India Blog!

Preparations have begun for my business visit abroad. I am trying to pack light, but have already discarded my standard red travel suitcase for a larger model - realizing that I'll actually need to bring a few items of clothing in addition to all the prescription and over the counter drugs, power adapters, bug repellents, art supplies, and travel books I feel that I need.

Except for college, I realize that I have never had to pack for such a long journey, and I now see that I'm not so good at it! My mom has already had me try on about seventeen shirts - none of which belong to me - and I still haven't picked one to bring. Nevertheless, I have the basics and the important things: ear plugs, Pepto Bismol, and Red Monkey. I will be fine.

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I had a few hours during my layover in Frankfurt to check out the facilities. I was impressed by the sanitary seat cleaning systems that the Germans have put in place here. Once the flush button is pushed, the arm in the center extends to cover the width of the seat and the whole toilet seat spins 360 degrees to make sure every part gets cleaned. If there was anyone in the bathroom, they must have found it freakish to see a flash going off in the stall, but no stone (or toilet seat) unturned, right?

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On Valentine's Day, I joined some of my Thomson colleagues - who crossed over with me in Chennai for their group vendor visits - on a trip down to Pondicherry. We stopped about 45 minutes into the trip along the shore at a beach resort that seemed to cater to Westerners. The currents were impressive, and apparently while some risk swimming out here, the riptides can be pretty dangerous. I didn't see any surfers or boaters out on the water, despite the 80+ degree weather. We broke our trip here with a drink and then drove further south. We had to get out and change cars in before Pondicherry, however, since it's technically a separate state from Chennai and we didn't have the right permit on the hotel's car.

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We then stopped in Mamallapuram, which is a town half way between Chennai and Pondicherry, also on the coast. It's a temple beach town, whose highlights include the carvings of Arjuna's Penance, and an enormous rock boulder seemingly precariously balanced on a short cliff face. According to our guide a herd of elephants was enlisted to try and tip the rock but were not able. The tsunami even took a shot a few years ago, but didn't quite make it across the street to the temples and the balanced boulder.

According to our host, the Bay of Bengal has swallowed up quite a few temples over the years, and during the tsunami, as the water was receding from the coast to form the enormous wave, spectators could see the roofs of a few of the underwater marvels suddenly revealed, but just for a moment.

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While touring Mamallapuram, we noticed goats were roaming freely everywhere! Here is a shot of outside the public restrooms, where one goat is taking a nap. They seem relatively domesticated and unafraid of people. Interestingly, the oxen that you see pulling heavy loads along the narrow city streets also make close brushes with cars and auto rickshaws at all times, and hardly seem phased by it. Animals have the need to be awfully hardy here.

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This entry is a little out of order, but I'm finally getting a chance to jot some of the early impressions down. After a long day and a half of flying, I finally reached Chennai. The airport was impressively quick to move through, perhaps because no one seemed to be manning the scanner as we pushed our hand luggage through the conveyor. I quickly found my driver, who was holding up a sign with my name in a throng of other drivers awaiting passengers from the crowded flight.

We got into the car and my driver was very solicitous – making sure I had a comfortable trip and then launching into stories of all the amazing things there are to buy in India and how he would be happy to take me on a tour of them. He said, “you are now my very special guest,” but not in a creepy way. What was creepy was the ATM we stopped at on the way to the hotel. Surprisingly, there is no ATM in the plush ITC Park Sheraton, so we stopped beside a ramshackle looking building (the only one lit on its block) and I asked the driver if he would come in with me to get cash. This was apparently a branch of a well-known international bank, but the only thing remotely safe looking about the machine was that it was manned by a guard in uniform, squatting on a stool in the booth. I quickly pulled out 200 rupees, much too little to get by on, I quickly realized, but enough to cover tips for a few days. The exchange is 44 rupees to a dollar. Along our trip, the relative poverty to the States was paramount – free-roaming cows were feeding on garbage off the street; everything appeared to be covered with a type of dust or dirt (which you could also smell quite acutely from the cab) and all was dark except for the aggressively bright neon lights that advertised all manner of things along the thoroughfare.

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From the windows of cars and rickshaws, you can get great candids of life passing by. Here are three school girls, in uniform, walking through the streets of Chennai. Uniforms are big for all ages of students here, and occasionally you can spot a school yard nested behind buildings, usually with filled in lots or pavement instead of grass.

