Cochin

Pilgrims Celebrating

Elephant Encounter

Canalside

Jan. 12, 2013-Not Camelot

Down the same mountain we went passing tea plantations & following workers carrying parcels on their heads.

We were barely awake & captives on the bus when Charles hit us with politics. In 1947 Pakistan was divided from India into East & West Pakistan. It was based on religion so that now East Pakistan is Bangladesh & both are Muslim. Millions of people have been massacred over the division. Over 15 million refugees have crossed the border over this issue. Kashmir is the hot button area today. Kashmir has different regions: Hindu, Muslim, & Buddhist. It was ruled by a Hindu king who wanted to be aligned with India so signed a treaty with India not Pakistan. After three wars Pakistan occupies a portion of Kashmir. Nehru signed the treaty giving them that area two days before the Indian army would have overrun it. That's one of Al Qaida's training grounds now. Today India is spending 17% of its budget for land that gets down to -20 degrees in winter. Just when things were getting better with trading goods & playing cricket matches between the two countries a Pakistani terrorist attack occurred

With all the tensions here there isn't any between Shia & Sunni Muslims. But some Muslim boys run a scheme to dupe Christian girls into marriage. Girls convert then the boy divorces her. The goal is conversion. It's politically motivated. Extreme Hindus want Christians to go to Europe & Muslims to go to Pakistan & murder them for their cause. This is by no means Camelot.

We were in tea heaven. Having been raised on a tea plantation we dubbed Charles "Charlie Chai."  The tea bushes spread over the hills like vineyards in California. Tea plantations are owned by big corporations. Tea as a beverage, also know as chai, was discovered by the Chinese around 3000 BC. The Dutch introduced it in Europe. India is the largest tea producing nation in the world. In 1835 tea was first planted in Calcutta by the British. In 1851 it was started in the South. Some bushes are 100 years old. Tea is harvested every fifteen days by hand with quantities picked varying from 80-200 pounds a day per picker.

Stopped to see a rubber tree being tapped. Not so foreign for Akronites. Rubber trees are originally from Brazil. David took photos & I returned to the bus. I was fading from the heat...again. To refresh us Charles plied us with cookies & spicy  manioc chips once we were rolling.

There was an article in the newspaper complaining about the pollution of roads & rivers by the twenty million pilgrims since there are no toilet provisions for them as they walk to the temples. We suggested that Charles invest in porta-potties. Any takers?

As we headed farther down the mountain we started seeing lovely homes. The economy was definitely improving. One town was dominated by new university buildings all painted different bright salmons, greens, & blues.  Most churches sported Stars of David for the Christmas season. Curious.

Impressing The Guide

Then the road turned into a swirling sea of humanity. Since Jan. 14th is the day the fire is lighted at the hilltop temple in the preserve where we hunted tigers yesterday, pilgrims were all converging in time for the deadline. Somehow the buses & trucks wove between the supplicants without flattening any. 

Charles told us not to take anything but hats & cameras as we scurried off the bus. We entered the melee of Hindu pilgrims going into the mosque to pay respects before continuing to their temple. Ecumenism ruled. You know it's going to be special when the guide takes his camera. Men, boys & pre-pubescent girls wore paper crowns reminiscent of Burger King crowns depicting fire & a tiger. We took photos of them  often at their request & they took photos of us.  One shopkeeper insisted that David take a picture of his wife & beautiful daughters. Bodies painted with powdered dye surrounded us & soon we were dotted with specks of what I hope is water soluble paint. People on their first pilgrimage were the ones wearing the dye, dancing & drumming.

We followed the mob into the porch around the mosque & watched them hurl coconuts into a pit as a sacrifice to the saint of the mosque. The piece d'resistance was when we were crossing a street & Charles herded us back from where we came. Yesterday we'd climbed a mountain to see an elephant from afar & here was one coming towards us. I can tell now from its lack of freckling, that this one wasn't distressed despite its shackles. It carried what looked like a palm tree in its trunk although I'm sure it was only fronds. There was a police presence (wearing masks against pollution) but the local shopkeepers  were comfortable displaying machetes as part of their wares. All in all, the hoard was amazingly peaceful.

Wet & Not So Wild

Exhausted, we walked back to our bus, our haven, & fell asleep. We were awakened by Charles alerting us that we were about to board a houseboat for our backwater cruise & lunch. The boat has two bedrooms & the deck area was set up for our meal. Private parties can rent it starting at $200/night. As I dropped my tusch into the molded plastic chair I glanced down. The tables were sitting on lovely oriental (I'm guessing Kashmiri) rugs. Ironically one of the many dishes served was fish. It was served whole. David ate it. I didn't. I don't do heads & bones.

Some of us opted to take an extreme backwater canoe excursion through the extensive canals serving as roadways here. A few people stayed behind moaning about safety & sun exposure, but I figure my dermatologist has to eat. The canoe held all who went, about thirteen. Some of the small homes lining the banks were doll-like in size, color, & tidiness. They were on narrow slices of land with canals in front & rice fields at their back door. It was worth coming back to the houseboat to eat the fried bananas that greeted us as we returned from canoeing. Unfortunately they have similar problems with water hyacinth that we do in Florida. The flower originates in South America & the Brits thought they were lovely enough to import. They're now clogging the waterways. Sometimes I forget where I am. When I looked out on the river it took a moment to realize I wasn't in Florida or the Amazon. This is India.

Romantic Coastline

Onward to Cochin. I wasn't impressed by the approach to the city. Maybe less garbage, but garbage strewn none the less. Our hotel, Killian's Boutique, is across the street from the Arabian Sea on the Malabar Coast. Sounds romantic & exotic. Wi-fi here is awful. It's free but only available at poolside. We arrived in the evening & were eaten by mosquitoes as we tried to read our mail. We'll have to be well sprayed with Deet before we try again. I'd rather pay & have it work better. One of the Toms said, "Don't give me god damned ambiance. Give me things that work." It's an oven outside. At least the A/C seems to be dong  its job.

