India Sept 2006

Day 12

cathydee1 — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 07:21:00 GMT

woke at the blissful hour of 7am full of life. we had big plans for today. went for breaky then packed and checked out. asked the lady if she would mind out bags until we were leaving in the afternoon and thankfully she did. so we hired a couple of bikes with dodgy breaks - they all had dodgy breaks because they were used so much, the breaks that is!!! took a nice gentle cycle round the bazaar and temples then rode far out to the edges. got off the bikes and rested them by the river and walked round massive boulders towards the bigger temples. our destination was the majestic and mystical Vitalla Temple - i so wanted to see this!

on discovering it was 5ks away Cathy decided on a boat ride over and a walk back. we wobbled into what looked like half a coconut turned on it's back and set off, a little anxious, but it turned out to be very sea worthy and a magnificant choice as we were brought close to hidden temples and caves that housed underground temples. you should have seen the steps that were etched into the rocks and the spectacular carvings of images in the rocks that told stories of worlds past. when our sailor stopped to rest and wipe the sweat from his brow the silence was musical and the feeling of peace and calm spiritual. when he lifted the paddle again there was an explorers feeling of wonder and excitement at what lay ahead.

we arrived on land again and paid him the 100Rs agreed and he pleaded with us for 10Rs since the boss man got the 100 and he was hungry. we were so delighted with our boat trip we happily gave the extra 10Rs he asked and we all parted company, him to his 'coconut boat' and us to venture along the beach and scale the rocks to Vitalla Temple. when we arrived the temple didn't quite fit the description i had in mind and we were met by a mad dog at the top barking its venom in our direction.

did i tell you about the dogs? they are many and they are wild and... they have rabies!!! now, the dogs of India have been quite a challenge to me. i grew up with my Mum terrified of dogs, something that has restricted her movement all her life and sometimes held her captive in her home. unfortunately she had a nasty experience as a child and developed a phobia. anyway, as a child i was determined not to be the same and came to love dogs, unfortunately my twin was not so fortunate.

a couple of times i found myself irrationally afraid when passing, particularly packs of, these dogs. although, with the knowledge of the rabies maybe it wasn't so irrational to be anxious. when i could avoid them i did but on occasions like this (and this wasn't the first!) i had to face it down and walk bravely by.

so, i was brave (or foolish) and we did walk past the viscious barking (honestly, i'm not exaggerating) dog (all you could see was teeth) but he drew a lot of attention to us and we became surrounded by about 30-40 men and women all speaking a language we didn't understand and they clearly did not understand our English. at this point i became alert to the fact that there were no other white people around - strange since Vitalla was an extremely popular destination for tourists and pilgrims. i wasn't so lost or distracted/distressed to not notice the fantastically vibrant colours they wore in their clothes. they were a stunning collection of colour as rich as those dramatic and dazzling rainbows that follow a summer rainstorm and bridges this world to a mystical other.

when we no longer held their interest they walked off single file towards the horizon with an apparent destination. we found ouselves alone with the mad dog now quietly watching us and a rikedy temple before us. we took our shoes off (i really don't know why) and stepped into the temple. with every step of our bare feet we heard crunch, crunch and when it became apparent that this was completely abandoned and definately did not hold the grandure of Vitalla but was most probably home to a gizillion bats we hopped out of there abandoning any adherance to the rules of respect demanded in temples.

well! i was livid! the anger rose from the bat shit on the soles of my feet right up to sweat on my brow and, i'm sure, came out as steam from my ears. i looked at Cathy and the abandoned village around us. i glared at the mad dog who was probably laughing a fantastic doggy laugh at us from his lounging position under the shade of a tree as i thought of the 'sailor' who'd dumped us there.

we agreed we'd best get back to the beach double quick and started our descent. not so easy for Cathy but panic was starting to set in for our safety in case we couldn't get off this island and...i wanted to see the boatman while i was still angry.

to our dismay he was gone. we were all alone. then i spotted a man sleeping in the crack of a massive boulder. foolishly and selfishly i started to shout at him the tale of our abandonment. curiously he didn't react to my bombardment of angry words directed at him. honestly, not a blade of stubble on his chin twitched. it seemed apparent he didn't understand english, that is...until i asked how much to take us to Vitalla !!! he looked me in the eye and said: 100 Rs.

well! there was no holding me now! i was convinced we'd been set up. i was adamant this was a scam and felt myself turn every rich tint of cloth we'd seen on the people at the top of the hill. what could we do? i hatched a terrible plan. i wanted revenge. i wanted to get even. they weren't going to get away with doing this to us. i decided we'd agree to the price - we were in no position to haggle - but once on the other side, would pay only 80 Rs.

he pointed to his boat. Aaaahhhhh! it was another coconut on it's back but this one looked like a family heir loom handed down from generation to generation. it was not as stable or solid as the previous coconut boat and it looked and smelled like it was used to transported everything that moved on four legs! then! then! another man came along and got in with us!

now, as i look back i'm not sure which thought reigned supreme. was it the thought of us all sinking together because the 'boat' was so flimsy and the 'floor' soft as jelly (it was moving underneath us and it shouldn't have); or the knowledge that myself and Cathy were extremely vulnerable and possibly in great danger.

whatever about the pecking order of my thoughts the feeling was irrefutable: fear! whatever way i looked at it this was a bad situation. but...we had to trust! trust our belief in the basic nature of man as good! if not that: the power of money! and...if not that the process of samsara and their belief in karma!

we were only a few minutes into the 'journey' when the 'boat' started to leak and there was no point in moving to avoid it because...there was no where to move to!!! myself and Cathy were extremely relieved when we docked accross the water and the extra man got out. we reinforced the word Vitalla and the boatman pointed in the distance and set about paddling against what was an extremely strong current. it was so strong he had to bring the 'boat' out wide to avoid it.

with Vitalla in sight now and the relief of the other man getting out of the boat i became aware of just how hard this man had to paddle to keep us moving and though the boat was leaking - unfortunately mostly where me Darling was sitting - it wasn't pouring in and i reckoned if he carried goats and whatever else in this thing we'd be okay.

when we finally arrived at the banks of the island that held Vitalla i was so grateful for our safety and so appreciative of how hard he had to work to get us there i was happy to give him the 100Rs and step safely with Cathy on dry land again. we laughed until we almost but not quite cried and rested in the shade (because it was now close to the mid-day sun) of the King's Balance to let the whole experience move through us.

what a morning eh??? i'll continue this tomorrow.