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I was lucky to meet up with some friends this evening who happened to be passing through Chennai on my last night here! We checked out the Chennai beach called Marina Beach since it is one of the big tourist attractions of the city. It is apparently the world's second largest beach, after Rio's. We didn't attempt to walk the length, and found the sand to be pretty dirty, but the activity was wonderful. Some men and children were braving the waves, while women in beautiful saris looked on and beach vendors sold chai teas, samosas, and other wares.

This picture, although a couple of days late, is in honor of Valentine's Day! The couple pictured looked to be enjoying a moment of contentment amid the hubub.

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We stopped down in southern Chennai on the way back to see the Universal Temple. When you walk through the gates here, it feels like a quiet sanctuary away from the bustle of downtown. Very peaceful and a beautiful spot to boot!

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My view from inside the autorickshaw on the way home when the driver got out and disappeared, leaving me in the cab. When he returned back a minute later, I realized he'd gone to get better directions from another driver. I figured it would be okay. If he left me there, well, I'd have a rickshaw to call my own.

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I am learning a thing or two about bargaining here in in India. This has never been my forte, and at first I found it pretty annoying, but then my associate here told me that the locals actually bargain more for the fun of it than anything else. Sure, there is some gouging going on, he says, but some folks actually take it as an insult if you don't try and work down the price. It's a social interaction, particularly for small businesses and rickshaw drivers, and it's all part of the game. He also told me that you know you are doing a good job and that you are going to get your goal price if the vendor offers you tea or coffee twenty minutes into the negotiation. Can you imagine?? Americans would never make time for this!!

But things are getting a little more western in that sense in the cities here as well. Wal-Mart has already begun construction all over India. They are breaking into the market here to survive essentially. Apparently over 50% of the country's population is under the age of 20. The commercial pressures to survive against similar style businesses in Asia are overwhelming. Stores like this (and even many clothing and grocery stores) are now fixed price stores, where bargaining is not acceptable. I tried my hand at bargaining at one of these places the other day, to which I was rebuffed with "No, fixed price. This is nice store."

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I felt so lucky to chance upon an elephant trotting down the street during my first few minutes in downtown Pondicherry! He was accompanied by a young man with a switch, although it was unclear who was doing the leading. I was taken aback by how quickly the elephant moved. I was in the process of removing my shoes to go into the Ashram - a famous commune within Pondicherry - when I saw him pass. I hurried to get my camera, but missed him the first time, only getting a relatively distant shot of his rear. Luckily, I found him again a few blocks off, after the Ashram. He was very tame and let me pet him, and also well-trained, as you'll see from the next shot.

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Here is a shot of the elephant's interaction with the locals. They bring him an offering of some kind of straw, which he takes, eats, and then thanks them by petting them on the head, like so. I watched this happen several times and loved it! I am very surprised to have seen an elephant so early in the trip. I didn't actually expect I'd come across any elephants or camels in the cities...but India has been nothing but surprises so far!

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I took a wander into Pondicherry yesterday morning. I had the day off and wanted to see some of the city, since I'll be working the rest of the days this week. I had been advised to take a tour, but it was easier said than done from my hotel - unfortunately I didn't learn any helpful words in Tamil, and I'm having some difficulty getting everything understood with English here. People definitely still speak it, but words like "tour" and "Internet" are harder.

The downtown area of Pondicherry is extremely busy, chaotic, and... well, downright dangerous if you don't look seventeen ways before crossing the street, but the town is reputed for its lovely beach, so I made my way down to the shore. It actually reminded me a bit of Bar Harbor (plus about fifty degrees Fahrenheit) with built-up rocky shores overlooking the water. There was a monument between the rock beach and the sand beach, but I couldn't figure out what it was all about. Instead, I watched this little boy lead his pet monkey around on a leash. This is the first monkey I've seen so far as well, and I was somewhat relieved to find he was attached to someone!

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This saying has never been more true. I haven't seen it yet, but have heard that the street dogs can be pretty ferocious, particularly when they move around in packs - as they can do when they don't belong to anyone in particular. I've generally tried to side-step them when possible. For the most part, though, they just look hot and tired to me. You see them just about everywhere that's shady, and they are sometimes the only calm bodies in the city.

The dogs are generally lean, like the cats and the cows. I think the cows are somehow the saddest, because they are so enormous and most are scavenging off garbage on the streets. But apparently dogs and cats are not kept as pets here. In fact, cats are never kept, but some families are moving to keeping dogs at home.

