Okay, well, maybe not the bears. Aaaand fine, not the lions, either. BUT, I continue to consider myself one incredibly lucky person because this afternoon, while driving through the Indian jungle, I saw a tiger.
Let me repeat: I. Saw. A. Real. In-the-wild. Tiger. Tiger. TIGER!
Right now I'm in Dadeldi, still in the state of Karnataka. Three friends and myself made it up here yesterday on our way toward Goa so we could stop at a wildlife reserve for a day or two in hopes of seeing some animals. Definitely some monkeys. Most likely some bison. Possibly a sloth. And most likely NOT a black panther, leopard, or tiger.
We spent our morning today shopping around for a good jeep safari tour and settled on one for early tomorrow morning (by far the best deal in town!!). So, with an afternoon to spare, we headed to the local bus station to see if we couldn't just hop on a bus somewhere for the afternoon. Turns out our options were limited, but we did end up paying $3 each for a 64km round-trip in an auto rickshaw out to some special rock in the river. (Turns out, though it's an incredibly beautiful spot, the actual attraction is some rocks that create a mini waterfall where, if one--human and animal alike--meets an unlucky fate and slips down the rocks, they will be pushed down under these rocks and churned and churned for three days before surfacing. Thirteen people have died in this spot; the 13th only a few days ago and witnessed by our rickshaw driver. So tragic.)
Anyways.
We saw the sights, took some photos, and headed back. We were all in the middle of conversation when I saw something up ahead. An animal. But, it's not unusual--it's really rather common, in fact--to see animals all over the roads here. Cows, dogs, goats, they all spend ample time in the streets in India. So, you might understand why it took my brain (as well as my friends' brains) a few seconds to register that this animal up ahead was no cow or goat, but a large feline. We all reacted almost at once, the driver included, shouting out sounds that I really have no recollection of due to my immense excitement. We watched it cross the road, but when we got to the same place it had already disappeared into the forest.
The funny part was... You know how they do experiments to demonstrate how we see what we want to see, or our attention to detail is really quite crap if we'd ever have to describe a suspect? Well, we all saw something a bit different. We were all certain that it was a large feline. That much was obvious, given that unmistakable cat-like walk and long, thick tail waving in the air behind it. Between four of us, though, we saw spots on the body and stripes on the tail. We saw a light-colored coat AND a dark-colored coat. We saw a small leopard-sized head, or no head at all. And all of these amazing details came out of our mouths all at once, once the initial shock was gone. It took about ten minutes to clarify with our driver/guide that it was indeed a tiger... An animal that this young man had only seen twice--TWICE--before in his entire life.
Apparently there are about 87 leopards in the area, 27 black panthers and, according again to our guide today, ELEVEN tigers in this area. If he's correct, then we saw one of ELEVEN tigers out here.
Yes, allow me to repeat the one thing I have said oh so many times in my recent years: I am one damned lucky woman.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Travel vs. Vacation
My first month in India was spent traveling around to a new place every three to five days; now, on the contrary, I've split the last three weeks between only two places, Hampi and Kudle Beach in Gokarna. During that first month, I was primarily on my own, with only a few fleeting friendships here and there that lasted no more than three days, and more often than not only an afternoon or evening because the other person and I were never moving on in the same direction. So, most of the time I was a true solo traveler and often only one in a handful of foreigners surrounded by Indians. It was novel, exciting, stressful, frustrating and fascinating all at once. I was eating $1 meals, drinking $0.16 chais, snacking on $0.10 samosas, relying on myself for everything and simultaneously fighting and embracing the beautiful chaos that is India. Buuuuut, I find that oftentimes, one needs a vacation from their vacation.
So, the past three weeks have been just that. My first month was traveling the "real" India, and my last month has become indulging in a real "vacation." Hampi and Gokarna, though very much India, are places that are full of foreigners. They are completely different from Mysore or Munnar in that, despite all being tourist destinations, the former are comprised almost entirely of guest houses, shops and restaurants that cater to foreign visitors. Menus go from including only Indian fare to ALSO including Italian pizza and pasta, Israeli hummus and falafel and much more very non-Indian food. (And, admittedly, I have since allowed myself to indulge in the occasional falafel plate and veggie burger from time to time)
Real India or not, my 45 days in this country have offered me more than I could have asked for. Though, they leave me with only wanting more...
