the rickshaw to nowhere (and other highlights...)

Since I am the only one of our fearless group of travelers left in India, I thought I would recap some of the highlights of our trip. Khanh and Virginia will no doubt have their own favorite memories to add to the list. But here, in no particular order, is my own top ten...

1. Me & VA getting hit with water balloons (me in the ass, her in the face) by some punk kid as our big "Welcome to India!" on the first night in Delhi.

2. Khanh getting mobbed by a pack of kids all wanting his autograph at the Virupaksha temple in Hampi. (A close second is Khanh getting mobbed by a bunch of kids wanting to hug him at a village in Munnar, but I don't have photographic evidence of that one.)

3. Getting the complete runaround from three different people at the Delhi train station, who all claimed that our tickets weren't valid, until VA got so annoyed that she yelled at the last guy and he magically "approved" our tickets.

4. "Oh no! I smell ghee!" -- exclaimed by me in the evening on our houseboat after our spectacular chef Kevin (yes, Kevin...we think it's a fake name) had already made us a four course lunch, tea and fried bananas and we were stuffed to the brim. A few minutes later Kevin appeared with a plate of fried shrimp.....which, of course, we couldn't resist.

5. The delightful Swiss tourists, a mother & son, who we met at our hotel in Munnar, and met up with again in Cochin on Match Day for dinner. The mom, Franca, even got a beer with us before we went to check our match results.

6. The incredible cardamom tea at the random roadside stall in Thekkady that our safari guide took us to on the way to the Periyar Wildlife Reserve. (We made him stop there on the way back too.)

7. The rickshaw to nowhere which we took from Commercial St. in Bangalore to Residency Rd. in search of spicy biriyani. It turned out that our rickshaw driver took us to the wrong place, and when we got to the right place the restaurant wasn't even there any more.

8. Changing into pajamas on the upper berths of the 2-tier A/C overnight train while VA & I held up blankets for each other to get some privacy and Khanh yelled the safe word in case the conductor came by to check our tickets.

9. Cafe Coffee Day -- our trusty refuge from the hectic chaos of India. A soothing escape to the familiar world of overpriced beverages, yuppie teenagers, cookie-cutter coffee house furniture, and the ever-present Akon.

10. Cramming in two day visits to both my grandmother's houses, along with the obligatory visits to 14 different relatives and family friends in the past four days. I've had enough tea & biscuits to last a lifetime.

Ammu

on india...

So as many of you are aware, I've spent a decent amount of time in India, especially for a foreigner with no ties to the land. After senior year of college I was in Chennai and mainly Madurai (both in Tamil Nadu) for a month working with a research team from MIT and Harvard whose goal was to perform a needs assessment in a cluster of villages around Melur. As the resident technology guy, I was working on brainstorming technological applications for internet kiosks that we had placed there.

A couple of years later, I spent three months, two in Hyderabad and another in a cluster of villages, working on developing software for another internet initiative there. This included quite a bit of hanging out with locals, aka "ethnography".

Although I haven't been able to share these most recent experiences with my compadres that we've been reading about (and it sounds like I'm missing out on a lot of fun) I thought I'd throw out a few of my thoughts on India to see if we can drum up some discussion. I'm sure many things have changed since I was there, but I'm sure most things have stayed the same.

The most striking thing to me looking back on my time in India, especially in the bustling cities of Chennai, Hyderabad and Delhi is the sheer density of people. The major streets are a chaos of cows, autorickshaws, bicycles, motor scooters, cars, colorful trucks filled to the brim with random agricultural goods not to mention a very healthy dose of pollution. You feel like you're defying death on a constant basis. I remember seeing someone literally getting run over by a motorcycle and heard multiple stories of people being hit head on by buses. I had to ride a motorscooter through Hyderabad once and it was absolutely terrifying.

It became clear to me after a few weeks that there are so many people in India that human life is not worth very much. Examples abounded. I got in an accident in the aforementioned motor scooter that scraped it up pretty badly. To fix the damage in the US I'm sure would have cost hundreds of dollars. How much did it cost to repair in Hyderabad? Less than a dollar. Why? Because human labor is nearly worthless. How much did it cost to hire an interpreter to stay with me in a village for a month? A hundred dollars. Even the poorest city people I encountered had their own servants. Do you know anyone in the US with a live-in servant? I didn't think so.

There are so many people that it is extremely competitive to get good paying jobs because there are often hundreds of qualified unemployed or underemployed people to fill the handful of jobs positions on offer. The acceptance rate at a place like IIT (equiv of MIT in India) is on the order of 0.01% or probably less. I saved a newspaper article -- from the Deccan Chronicle if I recall -- which recounted the story of a local student. This student evidently lived somewhere where electricity was very spotty (often the case no matter where you live in India) and unfortunately for him, there were numerous black/brown-outs during a time when he had to study for college entrance exams. In fact, they were so frequent that he committed suicide because he couldn't study enough. No joke. It is a constant rat race there, and most people lose. This phenomenon made me sad on a regular basis...

mysore madness.