Tomorrow we have a later start & get to drop off our dirty duds at a laundry walla avoiding the hotel prices. We'll see the synagogue & the Jewish quarter. Charles warned us not to buy silver or anything with gems there as they're know to be phony. He added that there are only eight Jews in Cochin now. Stores in the Jewish quarter are run by Moslems.

Toby

Periyar-2

Should Have Looked Here

Tiger Hunters

Jan. 11, 2013- And Tigers?

I forgot to tell you about the monkeys. We're living with them here in our treetop aerie.

We were wakened at 6AM by a phone call, not a monkey, in preparation for our trek. Thirteen of us left at 7AM & didn't return until 9:45. We walked to the national forest with Charles then were met by a guide. We had to fill out information forms listing name, address, & age. This wasn't auspicious. At least I learned we weren't the oldest. The age range was 56-78. We joked about them wanting to notify next of kin if we actually found a tiger and that was in fact the case. There's a lake in the forest & tourists can take a boat ride. Last year a boat capsized & fifty-five people were lost. They had a hard time contacting family. We joked that if a tiger got us they wouldn't have to ship a body home.

The tribes that used to live in what is now the preserve have been relocated to the outskirts but are still permitted to hunt there. Hope they have better luck than we did. Due to the increased population during pilgrimage season the animals have pulled farther into the interior & are harder to find.

Our first sighting was a giant squirrel. Really? It was very, big but it was a squirrel. They'd have to do better than that. The next was a barking deer. We live with deer all the time & even have barking deer at the Akron zoo. Then we were led to a killer ficus. Now that was impressive since I could never keep a ficus alive long enough for it to grow larger than a short shrub.

Ah! Elephant dung was spotted! It was fresh! It was ripe! We were hopeful. I didn't know that elephants being the humongous beasts they are were capable of moving up a mountainside hardly disturbing the foliage. We were hot on their trail & I'm sure we were doing more damage than they as we climbed the literally slippery slope to their feeding area.  We were cautioned to be quiet even though we lumbered upward crunching leaves & twigs. And then a cell phone rang.

At last. There they were. The guide was very pleased with himself as he pointed yet upward where the herd grazed. We didn't see them. It took a while with lots of pointing & gesticulating for us to realize that the large grayish brown boulders at the hilltop were indeed elephants. It was easier when they started moving about & someone would excitedly point out a trunk or tail. That was it. No tiger. We headed down lots faster than we went up. We were eager for breakfast & our massage.

Sublime Torture

So the massage wasn't what we were expecting. We were asked to take all our clothing off. No fooling around with modesty here. And no male on female or vice versa massages. I was given what amounted to a diaper-like loin cloth to wear. Fortunately it was made of paper like doctors use & was disposable. Shades of Depends to come? It was held in front of me whereupon she tied it around my waist. A long strip of the paper fabric was hanging almost to the floor. She went behind me, reached between my legs, & pulled the hanging paper up the back & tucked it into the waist tie. David opted out of his. I was seated on a stool where the first part of the oiling & boiling took place. She kneaded & mushed away & then it was time for the table. The first thing I noticed was there was no well in which to rest my head when on my stomach. It was uncomfortable & she was determined to de-stress my shoulder. As she worked along my spine she kept asking if it hurt. At one point it did. She just said, "Very boney." At last she cracked my back & turned me over. A shower & shampooing was included. Fortunately I  got to do that myself. Of course she was right there in her ivory & gold silk sari handing me shampoo & bath gel. All this for $20 plus a $2 tip.

We skipped the afternoon cooking class & elephant ride & walked into town to shop. Didn't buy much but it was fun watching the activity.

The late afternoon was a planned visit to a spice plantation. We took an educational stroll with the owner as he explained the medicinal & food value of each spice. We got to smell & taste some leaves & spices. The cinnamon leaf was remarkably tasty. Just like chewing gum.

The best part of the trip was watching twenty people line up & pile into a jeep. They're day workers from Tamil Nadu & travel fifteen miles daily each way like sardines, Believe me a fifteen mlle drive here takes an hour or more.

Sabbath Rest

It was Shabbat tonight so we invited anyone who wanted to join us to meet at 6:30PM. Tom, the Lutheran minister, agreed to participate. We had my battery run Shabbat candles, wine in the plastic bottle we'd bought along the way, & a stale croissant from yesterday's breakfast. It was very lovely & Tom gave a short speech about our commonalities. Charles was quite moved as he'd never participated in a Jewish Sabbath & Kayo, the Japanese woman, reminded us that she'd spent years with a Jewish family as a nanny.

We head out early tomorrow for Cochin. It's a long drive & we won't arrive until 6PM. Cochin was a haven for Jews after the destruction of the Second Temple. It has the oldest synagogue, mosque, & Christian church in India. Vasco de Gama arrived in 1495 having figured out a shorter route to India than Columbus did. At least de Gama found it & the rich spices. People are still thriving in Cochin where the average life span for women is 88 & 85 for men.

Toby

Periyar

Naga (cobra) Temple

Beauty at the Market

Cardamom County Resort

Jan. 10, 2013- Night Sights

Another one bites the dust. Constipation was the cause. All her potions didn't work & she was in real distress. Charles had the hotel call the doctor. He was there in ten minutes & worked his magic. The cost was $16. The woman who was in the air force & who saw a doctor earlier paid $15 but isn't doing so well. Whatever she has isn't heatstroke. It's something she had before & I think they're arranging for a flight home from Cochin.

Last night we experienced rush hour in India at street level riding in tuk tuks instead of above it all in our bus. I had full confidence that the drivers knew what they were doing. Anyone driving like that in the U.S. would be thought to be drunk. My faith was shattered when I realized our driver had gone the wrong way on a divided street. As the headlights of oncoming traffic bore down on us he managed to swerve & reach his goal to arrive at our destination before the other tuk tuks. There are minor accidents & we did see two motorcycles bump fenders. There was no road rage. They just repositioned their bikes & moved on. For some reason there were suicidal traffic police posted at intersections vainly trying to make a difference.