Nameste xxCathy&Dee

Day 11 Continued

cathydee1 — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 06:13:00 GMT

while lazing in the afternoon sun down by the ghats Suresh came looking for us to let us know Lakshmi the elephant wouldn't be cleansing at the ghats tomorrow morning because, goddess love her, she had to walk over 50 kilometers tomorrow to honour a particular festival so instead would be walking the entire area now to bless Hampi before she left. so, we went to find her and when we did we found ourselves walking through areas of Hampi not marked on any tourist map. we were literally walking through a jungle and amongst people and homes that appeared to replicate what i'd read of the 50,000 inhabitants of Hampi in the 1300's.

Our return journey found us bumping into Suresh who was packing up for the day. he invited us to join him in the spot he cherishes and visits every morning to meditate and practice his yoga. he said it was the best position to see the sun set on Hampi. we knew we were taking a chance but went for it any way. We were not to be disappointed! we climbed - i love to climb rocks! but took it a little easy for Cathy's back and once we got to the 'spot' which wasn't the top, it didn't need to be, we had the most spectacular view of Hampi and sat there watching the sun as it shifted from brilliant yellow to soothing orange to luscious red.

the Bizaar and Temples of Hampi shifted from the foreground to the background and settled into the gentle embrace of night and nestled as deep black silhouettes on the landscape.

we stayed a little to chat some more and as we did i spotted a man in uniform with a stick frantically climbing the boulders towards us. turns out he was security, of which there are 100 or so, employed to safeguard visitors to Hampi. it is a safe place but guide books warn you to be careful when the sun sets. he came close enough to check on us and turns out he knew Suresh so moved on, a little put out by having to make the climb. a touch of reality for us so we packed away our munchies and headed back towards the bazaar. the journey back was absolutely lovely. children playing and laughing, women sweeping, people sewing and washing, couples chatting - honestly they had nothing of the things that entertain us, don't think you would even see something as familiar to us as a pen amongst them but they had community, they had communication, they had heart!

while i was very grateful to Suresh and deeply touched by him, this was a special day for me and Cathy and i began to wonder how we might gently move back to each other without offending him. as we approached the very grand gates leading out of Hampi he very beatufiully stopped and put out his hand to shake mine and bid us good night. his was the kind of communication that was heart to heart and whose eyes rested gently in your soul, no words were necessary. i wanted to give him something but not money so i offered the pack of ciggarettes we had on us and he very graciously accepted. this was a very special day indeed.

with massive smiles on our faces we headed to a restuarant for a very delicious meal with lots to talk about and much to be grateful for!

settling down for the night consisted of the now familiar ritual of mosquitoe bashing, cockroach evicting, ant restricting, spider checking, bed investigating and cold showering :0) but you know what it was done now without the stomach churning or feelings of frustration. what a great 4th anniversary!

Nameste xxDee&Cathy

Day 11

cathydee1 — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 08:43:00 GMT

Today myself and Cathy are 4 years together! i woke up at 7am so excited and looked accross at Cathy deep in sleep and looking like a Buddhist in her orange liner covering her whole body and head, she looked beatuiful. checked the room - all crawlies and fliers still resting :) and looked out the window. there i saw lots of people strolling past our window and my curiousity was awakened. we went for a lovely breaky in Shanti - funky restuarant close to our accommodation, which was on the edge of a very colourful and buzzy bizaar.

Hampi is a magical place in a sublime boulder-strewn landscape. once the capital of one of the largest Hindu empires in Indian history and a centre for the spice trade and precious stones. there was a fascinating and popular ruller called Krishnadevaraya who graced his court with Brahmin,Shaiva and Jain Poets who renovated old temples and built new ones. when his people were upset he went amongst them and instead of fixing things (not to mention that he went among them!!!) he helped them explore their options and left them to decide the solution themselves. he had judicial courts and judges, governers, ministers and police. women were versed in archery, wrestling, astrology, music and dance and worked... wait for it...as body guards, judges and watch-women! it seems all castes and communities lived in harmony.

the magic of Hampi lies in many tings from the landscape to the Temples to the people. There are easily 30+ temples, all majestic and honouring different deities, the scale of each of them is magnificant. the land and river is speckled by incredibly massive boulders which i found like clouds where i could see images in the rock - massive elephants, human faces etc., which i tried to capture on camera; and the people, well! once you leave the merchants of the bazaar you step back in time and get a very real sense of community, an ancient community which in my imagination operates out of the times of Krishnadevaraya. the children are like little starlings, the little girls are incredibly pretty - so sad to think they are perceived as such a burden. the women are mending and cooking and cleaning, rally i'm amazed, India is full of dust yet everywhere you go people are sweeping and keeping things tidy. old people sitting and talking with the young or laughing and joking with them. men and women stooped together chatting or just sitting in each other's presence - beautiful, just beautiful.

after breaky we ventured down to see where everyone was heading earlier this morning. to our delight we were situated right next to the ghats - the area of the river where people went to ritualistically clean themselves. here we met Suresh! he was another lovely shiney person. our initial conversation was the usual sales pitch but gently moved into discussion and interest on all sides. both myself and Cathy loved what he had carved into stone but in the context of prices what he was asking seemed over the top so we just sat with him and watched all that unfolded down the many steps that led to the river and the people gathered there.

we headed then to Virupaksha Temple (built 1442) - spectacular, just spectacular! here we met a very different Lakshmi. she was a real live female elephant who accepted coins for her trainer and rewarded you with a blessing on the top of your head !! we were lucky to have visited as traditional musicians paid homage to a particular deities. here we got our first blessing from a Brahmin priest. a mixture was put into our cupped hands and i foolishly drank it rather than offend (just hoped i wouldn't get sick and didn't).

at the back of the temple and in the shadows two very old men held out their hands to us for rupies, i had none on me so i gave him my nibbles for the day - nuts and he looked at them and me as if i had sneezed into his hand. here at the back was a spectacle where by a hole in the temple wall reflected an upside down shadow image of the temple spire. we spent some time here as it kept us out of the mid-day sun. we were surrounded by people who lived here and people who travelled long distances to be here and pay tribute to their god at their particular sacred site. all around Virupaksha were other temples some Jain and a massive sculpture of Vishnu in his man-lion incarnation.

me Darling was feeling very tired and decided to go back and rest. i was full of beans so i hired a bike and went exploring. found the best routes to temples, researched different restaurants for a nice meal together later and chatted with Suresh again. Wile with Suresh i bought Cathy the yoga stone Suresh had carved as a pressent to mark the occasion. got caught in a scam with a group of men and didn't feel too safe so headed back to Cathy.

we took another stroll down to the ghats, honestly every which way you turned there was a magnificant temple and each one felt fresh and offered something very satisfying to the eye and extremely gratifying for the soul.

i'm nackered...continue tomorrow!

