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MUMBAI  FEB. 4

Our flight to Mumbai was unbelievably smooth! VJ put us on the bus at the hotel and said good-bye. When we arrived, an OAT rep was there to to shepherd us through the entrance, bringing us dollies for our luggage and through the luggage check-in. We all were under the 15 kilos weight restriction. this was our last flight where we had to worry about the weight. I think my backpack almost weighted more than my luggage!! They didn’t weight those! Once we leave Mumbai, I can check both bags in all the way to New York, even though we have a 2 hour layover in Dubai. 

Headed home tonight at 4 a.m. so I’ll have to finish my uploading when I get home. 

Vegetable market in Mumbai

Guy grinding tools!

Bird and bunny market! I HOPE not for dinner!

Pineapple is in season. Yummy!

Colorful market.

CRUISE OF THE HARBOR, THE SPICE MARKET  FEB. 3

We headed out after breakfast for a cruise around the harbor of Cochin. Lots of military presence was all around - Coast Guard and Navy. We were stopped at one point as the security wanted to see our pilot’s papers. Everything was okay and we didn’t end up in jail!! We passed the fish auction where colorful fishing boats pulled up to sell their morning catch. There are several islands in this harbor. It was a very pleasant two hours.

We disembarked at part of the Old City where we walked to a Maharaja’s former palace, that had been upgraded by the Dutch with amazing wooden ceilings, and murals on the walls telling the Ramayana story of his wife, Sita, being kidnapped and taken by Ravenna to Sri Lanka. Then Rama travels to recapture her by fighting off the demons, with the help of Hanuman and a monkey army. When he succeeds, he comes back to India in triumph and this is what is celebrated in November at Divali, the festival of lights, where houses are decorated with little oil lamps and mandalas in front of their houses. I taught students about this story when I was at Long Lots and we did the Festivals of Lights where each teacher took one, Christmas, Hanukkah, St. Lucy’s, etc. and I was given Divali. I had a beautiful sari one of the parents had brought me from India, Indian candy, a powerpoint, and was playing a Ravi Shankar record (had to scout out a record player to do this.)  When the 1st graders came in, they were ONLY impressed and gathered around the record player!! They had NEVER seen one!! So much for my clever planning!! :)

Then we walked to Jew Town, they called it. In the 1500s many Jews escaped the Inquisition in Europe and settled here. At first they were persecuted by the Hindus but the Maharaja gave them land right next to his palace, for his protection, and they settled there for hundreds of years. We visited the synagogue (using our “temple” socks) that had many chandeliers hanging and beautiful blue and white tiles on the floor. In the late 1940s many of these residents emigrated to Israel and there are currently only 6 Jews left here for this community.  As we left the area, VJ took us into a shop where this 92 year old Jewish woman was eating a snack. She knew a bit of English! 

We moved on to the Spice Market where VJ took us to a lovely shop (with a bathroom!) and we bought some. Others walked around the area to shop more but I was done! I stayed in the shop with Barbara and had a cold drink until they were ready to go. It got up to 90 here today!!

Boarding for our harbor cruise.

Containers being off-loaded

Fishing boats lined up for fish auction.

Fishermen crew bringing their take to market.

Chinese fishing nets! We helped lift one!

92 year old Jewish woman - one of only 6 left here.

Lovely lady who sold me spices, and found me a cola!

An old Jewish cemetery.

Hotel pool! Lovely!

Barbara and I hit the pool, with some snacks and beer, soon joined by Larry. Later I saw Mark had come down as well. By that time I had gone for my scheduled spa treatment. I chose the Ayurveda massage that was WONDERFUL! She started with an oil treatment on my head. Then slathered oil on front and back with wonderful pressure.  She noticed I had trouble laying flat on my back with my left leg straight (because of my latest knee replacement). So she added another treatment with some kind of pouch that she heated and rubbed all over that area. She put her finger to her lips I think to tell me not to say anything!! I wasn’t charged extra but she got an extra tip!! 

We are leaving this evening for the Elephant Festival and then dinner out somewhere (another Farewell Dinner as VJ will send us off to the airport tomorrow for our flight to Mumbai on our own! We’ll have a day and a half there before we head home!!  I’m ready!

Approaching the shrine. Elephants on right.

Me in my elephant shirt!

All decorated for the festival.

Musicians playing; elephants in back.

One of the shrines.

Bindi from flower pollen.

Behind the elephants.

VJ and his mom who lives nearby

A pretty 5 year old with her Nana!

This was the second to the last day of the Elephant Festival at a shrine near VJ’s home. His mother showed up and gave us all a bindi on our foreheads! There were 5 elephants all dressed lined up with people bringing offerings to the shrine - rice, and other foods. Music was playing. We stayed and watched while they paraded around and played music. Tomorrow there will be 9 elephants and fireworks at midnight! They LOVE to celebrate things!! Dinner out was lovely, and we have an early call tomorrow when we will say good-bye to VJ. Someone else will shepherd us through the airport and meet us in Mumbai. 

