The weather today is unstable. It was sunny all morning, but there are clouds around now. We were able to walk to the beach with no rain. I have a feeling it will come later, however. I hope I can manage to walk back without being in the rain again today. I want my sandals to stay dry. Yesterday, when they were wet, they stuck to my heel and rubbed a blister on one side.
____
We spent about 5 hours at the beach. Rain never came. I left about 3:00 p.m. after we had gone swimming. Leonil came back later. He came to my room around 6:00 p.m., and we had drinks on the balcony and visited. Later, we went to a restaurant for dinner. I had the vegie thali plate and shared a fruit salad with him.
Friday, Aug. 22, Gokarna, India
I'm waiting for my train tonight around 6:30 p.m. I tried to get the hotel to let me stay in my room until 4:00 p.m., but they wanted me to pay for another whole night. They had said I must check out at 8:30, since I checked in at 8:30 yesterday. I offered to pay 50 rupees (1/3 of a night's stay for 1/3 of a 24-hour period), but they wouldn't accept it even though there is no demand for the room. Therefore, I'm sitting in my lobby. I've been reading in my book (Rohinton Mistry's Family Matters). Later, I'll go to an Internet cafe and will eat lunch somewhere. The day will slowly pass. It's just awkward having to deal with my luggage. I refuse to pay the hotel to store it; I don't want to help them earn more money when they wouldn't help me. Fortunately, the morning has turned out to be sunny although there was a dire forecast on BBC. If it doesn't rain, it will me much easier for me just to pull my suitcase with me as I go places to pass the time.
Gokarna was recommended as a destination by Joe and Philly, the couple I met last year in Laos and traveled with through northern Thailand. I can see why they liked it. Thank goodness, the rain has stopped and this looks like a clear day for the beach.
____
Last night was a bad night. Lionel and I checked into rooms quickly yesterday because it was raining. On closer inspection, my room was not very clean. It looked as if the sheets were clean, but the pillow cases were not. I went to bed without a pillow. Then by 1:00 a.m. I was awake fighting bus. I killed at least 10 mosquitos, two fleas, some ants, and a couple of long, skinny bugs. I put my travel sheet (like a sleeping bag made of cotton) on the bed and climbed into it. I inserted by book into the pillow compartment to use as a pillow. I still got up a couple of more times to deal with mosquitos.
This morning Leonel came to my room to see if I wanted breakfast. We went to a local eating place and had pani with sambal. Pani are light puffy fried breads similar to soapapillas in Mexico. Sambal consists of marinated onions in a spicy sauce. We had a glass of milk tea afterwards.
When we finished, we went to the nearby Gokarna International Hotel. They had a clean room with cable TV, a balcony, and a telephone for 150 rupees--50 rupees less than I paid for the fleabag last night. So I checked in and moved my luggage later. Lionel took his luggage and stored it there while he considered whether he wanted to stay in a room on the beach or get a room at the hotel. He'll probably stay at the beach.
The weather today is unstable. It was sunny all morning, but there are clouds around now. We were able to walk to the beach with no rain. I have a feeling it will come later, however. I hope I can manage to walk back without being in the rain again today. I want my sandals to stay dry. Yesterday, when they were wet, they stuck to my heel and rubbed a blister on one side.
____
We spent about 5 hours at the beach. Rain never came. I left about 3:00 p.m. after we had gone swimming. Leonil came back later. He came to my room around 6:00 p.m., and we had drinks on the balcony and visited. Later, we went to a restaurant for dinner. I had the vegie thali plate and shared a fruit salad with him.
Friday, Aug. 22, Gokarna, India
I'm waiting for my train tonight around 6:30 p.m. I tried to get the hotel to let me stay in my room until 4:00 p.m., but they wanted me to pay for another whole night. They had said I must check out at 8:30, since I checked in at 8:30 yesterday. I offered to pay 50 rupees (1/3 of a night's stay for 1/3 of a 24-hour period), but they wouldn't accept it even though there is no demand for the room. Therefore, I'm sitting in my lobby. I've been reading in my book (Rohinton Mistry's Family Matters). Later, I'll go to an Internet cafe and will eat lunch somewhere. The day will slowly pass. It's just awkward having to deal with my luggage. I refuse to pay the hotel to store it; I don't want to help them earn more money when they wouldn't help me. Fortunately, the morning has turned out to be sunny although there was a dire forecast on BBC. If it doesn't rain, it will me much easier for me just to pull my suitcase with me as I go places to pass the time.
Wednesday, August 20, 2003
Tuesday, Aug. 19, Mangalore, India (Continued)
What a surprise. As I was walking down the street to the Internet cafe, a man approached me and asked what country I'm from. He was testing me. I looked at him and said, "We've met before!" He said, "Yes, you're a doctor at a university." I had met him and his wife in Kollum about 8 days ago. They had been there visiting her family. But they live here where they have a small neighborhood restaurant about 15 km (9 miles) out of town. I needed to get to the Internet cafe and then eat, and he had to meet his father and get back to the restaurant. But what an experience--being recognized in India by someone I know in a town I've never visited before and only about 1 1/2 hours after I had arrived!
Wednesday, Aug. 20, Gokarna, India
I've noticed that the exotic aspect of traveling in places like India, Thailand, etc., has mostly worn off for me. As I ride the buses and go from community to community it seems so normal to me now. I know it is something that was bound to happy; Europe lost its exotic feel 20 years ago or so. What it means is that I'm beginning to feel at home almost anywhere.
____
I'm sitting at a cafe on Om Beach in Gokarna. It's a beautiful, isolated place that is actually about 4 km (2 1/2 miles) out of town across a landscape of volcanic rock covered in brush and trees. I walked here with Leonil from France and Constantine from Germany. The cafe is the social center for the beach which is popular with hippies and backpackers.
Leonil and I met on the bus this morning. He was also coming from Mangalore to here. We began visiting when we changed to the second bus we had to take for the trip. We arrived in town with it raining and went in search of a place to stay. We checked into a guesthouse very near to the bus station. Then we started walking to the beaching. Leonil knew the way, because he visited here two years ago. We passed a fairly dirty beach. Then at the end of the next beach, there was a temple with a bathing pool where men were taking their bath. We climbed steps from there to cross the volcanic mountain to the next beach. When we got to it, the rain was so hard that we stopped at a place we saw where there were about 5 local men who invited us inside for shelter.
The men were all very poor. One was wearing only a g-string. The others were wearing dirty wrap-around skirts called longe or shorts. They are employees, I guess, of the guesthouse that was attached to where we were. We ordered tea which they brought to us and we drank. While there, Constantine came up with his backpack. That's when we first connected with him. He was on his way to Om Beach also, where he had reservations to stay at the guesthouse there called Nameste. He bought tea and some hashish, then we all set out across another volcanic area to Om Beach.
The guesthouse at Om Beach has a very nice covered outdoor restaurant. We sat there and ate and drank for over an hour. I had banana pancakes and Leonil had lemon pancakes. We finally left a little after 6:00 p.m., because we knew it would be getting dark and it would take us almost an hour to hike back into town.
The rain continues tonight. But we got a glimpse of the town. It reminds me of the villages I visited in the Himalayas two years ago. I am looking forward to seeing more of it during the next two days that I will be here.
I'm running out of time and it's getting late, so I will tell more about the village tomorrow.
What a surprise. As I was walking down the street to the Internet cafe, a man approached me and asked what country I'm from. He was testing me. I looked at him and said, "We've met before!" He said, "Yes, you're a doctor at a university." I had met him and his wife in Kollum about 8 days ago. They had been there visiting her family. But they live here where they have a small neighborhood restaurant about 15 km (9 miles) out of town. I needed to get to the Internet cafe and then eat, and he had to meet his father and get back to the restaurant. But what an experience--being recognized in India by someone I know in a town I've never visited before and only about 1 1/2 hours after I had arrived!
Wednesday, Aug. 20, Gokarna, India
I've noticed that the exotic aspect of traveling in places like India, Thailand, etc., has mostly worn off for me. As I ride the buses and go from community to community it seems so normal to me now. I know it is something that was bound to happy; Europe lost its exotic feel 20 years ago or so. What it means is that I'm beginning to feel at home almost anywhere.
____
I'm sitting at a cafe on Om Beach in Gokarna. It's a beautiful, isolated place that is actually about 4 km (2 1/2 miles) out of town across a landscape of volcanic rock covered in brush and trees. I walked here with Leonil from France and Constantine from Germany. The cafe is the social center for the beach which is popular with hippies and backpackers.
Leonil and I met on the bus this morning. He was also coming from Mangalore to here. We began visiting when we changed to the second bus we had to take for the trip. We arrived in town with it raining and went in search of a place to stay. We checked into a guesthouse very near to the bus station. Then we started walking to the beaching. Leonil knew the way, because he visited here two years ago. We passed a fairly dirty beach. Then at the end of the next beach, there was a temple with a bathing pool where men were taking their bath. We climbed steps from there to cross the volcanic mountain to the next beach. When we got to it, the rain was so hard that we stopped at a place we saw where there were about 5 local men who invited us inside for shelter.
The men were all very poor. One was wearing only a g-string. The others were wearing dirty wrap-around skirts called longe or shorts. They are employees, I guess, of the guesthouse that was attached to where we were. We ordered tea which they brought to us and we drank. While there, Constantine came up with his backpack. That's when we first connected with him. He was on his way to Om Beach also, where he had reservations to stay at the guesthouse there called Nameste. He bought tea and some hashish, then we all set out across another volcanic area to Om Beach.
The guesthouse at Om Beach has a very nice covered outdoor restaurant. We sat there and ate and drank for over an hour. I had banana pancakes and Leonil had lemon pancakes. We finally left a little after 6:00 p.m., because we knew it would be getting dark and it would take us almost an hour to hike back into town.
The rain continues tonight. But we got a glimpse of the town. It reminds me of the villages I visited in the Himalayas two years ago. I am looking forward to seeing more of it during the next two days that I will be here.
I'm running out of time and it's getting late, so I will tell more about the village tomorrow.
Tuesday, August 19, 2003
Tuesday, Aug. 19, Mangalore, India
Anyone who likes amusement park rides needs to take a bus through the hills and/or mountains of India while sitting in the front row looking out the front window. It's actually more exciting than any ride I've ever taken. The twisting and turning was so fast and so frequent that even my stomach became queezy, and a ride has never done that to me. Some people actually leaned their heads out the windows to throw up. The excitement is increased by the on-coming traffic and constant efforts to pass the vehicle ahead with no idea of what's coming around the nearing curve. Several times today on the 7 1/2-hour trip from Mysore to Mangalore we had near-misses (near-hits?) that made me flinch. I looked around after one of the occurrences, and a man who had been watching me laughed. I don't know how they manage it, but many buses a day cover the same route in the same way without having an accident. And there are tens of thousands of similar trips throughout India each day. It's just amazing how seldom there is an accident.
There's really nothing to see in Mangalore. I'm just here to spend the night and catch another bus tomorrow morning for Gokarna, my last stop in India (other than one night and day near the airport in Mumbai this weekend). It's 6:00 p.m., and I haven't eaten yet today, so I need to end this and find a restaurant that my guidebook recommends here.
Anyone who likes amusement park rides needs to take a bus through the hills and/or mountains of India while sitting in the front row looking out the front window. It's actually more exciting than any ride I've ever taken. The twisting and turning was so fast and so frequent that even my stomach became queezy, and a ride has never done that to me. Some people actually leaned their heads out the windows to throw up. The excitement is increased by the on-coming traffic and constant efforts to pass the vehicle ahead with no idea of what's coming around the nearing curve. Several times today on the 7 1/2-hour trip from Mysore to Mangalore we had near-misses (near-hits?) that made me flinch. I looked around after one of the occurrences, and a man who had been watching me laughed. I don't know how they manage it, but many buses a day cover the same route in the same way without having an accident. And there are tens of thousands of similar trips throughout India each day. It's just amazing how seldom there is an accident.
There's really nothing to see in Mangalore. I'm just here to spend the night and catch another bus tomorrow morning for Gokarna, my last stop in India (other than one night and day near the airport in Mumbai this weekend). It's 6:00 p.m., and I haven't eaten yet today, so I need to end this and find a restaurant that my guidebook recommends here.
Monday, August 18, 2003
Sunday, Aug. 17 (Cont.), Mysore, India
I went to Mysore Palace around 6:40 to wait for the lighting ceremony that occurs every Sunday night. While waiting, I visited with two young men. Then the gates opened and we entered. A military band was seated in the central area of the palace and we observers were kept about 50 m (50 yds.) back. At 7:00, the band began playing Indian music and 50,000 lightbulbs burst on. They outlined the main palace and the gates. It was beautiful. It was like Tivoli, but this is a real palace and much bigger than the lighted buildings at Tivoli. I'll tour the inside tomorrow.
Bought some candies on the way home. I got two balls of coconut and other ingredients and two pieces of milk sugar candy.
Monday, Aug. 18, Mysore, India
I toured Mysore Palace after washing some shorts in the room. The palace is truly nice and magnificent. It's as well restored and maintained as European palaces. It is very lavish with two rooms having stained glass canopy roofs, several doors being covered in silver, other doors being made of inlaid mother-of-pearl, the floors being of marble, etc. I had a bit of distraction, however. A group of engineering students wanted to visit with me, so I had to be careful to look at the features of the palace while talking. It was nice to visit the palace, since I remember studying about it in social studies sometime around the 5th grade. There are a couple of gimmicks that I didn't like. First, rather than saying "No Photos," they require you to deposit your camera and pay for doing so. Then they do the same thing with the shoes. Another negative aspect was that I couldn't look at the lavishness of the palace without thinking about how poor the people are in general and how unfair it is that one family had so much through being royalty and taxing the poor.
From the palace, I went to a museum in another palace. It was really a hodgepodge of various old items, but it's one of the bigger attractions beyond the palace.
I walked past the university campus on my way to the train station. I took a photo of the College of Education building which is a twin-towered colonial structure.
Getting a train ticket in Inida is an experience. I ran the gauntlet, though, and now I have my place reserved for getting to Mumbai in time for making my flight next weekend. Frist, I had to line up at the Inquiry Counter to get information about the train. Then I had to complete a reservation form. Next, I had to cue in the purchasing room. Fortunately, it's made easier here by having a moving-seat cue. You sit in the last row and, as people in the front go to the window, everyone moves forward, snaking through the rows to the front. Seats are needed, because the wait is generally 30-45 minutes. Anyway, I will catch a train in Gokarna on Friday night and arrive in Mumbai Saturdy morning. I'll be in a 3-tier air conditioned sleeper car. I don't report to the airport in Mumbai until Sunday night, so there is time to still get there if the train runs into a problem.
I've been writing this at a restaurant where I've had murg chicken--pieces of chicken in a very dark red sauce with bell pepper and herbs. It was spicy and delicious. It was too much food, however. I skipped the cucumber and onion salad and ate only one of the papadums they served. As usual, I had fresh lime soda with the meal. Here, they brought the lime juice and the simple syrup in small bowls with spoons and the soda in the bottle so that I could nix my own drink. I have to remember to make these at home. The restaurant, like many here, had a doorman dressed in a fancy cream and gold colored uniform and turban.