Eleven more days in India before flying back to Korea. Hopefully I'll get more pictures up and write more before that 11th day comes--there is so much that I HAVEN'T shared!! So, so much!
Love to all!
So, the past three weeks have been just that. My first month was traveling the "real" India, and my last month has become indulging in a real "vacation." Hampi and Gokarna, though very much India, are places that are full of foreigners. They are completely different from Mysore or Munnar in that, despite all being tourist destinations, the former are comprised almost entirely of guest houses, shops and restaurants that cater to foreign visitors. Menus go from including only Indian fare to ALSO including Italian pizza and pasta, Israeli hummus and falafel and much more very non-Indian food. (And, admittedly, I have since allowed myself to indulge in the occasional falafel plate and veggie burger from time to time)
Real India or not, my 45 days in this country have offered me more than I could have asked for. Though, they leave me with only wanting more...
Eleven more days in India before flying back to Korea. Hopefully I'll get more pictures up and write more before that 11th day comes--there is so much that I HAVEN'T shared!! So, so much!
Love to all!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Cows, Cows, Cows on the Beach!
There's a song I heard often this past year in Korea, one that my students liked to sing every now and then, that has a chorus line of "Sex, sex, sex on the beach!" For some reason that line from the song came to mind the other day when I had no other option than to share my beach space with a few cows.
The cows roam as freely in this country as people--though, you may not be surprised to hear that since they are, after all, sacred over here!! The beach is always dotted with cows, it's really quite cute. The other day, I was on the beach with three friends, two of whom made up a little shelter from some sarongs. A cow wandered up, stopped in front of their shelter, and stared at me with its long eye lashes for about three minutes. Then, out of nowhere, it started peeing only inches away from the corner of my friend's blanket in the sand. The cow, once relieved, then moved over to my other friend and myself and must have decided that it liked us because it plopped itself down right next to us in the sand. Not long after, another little black cow followed suit and soon we had two cows sunbathing with is. Needless to say, we were the center of several people's cameras for a little while. Too funny. Check it out:
The cows roam as freely in this country as people--though, you may not be surprised to hear that since they are, after all, sacred over here!! The beach is always dotted with cows, it's really quite cute. The other day, I was on the beach with three friends, two of whom made up a little shelter from some sarongs. A cow wandered up, stopped in front of their shelter, and stared at me with its long eye lashes for about three minutes. Then, out of nowhere, it started peeing only inches away from the corner of my friend's blanket in the sand. The cow, once relieved, then moved over to my other friend and myself and must have decided that it liked us because it plopped itself down right next to us in the sand. Not long after, another little black cow followed suit and soon we had two cows sunbathing with is. Needless to say, we were the center of several people's cameras for a little while. Too funny. Check it out:
From the Boulders of Hampi to the Beaches of Gokarna...
As per usual, there's more to catch up on than I have time to write about... So, in stream of consciousness form...
Today is perhaps my sixth day in Gokarna, on Kudle ("Kud-lee") Beach. It's one of five beaches in this area, all within walking distance from one another and oddly enough, falling nicely in line on a spectrum from most developed to least developed. The first beach, furthest north, is that of Gokarna town itself. I haven't spent time on that beach, but the town of Gokarna is actually quite lovely. About 15 minutes south is Kudle, lined with one row of restaurant/guest house combos. Another ten minutes south is Om Beach, slightly smaller and fewer restaurant/guest houses. And then comes the most interesting of the beaches, Half Moon and Paradise Beaches. Half Moon has about three guest houses, which consist only of little huts, and three restaurants. There is no electricity on Half Moon. And Paradise, the lovely Paradise Beach, has turned into a hippy commune of sorts in the past year after all of the restaurants and guest houses were town down last year. Now, people just go set up camp under sarongs and in hammocks. There are some Indian guys who come cook food every day should one not have the equipment (or desire) to cook their own food. It seemed like a nice little community and is one of those places where people go and get stuck for weeks--many even months--at a time.