We were headed into town to see the night ceremony at the temple. Every night the idol of Shiva is carried to his wife's idol to have a "conjugal" visit. Last night was special in that a family paid to have the idol carried on a golden chariot in celebration of a special occasion. Yes, this was the barefoot temple again. I dealt with it in style. The floors are stone, swept, though dusty, & animals aren't permitted. Birds are the exception so droppings are to be avoided.

There was a long delay since the priest was held up in traffic but once he arrived things went quickly. This is unlike Varanasi where the night ceremony is full of color, fire, & pomp. The chariot here was hooked up to a large green generator so the electric lights would work. Said generator was then shlepped along behind the chariot as the family members pushed & pulled the entire assemblage through the temple corridors. Somewhere a band found us & we were off.

Charles was obsessed with giving us unusual experiences & kept asking if we wanted to do this then that. We were game so our next stop was an almond milk stand. Frothy boiled milk was infused with almonds & sweetener then poured from one brass container to another with much steam & ceremony until it was cool enough to drink. It was served in tall glasses & we all imbibed. It was delicious. So far no ill results.

We moved on to a "bakery" specializing in dosa. We didn't eat the bread but watched them make it & tasted one of the fillings. It was a combination of eggs, onions, shredded naan, & veggies sautéed on the grill where the dosa is made. Charles had them leave out the hot chili curry but it was delicious all the same. We were given small banana leaves to hold out while the concoction was spooned into it.

There is a lot of smoking here, but it's not tradition to smoke in front of people. It's a sign of respect not to smoke in front of others especially if you know they don't approve. For example, Charles' brother would never smoke in front of his parents. To set an example for the children, drinking isn't done at home either. I think he was talking about upper class behavior because he then said that thirty per cent of youth are addicted to alcohol & I've now noticed people in villages smoking.

Daylight Diversions

This morning we came to a roadblock due to a pilgrimage & our driver tried to bribe the police so we could go through an interesting town. It didn't work. We took an alternate route & were able to see the pilgrims' goal, an enormous rock monolith where the temple was situated. Hundreds of steps led up to the summit with many pavilions to rest along the way.

A roadside termite mound drew us out of the bus. It was a temple where the cobra was worshipped. The cobra is one of four venomous snakes in India where there are 256 varieties of snakes. The cobra is a symbol of fertility & it seems to be working for the monkeys living nearby. While we were there four very old women arrived to pray. Charles assured us they were praying for their families, not for themselves.

With down time on the bus, Charles returned to the subject of marriage. The official marriage age is eighteen for girls & twenty-one for boys. Since 2009, marriages have to be registered. Muslims, Hindus, & Christians all have arranged marriages. Once arranged & agreed upon, the couple may not live together. Hindus consult the calendar for auspicious days & times, usually very early in the morning. The couple may never be  alone together before marriage but can socialize when others are present. Marriage is between two families. Sometimes a thousand or more people are invited. The couples' university degrees are listed next to their names on the invitation. The bride's family pays unless there's another reception in the boy's community. The cost of weddings is one reason girls are liabilities.  In a recent high profile Bollywood wedding there were 10,000 guests. The family also invited 140,000 poor people & paid for 101 poor people to be married also giving them cash gifts.

If one of the couple changes his or her mind after betrothal the wedding is stopped. If it occurs as late as the time of the ceremony, compensation is paid to the other family for expenses incurred. Intermarriage is a problem but there is civil marriage. People who are unmarried find it hard to fit in & mostly still live at home. There is still the problem of some parents killing their child if Dalit marry non-Dalit.

Giving a dowry is now illegal but it's still done. Bride burning is a result of the dowry system & a severe offense but it occurs. It's like a family business. More & more money is asked for & if it's not forthcoming they burn the bride. They then move on to the next marriage arrangement & another dowry.

Of course there was another market stop. Each is similar but different enough to be interesting. People were anxious for us to take their pictures & one man in particular got David's attention & mimed what he wanted. He finger-combed his hair, lowered his longhi to its full length, preened, smiled, & posed. He seemed to be quite pleased with the results when shown. As we walked  on I spotted a barrel of multi-colored pasta shaped like Stars of David & we bought some. Most of the products should have signs in English saying "Eat me & die."

Back on the bus! We slowed by a village temple where people, probably pilgrims, were enjoying a free picnic lunch. I'm telling you South Indians are the friendliest people we've met anywhere. They waved & beckoned for us to join them. We didn't but if not for fear of intestinal disaster I think we would have.

Moving right along we stopped at a roadside brick factory. While we've seen the process before it's always interesting to see how hard the people work. These were hand made & wood fired. Charles elaborated on the subject of salary & minimum wage. In Tamil Nadu minimum wage is $3/day while in the state of Kerala it's $5. Kerala is heavily influenced by the Communist party. Entry level government jobs are usually $200/month plus bribes; university professors get $500-2000/month; IT workers employed by private businesses can make from $2000-10,000/month. For those who go overseas the sky is the limit. Most taxes (30-60%) are indirect while only 8% of the people pay income tax.

We were pooped after lunch & no one wanted to get off the bus to take pictures of mourners taking offerings into the river nor did we want to see sugar cane being grown, processed, or sold. Ultimately we fell asleep.

Climbing The Heights

When I woke the topography had changed as we headed toward the state of Kerala & our hotel at an altitude of 3500 feet. Kerala is generally cleaner than other parts of India but we were warned that the pilgrims leave a mess. This is the area where Charles was born. Malayalam, an offshoot of Tamil, is the language of this state.

The switch-back road up the mountain added a dimension of excitement as buses passed each other & trucks vied for their fare share. Then it all came to a halt. A truck had rear-ended a bus inflicting minimal damage & the drivers were on the road negotiating a settlement.

We finally pulled into the town of Periyar & up to the Cardamom County Resort. Built on the side of the mountain it looks like something out of a travel brochure. Rooms are situated overlooking the pool & each has a lanai. The public areas are open air & sprawl throughout the facility. Bougainvillea vines creep over rooftops in various colors & it's hard to decide whether to get a drink or have a massage. Why not both?

As we'd pulled into town a young man at a stand was making banana chips cooked in coconut oil. He had a mandolin & was shaving the banana slices into the oil. When he saw us watching he kept moving farther & farther from the oil kettle until banana pieces were flying through the air. After we settled into our room we walked into town for an ATM & bought chips from him.

