Incredible India
A few years back while we were back in America we met some neat people from Bangalore (or Bangeluru), India. When they returned to their home land, we decided that one day soon we would visit them & their fascinating country. When we found out we were moving to China to teach we planned that this Christmas Break we would fulfill that desire. Now even with the bad news of 26/11 in Mumbai we had everything in hand to go. The most difficult part was getting a visa from the Indian Consulate in Hong Kong. It is a 3 time visit with lots of cash to get a simple tourist visa.
We flew Jet Air, which is a wonderful airline, to Mumbai & transferred to Bangalore. As for Mumbai Airport… it is a difficult mess to get around. You best plan 3 hours between transfers. I, unfortunately, caught one of the nastiest colds ever the day before & was sick as a dog for about 5 days. Shortly after that Eileen got a sever sinus infection. Not the way to spend your vacation days. Well, our friends picked us up at the airport & that was the shot of adrenaline for me. It was so good to see them! The air was cool & crisp as we drove to his parents’ home. It is traditional for families to live together in the same home for awhile from what I gathered. We were warmly greeted & the neighborhoods curiosity. I stayed up for a short while & went to bed. To be honest for the next 4 days I slept & ate. The only thing I remember was wonderful Indian food, which you eat by hand, & sleeping a lot. By Thursday morning I was on the mend & hit the showers for a trip into the city.
Oh, before I go on, our friends live in a very nice area of the city where the property value has sky rocketed. The home is typical of that neighborhood which is comfortable. The way you take a shower in India is either by bucket or a shower head. I used the bucket method & afterwards felt like a new person. Remember I’ve been in bed for 4 day & travelled on one day. The family was so kind to give their western style bathroom for our use & to provide paper products, which is pretty expensive as we found out later. With Eileen now ill we went to one of the many local pharmacies to purchase antibiotics which you can get cheaply & without a prescription. The medicine is western & a trained pharmacist will help you. Now I see why “medical tourism” is big here. Now we’re off to see the sights of the IT capital of India!
Bangalore has 8 million people residing in it. Most of them you can meet on the street any time of the work day as the traffic is amazing in what seems to me chaotic but to them a coordinated dance of anything moving on or near the streets. Many take the public transportation which includes a motor or auto rickshaw. This is a 3 wheeled motorcycle that goes up to 30 MPH & kicks out enough emissions to simulate smoking a pack of cigarettes a minute. Because gas cost over 4 dollars a gallon, diesel is preferred for big trucks or long range vehicles. There is a mix of new & old in Bangalore. What is unique is that just off the major roads you can experience peace with cows, stray dogs, a camel (I kid you not), & people milling about. The number of restaurants equals the number of places to see or things to do, but as I stated earlier I spent most of the time in bed getting over a cold.
We then took an overnight sleeper train to the neighboring state of Kerala, “God’s Own Country.” The train is the primary means for long distance travel for the people & it was packed! We were in the A/C “boggies” or cars which slept 6 to a section with 2 other beds along the walk way. Our friends told us to secure our valuables such as our shoes, purses, etc. which means you sleep with them next to you. The bedding was provided & I was out like a light. It was not the most peaceful rest but this is due to the rocking of the train. I did dream I was in a blender. I found this mode of travel better than flying economy class on a plane as you can lie down, stretch out, & walk.
Kerala is a wonderful state, somewhat like the Big Island of Hawaii with lush coastal regions and mountainous terrain. We spent our time in three cities/towns: Munnar, Thekkady & Palakkad (Palghat). Each place was so different. At Ernakulam (Kochi-the major train station), we woke up from our night journey on the train to drive up to Munnar which is way up in the mountains at least 4,000 feet up! Upon our arrival we purchase motion sickness medicine as all the roads all whine up the steep mountains which makes me car sick. Once there I found the air was so clean & the mountains beautiful. It is an area where tea & coffee is grown in manicured farms for as far as I can see. It was rather chilly at night but this is taken care of by some great Indian cooking at the local restaurant. Also, Vladimir Ilich Lenin is honored in this state as the Communist Party is big here. After spending a couple of days around Munnar it was off to Thekkady.
Thekkady is on a range called the Western Ghats. It is famous for trekking, Periyar tiger Reserve & the elephant rides. It is a drive to get to places so we opted for the elephant ride as riding tigers is dangerous for your health. We did stop by the reserve but the wild life was out to lunch.
We then travelled by car & train to Palakkad to spend time at our friend’s home town & family. They greeted us warmly & on Christmas Day prepared a spread fit for a maharaja or maharani (king/queen). Unfortunately, the time was cut short due to a family tragedy & the family members had to return that night to Bangalore. We return as schedule with the family members having completed the appropriate pooja for the passing of a relative.
We returned to Bangalore to spend the few days left with our friends. We saw their son’s school, spent time with extended family members, & just enjoyed each other’s company. Oh, yes we did our shopping to help the economy but without the gracious presence of our friends, their family & friends India would not have been a complete experience.