KOCHI (COCHIN) CITY   Feb. 2

We left our boat mooring on the waterway after breakfast and cruised back to the big lake and our landing port. We rode a tuk-tuk again to the bus down winding roads. The bus ride took us on the coast road so we could stop at the Arabian Sea - I had already be in it in Dubai so only went down to feel the temperature. And a wave covered my sneakers!! I spent the ride into Cochin barefoot with my socks hanging in the sun on the rope across the window!

Fishermen at the beach had been out on these foam rafts with a make-shift paddle and a very fine net. They were removing the tiny fish and shrimp like animals from the net. They apparently go out several times a day.

The road was REALLY wind-y, twisted, not blowing! on the way into the city. We made a stop at the co-op laundry where there were booths to wash and beat on a rock your laundry, then it was hung on communal lines, no clothespins but a twisted rope like my travel clothesline that you stick a corner into the twist. Inside men were ironing with VERY heavy electric irons - doing an amazing job on men’s shirts. We heard it was 2 Rs for just ironing and maybe 10 if you wanted starch. One woman was sprinkling water on a pile of folded saris to be ironed later, I guess. 

Nearby was St. Francis church, the first European church built i India. It was under renovation so the whole altar was blocked. The one interesting thing was the vault where Vasco de Gama had been buried, when this was a Catholic church by the Portuguese, but his body was then removed to Lisbon where it rests. Then it was a Dutch church so the front fascade was altered to a bell-shape. And finally it became an Anglican church under the British. 

There is a huge Navy yard here and we saw an aircraft carrier being built for the Indian Navy on one of the rivers. It’s also a headquarters for the Coast Guard. 

This was a major stop on the Spice Route that went across the Arabian Sea to Yemen, up through the Nile to Alexandria and across to Europe. This was before the Portuguese were able to sail around Africa and come by water. 

Our hotel, the Trident is very nice and there is a spa I have my eye on for today when we are on our own for lunch and have a long break. Last night we attended an optional performance of a culture thing called Kathali. It means “story” “theater or performance.”  It was a quite small theater, only for tourists. This performance is a couple of thousand years old and historically begins about 8 p.m. and goes all night until maybe 7 a.m.! Sometimes it is still performed in temples. But we got a tiny segment. First we watched the two characters apply their makeup for 1/2 an hour. Then the director of the theater explained how the actors don’t speak but use eye movements and gestures to convey feelings. The one guy, who played the woman (women were not allowed out at night and so, like in Shakespeare’s time, the women are played by men). He demonstrated the 9 emotions and how they were conveyed. It was quite amazing!

Fishermen sorting their catch.

Getting feet wet at the Arabian Sea.

Elephants everywhere, Sarah!

Too heavy to bring home!

Nice Buddha!

Visit to the community laundry.

Then the two actors acted the story of the one guy who was a handsome prince, with the woman trying to seduce him. Turns out she’s really a demon and when she is thwarted in trying to get the prince to succumb, she gets angry and turns back into the demoness. The Prince cuts off her breasts, ears and nose and sends her packing!! 

applying makeup

emotions

Proud

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Disgust!

Fear!

Peace!

Audience involved.

Prince and Demoness

Interesting! Back to the hotel for dinner. I had thoughts of trying the pool but was too tired. No free internet here so I’ll have to upload maybe on my break today and pay. 

MISCELLANEOUS INDIA INFO

Growth rate  1.1%    1981  

Majority still live in the villages. 

death rate reduced with compulsory vaccinations 

McDonalds - serves no beef, pork. Only veggie, lamb and chicken burgers. Haven’t gone in one yet. 

Taxes:  I still can’t quite figure out how India pays for all this socialism. Education,health, food is available for everyone. Some, like the gypsies, don’t choose to benefit from it.

The laws have changed in the past 10 years to favor women. A man is exempt from taxes if he makes 180,000 rupees/annum (or about $3000) or below. A woman’s exemption is 210,000/annum (or about $3500). Anyone over 60 has an exemption of 240,000 rupees/annum or about $4000. 60 or 65 is the compulsory retirement age for government employees (biggest employer). 

Then every 100,000 Rps is taxed at 10%; the 2nd 200,000 at 20%; and above that at 30%. There are all kinds of service, Fed. Get. and service taxes added on to everything - like when we bought beer in the hotels. 40% of the people support the rest of the country. There are more than 1 million billionaires here. There is a 1-2% education tax. Inflation is 8-10% and the government always runs at a deficit. The main exports are rice, textiles, leather and sugar. 