Charles arranged for a dance performance before dinner. A brother & sister (ages 14 & 16) did traditional dances from Kerala. They were stupendous. She was an award winning dancer & the intricacies and grace of the choreography emphasized the story telling quality. Her eyes alone, an integral part of the dance, were worth the show.

This was the best dinner we've had so far. I'm already looking forward to breakfast but that will be delayed a bit. Tomorrow we start with a 7AM jungle trek in hopes of seeing elephants, leopards, or tigers, oh my.. Breakfast is when we return unless we become breakfast.

Toby

Madurai-2

Meenakshi Temple

Pedicab Ride

Jan. 9, 2013- On A Dark, Not Stormy, Night

I know it's India. I know there are frequent blackouts here. I know there are more blackouts here than in other cities. I know that nighttime blackouts make David's CPAP machine turn off then on. I did not know I'd be affected by blackouts at night.

I was asleep. The room was dark. So what if we lost power for a few minutes...more like seconds? WRONG! At this hotel with it's techno touch pad electrical system, when there's a power failure then the electricity returns, ALL lights in the rooms go on even if they'd been turned OFF. That includes 4:30 AM. We were soundly sleeping when this happened. We just looked at each, got the giggles, & switched the lights off....again. We were so privileged to have this modern Indian moment because we were in the renovated rooms. Those rooms not yet brought up to the 21st century don't provide the full experience.

The beauty of traveling with strangers is they haven't heard our old travel tales & lifetime of anecdotes. They don't know about our careers, triumphs, & the glitches of our lives. Do the math. Most of us are over sixty-five. Multiply this by sixteen in the group & you have an endless variety of fascinating conversation, tall tales, & humor.

Comfor & Other Zones

Madurai is the seat of Dravidian culture & we were primed for our visit to the Meenakshi Temple today. The building itself takes up fifteen acres &, as all temples of its ilk, serves as a community center. Located mid-town it provides a mercantile & social center as well as cares for the spiritual needs of the people. Started in the 5th century, building continued through the 17th. Talk about a capital building project.

We had to remove shoes & socks for this visit. It was beyond my comfort level but I complied. We'd been prepared in advance & brought sanitizing wipes from home.  The temple is dedicated to Shiva & Parveti. The tale is that a king had a daughter who was born with three breasts. He was distraught until a wise person told him the third breast would disappear when she met her true love. Wouldn't you know it was the god Shiva who filled the bill.

A museum is part of the temple complex & we were set free for ten minutes to see the entire thing. It was more than enough time. That was followed by a much too long visit to a rug store where they sold Kashmiri knotted (rather than loomed) rugs. I'm semi interested in something maybe for our entry hall but they don't understand “maybe” here. The salesman followed me to the rest room asking all the time if I'd like another color or size or didn't I like rugs at all?

By that time I was feeling punk. I was sleep deprived after the sunrise "light" display, my stomach was threatening to revolt, & the heat was getting to me again. Our next stop was a lame palace museum.At least that’s what I was told by those who went. I stayed on the bus & napped.

I revived at lunch which was at a very plain restaurant catering to tour groups & Indians alike. The starters were fish sticks, chicken tenders, & french fries. When I saw ketchup on the table I dug in. Indian fare followed & now Charles has David's number. He shares his food with him. David said what Charles eats is not oppressively spicy & has real flavor. We both got heartburn.

Our afternoon activity was a forty-five minute pedi-cab (pedal rickshaw) ride through the back streets of Madurai. We each had our own rickshaw as two people would be too heavy for one man to pedal. The area was like an outdoor drive-thru Super Walmart & Home Depot combined. Streets were categorized by the products sold & it wasn't uncommon to find cows being milked outside hardware stores. I've noticed that if Indians smoke they don't do it in public & I have yet to see cigarettes for sale at any of the stands we've come upon.  At one point Charles came up beside our procession on the back of the motor bike driven by the owner of the pedi-cab concession. We were in such tight formation as all modes of traffic & pedestrians swarmed around us that my cab gently rear-ended the one in front. No hard feelings. A festival was about to begin & we plowed through a crowd of sari-clad women & police as we played follow-the-leader back to the cab stand.  Police here are unarmed. As usual people waved & smiled. We were definitely the show.

There's a night ceremony back at the temple but I'll send this now on the unreliable wi-fi so we don't have to pay another day's fee. I'll catch you up tomorrow.

Toby

Madurai

Village Deities

Raj & Family

Mansion House

Batik

Jan. 8, 2013-Who’s Who

Here's an update on the group. Now we know what happens when someone on the trip gets sick. Charlotte, the Air Force retiree & horse owner, was laid low by the heat when she skipped the first optional temple tour & chose to stay at the resort. She overdid poolside & beach sunning & has heat stroke. A doctor was called to the hotel this morning. He checked her vital signs which were ok. He recommended hydration & rest. She traveled by highway in a taxi to our next hotel & arrived in three hours. She rested today while we took ten hours to travel the same distance on rural roads. I almost offered to accompany her.

Nam, the Vietnamese waiter, has a cold.

Dan from Wisconsin makes documentaries  & has won awards. Years ago when fetal alcohol syndrome was first being recognized, he did a film on its effects on the impulse center of the brain.

Kayo was born in Tokyo. She came to the US at 21 years old, got her cosmetology license, & traveled for Redkin for many years. She decided she wanted to work with internal rather than exterior beauty & now does massage, reflexology, & acupressure. She's the one who's taken thirty-six OAT trips in five years.

Casting Call

In our down time on the bus Charles elaborated on the caste system. The term originated with the Portuguese & their word casto meaning pure. As I mentioned before it started after the arrival of Hindu Aryans around 2000 BC & is  based on skin color.