Nameste xxDee&Cathy

Day 10

cathydee1 — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 06:09:00 GMT

Woke at 7am and couldn't wait to get out of town. cold showered and checked out then headed for the train station which tankfully was only three minutes away. turned out we missed the 7:20 train! booked the next one out at 12:50 and walked to the most reasonable looking restaurant. there was a busy local on the corner of a busy junction not too far from the station where we settled down to eat. we were the only white faces in the place and people did what they do best...stared and stared and stared and stared. oh you should have seen the tea - thick like bovril and to be on the safe side i picked samosas to be sure any unwanted extras would be zapped. anyway we hung around for as long as we could since we had five hours to kill.

it was actually lovely to be there and watch the city wake up and the street fill with the variety of life only India has to offer. the Dalits, (formally known as the untouchables) swept the streets...this town was so dusty it was very hard to breath and not possible to be outside for too long. motorbike is the preferred transport and hundreds if not thousands of motorbikes passed carrying wedges of goods for sale; entire families moving from a to b, one actually carried four children and two adults; children walking or cycling to school; hundreds of black and yellow taxis, oxen carrying massive, i mean massive loads. Goods carriers (trucks, very decorative and colourful, lovely to see) with between twenty and thrity people on top; government cars (getting priority on the streets) and hundreds of people walking with purpose to a destination, or rambling like the holy men in gentle meditation. you rarely see women alone, or gathered outside anywhere and when you do see a woman she's either sweeping the street, begging or living on the street or she's in the company of a man. this was a wonderous place to be.

over at the station we secured a space on a bench and stayed there for the duration, regularly hassled by someone asking for rupies or men sitting beside us or standing in front of us just staring. one man did what most of the men did only sat right next to me (there seems to be no sense of personal space) and just stared and stared. he tried to talk to me but i wasn't interested and ignored him but he insisted so i turned around and asked him to go away with Aine's magic word: chelo. crikey you should have seen the look on his face, his eyes plummeted into his very soul, i knew i had hurt him. he said something to his friend and his friend got angry and stood in front of me and spoke in Hindi. somehow i understood that his friend was just trying to help us and offer some guidance. the only gesture i could offer was to hold my hands as in prayer and offer Nameste which seemed to appease him and off they went.

train stations are great places and awful places. here you see the begger children - very young and mostly male; the crippled from polio and other genetic diseases; those ravaged by lepracy with limps eaten away and faces devoured and distorted; the 'bride burning' victims (the many unfortunate women whose husband finds himself unhappy with her dowry and inflicts pain, disfigurement or death on his bride by dowsing her with fuel and setting her alight or scalding her with boiling water - of course done to look like an accident or suicide); and the older women, and i've only seen older women, who are absolutely filty and accompanied only by flies and flees, who have gone completely insane and hold the most interesting conversations with themselves and scream and shout at the forms who torment them, forms only they can hear and see before them. the train stations are a heartbreaking and soul wrenching experience.

then there is the melee when a train is due or a train is eliminating the masses from it's cold metal frame. each carriage emits a variety of life which reflects perfectly the caste system...the Brahmin (traditionally priests and subject to strict dietary laws, strictly vegetarian, no garlic or chilli and strict dress rules for every occasion); Kshatriya (warriors); Vaishya (merchants) and Shudra (peasants). The Brahmins were said to have emerged from the mouth of Lord Brahma at the moment of creation, Kshatriyas were said to have come from his arms, Vaishyas from his thighs and Shudras from his feet.

you don't see the Dalits (lower caste) disembark from the trains but instead enter only after everyone has left to do the most menial tasks of sweeping and cleaning the toilets and we watched as two Dalits washed down the railway tracks which were full of s**t, these people are forced to eek out a living on the fringes of society.

people's dress and bodies give not only an indication of their position in society but their religious leanings. in HInduism there are millions of minor gods and goddesses but at the heart of the religion is the trinity of Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver) and Shiva (the destroyer, not in a negative way because without him growth and rebirth cannot take place). myself and Cathy are partial to Ganesh: the remover of obstacles, he's chubby and elephant headed - lord of new beginnings and guardian of entrances! it's coming up to Diwali and Lakshmi the goddess of wealth is the current hip deity. Diwali is a festival of lights where people light oil lamps to show Rama the way home from exile. sweets are given and fireworks let off all over the city - it looks like christmas and sounds like halloween.

of course there is the Muslim community who are currently fasting from dawn to dusk for Ramadan and are fast approaching the end which will culminate in three days of festivities.

Buddhists are beakons of light wih shiny eyes and flat round faces, refugees from Tibet wearing two shades of red and a little orange and have a very lovely magnetic draw to them.

Then there's the Parsi community (from Persia) who hold fire, earth and water as sacred so they don't cremate or burry their dead. The corpse is laid out in 'Towers of Silence' to be picked clean by vultures. Aine told us there was a Tower of Silence close to where we stayed in Kemps Corner which was still in use and that for some time, due to the heavy population of Mumbai, Vultures were becoming more and more rare but then thanks to the continued Parsi tradition the population of Vultures has increased! oh, dear! these Towers of Silence are understandably off limits to sightseers and it is a very big no no to photograph it from any angle.

now the Jains are a fascinating group whose concept is ahimsa - nonviolence. they are a tall people, elegant and wear mouth masks to keep them pure and have a whole heap of traditions which i don't know enough about now but will surely investigate.

myself and Cathy found ourselves suddenly pestered by an endless array of flies only to discover the homeless woman stooped beside us combing her mangeld hair and talking to herself, i decided to take a walk to the other side of the station only to find a group of children spot me and charge accross the track shouting excitedly at me. i fled them not because i was fearful of them but because i was fearful for their safety.

