Our adventure continues

To go back and read Part 1 of this adventure, please click here.

"A Day in the Life"

One of the activities of Overseas Adventure Travel is to spend time in a local village getting to know some of the people.  Through their Grand Circle Foundation part of what we pay is given in grants to villages to give back to the people we visit.  The aim is to give support but not start programs that couldn’t continue without the foundation.

Prabhu with principal of this private school

We drove a short way to our farming village of about 2000 people.  Our first stop was a private school founded when a man gave his home to become the school house.  Grand Circle has built on rooms and bathrooms for the 150 or so students.  There is also a government school of equal size, and both are full.  The private one costs between $1.50 and $5 per month depending on the age.  The student body gathered on the roof for an opening assembly where they chanted a prayer, said a student pledge to India and sang the national anthem.  Then we could visit some of the classes.  The rooms are tiny and classes numbered about 20.  It has 5 year olds up to 9th grade.  They are adding a class a year.

Morning assembly - all students

The student body gathered on the roof for an opening assembly where they chanted a prayer, said a student pledge to India and sang the national anthem.  Then we visited some of the classes.  The rooms are tiny and classes numbered about 20.  It has 5 year olds up to 9th grade.  They are adding a class a year.

The 4 girls on the upper right lead the classes in prayers, pledge of alliegance and national anthem.

Teaching math.

Math class

Morning assembly at government (public) school

As we left, we were met by a farmer who accompanied us on a walk through the village.  Grand Circle has built 16 toilets for families.  They cost about $160.  First the people said they didn’t need them, then they might, but not in the house.  So, they are built outside with a water tank on top filled by the public water supply and sit on a septic tank.  The government is making a big push to install these all over India.  Now that some are in place, everyone wants one. 

New toilets for this village

We saw that animals, mostly cows, are a big part of family life and live together with the people.  In this climate houses don’t need to be much.  There is electrical power and water is piped at no cost at the street.  There is a low charge if one wants it piped into the home.  If you asked about heating water, they would look at you blankly.  Our guide says that in summer, he has to draw it for a shower and let it for a couple of hours to cool it down. 

Village livestock (water buffalo)

Small street in the village

We walked a little further down the road to where the farmer lives on his land.  His family got too large to stay in the village so he has built away from the town.  We were invited in and served masala chai and cookies.  His wife, married son and wife, and younger son live together in a household of about 10. 

Prabhu, Host family's younger son and host

Host's wife making tea

Younger son serving masala tea to our group

The farmer was proud that his new house, 3 rooms and a large porch, had high doorways so he didn’t have to stoop to go in.  There was a little open brick stove on the patio and a similar portable one that could be moved inside if it rained.  Each would hold one kettle or griddle. In the kitchen was a 2 burner gas stove and a sink, but no refrigerator.  One of the rooms had a swamp cooler. They have a jeep and the older son often takes tourists through the forest.  The younger son wants to be a nurse. 

Hosts home

Kitchen

Bedroom, sitting room

Neighbor cooking lunch

Our final stop was a women’s cooperative started by a young women as a place where women could learn handicraft skills to support themselves or bring income into the home.  For a few years she ran it out of her home using her and her husband’s income.  It prospered and Grand Circle asked if they could help.  They wanted to be able to bring travelers to see what was happening and helped her find quarters for the coop. 

Dhonk Womens Cooperative

"Painting on fabric" with sewing machine. Women are learning to use these machines which are replacing the treadle machines.

Crafts are for sale here

We were able to look at the beautiful tablecloths, bed covers, garments, and other handicrafts.  Grand Circle bought some electric sewing machines they could use for embroidering and increase their productivity.  This coop was chosen to help represent India in an international conference of similar type opportunities throughout the world.  We were served a lunch with the women.

Table cloths and bed covers

Then it was time to take off towards Agra.  We saw a sign that said 140 kilometers.  Easy peasy, we would be there in no time.  Think again.  Much of the road was 4 lane, but speed never got up to much over 40.  There were cows to dodge and people going the wrong way.  

Well, once or twice it was our bus going the wrong way.  We passed by a rest stop with facilities so the driver did a u-turn at a median crossing and started back the wrong way.  Nobody seemed to mind.  Leaving, we had to do the same thing in reverse.

We saw a woman out in the median making cow pie cakes for fuel and at another place, the cow dung was piled all over, even on the roof by the satellite dish. 

Drying cow pies underneath satellite dish

More cow pies drying - for fuel. The square structure is stacks of cow patties stacked up and covered in dung to keep weather off of them.

Brick making kilns along the road side on our way towards Agra

Three kilns in the background

Clay bricks drying in the sun awaiting the kiln. These ovens are fired by coal and straw.