It's funny, the notions of "tourists" and "backpackers"--even "travelers." Sometimes people get a bit pretentious or defensive with these labels... As was the case when a friend and I walked down to Paradise Beach to check it out. Upon walking up, a young European guy turned to his friend and said something along the lines of "Ugh. This place is becoming like a tourist destination with people coming here just to look." For a half-second I was offended; then, I just laughed out loud at his remark and wanted to say to him "Buddy, we're all the same and just because I choose to sleep on a different beach doesn't mean I'm not allowed to come spend time on the other beaches. Get off your high horse."
I can certainly understand what he meant, as there really are discrepancies between your average 20-30 year old backpacker and your average middle-aged or retired tourist. Sometimes people annoyingly bombard local people with their cameras as though they're "sights" just like the temples or the beaches (understanding, of course, that local people, too, make up part of the whole experience, but I don't like to put my camera in their faces out of respect for their space and everyday lives). But, when young ego-filled backpackers want to get cocky like that, it's obnoxious. At least these "tourists" are out of their home countries seeing the world, right?
Anyways... The people you meet while traveling never cease to intrigue me. But, let's talk India rather than three 40-year old Turkish men who spend half the year in India and the other half in the tourist industry in Turkey, or the Austrian girl who's been living on Paradise Beach for two months carving stones...
Hampi was incredible. Amazing. Awe-inspiring, if you will. The ruins that spread across for miles are a UNESCO World Heritage sight and was a major area for empires dating back to the 14th-16th centuries. Basically, it's a massive area of land covered in reddish-tan colored boulders as far as the eye can see, with a few ancient temples popping up here and there. It's crazy--and full of crazy monkeys as well! And, while I was there the rice paddies were as green as green as can be, so picture standing in Hampi, looking out first on to bright green rice paddies dotted with snow-white egrets, then over lines of vibrant green banana trees and coconut palm trees to endless boulder fields. Oh, and then look up a bit more to the always blue sky, often times sparsely decorated with thin, wispy white clouds. Magic.
Being in Hampi was different than any of the other places I'd been previously in India. Though it's very much India, it's also very much not India. What I mean is, previously, I could spend days without meeting another foreigner and I was always surrounded by Indians--on the streets, in restaurants, on buses. But, Hampi surrounded me with foreigners and foreigner-friendly food. There are two options for accommodation in Hampi; one on the bazaar side (more shops, etc.) and one across the river. Aside from my first night (in which I arrived at 11pm), I stayed across the river. It's known to be the quieter side, so that suited me just fine. I had a recommendation from a Spanish girl I met my first morning on the bazaar side, and immediately took her advice and moved to Manju's Place, a lovely guest house away from almost everything, save for a few more guest houses. To get there, one must walk away from the "main road" and through rice paddies about five minutes. I had my own little hut for US$5/night, they had a restaurant there should I ever get hungry or thirsty and the family and staff were beyond wonderful. I could easily have lived there for a while...
So, in the end, all of this kept me there for eleven nights total, and it would have been easier to stay longer had I more time on this trip. I made some friends early on who climbed, so I mostly spent my days climbing (bouldering, more specifically) in the early mornings, and then the afternoons and evenings filled with laziness, trips to the other side of the river, temples, bike rides, sunsets and fine meals with lovely company. Lucky to be livin' the good life, as all I can say to that.
Now, very much in contrast to the lay of the land in Hampi, I spend my days on the beach (and plan to do so for my remaining 14 days in the country. I've been doing yoga every day for a few hours with a lovely instructor, then spend the rest of my time on the beach, with friends, eating, walking to Gokarna town or the other beaches and that's about it. Not that I'm rubbing anything in, of course... :-P
Speaking of... It's 12:30pm and I need some sustenance and sunshine. More pictures soon!
Peace and love to all!
Today is perhaps my sixth day in Gokarna, on Kudle ("Kud-lee") Beach. It's one of five beaches in this area, all within walking distance from one another and oddly enough, falling nicely in line on a spectrum from most developed to least developed. The first beach, furthest north, is that of Gokarna town itself. I haven't spent time on that beach, but the town of Gokarna is actually quite lovely. About 15 minutes south is Kudle, lined with one row of restaurant/guest house combos. Another ten minutes south is Om Beach, slightly smaller and fewer restaurant/guest houses. And then comes the most interesting of the beaches, Half Moon and Paradise Beaches. Half Moon has about three guest houses, which consist only of little huts, and three restaurants. There is no electricity on Half Moon. And Paradise, the lovely Paradise Beach, has turned into a hippy commune of sorts in the past year after all of the restaurants and guest houses were town down last year. Now, people just go set up camp under sarongs and in hammocks. There are some Indian guys who come cook food every day should one not have the equipment (or desire) to cook their own food. It seemed like a nice little community and is one of those places where people go and get stuck for weeks--many even months--at a time.
