On the Road

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Ok well im finally getting round to updating our blog after one month of touring southern India. Just now were in Aurangabad to give us easy acces to the Ellora and Ajanta caves, the most incredible things i've seen with my own two eyes, yes even better than Leo Messi, however more of them later.

I think that the last time we spoke was down on The Kerela coast where we had just left the southern tip of India, Well from there we headed north to Kovalam, an idilic place in some respects but very popular with European holiday makers rather than travellers i.e they spend the same amount of money as we do in six months over the space of a couple of weeks. Making the place very expensive, but we did get a beautifull room with incredible views for relatively cheap price. Being close to the capital of Kerala meant it was popular with indian daytripers aswell and good fun was had by all playing around in the sea. One of the days we were there there was a local beach football match going on and the locals all played in Barca strips and to give them credit they did play a nice passing game, While we were watching a few of the travellers and I were asked if we wanted to take part in a freindly kickabout with the under twelves after the main event, so we all made freinds and got ready to teach a few kids a lesson. Our confidence grew when we seen them a couple were less than half the size of a two Scandinavians we had. There was still a couple of hundred spectators a ref and two linesman however and slowly we realised we were out of our depth. A couple of minutes in disaster struck, one of the wee bastards booted the ball so square in my nuts that i think they momentarly replaced my eyes, i tryed to keep going but within a split second came crashing to the floor with two hundred Indians screaming with laughter around me, and for the rest of the match I was seriosly in pain, but still we soldiered on and against all odds took the lead, however it quickly came apparent that playing in sand is not like playing normal football its like constantly running uphill and our older tireder legs gave up quicly while the wee kids began running circles round us scoring three and taking the game. The shame of it all hit us when we began shaking hands after the game they were all tiny, but to be honest i dont think any of us really cared while i think it made a lot to the kids, so fair play to them all. We all proceded to fanny around in the sea together trying to cool down and a fun time was had by all, they all loved Barcelona F.C, which was cool.

On the last day in Kovalam Marta got a bit of a dodgy belly, but at least we were in a nice hotel, so that she could take it easy in style, I think in India it pays to eat where the locals eat and not where the tourists eat as they dont really the dangers associated with meat and fish.

From Varkala we went up the coast to Varkala another lovely beach more directed at the backpackers than the tourists, but we soon got bored of the beach and went on. It makes little sense to have a beach holiday when you live on the Costa Brava.

Our next stop was Kovallam and the start of Keralas famous backwaters, where we rented a house boat for two days and two nights and slowly made the hundred kilometer journey north. I still have a feeling we were fleeced a bit with the price which was easily the most expensive thing weve done, but in India even getting fleeced is cheap. It was a lovey journey with a great crew, i just wish that they seen a lot more of the money we handed over to the rep. The Captain couldnt get married because he didnt make enough money to pay for his future wives sarrees and gold and his profession wasn't seen as good enough, which was crazy considering the amount of ruppes we handed over. I feel he should get his fair share. However the Backwaters were beautifull and still really stuck in the past with very little motorised transport and the sounds of shipbuilders hammers ringing around the place. we soon arived in Allepy and quickly made our way to Fort Cochin where later that Evening we by chance had dinner with Kevin Rowland of Dexys Midnight Runners Fame (Come on Eilleen was thier biggest hit but those of you who love tunes should defo look out the album"Searching for the young soul rebel" a late northern soul classic). From ther it was on to the Western Ghats.

The Western Ghats are mountains in the south which rise above 2000 metres making it much cooler than sea level. we spent almost two weeks in the ghats and we were all the better refreshed for it. The first stop was Kumily and the Periyar wildlife sanctuary, where we did an all day trek with armed guard, who made us feel safer as we came face to face with wild elephants, It was the one thing Marta really wanted to see so she was absoloutley made up. All round Kumily is where most of the worlds cardomom, clove, pepper, anise and basicly where a whole lot of the worlds spice comes from making for absouloutly top notch currys.

After Kumily we went to Munnar taking the 6.30 bus with all the teapickers, a wonderfull six hour journey later we arrived in one of the most naturally beautifull parts of India rolling hills not dissimallar to the highlands, covered on every square inch by lime green tea plantations, we stayed in a little cottage ten miles outside the village in the forest which was supercool. The best thing about Munnar was how happy the people were , this was because everyone worked on the tea plantations, who provided houses , schooling for children, share optoions, free healthcare, organized interplantation tournaments (while we were there there was the anual footy tournament) and allsorts of bonuses in comparison to much of India. To be honest these are better conditions than most of the western world. It is obviosly hard physical labour but they really did seem truely happy, making me wonder whether happiness is more derived from lifestyle than anything else. While we were there we partook in another all day trek this one through the tea plantations and up to the top of a mountain giving us great views of the surrounding area.