I went to Mysore Palace around 6:40 to wait for the lighting ceremony that occurs every Sunday night. While waiting, I visited with two young men. Then the gates opened and we entered. A military band was seated in the central area of the palace and we observers were kept about 50 m (50 yds.) back. At 7:00, the band began playing Indian music and 50,000 lightbulbs burst on. They outlined the main palace and the gates. It was beautiful. It was like Tivoli, but this is a real palace and much bigger than the lighted buildings at Tivoli. I'll tour the inside tomorrow.
Bought some candies on the way home. I got two balls of coconut and other ingredients and two pieces of milk sugar candy.
Monday, Aug. 18, Mysore, India
I toured Mysore Palace after washing some shorts in the room. The palace is truly nice and magnificent. It's as well restored and maintained as European palaces. It is very lavish with two rooms having stained glass canopy roofs, several doors being covered in silver, other doors being made of inlaid mother-of-pearl, the floors being of marble, etc. I had a bit of distraction, however. A group of engineering students wanted to visit with me, so I had to be careful to look at the features of the palace while talking. It was nice to visit the palace, since I remember studying about it in social studies sometime around the 5th grade. There are a couple of gimmicks that I didn't like. First, rather than saying "No Photos," they require you to deposit your camera and pay for doing so. Then they do the same thing with the shoes. Another negative aspect was that I couldn't look at the lavishness of the palace without thinking about how poor the people are in general and how unfair it is that one family had so much through being royalty and taxing the poor.
From the palace, I went to a museum in another palace. It was really a hodgepodge of various old items, but it's one of the bigger attractions beyond the palace.
I walked past the university campus on my way to the train station. I took a photo of the College of Education building which is a twin-towered colonial structure.
Getting a train ticket in Inida is an experience. I ran the gauntlet, though, and now I have my place reserved for getting to Mumbai in time for making my flight next weekend. Frist, I had to line up at the Inquiry Counter to get information about the train. Then I had to complete a reservation form. Next, I had to cue in the purchasing room. Fortunately, it's made easier here by having a moving-seat cue. You sit in the last row and, as people in the front go to the window, everyone moves forward, snaking through the rows to the front. Seats are needed, because the wait is generally 30-45 minutes. Anyway, I will catch a train in Gokarna on Friday night and arrive in Mumbai Saturdy morning. I'll be in a 3-tier air conditioned sleeper car. I don't report to the airport in Mumbai until Sunday night, so there is time to still get there if the train runs into a problem.
I've been writing this at a restaurant where I've had murg chicken--pieces of chicken in a very dark red sauce with bell pepper and herbs. It was spicy and delicious. It was too much food, however. I skipped the cucumber and onion salad and ate only one of the papadums they served. As usual, I had fresh lime soda with the meal. Here, they brought the lime juice and the simple syrup in small bowls with spoons and the soda in the bottle so that I could nix my own drink. I have to remember to make these at home. The restaurant, like many here, had a doorman dressed in a fancy cream and gold colored uniform and turban.
Sunday, August 17, 2003
Sunday, Aug. 17, Mysore, India
I'm spending the morning at the Mysore Zoo. It's only a short walk from the center of town and is a nice zoo. It's very clean and well maintained. It's not nearly as crowded as the zoo in Colombo was, so it's more of a pleasant visit. Some observations:
1. It was funny to be looking at types of monkeys in cages and to turn around and see local monkeys sitting on the open ground.
2. A zookeeper just walked by escorting a baby elephant around the grounds. I guess it was done both as a treat for the visitors and as part of the training for the elephant. I enjoyed seeing it.
3. There is a group of American teenagers here. My guess is that theya re 16-17 years old. They are noticeable for being very loud compared to the Indians and for acting rather immaturely by doing things like making roaring sounds at the tigers.
4. A nice professional couple approached me and visited. They are from Kerala, but they live in Bangalore for their work in high-tech areas. They gave me suggestions for my travels and explained a foot item (idly) I had seen on menus and was curious about.
I'm running out of time in India. My flight to Cairo is next Sunday Night/Monday Morning. So I've had to figure out what to do for my final days. The problem in planning is that I must consider train schedules to Mumbai (Bombay). I've decided to go back across the mountains to Mangalore, because trains from this side take much longer to get to Mumbai and don't run every day. From Mangalore, I can work my way up the coast until Friday or Saturday and then get a train to Mumbai and go straight to the airport. Tomorrow, I will go to the train station here to get info on trains and scheduled arrivals in Mumbai. I've already bought a bus ticket to Mangalore on the coast for Tuesday morning.
I had spinach with paneer for lunch. Paneer is the cheesy, tofu-like product. I had it with nan and two fresh lime sodas. The spinach mixture was nice and spicy.
Various Notes:
1. It's more bothersome to be a tourist here in Mysore than where I've already been this trip. Everyone wants you to buy postcards or flutes or old coins, or something. The couple I met at the zoo says that they, too, face the same problem, so it's not just the Westerners who have to deal with it. In fact, I saw a man who sells flipflops (thong sandals) pestering an old Indian man who walked by barefooted to buy a pair. I'd hate to have to put up with this everyday!!
2. In several cities I've visited, I've seen elaborate geometric chalk drawings in white (and sometimes accented in rust) on the pavement in front of doorways to homes. I wonder what these are? My guess is that it's a way to ward off evil and to promote good fortune. Each home tends to have its own unique pattern. It may be tied to a particular religion.
3. Yesterday, I encountered the same street urchin three different times. The third time, we talked. I asked why he wasn't in school. He said that he doesn't go to school--that he works. It's obvious he's very intelligent. And he can speak English, German, French, and Italian along with more than one Indian language. This boy, 12-13 years old, will work all his life and never make much of himself. If his intelligence, charm, and enthusiasm could only be channeled into an educational program, there's no telling what he might accomplish.
I still haven't toured Mysore Palace. I'm waiting until tomorrow morning when it should be less crowded. But I am going to the palace grounds tonight to see the lighting ceremony that takes place only once a week on Sundays and on public holidays. The palace is outlined with 50,000 light bulbs that will be turned on for one hour. It starts in 70 minutes from now.
I'm spending the morning at the Mysore Zoo. It's only a short walk from the center of town and is a nice zoo. It's very clean and well maintained. It's not nearly as crowded as the zoo in Colombo was, so it's more of a pleasant visit. Some observations:
1. It was funny to be looking at types of monkeys in cages and to turn around and see local monkeys sitting on the open ground.
2. A zookeeper just walked by escorting a baby elephant around the grounds. I guess it was done both as a treat for the visitors and as part of the training for the elephant. I enjoyed seeing it.
3. There is a group of American teenagers here. My guess is that theya re 16-17 years old. They are noticeable for being very loud compared to the Indians and for acting rather immaturely by doing things like making roaring sounds at the tigers.
4. A nice professional couple approached me and visited. They are from Kerala, but they live in Bangalore for their work in high-tech areas. They gave me suggestions for my travels and explained a foot item (idly) I had seen on menus and was curious about.
I'm running out of time in India. My flight to Cairo is next Sunday Night/Monday Morning. So I've had to figure out what to do for my final days. The problem in planning is that I must consider train schedules to Mumbai (Bombay). I've decided to go back across the mountains to Mangalore, because trains from this side take much longer to get to Mumbai and don't run every day. From Mangalore, I can work my way up the coast until Friday or Saturday and then get a train to Mumbai and go straight to the airport. Tomorrow, I will go to the train station here to get info on trains and scheduled arrivals in Mumbai. I've already bought a bus ticket to Mangalore on the coast for Tuesday morning.
I had spinach with paneer for lunch. Paneer is the cheesy, tofu-like product. I had it with nan and two fresh lime sodas. The spinach mixture was nice and spicy.
Various Notes:
1. It's more bothersome to be a tourist here in Mysore than where I've already been this trip. Everyone wants you to buy postcards or flutes or old coins, or something. The couple I met at the zoo says that they, too, face the same problem, so it's not just the Westerners who have to deal with it. In fact, I saw a man who sells flipflops (thong sandals) pestering an old Indian man who walked by barefooted to buy a pair. I'd hate to have to put up with this everyday!!
2. In several cities I've visited, I've seen elaborate geometric chalk drawings in white (and sometimes accented in rust) on the pavement in front of doorways to homes. I wonder what these are? My guess is that it's a way to ward off evil and to promote good fortune. Each home tends to have its own unique pattern. It may be tied to a particular religion.
3. Yesterday, I encountered the same street urchin three different times. The third time, we talked. I asked why he wasn't in school. He said that he doesn't go to school--that he works. It's obvious he's very intelligent. And he can speak English, German, French, and Italian along with more than one Indian language. This boy, 12-13 years old, will work all his life and never make much of himself. If his intelligence, charm, and enthusiasm could only be channeled into an educational program, there's no telling what he might accomplish.
I still haven't toured Mysore Palace. I'm waiting until tomorrow morning when it should be less crowded. But I am going to the palace grounds tonight to see the lighting ceremony that takes place only once a week on Sundays and on public holidays. The palace is outlined with 50,000 light bulbs that will be turned on for one hour. It starts in 70 minutes from now.
Saturday, August 16, 2003
Friday, Aug. 15, Cochin, India (Continued)
The South Korean lady told me a sad story about a woman from Spain she met. The woman had been offerred chocolates to eat by some Indians. They were drugged and made her pass out. She slept for hours and, when she awoke, was missing her passport, traveler's checks, cash, etc. She had no money for doing anything, so the South Korean lady bought her a train ticket to Delhi so she could go to her embassy for help and gave her money for food. How horrible it must have been for the lady. I was told she had cried for 4 days before the South Korean met her.
____
I walked to the bus station with it sprinkling. I arrived early, because I wanted to go before it got dark. Fortunately, there were few seats sold (due to being Independence Day, according to the man at the ticket office). That meant I got a seat with no one beside me. I was disappointed, however, that they had no special place for my luggage. I had to put it on the floor in front of the empty seat beside me.
Saturday, Aug. 16, Mysore, India
It was a long and tiresome bus ride inland to Mysore. We had to cross a ridge of mountains high enough that it is covered with tea plantations. What made it so bad was the roadway--a one-lane, pock-marked, rough road with many one-lane bridges and lots of tight turns. The bus' suspension was already damaged from many trips over this road, so it was a bumpy ride. Often we had to stop for others to pass, and several times we had to back up to an area wide enough for someone to pass.
My luck of having two seats didn't last for the whole trip. We continued to pick up passengers during the night, so I eventually had to share my extra seat. That made it much more difficult to sleep.
Early morning on the bus finally turned into an enjoyable experience. A man left the bus across the aisle from me, and the remaining man there invited me to move over and visit with him. He was a policeman going to Bangalore for a class, and he was with three other men--two more policemen in the seats behind us, and a friend of theirs who is an engineer with a home in Bangalore where they will all stay. They were young men (26-32 years old) with a delightful relationship among them. The engineer is the comic of the group, and the one I sat with was their favorite to tease. The other two were a little shy, but still participated fully in our discussions. The cops were all handsome and married (one love marriage and two arranged marriages) with children, while the joker is still single. They were so excited about their trip. Beyond going to classes, they have plans to go out drinking (non-alcoholic beverages only, they said) and dancing at a disco (only with each other--not with women). If I had been going to Bangalore, I'm sure I would have been invited to join them.
I arrived in Mysore at 7:30 a.n. and said good-bye to my policement with a promise to consider visiting their town of Munnar on my next trip to India and to write them from America. Then I faced the problem of Mysore being a major tourist center. The touts were everywhere. I shook all but one. With him, it didn't even work when I suggested, "How about I pay you 10 rupees to leave me alone." He walked with me to a hotel I wanted to see. Then I went with him to one he wanted me to see. When I rejected his and said I was going to walk to two more hotels and preferred to be alone, he finally gave up. I went back to the first hotel and checked in. My room, however, wasn't ready, so I went exploring and to one of the tourist offices.
Mysore is famous for its palaces. One, Mysore Palace, is so special and se well restored that it is something like the Versailles (sp?) of India. It's an unbelievably beautiful place just across the road from my hotel. My room looks toward it, but trees obscure the view. Instead of touring it immediately, I've decided to wait. I may even wait until Monday morning, since it is known for being crowded on weekends. In the meantime, there are other things I can do here.
It's now late afternoon. I had a 3-hour nap after my room was ready at 11:30. Then I cleaned up and went to dinner at 4:00 at a nearby restaurant. I had chicken tikka masala, garlic naan, and fresh lime soda. It was a nice restaurant, and I went there because my guidebook highly recommended the chicken tikka. It lived up to what the guidebook said. It was creamy and spicy and delicious. But the restaurant was apparently closing around 4:30. Lights started going off, and they brought me my bill while I was still eating. I didn't appreciate that and left with a bad impression of the place. I also left without leaving any extra tip beyond what they had already included as a service charge.
As I left the restaurant, there was a procession going down the street. It is part of a temple festival they are having. There were a couple of bands, several floats, and an elephant with fancy dress. Some were shooting firecrackers as the procession continued, so there was lots of excitement. My "broken" camera worked for two photos, but then I had to change to the new camera.
The South Korean lady told me a sad story about a woman from Spain she met. The woman had been offerred chocolates to eat by some Indians. They were drugged and made her pass out. She slept for hours and, when she awoke, was missing her passport, traveler's checks, cash, etc. She had no money for doing anything, so the South Korean lady bought her a train ticket to Delhi so she could go to her embassy for help and gave her money for food. How horrible it must have been for the lady. I was told she had cried for 4 days before the South Korean met her.
____
I walked to the bus station with it sprinkling. I arrived early, because I wanted to go before it got dark. Fortunately, there were few seats sold (due to being Independence Day, according to the man at the ticket office). That meant I got a seat with no one beside me. I was disappointed, however, that they had no special place for my luggage. I had to put it on the floor in front of the empty seat beside me.
Saturday, Aug. 16, Mysore, India
It was a long and tiresome bus ride inland to Mysore. We had to cross a ridge of mountains high enough that it is covered with tea plantations. What made it so bad was the roadway--a one-lane, pock-marked, rough road with many one-lane bridges and lots of tight turns. The bus' suspension was already damaged from many trips over this road, so it was a bumpy ride. Often we had to stop for others to pass, and several times we had to back up to an area wide enough for someone to pass.
My luck of having two seats didn't last for the whole trip. We continued to pick up passengers during the night, so I eventually had to share my extra seat. That made it much more difficult to sleep.
Early morning on the bus finally turned into an enjoyable experience. A man left the bus across the aisle from me, and the remaining man there invited me to move over and visit with him. He was a policeman going to Bangalore for a class, and he was with three other men--two more policemen in the seats behind us, and a friend of theirs who is an engineer with a home in Bangalore where they will all stay. They were young men (26-32 years old) with a delightful relationship among them. The engineer is the comic of the group, and the one I sat with was their favorite to tease. The other two were a little shy, but still participated fully in our discussions. The cops were all handsome and married (one love marriage and two arranged marriages) with children, while the joker is still single. They were so excited about their trip. Beyond going to classes, they have plans to go out drinking (non-alcoholic beverages only, they said) and dancing at a disco (only with each other--not with women). If I had been going to Bangalore, I'm sure I would have been invited to join them.