Agra - Taj Mahal

One of the nice things about Overseas Adventure Travel is that we have only 16 in our group, people who have a very similar attitude to ours, and an openness to trying all sorts of things.  OAT leaders capitalize on that and seek out-of-the-way experiences.  They don’t hesitate to share their own life experiences which are impressive.  It may seem as though we are spending all our time rumbling around the countryside, but we have seen a lot of new things.  Flying from city to city would be huge mistake. 

As we’re riding along, our guide Prabhu is usually lecturing from his vast knowledge of history and culture.  He was a science major in university and took a masters in tourism.  His first job which he held for a number of years was trekking in the Himalayas from one end to the other.  He has had great stories to tell about that. 

He has been with us from the first day and is always available anytime we need help.  We started out yesterday driving the rest of the way, about 2 hours, to Agra which you probably know from crossword puzzles if nothing else, is the home of the Taj Mahal. 

Our first stop in the city was to visit a café founded to help bring young women, who have been disfigured by acid attacks. Instead of hiding away, these women have jobs in the cafe and can be out in the world telling their stories.  They find acceptance and worth.  Until 2013, an acid attack like this had been treated as a domestic dispute. The law was changed and now this crime can result in a a life sentence. 

We were shown a movie/documentary and then were served coffee and tea.  While we were there, a young woman who was celebrating a birthday and had brought in a cake to share with the victims of attacks and others including us.  The menu is simple and there are no prices, just make a donation. 

The café is call Sheroes, and the organization is called “Stop Acid Attacks.”  www.sheroeshangout.com  We were so moved by this experience.

Our hotel, Jaypee Palace's interior courtyard.

Joel in his room.

In the late afternoon, we were taken across the river at sunset to visit Moonlight Garden overlooking the Taj Mahal.  From here we are looking at the "back" of the Taj Mahal. While the British were still here, this garden was discovered by examining old paintings. Excavations has shown that this area was a garden hundreds of years ago with a reflecting pool.  It was tantalizing to get glimpses of this magnificent monument the night before our proper visit. 

The "back" side of the Taj Mahal.

Joel, Elaine, Tom in the Moonlight Garden

In 1526 the first Mughal invaders came from Persia by way of Afghanistan over the Khyber Pass into India. They were Muslim bringing that religion with them. The fifth generation produced the king, Shah Jehan who built the Taj Mahal as a mausoleum for his wife.  They married when he was 20 and she 19, and had 14 children.  She died in childbirth.

After her death, the Shah Jehan began building this magnificent structure as a tomb.  White marble was brought from 360 kilometers away and intricately carved and inlaid with semi-precious stones.  It was begun in 1633 with the main part completed 16 years later.  20,000 workers were employed on the project. Some estimate that 1,000 elephants were used to bring the marble from the quarries. It was built of brick faced with marble.  It is in a garden intended to invoke Eden and is perfectly symmetrical except for one item, the shah’s own resting place that is just to the side of his wife. 

In the morning:

The sun coming up over the Taj Mahal complex

The South Gate to the Taj Mahal complex.

Security is very strick. Almost nothing can be brought it. All visitors went through metal detectors and were patted-down. (Women in a separate secuirty line.)

Our wakeup call was before six so we could get to the park before dawn.  There is extensive security and we were not allowed to take anything with us.  After serpentining around the entrance we rounded a corner there it was in all its splendor.  It is not possible to imagine it from any picture, description or movie.  The day was perfect, mostly clear, and we could walk around it as the sun arose and bathed it in different hues.  It is almost impossible to stop taking pictures.  50,000 people visit it daily on average from all over the world.  • 'Bill Clinton once said, “There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who have seen the Taj Mahal and love it and those who have not seen the Taj and love it…”

Tom, Elaine and Joel at the Taj Mahal

This is our OAT group.

We all wore shoe covers to protect the floors.

Intricate carving and inlay

A mosque in one corner of the Taj Mahal compound

A minaret.

The four minarets were designed and built with a slight tilt slightly away from the Taj Majal. In case of an earthquake, if one fell, it would not damage the tomb.

Agra Fort (The Red Fort)

Our afternoon after the Taj Majal was spent visiting the Agra “Red” Fort.  It was built by Mughal Emperor Akbar, the grandfather of Shah Jehan and is an imposing edifice above the Yamuna River, across the way from the Taj Majal. 

It was added onto by subsequent emporers and the circumference grew to 2 miles.  It was in use for about 200 years until India became a colony of Great Britain, and because of the might of the Mughals, it was never tested (attacked). Three palaces were constructed within the fort for 3 generations of Moghals. The capital of the empire was moved to Delhi to be closer to the threats from Afghanistan. 

The Red Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Taj Mahal seen from the fort in the foggy distance

Prabhu showed us where looters have removed the plaster wall surface (plaster layers) in search of gold or other treasure behind it. In this way we saw how the walls were constructed..

Shah Jehan’s palace in the fort, is over the top.  He and the queen lived in the center overlooking the river and his two daughters were on either side.  Further off to one side was the most impressive man-cave ever. 

