Going Home

I’ve packed my bags, just got the few clothes that I need for the next day at work, and the journey home.

It’s been a very good trip. From a work perspective I think that I have got a lot done. And from a personal point of view I have had a great time. All the people at work have been incredibly welcoming. I’ve been made to feel like everyone’s friend, and for that I am truly grateful. Whenever I have needed any help, or even when I didn’t know I needed help, there has been someone to come to my aid.

I’m going to miss the people here, the energy of the country and the friends that I’ve made.

Things that I am looking forward to when I come home are:

• Salad
• Pasta
• Roast Dinner
• Cold weather
• Alice

Not necessarily in that order.

Things you should know when you come here.

1. The taxi driver taking you from the airport is not a psychopath, everyone drives like this. You’ll get used to it
2. Ask for hot water in the restaurants, then you know that it has been boiled. Or get mineral water.
3. Work out where you can get your laundry done several days before you are due to run out of clothes
4. Get an Indian SIM card, calls in India, and home, are much much cheaper like this.
5. Don’t even think about renting a car and driving yourself anywhere. Rent a car that comes with a driver, it’s cheaper.
6. Eat with your right hand.
7. Bring insect repellent, and buy bug killer when you get here. The buggers are everywhere.
8. Buy your own loo roll, and take some with you everywhere. (I sound like my dad)
9. Dosa, Idly, Uthappam and Paratha are all very nice things to have for lunch or dinner. These things seem to be spelt differently everywhere that you go.
10. Carry Imodium with you wherever you go!

The Backwaters

The backwaters are a vast network of lakes and canals that link together to form a huge water logged area that stretches for hundreds of kilometres. At some of the canal junctions there were signs that pointed to towns over 60kms away. I think that the original purpose of the canals was to enable the transport of rice from the paddy fields across the region, although that job is now done by trucks.

Since before I came here I have been hoping to get a chance to visit the back waters. It is the thing to do when you visit Kerala, and I was beginning to worry that I would not get the chance.

Thankfully Sajay had heard me saying that I really wanted to go, and his cousin knew someone who owned a houseboat there. So the trip was booked, and we were ready to go. The group was Sajay, Sumit and Mojo from the office, Mojo’ wife Janet, and Sajay’s cousin Sanjay.

The houseboats are either converted rice barges, or new boats made in the traditional style. The roofs of the boats are matted palm fronds, and they look fantastic when you see them all lined up on the water. I was not sure whether the boat that we had booked was going to be as impressive as the ones at Allapey, but it turned out to be even better. There were three bedrooms, each with two beds and an en-suite. The dining area at the front of the boat had large wooden dining table and chairs, and there were six armchairs around a coffee table to relax at and watch the world drift by. It really was quite luxurious. Not only that but we had a driver, a cook, and another servant to look after us for the trip.

We had the boat from about midday on Saturday until mid morning the next day, and all we had to do was drink, and watch the world go by. So that is what we did. The boat glides along at a relaxing pace, we all try to take photos of the views, and the other boats, and drink, and chat.

There is very little else to do, and it is lovely.

I was amazed to see some of the houses by the water, some no larger than a parking garage where built on the thin dyke that protects the rice paddys from the canal. Were the occupants to go for a walk, they could only go a couple of hundred meters before having to turn around. Were they to go a few meters in the other direction they’d need to be able to swim.

Although food was provided, it was suggested that we stop at one of the houses along the way to buy some freshly caught fish. There was a shack set up next to the house that contained an old chest freezer. In the freezer were the biggest fresh water prawns in the world, and some other small fish called pearl fish. The price was exhorbitant, but since the tourist boats are a captive market, they know that someone will pay. And we did, but only after we had come back later.

The boat was tied up for the night, and we were treated to an awesome sunset over the waters and palm trees. Plenty of photos of that.

The prawns were cooked for us as a snack before dinner, and they were lovely.

On of the drinks that I was told I should try is Toddy, apparently this liquor is made from some liquid extracted from coconut trees. It ferments naturally and is a local speciality. I had a glass of it, but unfortunately only got about half way through. I had hoped that after the first few mouthfuls that the taste would improve, but it didn’t. I can’t quite describe what it tasted like, the initial flavour is almost sweet, but then there is a strong aftertaste like the water that’s left over from boiling a ham. I went back to beer and left the toddy to the pro’s.