there are porters in the station and you know there are a few things i couldn't get my head around... people asked others to carry bags they could easily pick up themselves, in restaruants men asked waiters to serve them their food and others gave a look and something was done for them...it seems this is what they are used to, others doing for them.

anyway our train pulled in and i asked a young man to confirm our positioning on the station for the correct carriage. myself and cathy settled into a sleeper carriage (three bunks, Aine's preference when traveling) and found clean seats. the inspector came round and asked for extra rupies and we were happy to pay.

i'm loving the train journeys. the landscape is very lush with tea plantations, sugar-cane, mango and coconut fields and speckled all over them are the tiny bodies of the workers in the fields. every now and then you'd see a bike then an individual bent over in labour or you'd pass a big tree in the middle of a massive field and one person lying down in the shade of the branches or a group of people sitting in conversation and rest.

the best snaps were to be had on entering and leaving a train station. shantys were on both sides and communities were vibrant and active, people washed, cooked, shit and cleaned and children played and waved to the train.

in each field at least one person waved to the train, particularly the young, young girls with older women and i wondered if they ever did or ever would get an opportunity to switch places and find themselves waving *from* the train. it was curious too because they absolutely beamed when they spotted us waving at them.

the young man from the station was in the next seating area and came round to chat with us he said his name but i've forgotten it. he was very giddy and interesting and told us he was studying cardiology. he talked of his travells abroad and spoke with pride of India.

we arrived in Hospet at 3:30 and immediately planned our journey to Mysore in two days time - a night train to Bangalore :) after hagglling we took a rickshaw to Hampi and couldn't believe we had actually made it. myself and Cathy agree rickshaw is the best way to travel! you're that little bit closer to the people in a rickshaw.

of course we paid for our haggle by being brought accommodation recommended by the very energetic driver. after Hubli we kept to our plan of: one doubt and we're out! and insisted he bring us then to our Lonely Planet recommendation of Rama Guest House. my turn to check it out and the fact it was spotless and relatively new we decided to go for it. it was very cheap, the cheapest yet at Rs 250 per night. the bed was mad it had a round yellow mosquitoe net, reminded me of my 6yr old niece's pink princess net over her bed.

settled in then went strolling. later we sat down to a meal which was surprisingly tasteless, or maybe we were just exhausted. anyway someone got their fill that night - the mosquitoe's ate us up.

Cathy's Log: i'm afraid Cathy was eaten the most :(

back at our promising abode we found a nearly straight line of ants covering practically the entire wall, a couple of cockroaches, mosquitoes and the freakiest spider i've ever seen. we got rid of the net and pulled the bed from the wall - not access for the ants, i'm afraid i killed the mosquitoes, put the cockroaches outside the door and hoped the spider had bedded down for the night. we sprayed our liners (i have to write to Lonely Planet about me Darling's fantastic idea of brining our sleeping bag liners, these we could spray with insect repellent and stay off the sheets provided, only thing was we were mumified) and jumped into bed. you know it's very hard not being able to be affectionate with Cathy in the day time (warned against being demonstrative) but the night time too is just a little too much.

Nameste xxDee&Cathy

Day 9

cathydee1 — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 15:29:00 GMT

Left very early and took a taxi to Panaji hoping to take an delux bus to Hospet...not to be! Thomas are you listening??? Nothing going out that day except a local bus at 12:20. Met a lovely Dutch couple Ania and Vim, also taking the bus. We were just keen to keep moving so happily joined the malee to get on this rickedy old vehicle with everyone carrying their jugs and clothing and probably homes with them. Lucky, very lucky to get tow seats together and a bit of room for the bags - so didn't want to put them on the floor and determined not to have them placed in the box on top of the bus either! Off we went at 12:30, excited, optomistic and enjoying the views - spectacular, and watching the interactions around us. That is until around 3pm when we climbed and climbed into the mountains, skimming edges of massive raveens at crazy speeds on roads that looked and felt like the surface of Jupitor. OUr feet wer dug into the floor - as if we could control the breaks and our bodies shifted against the gravitational pull of massive holes as if we could balance this monster andkeep it centred!! It wasn't fun any more - the two Dorethy's wanted to go home to Kansas! And to top it all the otehr side of the "road" was jammed with massive trucks carrying stones from one side ot the mountain to the other.

Then the bus took a break and we stopped for food, to stretch our legs and use the bathroom. Oh no! not here! We were on the mountain top in what looked and smelled like India's official dump and everyone got out and peed and poohed anywhere there was a space...then ate!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, our delicate western bodies were in hyperdrive. Here we caught up with Vim and Ania and discovered we'd make it to Hubli at 8pm! 8pm!!! This is their third visit to India and this journey will be for 11 weeks. Theyu were so excited about Hampi and drew a fabulous picture of Temples and people and life. They told us all this as they ate Samosas they bought from inside the black hole with smoke coming out and wondered why we weren't eating!?! Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh! Once on the bus myself and Cathy took out our purified water and safe packeged biscuits to munch on and hopefully distract us!

Onward and downward with our journey through the mountain, wobbling like a baby elephant taking it's firsts steps!

Finally arrived in Hubli in the dark and spat out on a packed dusty road near the bus station. Vim and Ania cheerfully told us all bus stations had a "retiring room" and since we all catching next bus or train out we should try it, so we went happily for a look. Well!!! A big latch held the door to a wall that didn't even go to the ceiling and when it opened it looked like every inhabitant of India had been dragged through it and I half expected the stained matresses to walk out in protest.

I was too shocked to speak and even more breathless to see that our Dutch companions were considereing this. Me Darling's face was like a Deer in headlights and i heard Vim ask for a second room for us! Like a Zombie my feet carried me to the next pig sty and finally i heard my voice speak one word: No! I looked at Cathy pleadingly and over and over I said: I can't! I can't! So we didn't and left Vim and Ania to haggle over the price.

Outside we caught a rickshaw to a hotel from the Longely Planet, made sure to see the rooms first, a couple of rooms then chose and settled in for the night and smoked our brains out and laughed and laughed and laughed!

New plan: when looking for a room, if there is even one doubt we move on!

New plan: no more local busses!