It's funny, the notions of "tourists" and "backpackers"--even "travelers." Sometimes people get a bit pretentious or defensive with these labels... As was the case when a friend and I walked down to Paradise Beach to check it out. Upon walking up, a young European guy turned to his friend and said something along the lines of "Ugh. This place is becoming like a tourist destination with people coming here just to look." For a half-second I was offended; then, I just laughed out loud at his remark and wanted to say to him "Buddy, we're all the same and just because I choose to sleep on a different beach doesn't mean I'm not allowed to come spend time on the other beaches. Get off your high horse."
I can certainly understand what he meant, as there really are discrepancies between your average 20-30 year old backpacker and your average middle-aged or retired tourist. Sometimes people annoyingly bombard local people with their cameras as though they're "sights" just like the temples or the beaches (understanding, of course, that local people, too, make up part of the whole experience, but I don't like to put my camera in their faces out of respect for their space and everyday lives). But, when young ego-filled backpackers want to get cocky like that, it's obnoxious. At least these "tourists" are out of their home countries seeing the world, right?
Anyways... The people you meet while traveling never cease to intrigue me. But, let's talk India rather than three 40-year old Turkish men who spend half the year in India and the other half in the tourist industry in Turkey, or the Austrian girl who's been living on Paradise Beach for two months carving stones...
Hampi was incredible. Amazing. Awe-inspiring, if you will. The ruins that spread across for miles are a UNESCO World Heritage sight and was a major area for empires dating back to the 14th-16th centuries. Basically, it's a massive area of land covered in reddish-tan colored boulders as far as the eye can see, with a few ancient temples popping up here and there. It's crazy--and full of crazy monkeys as well! And, while I was there the rice paddies were as green as green as can be, so picture standing in Hampi, looking out first on to bright green rice paddies dotted with snow-white egrets, then over lines of vibrant green banana trees and coconut palm trees to endless boulder fields. Oh, and then look up a bit more to the always blue sky, often times sparsely decorated with thin, wispy white clouds. Magic.
Being in Hampi was different than any of the other places I'd been previously in India. Though it's very much India, it's also very much not India. What I mean is, previously, I could spend days without meeting another foreigner and I was always surrounded by Indians--on the streets, in restaurants, on buses. But, Hampi surrounded me with foreigners and foreigner-friendly food. There are two options for accommodation in Hampi; one on the bazaar side (more shops, etc.) and one across the river. Aside from my first night (in which I arrived at 11pm), I stayed across the river. It's known to be the quieter side, so that suited me just fine. I had a recommendation from a Spanish girl I met my first morning on the bazaar side, and immediately took her advice and moved to Manju's Place, a lovely guest house away from almost everything, save for a few more guest houses. To get there, one must walk away from the "main road" and through rice paddies about five minutes. I had my own little hut for US$5/night, they had a restaurant there should I ever get hungry or thirsty and the family and staff were beyond wonderful. I could easily have lived there for a while...
So, in the end, all of this kept me there for eleven nights total, and it would have been easier to stay longer had I more time on this trip. I made some friends early on who climbed, so I mostly spent my days climbing (bouldering, more specifically) in the early mornings, and then the afternoons and evenings filled with laziness, trips to the other side of the river, temples, bike rides, sunsets and fine meals with lovely company. Lucky to be livin' the good life, as all I can say to that.
Now, very much in contrast to the lay of the land in Hampi, I spend my days on the beach (and plan to do so for my remaining 14 days in the country. I've been doing yoga every day for a few hours with a lovely instructor, then spend the rest of my time on the beach, with friends, eating, walking to Gokarna town or the other beaches and that's about it. Not that I'm rubbing anything in, of course... :-P
Speaking of... It's 12:30pm and I need some sustenance and sunshine. More pictures soon!
