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