After searching the room and eliminating all kinds of crawley things we pined ourselves to the centre of the mattress and got some sleep! This room was actually very clean: we just didn't trust it :)

Namaste xx Cathy&Dee

Day 8

cathydee1 — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 15:11:00 GMT

Oh a lovely nights sleep and what a view to wake up to - so exciting! A long lazy breaky overlooking the sea then off exploring. Once down on the beach - the Alcove is in the hill, the first person we met asked us if we wanted hash, this is the second time we've been offered hash the other time was in Mumbai by a man ravaged by lepracy who kept telling us it was very good quality and very fresh - aaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!! Not likely for us anywhere from anyone as we've already decided to avoid anebriated states and keep our whits about us!

Anyway our feet had hardly hit the beach when we were swamped by about seven young adults selling everything and wouldn't take no for an answer - took a long time to shake them off.

Cathy's Log: Me Darling's cold has dropped onto her chest so we set about finding a pharmacy. Everyone we asked put us in the right direction but the day was hot and many stops were necessary :) found a fantastic nook on a crossroads called the Mango Tree. The rains came so waited for them to pass and start trecking again.

Of course we came accross quite a few pharmacies but it turned out none opened on a Sunday...at least Cathy was getting an opportunity to sweat the cold out of her! Cathy was up for more walking - the setting was so tropical and we found ourselves in the hippy quarter. Now wouldn't you think they would be full of love and happiness and a lightness of being? but no! they didn't look at us, didn't say hello and one woman even laughed at us. she was in her Indian outfit all bare-feet and long haired and made an instant judgement and found us hilarious - what a silly woman!

Their area of the coast was raised with almost a panoramic view and their houses were the biggest and the sturdiest and their motor bikes screached the loudest with their harley engines. we were so happy to be staying at the Alcove with it's serenity and isolation.

have to go again!

Namaste xx Cathy&Dee

Day 7

cathydee1 — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 14:51:00 GMT

Woke at 8:20 after a surprisingly excellent nights sleep. Cathy and Tamil slept on and Walter and i talked for hours. Walter, never met a Walter before and he just tickled me! Walter moved to Goa in the late sixties and happily lost himself to hippydom! He smoked and chilled his way through the 70'S and raved through the 80's and 90's. Apparently 94 was a very good year because the Police accepted all bribes and let it all happen on Bamboo Cove, Coconut Beach and many other exotically named illegal venues. They sounded absolutely mad and Walter lit up like the gold of Diwali as he reministed these years. Walter is a Canadian, c. 55, tall, slim with oriental features and dreadlocks and is married to Tamali...who looks 22 is Bangalese and a Braham and spoiled rotten.

Walter had a 60's view of Ireland and a keen interest in the Inuits of Canada-a culture myself and Cathy are very interested in. It was just great talking to Walter - he had such a giddy streak and five hours passed like five minutes. When Cathy and Tamali (i will probably spell someone's name several ways - forgive me!) rose we all shared our food and the couple at the end joined in. The lady gave me something i was sorry i said yes to but you got to be adventureous her because there's so much to discover! It was great our tastebuds and our hearts travelled new landscapes together!

Tamali is a singer and dancer of traditional Indian folk and very passionate about keeping it pure and keeping it alive - she was electric.

Walter thought we were mad to be going to Panaji and painted a canvas with the brilliant colours of Vagator so we stepped off the train at Tivim said goodbye and head for the coast!

The autorickshaw took us through many villages, full of life and very full of Catholic churches...different from the temples of Hinduism or the Mosques of Islam yet somehow very similar in their stature and the devotion of each patron.

On the recommendation of Walter we booked into the Alcove. This was a little less expensive than Kemps Corner in Mumbai but my god it had the most spectacular view from the bedroom overlooking the Coconut trees which framed the Arabian Ocean spread out before us! The rooms were spacious and spotless and we didn't have to do too much checking for insects or flying objects - happy days! Thank you Walter!

Our evening meal had our tastebuds jumping for joy and we watched the sun set on the horizon - heaven!

Namaste xxCathy&Dee

Day 6 continued

cathydee1 — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 14:48:00 GMT

Planes, trains and autorickshaws!!! it's fantastic! where where we??? The couple wer Tamali and Walter,we gave them all the space they needed because... as first timers we were sleeping in our cloths with everything we own locked to us!!! The old man softly lifted his bag and moved along in gentle meditation and was replaced by a lovely smiling mature Indian couple.

We found ourselves amongst ideal travelling companions and settled into geting to know each other. By 12:30 everyone was set for the night and with me on the top bunk and Cathy below the train rocked us into happy slumber.

Namaste xx Cathy&Dee

Day 6

cathydee1 — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 21:44:00 GMT

Last night Victoria Station was packed with thousands of people. Our guide from the gods: Aine took us to an area where we had enough space to put our bags down and watch the scene as the train pulled in and people made a run for it. The first carriages were very rough with wooden slats for seats - this train was a mininum 9hour journey! Next was a little better because people had reserved seats so were guaranteed a sit down! Next was sleepers - enough to hand people like bats! then our carriages. Now, i had this fantasy for myself and Cathy, since we paid a little more, of your know the moovie, Some Like it Hot, where Marilyn, Jack and yer man have a very cosy sleeper with little white curtains. Well ours was nothing like it! it was a mush to get our seats only to find a couple with a gizzillion bags wverywhere and an old man sitting sheepishly opposite. The world had shifted on its axes and we landed with a bang but when all tickets checked and paid space allocated all was well with the world again.

have to go again: another train to catch!

Namaste xx Cathy &Dee

Day 5

cathydee1 — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 21:21:00 GMT

Checked out and over to Aine's again for a little chill. sitting in her window is like sitting in a nest and looking down on the world. Breaky in Crosswords bookstore and on to Bombay Cathedral. There was a mass being said the the church was packed right to the back. While the building was huge and modern and fresh it didn't have a patch on any of the temples or mosques we'd seen. Shrines littered the path ways of Bombay, trees are revered, cows honoured and people bring food and flowers and dyes as gifts and place flashing lights if they can afford it and visit all throughout the day and night. you see people on their way home from work, all kinds of work stopping at to pray - as one man told us: Indians are very lucky, we have many gods! and it's true and also, they don't seem to discriminate, they will pray to all gods at any time :)

On to a very big store which sells all crafts from all over India. it was set up in many areas of India to gather together all the crafts from all over to sell at affordable prices for the consumer and reasonable prices for the artist.