Dinner was a little bit later, a selection of breads, rice, dall, chicken curry and spiced vegetables. I really enjoyed the food, it was pretty spicy, no way that I would have been able to eat it a month ago, but it was really tasty. Then everyone else started to complain that the food was too spicy and that they couldn’t eat it. Result!!

Afterwards we continues our game of charades, which my team won comfortably.

Eventually we ran out of steam and retired to bed. I covered myself with insect repellent and got into bed. I made sure that the mosquito net was tucked in, and prayed that the mosquitoes wouldn’t find the massive holes in it.

In the morning, before the breezes picked up, the water was beautifully calm, everso peaceful. I could have sat there doing nothing forever.

Still we had to get back, there was just time to go for a swim in the water before we headed back to the berth so that they could get the boat ready for the next group.

If ever you are in the area, you have to go to the backwaters. It’ll be the most expensive trip that you’ll do, but worth it all the same.

Ponmudi

On Sunday, after a short nights sleep, we had arranged to travel to Ponmudi, a hill station about 60kms from Trivandrum.

Although the distance is not very far, the roads that lead there are very windy, bumpy and unsigned. So the journey took about 3 hours. We passed through valleys, and over rivers, winding around hillsides, and through a lot of towns and villages. The scenery was a lot different to the other parts of Kerala that I have seen. It was even more green and lush.

The traffic was a lot less than in the more populated areas, and it seemed a lot less frantic, but the buses are as psychotic as they are everywhere else.

On the way we were planning to stop at Menmutty Waterfall, where apparently you can walk along the river and climb round the falls. However these were closed for maintenance due to a land slide, s o we went to some other un-named part of the river for a swim.

There were a few other people in the water when we arrived, we clambered across the stream to a large flattish rock, and got changed to swim in the water. Actually swim is an exaggeration, as the pools in the stream were only a few meters across, but there was plenty of room to splash around and cool off.

Shibu, his friend who’s name I have forgotten, and I clambered further up the stream, to one of the other pools. There were another group of guys, about the same age as us splashing about and posing for photos just like us.

One of them came over to me with a stern look on his face, and asked me

“Where are you from?”

I told him that I was from England, wondering why the stern face.

“I support Arsenal. Highbury!!” he said

“Welcome to Kerala. This is God’s own country, enjoy.”

Then all his mates came over to pose for photos with me.

After we clambered out of the river, dried off, and went back to the car, we continued our journey to the Hill Station. There are plenty of signs that tell you how far there is to go, but not very many at junctions telling you which way to go. However we got there eventually and settled into the beer parlour for some drinks whilst they cooked us an egg curry. The curry took an ice age to arrive, so we ended up drinking quite a bit. Thankfully the view from outside was fantastic.

After eating, we made our way to the summit, not far from the beer parlour. There was not long left of the daylight, so we took as many photos as we could, tried to get echos from the valley below and generally took in the magnificence of it.

The vista spread out below was very impressive. I’m told that normally it is very misty, and so the visibility is limited, but not when I was there. The view went on for miles.

As we stood on the top peak, the skies gradually darkened, and the clouds came in below us as well as above us, it got pretty cold, by Indian standards, and we had to go home.

Varkala

On Saturday afternoon, after a nice lunchtime snooze, I went to Varkala.

I was driven by M. Shibu, who is from Varkala, and we were accompanied by Raj Kumar, Rejeev, Prashanth, and Shibu’s friend.

The journey is about 40km, the longest road journey that I had yet undertaken in India, and although I am getting used to the traffic, it still took me a little while to relax.

Before we arrived at the main town, we visited Shibu’s house, where we met his parents. We were treated to tea, cake, biscuits and bananas, his parents seemed very pleased to meet us, and I was honoured to have been invited in.

Varkala is a beach town, and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Kerala. The beach is quite wide, and the cliffs are beautiful. I think that out of the monsoon season that the beach is a lot larger, as the waters recede. Thankfully as it is not the high season, it was not too busy.

We took a stroll along the path at the foot of the cliffs and took in the fantastic views. The waters were very turbulent, I had heard that Varkala is a good surf spot, but I would suggest that during the monsoon season it is not.