I arrived in Mysore at 7:30 a.n. and said good-bye to my policement with a promise to consider visiting their town of Munnar on my next trip to India and to write them from America. Then I faced the problem of Mysore being a major tourist center. The touts were everywhere. I shook all but one. With him, it didn't even work when I suggested, "How about I pay you 10 rupees to leave me alone." He walked with me to a hotel I wanted to see. Then I went with him to one he wanted me to see. When I rejected his and said I was going to walk to two more hotels and preferred to be alone, he finally gave up. I went back to the first hotel and checked in. My room, however, wasn't ready, so I went exploring and to one of the tourist offices.
Mysore is famous for its palaces. One, Mysore Palace, is so special and se well restored that it is something like the Versailles (sp?) of India. It's an unbelievably beautiful place just across the road from my hotel. My room looks toward it, but trees obscure the view. Instead of touring it immediately, I've decided to wait. I may even wait until Monday morning, since it is known for being crowded on weekends. In the meantime, there are other things I can do here.
It's now late afternoon. I had a 3-hour nap after my room was ready at 11:30. Then I cleaned up and went to dinner at 4:00 at a nearby restaurant. I had chicken tikka masala, garlic naan, and fresh lime soda. It was a nice restaurant, and I went there because my guidebook highly recommended the chicken tikka. It lived up to what the guidebook said. It was creamy and spicy and delicious. But the restaurant was apparently closing around 4:30. Lights started going off, and they brought me my bill while I was still eating. I didn't appreciate that and left with a bad impression of the place. I also left without leaving any extra tip beyond what they had already included as a service charge.
As I left the restaurant, there was a procession going down the street. It is part of a temple festival they are having. There were a couple of bands, several floats, and an elephant with fancy dress. Some were shooting firecrackers as the procession continued, so there was lots of excitement. My "broken" camera worked for two photos, but then I had to change to the new camera.
Friday, August 15, 2003
Thursday, Aug. 14, Cochin, India (Continued)
Fort Cochin is huge. The map doesn't do it justice. Many streets are left off and what looked like short distances were actually long ones. I walked several kilometers during the day trying to see the sites that I described in my previous entry and that I saw afterwards.
I ran into Florence, the young lady who was catching the same train from Trivandrum the other day, in the Fort. She had just arrived here and showed me her photos from her visit to Varkala, the beach resort that I decided to skip.
I ate dinner, my only meal of the day, after returning via ferry to Ernakulam, the mainland portion of Cochin. I had nan paneer butter masala. Paneer is a cheese that is somewhat like tofu. It was in a creamy curry sauce. They served it with two big pieces of nan bread. I ordered a lime drink, but they made fresh orange juice instead. It was a good dinner, but would have been better with lime juice.
Friday, Aug. 15, Cochin, India
There have been showers off and on all morning and afternoon. It's the first genuinely rainy day of my entire trip. I've been very fortunate with the weather. Being monsson season, there could have been much more rain.
I need to go to Mysore from here, but it's impossible to do it easily. There is no direct train. By train, I would have to go to Bangalore (about a 15 hour trip) and then backtrack another 3 hours to Mysore. By bus, it takes 10-13 hours according to timing. (Traffic slows down during the daytime.) The buses leave about every 1 1/2 to 2 hours starting around 2:30 in the afternoon with the last one leaving at 7:45 p.m. The 7:45 bus takes less time and arrives at a decent hour--6:00 a.m. The earlier buses take longer and arrive at bad times in the night or early morning. There were only stand-by tickets available for the train, so that helped me decide to take the bus. I will be in Seat 18 for 10 hours tonight traveling from Cochin to Mysore. I dread the trip. I just have to get it behind me!
Today is Independence Day for India. As I returned to the hotel from my outing to buy a ticket to Mysore, I passed a stadium with bands, soldiers, scouts, policemen, etc., streaming out. There had been a celebration that I missed. It's too bad I didn't know about it in advance!
I took two books that I have finished to a bookstore today to trade. (Actually, it was a book I had read and another that I quit reading. I found my last book boring, gave it 1 star out of a possible 5, and was happy to get rid of it!) I paid 145 ruppees in addition to trading in the books to get the newest book by Rohinton Mistry entitled Family Matters. He's the India author of A Fine Balance which I read and enjoyed last year. I'm looking forward to reading this new book while I am still here in India.
On the way to the Fort, I met a nice young lady from South Korea. She and I visited and then toured around the Fort area for a while. It was an unusual encounter, because of the language situation. I could understand everything she said, and she spoke quite well. She, however, could not understand me. That is the opposite of how it usually is.
I must go now. The cybercafe is closing.
Fort Cochin is huge. The map doesn't do it justice. Many streets are left off and what looked like short distances were actually long ones. I walked several kilometers during the day trying to see the sites that I described in my previous entry and that I saw afterwards.
I ran into Florence, the young lady who was catching the same train from Trivandrum the other day, in the Fort. She had just arrived here and showed me her photos from her visit to Varkala, the beach resort that I decided to skip.
I ate dinner, my only meal of the day, after returning via ferry to Ernakulam, the mainland portion of Cochin. I had nan paneer butter masala. Paneer is a cheese that is somewhat like tofu. It was in a creamy curry sauce. They served it with two big pieces of nan bread. I ordered a lime drink, but they made fresh orange juice instead. It was a good dinner, but would have been better with lime juice.
Friday, Aug. 15, Cochin, India
There have been showers off and on all morning and afternoon. It's the first genuinely rainy day of my entire trip. I've been very fortunate with the weather. Being monsson season, there could have been much more rain.
I need to go to Mysore from here, but it's impossible to do it easily. There is no direct train. By train, I would have to go to Bangalore (about a 15 hour trip) and then backtrack another 3 hours to Mysore. By bus, it takes 10-13 hours according to timing. (Traffic slows down during the daytime.) The buses leave about every 1 1/2 to 2 hours starting around 2:30 in the afternoon with the last one leaving at 7:45 p.m. The 7:45 bus takes less time and arrives at a decent hour--6:00 a.m. The earlier buses take longer and arrive at bad times in the night or early morning. There were only stand-by tickets available for the train, so that helped me decide to take the bus. I will be in Seat 18 for 10 hours tonight traveling from Cochin to Mysore. I dread the trip. I just have to get it behind me!
Today is Independence Day for India. As I returned to the hotel from my outing to buy a ticket to Mysore, I passed a stadium with bands, soldiers, scouts, policemen, etc., streaming out. There had been a celebration that I missed. It's too bad I didn't know about it in advance!
I took two books that I have finished to a bookstore today to trade. (Actually, it was a book I had read and another that I quit reading. I found my last book boring, gave it 1 star out of a possible 5, and was happy to get rid of it!) I paid 145 ruppees in addition to trading in the books to get the newest book by Rohinton Mistry entitled Family Matters. He's the India author of A Fine Balance which I read and enjoyed last year. I'm looking forward to reading this new book while I am still here in India.
On the way to the Fort, I met a nice young lady from South Korea. She and I visited and then toured around the Fort area for a while. It was an unusual encounter, because of the language situation. I could understand everything she said, and she spoke quite well. She, however, could not understand me. That is the opposite of how it usually is.
I must go now. The cybercafe is closing.
Thursday, August 14, 2003
Thursday, Aug. 14, Backwaters of Kerala, India
It rained all night. The skies are still cloudy and there is the sound of drops dripping from trees and the edge of the roof. There are nice bird sounds, too. Otherwise, it is quiet as I sit here on my balcony.
Although this place is nice, I feel it's over-priced for the level of facilities. I plan, therefore, to leave today. I will skip Alappuzha (where my fellow boat riders stayed last night), since there seems to be no special reason to stop there other than to begin or end a backwater tour. Instead, I'll try to catch a bus or train to Cochin (Kochi), one of South India's most interesting (and I hope enjoyable to visit without hassles) towns.
___
Cochin, India
I'm sitting in Jew Town, a section of Fort Cochin. Across Synagogue Street from me is SWASTIK Spices. And further down the street is Swastic Oil Cooperative with swastikas all over the front of the building. You would think people would be more sensitive. Do you think they see it as a joke?
I got here by taking a canoe, then a tuk tuk, then a bus, and finally the ferry. Cochin is a city in several parts (penninsulas, islands, and mainland). My hotel is on the mainland, and I must take the ferry to to back. I've just visited Mattancherry Palace here in Fort Cochin which is famous for it's murals. They are very old paintings of Hindu gods and goddesses (with veluptuous, topless figures). I'm waiting now for the synagogue to open. After that, I will explore the "business" section of the Fort before taking the ferry back to my side of town.
____
The synagogue was interesting. It was built in 1568. It's a very bright, open building with wonderful hand-painted blue tiles on the floor, nice carvings, lots of hanging lanterns, etc. The Jews came here at that time and established a community. The local leader named one of them as a king for his people and community. Eventually, their town was burned by the Moors and the Portuguese, and they moved to Cochin and built the neighborhood called Jew Town. The information at the synagogue says there are still 60-70 Jews in Cochin and about 5000 in India.
It rained all night. The skies are still cloudy and there is the sound of drops dripping from trees and the edge of the roof. There are nice bird sounds, too. Otherwise, it is quiet as I sit here on my balcony.
Although this place is nice, I feel it's over-priced for the level of facilities. I plan, therefore, to leave today. I will skip Alappuzha (where my fellow boat riders stayed last night), since there seems to be no special reason to stop there other than to begin or end a backwater tour. Instead, I'll try to catch a bus or train to Cochin (Kochi), one of South India's most interesting (and I hope enjoyable to visit without hassles) towns.
___
Cochin, India
I'm sitting in Jew Town, a section of Fort Cochin. Across Synagogue Street from me is SWASTIK Spices. And further down the street is Swastic Oil Cooperative with swastikas all over the front of the building. You would think people would be more sensitive. Do you think they see it as a joke?
I got here by taking a canoe, then a tuk tuk, then a bus, and finally the ferry. Cochin is a city in several parts (penninsulas, islands, and mainland). My hotel is on the mainland, and I must take the ferry to to back. I've just visited Mattancherry Palace here in Fort Cochin which is famous for it's murals. They are very old paintings of Hindu gods and goddesses (with veluptuous, topless figures). I'm waiting now for the synagogue to open. After that, I will explore the "business" section of the Fort before taking the ferry back to my side of town.
____
The synagogue was interesting. It was built in 1568. It's a very bright, open building with wonderful hand-painted blue tiles on the floor, nice carvings, lots of hanging lanterns, etc. The Jews came here at that time and established a community. The local leader named one of them as a king for his people and community. Eventually, their town was burned by the Moors and the Portuguese, and they moved to Cochin and built the neighborhood called Jew Town. The information at the synagogue says there are still 60-70 Jews in Cochin and about 5000 in India.
Wednesday, Aug. 13, Backwaters of Kerala, India
I'm on a boat traveling the backwater region of Kerala on an 8-hour trip northward. I've been surprised by how developed it is along the waterways so far. There is one house after another, whereas I had expected remote jungle with occasional villages. It's not the city though. Local people are traveling by dugout canoes. And there are homemade crane-like constructions at the water's edge that allow them to lower nets for fishing and then raise them again. There are lights on the crane to attract the fish when the nets are lowered. It's a peaceful journey even if it's more developed along the shore than I expected.
We're passing an area now of houses built of woven palm fronds. They are really just shacks. Some have plastic sheeting thrown over the roofs to keep them dry. Each also has a woven palm frond toilet built out over the water so that the waste floats away when it falls.
I've met an American! There aren't many of us over here. He's an anthropology student from the University of Chicago and is of Indian descent (but born and raised in Miami) named Alpin. He's been working in Delhi on a project in which he tries to learn the details of all sides in a controversy related to alleged pollution of drinking water in a village caused by a Coca Cola bottling plant. He's a nice boy, but seems a little naive. His family must have money; he's wearing Alfred Dunhill sandals and expensive looking cargo shorts, and he said he prefers hotels to staying in guesthouses.
We've passed a couple of local househoats. They can be hired for a tour with living accommodations and meals cooked on board for about $125-150 U.jS. per day. The housing compartments of the boats are made of woven rattan and have curved roofs and arched windows with their own curved roof coverings.
The American student asked our boat people about the cost of renting a regular house on the waterway. They told him he could get monthly rentals for about 500 rupees a day (abut $11). This would be an interesting place to come and relax for a month or so. But I'm not sure if that price includes an outhouse over the water or not!
We stopped for lunch at a place operated by the tour company. They served us on banana leaves. It was a typical rice and curry selection. Considering the tour company was operating it, I was surprised at how cheap it was--25 rupees plus whatever extras were ordered (meat, fish, pineapple, etc.). I had the vegetarian selection and pineapple for a price of 35 rupees (about 75 cents U.S.).
Later, we stopped in a village where we had tea and snacks. I had a fried batter-dipp-ed banana and a piece of "sweet cake," a plain dough somewhat like pound cake.
____
Well, I am out in the sticks. I asked the boat to drop me off at Green Palace Health Resort. It's in a remote area on the backwater canals. I have an upstairs room with a balcony facing the canal and the sunset beyond it. As I sit here at my table with checkered tablecloth, I can see fishermen in two dugout canoes pulling in their nets. And I hear jungle sounds of birds and other critters in the distance. Someone, probably another guest, is swinging and reading in the hammock that is trung between two coconut palsm at the edge of the water. It's still about an hour before the end of the boat trip. Tomorrow, I can either take a bus to town or I can catch the same boat around 5:00 p.m. to complete the journey.
Well, my "broken" camera was working all day today, so I used it for my photos. I got scenic shots, but I was hesitant to take photos of people. Like any remote river area, I saw people bathing, brushing their teeth, washing clothes, washing dishes, cleaning fish, etc. The entrire trip has been like living a National Geographic adventure. I wish everyone I know could have shared the experience.
____
I went out on the lawn to watch the sunet. It was so peaceful and beautiful. While out, the Hindu temple across the river played beautiful music. And as the sun finished setting a rain cloud moved in.
They have tiger prawns in the water here, and they fish for them at night. I watched one man as he searched for them. He uses a long stick to push the water hyacinths to the side. Then he shines a strong flashlight into the water. If he sees one, he sticks it. Sometimes he drops a tablet of some kind to see if it attracts them. The owner told me that others use nets or bows and arrows. Tiger prawns are about the size of lobsters!
It's 8:30 and the government just cut off the electricity for the next 30 minutes. I'm now writing by candle light. They have had a shortage of rainfall lately in Kerala which means that the lakes that are used to power generators for electricity are low. They don't want to use nuclear energy in this area, so they have had to cut power to save on water usage. Every part of the grid loses power for 30 minutes per day. When our power comes back on at 9:00, the power will go off on the other side of the waterway for 30 minutes.