You'll never guess where we went next - don't have a question mark on my keyboard :)also, i type too fast and loose letters so sorry for the mix ups! so yes, where we went next: to a Bollywood movie! the cinema was Art Deco\Nouveau. The real thing, you should have seen the lift and entire inside it was stunning. We sat up stairs to take it all in. It was a scream, very very easy to follow and outrageously over the top. don't quite know how to describe the seats, lets try. you're sitting in your seat and move your bum forward to scoot lower and the whole seat moves with you like your in a chair hammock! can't believe they haven't appeared at home! We left at the interval - yes they have an interval!!!

Lovely walk along Marine drive and stopped off at the Kulfi Centre. a treat for Cathy and new experience for me - what a treat, the ice-cream was just delicious...then we sat down to dinner in Cafe Ideal overlooking the drive and the beach.

Time to go for our train now and time to leave the lovely Aine...our friend our guide our guru...time to let the apron strings go :)

Cathy's Log: Me Darling's hair is still dark, her cold has not gone and she has gotten a heat rash on her foot! we're trying to mind her but she is making a long list now. hopefully she can relax on the night train and Goa will be very chilled.

Namaste xx Cathy&Dee

Day 4 continued

cathydee1 — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 20:43:00 GMT

We are finding niternet access not so easy, either power failures or saturated with midges, ants or mosquito's. Anyway after a trip down memory lane in Aine's apartment with photo's and articles we headed to Swathi Rest for a Panki Chut - a Gugarat dish on banana leaf: yummy! Taxi on to BAbulnath Temple, which we took a lift to and drank in the view of Colaba. This was very decorative and detailed, very spaceous and had the most gentle atmosphere all around and i found it very hard to leave it's serenity. On the way out i watched a child with a tiny tiny plastic ball, bashed to bits letting it run down hill, towards the mental traffic, and running alongside, lost to the joy of his precious toy.

We walked along Chowpatty Beach and strolled past families with children running with, remember those windmills on sticks we used to have as children and people selling food and drinks, couples dating and then we came accross a big marquee where traditionsl indian music was being played live and fostered out by speakers. The seating was interesting: you could actually see the cast system in this alone: the rich were to the front, the successful business people next, the devote next and then there were hundreds of empty seats...but thousands of people viewing from outside the barriers as if this is where they belonged. All life was on that beach and it was so rhythmic and alive.

On to a very nice restuarant Saltwater Grill, which was very exclusive and the most commercial set-up we'd seen in Mumbai. It had a real beach resort feel but somthing lingered, perhaps it was the knowledge that all the sweage from the city went into the water and because of the tides or something didn't go out very far and always returned quite quickly. Anyway we had a lovely beer here with a magnificant view and sauntered on.

Another taxi to Banganga Tank, here we got the first very real sense of community. not that it wasn't visibly elsewhere it was just that men and women seemed to mix and move about easily and together. Walking through the narrow streets of this ancient - said to be the oldest part of Mumbai and home to over 17 Temples. This was a very magical and mystical quarter and one we would definately like to visit on our return. It was night and the moon was almost full and it reflected on the waters where devoties bathed and prayed for centuries and you could really get a sense of some of those centuries and some of those prayers.

We walked back along Malabar Hill which is the richest, property wise, area in Mumbai. Bit shocking when you see the very plain buildings and decoration inside, the odd time you encounter a very beautiful colonial building but this is rare. Though what struck us was that in our few ventures, well, thanks to Aine, many, whenever we encountered rich areas the poorest of the poor were never very far away. we're in Hampi now and all the way it is the same, shanty towns next to oppulance - but guess where all the smiles and atmosphere was!!! On the train we passed fields and fields of tea, suger-cane, mango etc which were speckled by the colour of the cloth of the workers who toiled all day mostly bent over and as the sometimes stoood to wave at the train you realise that most probably never have and never will be on any of the trains that pass them by.

We ended our night in Leopolds - a very funky and popular watering hole for visitors from all over the world. Turns out we were in the presence of the biggest drug dealer in Mumbai - funny he didn't stand out but somehow he did too!

Namaste xx Cathy&Dee

Day 4

cathydee1 — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 00:41:00 GMT

Met Aine at 7:30 a.m. and headed to Victoria Station for our train to Goa. big queue outside and malee once doors opened, but, being non-nationals we get preferential treatment and a whole window to ourselves in the cool of upstairs. Here we organised our 2nd class ac sleeper seats for tonights train. I decided i needed a little more of Ramesh and headed there while Cathy breakfasted with Aine.

Met up with Cathy, checked out and headed to Aine's as she kindly agreed to take our excess baggage so we could travel even lighter :) happy days! Aine has the most fantastic views of Mumbai and we could actually sit crossed legged in front of a window that took up the entire wall and overlook the city and feel like the eagles that glided so close to us.

sorry, but have to go we're in Hampi and totally surounded by mosquitos!

Nameste...till tomorrow

Day 3 Continued

cathydee1 — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 00:13:00 GMT

Hi again...we needed a stiff one after Haji Ali's and popped into a Muslim eatery and i decided to try something different from the menu and got a Kashmiri Soda which was a concoction of fizzy water and salt and pepper - i'm sure it wasn't but that's what it tasted like. Caught our first local train to Churchgate and came out at the Dobi Ghats. Hopefully you'll get pictures as they speak for themselves of the viewthat unfolded beneath the bridge. Roughly 500 men use rows of open-air troughs to beat the dirt out of thousands of cloths each day, brought from all over the city. Old, men boys and lean but strong men pounded large numbers of clothing items on the slabs of rock below. We stayed for ages just watching. In this crazy factory line, one man rinses, one soaps, one dips and another pounds the dirt out of the clothes. These men were dark dark from the sun and i cant imagine what their hands and feet must have looked like living in bleached water all day long. As we looked into the distance, these workers seemed to stretch for miles we spotted two children on the roof top flying kites - it was amazing.

On we walked to Oval Park and walked through the most lovely grounds covered in cricket players of all ages - of course all men. that's the thing here, everywhere you go there's thousands of men and you only see a woman alone if she is with a child or begging or shopping. The sporting passtime is cricket and they absolutely love you if you can talk cricket - we watched a bit of news but couldn't take anything in :)

Popped into an art gallery Jehangir, then had our first Mango Lassi in Samovar. Aine then brazened Colaba Causway with us which was such a squeeze of items for sale and went on for absolutely ages.