Peace and love to all!
Monday, February 6, 2012
Toilet Talk
Hey, it's all part of the game.
I had big goals for today, ambitions. I was to cross the river to the other side of Hampi on the five-minute and 15 rupee boat ride to where all the sights lie--namely, ancient temples galore that one could spend a solid week or two exploring. One might think that'd be the first thing crossed off the 'list' upon arrival; but me? I came to the other side of the river on my first day. It's where the climbing is. And it's the more chilled out, relaxed side with less hassle of shops and touristy-things. But, I'll tell you more about THIS side of the river later. Now, let's talk the inevitable: illness in India. And, anyone who knows me well knows that rarely do I have shame in speaking of such personal matters... Read at your own discretion (though, I'll keep it PG).
I have now been in India for over 30 days, though I can't remember exactly how many. I've eaten street food, drank five rupee chai on the sidewalks, dined at little hole-in-the-wall restaurants and been less than anal about hygiene (gotta live a little, right?!) And, I've considered myself lucky and been as healthy as I could have possibly been.
Until now.
Three nights ago I came back from a lovely dinner with some new friends, only to puke it all right back up. And I mean ALL of it. Straight to bed it was for me. That night brought a very fitful sleep--waking several times to hot and cold, hot and cold. When I woke to my climbing alarm at 7am, I knew immediately I would not be getting out of bed just yet. Turned off the alarm and woke again around 9:30am. It probably took me about 30 minutes just to physically get myself out of bed... Head pounding. Throbbing. Body aching--from the surface of my skin to the depths of my bones. Pull the covers off, step one. Made it. Next step, sit up. Done. Hair tangled in the mosquito net. Uh-oh... More throbbing. Everywhere. Collapse into fetal position at the foot of my bed, laying sideways now. Slight moan. Try again. Raise the mosquito net, slide underneath to the straw mat on the floor of my little mud hut. Sit, head in hands, waiting... Attempt a sip of water. Eventually make it out of the hut to the toilet. Say hello to friends. Order a ginger lemon honey tea. Force myself to drink it. Go back to bed. For hours. Wake up, force-feed myself muesli, fruit and yogurt. And another tea. Back to bed. Wake up around dinner time for another tea and a few chapatti. Bed by 9pm. Sound sleep, fever gone when I woke up the next morning.
Beautiful! Felt great yesterday.
And yes, I really was that pitiful. Shameful, I know.
I thought I was in the clear. But no...
People had always warned me about India; and, a few people along the way had warned me about Hampi. And now, I am in the thick of it and today anything--and really by that I mean EVERYTHING--that goes in comes immediately pouring out. The ultimate weight-loss regime! Come to India!
Let's just hope this is one of those one-day things, though. I enjoy my food too much and have many an ancient temple to attend to on the other side of the river before too long...
I had big goals for today, ambitions. I was to cross the river to the other side of Hampi on the five-minute and 15 rupee boat ride to where all the sights lie--namely, ancient temples galore that one could spend a solid week or two exploring. One might think that'd be the first thing crossed off the 'list' upon arrival; but me? I came to the other side of the river on my first day. It's where the climbing is. And it's the more chilled out, relaxed side with less hassle of shops and touristy-things. But, I'll tell you more about THIS side of the river later. Now, let's talk the inevitable: illness in India. And, anyone who knows me well knows that rarely do I have shame in speaking of such personal matters... Read at your own discretion (though, I'll keep it PG).
I have now been in India for over 30 days, though I can't remember exactly how many. I've eaten street food, drank five rupee chai on the sidewalks, dined at little hole-in-the-wall restaurants and been less than anal about hygiene (gotta live a little, right?!) And, I've considered myself lucky and been as healthy as I could have possibly been.
Until now.