Soon we were back of into the Tamil nadu side of the Ghats to a place called Kodiacanal, It was great to be back into Tamil Nadu, my favourite state so far and to a place with the most incredibly Scottish buildings, parks and a it even had a links style golf course, all of these places had of course been the settlements of the british before independance but were now thankfully back in the hands of the Indians for better or for worse. At night It got really cold (almost freezing) but Marta and I had a room with a log fire which would of been romantic if it not for a man named Ian, a fifty year fuit picker from slough (a mixture between Smiegle and Steve coogans pool attendant) who had no problem in inviting himself into our room with the token bit of wood for the fire, eventually we just started inviting everyone in so we didnt have to listen to his stupid irellevant storys, this way we did end up making a lot of nice people and some that we may meet again before our travells are up. we spent a lot of time here planning and booking trains planes and automobiles for the rest of our trip realising that we only had one month left and little time to lose waiting around for transport unfortunately many places fell of the agenda as we are now pushed for time before we go to Nepal, there are just to many places to see in India.

From Kodiakanal we left, to take a hundred year old steam train up to another hill station called Ooty, an exellent ride starting very early in the morning and accompanied by some Keralan students singing songs ranging from old boatsmans songs to shakiras modern classic the waka waka (a very popular song in the subcontinent), we chose not to stop in ooty because we had just spent two weeks in the hills and went downhill to Mysore. One of the nicest bus journeys yet passing through thick forest and two wildlife sanctuarys, seeing more wild elephants on the way.

Mysore was a very cool city where they process a lot of sandlewood and scented oils seemed to be the popular thing here. they also had some amazing wooden furniture. The heart of Mysore was the Maharajas oppulant palace, built with the help of the british after his wooden one burnt down (poor guy, im sure it was an insurance job), full of solid silver chairs and doors and the like, a very nice place set in lovely grounds apperently lovely when lit up on sunday nights by 100000 lightbulbs, we would not know because we are total idiots, we got very mixed up with so much travelling and i think we watched die hard 4 in our room instead (bruce willis is the Jimmy Stewart our generation deserves), the stangest place we went was yet another Dinseyland church where there was the wierdest jesus crypt complete with flashing neon, plastic flowers and of course large money shute, not to mention the large poster of the popes seedy little face , arms outstreched and the caption " let all the little children come to me", is there any one else finds that more than just a bit creepy? I think its very sad that the modern rich Indians want to turn thieir back on their hindu past as they moderise and turn instead to the catholic church. i think if your going to believe in something at least do it like a proper mentalist.

After Mysore we travelled through Bangalore and took a flight to Mumbai, where we only spent a night and a day, we did as much wandering as we could but didnt touch the sides, the centre looks a bit like an Indian London, but im sure the outskirts dont resemble it much, there is some serios poverty there, and i really felt like punching a father who sat with his wife on the ground like a lazy fucker, while directing his four year old daughter our way too beg for a few ruppes.

We then took the train to Aurangabad where we are now, Over the last two days we have seen some of the most amazing things you are likely to see, the are Caves dating from 200bc to 700ad largely sculpted by bhudists but also some Hindus and Jains worked in competition with them chiseling away at hard basalt rock to create these perfect temples and shrines inside the cliff faces, all of them at one point were painted brightly and some of them still retain the paint. they really are incredible and must be the lives work of thousand of men, perfecly planned, perfectly crafted and when you think about how much of an arse we all make of most large scale building plans these days, you really do feel so humbled.

Anyway we have to go and get a sixteen hour bus to connect with an nine hour train soon, as we start our tour of Rajastan tommorow. I'll leave with two facts, 500 million Indians shit outside daily (almost double the population of America) and more indians have mobile phone acces than have acces to a toilet.

All the best till next time
Mikey and Marta

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Comments

[Tracy]

Creating memories
Wow, in reading your blog i am filled with envy in what seems to be an incredible adventure. It sounds as though you are embracing the travelling lifestyle and enjoying the benefits of mixing with the locals and soaking up the culture. I can't wait to read your next entry. Happy travelling T x