Joel and Tom in the Emperor's bedroom

The Emporer's "man cave"

The emperor set up a gold bell with a very long gold chain stretching across the river. Commoners could pull the chain and ring if he had a grievance.  Apparently no one ever did, but the people were impressed that emperor cared that much for them. 

Train from Jhansi to Bhopal then bus to Khanjuraho

We started with a long journey to a remote area called Khajuraho, a world heritage site of Hindu temples in Madhya Pradesh, India, about 110 miles southeast of Jhansi. As you will see, these temples are famous for their nagara-style architectural symbolism and their erotic sculptures. To take the bus would take about 12 hours, so we began with a two-hour train ride.  We had reserved seats, and the ride was quite smooth and fast. 

Train station for our trip to Bhopal

Bill getting a shoe shine at the train station (35 cents)

Joel, Bill, Audrey, Tom waiting for train

Snacks! Fried lentil skins, etc.

Elaine and Joel on the train.

Baggage porters in red. If they carry your bag, note their number (on the sleeve)

From where we left the train, it was about 4 hours by bus.  We had to bid goodbye to the driver and assistant on our first bus since they wouldn’t be able to catch us, so, new driver and assistant. 

Our bus driver's helper (in blue)

Temple in the middle of the field.

Most of the road was about a lane and a half wide making for some hair-raising passing (IE, just meeting oncoming traffic!). 

Midway on our drive, Prabhu saw a local farmers market in a town and pulled over so we would walk around it.  Beautiful produce and spices were spread over a large area.  Thursday, the market was in this town, and other days it would move to other places. All the sellers were sitting on the ground, and most of them had balance beam scales.  Our driver and assistant helped us to get across the street to the bus.  At least they tried. They would put up a hand to stop traffic, but by and large, it was ignored. 

Market scene

Chilli peppers ... high in vitamin C, raddish, cauliflower

The sellers have to watch out for cows wanting to eat their vegetables. They shoo them away, gently.

Selling lentils and spices

Khanjuraho City of Temples

We are at a beautiful small hotel called LaLit Temple View, with gardens and lots of flowers.  Before dinner we went outside for a sound and light show telling about the gods of Hinduism.  

Our local guide

The next morning we had a field trip to the Hindu temples with a guide from the area.  There are thousands of sculptures like a frieze around the temples, and these are famous for all the erotic ones. 

-

Temple with Hindu, Buddhist and Moslem domes (l-r)

Taking a rest in the shade

Another selfie

American tourists

Hindu temple

The next experience was to visit a Jain temple.  This religion is over 2000 years old and its roots in Hinduism.  It is very strict and "extremely non-violent).  No living thing should ever be killed including the organisms that would be around a carrot or potato.  So those are not eaten.  One has to sleep very carefully lest he roll over and kill an insect.  The walk around with masks so they don't accidentally breathe in an insect. Those who take on a monastic life, wear no clothes.

Jain temple complex

Take of shoes AND socks!

Jain temple

Spotted owl

Statue of one of the Jain prophets

Sign for government initative to clean up India ... Gandhi's glasses

Leaving Khanjuraho

Some parting glances of this historic town ...

Folk Dancing Show

Acrobatics at the folk dancing show

Starting the day we depart!

Ad for Dance Festival

Classical Indian Dance Troup

Ancient temples in the background to the stage

Leaving Khajuraho ... Last day the old airport will be used

Varanasi: the Ganges at Night

We left Khanjuraho midday for a short flight to the sacred old city of Varanasi.  No matter how short the flight, a meal (sandwich) and water bottle are handed out.

Those as old as us may remember it as Benares. The old name was Varanasi, but the Moguls couldn’t pronounce “V” so they substituted “B.”  The original name was restored 50 years ago. This place is for Hindus like Mecca to Muslims or Jerusalem to Jews.  All Hindus hope to come here on a pilgrimage some time in their lives.  It is on the Ganges River, Ganga. Indians called it Ganga Gi, Gi a term of respect.  When the British came, they heard Ganges.  For about 2½ miles along the riverbank, there are steps down to the water, the ghats. 

Bridge across Ganges at one end of ghats.

Indians called the river "Ganga Gi"; Gi is a term of respect.  When the British came, they heard the word "Ganges".  For about 2½ miles along the riverbank, there are elaborite steps down to the water, the ghats. 

Boarding our sight seeing boat

After dinner at our hotel, we left by bus to go to see the sunset. After we walked down flights of steps (the ghat), we boarded a boat and started out into the river.

Girls selling floating candles as we board

Our pilot and helper

Soon we came upon the first crematorium. Here people bring the body of their loved one on a bamboo stretcher. They are dipped in the river then placed on a pyre of wood. Ghee, clarified butter, is poured over the remains and a torch is brought from the sacred fire and the eldest son lights the fire. We were told that once the body is removed from the house, usually in 24 hours, weeping should cease since it impedes the journey into the next life. Women don’t usually come because they would be too emotional. Later the ashes go into the river. The government wants to use gas or electricity for cremation since the wood supply is dwindling. They haven’t been very successful.