____
I had a very nice evening visiting with the owners and eating a meal they suggested (fish curry, fried dal [thick lentil mixture], spicy potato mixture, and chipati [somewhat like flour tortillas]). It was especially intersting speaking with the wife when her husband wasn't around. Although she has a happy attitude toward life, there seems to be an underlying sense of resignation. Her marriage was arranged, and she prefers her home village to this isolated one. She accepts it as the way the culture is and has always been for her mother, her grandmother, etc. I can't help but think she feels trapped to some extent. And although I've read that love often grows between partners in arranged marriages, I haven't observed any closeness between her and her husband. They operate more like business associates running this place with her in charge of the physical facility and him in charge of the financial and public relations aspects.
I'm on a boat traveling the backwater region of Kerala on an 8-hour trip northward. I've been surprised by how developed it is along the waterways so far. There is one house after another, whereas I had expected remote jungle with occasional villages. It's not the city though. Local people are traveling by dugout canoes. And there are homemade crane-like constructions at the water's edge that allow them to lower nets for fishing and then raise them again. There are lights on the crane to attract the fish when the nets are lowered. It's a peaceful journey even if it's more developed along the shore than I expected.
We're passing an area now of houses built of woven palm fronds. They are really just shacks. Some have plastic sheeting thrown over the roofs to keep them dry. Each also has a woven palm frond toilet built out over the water so that the waste floats away when it falls.
I've met an American! There aren't many of us over here. He's an anthropology student from the University of Chicago and is of Indian descent (but born and raised in Miami) named Alpin. He's been working in Delhi on a project in which he tries to learn the details of all sides in a controversy related to alleged pollution of drinking water in a village caused by a Coca Cola bottling plant. He's a nice boy, but seems a little naive. His family must have money; he's wearing Alfred Dunhill sandals and expensive looking cargo shorts, and he said he prefers hotels to staying in guesthouses.
We've passed a couple of local househoats. They can be hired for a tour with living accommodations and meals cooked on board for about $125-150 U.jS. per day. The housing compartments of the boats are made of woven rattan and have curved roofs and arched windows with their own curved roof coverings.
The American student asked our boat people about the cost of renting a regular house on the waterway. They told him he could get monthly rentals for about 500 rupees a day (abut $11). This would be an interesting place to come and relax for a month or so. But I'm not sure if that price includes an outhouse over the water or not!
We stopped for lunch at a place operated by the tour company. They served us on banana leaves. It was a typical rice and curry selection. Considering the tour company was operating it, I was surprised at how cheap it was--25 rupees plus whatever extras were ordered (meat, fish, pineapple, etc.). I had the vegetarian selection and pineapple for a price of 35 rupees (about 75 cents U.S.).
Later, we stopped in a village where we had tea and snacks. I had a fried batter-dipp-ed banana and a piece of "sweet cake," a plain dough somewhat like pound cake.
____
Well, I am out in the sticks. I asked the boat to drop me off at Green Palace Health Resort. It's in a remote area on the backwater canals. I have an upstairs room with a balcony facing the canal and the sunset beyond it. As I sit here at my table with checkered tablecloth, I can see fishermen in two dugout canoes pulling in their nets. And I hear jungle sounds of birds and other critters in the distance. Someone, probably another guest, is swinging and reading in the hammock that is trung between two coconut palsm at the edge of the water. It's still about an hour before the end of the boat trip. Tomorrow, I can either take a bus to town or I can catch the same boat around 5:00 p.m. to complete the journey.
Well, my "broken" camera was working all day today, so I used it for my photos. I got scenic shots, but I was hesitant to take photos of people. Like any remote river area, I saw people bathing, brushing their teeth, washing clothes, washing dishes, cleaning fish, etc. The entrire trip has been like living a National Geographic adventure. I wish everyone I know could have shared the experience.
____
I went out on the lawn to watch the sunet. It was so peaceful and beautiful. While out, the Hindu temple across the river played beautiful music. And as the sun finished setting a rain cloud moved in.
They have tiger prawns in the water here, and they fish for them at night. I watched one man as he searched for them. He uses a long stick to push the water hyacinths to the side. Then he shines a strong flashlight into the water. If he sees one, he sticks it. Sometimes he drops a tablet of some kind to see if it attracts them. The owner told me that others use nets or bows and arrows. Tiger prawns are about the size of lobsters!
It's 8:30 and the government just cut off the electricity for the next 30 minutes. I'm now writing by candle light. They have had a shortage of rainfall lately in Kerala which means that the lakes that are used to power generators for electricity are low. They don't want to use nuclear energy in this area, so they have had to cut power to save on water usage. Every part of the grid loses power for 30 minutes per day. When our power comes back on at 9:00, the power will go off on the other side of the waterway for 30 minutes.
____
I had a very nice evening visiting with the owners and eating a meal they suggested (fish curry, fried dal [thick lentil mixture], spicy potato mixture, and chipati [somewhat like flour tortillas]). It was especially intersting speaking with the wife when her husband wasn't around. Although she has a happy attitude toward life, there seems to be an underlying sense of resignation. Her marriage was arranged, and she prefers her home village to this isolated one. She accepts it as the way the culture is and has always been for her mother, her grandmother, etc. I can't help but think she feels trapped to some extent. And although I've read that love often grows between partners in arranged marriages, I haven't observed any closeness between her and her husband. They operate more like business associates running this place with her in charge of the physical facility and him in charge of the financial and public relations aspects.
Tuesday, Aug. 12, Kollum, India
I caught the 9:30 train for Kollum. Visited briefly with Florence, a young French lady traveling alone, on the platform, but we got separated in the rush to get a seat. She was going to Varkala, the beach resort I decided to skip.
The countryside is so beautiful here. It is thick with coconut palms. On the way, we passed beginning stretches of the backwater country which is predominantly north of here and which I will explore tomorrow.
Kollum is an old port visited by the Phoenicians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Marco Polo, etc. There is nothing much to see or do here, however, except take bakwater tours. I bought my trip ticket (one-way from here to Alappuzha tomorrow) when I arrived this morning. Now I'm waiting.
I checked into the Sea Bee Hotel. It's old and plain, but I have a good bed with fresh sheets, 40+ channels of cable TV, and a bath and fan for only 250 rupees (about $5.25). The young men working at the front desk (who work 12 hours per day, 6 days per week) were friendly and delightful when I checked in. And an older gentleman there was familiar with the name of Corpus Christi.
I took my camera to a nearby shop to be checked, and it worked fine. It's so frustrating. I hope it works tomorrow when I will want photos of the boat trip.
____
I walked through town and a huge market to the Arabian Sea in the late afternoon. I arrived just as fishermen were preparing their nets and going out in their colorful boats. I took out my camera for a great photo, and it wouldn't work. Again, how frustrating!
I walked back into town and searched until I found a simple camera and bought it--a Yashika that is non-electronic. Now I shouldn't have to miss photos like I have for the past 3 days.
I ate vegetarian food for dinner. In general, it is better than meals with meat when I eat at cheap restaurants. I had vegetarian briyani, a yellow rice dish with carrots, potatoes, raisins, cashews (which grow here), and various seeds and spices. They didn't make drinks, so I had a Mountain Dew to drink.
I caught the 9:30 train for Kollum. Visited briefly with Florence, a young French lady traveling alone, on the platform, but we got separated in the rush to get a seat. She was going to Varkala, the beach resort I decided to skip.
The countryside is so beautiful here. It is thick with coconut palms. On the way, we passed beginning stretches of the backwater country which is predominantly north of here and which I will explore tomorrow.
Kollum is an old port visited by the Phoenicians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Marco Polo, etc. There is nothing much to see or do here, however, except take bakwater tours. I bought my trip ticket (one-way from here to Alappuzha tomorrow) when I arrived this morning. Now I'm waiting.
I checked into the Sea Bee Hotel. It's old and plain, but I have a good bed with fresh sheets, 40+ channels of cable TV, and a bath and fan for only 250 rupees (about $5.25). The young men working at the front desk (who work 12 hours per day, 6 days per week) were friendly and delightful when I checked in. And an older gentleman there was familiar with the name of Corpus Christi.
I took my camera to a nearby shop to be checked, and it worked fine. It's so frustrating. I hope it works tomorrow when I will want photos of the boat trip.
____
I walked through town and a huge market to the Arabian Sea in the late afternoon. I arrived just as fishermen were preparing their nets and going out in their colorful boats. I took out my camera for a great photo, and it wouldn't work. Again, how frustrating!
I walked back into town and searched until I found a simple camera and bought it--a Yashika that is non-electronic. Now I shouldn't have to miss photos like I have for the past 3 days.
I ate vegetarian food for dinner. In general, it is better than meals with meat when I eat at cheap restaurants. I had vegetarian briyani, a yellow rice dish with carrots, potatoes, raisins, cashews (which grow here), and various seeds and spices. They didn't make drinks, so I had a Mountain Dew to drink.
Tuesday, August 12, 2003
Monday, Aug. 11 (Cont.), Trivandrum, India
Spent the afternoon wandering through Trivandrum--the Fort and other neighborhoods--and stopping at an Internet place. I had to start deleting entries on my blog to make space for new ones, so I deleted all the China entries.
Ate dinner near the hotel, but the choice of a restaurant was a mistake. The meat (chicken) was rather tough and the bread (chipati) was greasy and tough. Even the pineapple juice I ordered seemed to be too yellow, so I have no idea what they put in it to fill it out.
I began a new book (A Frolic of His Own by William Gaddis), but I'm not enjoying it after 38 pages. I'll read up to about page 75 (about 1/7 of the book) and descard it if I'm still not liking it. I also watched "Legally Blonde" on TV in the room.
The new camera battery I bought this morning didn't work. I changed the roll of film, and the camera still didn't work. I guess modern cameras are just too sensitive for my style of traveling. I won't waste money again on repairs or replacements. If aI carry a camera in the future, it will have to be a non-electronic spring wind one with fixed focus, a cheap one in other words.
Tuesday, Aug. 12, Kollum, India
I took the train from Trivandrum to Kollum this morning. It's only about 1 1/4 hours away. There isn't anything special here in Kollum, but it is the beginning point for the backwater tours of Kerala (the local state). I have booked myself onto a boat that will travel the backwaters tomorrow for 8 hours taking me to the next town up north that I will visit. It should be exciting. Although some people find an 8-hour trip on a boat to be too much, I think I will enjoy it. (Three days on the Amazon were fantastic.) We will pass tribal villages, and will see tribal people transporting themselves in dugout canoes. What will make the trip especially nice, too, is that the land is covered thickly in coconut palm trees; it should be beautiful to spend 8 hours on the water looking toward such paradise-like scenes!
For the rest of today, I will relax. My hotel has cable TV. And I must try to read more in the book I started. I'm happy, relaxed, and having fun.
Spent the afternoon wandering through Trivandrum--the Fort and other neighborhoods--and stopping at an Internet place. I had to start deleting entries on my blog to make space for new ones, so I deleted all the China entries.
Ate dinner near the hotel, but the choice of a restaurant was a mistake. The meat (chicken) was rather tough and the bread (chipati) was greasy and tough. Even the pineapple juice I ordered seemed to be too yellow, so I have no idea what they put in it to fill it out.
I began a new book (A Frolic of His Own by William Gaddis), but I'm not enjoying it after 38 pages. I'll read up to about page 75 (about 1/7 of the book) and descard it if I'm still not liking it. I also watched "Legally Blonde" on TV in the room.
The new camera battery I bought this morning didn't work. I changed the roll of film, and the camera still didn't work. I guess modern cameras are just too sensitive for my style of traveling. I won't waste money again on repairs or replacements. If aI carry a camera in the future, it will have to be a non-electronic spring wind one with fixed focus, a cheap one in other words.
Tuesday, Aug. 12, Kollum, India
I took the train from Trivandrum to Kollum this morning. It's only about 1 1/4 hours away. There isn't anything special here in Kollum, but it is the beginning point for the backwater tours of Kerala (the local state). I have booked myself onto a boat that will travel the backwaters tomorrow for 8 hours taking me to the next town up north that I will visit. It should be exciting. Although some people find an 8-hour trip on a boat to be too much, I think I will enjoy it. (Three days on the Amazon were fantastic.) We will pass tribal villages, and will see tribal people transporting themselves in dugout canoes. What will make the trip especially nice, too, is that the land is covered thickly in coconut palm trees; it should be beautiful to spend 8 hours on the water looking toward such paradise-like scenes!
For the rest of today, I will relax. My hotel has cable TV. And I must try to read more in the book I started. I'm happy, relaxed, and having fun.
Monday, August 11, 2003
Monday, Aug. 11, Kovalam, India
Because trouist sites are closed on Monday here, I've taken the bus to Kovalam, a popular beach restort south of Trivandrum, for the day. It's a soft black sparkling sandy beach and is very popular with a wide range of accommodations available. This is the off season, however, because of Monsoon effects. That makes the waves and undertow strong and creates a sort of ocean spray haze in the air. There are a few tourists here and there are some Indians here for a convention of builders. Otherwise, it's really rather quiet.
I've walked along the main beaches. A few people are sunbathing. What has been most fun to watch, however, are the Indians. A group of young men were playing rugby on the beach--one team with shirts and the other without so they could tell them apart. Near them, a group of women in sarees were playing a form of tag where the object seemed to be to grab the loose should piece to tag another person.
There are lots of sales people on the beach front. Many carry their wares balanced on theirs heads. They have fabrics for wrap-around skirsts, beach mats, bowls with fresh fruits ready to be peeled (pineapple, papaya, banana), etc. Among them are also laborers carrying big baskets of sand on their heads to a building site.
I had planned to go to Varkala, a beach resort north of Trivandrum tomorrow and stay overnight, but seeing how bad the waves are and how misty/hazy they make the air, I think I'll skip it. This isn't the time of the year to visit beaches in India, although the resorts are quite nice.
I'm writing this as I dine at Leo Restaurant, a seaside place. The floor is loose sand, but the tables are set with tablecloths. I've had chili chicken (chicken pieces in a reddish-orange sauce with onions and slices of chili peppers and served with rice). It was good. I've had a lemon soda as a drink. They don't make them here, though. They served me a glass in which they had squeezed the juice of one lemon. Then they brought a bottle of club soda and sugar so I could mix it myself.
Because trouist sites are closed on Monday here, I've taken the bus to Kovalam, a popular beach restort south of Trivandrum, for the day. It's a soft black sparkling sandy beach and is very popular with a wide range of accommodations available. This is the off season, however, because of Monsoon effects. That makes the waves and undertow strong and creates a sort of ocean spray haze in the air. There are a few tourists here and there are some Indians here for a convention of builders. Otherwise, it's really rather quiet.
I've walked along the main beaches. A few people are sunbathing. What has been most fun to watch, however, are the Indians. A group of young men were playing rugby on the beach--one team with shirts and the other without so they could tell them apart. Near them, a group of women in sarees were playing a form of tag where the object seemed to be to grab the loose should piece to tag another person.
There are lots of sales people on the beach front. Many carry their wares balanced on theirs heads. They have fabrics for wrap-around skirsts, beach mats, bowls with fresh fruits ready to be peeled (pineapple, papaya, banana), etc. Among them are also laborers carrying big baskets of sand on their heads to a building site.
