When in India do like the Indians do

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Oh my god we are in India!!! The first mission was to get to Chennai to attend Akshat's and Niru's wedding. Our flight from KL took us to Bangkok where we had again to leave the airport and go through all the immigration papers only to come back in again. Never mind, this time we were more prepared and had sufficient time between the flights. So from here we caught a flight to Mumbai. To get a flight to Chennai we had to wait a night as none were leaving at the time of our arrival. Here we were to experience the true Indian hospitality for the first time as Akshat put us into contact with his friends Nikhil and Priti. But first we had to leave the airport. Images of millions of people were flashing in front of us, a bit like back in Lima where we came out of the airport and were greeted by a screaming crowd wanting to sell us a hotel, a tour or at least a taxi ride. Many people looked at us in pity when we told them that we will spend nearly 3 months in India. What were we supposed to expect? We did not know. When you travel for such a long time you don't always have time to prepare for the next country. Any anyway, we had 3 months so we might as well read up on things while we are there and build our own picture. So, we got off the plane and a strong smell of damp carpets welcomed us to the Mumbai International Airport. Through the immigration the clerk had a closer look and Andy's hand-amended visa, he called a colleague - we held our breath - but it was not a problem in the end. After all our baggage arrived we proceeded to the prepaid taxi stand as instructed by Akshat. We received a slip of paper with the exact car number of the taxi we were to take. Ok, why not. Sounds very organised! With amazement we had to realize that nobody was really bothered about our arrival - no crowds, no nothing. Only few pestering taxi drivers and their helpers, wanting to show us the way to the taxi, load our luggage, open our doors and of course be paid for it. A 30 minute drive and after a bit of searching we found Nikhil's apartment. Of course the taxi driver demanded aggressively his baksheesh - a tip. All this harassing about being paid a tip is not really European style. We know it as a voluntary gesture, if you are happy with the service that is. As we haven't quite grasped what is going on yet or the value of the rupee so we "volunteered" 10 rupees. To our amazement and amusement our taxi driver thought it was an insult and sniffed at such a small note refusing, to take it. So we took it back and said goodbye. Later we found out that locals NEVER pay taxi drivers a tip as they are know for ripping people off all the time, so there you go.

Josie was supposed to ring Nikhil after our arrival, but we did not have any credit left on our Malaysian phone card - as Nikhil was not at home Josie had the idea to knock on his neighbours doors to ask to use the phone. And of course she was successful. It also turned out that Priti left the key with somebody for us and asked us to make ourselves comfortable in their home until they came back - did I mention that we have never met before?! That was soon forgotten. There is something unbeatable about the Indian's hospitality - we were greeted like friends, offered drinks, food and more friends were called to meet us. We even received some beautiful gifts! We were stunned... We have been given a room with bathroom to sleep in and next day Nikhil gave us a lift to the domestic airport to catch our flight to Chennai. What more can we say? I'm sure there is a lesson to learn for all of us here. We arrived in Chennai and again, another friend of Akshats, Zia, arranged a cab to pick us up from the airport to a hotel where we would stay for one night. Fortunately we had already our wedding outfits bought in KL, Josie wanted just to have a look for a few accessories and Andy needed some shoes. Easy, we found all we needed and tasted our first true Indian vegetarian food. This also introduced us to eating without cutlery. We saw many people doing that in Malaysia but we have always been given a choice and always had at least a fork and a spoon at hand. No discussion here - ok then! Not many of you will believe how hard it is to eat with your hands! It sounds easy, but when your whole life you have been taught to eat with cutlery it is very difficult to break the mental barrier. Besides that, it is actually not that easy to grab the rice, mix it with gravy and veg and put it to your mouth without making a huge mess. Try and you will see what we mean!

Next day we ordered a taxi to get to Mahabalipuram and the Ideal Resort, where the wedding would take place. It was beautiful, full of flowers and greens and right by the sea. Soon we were greeted by Akshat and the fantastic lunch buffet. It was really tasty, most of the dishes were vegetarian but you really did not miss the meat. Of course we took advantage and tried everything on the menu 😊 The first event was to be the Mehndi ceremony which Josie has been invited to by Akshat's mum - strictly girls only. It's a traditional part of the wedding where the girls get their hands painted with henna in beautiful patterns. It is fun! Just you mustn't forget that you will not be able to use your hands until the henna dries, and that is for at least 30 minutes. The longer you leave the henna on, the better the colour will be in the end. The bride does that a day before the wedding and wraps her hands and sometimes feet to ensure all henna stays on throughout the night. The darker the colour - the more the husband/mother in law is said to love her.