Cremations taking place (flames)

We went further along the ghats to an area where they were going to have a nightly service to “put the river to bed.” 7 Hindu priests came out and stood under large colorfully lighted umbrellas.  Hymns were sung, and each one picked up a conch shell and blew it a surprisingly long time on one breath (the sound of ooommmmm).  evening.

Hindu ceremony along the shore of the Ganges

We stayed about a half hour; then pushed our boat out of the flotilla and started back down the river.  As we left, we lit candles in a small bowl of marigolds and roses, made a wish and set them afloat. It was a magical

Many boats and many people watching the Hindu ceremony

Lighting candles for us to float in the Ganges

Varanasi: the Ganges at Dawn

Next morning it was up at 4 and leave by 5 to go back to the service to wake up the river.  This time we were on the platform and there were chairs arranged.  As we came in, girl priests were chanting hymns in Sanskrit, the ancient language of India.  Until recently females were not allowed to be priests and study in special schools to learn the language.  That is changing.  Also, to encourage young men to become priests, they are now allowed to marry and leave the priesthood after a few years which many do. 

Taking a nap on the tractor

Seven Hindu priests in morning ceremony at the Ganges

Sacred Fire ceremony (throwing ghee, sandalwood chips, etc.)

We left before the chanting stopped and walked down to our boat from last evening to see more of the riverfront.  We saw the laundry men beating the clothes on the steps.  Apparently they put it in tubs of soapy water to soak, haul them down to the river and give them a terrible thrashing, and hang them on the railings.  Back home, they press them with a heavy charcoal-fired cast iron iron. 

Someone took pity on one of these washer men and bought him an automatic washing machine.  Later he checked in and asked how the new machine was working out. “Oh, it’s a great place to bash the washing on.” 

Pilgrims bathing in the Ganges

Further down we got out of the boat and walked along as people were coming down to bathe in the river.  Indians are a modest people and it takes some doing to get bathed and dressed in dry clothing.  There are some changing rooms.  Lots of people are selling. 

Bathers

More bathing in the holy Ganges

"Laughing Club" of the Ganges

People on the picturesque Gange ghats

More Ganges

Indian rhesus macaque (makak) monkey

Resquite snake charmer

Sunrise over the Ganges

Ganges scene

A Maharaja Palace (for retirement years) left half of pix

Joel learned the hard way to resist the outstretched hand.  First thing he knew he was having a hand, arm, neck and head message.  Elaine hardly know what was happening and was watching out for pickpockets.  Of course, he wanted money for the service. 

Joel got an unexpecded head and hand massage!

Prabhu said this is a "Tourist" guru

Tom petted a Holy Cow

Later after breakfast, we were taken to Sarnath, the place where Lord Buddha preached his first sermon to his five disciples. A temple was built here in the last century.  There is a tree there that is supposed to be from a start of the first one where he preached. Nearby there is an 80 foot statue of Buddha given by Thailand after the destruction of the Buddhist carved cliff temples in Afghanistan destroyed by the Taliban.  We visited a museum of artifacts excavated by the British in this area.

In the Buddhist Temple in Sarnath, the site of where Buddha gave his first sermon

Peace (and other) flags at temple

Clockwise turning of 80 copper prayer wheels at Buddhist temple

Weaver at the silk factory

Silk scarves

My Maharaja Mac Veg lunch ($2.00) at nearby mall

Our last day on the Heart of India tour was sweet. At 3:00 P.M. we were entertained by a famed sitar player and his nephew who played tenor and bass drums. Sitar player Ravi Shanker was from this area and is famous for connecting with John Lennon and the Beatles - East meets West.

Sitar concert for our group at our hotel

This evening was the farewell dinner for the main part of the tour.  The ladies were all given a sari to wear and elegantly dressed by an assistant at the hotel. The saris are one piece of material 18-20 feet long and about a yard wide.  They often have gilt thread and cost about $100. They looked ready for a wedding. Women here usually wear loose pants and a top with a large scarf wrapped around and over their heads. It would be difficult to do much wrapped in a sari.

Saris for our farewell dinner

Our group at farewell dinner

Elaine's long sari material laid across the beds

I sat next to Donna ... a friendly travel companion ... who is from Chicago. Most on this trip have been on many OAT trips.

Tom and Donna (from Chicago) at farewell dinner

 We will be flying next to Delhi and then 11 of us will go on to South India. We understand Prime Minister Modi is visiting Varanasi today which might cause more difficulty in travel.  Modi is from this city and has a big campaign for more jobs, more business and Infrastructure, cleaning up India (trash and corruption). Here in Varanasi, new sewer lines are being put in and electricity is being put underground. 