I had planned to go to Varkala, a beach resort north of Trivandrum tomorrow and stay overnight, but seeing how bad the waves are and how misty/hazy they make the air, I think I'll skip it. This isn't the time of the year to visit beaches in India, although the resorts are quite nice.
I'm writing this as I dine at Leo Restaurant, a seaside place. The floor is loose sand, but the tables are set with tablecloths. I've had chili chicken (chicken pieces in a reddish-orange sauce with onions and slices of chili peppers and served with rice). It was good. I've had a lemon soda as a drink. They don't make them here, though. They served me a glass in which they had squeezed the juice of one lemon. Then they brought a bottle of club soda and sugar so I could mix it myself.
Sunday, Aug. 10, Trivandrum, India (Continued)
I went to the museum complex this afternoon, since it closes on Mondays. It consists of several buildings in a park setting. One building is a fascinating form of architecture, and I enjoyed seeing it more than I did the Hindu and Buddhist artworks inside it. It's impossible to describe the details of the building. It is Indian turn-of-the-20th-century architecture with stripes, elephant detailing, stained glass windows, etc., in white and rust colors.
The sad thingis that my camera wasn't working I'm hoping it needs a new battery, but the symptoms are the same as I had with the cameras that quit working each of the last two years. So I didn't get any photographs today.
The other museums included:
1. An art museum featuring paintings by a local artist who was recognized for his work at the Chicago Columbian Exhibition. They were quite interesting representations of Indian people and life in the late 1800s.
2. A museum with contemporary Indian art.
3. A natural history museum which I enjoyed because of its layout. Theyhad all carnivorous mammals in one exhibit and all vegetarian mammals in another. They had birds clustered by similarity, too--those that insert beaks, waterfowl, eagles/hawks, etc.
On the way back into town, a young man approached me. I thought he wanted to be a guide at first, but he turned out to be a Pentacostal minister who just wanted to talk. He has a church with 20 members at a beach area south of here and was in town tody for a service and for a city experience. He was quite nice, and we had a nice conversation covering several topics before we had to separate and go different directions.
Various other topics:
1. The museums had red fire buckets filled with sand in the buildings in case of fire.
2. Two beggar children chased after me today. Otherwise, no one bothered me.
3. There was pandamonium outside a movie theater I passed. There were crowds of people pushing and trying to stand in line, and there were cars, motorcycles, etc., arriving and trying to squeeze into the limited number of parking places. It was evidence of how crazy I've read Indians are about their movies.
4. I'm not getting much reaction here when I look people in the eyes and say hello. I'm sorry about that.
5. There are student hunger strikers lined up in beds in front of the state parliament building. When I asked what it is about, the man didn't explain well. He just said that it related to initiatives the government is taking.
6. Men here wear wrap-around sarong skirts, but they usually fold them up to be like wearing shorts or they pull the slit open to allow air around their legs. The sarongs themselves are so loose that I don't see how they stay on.
7. My internet connection here was bad. I need to see if I can find a better place. It took forever (longer than with a dial-up modem) for pages to open. It took 1 hour to accomplish what I would normally do in 30 minutes.
____
I went wandering, looking for a place to eat dinner. I went into a restaurant across from the parliament building. The waiter helped me order, since I didn't know the Indian words. I had ghee dosa masal. Ghee is a spicy milk product similar to cottage cheese Dosa is a huge, thin, crisp pancake. Madal meant it came with a potato mixture, dal, and a spicy sauce. It was a plain restaurant, so I was served as if I were Indian--no silverware. I ate with the fingers of my right hand and washed in the communal sink afterwards. It was delicious. I ate every bite and washed it down with two lemon drinks.
A man approached me and visited in the restaurant. He asked if I am coming to Alappuzha (Alleppey). I will be there, so he invited me to his retreat called Peace Cottage and suggested that we could meditate together. Unfortunately, he leaves Friday for England to conduct some seminars, and I probably won't be there before then.
On the way back to my hotel, I said hello to a student walking the same direction, and we ended up visiting on the street for some time. He's an MBA student from north ofhere and is in Trivandrum for a one-month practicum at a company where he will be exposed to the workings of each department. He clarified that the students on hunger strike are protesting a government policy which lowers the number of government-paid university seats for students and increases the number of seats available on a paying basis by students with money. The poorer students who represent those who might no longer be admitted are the ones on strike.
I'm already wishing I had more time to spend here in Kerala and the adjoining states. I just won't be able to do what I would like to do in two weeks. I think I must do what I can this year and plan to return next year.
I went to the museum complex this afternoon, since it closes on Mondays. It consists of several buildings in a park setting. One building is a fascinating form of architecture, and I enjoyed seeing it more than I did the Hindu and Buddhist artworks inside it. It's impossible to describe the details of the building. It is Indian turn-of-the-20th-century architecture with stripes, elephant detailing, stained glass windows, etc., in white and rust colors.
The sad thingis that my camera wasn't working I'm hoping it needs a new battery, but the symptoms are the same as I had with the cameras that quit working each of the last two years. So I didn't get any photographs today.
The other museums included:
1. An art museum featuring paintings by a local artist who was recognized for his work at the Chicago Columbian Exhibition. They were quite interesting representations of Indian people and life in the late 1800s.
2. A museum with contemporary Indian art.
3. A natural history museum which I enjoyed because of its layout. Theyhad all carnivorous mammals in one exhibit and all vegetarian mammals in another. They had birds clustered by similarity, too--those that insert beaks, waterfowl, eagles/hawks, etc.
On the way back into town, a young man approached me. I thought he wanted to be a guide at first, but he turned out to be a Pentacostal minister who just wanted to talk. He has a church with 20 members at a beach area south of here and was in town tody for a service and for a city experience. He was quite nice, and we had a nice conversation covering several topics before we had to separate and go different directions.
Various other topics:
1. The museums had red fire buckets filled with sand in the buildings in case of fire.
2. Two beggar children chased after me today. Otherwise, no one bothered me.
3. There was pandamonium outside a movie theater I passed. There were crowds of people pushing and trying to stand in line, and there were cars, motorcycles, etc., arriving and trying to squeeze into the limited number of parking places. It was evidence of how crazy I've read Indians are about their movies.
4. I'm not getting much reaction here when I look people in the eyes and say hello. I'm sorry about that.
5. There are student hunger strikers lined up in beds in front of the state parliament building. When I asked what it is about, the man didn't explain well. He just said that it related to initiatives the government is taking.
6. Men here wear wrap-around sarong skirts, but they usually fold them up to be like wearing shorts or they pull the slit open to allow air around their legs. The sarongs themselves are so loose that I don't see how they stay on.
7. My internet connection here was bad. I need to see if I can find a better place. It took forever (longer than with a dial-up modem) for pages to open. It took 1 hour to accomplish what I would normally do in 30 minutes.
____
I went wandering, looking for a place to eat dinner. I went into a restaurant across from the parliament building. The waiter helped me order, since I didn't know the Indian words. I had ghee dosa masal. Ghee is a spicy milk product similar to cottage cheese Dosa is a huge, thin, crisp pancake. Madal meant it came with a potato mixture, dal, and a spicy sauce. It was a plain restaurant, so I was served as if I were Indian--no silverware. I ate with the fingers of my right hand and washed in the communal sink afterwards. It was delicious. I ate every bite and washed it down with two lemon drinks.
A man approached me and visited in the restaurant. He asked if I am coming to Alappuzha (Alleppey). I will be there, so he invited me to his retreat called Peace Cottage and suggested that we could meditate together. Unfortunately, he leaves Friday for England to conduct some seminars, and I probably won't be there before then.
On the way back to my hotel, I said hello to a student walking the same direction, and we ended up visiting on the street for some time. He's an MBA student from north ofhere and is in Trivandrum for a one-month practicum at a company where he will be exposed to the workings of each department. He clarified that the students on hunger strike are protesting a government policy which lowers the number of government-paid university seats for students and increases the number of seats available on a paying basis by students with money. The poorer students who represent those who might no longer be admitted are the ones on strike.
I'm already wishing I had more time to spend here in Kerala and the adjoining states. I just won't be able to do what I would like to do in two weeks. I think I must do what I can this year and plan to return next year.
Sunday, August 10, 2003
Sunday, Aug. 10 (Continued), Trivandrum, India
The people and the natural countriside look essentially the same as in Sri Lanka, but there are differences. First, the people look poorer and dirtier here, and I don't think they are as physically attractive as Sri Lankans. Things seem a little wilder and maybe a little more dangerous here, too. The taxi drive from the airport was far less civil than it would have been in Sri Lanka with the driver constantly honking and taking more chances with speeding and squeezing between oncoming vehicles. The town seems less than a city--more like a big village. Anyway, I'm here, and it's time to make the most of it.
The people and the natural countriside look essentially the same as in Sri Lanka, but there are differences. First, the people look poorer and dirtier here, and I don't think they are as physically attractive as Sri Lankans. Things seem a little wilder and maybe a little more dangerous here, too. The taxi drive from the airport was far less civil than it would have been in Sri Lanka with the driver constantly honking and taking more chances with speeding and squeezing between oncoming vehicles. The town seems less than a city--more like a big village. Anyway, I'm here, and it's time to make the most of it.
Saturday, Aug. 9, Negombo, Sri Lanka
I went into Colombo today. There really wasn't anything I wanted to do in Negombo. But I missed my train around 3:00 p.m. and had to wait until 4:55 p.m. That put me in danger of missing the meal I had ordered. I arrived at 6:22, and I was supposed to be at the restaurant at 6:30. I took a shortcut from the train station and walked fast. I got to the restaurant only 10 minutes late, so it was no problem. Several Sri Lankans commented as I passed, however, about how fast I was going!
The meal was the best I have had the entire time here in Sri Lanka. It was the national meal of curry and rice with fish curry. It was served with a mound of rice and several side dishes--dal (lentil curry), an okra-tomato vegetable mixture, a curred potato-cabbage mixture, two grated coconut mixtures (one curried and the other marinated with onion in it), and papadam (crisp, thin fried bread--like chips). Each side dish was in its own bowl. I, therefore, had my plate with the mound of rice and six bowls of food items. It was a feast that was all homemade, fresh, and of the highest quality. And it cost a total of $3.86 including service charge for the meal (not including a drink).
Some final notes on Sri Lanka:
1. There are fireflies here. It was so nice to see them when I was in the countryside.
2. Vegetables are planted with wide, flat rows rather than peaked rows. It is the same, I think, as was described as the African way of planting in Poisonwood Diary.
3. Sri Lankans describe themselves as "Black people." It's true that they have very dark skin. I had thought of them as brown in color.
4. It seems to be prestigious to have a large collection of addresses of Westerners. Everyone who visits for a while wants your address. Even the lawyer at the guesthouse in Galle asked if he could have my address.
5. On the local trains, musicians go from car to car to sing and play. They use a guitar and a long drum that has several springs down one side to produce a sound like a tamborine.
6. Every time I've taken a bus here, the driver stops at the first temple they pass, and the ticket seller jumps out and makes a donation through a small slit in the wall. I guess it's their form of "insurance."
Sunday, Aug. 10, Colombo Airport, Sri Lanka
What a mess it is to get out of Sri Lanka. There are about 5 personal checkpoints, at least two checked luggage checkpoints, and 3 hand luggage checkpoints. Furthermore, you must line up to exchange leftover money and must provide the original receipt for when you got the money. (I had mine, of course, but I bet many don't. Also, I was frustrated that they kept my original receipt which was a credit card transaction receipt and would not give me a photocopy of it. Their monetary policy is just like it was in COMMUNIST countries, and that's BAD!) At each place one must line up, people are pushing in from the sides trying to get ahead. And you must pay 1000 rupees (about $10) for the privilege of leaving the country. It was a miserable experience to get to the gate at the airport. Too bad it is so nice to be inside the country and so bad to enter and leave!!
I went into Colombo today. There really wasn't anything I wanted to do in Negombo. But I missed my train around 3:00 p.m. and had to wait until 4:55 p.m. That put me in danger of missing the meal I had ordered. I arrived at 6:22, and I was supposed to be at the restaurant at 6:30. I took a shortcut from the train station and walked fast. I got to the restaurant only 10 minutes late, so it was no problem. Several Sri Lankans commented as I passed, however, about how fast I was going!
The meal was the best I have had the entire time here in Sri Lanka. It was the national meal of curry and rice with fish curry. It was served with a mound of rice and several side dishes--dal (lentil curry), an okra-tomato vegetable mixture, a curred potato-cabbage mixture, two grated coconut mixtures (one curried and the other marinated with onion in it), and papadam (crisp, thin fried bread--like chips). Each side dish was in its own bowl. I, therefore, had my plate with the mound of rice and six bowls of food items. It was a feast that was all homemade, fresh, and of the highest quality. And it cost a total of $3.86 including service charge for the meal (not including a drink).
Some final notes on Sri Lanka:
1. There are fireflies here. It was so nice to see them when I was in the countryside.
2. Vegetables are planted with wide, flat rows rather than peaked rows. It is the same, I think, as was described as the African way of planting in Poisonwood Diary.
3. Sri Lankans describe themselves as "Black people." It's true that they have very dark skin. I had thought of them as brown in color.
4. It seems to be prestigious to have a large collection of addresses of Westerners. Everyone who visits for a while wants your address. Even the lawyer at the guesthouse in Galle asked if he could have my address.
5. On the local trains, musicians go from car to car to sing and play. They use a guitar and a long drum that has several springs down one side to produce a sound like a tamborine.
6. Every time I've taken a bus here, the driver stops at the first temple they pass, and the ticket seller jumps out and makes a donation through a small slit in the wall. I guess it's their form of "insurance."
Sunday, Aug. 10, Colombo Airport, Sri Lanka
What a mess it is to get out of Sri Lanka. There are about 5 personal checkpoints, at least two checked luggage checkpoints, and 3 hand luggage checkpoints. Furthermore, you must line up to exchange leftover money and must provide the original receipt for when you got the money. (I had mine, of course, but I bet many don't. Also, I was frustrated that they kept my original receipt which was a credit card transaction receipt and would not give me a photocopy of it. Their monetary policy is just like it was in COMMUNIST countries, and that's BAD!) At each place one must line up, people are pushing in from the sides trying to get ahead. And you must pay 1000 rupees (about $10) for the privilege of leaving the country. It was a miserable experience to get to the gate at the airport. Too bad it is so nice to be inside the country and so bad to enter and leave!!
Saturday, August 09, 2003
Thursday, Aug. 7, Galle, Sri Lanka (Continued)
There was a change of plans in the evening. When I met Ashoka, the tuk tuk driver, he had problems with his tuk tuk. So instead of going to his home, we sat there in his tuk tuk with another driver who is a friend of his and visited while having a drink from a local street stall. He explained that he passed the university entrance exam 5 years ago but his score was below the cut-off level they established that year for meeting their admission quotos. So instead of going to university, he had to find a job. He rents the tuk tuk he drives for 200 rupees (a little over $2) per day and has to pay that seven days a week. So he drives every day. A typical fare is no more than 5-15 rupees, so he has to work hard to cover his costs and make a living. He hopes to own his own tuk tuk some day, but I imagine the economy is slanted against his being able to accomplish that. He is 23 years old and has a great personality, so that helps him get business, but it is probably hard to keep from spending everything that is earned beyond his costs.
