Trip to India - 15 KOLKATA

KOLKATA

19 March 2008

Dear Friends and Family,

The overnite train brought me to Kolkata around 5:00 am. I took a taxi from the train station to an area know as Sudder Street, another backpackers ghetto that has been compared to the Kao Shan area in Bangkok. It has similarities, but nothing compares to the Bangkok area. I asked the driver to take me to the Zurich restaurant, very centrally located in the Sudder Street area. As it turned out, half of Sudder street has been dug to repair a huge water leak and the taxi could not make it to the restaurant. We stopped at a small restaurant in a side street. I had a small breakfast and tea. A man came in and offered to take me to a cheap hotel that was already open this early morning. This is a common practice and a kickback from the hotel is expected. I followed him to the Capital Guest House (one that happened to be on my list) and booked a very basic room for two nights only. Took a shower (no hot water!) and went out to survey the area. I had breakfast at the Zurich, were you can be sure to find other backpackers. An open-to-the-street bright restaurant with a choice of continental, Indian, and Chinese food.

Kolkata features one of the most beautiful building in India, the Victoria Memorial, a very large white marble commemorative monument to Queen’s Victoria 1901 diamond jubilee. Unfortunately the building was not completed until 20 years after her death. I could not get to the entrance, nor to the museum because of some construction. The Birla Planetarium is near the Victoria Memorial, and I went there to see the somewhat interesting star show. Further down the avenue is the very whitewashed St Paul’s Cathedral, with its original wooden pews, which would not be out of place in Cambridge. One of the highlight of Kolkata is the 700 meter long single span Howrah Bridge over the Houghly river, is said to be the world’s busiest bridge. I crossed the bridge by foot with another few hundred people, to the other side to the 1906 train station. Another interesting building featuring towers topped with terracotta tiles. Park Street is one of the main arteries in Kolkata and the place to splurge on a fine meal. On the same street is Park Street Cemetery full of Raj-era tombs in the form of soaring pyramids and rotundas. The highlight of my visit in Kolkata is probably my experience with Mother Teresa’s Mission. I went there one day to visit the place where they have a small museum and the tomb of Mother Teresa. I approached one of the sisters to find out about making a donation. The sister suggested that I come back one day to attend the 6:00 am mass, participate in the breakfast and then I would be taken to one of the places where they work. A couple days later I entered the complex,and they directed me to the chapel were the mass had just started. There were approximately 200 sisters attending, some with the blue stripes (full-fledge sisters), some in an all-white uniform (the novices I assume). In the back of the room there where about 50 other people participating in the mass. I had no idea who they were. Have you ever been in a room full of people and you feel that you are the only one who has no clue about what is going on? Well everybody followed the mass perfectly they new what to do and when, they also sung along with the sisters. I later found out that these people were volunteers working in different building all over town. Some houses take care of the dying, some houses take care of people with long illnesses, some look after retarded children, etc. A priest came in with his assistant to conduct the formal mass and give a sermon. One of the message was that the countries with negative birth rates are going to regret it one day (more about his later). After the volunteer breakfast, bread, bananas, and tea, I handed in my donation and followed a group of volunteers to the house for retarded children. Several of the young volunteers were from South Korea (which has a large catholic presence). I am not totally in agreement with everything the Mission stands for but I thing that they fill a great need.

Mother Teresa (who lived in absolute simplicity) is not universally beloved. She has been accused of religious imperative, and the acceptance of donation from dictators and corrupt tycoons. The stronger criticism is the Mission’s staunchly Catholic position against contraception. When you see women beggars with two or three children, Kolkata growing AIDS epidemics and the very large number of homeless people, the Mission’s position does not make any sense.