Soon it was time to get ready for the traditional part of the wedding. How exciting! We could dress up in our new amazing clothes and hope we would wear them gracefully. Obviously the beautiful sarees present with their magnificent embroidery would always win the contest but we had the attention on us for being white and trying so hard to fit in. It paid off, everyone was very friendly and very happy to tell us how good we looked and we had a blast. Actually, various comments were made on how well Josie was wearing the saree. I know it might seem a bizarre comment to all of you who never wore one, in the end you don't hear anyone saying "You are wearing those jeans so beautifully my dear!" , but even the Indian girls have their own trouble with this beautiful piece of cloth. Don't forget, it's simply a long piece of fabric, 1m wide and 5-9 meter long, all wrapped around you without any zips or buttons. Normally that is 😊 Josie had a little secret that night as she had her saree stitched in KL. So in fact nothing was falling apart and she didn't have to worry about it all night.

The traditional wedding ceremony lasted about 2 minutes, very untraditional, we know. However, that was what the bride and groom have chosen it to be and we have been assured that even though it is probably more interesting for a tourist to see the "real" thing once, this was certainly much more fun. And what fun it was! Two party rooms were set up - 61 and 68 - where the booze was flowing and the craziness started. Indian's are certainly not a quiet bunch and you could hear the laughter for miles. Tired we fell into our beds, knowing that this was only a start. A bigger party would follow the next evening.

Having just met so many wonderful people it was great to have the time next day to catch up with them and to hang out on the beach. Josie's next mission was to find someone who could help her to fulfil one of the 2 "must dos" while in India. She obviously wanted to see the Taj Mahal, but more challenging would be her second desire, to play in a Bollywood film. So she was doing her best to find out if someone had any connections to the film industry. The best she could do is to meet Priyanka from Delhi who is working for the BBC World Trust, not quite Bollywood but a good start 😊

It turned out that we have drunk all the alcohol that was supposed to last for two nights and more had to be arranged. Sounds easy, but it not so if you are in Tamil Nadu state. No alcohol, apart from locally brewed and horribly tasting liquor, is sold officially - only in big hotels and hugely overpriced. But our new friends have obviously their own ways to deal with minor obstacles like that. The evening party was in a grand hall and many more people arrived for that occasion. Once again the girls arrived in stunning sarees, filling the room with amazing colours. The music started and in no time the dancefloor filled with everyone started dancing to the catching rhythm of Indian songs. Now that I call a wedding! The booze was flowing again everybody was enjoying themselves. Suddenly Josie let out a scream, eyes wide open, as if she does not believe it - Summer of '69! From now on a fine selection of English classics followed. We danced to Abba, Queen and god knows what else. There was no stopping the crowd. It was crazy and we had a ball! The end of the party came soon, as so often when you are having so much fun. Back in the ideal resort we were not quite ready to hit the sac so we decided to meet up at the pool. Of course it was in middle of the night, quiet, and you don't need much to imagine what happens when a bunch of young people jump into the water straight after a party. Of course we started wrestling, screaming and laughing until we have been told off. But hey! This was the icing on the cake. Tired we left to bed.

On Sunday we finally had to decide on what next? We had no more plans for India and everyone was packing to go back home. Somehow and spontaneously we decided to go to Nepal and do some more serious trekking. After Torres Del Paine we were certainly bitten by this bug and as we were so close to going home we thought one more grand thing needed to be achieved. And that is the beauty of travelling without a plan and any restrictions. We contacted a guide, whose email address we received from Celine and Sophie, our trekking buddies from Peru Colca Canyon and went back to Chennai to arrange the flights. Soon we found out that it is high season for Nepal and therefore it is quite difficult to get flights to Kathmandu. We had no choice but put ourselves onto the waiting list. That meant we would stay in Chennai until any available flights to Kathmandu freed up. Now we had much more time to have a look around. And finally India has hit us, with the in your face poverty, pavements full of homeless people, rubbish lying around at each corner and the smell of faeces. That was certainly something we had to digest (the environment we mean, not the faeces). For days we only left the hostel to go out and eat, buy few bits and pieces, or use the internet. We simply had to take it in slowly and retreated to reading books for a while instead of sightseeing. Zia was great and took us out whenever he could and so we sampled some delicious Indian food and finally managed to confirm our tickets to Nepal. It is the best when you know a local who can direct you to the right eating places. And that one was unquestioned - India is the true pinnacle of vegetarian cuisine.

