Not the time for reflection

So I was planning on reflecting a bit on this whole travel experience and share some of my favorite pictures, but as I sit here now looking out the window at the setting sun, I think it is in my best interest to get out there are enjoy my remaining time. Maybe I will go wander some more, eat some food, try to order some chai in the correct language, I really don't know. That is what is so wonderful about travelling. Nowhere to be, nothing to do, just complete freedom. So I am going to go out there and enjoy being part of what I consider the "real" world while I still have the chance.

Bangalore - the center of the flat world

My time is pretty much up, so as an attempt to trick myself into thinking I am still on the move, I am going to post one more time. Bangalore is not much of a destination for travelers, but is a major city, so it is the place to come for transport. The interesting thing about Bangalore is that it is the Information Technology capital of India. "Center of the flat world comes" comes from Thomas Friedman who wrote a book about the globalization we are witnessing in our age and how small the world is becoming. Bangalore was supposedly the focal point of his book (I actually haven't read the whole thing, only bits and pieces). Bangalore is a major hub when it comes to technology outsourcing. You know when you call for help with your computer and you get an Indian on the other end of the line? Chances are your call came here. Also, as Wall Street sleeps, or huge corporations for that matter, the geeks here are maintaining their important computer systems, getting them ready for another day. So that is Bangalore's story, the city itself is crowded, polluted, and easy to get totally lost in. The rickshaw drivers are more difficult to deal with here than anywhere else I have been and walking is just out of the question. If you are ever in need of a good headache, come to Bangalore. But as I found out it this evening, with a little random wandering you can always find something interesting. The city market here is a fascinating place; crowded, vibrant, loud, and a sensory overload. I got the feeling that few tourists make it in there. People were thrilled to see me strolling around and taking an interest in what they were selling. It was hard to get out of there without someone stopping me wanting to talk or let me sample whatever little treats they had. It was an enjoyable place to roam and after being in touristy Hampi, nice to get some "real" India in before heading home. So that is the extent of my brief Bangalore experience, I have a feeling I should be glad it was brief.

One thing you learn in India, defensive walking

Chilies, don't ask what the other stuff is

Hampi - A fulfilling Indian experience

For my final days I lucked out on the place I chose to spend them. I had heard that Hampi was a special place, but what one reads in the guide book or hears from other travellers can only be taken with a grain of salt. However, after a less than wonderful 24 hours of bus rides, I was awestruck upon arriving in Hampi. The village itself, and the ancient ruins scattered nearby, are actually a World Heritage Site. The history of the place goes way back and at one time was one of the largest Hindu empires in Indian history. There is also religious significance to the location, in Hindu legend, this was the realm of the monkey gods. Needless to say, there is a lot going on here. I couldn't help but think that if someone were to be just dropped here, they would get the sensory attack that is India, all in one small area. Its all here; cows, dogs, unruly monkeys, a busy bazaar, temples, ruined cities, beggars, exotic sadhus (holy men), snake charmers, dancing monkeys, a resident elephant, cheap restaurants, good food, chai and more chai, coconut palms, banana plantations, rice fields, the list goes on. The best part, all this set amongst some of the most exotic landscape I have ever laid eyes on. Outside of the town the area is a sea of boulders, stacked precariously for as far as the eye can see. Despite the hassle of the bazaar, a short walk out of town and nothing but peace and tranquility. It is all very surreal, and a wonderful place to finish out a trip to India. For my five days spent here, I rented a bike which allowed me to explore many of the back roads and countryside, visit small villages, and ponder the wonderful scenery. About a 20 minute bike ride from my "shack" I found a refreshing reservoir, which was actually clean (I haven't broken out in any strange rash yet) and undeveloped, where you could climb to the top of the boulders and jump into the surprisingly cool water. It was an outstanding last few days in the country. It is usually fun and exciting to hit the road but I was finding it difficult to leave Hampi. In five days I felt like a barely tapped into what the area has to offer. Oh well, a good reason to come back again, right? I am now in Bangalore from where I catch my flight home. I will probably make one more post before I head out and maybe share some of the special pictures I have been holding back, maybe. Hope everyone is doing is well and see you all soon.