The 20^th I will begin my long (a total of 28 hours) return trip to Spokane

I will write one more closing email with some of my thoughts on India

Love and peace - henri

Trip to India - 14 BHUBANESWAR

BHUBANESWAR

11 March 2008

Dear Friends and Family

I boarded the 10:00 am train for the long 22 hours ride to Bhubaneshwar. Amazingly, there were very few people in our car and I had a a four-people compartment all by myself. I had some good conversation with a man who works with satellites and communication for the government of India. We arrived to our destination around 8:00 and I dropped my backpack at the station’s cloakroom, close to platform 1. The Bhubaneswar train’s station is very strangely situated between two major parallel roads, and unless you walk far on either road you cannot get from one to the other but thru the station’s overhead pass. In addition to that the large Station Square where some of the hotels are is located at the back of the station. This is not easy to see on my LP tinny map. I got out of the station on the platform 1 side were most of the station’s services, waiting rooms etc are located. As I was trying to orient myself I was approached by a cycle-rickshaw who proceeded to follow me everywhere I went. I approached him and told him to leave me alone, and that I wasn’t going to hire him. Nevertheless, he kept on follow me, until I actually approach his vehicle and proceeded to undo the cap on one of the tire (I was going to deflate it). He raised both hands in surrender, left, and I never saw him again!.A couple days later I met an Australian couple who were also pestered by a cycle-rickshaw driver. I do not understand what goes thru their mind? If I do not want the service, do they think I will change my mind if they keep following me? The cycle-rickshaw and the auto-rickshaw drivers are the most aggressive I have met so far. I found out the best way to handle them is to simply ignore them, and to not make eye contact. Just act like you do not hear, nor even see them!

I finally settled at the Bhubaneswar Hotel. My room is level with an outside terrace with a view on the street. I thought this was great until I found that the terrace become a gathering place for the hotel’s help’s smoking and drinking with a nice view straight into my bedroom. After a couple days I ask for another room and was told that there wasn’t one available. I left and got a (more expensive) room in another hotel on Station Square.

The Tourist Office runs several tours, and I decided to take the one day tour to Konark, Puri, and Pipli. Our first stop was Pipli, famous for its colorful appliqué craft, which uses primary colors and small mirrors for door and wall hangings, lampshades, and parasols. The items are hung outside the shops, making the main street a colorful display of rainbow colors. Our next stop was in Konark, the site of the famous Sun Temple. This massive 13^th century temple was designed as the cosmic chariot of the sun god, Surya. The huge base is flanked with 32 huge, very elaborately carved, chariot wheels. An impressive sight. Our next stop was Puri, and the Jagannath Mandir temple, one of the holiest pilgrimage destination in India. Jagannath is the Lord of the Universe and a incarnation of Vishnu. Unfortunatly, the temple is totally closed to non-Hindu) and the only way to see the temple is from the roof of the library. The library was closed and would reopen after we left. The guide brought a local man who could get me to the rooftop of a well placed hotel for a small sum of money. I followed the man into the hotel lobby were they refused access to their roof!!? I was not very pleased, and with time to kill I walked around the large temple complex to get the best possible view of the temple. Not a good experience and later I let our guide know about my frustration. Of course, he had all sorts of excuses. I wasn’t upset at him, but at the people selling the tickets at the tourist office for not disclosing this potential problem. From there we went to a very nice beach before heading home.

I will be leaving Bhubaneswar for Kolkata the 12^th by an overnite sleeper train. Until then I will be visiting some of the 50 plus temples around here.

Love and peace - henri

Trip to India - 13 CHENNAI and HYDERABAD

CHENNAI and HYDERABAD

8 March 2008

Dear Friends and Family

I spent a few days in Chennai to visit the Government Museum, the Kapaleeshwara Temple, and the Fort St George. Nothing terribly new nor terribly exciting, The most memorable sight was the natural history and zoology section of the museum. The Fort St George (built by the British in 1653) has gone thru many changes, and today it largely consist of government and military buildings not open to visitor. The most interesting sight was St Mary’s Church (1680) is India oldest surviving British church. The records show that this is the place where Yale wedding took place. This is the same Yale for which the US Yale University was named.

The evening of the first of March I boarded an overnite sleeper to Hyderabad. I had tried, unsuccessfully, to make an hotel reservation form Chennai. I left my backpack in the cloakroom at the station and did some walking around to finally find a satisfactory room at the Suhali. The type of hotel I usually stay at (“budget” in LP and RG guides) are usually centered around train/bus terminals. I immediately felt comfortable in Hyderabad. I do not know why, but some cities make total sense as far as directions are concerned, and some do not. Is it because I am more aware some days, or because the map I use is better, or maybe a combination of both, I do not know. The next day I walked the two km to an area called Charminar. On my way there I found a place where I could buy beer. Everywhere I have been in India, you can buy beer, or any other kind of alcohol, except wine, in a “Wine Shop”.!?.