Brahmans were the only literate group & they interpreted the caste system to their advantage by exploiting the lower castes. This included the requirement of lowest caste men sending their new wife to a Brahman  home to spend her "wedding" night with the male head of that household. The lowest class had to carry a drum as the dancers did last night so others would keep far enough away that even their shadows wouldn't overlap. The intense inequality was an impetus for the birth of Buddhism & Jainism. A draw to Christianity & Islam was also equal treatment. Mahatma Gandhi brought legislative change. Born of a Brahman family he went to South Africa & was a barrister. There he learned what it was to be treated as a third class citizen under apartheid He returned to India & wanted to eradicate the caste system.

Untouchables, now called Dalit, were not allowed to wear shoes or upper garments. Gandhi dressed like the untouchables & that's why he's seen shirtless. He appointed a Dalit who'd been educated by the king as Minister of Justice. Dalit are  sometimes identified by name, also community ID certificates list caste & religion. In their version of affirmative action people have to list caste when applying to university. Places are available by caste & exam. When caste positions are filled competitive exams are held for the remaining places. It's easier for Dalit to get into a good university & a job is thought to be guaranteed in America.  Brahman boys can't get good jobs here in IT so want to go to the U.S. as well, Charles' son included. He's now studying to improve his English.

ID cards with caste are attached to voter registration forms. The former president of India & governor of Chennai used the system to rise in society even though from  the Dalit caste. With the Dalit becoming more educated there's a problem finding people to do menial jobs. Maybe that's why trash pick up is inefficient & toilets are dirty.

What has happened in present times is a form of reverse discrimination. Inter-caste marriage is promoted. Businesses can't discriminate or a suit will be filed. What  became a protected class, the Dalit, in some instances exploit the law. But the old caste system is still practiced in the countryside. Recently a Dalit girl married an upper class boy. The girl refused to obey his family so her father killed himself from shame. The non-Dalit in the town were envious of government subsidies given to Dalit & were waiting for an excuse to get revenge. Using the girl’s refusal to obey her husband’s upper class family as that excuse, they destroyed the entire Dalit community. The Supreme Court jailed the men of the upper class & re-instated the Dalit.

Children of inter-caste marriages go with the father's caste unless the mother is Dalit. Then it might be advantageous to choose to be Dalit & get extra benefits. Parents ultimately decide. No matter the caste, fair skin is preferred. It's seen in ads & boys find fair skinned girls more attractive. It's an aesthetic rather than racial discrimination.

When Indians convert to Christianity they lose their Dalit status & its modern day benefits. Charles grandfather was Dalit until he converted. Converts to Buddhism keep their benefits.  I asked what Indians thought of Obama & Charles said they celebrated his second election. They loved it when he & Michelle went to a Mumbai slum & danced with Dalit kids.

Pit & Other Stops

Our first stop was to see cashews being fried & shelled. We're used to raw cashews & I found these tasteless. Evidently the shell of the nut has toxic oil that has to be cooked off before they're opened. Raw cashews are shelled by machines. We then saw the

cashew palms. Didn't know they grew on palms. It was a drive by. We're getting more discriminating & didn't get off the bus to see rice drying at the next photo stop.

When asked if anyone needed a bush pit stop David stepped off the bus to use the  "facilities." I asked him to give me the camera but he knew what I was up to. No photo to follow.

The temple stop of the day was at a primitive (as if they're not all) place where ancient Dravidian animism was still practiced. There's animal sacrifice & ritual body piercing with sticks during festivals. The path leading to the altar was lined with brightly painted crumbling ceramic horses since this temple god rides a horse. Monkeys ran about & left their calling cards on horses & ground alike.  Charles said the altars in the ancient religions are established by placing a rock, anointing it, & declaring it as a holy place. It was much as Jacob did when he left Laben's home (the father-in-law who screwed him) & took the household idols with him establishing his holy place where he settled.

Another roadside attraction was a stop to see tile made by hand. We  hope to re-do a bathroom this year & were tempted to buy just one of the exquisite tiles but again it was too heavy to get past airport regulations.

Our next site was the Chidambara palaces. Most are over 100 years old & have from 40-110 rooms. Teakwood from Burma & tiles made the way we'd seen demonstrated were used extensively to cover walls, ceilings, & floors. Why are they there, you wonder (or not)? In 1893 a tsunami devastated Southeast Asia. Bankers & diamond merchants from the region wanted to move inland far from the sea & decided on this part of the world.  Being very competitive they tried to build their houses at least one centimeter larger than their neighbors. Most of the 5,000 houses in the area are abandoned now. The one we visited has been turned into a boutique hotel where it's  un-air-conditioned rooms rent for $300/night.

Lunch was at a place called Bangala. It has come into our language as the word bungalow. Fabulous food served on a banana leaf. There was mango three ways:pickled, spicy chutney, & milder chutney. David dared try the spicy with no ill effect. At the end of the meal they just rolled up the leaf & carried it away. Raj, our driver, is from the village where we'd stopped. We met his family & of course took photos. His wife is stunning & his three (oy) daughters ages 10, 9, & 5 are adorable. We told him it was a good thing they looked like his wife. The youngest wouldn't come over at first & was in tears. It's amazing the international power of peek-a-boo. After I demonstrated the game she began to wave at us.

Marriage & More Stops

The on-bus lecture continued. Seventy-five per cent of marriages are still arranged, not forced. Children can refuse. Child marriage is against the law, but still occurs.  If discovered, the girl is removed to a government home until she's eighteen. Divorce is 5% in arranged marriages. When not arranged it's 50% in the first year. To augment family contacts, friends, & marriage brokers, they now use matrimonial ads in Sunday newspapers & on line web sites to search for mates.  They categorize by caste, religion, profession, physical condition, & language among others. Hindus are particular about the couple's horoscope matching. Resumes are reviewed, home visits are made, agreements are reached. It's a long process.

And another stop! This time we went to a Dalit village where batik making is the main livelihood. We watched the process & even bought one though we don't know what we'll do with it. All except the newer houses were identical & built by the government. They were two rooms built of brick covered with stucco. The newer ones are mandated to be built with attached toilets & solar panels for heating water. When we left it had begun to drizzle & was cooling off. We got back on the bus & I napped a bit as Charles read marriage ads.