When we parted, I went back to the same restaurant where Geert and I ate last night, because Geert's pizza looked and smelled so good that I wanted one. The whole family running the restaurant immediately wanted to know where my son was! I had a pizza with ham, salami, mushrooms, garlic, onion, chili peppers, and cheese. It was a nice change of diet!
Friday, Aug. 8, Negombo, Sri Lanka
It's 4:50 p.m., and I've just checked into my last hotel in Sri Lanka. It's on the second floor looking directly onto the beach and is called Beach View Villa. It's in Negombo, the nearest city to the airport.
I left Galle at 10:00 a.m. and have been traveling since. I took a train to Colombo and then caught a local train to Kurana where I intended to stay. It's a village even closer to the airport than Negombo. But the guesthouse there, one recommended both by my guidebook and the guesthouse in Galle, didn't work out. A lady came to the door and said they had no rooms. It seemed strange because the place seemed dead. Maybe they have quit renting rooms. Or maybe the rest of the family which operates the place is gone on vacation since this is a school holiday and the old lady can't or won't operate the place herself. Anyway, I went back to the train station and caught the next train to Negombo and came here. I had already selected this as a possible place to stay if I came to Negombo rather than Kurana. (Interesting note: The train station at Kurana has electronic music to announce the arrival of trains. The song is "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"!)
I met another couple on the train who invited me to their home for the evening. I've decided not to go. I don't need the experience again, and I have a feeling they might want some kind of help from me. They had been to Colombo to the passport office for new passports. When I asked if they were going on vacation, he said, "No, I don't want to say why here. I'll tell you tonight if you come to see us." So that created enough concern for me to pass on this invitation.
I'll try to find a good restaurant for dinner tonight. Then I'll relax here at the beach most of tomorrow. My flight is at 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning, so I'll also arrange for a ride to the airport to be here to take me that morning around 5:30.
____
When I left my guesthouse for dinner, there were a bride and a groom standing at the top of the stairs. Apparently the wedding party is staying at the guesthouse and they were about to leave for the place where the wedding will be held. The bride let me take her photo, but the groom was too shy to join her.
I'm now sitting on the porch of an old Sri Lankan home that has been turned into a restaurant. I wanted to order their Sir Lankan rice and curry, but it requires a 4-hour advance notice to prepare. Instead, I've ordered prawn (shrimp) curry with rice.
I walked further up the beach strip tonight, and it became too touristy to me. There were big hotels, and the restaurants had only tourists in them. There were fancy shops obviously only for tours. It looks like package tourism places everywhere. So I returned back to my southern end of the beach which has many Sri Lankans and only a few tourists. I feel much more comfortable here.
Geert should be in Europe by now. His plane for Paris left here about 6:30 this morning--14 hours ago. He may already be in Holland by now. How quickly locations can be changed. Holland is a world away from here but only about half a 24-hour-day of travel.
____
Well, my prawn curry was so good that I placed an advance order to have the Sri Lakan ricew and curry tomorrow night. It will be my last Sri Lankan meal. I have to go at 6:30 p.m., because the restaurant will be closed for a wedding party all night. (Maybe it is the group from my guesthouse.) Anyway, they will be opening just for me prior to the arrival of the wedding party, and it will be a nice meal to close out my visit here.
Note: Today passed the mid-point of my travels this year. I have now traveled 54 of the 107 days before I arrive in Copenhagen on Sept. 30.
There was a change of plans in the evening. When I met Ashoka, the tuk tuk driver, he had problems with his tuk tuk. So instead of going to his home, we sat there in his tuk tuk with another driver who is a friend of his and visited while having a drink from a local street stall. He explained that he passed the university entrance exam 5 years ago but his score was below the cut-off level they established that year for meeting their admission quotos. So instead of going to university, he had to find a job. He rents the tuk tuk he drives for 200 rupees (a little over $2) per day and has to pay that seven days a week. So he drives every day. A typical fare is no more than 5-15 rupees, so he has to work hard to cover his costs and make a living. He hopes to own his own tuk tuk some day, but I imagine the economy is slanted against his being able to accomplish that. He is 23 years old and has a great personality, so that helps him get business, but it is probably hard to keep from spending everything that is earned beyond his costs.
When we parted, I went back to the same restaurant where Geert and I ate last night, because Geert's pizza looked and smelled so good that I wanted one. The whole family running the restaurant immediately wanted to know where my son was! I had a pizza with ham, salami, mushrooms, garlic, onion, chili peppers, and cheese. It was a nice change of diet!
Friday, Aug. 8, Negombo, Sri Lanka
It's 4:50 p.m., and I've just checked into my last hotel in Sri Lanka. It's on the second floor looking directly onto the beach and is called Beach View Villa. It's in Negombo, the nearest city to the airport.
I left Galle at 10:00 a.m. and have been traveling since. I took a train to Colombo and then caught a local train to Kurana where I intended to stay. It's a village even closer to the airport than Negombo. But the guesthouse there, one recommended both by my guidebook and the guesthouse in Galle, didn't work out. A lady came to the door and said they had no rooms. It seemed strange because the place seemed dead. Maybe they have quit renting rooms. Or maybe the rest of the family which operates the place is gone on vacation since this is a school holiday and the old lady can't or won't operate the place herself. Anyway, I went back to the train station and caught the next train to Negombo and came here. I had already selected this as a possible place to stay if I came to Negombo rather than Kurana. (Interesting note: The train station at Kurana has electronic music to announce the arrival of trains. The song is "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"!)
I met another couple on the train who invited me to their home for the evening. I've decided not to go. I don't need the experience again, and I have a feeling they might want some kind of help from me. They had been to Colombo to the passport office for new passports. When I asked if they were going on vacation, he said, "No, I don't want to say why here. I'll tell you tonight if you come to see us." So that created enough concern for me to pass on this invitation.
I'll try to find a good restaurant for dinner tonight. Then I'll relax here at the beach most of tomorrow. My flight is at 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning, so I'll also arrange for a ride to the airport to be here to take me that morning around 5:30.
____
When I left my guesthouse for dinner, there were a bride and a groom standing at the top of the stairs. Apparently the wedding party is staying at the guesthouse and they were about to leave for the place where the wedding will be held. The bride let me take her photo, but the groom was too shy to join her.
I'm now sitting on the porch of an old Sri Lankan home that has been turned into a restaurant. I wanted to order their Sir Lankan rice and curry, but it requires a 4-hour advance notice to prepare. Instead, I've ordered prawn (shrimp) curry with rice.
I walked further up the beach strip tonight, and it became too touristy to me. There were big hotels, and the restaurants had only tourists in them. There were fancy shops obviously only for tours. It looks like package tourism places everywhere. So I returned back to my southern end of the beach which has many Sri Lankans and only a few tourists. I feel much more comfortable here.
Geert should be in Europe by now. His plane for Paris left here about 6:30 this morning--14 hours ago. He may already be in Holland by now. How quickly locations can be changed. Holland is a world away from here but only about half a 24-hour-day of travel.
____
Well, my prawn curry was so good that I placed an advance order to have the Sri Lakan ricew and curry tomorrow night. It will be my last Sri Lankan meal. I have to go at 6:30 p.m., because the restaurant will be closed for a wedding party all night. (Maybe it is the group from my guesthouse.) Anyway, they will be opening just for me prior to the arrival of the wedding party, and it will be a nice meal to close out my visit here.
Note: Today passed the mid-point of my travels this year. I have now traveled 54 of the 107 days before I arrive in Copenhagen on Sept. 30.
Thursday, August 07, 2003
Thursday, Aug. 7, Galle, Sri Lanka
Well, I got Geert onto the train to Colombo this morning. We had breakfast at our guesthouse--a really good value one at a cost of about $1.50 U.S.: two eggs, toast, jam, tea, fresh pineapple and fresh banana. (By the way, the owner also served us some fresh jackfruit yesterday afternoon when we checked in. UMMM. It's somewhat like papaya in texture, but I like the flavor much better.)
I went to the statiion with him and watched his luggage as he got his ticket. I got a platform ticket so I could also go to the platform to see him off on the train. Although scheduled for 10:40, he didn't leave until 11:00, but his only plan for today was to try to see the National Museum in Colombo. Time wasn't a critical factor.
I'll miss him. We had a good time sharing our travel experiences. And everywhere we went, people asked if it was my son who was traveling with me!! (He's only 19 years old.) He's a big talker, so I've gotten used to yapping day and night! He also has a nice positive attitude toward life and enjoys his traveling experiences so much. It's quiet and a little lonely with him gone now!
I have been invited to a home again tonight, though. As I walk around, I am always being asked to stop and talk to tuk tuk (3-wheel taxi) drivers. It's because they just sit waiting for business, and talking to a traveler is a way to pass the time. Anyway, one of the 3-4 drivers who stopped me this morning after Geert left invited me to his home this evening to meet his family and have dinner with them. Like in Nuwara Eliya, it seems like a safe invitation, since it is to a private home. And he seemed like a nice man with a very pleasant smile. So I will meet him and go with him. That will give me another good experience to write about the next time I am on the computer. In the meantime, I will spend the afternoon relaxing and reading, I think.
Well, I got Geert onto the train to Colombo this morning. We had breakfast at our guesthouse--a really good value one at a cost of about $1.50 U.S.: two eggs, toast, jam, tea, fresh pineapple and fresh banana. (By the way, the owner also served us some fresh jackfruit yesterday afternoon when we checked in. UMMM. It's somewhat like papaya in texture, but I like the flavor much better.)
I went to the statiion with him and watched his luggage as he got his ticket. I got a platform ticket so I could also go to the platform to see him off on the train. Although scheduled for 10:40, he didn't leave until 11:00, but his only plan for today was to try to see the National Museum in Colombo. Time wasn't a critical factor.
I'll miss him. We had a good time sharing our travel experiences. And everywhere we went, people asked if it was my son who was traveling with me!! (He's only 19 years old.) He's a big talker, so I've gotten used to yapping day and night! He also has a nice positive attitude toward life and enjoys his traveling experiences so much. It's quiet and a little lonely with him gone now!
I have been invited to a home again tonight, though. As I walk around, I am always being asked to stop and talk to tuk tuk (3-wheel taxi) drivers. It's because they just sit waiting for business, and talking to a traveler is a way to pass the time. Anyway, one of the 3-4 drivers who stopped me this morning after Geert left invited me to his home this evening to meet his family and have dinner with them. Like in Nuwara Eliya, it seems like a safe invitation, since it is to a private home. And he seemed like a nice man with a very pleasant smile. So I will meet him and go with him. That will give me another good experience to write about the next time I am on the computer. In the meantime, I will spend the afternoon relaxing and reading, I think.
Note: The following is an entry that was at the end of my first journal booklet, so I didn't have it with me yesterday. It is an entry that is out of place within the dated entries that are on the blog.
Monday, Aug. 4, Ella, Sri Lanka
It took 3 buses and about 3 hours to get to Ella. It's a small village still in the mountains, but at a lower altitude than Nuwara Eliya. It's got waterfalls and temples in the area, but it is best know for the Ella Notch. It's a gap in the mountains. There's a hotel with a restaurant where people sit outdoors and watch the view through the Ella Notch as the sun sets behind them each evening. I'll go there later.
Two German women recommended the Country Comfort Inn. I had gone elsewhere first and found the place to be unacceptable. This place is clean, new, and comfortable. I'm now sitting at a table on the lawn under a huge shade tree. A Sri Lankan boy is also at the table doing a pencil drawing of an eagle or a type of hawk. A European man who has spoken in Singhalese to the boy is here with us reading the newspaper.
I stopped at a local place that had a sign saying "honey and curd." I wasn't hungry for a full meal, so I ordered that with a pot of tea. The lady told me that the curd was made from water buffalo milk. Instead of honey, it was served with treacle (syrup). It was delicious as ws the milk tea. The lady also volunteer to help me catch the right bus going south tomorrow morning.
____
I'm sitting in the garden of the Grand Hotel Ella looking toward the Ella Gap. The sun is setting behind me, and layers of mountains are illuminated in the distance through the gap (which is two nearby mountains on either side of me). It reminds me of The Window at Big Bend National Park in Texas except we are much closer to the gap here than one is at the lodge in BBNP.
I spent the entire afternoon at the hotel. It was so relaxing. I read from my current book (Sophie's World) and visited off and on with various guests who also came to the garden. It was really my first time during the trip to have much interaction with other Westerners, and it was fun. I miss the fact that I haven't met a family (like the Stephensons two years ago) or a couple (like Joe and Philly last year) to share part of my travels with. I've been fine alone, but it's fun to share with others occasionally. It's only about 5 1/2 weeks until Arne joins me, though.
____
Well the two German women who directed me to my guesthouse this morning came to the garden to see the Ella Gap. We visited for maybe two hours there as darkness came. They had been unaware of the view toward the gap until I told them. Then the three of us went to dinner at a restaruant. One of them is a nurse and the other is a physical therapist and they live in Munich. They are here for three weeks and are covering approximately the same area I am. They, too, are going south tomorrow, but they will go a different route than mine.
Ella is a nice small town. There are some hikes I would enjoy taking in the area, so I'm sorry I have to rush off tomorrow.
Monday, Aug. 4, Ella, Sri Lanka
It took 3 buses and about 3 hours to get to Ella. It's a small village still in the mountains, but at a lower altitude than Nuwara Eliya. It's got waterfalls and temples in the area, but it is best know for the Ella Notch. It's a gap in the mountains. There's a hotel with a restaurant where people sit outdoors and watch the view through the Ella Notch as the sun sets behind them each evening. I'll go there later.
Two German women recommended the Country Comfort Inn. I had gone elsewhere first and found the place to be unacceptable. This place is clean, new, and comfortable. I'm now sitting at a table on the lawn under a huge shade tree. A Sri Lankan boy is also at the table doing a pencil drawing of an eagle or a type of hawk. A European man who has spoken in Singhalese to the boy is here with us reading the newspaper.
I stopped at a local place that had a sign saying "honey and curd." I wasn't hungry for a full meal, so I ordered that with a pot of tea. The lady told me that the curd was made from water buffalo milk. Instead of honey, it was served with treacle (syrup). It was delicious as ws the milk tea. The lady also volunteer to help me catch the right bus going south tomorrow morning.
____
I'm sitting in the garden of the Grand Hotel Ella looking toward the Ella Gap. The sun is setting behind me, and layers of mountains are illuminated in the distance through the gap (which is two nearby mountains on either side of me). It reminds me of The Window at Big Bend National Park in Texas except we are much closer to the gap here than one is at the lodge in BBNP.
I spent the entire afternoon at the hotel. It was so relaxing. I read from my current book (Sophie's World) and visited off and on with various guests who also came to the garden. It was really my first time during the trip to have much interaction with other Westerners, and it was fun. I miss the fact that I haven't met a family (like the Stephensons two years ago) or a couple (like Joe and Philly last year) to share part of my travels with. I've been fine alone, but it's fun to share with others occasionally. It's only about 5 1/2 weeks until Arne joins me, though.
