Final Transit » India

Photo Friday 02.15: Bullock cart and a stack of hay

Priyank — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:05:45 +0000

Cold, cold winter

‘Photo Friday’ is a weekly series showcasing pictures from around the world.

It was peak winter in Dombivli, my hometown on the outskirts of Mumbai, India. It was a particularly cold winter, I remember vividly, with temperatures falling to 7ºC at night. In Mumbai, this was unheard of and people were falling sick because nobody is prepared for such weather. I had to wear a sweater, hahaha.

I write this as I look at the snowfall from my bedroom window in Toronto.

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September 11

Priyank — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 17:05:49 +0000

One of the most decisive events in modern human history

↑ This picture would have looked different a decade ago

While I usually steer clear of discussing political issues on this travel blog, I happened to wake up yesterday thinking “hmm… its 9/11″ tomorrow. Throughout history, there have been innumerable incidents of humans-killing-humans in an inhuman fashion, and there have been numerous other terrorist attacks since I was born. I vividly remember three of those.

March 1993 Bombay bombings

I was only 12, living in a quiet suburb of Mumbai (it had a colonial name ‘Bombay’ back then). 13 bombs exploded within a span of few hours, killing 250 and injuring over 700 in downtown Mumbai, less than 60km from my suburb Dombivli. It was so close but seemed so far. Until then, the only type of “bomb” I really knew was a fire cracker I lit for Diwali.

September 11, 2001 “9-11″ WTC attacks

I was 19, confused, depressed and the second year of univeristy had just begun. Like most of my classmates, I was planning to travel to a foreign country for a Masters degree and going to US was most people’s first choice. This incident triggered tons of debates because when the lone superpower is attacked, one begins to think about the things to come.

November 26, 2008 “26-11″ Mumbai attacks

It was approximately three years ago, and I was backpacking in Bhutan. People I met on the street mentioned about the tragedy in Mumbai and I was worrying because I didn’t have much information. Then, while hitchhiking in a van, the guy switched on his radio and I heard the news. It almost made me cry. Soon, we reached my destination and I stepped inside the massive Punakha monastery, looking straight at the statue of Buddha. He was looking at me with tranquility in his eyes and a gentle smile on his face. I lost all sense of existence and the physical surroundings until the guard nudged me. It was a perfect healing.

I wish nobody suffers from such cowardly acts in future. But who am I kidding, we are humans.

We kill.

Photo Friday 01.19: Gateway of India

Priyank — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 05:38:58 +0000

Mumbai, India

Gateway of India (भारताचे प्रवेशद्वार) is one of the most prominent landmarks of Mumbai. It was built by the British to welcome King George V and Queen Mary to the Jewel of the empire in 1911.

Gateway of India and small boats for tourists

The Gateway was the monument that visitors arriving to India by boat would have first seen.

The gateway and Hotel Taj Mahal, the site of Nobember 26, 2008 attack by Pakistani terrorists.

I grew up in a suburb of Mumbai, but isn’t it funny that I visited this popular tourist destination of the city only a handful of times in my life?

Photo Friday 01.14: Himalayas

Priyank — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 19:27:00 +0000

‘Photo Friday‘: Pictures from faraway lands.

Himalayas, Uttaranchal, India

In one of my first visit to Himalayas, I went on this 11 day trek in the mountains, traversing a highest point at approx 3,800 m (~12,400 ft) on the fourth day.

Trek route, along the topmost edge of the mountain – snow on the left side, valley on the right.

It was a thrilling experience since I had never been that high, let alone camped there. It was also the first time in my life that I saw snow. May 2005.

Himalayas are beautiful and a visit there is quite humbling.

Photo Friday 01.06: Golden Temple

Priyank — Sat, 01 May 2010 01:27:42 +0000

‘Photo Friday‘: Pictures from faraway lands.

The Golden Temple, located in Amritsar, Punjab, North India, is one of the holiest and most sacred place of worship of the Sikhs.

सुवर्ण मंदिर, All that glitters IS gold.

Golden Temple, busy during the day.

The Golden Temple welcomes everyone, all regardless of religious affiliation and other man made distinctions. My most favorite part was eating in the free kitchens and relaxing on the edge of the water at night while the moon rose behind the domes.

Photo Friday 01.01: Taj Mahal

Priyank — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 05:01:29 +0000

‘Photo Friday‘: Pictures from the faraway lands.

The Taj Mahal on the banks of river Yamuna

The white marble Taj Mahal flanked by a red sandstone mosque on one side.

‘Photo Friday‘: Pictures from the faraway lands.