We still had two hours before we got to our hotel in Madurai. It's another Sangam Hotel. This hotel seemed to be slightly less in quality than the last, but they charge for wi-fi here so we're hopeful it will stay connected. The problem was logging on in the first place. David carried the IPad to the desk & they called their IT man for help. Our room is nicer than the last with touch pad controls for lights. The problem was we couldn't find our room. We're in #203 so we pressed the 2nd floor in the elevator. When we got out all the rooms were in the 300's. We got back into the elevator & headed down one level. It was tempting to pick up the emergency phone in the elevator to call for help finding our room. Sure enough it's on floor 1. When we got to the room David wanted to take a nap but had to set the alarm in case I fell asleep. The alarm needed a new battery & it took him almost until the time we had to leave for dinner to find the extra battery, find the tiny screwdriver to open the alarm, realize the screwdriver wouldn't work, use his nail clipper & fingernail to do the job, & change batteries. The joys of moving every other day.

Dinner was on our own. We ate with some of the group in the hotel restaurant. Just soup & naan tonight. Lunch was adequate until tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow we see more temples & stay another night. I haven't broken down & done laundry yet except for the smelly shirt I've been wearing for sun protection. I'm holding out for Cochin as far as undies go. You know how I feel about stiff line dried underwear.

Toby

Thanjavur-2

Elephant Blessing

Linga

Orphanage

Jan. 7, 2013-Temple Number ...

A correction: we're in the state of Tamil Nadu. Information:Charles can't drink the water here anymore. When he started guiding he began to drink bottled water along with the tourists & lost his immunity. Warning: Blackouts aren't good if you're in an elevator. It hasn't happened to us but we've been using the stairs at this hotel. Revelation: American tourists aren't the only ones complaining about the toilets here. A major article in the paper today dealt with a rebellion over inadequate, unsafe, & filthy toilets at a girls' school. Reality: Getting dumped from wi-fi with astounding frequency is independent of blackouts. Learning: knocking on the door of the bus does no good if it's British drive & the entry steps are on the other side.

Today started with a trip to the Brahadeeswarar Temple, also know as the Big Temple. Makes directional signage easier. Covering thirty-five acres, it's a World Heritage UNESCO site & still in use. Because of its status we were allowed to go all the way into the "inner sanctum" (containing the 45x30 foot linga) & be blessed by the priest. If anyone's interested there's a shortage of priests. The study period is six years but you do have to be a Brahman. Priests can marry but parents don't want their sons to go into that profession anymore. They prefer them to be engineers or doctors.

But the most thrilling blessing was done by a fifty-six year old elephant. They can live into their 70's in captivity. We held out a ten rupee bill & she took it in her trunk. Then she placed her trunk on our heads for a blessing. I kept my hat on since there was a bit of leakage from her appendage. Charles pointed out that her loss of pigmentation & "freckling" was due to stress. Made me sad. But they do try to mitigate the stress. All temple elephants are sent to respite camp for forty-five days each year. Elephants are about to become protected Heritage animals & the older ones won't be replaced.

As we approached the temple grounds we noticed a similarity to Angkor Watt. It's an 11th century temple built by the Chola King. That was our "duh" moment. Angkor Watt was built by that same king. The red granite structure is dominated by a 216 foot high tower topped by an eighty ton dome. There were no temples in the area until the 8th century & it is thought the design was based on the Temple in Jerusalem. Guess there were tourists back then too. We also saw the influence of the Temple of Knossos in the huge statute of a bull commanding center stage in the courtyard. The inner walls were decorated with frescos dating from the 17-18th centuries & along those walls were 234 linga all facing the Himalayans, the source of the holy Ganges.

We followed the temple visit with the Museum of Chola bronze. It's housed in a palace of Indo-Mogul design dating from the 9th century. The royal family still lives there but you wouldn't know it from the condition. The bronze icons all looked alike to me after awhile so we climbed the steps to the "tower" to see the whale skeleton. Why it was there I don't know. We were greeted by a tiny old woman who "guided" us to the best viewing spot. Yes, it was a ninety-two foot skeleton but most of it was behind a wall. The woman obviously wanted a tip & pointed to the varicose veins on her legs saying "three babies." I commiserated as I raised my pants legs & displayed my own collection, but we did tip her.

For some reason (commerce) our fearless leader thought we'd want to see a bronze casting studio on a blistering hot day. We obediently followed. It was interesting in that each figure is unique & they still make them the way they made the statues we'd seen in the museum. They hand carve wax in the shape of the statue then cover the wax with clay. The clay is placed in an oven where the wax melts & is poured out of the clay. Then molten bronze is poured into the clay & hardened. The clay mold is broken to get to the statue so no two are identical. There was a place to buy the products but they were so heavy most of us were concerned about luggage weight.

Lunch was back at the hotel. We weren't looking forward to it given last night's dinner, but it was fairly good. The soup was made from a vegetable called "drumstick." I have no idea what it is in our part of the world but it was OK. There was a lentil fried ball similar to falafel served with coconut chutney. Dessert was mango ice-cream with lychees. I ate mine & David's. He's allergic to mango.

Touchable or Not

The afternoon visit to the orphanage was emotional for me. The children are from 5-17 years old. Before that age newborns to age two are called "cradle babies." There are cribs in hospitals where parents may leave young children they can't care for. The children stay at the hospital until they're two then move on to a community center  called a creche until they're five. Adoption agencies & orphanages are separate. Potential parents aren't given the pick of just anyone in the facility. They're given two choices within their parameters after being screened by the agency.

As we bounced along the road to the orphanage we were flagged down by some young middle school boys returning to the facility after their school day. We gladly gave them a ride.

The place we visited was what we'd call deplorable but what they see as a refuge. Children at this orphanage are classified as full orphans if they have neither parent or semi-orphans if they have a living parent who can't care for them. There are also children with both parents living who aren't able to care for them. The buildings are basic & there are only three toilets for all 200 children. I guess that's a better ratio than we had at the end of our Air India flight. There is also a senior retirement home on the grounds. Abandoned seniors is rare in this culture but these people have no one to care for them. The seniors interact with the children & provide a semblance of "family" by story telling & teaching them morality.

