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Published: January 7th 2013
6 January 2012
We are quickly learning that plans seem to change as quickly as they are made. Today, we thought we were going to visit some temples. Instead we landed at a Rotary Club meeting about 15km from Udupi in Brahmavar where we received yet more beautiful flowers and were asked to talk about ourselves. The English here is different and it is quite difficult to understand what people are saying. I do understand when they take us downstairs to the cake shop and ask us to pick anything. Unfortunately it’s a case of ‘can’t eat, won’t eat’. Nicola can’t eat cakes, and I was advised to avoid anything from street caterers. It takes all my willpower to say no!! We are taken to a research farm, part of Bangalore University. The presentation and tour are great but my highlight is the cocoa beans. Our Brahmavar hosts choose to call me Chocolate Girl after this! The temples, one Jain, one Buddhist, are very interesting. It would be good to know a little more about the background though. Most of the signs are not in English.
While on the bus with our hosts, they are asking us about our
personal circumstances and are amazed to hear that I don’t live my parents and I am unmarried. I explain my family situation and they say that we should all be living together, including my mum, dad, brother and other brother with his wife and two children! They continue to question me about it and find the situation hilarious! They even ask if perhaps my Dad will find me a husband? I hope not! This does start to worry me when they take us to our second wedding of the trip and I’m a bit concerned that it’s actually going to be my wedding. Tomorrow I’m wearing a ring!
At the wedding I come across my first Indian style toilet. I think I have done well to avoid even seeing one properly for four days! Although it’s clean, I decided to wait. Emily took the initiative to check the other toilets and we find two western ones beside the four Indian style loos!
We have some free time with our hosts and Mr Shetty takes me and Mithra out. I should have been staying with Mr Shetty and his family but due to a death in the family, my
host was changed to Mithra. We go on a rustic boat ride down the river which is fantastic. Very peaceful and serene. We then head to Udupi beach where families have gathered to watch the sunset. It’s like no beach I have been on before. Most beaches are either crowded with tourists or deserted. This is simply hundreds of locals from inland who come to fly kites and splash in the waves. There are camel rides, tight rope walkers, Muslim women in veils and also Indian men holding hands, a sight which is becoming more common to me!
It has been a fantastic final day here and I really love Manipal and Udupi, the people, the cuisine, the sights and the university town atmosphere. I have become very close to Mithra already and she has told me lots about her family, her life here in India, her arranged marriage and her interests. She has been an excellent host and I have loved sharing her beautiful home. I’m going to be really sad to leave tomorrow.
Tracy x
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Julie Ratcliffe
non-member comment
Amazing descriptions
Your posts are wonderful - the descriptions you give are so vivid that I can actually picture the experiences you're enjoying!