Wrecked at this stage and decided to head for home and sample someting local so went to Chicken Local but only sampled the beers - quite a few, and munched and talked life and philosophy and nature and India and all the good things in life before bidding good night to Aine and contentedly heading for Kemps Corner.

Content...that is until we started to organise our bags for tomorrowand foud that i'd left some sweets in the zip part of our small rucksack, which had melted in the heat and attracted an ant which managed to multiply and multiply and multiply. We didn't notice until we took something out and put it on the bed and saw it move!!! Flunt that into the bin and Cathy cleared the sheet of our visitors while i took the bag to the bathroom with the intention of drowning them and keeping the bag. but of course they dug their heels in, hundreds of them but the sight of the masses made me want rid so i bagged up the rucksack for the night and left it there in the morning - sure none could excape and sure didn't they still have their treat, they could have their squatters rights. One things for sure: we will definately see that bag walking down some street in Mumbai - everything is valuable. i rememember walking past a man who fixed watches and mobile phones who went looking for a long time for a screw that fell into the dirt - everything is precious. had me thinking of our throw away lifestyle. you should see what they maintain and keep going here - everything, absolutely everything!

As i type this avery fabulous lizard is running around the wall in front of us - it moves so fast!

Namiste

Day 3

cathydee1 — Mon, 9 Oct 2006 02:10:00 GMT

Woke at 8:30 ant free and made our way to a guru named Ramesh. Went to take a taxi up the road (lazy gets) but the guy wanted 100rs and the bright sparks we are now realised we were being ripped off and in unison sighed a big 'no' and off we trotted to Ramesh.

We satsonged for two hours then they chanted and some people invited us to tea but we weren't drawn to anyone and chose each other's company instead and headed for a coffee and some food to take our malarone (Cathy's hair is still dark!).

Compairing notes was interesting and our feelings were mutual. For sure we were in the presence of a holy man but he was definately holding back and the crowd who sat with him were not dissimilar to groupies. Still, i was drawn to return, while Cathy (my guru) had experienced enough. Ramesh's teachings focused on duality, ego and the source. what was lovely too was that he was on the fourth floor and two eagles hovered over his head the whole time - majestic!

Lunch then in Thelivi Shoba with another enlightened soul...Aine. We visited the Mahalaxmi Temple - our first temple which was a stones throw from Kemps Corner where we were staying. People are so devoted and just a couple of weeks ago people travelled from all over India (literally thousands, don't know how they fit on these narrow streets) to honour Laxmi (goddess of wealth), Soramswati (goddess of wisdom) and Kali (goddess of can't remember). They were incredibly colourful and their faces gold, real yellow gold. We gave our precious sandles to a woman who minded them for 10rs. Well, for all the years i've minded my feet, moving from apartment to apartment and not touching the floor for fear of who went before me (one i even covered every floor space with you know those rag rugs?), you should see what we walked in and on but it was all about letting go and it felt good - eventually!

On then to to Haji Ali. Which is a Muslim burial site for Haji Ali. From a distance it is a very splendid and impressive structure with a winding jetty sprinkled with devoties all moving in quiet meditation to pray and pay homage to this great man. Our journey towards it presented much colour and flair from the stalls and sellers but once we past them the disney picture turned into a Tarantino movie. We slowly moved past men and women begging for food and leppers sitting down because their limps were rotten and they couldn't stand, polio victims using branches of trees to support their weight, blind men moving at a snails pace, men and women offering to weigh you for a few rupies and children the size and weight of starlings looking up and making contact with your very soul. It was an absolutely horrendous walk towards this great man's tomb.

Once inside there was a very settling air, these people were so pensive. We moved like ghosts who were seen momentarily then gone. a very different experience from the Hindu Temple. And holy moly we had to put back on our sandles and take that road back to Damascus.

have to leave you now folks...it's 10:08 and we're catching another overnight bus. it's not so easy to get an internet cafe and not all the computers are working and there's so much to do we can't be hanging around but fear not we will return.

Hope everyone is well! talk soon!

oh yes we've got a new section. it's called Cathy's Log and it a what to watch out for when in India.

Over and out!

xx Dee&Cathy

Gallery: India 2006 Cathy & Dee

cathydee1 — Sun, 8 Oct 2006 02:00:00 GMT

From Day 1

Day 2

cathydee1 — Sun, 8 Oct 2006 01:04:00 GMT

Alarm set for 8:00 a.m. up at 9:15 ;) 1st shower since we got here, filty, filty girls! thing is we didn't know how to work the shower until then.

Breakfast in Crosswords - such a santuary in the madness that is Mumbai - have to seriously negotate getting accross the road and moving through the crowd on the footpath. taxi's seem merciless and always have one hand on the horn and one foot on the break - the best thing about the taxi's are the breaks !!! headed for Colaba and the Gateway of India to venture on to Elephanta Island. taxi driver ripped us off by driving us past security and pleading starvation and a gaggle of children to feed so for a journey that cost max 70 rupies he insisted on 100! we learned quite a lot from this exchange. the boat trip to the Island was quaint and though i was keen to talk with the only other Europeans on the boat but they were not enclined so we sat there like two kids on a school trip laughing and giggling with excitement and pinching ourselves at the thought of our positioning on the Arabian Sea and our oppenness to all that may unfold. Cathy kept getting out of the way of a man who kept trying to photograph his son till i told her he actually wanted her in the photo ;) ...he must have taken a dozen pictures!

I hope there are some pictures of the weathered faces, hands and feet of the fisherpeople who populate this Island and of the lived in faces of those who sell their wares on the ascent to the Caves - we'll see. There are times it is very difficult to stomach the smell of some areas and there are times it is very easy to smell the sweetness of those who labour so intensely, have nothing but can give you the look of a sage and the blessing of a thousand saints with one glance.

The statues of Elephanta gracefully and masterfully present all who visit with all the sophistication and drama of a bollywood movie. Honestly the carry on of Shiva and Parviti (can't remember how to spell her name)reads as a page turner and unfolds like a soap opera.