The schoolhouse is one large open air room with a concrete floor. Rural schools have no electricity. Grades 1-5 are scattered around the space by grade. Children sit on the floor & are free to write on the low level blackboards while larger, higher ones are available for the teacher. The children are taught English as a second language & recited exercises for us. They told us their names & the names of their parents. They are taught who their parents were because throughout their lives they'll need that information to fill out all kinds of forms.

We'd brought some gifts from home, books, t-shirts, etc. & gave them to the housemothers. There is one housemother for each twenty-five children. Some of the housemothers & teachers formerly lived there as orphans themselves. We then visited the dining hall which doubles as the boys' dorm at night. There was no need to store beds or provide tables since eating & sleeping is done on the floor. At night they sleep on mats. Another recitation took place & we were allowed to mingle.

All the children asked us the same questions: “what is your name? what is your favorite color? what is your work?” I was involved in a counting game/dance & was constantly being swapped out with a new group. The children seemed small to us especially the 15-16 year old girls seemed undeveloped but all had gleaming teeth and bright smiles. They seem very happy. I hope they are. There was a solicitation afterwards. The Grand Circle Foundation is gathering funds to build adequate toilet facilities.

Before dinner Charles had a surprise for us. He invited a group of Tamil dancers & drummers to perform. They're all of the untouchable caste but he couldn't introduce them as such. There's even PC here & one of the high up government official is technically an untouchable. The show was definitely cacophonous. One man played a drum, another bleated out what could have been jazz on what might pass for a clarinet.  The six female dancers were all armed with drums which they beat incessantly. There was fast footwork, acrobatics, & knee bends that would put a Cossack to shame. It was singularly ungraceful & unfeminine non-stop movement for a half hour. The spread eagle stance reminded me of the new gangnam dance style out of Korea. We learned afterwards that this was traditionally a male dance, thus the style. As they introduced themselves we were told that at least three were university students majoring in math, physics, & biology, & one was the mother of a six month old. What a way to get back in shape.

Tomorrow we have another long bus ride this time to Madurai with stops along the way.

Toby

Thanjavur

Fishing Village

Chalk Drawing Outside Home

Fighting Turkeys

Taking a Holy Dip in a Tank

Jan. 6, 2013-Fishing Village

When the guide says, "I've never seen anything like that," you know it's quite a spectacle. As we left Pondicheri we began to follow a seemingly endless moving human rainbow of pilgrims walking (some barefoot) to a temple three miles away. Our luck, it's a once a year occurrence. For their dedication the faithful receive a blessing at the temple & are given a commemorative calendar.

We're headed to Thanjavur, the Rice Bowl of the region. It will be a 10-12 hour trip depending on stops along the way. Charles is into spontaneity & we are prepared for photo ops as he sees fit.  We even stopped for "bulla carts." That translates as a cart pulled by bulls (oxen) They're steered by ropes through their noses & I asked how old the bulls were when the noses were pierced. It's done around age two. They're also castrated. That's why those huge beasts with killer horns are so docile. Un-castrated bulls are donated to the temple.

A fishing village was on our schedule & it was a treat to mingle with the ever smiling people all of whom wanted to be photographed. Key is letting them see their picture afterwards. What did they do before digital cameras? Charles told us NOT to pay them. It is tourists who create the expectation for money leading to discomforting situations where tourists are surrounded by aggressive beggars. Poverty is evident but everyone has an ID card issued by the government. {eople below the poverty line are given ration cards so they can get free food. Begging in these parts isn’t the norm.

As we walked through the village towards the beach we passed a primary school. It's required to have one such school every three kilometers. Education is free & compulsory to age fourteen. Several people in the village are paying to send their children to universities where they'll be the first generation in the family to reach that level of education

We reached the beach as the fishing boats were coming in. They're now using fiberglass boats provided by the government after the tsunami wiped them out. Charles cautioned us to watch our step on the sand as there might be human excrement there. He did a shoe inspection before we boarded the bus. Sure enough David had to go to the shoe wash (just a spigot) & be supervised while he rid himself of the "crap." As we were leaving we stopped at a house to watch a mother & daughter create the beautifully colorful holy design at their doorstep. They use chalk dust in much the same way as a Buddhist mandala is made dripping the chalk from their hands held over the ground as a design appears as if by magic. We also learned a secret to the care & maintenance of the exquisite Indian women's hair. The younger woman told us she used coconut oil & hibiscus to keep her hair clean & shiny.

Part of the countryside through which we drove was very remote but we passed a couple of new looking modern medical centers. It was encouraging to see.

About Charles & India Today

Since we had a long ride Charles filled us in on personal information. He was born on a tea plantation in Kerala & was used to the sometimes cold climate at 7-8,00 ft elevation.  He said that monsoons were a nightmare & often dumped 1,000 inches of rain in the season.His parents were 4th generation Anglican & he's the youngest of seven siblings. Nine were born but two died. His father managed the plantation & his mother picked tea. After primary school Charles went to boarding school free.

He dropped out of school for a year during which time his parents had him take care of their cows & collect wood for the family. After a year of that he returned to school. He's the only one of his family to go to university. He graduated with a BA in history & in his student days he lived in a hostel & slept on the floor. He was a hundred miles from home & missed his family terribly.

He continued his education when he moved to Chennai & lived with an uncle for post graduate training in tourist travel. He obtained a scholarship, studied French & English & graduated with distinction.

This is his 25th year as guide. He's been with OAT since 2009. He's forty-eight years old. He married at twenty-eight & although it wasn't an arranged marriage, the family had to approve. His wife taught primary school at a convent & due to the meager salary chose to stay home after marriage. His wife had been Catholic but is now Protestant.  They have one son who is eighteen & is studying engineering & computer science. He calls his son daily to ask if he's read the Bible that day & if he went to church. Quite the helicopter dad.

It was their choice to have only one child. In 1970 Indira Ghandi introduced family planning. Now there's  a shortage of females. Even though they're the ones who care for parents they still cost a dowry when they marry. Scans were used to determine the sex of a baby but since the shortage of girls the government has banned such scans. Now the government pays an incentive for girls. Most of the problem is in the north where there are 1000 boys to 700 girls. There the men pay a dowry.