One morning suddenly somebody knocked at our door at Broadland's (the hostel). Andy open the door to hear that someone is waiting downstairs in the reception. ??? Soon he came back telling Josie to dress as they were going to play in a movie. What?! Surely that is a scam, was her first thought. But after she confirmed with Zia and the hostel reception, it was true!!! Bollywood finally found her! Ok, ok, it wasn't strictly speaking Bollywood, but nevertheless we would be part of a Tamil film called Billa (the remake of a Hindi classic called "Don"). That was good enough for us! We got some clothes to put on and were to play part of a scene that took place in a nightclub - obviously filled with foreigners, wearing black and white clothes (tuxedos and dresses), as you do ??? That is why they needed us and why there were many more other westerners on set. The plot was that the club would be stormed by some gangsters and police, and during some shooting and explosions we had to fall to the floor. How on earth anyone managed to film anything in those film studios is still a mystery to us. All just looked and sound like an utter chaos but after a long day of filming (or more accurately, waiting around) we were released and so we presumed that they had the scene in the can. More importantly Josie was beside herself, she managed to fulfil her dream of playing in a movie and it all was far too easy. Now there was only the Taj to see 😉 Easy! We had a laugh, had been fed lunch and snacks, and even paid 1000 rupees each, which allowed us to pay for 4 nights accommodation and some food. Bonus if you ask me! Josie wondered if dreams always were coming true in India and she was overjoyed that the country started to open up to her and that she started to open up to India.

Still, wandering the streets of Chennai Josie (amongst others) drew the attention of a young girl, maybe Josie's age or a bit younger. That girl came over to us and said hello. She asked for help, emphasising that she did not want any money but cooking rice. It is strange to realise that you can afford to eat whenever you feel hungry and that there are sooo many people who don't have that luxury. It's sad and makes you think - so Josie went off and bought her 10kg of cooking rice. The smile on the girl's face was priceless, but it still jabbed Josie in the heart. How long would that help? A month maybe? It certainly wasn't the solution to the girl's problems. But what else can we do? What does the government do? We decided that probably as foreigners the best is to donate our money to a reputable charity in the future. They certainly should know how to use it in the most effective way with long term results and not just quick fixes.

After quite a few days we finally left Chennai and boarded a flight to Delhi. From here we would catch a flight to Kathmandu - but again, not the same day. As our luck does not leave us on our travels, Priyanka offered us to stay with her in Delhi for the night. Of course some more food was sampled, some further Indian hospitality experienced and more friends met. We left what we did not need for our trek at Priyanka's and left India to take a very thin breath - in Nepal, on the way to the Mount Everest Base Camp.

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Photos

Mehndi
The Mehndi Ceremony is part of a traditional Indian wedding

Mehndi
The end result

Josie and Andy dressed to impress
Not sure if we did impress or just looked like we were trying too hard, but this is us in full Indian outfit

Keya and Josie
Making new friends

Looking indian
Josie is trying hard to blend in ;)

On the beach, having a beer
well earned after some Volleyball. It was almost midday so it is allowed :)

P A R T Y!!!!
Indians clearly know how to party, it was a great night. We will see you in Mumbai Vicky!

Serina and Josie
more new friends from Malaysia

The 2 Newest Stars in Collywood
Soon to be seen in Billa (or probably not unless you pause it for the split second we may or maynot be on screen for)

The Directors
People should take note of this guys management style. Shout directions with the use of a gun, surefire productivity

On Set
This part of the set with all the water was where all the explosions where happening. Sadly, this is also where we were told to be.

Our room in Broadlands
This hostel in Chenai is a wonderfull crumbling old place. We would definitly recommend, as it is basic but charming all the same

Caught in a Net
We win this one mossies!

Comments

[Ruama]

Namaste!
Wow, you have no idea how bad I wanted to be there with you and am happy for you. Your stay there seems amazing!! I loved the henna thingy in your hands as well as your saree, Josie. You both looked great in your Indian outfits! :)))) I wish one day I´ll have the same chance to visit beautiful chaotic India! So I´ll contact my sister to get me this film Billa when it´s out! :)))) Love you guys! Ps: Learning any Hindi? ;)

[Ruama Musse]

How´s the Taj
Ps: Can´t wait to read about the Taj!! :))))