The life guards weren’t letting anyone in the sea, although that did not stop one guy from trying. He looked either drunk or stoned as he passed me, he waded into the water, and very quickly got carried along the beach. He didn’t seem to notice though, even when the lifeguard blew his whistle, and shouted to him. He carried on into the sea, and tried to swim. About the same time the lifeguard ran into the water to get him. Someone obviously didn’t understand or didn’t want to be rescued, there was a small scuffle, both of them being submerged for some time by the waves, until the guy was lead out of the water. In the short time that he had been in the water he had been carried about 150m down the beach towards the rocks. Apparently several people drown here every year.

Just around the corner from the beach, although a couple of km in a car, is the helipad, which is a car park on the top of the cliff with a big H painted on it. Along the clifftop path is where most of the tourist restaurants and hotels are. We wandered along, taking in the sunset, until we arrived at the hotel Krishnatheeram. This is where we had our dinner.

The food was very nice, and pretty spicy, and the atmosphere was even better. Apart from the conversations, and the insects, the only sound was the waves on the beach below. We chatted, and ate, and debated life, death and religion for a few hours, before going for a paddle in the sea.

School Visit

On Saturday morning we all congregated outside the State Institute for the Mentally Handicapped school on the edge of Trivandrum for a ‘Social Work Outing’.
The State Institute for the Mentally Handicapped is residential care home and school, which caters mainly for children.
We were visiting to learn about the work that is done, and to meet the children.

Before we were shown around the school, there was a presentation from the lady that runs the school, in which she explained all about the work that they do, the funding that they receive, but unfortunately for me, I did not understand the language, and had to read the leaflet that was passed down.

After the introduction, we were shown into the main hall, a lot like my old school assembly hall, where the children were sat in their uniforms. They were pretty well behaved, although obviously excited to have the visitors.

Whilst the children watched cartoons projected on to the wall, I went to have a look around some of the classrooms. The educational emphasis is on providing hands on skills, so as to equip the pupils with some sort of vocation for when they leave. Classes included candle making and handicrafts. Some of the work that was done was very intricate.

Once the cartoons had finished, some of the children, and some of the Sherston staff took it in turns to sing on the stage. The children obviously really enjoyed the singing, and were very clapping along, and calling out.

It wasn’t long before the visit was over, and we left them to their more normal day. It had been an interesting morning, not only because it gave me more of an insight into the enlightened attitude towards disability in India, but also because it gave me a real appreciation of how caring the staff at Sherston are.

View from the top

One of the largest offices in the Technopark is Bhavani, its six stories high , and hundreds of people work there. Right up the top is a coffee shop called Coffee Beanz.

If ever you are in Technopark, or indeed anywhere near it, I recommend coming here. The coffee is very good, the only place so far where I have had espresso, but the real reason to come here is the view.Perched on the top of the hill, and then another 6 stories up, you can see for miles. All the way to the coast in fact.( The coast is the bit where the trees stop ) I think that I could probably see to Kovalam if I knew which way it was.

This incidentally is Nishanth, who is a very nice man. :)

Pants

I never realised how tricky it would be to do my laundry. I'm not a snob, I'd quite happily go to the laundrette, or wash my clothes in the sink and hang them up to dry, except that things don't dry in my room. The t-shirt that I wore in the sea and hung up in the rail in the bathroom was still damp a week later.

So, I thought there must be a laundry service somewhere, I don't mind paying, but I don't know who to ask. Someone had mentioned that there was a place in the TechnoMall that did laundry, so I asked how to find it. He phoned the receptionist to ask her to call the place. She couldn't get through and so asked someone else. Eventually it turns out the place has shut. The receptionist recommends that I get my stuff dry cleaned instead. Dry clean my socks?! Plus it'll take a week she says. Someone else offers me the use of their washing machine, which is very kind, but I found out that there is one downstairs that I can use if I wish. However still nowhere to dry clothes.

But wait, salvation is at hand, one of the guys staying in the same lodge as me reckons the porter in the lodge can do it for me, and dry it as well. He'll even iron my clothes for an extra fee.
"Great" I say, packing my stuff into a bag ready to give to him the next day.