We just spent the last 3 days in Bangalore, cosmopolitan, hi-tech capital of India, and a world away from Hampi even though it's only 8 hours away by train. When I was in Bangalore back in 2006 doing a research project, I became friends with some German medical students who were working at the same hospital and by extension, with some of their friends in Bangalore. One of them, Prasyanth, still lives in Bangalore so we called him up to say hi when we arrived. Thus began two whirlwind days of activity.

The first night, after a lazy stroll through Lal Bagh gardens and some excellent ghee dosas at Mavalli Tiffin Rooms, Prasyanth picked us up for a night on the town. We headed for a new club called "Hint" on the top floor of a shopping mall. Virginia and I walked in, but as we turned around Khanh had been stopped at the door by the burly security guard. Apparently clubs in Bangalore are now trying to emulate clubs in the U.S. - no flip flops allowed! (for guys anyway) So we all trailed back out and made our way downstairs to the shopping mall. We found the first shoe store we could and the cheapest shoes there were Chucks. Unfortunately, Khanh's feet are too big for the puny range of the Indian shoe market. So he ended up buying the only pair available in his size, which were exactly like the ones he already had at home. =P After that diversion, we ended up going back to Hint and having a great time dancing the night away to lots of Akon and house music.

When we mentioned to Prasyanth that we were planning a trip to Mysore the next day, he suggested going by motorbike rather than bus. He offered to recruit two of his friends to accompany us. Since it was 2am when we got home from the club, we didn't think it was very likely that this plan would actually work out. But, at 7:30am the next morning, we got a call from Prasyanth and at 9:30am we set out for Mysore on three motorbikes. (We made a quick pitstop to buy extra helmets, for everyone out there who is imagining grisly accidents right now.)

Now I don't know how many of you have spent 4 hours on the back of a motorbike, but let me assure you that it is a painful experience for your ass, and several other muscle groups. We spent a total of 8 hours on the bikes that day, so you can imagine how we felt that night when we got home. But overall an excellent trip and a great way to experience the roads in India. The Mysore Palace was absolutely stunning, but alas there's no photography allowed (much to Khanh's chagrin). More to come on our adventures in Bangalore in the next post...."Rickshaw to Nowhere"...(da da dun!)

Ammu

Pot of Tea

Khanh, Ammu and I enjoyed several pots of tea, 4 to be exact, on our last day in Goa before heading out to Hampi. This may not seem exciting, but in fact we were partaking in a conspiracy... In fact, on that day, the Goan government instated a "Dry Day" for the upcoming elections and so they tried to take measures to prevent brawls and accidents on such a momentous occasion. Obviously, this very much conflicted with are plans to get drunk in India. :( We ordered som Kingfisher Strong at one of the ubiquitous beach shacks, Coco Joes, only to be told that was not allowed. Our spirits sunk. The waiter could feel it...... he smiled and said, "No problem, you will have a pot of tea!" Very good.

The waiter poured beer into a tea pot and served us beer in tea cups, so as not to garner attention to our mischevious acts. We were loving it. Tastes even better in a tiny English tea cup :). So, yes, we ordered several and got blissfully buzzed off of a few pots of tea. We spent a few hours and conversed with the waiters who were happy to have some intersting people to talk to and joke around with (business was slow) and turn on their Akon/Reggaeton/Hindi music mix. So, in the end, we were all happy. It was a lovely time. Tea will never be the same.

sacred.

It is evening in Hampi and we've just eaten our only meal of the day after traveling roughly eight hours from Goa by train. By now, we've become comfortable with public buses, at least in less urban areas where the buses aren't as crowded. Leaving the gates of Hampi Bazaar, we spot a rickety bus parked in a dirt lot, and eventually figure out that it will take us near our hotel in Kamalapuram for a mere five rupees. The bus has probably parked for a little awhile, as it is filling up, and within five minutes, the driver gets on and starts the engine. A uniformed gentleman begins to collect fares. The bus slowly creeps forward. All of a sudden, there is a commotion outside, dozens of people congregate around the bus, yelling, and a low, gutteral moan emerges above all the yelling. People on the bus scramble to the doors, and the driver backs up a few feet. Looking outside the door, we see what had happened. There is a cow under the bus, probably asleep while the bus was parked, and is now trapped underneath. Half a dozen or so men grab the cow by its ears and pull it out. Amazingly, it stands and walks away.