Kerala: God’s Own Country: Day 6

Priyank — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:41:25 +0000

I’m digging out a travelogue from my 2006 archives and posting it verbatim but in current style: Kerala: God’s own country.. Here are the other posts and pictures!
« Previous post: Day 5

Rail tracks, next to the airport and I saw a train during takeoff

Journey back home
We had breakfast with the visitors and wished them a good journey ahead. It was time to leave this beautiful place. There was a bus to Aluva waiting for the three of us at the bus stand. The ride was long and down hill for the initial part and on flat land after Kothamangalam. We traveled significantly in the plains but noticed that roads in Kerala are full of turns and bends and straight patches occur seldom.

The obscure Airport – in case you miss the sign

At Aluva we purchased some packets of fresh banana chips fried in coconut oil, a signature snack of Kerala. The Cochin airport is now located at Nedumbassery, about 13 km from Aluva, but few people in the town seem to know about it.


Curious flag posts of political parties

Security checks at Cochin airport was extra tight and my rucksack was scanned and re scanned. I had to leave my deospray behind and explain many other things (we had huge packets of banana chips).
Cochin (Kochi) airport, nice to see a well designed airport.

Epilogue
Many people had declared that this 5.5 day trip would be very hectic and it was sinful to travel to Kerala for such a short duration. Never mind all that. We had a blast and I can’t wait to go back to Kerala once again. It is a state of genuinely hospitable people, delicious foods, and endowed with infinite natural beauty.

Thanks for staying with me on this journey!

I’m digging out a travelogue from my 2006 archives and posting it verbatim but in current style: Kerala: God’s own country.. Here are the other posts and pictures!
« Previous post: Day 5

Kerala: God’s Own Country: Day 5

Priyank — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:55:18 +0000

I’m digging out a travelogue from my 2006 archives and posting it verbatim but in current style: Kerala: God’s own country.. Here are the other posts and pictures!
« Previous post: Day 4 | Next post: Day 6 »

Fruit Market

Fruit Market

Munnar sightseeing
DTDC (District Tourism Development Corporation) Idukki arranges a sightseeing tour of places around Munnar. Our bus had 3 couples and 2 tourists from Belguim besides the three of us. The excursion is resonably priced at Rs. 250, however we were unable to visit one destination due to bad road conditions. Also the Eravikulam National Park was overcrowded, so the authorities closed it by the time we reached. There are 23 gigantic tea estates in Munnar and one can see tea farms at various stages – fresh plantations, tender leaves and plucked stumps. The day was very wet in the morning, dry during the afternoon and it started raining heavily in the evening again!
Tea plantations


Madupatty Dam: 160ft high with a vast reservoir.


Rural areas around Munnar

Belgian friends
We met Sofie and Grete, tourists from Belguim on this DTDC trip. They are on a 2-month holiday in India since July 02. Traveling all over south India, they are totally comfortable with south Indian food, the travel. In the last leg of their journey, they will be in Mumbai. It was a pleasant experience to meet them, and incidentally, we discovered that they were staying in the room bang opposite to ours!

Tea! Everywhere!
Tea Flower

Tea plantations

Kerala: God’s Own Country: Day 4

Priyank — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:21:35 +0000

Tea plantations

Mumbai experience?
After breakfast, the trio left for Munnar. The bus was packed to its full capacity, yet the conductor was squeezing people in. We were sitting on front seats that unfortunately fell in the ‘reserved for ladies’ area. The conductor asked us to remain seated amidst the group of ladies surrounding us (oh god, they talk so much!). This scene reminded me of the crowds in Mumbai local trains. These guys can definitely cope up with the crowds in suburban trains of Mumbai. Strangely enough, in the initial part of the journey, large number of ladies were traveling, each one with some warm utensils in their bags.

I cannot easily distinguish between Tamil and Malayalam languages unless I pay careful attention to the speech. From the behavior and accents, one can feel a dominating Tamil influence in this border town. Many shops have texts written in both languages and plenty of buses and private vehicles ply with Tamil Nadu number plates.


Rain, winding roads and tea estates

Spiraling roads
The route from Thekkady to Munnar travels through some of the highest ranges in Western Ghats. The road takes continuous twists and turns alternating between valleys, forests, streams and peaks. As Munnar draws closer, one can see extensive tea plantations covering hills completely. Just before Devikulam, the road passes through some breathtaking views!

Confluence at Munnar
Munnar Town

Munnar (mooon aar), in Tamil, literally means ’3 rivers’. The town is situated around the confluence of these rivers. Typifying India’s secular culture, a church, a temple and a mosque are prominently located on three hillocks overlooking the town. In the evening, we went for a walk to the old Munnar town, about 2 kilometers away. Munnar is full of picturesque surroundings, with more than 12,000 hectares of lush tea fields, eucalyptus plantations and ofcourse hill ranges, streams and very pure air. At night, draped in plastic sheets, we went out again for a walk in heavy rains and chilly winds for a cup of coffee.


