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Published: November 14th 2008
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Two nights ago, in the city of Mysore, we went to see a Bollywood movie. The movie was in the local state language, Kannada, with no subtitles, but we still understood most of what was happening. The funniest part of the movie were the dance scenes. Much of the movie was filmed in Mysore, and we recognized some landmarks. But the dance scenes were filmed in Switzerland, and since we spent a day in Geneva a few months ago, we recognized some landmarks from there too. These dance scenes had absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the movie, but they made it more fun.
We could never have imagined that, the very next day, we would be starring in a Bollywood movie ourselves! Here's what happened:
We were in the town of Ooty, visiting the botanical gardens, when we noticed a huge crowd. We saw that a movie was being filmed, so we stood around to watch as well. After a few minutes, the director approached us and asked if we would mind doing a scene. We agreed, so they had us dance as everyone watched and clapped. It was lots of fun, and hopefully we can figure out
how to get a copy of the movie.
In most places here, foreigners are a novelty, which can be good or bad. On the down side, you get harrassed a lot ("Madam, please come see my shop", "Sir, you want to buy something?", "Hello! Hello! Come please!", etc.). On the plus side, you sometimes get the VIP treatment.
So, you don't need to be a talented actor, or dancer, to be in a Bollywood movie. It's enough to be a foreigner.
At the same park, Erin was also surrounded by a group of schoolgirls who pinched her cheeks and touched her hair, and other young men who wanted to take our photo.
Back to our travels:
Our last day in Goa, we watched the US election results on BBC News, which we fortunately had in our hotel room. It started that day, and continues until now. People always ask where we are from. When we say America, they now reply: "America? Obama!".
Then we went to the flea market in Anjuna, a huge market that takes place every Wednesday.
Even though the commercial nature of it is very different, it feels a lot like the Burning Man Festival.
It kind of seemed like all the foreigners in Goa were there. The old hippies, the young ones, the Russian package tourists, etc. The sellers were also a really interesting mix as well. A lot of Tibetans (many have settled in India), Rajasthanis with colorful clothing, and even some long term foreigners were selling stuff. El Shaddai, the children's home we visited, also had a stall, and we got to meet Anita, the British woman who co-founded it. We told her we will try to help her fundraise in California, if she comes for a visit.
From Goa, we went to Hampi, in Karnataka state. Hampi is a city of many ancient temples, dating back to around the 15th century. They were truly magnificent. My favorite was probably the stone chariot, but there were lots of amazing temples and statues. The small town itself also had a nice, laid back feeling to it. For example, there was a restaurant called the Mango Tree, that you walked through banana plantations, along the river to get to. When you got there, you would remove your shoes and sit on the ground, facing the river and the towering boulders that surround the
town. It was just a very relaxed, pleasant atmosphere. We also took a tiny, round, bamboo boat down the river, passing various Hindu temples. This boat ride was so fun, we did it again the next day. It was one of our highlights.
After Hampi, we went to Mysore. This city has a beautiful Maharaja Palace which we visited. We liked it as much as some of the grand palaces we saw in Europe, and it seemed to have European as well as Islamic influences. The palace alone was worth the trip to Mysore, but it was a nice place besides, and a covenient base for other trips (below). Mysore also had a much touted bazaar, which we visited. After the amazing markets of Morocco, though, we were not impressed. Also, two very persistent hawkers followed us around, one trying to sell wooden flutes, and the other incense.
On the outskirts of Mysore, we visited the Brindavan Gardens, which were very colorful and, again, reminded us of some gardens in Europe. Just after sunset, they had a fountain show set to music.
One of the highlights of our entire trip so far was the very next day. We
had been staying in cheap hotels (about $10 a night) and watching our rupees so we could splurge on something that seemed really neat: Nagarhole National Park, home to tigers, elephants, deer, and many other animals. The only way to really see the park, is to stay in one of the lodges, which offer safari tours. The best ones are on the Kabini Lake side. They don't come cheap, but include all meals, and are a real treat. We decided to just go there and compare the different resorts. We loved the second one we saw, Cicada. They gave us a lodge right on the lakeshore, with a hammock and everything. We could only afford to stay one night, but for those 24 hours, we were like maharajas. There was a staff of 86 and we turned out to be the only guests that day. The service we got was almost too attentive. The place was absolutely gorgeous. In addition to the lake, there were wonderful walking paths, a lovely swimming pool, all kinds of trees, lots of grass, and the most perfect weather. We were treated to buffet meals that could have fed many more people. We hope when
we were done the staff ate what was left! The first afternoon, we were taken on a boat safari, where by the lake we saw elephants bathing and drinking, spotted deer, peacocks, and other birds. The next morning, we went on a jeep safari through the park, where we saw more deer, and also monkeys, gaurs (a kind of wild bull), and other birds. We weren't lucky enough to see the elusive tigers, of which there are estimated to be 50 to 60 in the park.
The boat safari was the most wonderful experience, but just the lovely, peaceful and tranquil atmosphere of the place, especially after some hectic and non-peaceful, non-tranquil traveling in India, was heavenly. It will be one of our best memories from our time here.
Cicada is an eco-resort, founded by a high-tech Indian billionaire, and is not about making money. With a staff of 86 for only the two of us, that's a good thing, too!
You can see the resort we stayed at here:
http://www.cicadaresorts.com/kabini.html
The next day we went to Ooty, a former British summer station. High in the hills, it is much cooler than anywhere else we have been in
India. Back during the colonial days, it supposedly looked like a small English town, and was referred to as Snooty Ooty. Maybe it's because we just had this magical experience at Kabini the previous day, or because Ooty was kind of hyped up, but we weren't that impressed. If it ever did, it no longer looks anything like a cute English town. The botanical gardens (created by the British, but well maintained) were neat, not to mention the Bollywood role we got there, but we didn't find the town that attractive. It seems like a resort place mostly for Indians. They come all bundeled up, like they're going skiing. Almost everyone wears ski caps, ear muffs, coats, blankets, etc. It's really not
that cold, but I guess when you're used to it being really hot, it can seem that way.
Anyway, we have had some really great experiences the last few weeks here. We are now in Cochin, in the state of Kerala. We are slowly making our way south to the very tip of India.
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Sounds so amazing, wish I could time-travel be there this second. I love Bollywood movies, you lucky dawgs.