Three nights ago I came back from a lovely dinner with some new friends, only to puke it all right back up. And I mean ALL of it. Straight to bed it was for me. That night brought a very fitful sleep--waking several times to hot and cold, hot and cold. When I woke to my climbing alarm at 7am, I knew immediately I would not be getting out of bed just yet. Turned off the alarm and woke again around 9:30am. It probably took me about 30 minutes just to physically get myself out of bed... Head pounding. Throbbing. Body aching--from the surface of my skin to the depths of my bones. Pull the covers off, step one. Made it. Next step, sit up. Done. Hair tangled in the mosquito net. Uh-oh... More throbbing. Everywhere. Collapse into fetal position at the foot of my bed, laying sideways now. Slight moan. Try again. Raise the mosquito net, slide underneath to the straw mat on the floor of my little mud hut. Sit, head in hands, waiting... Attempt a sip of water. Eventually make it out of the hut to the toilet. Say hello to friends. Order a ginger lemon honey tea. Force myself to drink it. Go back to bed. For hours. Wake up, force-feed myself muesli, fruit and yogurt. And another tea. Back to bed. Wake up around dinner time for another tea and a few chapatti. Bed by 9pm. Sound sleep, fever gone when I woke up the next morning.
Beautiful! Felt great yesterday.
And yes, I really was that pitiful. Shameful, I know.
I thought I was in the clear. But no...
People had always warned me about India; and, a few people along the way had warned me about Hampi. And now, I am in the thick of it and today anything--and really by that I mean EVERYTHING--that goes in comes immediately pouring out. The ultimate weight-loss regime! Come to India!
Let's just hope this is one of those one-day things, though. I enjoy my food too much and have many an ancient temple to attend to on the other side of the river before too long...
Thursday, February 2, 2012
More Tales from India
where, oh were to begin?
perhaps with the fact that i haven't found a decent keyboard yet in this country, which makes typing long blog entries a pain. this particular keyboard has a dysfunctional shift key on the right side, so i'm opting to use no capital letters.
otherwise, please excuse all other typos and let's talk india. incredible, incredible, india...
i believe i left off talking about my love for the city of madurai... :) the main attraction in this city is meenakshi temple. i can't even begin to keep straight any of the hundreds of hindi gods, so i won't make any attempts to enlighten you on that just now. but, like so many historic sites, this temple has been built and rebuilt over many centuries. it's massive. and very, very colorfully decorated with hundreds and hundreds of hindi gods that one could sit and take in for hours if one had the patience.
i paid my tourist fee (often times, indians pay around us$0.50 or less, where tourists pay more like us$5--and then some if you want to take photos. there are parts of the temple only open to hindis (i accidentally found myself in one of them and was promptly, but politely, asked to leave... it wasn't my fault they didn't have any signs up in this spot like they did all the others!).
anyways, i got my train ticket out of there that night and hopped on a 7:50pm overnight train to mysore. i was in sleeper class, the second cheapest. this means that i got a berth to sleep in for the night--an upper one like i had requested (and thank goodness i did!), and had a decent night's sleep all things considered. my train journey was really quite uneventful, until we hit bangalore around 6:30am and OH MY GOD all hell broke loose. before, the train had still been calm, quiet and not crowded. bangalore brought on the complete opposite--complete chaos. i continued to perch in my upper berth as hoards of people pushed their way on to the train and fought--literally--for seats. and, naturally, there were certainly not enough seats for everyone. i was largely ignored in my upper berth #24; not sure if it's because i am a foreigner, or what. i was definitely the only foreigner in my carriage. finally, a young boy in his 20s, perhaps, asked me in hindi (or some other language?) if he could sit up next to me. i figured his bravery warranted himself a seat ;) he then proceeded to speak to me, but i didn't understand. all i gave him was a blank stare. he says to me "english?" i nod my head and say yes, and that, my friends, was the end of our conversation. until we reached mysore three hours later, that is, when i confirmed that this was indeed where i should get off the train.
enter the city of mysore. thankfully, india redeemed itself with my trip to the city of mysore, in the state of karnataka. a city of just under one million people, i wasn't sure what to expect. but in the end, i was pleasantly surprised--and ended up staying four nights!
excerpt from my journal:
"what. a. day.
chaos from the train ride. insanity of getting myself off the train and out of the station. fatigue and frustration of finding a motel for the night (and an epic fail with my attempt at the ymca hostel in which i wasted $3 on a ricksaw ride). and then paying 600 rupees ($12) for one room tonight. and then getting fooled into room service (though, it ended up being good--an omelet, toast and chai). being led astray by a "helpful man not looking for money, only concerned with getting good karma by helping tourists" to an old market that only opens on this one day every week and closes in the early afternoon... then being side tracked to his "coffee shop like in amsterdam." then his anger when i said i had to go back and that i didn't want to see his coffee shop like amsterdam where a lot of american and german and other tourists go to hang out. and then meeting another guy on my way back who wanted to show me his coffee shop like amsterdam. and his big "fuck you" as he gave me an up and down stare with a look of disgust and said something else to me that was incomprehensible."
