Please, no more heat

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On my next to last day in Kerala, I visited a small town that's famous for its production of all-metal mirrors. I didn't have much information, and when I got to the town there wasn't much sign of life other than a massive temple filled with people. After wandering the streets for quite a while I asked a man on the street if he knew anything about the mirrors, and he walked me over to a tiny store, which I believe was the only place to buy the mirrors. The guy there told me that in the past there were a few families that made the mirrors, but now his was the only one. He took me to his house, where there were mirrors in all stages of production laying everywhere. His English wasn't very good, so some parts of the process remained a mystery to me, but it was quite apparent that his whole family was involved and they were very excited that I was there. The place is mentioned briefly in my guidebook but I don't think many travelers make the trip.

The next day I began the first half of my train trip back to Delhi, except this time I stopped in Mumbai (Bombay) to visit GD, a friend from the mountaineering course at NIM. He was in Pune for work during my first day in the city, so I wandered around the city center and the adjacent touristy area, Colaba. I stayed with GD for the next two days, way up in the northern suburbs. For transport we used his Royal Enfield motorcycle, and it was quite exhilarating. Riding in the fairly small three-wheeled autorickshaws is certainly different from riding in a car, but I quickly became use to it. Being on the back of a motorcycle, weaving between the cars on mostly lane-less and very crowded streets was something else entirely. Last night I saw my first Hindi movie, and between the occasional English and the straightforward plot I was able to understand most of what was happening. Just before the movie started, they played the Indian national anthem. Everyone stood and some sang along - it was like a sporting event in the US.

Though I've only been here for three days, I have to say that I rather like Mumbai. It feels much more cosmopolitan and lively than other cities, and at times reminds me somewhat of NYC. The food has been superb and the options considerably better than what I experienced in Delhi. It is true that there's a lot of visible poverty, and the taxi drivers, touts, and beggars are just as bad as other places, but I suppose it just doesn't bother me as much as it did before. The heat and humidity haven't been any better than Kerala, though I must admit that it's preferable to the monsoon, which will be starting in a couple of weeks.

Tonight I board a train for Delhi, and early Wednesday morning I'm flying from there to Leh, Ladakh, the northernmost tip of India between Pakistan and Tibet. I'm really, really looking forward to escaping the lowland summer and getting back to the mountains. Ladakh is by all accounts a special place, and with any luck I'll be able to join a group for a trek or two while I'm there. There's at least one four day trekking route for which its possible to stay in villages each night, so at the very least I'll be able to do that without a guide, and I won't have to worry about carrying (much) food, a sleeping bag or a tent. Internet access sounds like it's very expensive and slow, so there might not be many pictures, if any.

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Photos

Varkala
The beach at Varkala. The clifftop on the right was packed with (mostly budget) hotels, restaurants, and tiny shops selling all sorts of trinkets.

Kannady (metal mirrors)
Making the clay enclosure, into which the molten metal is poured.

Bombay
Waiting outside the Jehangir Art Gallery for GD to pick me up.

Comments

[Tal]

GD
What do the initials GD stand for? Did you find out?

[levir]

I think Gurdeepak, or some other silly Sikh name. He told me once, but I stuck with GD.