The center of Charminar is a square at the intersection of two main arteries pointing to the four cardinal points. Each of the four entrance to the square is thru a large arched portal. 50 yards South of the south portal is the building called the Charminar. This huge 180 ft high and 100 ft wide building was built by Mohamed Quli Qutb Shah in 1591 to commemorate to founding of Hydebarad and the end of epidemics caused by a water shortage. The Charminar has four towers each surmounted by a minaret. The towers are connected by arches similar to the streets portals. Immediately to the south-west of the Chaminar sits one of the largest mosque in the world, the Mecca Masjid, so named because several brick embedded above the gate are made from soil from Mecca. The very busy, chaotic Charminar Bazaar and the Laad Bazaar to the west of it are spread all around the area. The Laad Bazaar is where one finds parfumes, fabrics, musical instruments, and jewels. This area is considered to be the center of India’s pearl trade.

Walking into Charminar thru one of the portal is like being transported in another time, another place. It is truly magical, I wouldn’t have been surprised to see someone on a flying carpet flying over the scene! Next, I visited the Golconda Fort situated 12 km away. I hired a autorickshaw to get there and took the public bus to get back. Most of the 16^th century fortress dates from the time of the Quli Qutb Shab, but its origin, as a mud fort are from a much earlier period (Yadavas and Kakattiyas) The citadel, built on top of a 120 meters hill and surrounded by crenellated ramparts surrounded by yet another inside wall, resisted several attacks by Emperor Aurangzeb’s Mughal armies from Dehli. The emperor finally succeeded with inside help. Stairs lead up to a well preserved temple, to a mosque, the three-storied Durbar Hall and its observatory platform, and to the remainder of several other buildings, such as the queen’s palace, an harem, and the mortuary baths. A mere 1.5 km from the fort, in a beautifully landscaped park, are a series of gracefully domed tombs. The tombs are those of the Qutb Shahi Kings. These buildings, built over a period of several centuries, feature different styles reflecting the architectural style of the period.

From Hyderabad I took an overnite sleeper train to Bhabunashwar. The trip started at 10 am, to arrive in Bhabunashwar at around 8:00 am the next day (my longest train trip in India).

Next, the temple town of Bhabunashwar.

Love and peace - henri

Trip to India - 12 PONDICHERRY - CHENNAI

PONDICHERRY - CHENNAI

27 February 2008 Temp: 86 deg. F

Dear Friends and Family

From Trichy I boarded a train to a small city close to Pondirrechy. There I boarded a very crowded bus for the 1 ½ hour ride to Pondy. Eventually I was able to get a seat right behind the driver. I had met the bare-footed horn player. Let me explain, the first thing I noticed is that this very skillfull (attested by the fact we made it in one piece) driver was barefooted. To his right sat three levers, two green, one yellow. The green levers controlled two bus horns of different pitches. He played those two lever like a musician to carry his message to anything that stood in the way of his progress. The hi-pitched horn to tell any vehicule in front of him that he wanted to pass them. After several blows not yelding the desired results, the low-pitched horn would be brought into action. The next step was a combined action by both horns until the target obstacle complied to giving room to the bus. The driver never used the yellow lever. Maybe this lever brings into action a sound that pulverizes the intended target, or is it a lever that one uses five seconds before an accident? I am glad I never found out.

Ashrams are communities where people work, live, and study together, drawn by a common spiritual goal. Real committed people adopt a certain guru who is the ashram leader. The ashrams in Pondy were founded in 1926 by Sri Aurobindo, a Bengali philosopher-guru and a Frenchwoman called The Mother.. Some of the ashram also offer rooms to non-participants, and I had visions of being able to get an accommodation into one of the ashrams in Pondicherry to learn more about the concept. Unfortunately there is a celebration taking place the 29^th Feb and the ashrams in Pondi are full. As a matter of fact I also .found that several of the hotels were full. So, I ended up in a large classic hotel were I paid twice what I usually spend.