Sacred indeed is the cow in India; it was pretty amazing to see how quickly so many people rush to the aid of this cow under our bus. And among the sacred ruins of Hampi, the cows seem to have even more freedom than in the city. They own the roads, acting more aggressively, evidenced by our witnessness a cow trample a lamb on our rickshaw ride over.

Hampi is a World Heritage site, once the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, and now home to nearly 100 identifiable monuments slowing decaying but still retaining a sense of magic and mysticism. Not only is the site of these temples emerging from the brown earth breathtaking, but the huge boulders that dot the landscape add another dimension to the awe one experiences from exploring the monuments. Moreover, the Virupaksha temple, towering over the center of Hampi Bazaar, is still an active place of worship. While tourists admire the beauty of such a place, for the devout, this place means much more, and it is truly humbling to experience it.

We spent about 24 hours in Hampi, and walked in the scorching heat to many of the temple sites, exhausting much of our energy and struggling to stay hydrated. There was a break for lunch, where a cold Sprite could not taste any better. And there was also a blessing by an elephant thrown in there (note: the snout end of an elephant trunk is moist and slimy, and the trunk itself is rough and hairy). By the end of the day, we were beat, dirty, hungry, and thirsty. And after some replenishment with "masala finger chips" (i.e. spicy fries) and water, we settled in for an overnight train ride to Bangalore, where we will now be enjoying a couple days of urban life before heading down to Kerala.

please take my balls.

last night we went to old goa and panjim to explore the legacy of the portuguese conquest of goa. lots of lovely old churches and dead saints' partially dismembered bodies. good times. then we finished off the day with dinner at a vegetarian gujurati thali restaurant (something i didnt even know existed). we were brought a bewildering array of delicious breads, rotis, and curries and then the best rasmalai i've ever had in my life. the best part though was these warm rice balls stuffed with a coconut and spice mixture. i devoured 3 and at the end of the meal virginia couldnt eat all of hers, so she begged khanh to "please take my balls". with a lot of deft distraction techniques and way too much giggling, we managed to stuff 2 of the balls into khanh's bag to enjoy later. we also took a picture of the menu so that reshma can explain to us what exactly we ate. =)

muumuus and mosques.

Hi guys,

I'm a little late to this blogging game (no surprise to anyone I'm sure), so I'm going to have to take you back to our last day in Delhi. After visiting the Red Fort (Lal Qila) and braving a harrowing cycle rickshaw ride down Chandni Chowk to visit the Spice Market (VA & I were seeing our lives flash before our eyes, Khanh apparently enjoyed himself), and then eating lunch at Haldiram's, which was akin to an Indian McDonald's with excellent bhel puri and ice cream, we set out to see the Jama Masjid mosque - the largest in India and standing for nearly 400 years.

Taking the advice of our guidebook, Virginia and I were completely covered from the neck down to be modest women. We even brought head scarves just in case. We all took our shoes off at the entrance and then we were approached by a man holding a large bright neon orange sheet. He proceeded to try to put it on Virginia. She protested. He insisted. We looked around at all the other women entering the mosque, and none of them were wearing anything resembling a neon sheet. We pointed this out and the man continued to insist that we needed to put the sheets on. Finally we gave in, convinced that it was all some big joke on us tourists (or as VA said "we're targets!").

Once inside we saw other muumuu clad tourists all in various shades of neon. Khanh has some great pictures. We ended up bonding with a French couple, who also had dressed modestly, but who was told that the wife needed to don a muumuu. Despite all the fuss, the mosque was peaceful and lovely, and a much needed respite from the insanity outside. More to come....

Ammu

feliz navidad.

we took our only domestic flight, escaping the delhi madness, to the paradise that is goa. as we boarded and waited on the tarmac i realized that i recognized the music playing on the overhead speakers... jingle bells? first noel? feliz navidad? apparently, christmas music is great elevator music at any time of year here in india. in the end i feel it was very appropriate music. getting to goa was much like a christmas present in march....

if you have read the entries below, you know that i was a bit overwhelmed the first day or two in delhi, as i was getting used to the lack of personal space, the autorickshaws that i was sure would crash into something large, solid and deadly, the smells. i got more and more used to it as days went by, but never to a point of comfort. i agree with khanh... i felt like i was in survival mode until we arrived in goa yesterday. i am glad for the experiences in delhi, it really opened my eyes... incredible disparities. If you have read the book Blindness.... it reminded me of that.... and made me appreciate even more than before how lucky i have it. that being said, i cannot say i am woman enough to live in that environment. like most humans, i experienced, i was uncomfortable, and i wanted to seek comfort instead. i suppose it is natural, but can't help but feel somewhat guilty (then again, is anyone surprised by this?) :) goa is a breath of fresh air after our intense delhi experience and i think all three of us are enjoying the warm sand, the muggy air, the yummy kingfisher beer and ice cream, before we continue on (i especially like it because it reminds me of my home in mexico!). i am excited for the rest of our trip. can't wait for karnataka and kerala!

vacation from a vacation.