Churches


Mosque and a temple on adjacent hills

Comparitively though I liked Thekkady more. It is a silent and isolated place compared to Munnar which is relatively crowded (umm.. compare Matheran and Mahabaleshwar).

Kerala: God’s Own Country: Day 3

Priyank — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:31:56 +0000

Night journey
The bus reached Kottayam at 03:30 when the conductor woke us up from deep sleep. Hoping to get refreshed we ordered tea from the tea stall, but it tasted bland.. damn!
It was raining a little and formed small puddles all over the bus terminal. There was nobody in a position to tell us about the bus.. aargh! Finally found one bus driver sitting in his idly parked bus:

Me: Excuse me, Do you know when the next bus for Thekkady leaves?
Driver: Makes a clueless face. I realize that speaking complete English sentences is not required
Me: Sir, Thekkady bus. When? (with gestures)
Driver: Rattles something in incomprehensible Malayalam, speaks to a passenger. I think he is consulting
Me: No Malayalam. Please English
Driver: 5 o clock
Me: Thanks. Thekkady reach when?
Driver: 8 o clock
Me: Bus start Kottayam?
Driver: No, Kochi going.
Ok I quit. Next person
Me: Sir, Thekkady bus when? (Yatin, my office mate instructed me to address everyone by ‘sir’)
Person: Bus go, 4 o’ clock, go fast. And points to a bus for Kumbli. lafda.
Me: Kumbli no, Thekkady bus where?
Person: Kumbli, Thekkady neighbour. Indicates with gestures that these are adjoining towns.

Damnit Priyank! you have not done any homework. I curse myself.

From the beach to the forest
Grrr.. There was no driver, and it was dark inside that bus! But, after a while, that bus did leave for Kumbli, the bus terminal 4 km away from Thekkady. It started getting cold and windy in the morning as the bus breezed through the hilly roads passing through dense forest. We rented a room near the Thekkady forest entrance.

Breakfast, aka tiffin


Dosa and Ayurvedic water

Piping hot dosas, steaming idlis, spicy sambar and coconut chutney. Foods such as these formed a part of our daily breakfast, which is referred here as ‘tiffin’. Note that tiffin is not available after 10 or 11 am, after which the lunchtime begins. A cup of hot coffee or tea in the typical large white china clay cups is a must after this. You’ll also find ‘red’ ayurvedic water being served in the mornings.

In the afternoon we ventured inside the forest to Periyar lake formed due to the dam on river Periyar. KTDC (Kerala Tourism Development Corporation) arranges a 90 minutes boat excursion inside the lake, which offers a breathtaking view of the entire region. During non-monsoon season, they say, it is possible to spot wild animals too. We were not very lucky in that respect.


Periyar Lake

Sorry state of affairs

KTDC and Forest department arrange the boat ride inside the Periyar lake. These boats are ill maintained and one can see oil slick at different parts on the lake. Also the roof is ineffective as it leaks from unexpected points, so be careful with the camera. There are neither any dustbins nor any rescue floats on the boat Finally, the boat is filled beyond capacity, which clearly means that if there are no legal tickets, there is still a way in.

The educated village
In the evening, we went to the Kumbli market for light food but ended up having a heavy lunch. The town is just a tiny mesh of roads around the main bus stand. There is a lot of Tamil influence as the border is only 5 km away from here.


Market

Kerala is really an educated state. There was some communist political leader speaking at the bus stand and a decent crowd gathered to hear him. His speech made no sense to us due to our inability to understand Malayalam. However, we did distinctly hear words like ‘US’, ‘crude oil’ and stuff. Incredible it may sound, these politicians were talking about world topics and people were listening! Imagine such a thing happening in Maharashtra!!


Politics!

The village has narrow roads dotted with a number of cottages and residences that proclaim ‘home stay’. These places offer good rooms (at high prices, aimed at the foreign tourist) for long durations. There are a number of shops selling spices and other overpriced stuff (again aimed at the foreign tourist) It started getting colder after sunset. Rains accompanied with cold winds made it quite exciting to go out for a stroll at night.


Souvenir shops

All three of us being (smart, talented, etc..) Engineers, that night we had lenghty discussion over some topic and tried to model some equations to solve the problem we were facing. After lot of mental masturbation, the issue was settled!

Tourist destination Kerala

At every moment you will note how tourism has influenced the state. It appears that people are convinced of the equation between tourism and prosperity. At all the places, the common man is extremely helpful and polite. At times people will talk amongst themselves before giving you directions. Even the government staff (Bus, KTDC etc) was courteous enough with information to help us plan. Yes, the language problem exists, but broken english will surely work. Infact, the townspeople take pride in conversing in Hindi too! The people are genuinely warm and hospitable. No wonder it is one of India’s most famous destinations.