Kerala - Lush, Southern India

After a quick night at a Delhi airport, we were up at 4 to leave for the airport to fly south. Weight of bags is taken very seriously in India and domestic flights allow only 33 pounds per person to check. Anything over and you pay by the kilo. Couples’ suitcases are weighed together which helps.

Security is tight at every airport here and they want to examine anything in your bags. We have developed strategies of putting all electrical chargers, etc. into a bag that is easily pulled out. Women go through separate metal detectors (right next to "Gents"). And when it comes to frisking, that's done for women behind curtains and men are patted down out in the open.

Then you have to watch the gate closely, because all of a sudden everything opens up and people go through to get on the plane and you'll be left behind! This morning was very crowded and we had no guide after going through security.

We arrived at the airport of the largest city in Kerala, the state we are in.

We made the three hour flight on “Spice Jet” a regional airline that is flies around SE Asia.  The seats are crammed together and not even water is available except for a price.  Food can be preordered for a price.  Lunch had been ordered for our tickets and we got a sandwich which the steward delivered after she found Mrs. Elaine and Mr. Joel.  It was a vegetarian cheese club and ok except the bread had an odd spice.

We travel 2.5 hours in a smaller, but very comfortable bus through Cochin to our lakeside destination.

Kochi (Cochin) is 1100 miles due south of Delhi in the small state of Kerala on the southwest tip of India on the Arabian Sea. Kochi has a population of about 1.5 million people, the whole state is 33 million.  As we drove in from the airport, we noticed immediately many differences.  It was very green and tropical located at about 10 degrees latitude, very hot and humid. 

As we drove along we saw many fewer people and everything looks more prosperous.  We don’t know that it is; it may be a difference in the culture. The people are darker skinned and they speak a different language from Hindi, Malayalam. 

Absent are the cows in the streets.  When we ask where the cattle were, we were curtly told that they are tied up and are not sacred.  Cow meat (beef) eating is allowed in Kerala, even Hindus eat meat, and a Big Mac would have two beef patties.  There is a Christian population of about 18%, Muslim 26% and the rest Hindu or other.  In Kochi we saw many beautiful Christian Churches. 

We are nearing the end of a weeklong Hindu festival called Pooram.  Koshy, our guide, said that there was a performance we should stop and see especially since there would be elephants.  There were, and very beautifully decorated ones. 

We stopped to see a Hindu festival called Pooram.

These are working elephants and their owners and/or trainers often have them for hire for events like this and weddings.  There was loud chanting and lusty beating of the drums.  Some men were blowing circular trumpets.  We got there at the high point and stayed a little while. 

Playing 4 instruments: drums, cymbals, horns, trumpets (very loud!)

Curved horns

Male elephant ... the pigment change on face happens to domestic elephants ... not in the wild due to a defficiency in the food they get.

Elephant lifts hind leg so rides can slide down.

The bus took us to the south end of Vembanad Lake, the 2nd largest in India. Tuk-Tuk's took us on to our three houseboats: the Grace, the Solitaire and the Grand.  They used to be small barges for transporting rice, produce, etc. but as they became obsolete, a new use was found for them.  Small vacation houseboats. 

We rode tuk-tuk's from the bus to our houseboat.

Tom, Joel, Elaine and Donna are on this houseboat.

Each one has several staterooms and a common area.  Each of us has breakfast on our own boat then for lunch and dinner we board the Grand. When it comes time to cruise the waterways, we get on the Solitaire.  All three boats go in tandem as we motor along.  We boarded the boats on the southern end of Lake.  We kept going south on the canals meandering through the rice fields, the main grain crop in the area. 

Tom's Houseboat room looking towards hallway.

Houseboat room looking towards outside window

Tom's sink and shower (toilet off to the right)

Donna, Charlotte, Tom and Mary getting ready for lunch.

Joel and our guide Koshy

JoAnne, Ken,k Mary, David pilot, Elaine, Donna, Charlotte around the dining table.

We go by beautiful rice fields in full head which will be harvested in another month or so.  Then there will be another crop later on.  There are dikes and higher ground between the waterways and paddies. This is where people live. There is a system to flood the paddies at certain times for planting and irrigation.

Our pilot.

Midafternoon, tea and coffee was served. Since we had been up so early, many of us napped in our deck chairs as we drifted along. 

Like our houseboat.

At about five, we tied up and walked around a village for an hour and a half.  It felt often like we were walking through people’s front yards, but it was fun to say "Hello" to those sitting outside.  There is a wide variety of housing, many very colorfully painted and decorated.  There are beautiful flowers and plants of a tropical nature.  This is as tropical as you’ll get. 

Walking in to the village.

Washing clothes along the edge of the canal.

Koshy with village boy named David.