The bazaar, temple, and ruins

Bath time for Lakshmi

Laid back village life

I really wasn't afraid

Hilltop temple devoted to Hanuman (the monkey god)

Kanyakumari - Land's end for India

My journey South has come to a halt, I phsically can't go any further without swimming into the ocean. The town of Kanyakumari sits on the cape of India and as you can imagine it holds some religous significance to Hindus. It is a busy, crowded place with an interesting clash of temples, nice resort type hotels, fisherman, religous pilgrams, seashell vendors, and fellas who persistently try to sell you knock-off sunglasses despite the pair that are obviously sitting on your face. However, the town itself doesn't invoke too much excitement in me, coming here was more for the geographic significance it holds. It isn't as hot as I expected it to be here, which I am assuming is due to the constant howling winds, which if you let your gaurd down will darn near blow you on your butt. After so many of those wonderful Indian sunsets over the ocean, it was great to finally watch a sunrise over the ocean, although it did mean having to get up early. That is one of the neat things about this place, you can watch the ocean sunrise and sunset from the same spot. Even though the town itself isn't too picturesque, the surrounding landscape is stunning. It is possibly some of the finest scenery I have seen yet in India (besides the Himalaya, of course), but I only got to watch it go by from the window of the train. It seemed as if there were endless rice fields and banana plantations, and in the distance rugged, rocky hills and beyond those bigger mountains. It was certainly not the type of landscape I expected down here. Maybe I was just overjoyed to see mountains again. Either way, it was nice. That's about all I have for now, no funny stories this time around, but I am sure something silly will happen to me in my final week. Take care.

Yep, that's the sunrise

Get a running start, close your eyes, and hope you pop out somewhere on the other side

I am as interesting to them as they are to me (their idea, not mine)

More lazy beach days in Varkala

Sad to say, but my beach bumming days have come to an end. I have spent the last three days hanging out on the beaches here in Varkala. It is another beautiful place with wonderful beaches. Although a bit crowded with the "package tourist" crowd, the swimming has been great and no matter how busy a beach is it is always nice to laze the days away in the sand. But enough about the beaches, time for a funny story. You better sit down for this one. So I have been keeping my eyes peeled for a barber the last few days. I was just looking for a little trim so that I could experience the Indian barber thing, they are known to do marvelous work. But of course, as it always goes in India, when you are looking for something you will never find it, but when you are not looking for it is always being shoved in your face. But the other day a woman approached me and wanted to give me a haircut. I took it as a sign and gave her the business. She by no means was a barber, she had a small beauty salon where she did manicures and all that stuff. However she assured me she had trimmed beards and hair before and I trusted her. Her little shack had a lousy mirror in it so I couldn't see the cut until I got back to my room. I discovered that she had absolutely massacred my head. It was bad. I have a feeling that that was her trial run for the haircut thing. So I had to do something, I tried to further trim my beard but it was a lost cause, most of it went bye bye. As for my scalp, well beyond anything I could I fix. I went into town and found a real barber, just like the one I was in search of, and after I explained that a woman at a beauty salon messed up my hair, all he could do is shake his head and point out the steps across the back of my head. However, he worked his magic (he was amazing with the scissors) and was able to bring symmetry back to my hair. In the end I lost probably 75% of my hair, but what the heck, it will grow back. Plus, I think I am not sweating as much. Hope you enjoyed that, you can only laugh with me, I am finding the whole ordeal quite humorous myself.

Bringing in the catch of the day

The beach and cliffs of Varkala

Surreal sailing on the Lakshaweep Sea

A little insight from India

So the other day I was having one of those "hate India" days. This isn't something that I made up, it is a common thing a lot of travellers go through while travelling here. Sometimes things can become so overwhelming and your patience tested to the max that you just want to throw in the towel. Long story short, after a lack of communication at my guest house about food, which I lost money, followed by a rickshaw driver trying to rip me off, which resulted in me walking several kilometers instead, I decided I was having one of those days. But by the end of the day I was back to myself when I went to order some chai from a street vendor. I asked for the chai in Hindi, which he understood, but the language here is Malayalam, which I knew none. The other patrons started laughing at me so all I could do was laugh back and ask what was so funny. I guess Hindi isn't the norm here so they taught me some Malayalam. In the end it was a lot of smiles and laughing, just what I needed after my "hate India" day. Something I think we all know, but forget about at times, is the importance of smiling. Smiling is so universal and can really turn a person's day around. Just something to remember.