Although it's a male dominated society they've had a female president. Now there's a 30% requirement in Parliament for females. There are some elections only women can run in. The rape in Delhi had more press coverage in the North than South. Sex offenses are reported in the press but sex isn't generally discussed. There's an attempt to introduce more sex education in a country where the sexes are segregated in school & men don't look directly into the eyes of a woman. Charles' son is in a co-ed school now but is still expected not to make eye contact with women. Even married couples are discouraged from sitting next to each other in public & shouldn't hold hands. And this is the country that has an erotic temple & the Kama Sutra. Here culture trumps freedom.  Hidden things create mystery & some interpret it as making women off limits & more exotic. Rape is a vicious crime of violence & no excuses are made for it.

Homosexuality is still illegal & it's common for families to disown gay children. But help might be on the way. The Supreme Court will be ruling on the legality soon. The GLBT movement is in its infancy here.  Transgender people aren't "accepted" but are invited to parties to perform. In the North it's thought they bring good luck to  the family. Not so in the South. In April in Tamil Naru the state where we've been, there's a major celebration & transgender festival. There are a few noted trans people in India. One is an engineer & one an actor.

There's a big HIV problem with three million infected. There's a move to promote condoms & they're provided for sex workers. The infection rate has been reduced. Prostitution is  illegal but some areas like one in Mumbai are licensed.

On to another Indian phenomenon, the caste system. This class system was  introduced after the arrival of the Aryan tribes around 2000BC & is based on skin color.  Originally there were four categories. Brahmins were the highest & intellectuals. They were said to come out of the head of Brahma. The second caste came out of the shoulder of Brahma & were warriors. The third class came from the stomach of Brahama & comprised the business community. The fourth was from the legs of Brahama & were menial laborers. Eventually it evolved that due to what was seen to be the "unclean" nature of their work, some in the fourth caste became untouchables.  They were workers who, for example, collected trash.  Any society has discrimination but Hindus used the caste system as a caveat to be a good human being so in the next life you'd be rewarded by being re-born into a higher caste. Now there are 4500 sub-castes. I guess they thought more is better. Sometimes caste is part of a family name but it's hard to tell now. As far as the priesthood goes all priests are Brahmans but not all Brahmans are priests.

We stopped at a local market to buy vegetables as we made our way to lunch . Tomorrow we're stopping at an orphanage supported by OAT & Grand Circle Tours. At the one we'll visit there are 150 girls & 120 boys. There's a primary school on site shared with villagers. The older children go to secondary school in the village. The OAT/Grand Circle Foundation gets $10 from each tour booked & distributes the money to schools around the world where they send trips. As I shopped I hesitated  to touch the produce until I knew what the custom was. As it turned out the buyer put their selection in a bowl. It was transferred to a scale, dumped into a bag Charles had given us, & a fee was set. We didn't bargain but they were honest & David got change one time. Sometimes the vendor added extra or took away to balance the scale. David got an extra ear of corn & a man nearby told him it was "for hospitality."  We got many a side to side head bobble meaning we'd given them the correct payment & thanking us for the business

Our lunch was delightful & David got to taste Charles' food & experience native Indian spicy. Not a problem. He said it was flavorful as well as hot. It was during that stop I realized there was proof that God is female. Not only did they have Western toilets, but the floors were dry, & they provided rolls of toilet paper!

As we left we saw two male turkeys trying to win the favor of a female & the right to play a rousing game of Scrabble.Those of you who read my emails from our Rhine River cruise may recall that our guide euphemistically referred to the sexual shenanigans of the royals as "playing Scrabble." One observer suggested placing wagers but we had to leave before a winner was declared. Film to follow.

On the way to our hotel we paused at a huge water tank (swimming pool) where men &  women bathed & did laundry. Charles said it's not about cleanliness as much as ritual cleanliness & belief. The water is piped in from a river but is pretty stagnant. Twelve shrines surround the pool representing the twelve signs of the zodiac. An elderly man had finished his bath & was sitting on the steps carefully smoothing out the seams of the white shirt he'd just washed. He obviously took a great deal of pride in himself & went about the task with dignity. This bathing experience contrasts with the one we saw earlier in the day. Men were bathing in a river within sight of crocodiles. So far there haven't been any “incidents.”

Techno...Not

Last night was a comedy of errors when we tried to go to bed. David attached himself to his CPAP machine & I read for a bit before turning out the light. Indian hotel rooms have few outlets & it was our plight that those within reach of his plug were controlled by my light switch. When I turned off the light all power to those outlets ceased & David was literally left breathless. Fortunately we travel with a 25 foot extension cord & adapters so he ran the connection to a plug on the opposite side of the room. The trick was for him not to trip on the cord during his mid-night forays to the bathroom.

We're staying at the Sangram Hotel. It's probably a three-star but will be fine for the two nights we're here. So far we've had several blackouts. During one I started singing "Happy Birthday" & it caught on. The lights came on before the song ended & we applauded. Wi-fi is also dicey. It comes & goes unrelated to the blackouts. But we found the socket for the CPAP that works independently. Dinner was preceded by a cocktail hour with Charles providing Scotch. There was something about the antiseptic smell in the room that disagreed with me so I went up to our room until dinner time.

I'm exhausted despite cat napping on the bus & the heat is getting to me. My stomach is also funny from the amount of different spices it's being assaulted with delicious though they are. I just stopped taking amoxycillin after the root canal so I don't think I have Delhi Belly yet. In the end dinner would have been worth skipping. Each meal has begun with tomato soup & this was no different except this soup was awful. Tomato soup might be the watermelon of India. In China we had watermelon to look forward to at the end of each meal. The woman across from me had the same offended expression as I did when she tasted it. I don't think any of us finished the soup. I chose to have a white dinner which consisted of rice & plain pasta. It was “be kind to tummy night for me.” Reports from others on most buffet selections were less than stellar. I left dinner early, showered, & am ready to turn in when I send this out.

Tomorrow we'll tour some of the 36 Hindu temples in the area.

Toby