A few things

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1. I may have rambled about it to you before Jenna and i left but one of my life goals was to eat raw cashew fruit fresh off the tree. Well yesterday on a stroll to a beach just south of where we are staying we walked under a tree that we realized was a cashew tree and it had ripe fruit on it! It was a goal of mine because the fruit spoils a day or less after being picked and it can only be consumed directly off the tree. Because of this most cashew fruit is turned into alcohol called Feni. Feni ain't so great and neither is fresh cashew fruit but it a was a goal I set and I achieved it!

2. I mentioned the pigs that lived around our guesthouse in a previous post. 2 Mornings ago Jenna and i had just awoke and heard some very very disturbing noises; Grunts, screams, howls, etc. It sounded like someone was butchering a live pig... thankfully i was wrong, mostly. When i ventured out i saw that the adult male pigs were being chased wrangled to the ground and hog-tied by a group of three men. The whole escapade was rather humorous to watch because pigs can really run quickly despite their rotundness. I found out later that the men were professionals and the village folk who live around us hire them to catch and sell the pigs to restaurants and butchers. Personally i thought the methods used were a bit harsh but as I have remarked before, we just have to stand back and accept some things here.

3. We visited a nearby wildlife sanctuary called Cotigao. It is about 100 square km of protected land filled with all kinds of local wildlife and even a tiger or two. We didn't see a tiger, or many animals for that matter. We did see a couple families of monkeys and tons of birds and insects but mostly it was quiet peaceful and the most unpolluted place we have been in India. We got to the sanctuary by renting a 100cc scooter. The thing was a shit box, i don't really know how to drive and indian roads are a mess but it all worked out ok. The drive on the highway was smooth and not too busy and I actually felt comfortable with 30 minutes or so of driving. When we got to the park we were given a map and some directions on how to get to the look out towers. As we drove to the look out the road quality degraded a whole bunch but driving a little slower made it safe enough. The lookout was atop a huge old dead tree about 25 meters off the ground and gave a spectacular view of the surroundings. We saw monkeys and birds and had a snack then decided to go further into the reserve.

That is when the trouble started. All the way to the first lookout there were good roads signs that were clear and visible; all the things people need for romping around the unfamiliar wilderness. There are none of these things past that first lookout. It is a maze of loose gravel and sand trails (instead of roads), no signage whatsoever and our map was grossly incorrect and useless. We got lost several times accidentally driving into tribal villages populated by rice farmers. (much to their and our bewilderment) There are several lookout towers past the first one but there are no signs or directions to them and the "road" through the park crosses several very rocky dry river beds for which we had to dismount our scooter and walk it through. In total we got lost 6 or 7 times down the wrong road and what worried me wasn't that so much as the fuel we were wasting going back and forth looking for the way out.

It all worked out of course but just with much sweat, many cigarettes, and a near crash or two. The fact that they just let people in this park with no warning as to its condition is crazy. Nothing past the first lookout is maintained at all and it is very unsafe especially with a powered vehicle. On the upside it made driving on a paved highway seem like a fucking cakewalk and aside from a scrape or two we got ourselves home unscathed and with a funny story.

Anyways enough about us, how are you folks?
Signing off
Brian and Jenna

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Comments

[kenneth]

Stuff
Glad to hear of such a goal accomplished. So funny how one animal is so revered and sacred, while another so poorly considered and treated.

[Dean]

Contact . . . Finally
Hello, Finally got your travel blog address after many times asking. Looks like you have done some major travels already. I am keen to go back to see past blogs but thought I would let you know that I am finally reading. Your motor scooter adventure sounded neat. Reminds me, in a strange way, of my first scooter ride. A friend gave me a scooter but had to do it in a hurry as he was leaving London, England in an hour. Don't remember how that happened but there I was in the middle of London with a scooter that he had time only to tell me how to start and change gears. I had never traveled on a scooter. I had never been out of the centre of London on land, only by subway. I was living in a house in the country north of London and had to get there somehow or abandon the scooter. I made it. Slowly and without killing my self but was so shaken that I did not get on the scooter again. Dean

[Alex]

Dang, now *that* is an anthill
The best India stories I hear always seem to start with renting a sketchy motorbike. Doubt you two will have much trouble in traffic back home after all this. Everyone back here is doing pretty well, other than the skydragon, which is in money trouble (again). It's getting up to early summer temperatures now - I was sweating today in a thermal.Galen had a pirate/ninja birthday party - he's walking better and better all the time, and just managed to call my mom on a cell phone. It's still just Ke Kenneth and I in the house, but we've been doing a lot of work on it, like reinforcing/insuating the front door etc, and the flag's back up. I keep reading and watching stuff about Kalarippayatu - unbelievable - can you guys get some pictures of an Urumi demonstration?

[beetboxer]

the ants frighten me more now than ever
Ants are seirously taking over this land... they have been in every room we stayed in and most restaurants. Those hills are about 1-2 cubic metres in size but who knows how far down they go. They have begun with india and soon... the world. Good to hear about pirate/ninja; starting him off right! We are going to a kalari to study for one month and we start in april 24th. 530-7 am and 7-9pm are the class times cause of the intense heat but we have our days free even though its typically too hot to do much although we tend to, for silly reasons, be hiking at that time often. I have a DVD that i'll send home of all our pics so far. I am sending one to you and one to my mom. hopefully they dont snap in transit so first i am going to upload them all online in FULL rez. so i don't lose anything. internet cafe is closing .. gotta jet! be well friend

[sarah]

getting lost
ooh my friends, getting lost is just part of the adventure of travelling!!! I remember getting lost in korea and not being able to find my house at first.... and also in chaing mai (northern thailand) when I rented a bike for a day :D hehehe I'm glad you found your way home!!!

[kalista]

hi
hi jenna hope your having fun on your trip we like your website love kalista and daddy and ALICIA