____
Well the two German women who directed me to my guesthouse this morning came to the garden to see the Ella Gap. We visited for maybe two hours there as darkness came. They had been unaware of the view toward the gap until I told them. Then the three of us went to dinner at a restaruant. One of them is a nurse and the other is a physical therapist and they live in Munich. They are here for three weeks and are covering approximately the same area I am. They, too, are going south tomorrow, but they will go a different route than mine.
Ella is a nice small town. There are some hikes I would enjoy taking in the area, so I'm sorry I have to rush off tomorrow.
Wednesday, August 06, 2003
Wednesday, Aug. 6, Galle, Sri Lanka
Geert and I had breakfast at the guesthouse before leaving--tea, toast, butter, and jam. Then we caught a bus for the trip to Matale. Unfortunately, our bus broke down on the way, so we had to exit and get another bus. Eventually, we made it to Matale; walked nearby to see the Star Fort, a small, old Dutch fortress; and caught a bus here to Galle.
We are staying in Galle Fort. It's a penninsula that was built by the Dutch as a fortress to protect the city and is about 5 blocks long and 4 blocks wide. It's a quiet area of town with many old buildings. It reminds me somewhat of Charleston, South Carolina. We have a room in a quiet place with views across the old roofs, and I have left my laundry to be done by the lady who operates the place.
We spent the rest of the afternoon walking up and down the streets in the Fort and then walking the entire distance around the exterior of the Fort on the ramparts. We saw old churches, warehoses, government buildings, lighthouses, etc.
We are now in "New Galle" which is the part of the city outside the Fort. We came here because we were told there is a cheap Internet cafe. We will go for dinner after finishing here. Then Geert will leave tomorrow morning for Colombo, since his flight home to Holland is early the next morning.
Geert and I had breakfast at the guesthouse before leaving--tea, toast, butter, and jam. Then we caught a bus for the trip to Matale. Unfortunately, our bus broke down on the way, so we had to exit and get another bus. Eventually, we made it to Matale; walked nearby to see the Star Fort, a small, old Dutch fortress; and caught a bus here to Galle.
We are staying in Galle Fort. It's a penninsula that was built by the Dutch as a fortress to protect the city and is about 5 blocks long and 4 blocks wide. It's a quiet area of town with many old buildings. It reminds me somewhat of Charleston, South Carolina. We have a room in a quiet place with views across the old roofs, and I have left my laundry to be done by the lady who operates the place.
We spent the rest of the afternoon walking up and down the streets in the Fort and then walking the entire distance around the exterior of the Fort on the ramparts. We saw old churches, warehoses, government buildings, lighthouses, etc.
We are now in "New Galle" which is the part of the city outside the Fort. We came here because we were told there is a cheap Internet cafe. We will go for dinner after finishing here. Then Geert will leave tomorrow morning for Colombo, since his flight home to Holland is early the next morning.
Tuesday, Aug. 5, Tangale, Sri Lanka
Today was another unique day. First, the lady who served me honey and curd yesterday helped me catch the bus to Tangale. I would have never known which bus to stop. Then I found myself near a young Dutch man on the bus and visiting with him. He, too, was going to Tangale, so we visited during the entire trip. When we got here, we went looking together for a guesthouse. We had already decided to share a room, because it would help him save money. And when we got to the guesthouse we wanted, we found there was only one room available anyway!
His name is Geert. Heps been in India for 7 weeks working as a volunteer on a project related to his university studies in development within undeveloped countries. And now he is spending one week seeing as much of Sri Lanka as he can before returning to Holland and school again.
We went to the local beach in the afternoon. The waves and the undertow were too great to get far into the water, but we sat so that the waves would wash over us but could not pull us into the sea. It was refreshing, but what a mess we had getting all of the sand out of our pockets!
We ate an early dinner in a fantastic setting. Our table was on a beautiful curved beach lined with coconut palms and other trees. I ad a savory omelette filled with spicy vegetables and seafood. Geert had noodles with mixed vegetables, since he is a vegetarian.
At 7:30 p.m., a tuk tuk (3-wheeled tzxi) driver picked us up and took us to Turtle Beach at Rekawa a few kilometers (miles) north of here. We were going in hopes of seeing a turtle come ashore and lay its eggs. It was our lucky night. A 1 meter (1 yars) long Greenback Turtle had already come ashore and was digging a hole when we got there. There were about 15 of us tourists, and they held us back as this was happening. When she started laying her eggs, however, they allowed us to come up close and watch. They cleaned out the hole better under the turle and they shined a flashlight on the area. We squatted right there and watched as the wite eggs about 6 cm (2 1/2 inches) in diameter began to drop. When the process ended, there were 128 eggs to go to the hatchery, and we felt like we'd had a special experience!
Today was another unique day. First, the lady who served me honey and curd yesterday helped me catch the bus to Tangale. I would have never known which bus to stop. Then I found myself near a young Dutch man on the bus and visiting with him. He, too, was going to Tangale, so we visited during the entire trip. When we got here, we went looking together for a guesthouse. We had already decided to share a room, because it would help him save money. And when we got to the guesthouse we wanted, we found there was only one room available anyway!
His name is Geert. Heps been in India for 7 weeks working as a volunteer on a project related to his university studies in development within undeveloped countries. And now he is spending one week seeing as much of Sri Lanka as he can before returning to Holland and school again.
We went to the local beach in the afternoon. The waves and the undertow were too great to get far into the water, but we sat so that the waves would wash over us but could not pull us into the sea. It was refreshing, but what a mess we had getting all of the sand out of our pockets!
We ate an early dinner in a fantastic setting. Our table was on a beautiful curved beach lined with coconut palms and other trees. I ad a savory omelette filled with spicy vegetables and seafood. Geert had noodles with mixed vegetables, since he is a vegetarian.
At 7:30 p.m., a tuk tuk (3-wheeled tzxi) driver picked us up and took us to Turtle Beach at Rekawa a few kilometers (miles) north of here. We were going in hopes of seeing a turtle come ashore and lay its eggs. It was our lucky night. A 1 meter (1 yars) long Greenback Turtle had already come ashore and was digging a hole when we got there. There were about 15 of us tourists, and they held us back as this was happening. When she started laying her eggs, however, they allowed us to come up close and watch. They cleaned out the hole better under the turle and they shined a flashlight on the area. We squatted right there and watched as the wite eggs about 6 cm (2 1/2 inches) in diameter began to drop. When the process ended, there were 128 eggs to go to the hatchery, and we felt like we'd had a special experience!
Sunday, August 03, 2003
Saturday, Aug. 2, Nuwara Eliya, Sir Lanka
I noticed a sign at the supermarket in Kandy saying alcoholic beverage sales will end today (Aug. 2) and will not resume until after the festival on Aug. 11. I wonder how effective that ban is? There were long lines of people buying enough liquor in advance to last them through the draught!
Anyway, I skipped town as the excitement continued to build. They were herding elephants into town as our bus exited. It was a short, but winding and slow trip to climb into the mountains to Nuwara Eliya (altitude of about 2000 m [6500 ft]). It took 2 ½ hours to travel the 69 km (40 miles)! What was bad was that the bus was crowded with people coming to be with family over the weekend. What was good was that the scenery was beautiful. We passed many scenic tea plantations and several dramatic waterfalls, and the layers of mountains that could be seen in the distance became nicer and nicer as we climbed higher.
Tea plantations are visited here the way wineries are in other countries. Each has a billboard inviting guests to stop and visit their tea room. And the women were out in the fields picking the leaves just like in the Himalayas except that they use big bats here instead of baskets to hold the leaves.
My room faces the highest mountain in Sri Lanka. I had hoped to hike to the top (only 500 m [1625 ft] higher in altitude than the town), but the man at the tourist office said it is now off-limits due to security reasons. (That means they are afraid Tamil Tigers might try to climb it with picnic baskets that turn out to contain explosives that could topple the communications towers up there.) Instead, he suggested that I climb Single Tree Hill which is only 120 m (about 400 ft) higher than the town and has nothing on it that anyone would want to blow up.
Well Single Tree Hill did have communications towers on top—several of them with fences, coiled razor wire, and high voltage warning signs. I was disappointed. I had hoped for a bench or a picnic table where I could sit and read. Instead, I walked right back down. The climb did take me through some nice tea plantation fields. And it provided some nice views of the city and of the mountains in all directions. The only other people I saw were local peasant women walking through the tea fields with big bundles of twigs they had cut on the other side of the mountain for their home fires.
Nuwara Eliya reminds me of the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. There are wonderful old homes with fantastic gardens of flowers, the air is fresh during the day and cool to cold at night, and there is a golf course and a big, nice park.
I explored the small town and ate dinner at a restaurant recommened by the guidebook. I had a huge plate of chicken chop suey that was made with fresh vegetables cooked perfectly so that they were still slightly crisp. I walked it down with fresh lime juice. I bought some coconut sweets from the restaurant’s bakery, but they proved to be pure sugar. I gave them away to a family with young children.
Sunday, Aug. 3, Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka
Well, I’m having another unique and special day. I left the guesthouse for a hike to Lovers’ Lane Waterfall where I am now sitting. On the way, I passed a Sunday market where people had brought fresh fruits and vegetables from their gardens and had them far sale on plastic sheets set on a street that was blocked off for the day. As I walked through the market looking at everything, I saw a customer who looked as if he would understand English, and I casually said, “Everything looks so fresh and nice.” Before leaving, I took a photo of the market. As I put the camera away, the same man came out of the market with his purchases and headed up the same road I was walking.
We began to talk. He works for a bank and his wife is a nursery school teacher. He has a daughter. His brother-in-law lives in Holland and is married to a Dutch woman. Then he said, “I like meeting foreigners. I would like to invite you to my home for a cup to tea.” My first reaction was one of panic: Is this a person I can trust or not? He seemed sincere, and it was to his HOME rather than to a tea house I had been invited. So I went.
I spent the next three hours there. I met his wife and daughter and his wife’s parents. We had tea and dessert. We talked about religion, the civil conflict in Sri Lanka, etc. He showed me photos and letters related to other guests he’s invited home before. He said he is a Buddist who believes in reincarnation and that he thinks the reason he feels compelled to be nice to foreigners and invite them to his home is because he was a foreigner in a previous life.
After our discussions, we all had lunch his wife had prepared: chicken, rice, mixed ground herbs, and curried cauliflower and pappadum (crisp chip-like bread). We had ice cream for dessert and Coca Cola to drink.
Their home is built of sheet metal, wood, and rolled tarpaper. A single layer of metal serves as both the ceiling and the roof. Plain brown cardboard serves as the inner walls attached to wooden slat walls the same way the tarpaper is attached on the outside. The living room is very narrow with plastic-covered sofas and chairs seating a total of 10 people lined down each side so that the fronts of each are about 2 ft (70 cm) apart. There are furniture cabinets holding lots of knickknacks and lots of photos and pictures are on the walls. The dining room is really part of a big room that has the dining table, a large bed for him and his wife, and a refrigerator. The kitchen is also part bedroom for the daughter and mother-in-law. It really is quite comfortable with everything they need. But he has plans to build a real house some day.
I have been invited back at 6:00 p.m. for dinner. In the meantime, I have come on my own to the waterfalls so that they will have time to prepare for tonight.
The waterfall is a tall, thin one. It’s quite beautiful with bushes on each side that have purple blossoms on them. I’m sitting on the side of a concrete cistern that has been built to collect the water and feed it into their drinking water system. And I can see across the valley from here to the hills covered in tea plants where I hiked yesterday.
I returned to my room to change to warm clothes—long pants, long-sleeve shirt, shoes (rather than sandals), and windbreaker. Then I returned to Rupasinghe’s home taking a box of chocolates and a 1.5 liter bottle of Coca Cola. (My guidebook didn’t say what was appropriate to take when invited to a private home here.) I was given a hot drink that is a combination of tea and coffee served with milk and sugar. Rupasinghe showed me the plans he has for building a house. He also demonstrated how a man wears a sarong and keeps it tight. Then we had dinner. His wife had made hoppers—noodles made from flour, boiling water, and salt and spun in flat, round loose patties. To go with them was fish curry, salad, creamed carrots and potatoes, and fried pieces of chicken. It was all delicious. As usual here, we washed our fingers of our right hands in a bowl of water and then ate with them. Afterwards, we rinsed our fingers in the same bowl of water. We had bowls of flavored geletin for dessert.
At 8:30 we said our thank yous and good-byes, and I promised to write him and to try to visit Sri Lanka again. I walked back to my guesthouse feeling I was especially fortunate to have experienced what I did today.
I noticed a sign at the supermarket in Kandy saying alcoholic beverage sales will end today (Aug. 2) and will not resume until after the festival on Aug. 11. I wonder how effective that ban is? There were long lines of people buying enough liquor in advance to last them through the draught!
Anyway, I skipped town as the excitement continued to build. They were herding elephants into town as our bus exited. It was a short, but winding and slow trip to climb into the mountains to Nuwara Eliya (altitude of about 2000 m [6500 ft]). It took 2 ½ hours to travel the 69 km (40 miles)! What was bad was that the bus was crowded with people coming to be with family over the weekend. What was good was that the scenery was beautiful. We passed many scenic tea plantations and several dramatic waterfalls, and the layers of mountains that could be seen in the distance became nicer and nicer as we climbed higher.
Tea plantations are visited here the way wineries are in other countries. Each has a billboard inviting guests to stop and visit their tea room. And the women were out in the fields picking the leaves just like in the Himalayas except that they use big bats here instead of baskets to hold the leaves.
My room faces the highest mountain in Sri Lanka. I had hoped to hike to the top (only 500 m [1625 ft] higher in altitude than the town), but the man at the tourist office said it is now off-limits due to security reasons. (That means they are afraid Tamil Tigers might try to climb it with picnic baskets that turn out to contain explosives that could topple the communications towers up there.) Instead, he suggested that I climb Single Tree Hill which is only 120 m (about 400 ft) higher than the town and has nothing on it that anyone would want to blow up.
Well Single Tree Hill did have communications towers on top—several of them with fences, coiled razor wire, and high voltage warning signs. I was disappointed. I had hoped for a bench or a picnic table where I could sit and read. Instead, I walked right back down. The climb did take me through some nice tea plantation fields. And it provided some nice views of the city and of the mountains in all directions. The only other people I saw were local peasant women walking through the tea fields with big bundles of twigs they had cut on the other side of the mountain for their home fires.
Nuwara Eliya reminds me of the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. There are wonderful old homes with fantastic gardens of flowers, the air is fresh during the day and cool to cold at night, and there is a golf course and a big, nice park.
I explored the small town and ate dinner at a restaurant recommened by the guidebook. I had a huge plate of chicken chop suey that was made with fresh vegetables cooked perfectly so that they were still slightly crisp. I walked it down with fresh lime juice. I bought some coconut sweets from the restaurant’s bakery, but they proved to be pure sugar. I gave them away to a family with young children.