Village boy

One woman was just coming in with a big bundle on her head.  It was cut grass that she was putting out for her 3 milk cows that were in a barnlike structure with a manger.  She smiled and said "Hi" to us as she headed back to the field.  We haven’t found so much yoghurt here and no cheese.  What we do find is fish, chicken, a variety of vegetables and rice. 

Three cows getting green feed and ready for milking.

Coconut woven mats - used for soil stabilization.

Jack fruit hanging on tree

Young girls greeted us as we walked by.

Vehicles getting off ferry that goes back and forth across the canal.

After our walk we had an hour to freshen up before dinner.  We have wonderful cooks on board and a bevy of cabin stewards to take care of anything we need.  It was welcoming to come to our cabin and find the air conditioner on.  After walking around at about 90 degrees and 85% hum., it was very welcome.  “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity…”   It’s open air in our common areas so there is usually a breeze especially if we’re moving, and it’s not unpleasant.  We need to be sure to drink lots of water. 

Kerala - Lake Vembanad

We were up early and happy to find coffee and tea set out.  Later came the breakfast.  There are four on our boat, and the amount of food was enormous: toast, omelets, rice and curry. This was all preceded frothy glasses of fresh "squeezed" pineapple juice. 

Later we began cruising along the river.  We stopped briefly to watch the coconut harvest.  It is done several times a year to keep people from getting hit by falling missiles.  A man had climbed up a tree that curved out over the water and when he chopped off old fronds and bunches of ripe coconuts, they fell into the water where they were retrieved by a boat. 

Harvesting coconuts and cutting back the fronds

Many Catholic churches along the banks of the canal.

We heard a chopping sound like chopping wood and realized men and women, mostly women, pounding clothes on the stones.   We saw places where there are steps down to the water and an extra wide one for the clothes.  Supposedly, the houses have septic systems that keep the water reasonably clean.  There were people brushing their teeth and bathing as well.  One big problem is that there is water hyacinth growing everywhere clogging up the waterways. 

Washing clothes at the bank of the canal

Snake Bird (Darter) on the left

Swarms of ducklings - seen in 3 or 4 different places - for food and eggs

Pulling in the net to retrieve the fish

Fish jumping into the boat

Elusive blue King Fisher bird

Chashew fruit ... nut is in a cashew shaped shell at the bottom.

Later in the morning we left the boats and were sent by tuk tuks to a town festival.  There was a famous story told about this town and it is reenacted each year.  A girl was dressed in a very colorful costume who began dancing.  It was fun to see and we watched for awhile before walking to the back of the temple to feed bananas to an elephant. 

Tom in Tuk Tuk - Away we go again.

Elaine getting out of tuk tuk

Joel emerging from our ride

Hindu festival that we visited.

Costumed dancer

Drums and cymbals - white box made a continuous "ommm" sound.

Charlotte feeding bananas to the elephant

Tom, after feeding the elephant.

Elaine takes her turn.

Lunch served on banana leaves

Tapioca plants

Weaver Bird nests

In the afternoon we stopped and got off the boat at a village and went for a walk.  Our destination was the birthplace of St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara, who was born in 1805 and exercised a prominent position for Catholics here.  He was famous for establishing schools and counselling, and was canonized in 2014.  Christians have been here since the first century when St. Thomas came came.  Many including our guide and the St. Kuriakose, trace their lineage from St. Thomas.  Often their names are like Matthew, Peter, Mary, etc.

We trailed back through the village and stopped at a filtration plant donated by Rotary to provide pure water to drink.  The only other source is rainwater and some have built systems to collect it.  There is lots of rain here, 127”/year.  We could see where they have used woven twine from coconut husks to line the paths and keep them from eroding. We passed a toddy house where people get an alcoholic drink from coconut. 

Filtration plant donated by Rotary

Kerala - Back to Cochin

Joel and Tom in the "data processing center"

Before breakfast we jumped off the boats to see a man collecting sap from the bud of the coconut palm used to make “toddy”, a fermented drink.  He visits his trees 3 times a day and empties the clay jar, slices off the end and sticks the pot back on.  From two of his trees he had about a quart.  He works with a cooperative.  He only harvests from a couple of coconut trees. 

Then we went back on board for breakfast before departing our Eden idyll. 

Knife/cleaver used to collect the toddy liquid from coconut blossom.

Coconut sap is collected in the round terra cotta pots.

Sap is poured into black collection pot.

End of unopened blossom is sliced off so sap will continue to flow

View into our "dining room" ... tables are separated.

Fresh pineapple juice served once we come back the

Large generators on the back of our houseboats.

Before we boarded out tuk-tuk, we walked a short way to visit a home that is one of 100,000 making coconut mats like the one you probably have outside your doors at home.  This is where they all come from. 

The son was using a hook to make a border as we came up.  It is a very labor-intensive process of treating the husk of the coconut to create a fiber.  Some is bleached and woven in to make printing of a design work.  We walked out to a shed where he was weaving the next mat.  The warp and woof are both coconut twine and he works in brown and blond fiber that has been run through a carding machine. 