In the morning just as I am about to pass the bag over, he asks if it is just shirts and trousers. "No" says I, my undies are in there too. Tut Tut, "He won't wash your undergarments."

Oh.

"Well in that case can he show me to the washing machine and I'll chuck 'em in myself.?"
"No, he washes them by hand."
Ah, now I see why he won't do my undies.

I gave my shirts to the guy, and washed the rest in a bucket.

Shirts came back beautifully pressed and folded the next morning, underwear took 3 days to dry, draped over a plastic chair directly under the full blast of the ceiling fan.

Perhaps if this Project Management stuff doesn't work out I can make a killing selling Tumble Dryers in Kerala?

The Wedding Ceremony

I set my alarm for 3.30 am, so as to have time to have a shower and walk back to the wedding hall. When I woke up, and woke Anand up, I was told that the ceremony starts at 4.30, but that we need not attend the first hour or so, as long as we are there for the tying of the cord. So we went back to sleep

When we did arrive at the ceremony it was well underway, the congregation ( if that is the right term ) were sat on the chairs in front of the stage. The ceremony taking place under a bamboo construction adorned with garlands of flower petals, candles, incense and surrounded by a crowd of onlookers. Unlike the weddings that I have attended before it was perfectly acceptable to stand on the stage and get a closer look. No one seemed in the slightest bit concerned at camera flashes, people trying to distract the groom, or telling jokes to each other.

There were many rituals performed, apparently they differ from sect to sect. When I arrived the bride and groom were washing the feet of various couples, whom I assumed to be senior relatives. There was much tossing of rice, exchange of artifacts, and prayer. I’m told that the most important part of the ceremony is when the groom ties a knot in the cord that the bride is wearing around her neck.

This was the part with the most throwing of rice, smiling and photographs, however the ceremony was to continue for some time, as there were many rituals left to perform.

The assembled congregation obviously considered the important part to be over, when I turned to look back, they had already gone through to the food hall for the wedding breakfast.

The Wedding Reception

I am not entirely clear on the traditions and beliefs that govern weddings and marriage, but one thing that I have gleaned is that the timing of the ceremony is important. The ceremony must take place at a dates and time are deemed to be ‘auspicious’, to wed at an inauspicious time is to court disaster. The auspiciousness of a certain date and time is determined by astrologers.

So the ceremony was to begin at 4.30 am on Sunday. For this reason, the reception was held on Saturday evening. I had heard that and Indian wedding is a large event, with many hundreds of people likely to be in attendance, and so there were. I am amazed that the bride and groom can possibly know this many people, but they are there nonetheless.

We had actually visited the wedding hall earlier in the day for lunch, as friends of Prakash we were more than welcome. Unfortunately for me that meant trying in vain to eat rice with my right hand whilst a small crowd gathered to watch the spectacle. J I don’t think that I did too badly, but it’s a lot harder than people make it look.

As we arrived at the venue, under the tunnel of lights and streamers, Prakash and his bride were standing on a platform by the entrance to the hall. There they are subjected to some very bright lights whilst pictures are taken with all the families and guests at the wedding. We were invited onto the platform to pose for some pictures, crikey it’s hot under those lights.

Something that I noticed after our pictures were taken was that everyone else had a very serious straight faced expression. Not me though, I’m the idiot with the big smile standing amongst all the serious people :)

Whilst we went into the hall to enjoy the wedding feast, the bride and groom remained on their platform and posed with many hundreds more people. I was thoroughly impressed that neither of them fainted from the heat, they were there for several hours.

The hall were the food is served had long lines of tables, where a very efficient system of waiters and ushers guided us to recently vacated seats, placed banana leaves on the tables, and served the multitude of different foods that comprise the feast. I can’t begin to remember the different foods that were served, but they ranged from the hot and spicy to cool and cleansing, sour, sweet, crispy, chewy nutty and bready. Finishing with ice-cream. For a short while a man stood right in front of me, staring intently at me eating. He kept calling waiters over to top up my banana leaf and glass. Thankfully my companions managed to persuade them that I had enough food, and that no-one should listen to the drunk man.

After the meal we sat outside in the courtyard, and chatted whilst Prakash continued to be photoed. We said our goodbyes and went to get some sleep before getting up early the next morning for the ceremony.