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This picture was actually taken in Chennai, but I've seen the behavior in Pondicherry as well and it cracks me up. Edwin's girlfriend Julie pointed it out to me when we were headed from the beach, but I'd seen men on bikes, paused at a stop light or even in motion on a busy street with their arms around each other's shoulders, like this - like there was no traffic for miles! Julie noted that even when one is on bicycle and the other speeding on a moped or scooter this happens.

Men are generally much more openly affectionate with one another here. Hand-holding is a common gesture of friendship as is tandem steering, apparently.

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Another shot from Chennai. Check out this trash can's obvious cry-for-help behavior. It's the anti-valentine heart candy, but these little guys are all over the city, collecting refuse with a smile on their face. You can't help but adore their unbroken spirit.

In fact, sort of ironic to see these at the threshold to the beach, when just a few minutes later, we saw someone hauling a bag of trash right into the water and dumping it out directly into the ocean. Go with the flow, I say.

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Truth be told, the Annamalai hotel is not that bad. The bed was reasonably comfortable and you can access a few channels that play American movies, which kept me entertained. It is also the hotel where I've had my first full night of sleep, so I have to be thankful for that!

But then there is the lobby! The features of the lobby totally crack me up. The walls are painted in every color of the rainbow - enormous murals that depict storefronts. Faux balconies dangle from the painted-on windows, filled with mannequins in reverent postures. The hotel is constantly filled with droves of tourists, starting out or ending a day in Pondicherry, and the complimentary breakfast often features a lecture itself - which can be a good distraction from the cold rubbery toast!

I would have been content to stay here a few more days, but my host has suggested that I move to a hotel closer to the beach. After finding a cockroach on my bedside table this morning, I am happy to comply.

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The breakfast at my new hotel, the Kailash, bore resemblance to my previous breakfasts... but was oh so much better. This is probably the best cup of coffee I've had in India yet. Didn't hurt that I was eating it out in the sunshine, with the gentle shade of palm trees and the warm breezes of the coast. My host wanted me to check out this spot, and as I had originally imposed on him to help me find a hotel, he found me this fantastic spot that is a nice compromise between the lush likes of the Park Sheraton and what India is to many people: a more down-to-earth, basic, blend-in-with-nature existence.

During breakfast, I discovered that the crows here are enormous (and loud!). They have very large beaks, and like all the rest of the animals I've seen so far, are completely un-timid. They sang around me as I ate, making it much less lonely to dine alone.

Another thing making it less lonely is not dining alone! Today I met another guest here at the hotel, Bernard, from Paris. He is here for a business venture with his friend Michel and they are good friends with the owner, who I'm curious to meet. The owner is also a publisher, specializing in nicely bound books on Asia.

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Here's the door looking out from the bathroom of my room this morning. Seemed a particularly beautiful light, and scene, so I thought I should take a picture. The bathroom is all tile with a simple porcelain sink and toilet and the showerhead streams directly down onto the floor and the water filters out through a drain in the corner of the room. It seemed primitive at first, but is really quite utilitarian. Strangely entertaining to be able to use the sink while you are showering!

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This is the beautiful centerpiece featured in the lobby area of my hotel. Instead of a closed lobby, this hotel has a nice veranda-style open air enclosure, surrounded by several of the guest bedrooms. The soft, relaxed feeling of this image does justice to the overall ambiance of the Kailash hotel. Everything is simple, fresh, and fragrant. It seems far too romantic a place for me to be visiting on my own! Now I only wish I had the days free to enjoy it!

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It's a hard life out here, all over, it seems. But the locals certainly know how to celebrate. This week, I have come at an auspicious time, my driver tells me. It is the Villianur Temple Car Festival and the folks in the village that surrounds my hotel have been partying for seven days - all day long! The painting of the cow's horns is often done in honor of local festivals, and the colors mean something, although I couldn't make out what. I was also having trouble interpreting the Car Festival, but I think it has something to do with a chariot and having the heads-of-state pull it as a tradition (and a gag!).

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Here's a typical aerial view of Pondicherry (well, from the top of a hotel building). The homes are generally pretty ramshackle. Actually, I was chatting with the front desk operator at my hotel this morning and he was familiar with the composition house we're working with, and he gave a low whistle referring to them as "fancy." There are very few modern looking buildings dotting the landscape in Pondicherry (and Chennai, for that matter). Those that are built up are mainly dealerships, hotels, and banks from what I can tell. Our vendor has a beautiful building, and I wonder what it must be like for the employees (particularly the men) to go out in the morning dressed for business when everyone around them is more modestly clad. Even the less wealthy women wear beautiful clothing here, though. The saris are quite amazing.