Drifting through Kerala

The last couple of days I have been floating through the backwaters of the state of Kerala. From Kochi I caught a bus to a town called Alleppey where I caught a boat on the Keralan waterways to Kollom, where I am now. The backwaters is a network of canals, rivers, and lakes that extend inland from the ocean. These really are the highways for the local people. There were actually "road" signs giving directions and distances. The waterways are beautiful, palm fringed and narrow at times winding their way through the jungle. It was fascinating watching the people go about their business on the water. There were all sorts of fishing boats, boats hauling sand, boats hauling people and of course the locals on the banks doing their laundry and other daily chores involving water. Today from Kollom I went on an afternoon float in a canoe that twisted around narrow canals that were up close with the village life. The common sights were people building boats and rope. The wood from the boats came from the jackfruit tree and the boards were tied together with coconut fiber rope and then finished with oil (I forgot what king of oil, cashew?). The plants were interesting too. Common stuff like black pepper, nutmeg, tamarind, cashews, papaya, pineapple, and of course bananas. Did you know there are red bananas and pineapple that come in green, brown, and red? I had no idea. It has been wonderful just floating around taking in the sights, very relaxing. Tomorrow I am off again to enjoy some final beach bumming and then on to the Southern most point of India to catch a sunrise and sunset over the ocean. That is about all I have for now. Hope everyone is well. Take care.

The backwaters

Choose your banana

Fresh coconut break on the canoe cruise

The heat is on in Kochi

I couldn't think of a better title, but as I sit here sweating over this keyboard it seems appropriate. My huge jump South has certainly brought more warmth. It is hot here right now, it was 81 degrees in my room this morning and it must be well into the 90's during the day. Not too hot though, it is kind of nice. Anyways, Kochi is the biggest town in the state of Kerala with well over a million people. It is a major shipping and trading port that is spread across the mainland and several big islands. The harbor is full of huge container, navy, and oil ships, along with numerous fishing vessels of various (and odd) varieties. Kochi itself is on an island and is the old part of this metropolis. The streets are calm and leisurely to walk around in. The history of this place goes way back and has always been a major port for trading among the Chinese, Dutch, and Portuguese. The architecture reflects this and the feel here is very colonial with countless churches. I am still to find a Hindu temple, not to mention a cow. My couple of days here have been spent riding the local ferries around to the other islands. The ferries have been fun to move around on, they cost next to nothing and it is nice to just drift around in the harbor and take in the sights. In the mornings and evenings the fish market comes alive and strolling around watching the fisherman sell there catch is quite entertaining. They bring in a wide variety of seafood, from kingfish, snapper, prawns, and squid. Eating the fish is almost just as entertaining. In an effort to get away from the tourist restaurants I went on a local food mission today to find real Keralan dishes. After a ferry ride to the mainland I found a dirty little restaurant that had seafood on the "menu". I tried the fish curry which was nothing more than a spicy curry sauce with a whole fried fish plopped inside. Despite having to pick bones out of my curry it wasn't too bad. So that is the extent of my Kochi experience. Tomorrow I am off again to a place known for it's boat trips into what is known as the "backwaters". I will fill you in later with that new adventure. Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying 2009 thus far.

Fish for sale in the market, maybe later in my tummy


The huge Chinese fishing nets scattered along the shore


One of the varied fishing vessels

The joys of Indian travel

Time flies when your having fun. There really hasn't been too much going on, I spent a couple more days in Goa and then jumped South a little further to a town called Gokarna where I did some more beach bumming (minus the shack). But now I have come to the realization that time is running out I am not going to see everything I set out to see. So now I am making a big jump way South to the state of Kerala where I intend to spend most of my time left. So as I kill time here on the internet between buses, I figured it would be appropriate to fill you in on how I get around here. Mostly I have been travelling by bus, which is either a "deluxe" tourist bus or a shabby local bus. The tourist buses are pretty straightforward, buy ticket and go. However the local buses are where the fun begins. The bus stands are often chaotic with people rushing to catch their bus and the amount of buses is overwhelming at times. English isn't always spoken and signs may not be written in English. So sometimes getting the right bus is tricky. Luckily for me I have learned to read enough Hindi that I can figure out what something says if I know what I am looking for. But now as I move further South, there has been an unexpected language change so I am prone to the confusion again. The roads here are crazy, and downright scary at times. Passing is legal at all times and even if it is a two lane road, 4 or 5 vehicles across is just fine. When riding the bus one must make sure to: intently watch the people in front of you so that you can get the window closed before their lunch comes up, put your head between your knees as the driver make a wreckless pass on a blind corner, and always keep your arms and head inside, traffic seriously passes within inches at times. Of course there is the train travel, which I do enjoy, but that involves some planning ahead of time to get a ticket, so my train time is limited. I could go on and on about all the silly ways to move around this country but that should give you a fair idea. Traveling here can be a challenge and tiresome, but it is fun and entertaining. It is one of those joys of India.

Joining the crowd to claim a precious seat

Fuel for the road

Which bus?

I had better pictures to post but this computer doesn't want to cooperate, oh well.