Presumable he can weave a mat fairly fast; it would be the preparation of the fiber that takes a long time.  The grandfather and grandmother (Joseph & Mary), son and wife and children live in the extended household.  We bid goodbye and boarded the tuk-tuks for the bus.  Joel and Elaine rode in a Tata, a model of an Indian car company that is the world’s cheapest four-seater, $2,000:  very basic. 

Joel and Elaine rode in Tata instead of Tuk Tuk.

Rope (called "coir") is made from coconut husks

Rug hook is used to pull coconut rope through the mat backing.

Husk is soaked, rotted (like flax) and the fibers are collected and bleached

A loom is used to incorporate the husk material as the top of the mat.

A shearing sissors is used to trip the length as each row is woven

Carding the coconut husk material

Back on the bus

From the lake, our bus drove west until we came to the Arabian Sea on the Malabar Coast. We stopped at a fishing village and walked out to the water.  Boats go out between 3 and 5 a.m. and some were coming back in as we walked along. 

Some had motors and others just oars.  They came up on the sand and were pulled up by hand.  Then the nets were unrolled and fish and shrimp claimed.  The catch was poor and one man said the last two days were bad.  There is so much competition and no rules beyond national waters that the area is suffering from overfishing.  Some fishermen were sitting in a circle playing cards.  It was not gambling, we were told. 

Card playing at fishing village

Elaine wades in the Arabian Sea

Boat on Arabian Sea

Harbor and fishing boats

Chinese style fishing nets

We drove up the coast for about 2 hours in the direction of Kochi.  The first stop was to visit the Mattoncherry Palace built by the Portuguese in 1555, and presented as a gift of appeasement to the Raja of Kochi.  Later it was taken over by the Dutch and became known as the Dutch Palace.  It was used for the coronations of the Maharaja of Kochi and is now a museum.  It is especially noted for a series of intricate murals, some of the best in India, depicting the story of Indian myth. 

Bed at our Cochin Hotel

Joel in Cochin hotel room.

In the evening we were picked at 5 P.M. to go and see a performance of Kathakali Theater which means literally, story-play.  We arrived an hour early so we could see a demonstration of the art of applying the makeup.  This play can last all night and into the morning. 

Kathakali, the night's entertainment

We saw two men sitting cross legged on the stage putting on their elaborate makeup.  The paint is so thick that one would think they had masks. 

After that one of the actors came out and sat demonstrating all the facial, hand and body movements in the play.  They use every muscle.  The play has no words, but all is told with the movements.  What he could do with the eyes, eyebrows, lips, fingers, etc. was incredible.  The narrator of the demonstration might say he was going to indicate, happy or sad; come hither, go away, angry or placid, for instance.  It takes years of training. 

Actor being made up as Handsome King

Actor being made up as beautiful maiden.

Then we saw about a 20 minute segment of the play.  This charming snippet was enacted by the two men who came out in their elaborate makeup and costumes.  One was a young man who is sitting in the garden when a fetching young woman walks by.  He wants to marry her, but she has to go home and ask her father’s permission. 

She comes back and he finds out she is the demon, flies into a rage and pulls out his sword and cuts off her nose and slashes her breast.  The "lady" turns away and when she turns back she had changed her makeup to look like an ugly, vampire-like devil.

Moral:  Bad people should be punished.  We enjoyed the experience very much.

Bill photographed beside handsome king.

Tom photographed beside handsome king.

Here are two clips of the performance:

Goodbye Cochin, Next and Last Stop Mumbai

We were up painfully ear ly again this morning for the last segment of our trip: a flight to Mumbai (Bombay).  This is the largest city in India with 22 million people.  It is on the Arabian Sea on the west coast of India a thousand miles or so from New Delhi. 

Group photo at Cochin hotel

Tom, Joel and Elaine: last day in Cochin.

This morning we left by bus and went from the island where we are staying next to the Indian Naval Base and airfield and drove across the bridge to the mainland.  We went to a dock on the lake and boated around looking at the sights. 

Tom, Elaine, Audrey and Bill on sightseeing boat

Migrant fishermen in round (very maneuverable) boat

Auction wholesale fish market

Fishermen

Fishing boats in the Cochin harbor

This area of the world is truly a melting pot.  Peoples came here to trade from the age of King Solomon:  Arabs, Jews, Romans, Christians and so on all for one reason---spices.  Many stayed, married into the local population and settled down.  We visited a beautifully preserved ancient Jewish synagogue.  Most Jews left Kochi with the establishment of the state of Israel and only 5 members are left.

Chinese fishing nets

Click on this video below to see how the nets work

Ken and Bill helping to pull the nets up

We went to a point near the entrance of the Arabian Sea where we left the boat and walked to see the oldest Christian Church in India.  It was begun by the Portuguese in 1503.  After the British ascendancy, the church became Anglican until 1947.  Now it is the Church of South India. 