Sunday, Aug. 3, Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka
Well, I’m having another unique and special day. I left the guesthouse for a hike to Lovers’ Lane Waterfall where I am now sitting. On the way, I passed a Sunday market where people had brought fresh fruits and vegetables from their gardens and had them far sale on plastic sheets set on a street that was blocked off for the day. As I walked through the market looking at everything, I saw a customer who looked as if he would understand English, and I casually said, “Everything looks so fresh and nice.” Before leaving, I took a photo of the market. As I put the camera away, the same man came out of the market with his purchases and headed up the same road I was walking.
We began to talk. He works for a bank and his wife is a nursery school teacher. He has a daughter. His brother-in-law lives in Holland and is married to a Dutch woman. Then he said, “I like meeting foreigners. I would like to invite you to my home for a cup to tea.” My first reaction was one of panic: Is this a person I can trust or not? He seemed sincere, and it was to his HOME rather than to a tea house I had been invited. So I went.
I spent the next three hours there. I met his wife and daughter and his wife’s parents. We had tea and dessert. We talked about religion, the civil conflict in Sri Lanka, etc. He showed me photos and letters related to other guests he’s invited home before. He said he is a Buddist who believes in reincarnation and that he thinks the reason he feels compelled to be nice to foreigners and invite them to his home is because he was a foreigner in a previous life.
After our discussions, we all had lunch his wife had prepared: chicken, rice, mixed ground herbs, and curried cauliflower and pappadum (crisp chip-like bread). We had ice cream for dessert and Coca Cola to drink.
Their home is built of sheet metal, wood, and rolled tarpaper. A single layer of metal serves as both the ceiling and the roof. Plain brown cardboard serves as the inner walls attached to wooden slat walls the same way the tarpaper is attached on the outside. The living room is very narrow with plastic-covered sofas and chairs seating a total of 10 people lined down each side so that the fronts of each are about 2 ft (70 cm) apart. There are furniture cabinets holding lots of knickknacks and lots of photos and pictures are on the walls. The dining room is really part of a big room that has the dining table, a large bed for him and his wife, and a refrigerator. The kitchen is also part bedroom for the daughter and mother-in-law. It really is quite comfortable with everything they need. But he has plans to build a real house some day.
I have been invited back at 6:00 p.m. for dinner. In the meantime, I have come on my own to the waterfalls so that they will have time to prepare for tonight.
The waterfall is a tall, thin one. It’s quite beautiful with bushes on each side that have purple blossoms on them. I’m sitting on the side of a concrete cistern that has been built to collect the water and feed it into their drinking water system. And I can see across the valley from here to the hills covered in tea plants where I hiked yesterday.
I returned to my room to change to warm clothes—long pants, long-sleeve shirt, shoes (rather than sandals), and windbreaker. Then I returned to Rupasinghe’s home taking a box of chocolates and a 1.5 liter bottle of Coca Cola. (My guidebook didn’t say what was appropriate to take when invited to a private home here.) I was given a hot drink that is a combination of tea and coffee served with milk and sugar. Rupasinghe showed me the plans he has for building a house. He also demonstrated how a man wears a sarong and keeps it tight. Then we had dinner. His wife had made hoppers—noodles made from flour, boiling water, and salt and spun in flat, round loose patties. To go with them was fish curry, salad, creamed carrots and potatoes, and fried pieces of chicken. It was all delicious. As usual here, we washed our fingers of our right hands in a bowl of water and then ate with them. Afterwards, we rinsed our fingers in the same bowl of water. We had bowls of flavored geletin for dessert.
At 8:30 we said our thank yous and good-byes, and I promised to write him and to try to visit Sri Lanka again. I walked back to my guesthouse feeling I was especially fortunate to have experienced what I did today.
Friday, August 01, 2003
Thursday, July 31, Kandy, Sri Lanka
Today started on a sour note. When I checked into my hotel yesterday, I was told that the rate would be 1250 NET. That means all charges are included. But when I checked out this morning, they added 10% for a service charge and 10% for taxes. I complained, but it was obvious there is a conflict between new management and old management (who still works there). I told them I would write all the major guidebooks to report that there is a problem at the place.
I made a decision to skip going to Sigiriya, an old palace built on a flat mountain top because it was going to be awkwardgetting there by public transportation and getting away again. I had already bought a ticket for seeing the site, but.... It would have taken 3 different buses to reach it from Polonnarua.
Instead, I took a bus to Kandy, a hill area resort built around a lake. It's a beautiful city--sort of a Sri Lanka version of Baguio in the Philippines. It's prettier and nicer than Baguio, however.
I had to buy TWO bus tickets to come here. The air conditioned intercity buses are small and have no luggage storage space. They require passengers to buy seats for their luggage. So I paid 115 rupees for me and 115 rupees for lmy luggage to come to Kandy. My bag sat in the seat beside me even though people were standing in the aisles after a while!
I'm staying in the nicest hotel room I've had on the whole trip. It's attractive, clean, furnished nicely and everything is up-to-date and in good condition. That's the good news. The bad news is that I have to move out tomorrow. Kandy begins the Esala Perahera festival this wekend, and the rate here at the Casamara Hotel will increase from a very reasonable $20 per night to a rather expensive $42 per night. I'm moving to a cheaper guesthouse.
The Esala Perahera is the biggest festival in Sri Lanka. It celebrates their possession of a relic they are fanatic about. The relic? It's supposedly a tooth from Buddha himself. (Poor Buddha, everywhere I go everyone seems to have something--a toe, a thighbone, a lock of hair, etc.) Anyway, the tooth here is kept in a golden casket, and it takes four keys held by separate people to open it. The celebration involves cultural performances, men walking on hot coals, parades of elephants wearing fabrics encrusted with jewels, etc. Most of the best parts will occur next weekend after I am long gone from Kandy, but I may be able to see something tomorrow night or Saturday.
Tonight, I stayed inside the hotel and enjoyed having cable TV with Star Movies and BBC. I watched "Mulholland Drive" which I had not seen before and was glad I didn't pay to see it!
Friday, Aug. 1, Kandy, Sri Lanka
There is a heavy military presence here. I'm sure it's because they are afraid the Tamil Tigers (the revolutionary group wanting independence in the North) might try to steal "The Tooth" or to disrupt the festival with a terrorist act. In fact, hundreds (if not thousands) of military personnel were leaving a rally at a stadium as my bus entered town yesterday. They had probably been given their general instructions there.
I moved to a small guesthouse in the hills this morning. I've been lucky. It was raining when I awoke and looked as if it might be the first day of my trip with rain all day. But the rain had stopped by the time I left the hotel and there has been only an occasional sprinkle since then.
I took the bus to the Botanical Gardens. They are fantastic. They are a couple of hundred years old, so there are huge mature palms, mahogony, ebony, kauri, and other kinds of trees. I saw a Coco de Mer which grows only on one island (the Seychelles--sp?), has the largest seed of all vegetables, and is endangered. It's also called the Double Coconut. The orchid house was full of many varieties that were blooming. One of the fun things was to read the signs for trees planted by dignitaries through the years: "Planted by H.R.H. King George and Queen Mary of the United Kingdom, 1901."
The university campus is near the Botanical Gardens, so I walked there. It's a huge campus with the faculties (what they call the separate disciplines) being located in buildings that are spread far apart. It is always interesting to see a campus, however, and I got to watch some of the students playing a rugby game for a while.
I walked the 4-5 km (3 miles) back to town when I left the university. I had seen nice shops and international schools as we passed on the bus. It actually worked to my advantage to walk. All the schools along the road had just let out, and the traffic going into town was extra heavy with people coming for the festival. I could see that I was moving as fast as the traffic, and I was getting exercise doing it.
___
Observations from the past few days:
1. Buses here get very crowded. Typically people are filling the aisles. So if you sit in an outside seat, you have people in the aisles bumping against you.
2. Like other Asian countries, it is common for young men who are good friends to hold hands as they walk. There were several post-pubescent pairs of boys walking with hands clasped together, putting arms around each other, and sitting in each others' laps in the school group I joined in Polonnarua. Each of the boys had a girl friend in the group, but boys and girls were kept separate in seating and in going through the ruins. Typcially, the oldest men I see holding hands are ones in their late 20s or so.
3. The principal of the school group had some homemade milk candies made by his wife that were delicious. They were cut into small squares and were made of white sugar and milk with chunks of cashew nuts.
4. Sri Lankans don't understand being my age and not being married. Apparently here everyone gets married and has children.
5. When you ask a question with a "yes" response, Sri Lankans don't nod; they bobble their heads. It reminds me pf the ceramic dolls that have separate heads and bodies attached by a spring. The bobble tends to imply more than "yes." It represents saying, "Of course," or "Definitely." To do the bobble, while moving your head back and forth sideways (as if indicating "no") form an infinity symbol (a figure 8 turned sideways) with the tip of your nose. Now look at yourself in the mirror as you do it!!
____
I'm thinking I may leave Kandy tomorrow. It is getting so congested. I don't see how there would be any opportunity to see much if I tried to stay for the festival, since all the activities are confined within temple grounds for the first 4-5 days. I would hate to get into a crowd like I imagine there being in such a small congested area. How would anyone be able to see the coals with the men walking on them? I imagine I would be lucky to see a head moving of a man who was supposedly walking on hot coals! I think I would rather move further up into the mountains to a quiet place and spend 2-3 days. THat means I'll be back into small villages where it may or may not be possible to connect to the Internet. We'll just have to wait and see.
Today started on a sour note. When I checked into my hotel yesterday, I was told that the rate would be 1250 NET. That means all charges are included. But when I checked out this morning, they added 10% for a service charge and 10% for taxes. I complained, but it was obvious there is a conflict between new management and old management (who still works there). I told them I would write all the major guidebooks to report that there is a problem at the place.
I made a decision to skip going to Sigiriya, an old palace built on a flat mountain top because it was going to be awkwardgetting there by public transportation and getting away again. I had already bought a ticket for seeing the site, but.... It would have taken 3 different buses to reach it from Polonnarua.
Instead, I took a bus to Kandy, a hill area resort built around a lake. It's a beautiful city--sort of a Sri Lanka version of Baguio in the Philippines. It's prettier and nicer than Baguio, however.
I had to buy TWO bus tickets to come here. The air conditioned intercity buses are small and have no luggage storage space. They require passengers to buy seats for their luggage. So I paid 115 rupees for me and 115 rupees for lmy luggage to come to Kandy. My bag sat in the seat beside me even though people were standing in the aisles after a while!
I'm staying in the nicest hotel room I've had on the whole trip. It's attractive, clean, furnished nicely and everything is up-to-date and in good condition. That's the good news. The bad news is that I have to move out tomorrow. Kandy begins the Esala Perahera festival this wekend, and the rate here at the Casamara Hotel will increase from a very reasonable $20 per night to a rather expensive $42 per night. I'm moving to a cheaper guesthouse.
The Esala Perahera is the biggest festival in Sri Lanka. It celebrates their possession of a relic they are fanatic about. The relic? It's supposedly a tooth from Buddha himself. (Poor Buddha, everywhere I go everyone seems to have something--a toe, a thighbone, a lock of hair, etc.) Anyway, the tooth here is kept in a golden casket, and it takes four keys held by separate people to open it. The celebration involves cultural performances, men walking on hot coals, parades of elephants wearing fabrics encrusted with jewels, etc. Most of the best parts will occur next weekend after I am long gone from Kandy, but I may be able to see something tomorrow night or Saturday.
Tonight, I stayed inside the hotel and enjoyed having cable TV with Star Movies and BBC. I watched "Mulholland Drive" which I had not seen before and was glad I didn't pay to see it!
Friday, Aug. 1, Kandy, Sri Lanka
There is a heavy military presence here. I'm sure it's because they are afraid the Tamil Tigers (the revolutionary group wanting independence in the North) might try to steal "The Tooth" or to disrupt the festival with a terrorist act. In fact, hundreds (if not thousands) of military personnel were leaving a rally at a stadium as my bus entered town yesterday. They had probably been given their general instructions there.
I moved to a small guesthouse in the hills this morning. I've been lucky. It was raining when I awoke and looked as if it might be the first day of my trip with rain all day. But the rain had stopped by the time I left the hotel and there has been only an occasional sprinkle since then.
I took the bus to the Botanical Gardens. They are fantastic. They are a couple of hundred years old, so there are huge mature palms, mahogony, ebony, kauri, and other kinds of trees. I saw a Coco de Mer which grows only on one island (the Seychelles--sp?), has the largest seed of all vegetables, and is endangered. It's also called the Double Coconut. The orchid house was full of many varieties that were blooming. One of the fun things was to read the signs for trees planted by dignitaries through the years: "Planted by H.R.H. King George and Queen Mary of the United Kingdom, 1901."
The university campus is near the Botanical Gardens, so I walked there. It's a huge campus with the faculties (what they call the separate disciplines) being located in buildings that are spread far apart. It is always interesting to see a campus, however, and I got to watch some of the students playing a rugby game for a while.
I walked the 4-5 km (3 miles) back to town when I left the university. I had seen nice shops and international schools as we passed on the bus. It actually worked to my advantage to walk. All the schools along the road had just let out, and the traffic going into town was extra heavy with people coming for the festival. I could see that I was moving as fast as the traffic, and I was getting exercise doing it.
___
Observations from the past few days:
1. Buses here get very crowded. Typically people are filling the aisles. So if you sit in an outside seat, you have people in the aisles bumping against you.
2. Like other Asian countries, it is common for young men who are good friends to hold hands as they walk. There were several post-pubescent pairs of boys walking with hands clasped together, putting arms around each other, and sitting in each others' laps in the school group I joined in Polonnarua. Each of the boys had a girl friend in the group, but boys and girls were kept separate in seating and in going through the ruins. Typcially, the oldest men I see holding hands are ones in their late 20s or so.
3. The principal of the school group had some homemade milk candies made by his wife that were delicious. They were cut into small squares and were made of white sugar and milk with chunks of cashew nuts.
4. Sri Lankans don't understand being my age and not being married. Apparently here everyone gets married and has children.
5. When you ask a question with a "yes" response, Sri Lankans don't nod; they bobble their heads. It reminds me pf the ceramic dolls that have separate heads and bodies attached by a spring. The bobble tends to imply more than "yes." It represents saying, "Of course," or "Definitely." To do the bobble, while moving your head back and forth sideways (as if indicating "no") form an infinity symbol (a figure 8 turned sideways) with the tip of your nose. Now look at yourself in the mirror as you do it!!
____
I'm thinking I may leave Kandy tomorrow. It is getting so congested. I don't see how there would be any opportunity to see much if I tried to stay for the festival, since all the activities are confined within temple grounds for the first 4-5 days. I would hate to get into a crowd like I imagine there being in such a small congested area. How would anyone be able to see the coals with the men walking on them? I imagine I would be lucky to see a head moving of a man who was supposedly walking on hot coals! I think I would rather move further up into the mountains to a quiet place and spend 2-3 days. THat means I'll be back into small villages where it may or may not be possible to connect to the Internet. We'll just have to wait and see.
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