Shiva was stunning and the three headed monument to him on the back wall that stands about 30 feet in a cave that was only very recently uncovered is a beauty to behold. He meets you on entrance with his dance of creation and to the right stands before his foes with multiple arms as he kills the demon Andhaka, but best of all is to the far left where Shiva transcends gender and is elegantly carved into stone, divided down the middle the found face, breast and hips of the feminine on his left and the slender toned masculine on his right, uniting both sexes in one body. and on and on and you can't help but stand befor this majestic work of a nation of people who hadn't a angle grinder or polisher bewteen them but toiled to create and honour their great gods and leave us with their splender.

Back to the Gateway of India we spoiled ourselves with a visit to the Taj Mahal Hotel and had tea in the Sea Lounge. Now folks, believe me when i say it lives up to it's name. happily we got lost and got to see much more than we might have :) the guy who served us was delightful and when we were leaving he ran after us and presented us with a half a rasin cake (think we gave a massive tip or something). apparently the guy who built this did so after he was refused admission to a European hotel in Mumbai because he was of Indian origin - what a fingers up eh! we also passed the hotel that snubbed him, which was very elitist at the time, suppose you guessed that one, anyway it's a ramshakkle rund down rat infested hovel but thankfully it gives shelter to many of Mumbai's homeless :)

oh, forgot to mention, we were approached at our table, overlooking the city and the sea, by a member of staff who asked: are either of you gentlemen Mr Giddings! well we laughed and laughed. it was such a treat to visit the Taj.

Returned to our hotel to a note from Aine saying she was back from a month in Ladakh and to call her: yehoooo! well i think a supernova was born in the moment we met i was just so happy to see her and how much more special that i was in her adopted hometown. off we went to a local haunt to the most delicious food then down to the Ghetto where the rich progressive kids hang out to funky music and pool tables. now lads, a little context for you: up to now we'd only seen women begging or selling or on the backs of mopeds with male guardians and now they were euro dressed, hair died, drinking and smoking and horror of horrors having fun! think Aine got a sore throat after this night, Cathy got a cold and i couldn't get enough sleep to take the zombie out of my pores.

ah well, another day operating on the many relms of existance, shifting up and down gear and witnessing.

Oh yes, forgot to mention, we're taking malarone anti malaria meds and it would appear that me Darling's hair is getting darker and darker! lets watch with interest!

Day 1

cathydee1 — Thu, 5 Oct 2006 22:29:00 GMT

so, day 1. our holiday begins. Sooo excited!!3:00 wake up call.3:42, tacxi pick up. So far everything is ok. 4:15 we reach the airport...excitement is building up. 4:16 Dee realises tat se leaft a small bag in te taxi. Smalli saize, but... It contained Both passports, Visas, er traveller cheques, he Visa card etc... Panic!! 5:35 the taxi brings the bag back, after a long wait and agitation.5:45 we check in, getting closer to it. 6:05 finally reach our gate C43. We are happy again. the stress has gone. Dee, a cofirmed atheist and edonist paryed to god. I prayed to Dana (private joke). Transfer in london went fine, no issues at all. Slght dlay in take off. We couldn't believe it when we were actually in the air, on our way to Mumbai..Drank a few, watched 3 movies and fell asleep, full of indian dreams.Landed in Mumbai at 1:06 on Monday Oct 2nd. Question: are we gonna get our bags?All of them? YES, we did, no hassle there.. Then customs. Dee got te look from the custom agent who was playing bad cop. Soooo funny. changed some money, organised a prepaid taxi. Now all of these seem like simple taks, eh? well, those wo have been to indian will know otherwise :-). Now, wat they call a taxi here is some kind of a black bumper car in the western world, with a hard top andsome kitsch decorations and lights all over. No side mirror, no wiper. it was knda raining, so you can imagine the state of the windscreen. well, while driving on the "motorway", the driver just got off his seat to threw a bottle of water on the windscreen. Soooo much better after that (NOT).On tese taxis, brace yourselves, you areon for a roller coaster ride!!We made it safe to the hotel,still dont know how!No lights, no indicators, traffic ligts? who cares?Rigt of way at a junction, forget about it... Really don't understand why the Irish gave Ramazan such a hard time with his theory test!!!Anyway, got to the hotel at 3:00am, greated at the door by 2 rats. This area is , according to Aine (our friend living here) teh ballsbridge of mumbai. Is this because of its prime location or the wealth of the people around??? I tink we really need to adapt to the idian way and forget about the way WE think :-) The room was clean (i think) and we got rid of the flying ants and cockroaches, we went to sleep for a couple of hours. At 5:00 a.m. the strongest thumder storm of my life woke me up. It was gorgeous, Lightning, the rumbles in the sky: Wow, Exciting! Dee slept all the way through! Bless, she was so tired. Up with the birds at 12:30 p.m., by birds, I mean the bloody cock, as in cock-a-doole-bloody-do! Drove Dee completely mad. Now, ther's something funny about showers here, there are 5 taps for the 1 shower and none of them work. we still have to figure this one out, but hey, its only day ! :-)

Now, we're in crosswords, a bookstore with "normal" people. we have to ease ourselves in this trip and this place is perfect for this... It started lashing rain and we went looking for a brolly for Dee. Didn't find one. Coming back to the hotel as I wasn't feeling too good, probably the Malaria tablets. We ventureds to the hotel next door to acclimatise our tummies to indian food and had a "plain" indian diner. This place is a "posh" hotel. as we ordered the food, I ordered 2 well deserved beers. only to be told that today is Mahatma Gandhi's birthday and therefore a dry day. Good day to India, bad day for a beer! Finished diner and went for a stroll in the dark and busy satreets of Kemps Corner where I got my 1st light panic attack. I think I don't like dark and busy streets when I don't know where I'm going!! on our way back to the hotel, we stopped and watched people, truying to understand how they function, why we might be freacked by the crowds... I can tell you, on European standard, this world is MAD!!!

Ok, gotta go for now but i'll tell you more about our adventures in the coming days...

love to all,

cathy & dee

D Day -1

cathydee1 — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 19:07:00 GMT

There we are.It's 7pm on Saturday teh 30th of Sept 2006 and we are finishing the packing. We still have to pamper ourselves (the usual girly stuff) and we are ready to go.Last episode of the L word, a couple of hours sleep and off we go. Hopefully the trip will be effortless. You never know as we are flying thru Heathrow :-)