Pondicherry is on the Bay of Bengal western coast. The town is basically divided into two distinct sections, the French-built east side between a north-south canal and the sea. The part to the west of the canal is a pretty typical Indian town. The streets on the French side are generally wider, paved, and lined with trees and flowering bushes. The buildings are large, light colored, and are now used by the government and city’s agencies. Most of the western-type restaurants are also located here. Street and several restaurants have French names, rue Dumas, La Terrace, Le Café, etc..Policemen around wear a white uniform and a red kepi. Food-wise, I must admit that it was nice to get away from the generally very spicy Indian food. Café au lait and croissants make for a satisfying breakfast!

It is amazing how often you meet the same people in different places. I met this young Taiwanese woman in Hampi, then I met her Fort Conchin, and again in Pony as she was in the tourist office buying a ticket for an all-day organized tour (so was I!). The tour took us to an ashram, museum, some temples, a lake, where lunch was served during a boat ride, The bus then took us to a village outside of Pondy, the Auroville A brainchild of The Mother, Auroville is an experiment in international living where people could live in peace regardless of their creeds, politics, and nationality. So far Auroville has about 1700 permanent residents representing 35 different nationalities (2/3 are foreigners). Interestingly enough, the Auroville complex includes a bookshop, a café, a gift shop and a somewhat bizarre structure that looks like an almost spherical golf ball, the Matrimandir, which contains a meditation chamber lined with white marble and houses a solid crystal 70 cm in diameter (the largest solid crystal in the world.). The outside of this large structure is covered with gold-plated (24ct) disks. (see picture). We could come a certain distance away from the Matrimandir. There are uniformed people directing the visitors, and making sure that no one steps of the approved path. The feeling is that it is run with military precision. It is interesting to know that the ashrams and Auroville are run by the Sri Aurobindo Society, who also owns most of the valuable property and real estate in Pondicherry. This gives the society a disproportionate influence over the town. It is to be noted that many of the businesses have “auro” as part of their name..

Next Chennai.

Love and peace - henri

Trip to India - 11 TANJORE and TRICHY

TANJORE & TRICHY

22 January 2008 Temp: Hot!

Dear Friends and Family

I got of the bus in Tanjore, at the bus terminal, around 11:00 am after a relatively fast trip from Madurai. Armed with my usual LP map I proceeded to walk in the anticipated direction to the town. After a while I sensed that something wasn’t quite right. A was supposed to cross a river and I did not see any river. I finally stopped at a refreshment stand for direction. When I asked for the town center, they did the awful gesture that I feared the most, they pointed in the opposite direction from which I was walking. As in turned out, I did not realized that there was an “old” bus station, and a “new” bus station. I found out that my bus had arrived at the “new” bus station. After stopping a motorized rickshaw and paying an exorbitant fare (by Indian’s statndards) I finally made it to the center of the town where I immediately started walking in the wrong direction looking for a certain hotel (there are days like that!). I ended up accidently in front of another one of the hotels recommended in the ‘bible” (Lonely Planet). This turned out to be a very nice accommodation at a bargain price. It used to be one of the Maharajah’ s residence that according to LP had been badly neglected. I found out that the rooms were being completely updated, and. I suspect that the price will go up quite a bit after all of the rooms.have been remodeled.

The Brihadishwara Temple dominate the landscape with its 175 ft pyramidal tower. This temple is a joy to visit by spending a few relaxed hours in the huge, well maintained open courtyard. The temple, not being a pilgrimage site, attracts a lot less visitors than, say, the temple in Madurai. I went to the temple early in the morning and again late afternoon to catch different light conditions. This temple was built around the 10^th century as a monument to Rajaraja, one of the Chola kings. Another site is the Royal Palace Compound, which includes the Royal Palace, an art gallery full of Chola bronzes (10^th to 15^th centuries), and another smaller palace.

Being a couple days ahead of my schedule I decided to make a detour thru Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) which features a temple and a fort built on top of a monolithic rock. The top is reached by climbing the 500 plus steps carved out of the rock face. A great place for all around views of the city.

Tomorrow, the 23 february I will move to the Pondicherry, a town under the control of a succession of colonial powers, Portugeses, French, Danes, and British who exchanged the enclave several times after various battles and treaties. Pondicherry’s heydays date to 1742 when governed by Dupleix, who rebuilt the town following a French model.

Love and peace - henri