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You can walk out to the beach from the Kailash hotel, although I have been cautioned many times over not to try swimming here. This is where the tsunami hit a few years ago, but it is pretty hard to tell there was any lasting damage to this particular site. Tamil Nadu had longer to evacuate than those in Indonesia and Sri Lanka and the hotel received warning from the Italian Embassy that it was coming and to evacuate the building. Not all communities were as lucky, with most of the death toll falling upon the lower classes that live in slums by the beach. The giant wave never hit the Kailash hotel, but came up to the gates. Now, the water is a little choppy, but not really dangerous. It's more the debris and pollution that keeps people away.

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Well, I made it two weeks and finally succumbed to pre-Delly Belly! I say this because I was not slated to arrive in Delhi for another three days, but nausea knows no calendar, I guess, and I was up half the night, well, you know. I am really hoping that I don't need to go through this again anytime soon. The upside was that i saw this little guy slither through the crack in the door to my room and I didn't even care. Call it pain or perspective... The bug had me bed & bath-ridden for most of the morning, but I managed to hobble around for the rest of the day and even enjoy a little sunshine, toast, and Coca-Cola - all I could keep down. Oh, and I managed to take this photo, so at least my trigger finger was working.

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Feeling better, the next day (thankfully, a Saturday) I made it out to Auroville with a few more of our hosts. Some friends I have made at the hotel joke that this is where you find people wandering around seeking "divine truth." The concept of Auroville is that it is a township that was started to promote global human unity. "The Mother," as the foundress is called, is also responsible for the Ashram community, which I believe has a similar divine purpose. You can read about Auroville on their website: www.auroville.org. "The Mother" became such due to her many "inner experiences," a phrasing on the site which even made me crack a smile.

Oh, but now the relevance of this picture! This shot is of a tree root that cascaded down from the branch of this Banyan tree toward the ground and embedded itself in the soil. The shot is upside-down, if that helps decipher the picture. The temple was closed to visitors today, so we could only see the outside. I got a shot of the golden globe (how timely!) but since it on just about every postcard of the place, I found the Banyan roots a little more interesting for the blog.

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I wish I had a picture for my most hilarious and unplanned experience of the trip so far, but I don't, so instead, here's a shot of my hilarious driving companion Morhan, who often picked me up in the mornings for work. He is actually from the Poornankuppam Village, where my hotel is situated, and delights in telling me about the local festivals and his family. He was even more delighted to have the weekend off!

After dinner alone on Saturday, I got to talking with Dara, a friend and colleague of the hotel owner. About three minutes after I'd mentioned my regret for not having had a chance to meet Raj, I was in a car on my way to the dinner!

When I look back, I can't believe I jumped so willingly into the car, but it seemed an opportunity not to be missed! And it ended up being so much fun talking publishing with this wild-haired, vivacious and entertaining new friend, and I learned a lot about his businesses and entrepreneurial efforts. As an added bonus, he happened to be dining with my new friends Bernard and Michel from the hotel, so it turned out to be somewhat of a reunion! What a place!

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Tough and gritty much of the time, but organic, beautiful, and alive as well (here's a shot of a trademark vibrant truck green in the town). The goal of the Kailash hotel folks is to bring out more of the positive qualities, which seems an admirable mission. Raj, the owner, is working to institute a better garbage clean-up program for the village, an educational resource to provide stability for school children, and (with his two friends from Paris who became my regular breakfast companions) to broaden the domain of his hotel to include more real housing and modern living conditions for the community. India is changing so rapidly, everywhere. I think I will probably miss this place. I hope I can come back someday to see how it has changed.

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Here's a shot I'd been trying to get for a week! I spotted this grove of lanky palms on my way out to Pondicherry last week, but missed it while pausing to get my camera untangled from its bag. The light was just perfect and caught the same mood that had attracted me in the first place.

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A very first look at Delhi! And low and behold I have cell phone reception! You can see the smog settling over the city (does smog settle?) as the sun sets. I've now hit the quarter mark of my trip, but I don't think I can say already, because it's been a long and full few weeks so far!

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