Why do old, leathery Europeans insist on wearing hardly anything on the beach? From their unnatural skin tone, I suppose they're actually post-melanoma so they probably fearless, but please spare us. The lack of eye candy is definitely my least favorite part of Goa.

So this leg of the trip is like a vacation from a vacation, even though it's only been a week since leaving SF. Delhi was one of those frenetic experiences, where you're in a stressed physiologic stay, ready to stab someone if need be. Don't get me wrong, it was a great experience, eye-opening and typically of traveling to a densely populated city with extreme social disparities. The city is truly alive, and it is humbling to get to be a part of it, even for just a short period of time. But after awhile, that level of alertness one must have becomes pathological unless you can adapt and be one with your environment. Instead of waiting around to see if we could adapt, we headed to Goa instead.

Brief history lesson. While Britain occupied most of India, the narrow strip of land on the central west cost of the subcontinent was under Portuguese control. Furthermore, it took many decades after independence for the Indian government to take control of Goa. Regional identity here has remained strong and cohesive, and the Portuguese influences remain, in the food, in the architecture, in the language, and in the religion. Goa has traditionally be a place where foreigners and locals escape to for a lazy holiday on the beach. And one mustn't forget the hippies (there's probably a place like this in every developing country with great beaches, where hippies take over and, in a way, ruin the charm of the place). So this whole Portuguese thing makes a stay in Goa pretty unique in comparison to the rest of India. The excess of bronze Europeans also makes the experience, at times, feel a little generic (it would be a redundant activity to try counting the number of beach shacks here that serve the exact same combination of Western and Goan food).

We've only been in Goa (more specifically, Calangute) for a day, and all we've done is eat, drink, and sit on the beach. By the time we leave here this weekend, we might not have done much more than that. Still haven't had coconut water yet. Or too many Kingfishers while laying on the hot sand. But rest assured, those shall be checked off the list in due time.

refuge.

It's so nice here, I can make twosies.

-In reference to the restaurant where the restroom had both soap and toilet paper.

How to find relief from the overcrowded streets, horrendous traffic, dusty air, and somewhat stifling heat that is characteristic of some parts of Delhi:

1) Stay in the hotel room and blast the AC. And if you must leave for food, just go to the rooftop restaurant and watch all the action on Main Bazaar from above.

2) Visit monuments, where somehow you become easily insulated from the realities outside the walls of said monuments (examples would include the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and Jama Masjid mosque). Bonus points for finding marble floors cooled by the shade, and exposing a reasonable amount of bare skin to the cool surface.

3) Look for a Cafe Coffee Day, the Indian equivalent of Starbucks, where the urban middle and upper-middle class hang out. Pretend to live dangerously by ordering a drink made with water, ice, and/or fruit juice, whose origins are not necessarily known.

4) Use the Metro. What? The random subway system underneath Delhi, which seems to be only used by the middle and upper middle class? Where chaos does not ensue?

5) Run away to South Delhi. Hang out in a park (e.g. the Lodi Gardens), lay down on well-manicured lawns, and look out in amazement at how calm things are. Make a game out of spotting dogs that are actually on leashes and that actually have owners.

6) Buy a plane ticket to Goa and escape to the beaches.

holi crap.

Well, after Khanh's beautiful prose, I don't know how I can compete. All I can say is that I am probably the most paranoid and hypervigilant of the the three of us.... I am going to blame being the eldest of 4 and having little sisters. Last night, after visiting the Taj and Agra Fort, we made our way back to the Agra train station to catch the train back to Delhi, but instead of taking the usual autorickshaw to navigate the bovine-canine-homo-sapiens-ridden dark streets, we decided to go on foot. NO problem... only 500 meters, or says our map. Well, let's just say we got slightly lost on the dark streets with random bikes and rickshaws and groups of young men who I was sure were going to throw water balloons at us given the Holi festival was around the corner. I wasn't sure that we were going the right way and even if someone did direct us, I was totally suspicious that they were just making shit up. So, I spent the walk in ninja position, at time pushing Ammu with my immense strength so that she wouldn't be hit by the stealthy autorickshaws (sorry ammu). I thought the cows were going to stampede,too. Yes, I was freaking out a bit on the inside. We finally saw the bright white light of salvation... the train station... and I took a deep breath of relief. Obviously, I am adjusting to the constant rush, seeming disorganization of it all. It is a good lesson in just letting go sometimes and trusting things will work out. There is only so much you can control, even in the most "controlled" of situations. So I am telling myself to put my hands up and experience this incredible country. I am lucky to have such fantastic fellow travelers who have my back (and, obviously, I have theirs.... perhaps even a little too much) :)