yup. what a day indeed. getting an indian guy to give me a solid "fuck you" is definitely the sign of a good day. turns out i had a third guy try the same thing on me a few days later. aaaannnnd, during dinner with a lovely scottish girl we found out that my "fuck you" guy tried to pull the same thing on her. lucky for both of us, we trusted our instincts and did not follow these guys to their coffee shops like in amsterdam. ha!!
anyways, mysore became my city of indulgence. after starting off with paying double my normal amount for a room and having room service for the first time in my life, i decided to live it up a little. needless to stay, i started that night with a beer at a rooftop restaurant. a much needed kingfisher. i did some shopping during my four days there. i sampled some indian sweets (they consume sooo much sugar here!!). i went to a western-style coffee shop and ordered a mocha for three times the price i pay for my normal daily chai. i used my korean facemask that i had brought with me to make myself a little spa night my first night in my 'fancy' motel room.
i met a guy from bend, oregon my second or third night in mysore who is cycling around india for three months. daniel, the same age as my parents, approached me after i sat down alone at the same rooftop restaurant adn asked me if i wanted some company. he invited me over to his table, which he shared with with a young indian man who he basically pays to help him do whatever he needs to do around town. turns out that daniel was a very odd man and though i was thankful for the company for a little while, after about 20 minutes i was wishing i had politely declined his offer for company. in my few hours with daniel, i learned that he went to the doctor in india, after being too self-conscious to do so in oregon, and that his psa levels are negative and the doc gave him some pills that have seemed to make him depressed so he was thinking of stopping them and just dealing with the dysfunction and that he'd be meeting a lovely german woman for a three day weekend soon and that he wanted me to come with him on a cycling tour on the east coast of india that he's pay for at the price of $1,200, but that it wasn't to get me into bed because he had no interest in that and only wants good company. whoa. too much. waaaay too much.
i declined an invite to join him and his little indian servant boy for coffee when i ran into them the next morning. sheesh!!!
(side note: currently eavesdropping on who i assume to be a young korean man in this internet cafe/travel agency while he hashes out some mis-communication with the guy here about a bus ticket; the korean guy (and the indian guy) is so damned polite! ha! i do kind of miss that country sometimes... korean people can be so lovely)
a bit scattered? yes. too much to write, not enough time to do so.
in hampi now, the land of temples and miles and miles of boulders to climb. more soon!!
perhaps with the fact that i haven't found a decent keyboard yet in this country, which makes typing long blog entries a pain. this particular keyboard has a dysfunctional shift key on the right side, so i'm opting to use no capital letters.
otherwise, please excuse all other typos and let's talk india. incredible, incredible, india...
i believe i left off talking about my love for the city of madurai... :) the main attraction in this city is meenakshi temple. i can't even begin to keep straight any of the hundreds of hindi gods, so i won't make any attempts to enlighten you on that just now. but, like so many historic sites, this temple has been built and rebuilt over many centuries. it's massive. and very, very colorfully decorated with hundreds and hundreds of hindi gods that one could sit and take in for hours if one had the patience.
i paid my tourist fee (often times, indians pay around us$0.50 or less, where tourists pay more like us$5--and then some if you want to take photos. there are parts of the temple only open to hindis (i accidentally found myself in one of them and was promptly, but politely, asked to leave... it wasn't my fault they didn't have any signs up in this spot like they did all the others!).