Vasco Da Gama's body has been removed from his first burial place to Portugal

Church's fan (long board and fabric panel)

Dried ginger in spice market

Tom trying on Indian garment

Mumbai

Our Mumbai guide, a woman named Parven, had a series of interesting things to do tell us ... giving us an overview of this gigantic metropolis that is comprised of huge slums (think Slumdog Millionaire) in an otherwise huge, modern metropolian city. 

Atrium lobby of our hotel in Mumbai (LaLit)

We started driving out to where we could look over the Dhobi Ghat, the world’s largest outdoor laundry.  Though only a shadow of its former self, this system of laundries did most of the washing for the people of Mumbai.  A Dhobi comes to your house, pick up the laundry several times a week, mark it with an elaborate code, soak and wash. pound, dry and iron your clothes and return them for $15 or so a month. 

Laundry industry in Mumbai (by hand)

High rises in background of laundry activity

The Dhobi Ghat in a way is similar to the system of the lunchboxes which is also going strong in Mumbai.  The housewife fixes a lunch for her husband in a prescribed insulated container of stacked aluminum food containers.  The dabbawallah (as they are called) picks it up and take to the train and put on the baggage car.  Downtown it is taken off by another dabbawallah and delivered to the husband.  Apparently Prince Charles was so taken by the system that he asked to see them when he visited here.  Subsequently, he invited 2 of them to his wedding to Camilla.  No ticket was forthcoming, Air India stepped forward and provided the tickes and Mr. Tata of Tata Group put them up at his Taj hotel in London.

Elaine, Tom and Joel in front of "old lady's shoe"

Cannon ball tree

Poisonous cannon ball "fruit"

We walked through Victoria Terminus (railway station), the headquarters of India Rail.  7 million passengers come in and out of Mumbai each day.  The doors don’t close on many of the trains since people are hanging out the doors of the crowded cars or they want the ventilation on hot days. 

The statue of the queen came down after independence and was placed at the zoo park. The name of the station has been changed Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus but most still refer to it by its old name.

Victoria Terminus - UNESCO World Heritage Site

Inside Victoria Terminus (dance sequence at end of Slumdog was filmed here)

We ended up going to the Victoria Market offering produce, sundries, spices and even a pet market.

Frest strawberries at the fruit, vegetable, etc, etc market.

We learned that the Tata family is very involved in various enterprises and they are very generous and civic minded. The Tata's also know it's important to treat their employees well.  We only know the Tata cars, but that it only part of it. 

Compare the Tatas to the family of Reliance Industries. They built the world’s most expensive private residence at about $2 billion.  It has 27 floors in a height that could have 60.  There are 7 floors of parking places and Three helipads on the roof, although, India won’t let them land there.  It has a staff of 600.  Considering that Asia’s worst slums are in Mumbai, this is particularly offensive.  They have a reputation as being stingy and litigious. 

Happy Hour at the Taj Hotel Sea Lounge

The next day was our last day in India and since all our flights are after midnight, OAT had activities planned for us and a nice lunch.  First we drove out to a flower market with beautiful arrangements and cut flowers of every kind.  Some were twisting together garlands, and other making various bouquets.  It was very busy. 

Mumbai Flower Market

Tata Nano - world's cheapest car ($2,000)

Next was the spice market.  We were especially intrigued by the roasters and grinders, and, of course, the smells.  Lots of red pepper, coriander, bay, turmeric, you name it. 

Next stop was a place where Mahatma Gandhi stayed when in Bombay.  We enjoyed all the pictures and dioramas.  What an impressive person.

Nehru and Gandhi

Gandhi's bedroll, desk and spinning wheels

After that we went to a beautiful privately owned Jain temple.  We weren’t sure we would be allowed in, but all we needed to do was slip off our shoes.  We couldn’t go into the holiest temple area, but we did enjoy the beautiful carved marble.  They were celebrating something and had invited people to lunch.  We were given juice and nuts. 

Jain Temple

The three of us will be leaving the hotel late this evening to catch a 2:30 a.m. flight to London, then on to San Francisco.  Joel and Elaine will be flying on to Portland.  All in one day.

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Thus concludes a truly remarkable trip.  We know we couldn’t do it justice, but we feel we had a good taste of this vast country.  The people are remarkable, and they are making it work with a lot of good humor.  We saw a lot of hustle and bustle, horn-honking, etc., but we could count on the fingers of one hand the times we saw anyone really angry. 

We have enjoyed bringing this to you in the limited way we could.  We took 1000’s of pictures to go through, and experiences to keep straight.  Chronicling them helped us to keep things straight.  Tom keeps notes, Elaine writes a detailed journal, Joel writes narrative and Tom finds and edits the pictures to create the E-mailings.  Until next time …….. Joel, Elaine and Tom