anyways, i got my train ticket out of there that night and hopped on a 7:50pm overnight train to mysore. i was in sleeper class, the second cheapest. this means that i got a berth to sleep in for the night--an upper one like i had requested (and thank goodness i did!), and had a decent night's sleep all things considered. my train journey was really quite uneventful, until we hit bangalore around 6:30am and OH MY GOD all hell broke loose. before, the train had still been calm, quiet and not crowded. bangalore brought on the complete opposite--complete chaos. i continued to perch in my upper berth as hoards of people pushed their way on to the train and fought--literally--for seats. and, naturally, there were certainly not enough seats for everyone. i was largely ignored in my upper berth #24; not sure if it's because i am a foreigner, or what. i was definitely the only foreigner in my carriage. finally, a young boy in his 20s, perhaps, asked me in hindi (or some other language?) if he could sit up next to me. i figured his bravery warranted himself a seat ;) he then proceeded to speak to me, but i didn't understand. all i gave him was a blank stare. he says to me "english?" i nod my head and say yes, and that, my friends, was the end of our conversation. until we reached mysore three hours later, that is, when i confirmed that this was indeed where i should get off the train.
enter the city of mysore. thankfully, india redeemed itself with my trip to the city of mysore, in the state of karnataka. a city of just under one million people, i wasn't sure what to expect. but in the end, i was pleasantly surprised--and ended up staying four nights!
excerpt from my journal:
"what. a. day.
chaos from the train ride. insanity of getting myself off the train and out of the station. fatigue and frustration of finding a motel for the night (and an epic fail with my attempt at the ymca hostel in which i wasted $3 on a ricksaw ride). and then paying 600 rupees ($12) for one room tonight. and then getting fooled into room service (though, it ended up being good--an omelet, toast and chai). being led astray by a "helpful man not looking for money, only concerned with getting good karma by helping tourists" to an old market that only opens on this one day every week and closes in the early afternoon... then being side tracked to his "coffee shop like in amsterdam." then his anger when i said i had to go back and that i didn't want to see his coffee shop like amsterdam where a lot of american and german and other tourists go to hang out. and then meeting another guy on my way back who wanted to show me his coffee shop like amsterdam. and his big "fuck you" as he gave me an up and down stare with a look of disgust and said something else to me that was incomprehensible."
yup. what a day indeed. getting an indian guy to give me a solid "fuck you" is definitely the sign of a good day. turns out i had a third guy try the same thing on me a few days later. aaaannnnd, during dinner with a lovely scottish girl we found out that my "fuck you" guy tried to pull the same thing on her. lucky for both of us, we trusted our instincts and did not follow these guys to their coffee shops like in amsterdam. ha!!
anyways, mysore became my city of indulgence. after starting off with paying double my normal amount for a room and having room service for the first time in my life, i decided to live it up a little. needless to stay, i started that night with a beer at a rooftop restaurant. a much needed kingfisher. i did some shopping during my four days there. i sampled some indian sweets (they consume sooo much sugar here!!). i went to a western-style coffee shop and ordered a mocha for three times the price i pay for my normal daily chai. i used my korean facemask that i had brought with me to make myself a little spa night my first night in my 'fancy' motel room.
i met a guy from bend, oregon my second or third night in mysore who is cycling around india for three months. daniel, the same age as my parents, approached me after i sat down alone at the same rooftop restaurant adn asked me if i wanted some company. he invited me over to his table, which he shared with with a young indian man who he basically pays to help him do whatever he needs to do around town. turns out that daniel was a very odd man and though i was thankful for the company for a little while, after about 20 minutes i was wishing i had politely declined his offer for company. in my few hours with daniel, i learned that he went to the doctor in india, after being too self-conscious to do so in oregon, and that his psa levels are negative and the doc gave him some pills that have seemed to make him depressed so he was thinking of stopping them and just dealing with the dysfunction and that he'd be meeting a lovely german woman for a three day weekend soon and that he wanted me to come with him on a cycling tour on the east coast of india that he's pay for at the price of $1,200, but that it wasn't to get me into bed because he had no interest in that and only wants good company. whoa. too much. waaaay too much.
i declined an invite to join him and his little indian servant boy for coffee when i ran into them the next morning. sheesh!!!
(side note: currently eavesdropping on who i assume to be a young korean man in this internet cafe/travel agency while he hashes out some mis-communication with the guy here about a bus ticket; the korean guy (and the indian guy) is so damned polite! ha! i do kind of miss that country sometimes... korean people can be so lovely)
a bit scattered? yes. too much to write, not enough time to do so.
in hampi now, the land of temples and miles and miles of boulders to climb. more soon!!
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