Daisy said India runs on “jugar” which means makeshift - like that farm wagon we rode on at the camp which was pieced together from parts from everywhere! Nothing seems to be junked or wasted here, just reused! 

Controversial Indian movies:  Earth - about the partition; Fire - about lesbian relationships here; and Water (I saw this one) - about widows and what happens to them - young girl was 9 when moved to this house of widows (this took place back in Gandhi’s time as he is featured right at the end of the movie). Supposedly these widow houses are no more. 

Hinduism very practical. Abortion not allowed. But if needed, first trimester. 

All kinds of birth control available. 

Marriage:  seem to be still arranged, consulting each family, sometimes with a marriage broker, consulting each parties horoscope, and should be within the same “caste.”  Even though the caste system has been outlawed, especially any reference to the lowest caste as “untouchable.”  But out in the countryside, it’s still very much in place. It does very much seem that families tend to have the same handed-down profession - musician, tapper, fisherman, etc. 

 VJ said he had been contacted about women maybe 7 or 8 times before he agreed to his chosen wife. She, only once. He is 7 years older; they’ve been married for 8 years and have two girls. His wife used to work in accounting but now is a stay-at-home mom. 

In Hinduism only 1 wife is allowed. In Islam up to 4 wives. So far gay marriages are not allowed. Consensual sex by same sex had been okay up until a few years ago and then it became controversial. Now they must make a constitutional amendment in order for it to be okay. Doesn’t look like that will happen, so it is hidden. Curiously, it is common and perfectly acceptable for young men to walk around with their arms around each other; young women usually are walking holding hands. But it’s a friendship thing and okay. You don’t see any PDA anywhere. 

Gran Circle Foundation supported school. $10 of every trip goes towards the foundation to support the school. 

3.5 years sponsored.

Washrooms, power backup, new classrooms, teachers supported - increased salaries. Students very grateful for support of GC. We are influencing their lives - very impactful. 

Hindi language has 56 letters in their alphabet. Daisy learned English alphabet first when she started in private school. 

ITT (India Institutes of Technology) based on MIT is 60 years old here in India. There are several around the country and it is very competitive to get in. Millions of students apply and only 50-60 students get accepted in each department. 

AIMS - is All Indian Institute for Medical Sciences.  10 years ago 1 million students applied. Only 70-80 students are accepted every year. It’s easier to get into Harvard Medical School!

People got displaced when Ranthambhore Park was set aside as a tiger sanctuary. People were angry. NGO started rehabilitated tigers. Convinced people it was to their advantage.  Women become empowered by money for crafts go directly into their own back account. Patriarchal society who would control the money. 

Alcohol:  Apparently it’s a big problem here in Kerala state. So Sunday and the 1st Monday of every month are “dry” days. But on Sunday as we drove from the airport to our houseboat, we passed at least 2 liquor stores where men were lined up 50 deep! to buy. I guess it means you can’t buy it in a restaurant or little shop, only have it personally, so they were lined up!! 

Kerala has had in the past a Communist leadership. They have been out of power but a new election is coming up and VJ thinks they will be back in. He apparently thinks they have done good things for his state. You see their flag, red with hammer and sickle, flying around town to advertise the upcoming election. The main political party is the Congress party. I’m assuming that’s what the current Prime Minister Mr. Modi is but not sure. 

CRUISING AROUND KERALA STATE   FEB. 1 AND 2

The word Kochi or Cochin means “like China.”  The Chinese apparently were early visitors here by ship and the fishing net apparatus they use here (we haven’t seen it yet) are remnants of that visit. 1.5 million of the people here are fishermen. 

I’m hoping to get an ayerveda treatment/massage at maybe the hotel in Cochin. It’s an ancient medicine, using herbs, minerals and yogic exercises. No side effects. Gives more emphasis on prevention than cures. Has been around for 2000+ years. They use sandalwood paste, and other herbs. Larry demonstrated crossing your arms, pinching your ear lobes and squatting! It will be interesting!

Here we are 540 miles to the equator. To the north, Delhi is 1500 miles. There are 30 states in India; Kerala has 14 districts, along the west coast. The people here are much darker, called Dravidia people - consider indigenous to India; whereas the northerners are Aryan, descendants of the invaders from the north. The Aryans are a socio ethnic linguistic group who invaded India about 1500 BC originally from around the Caspian Sea. They started the caste system; they considered cow as holy. They made up the Hindu mythology. 

In Kerala They speak Malayalam language. Hindi always has a line on the top; their language doesn’t, more flowing and curlicues. Root languages are considered Latin, Greek and Sanskrit - all 3-4000 years old. Their language comes from Sanskrit. 

After our 3.5 hour flight to Kochi (Cochin) in the SW state of Kerala, we were met by VJ (Vajesh) our guide for this 5 day tour of the south. This is a very different area, with a different language (Malayam) and we’re getting used to VJ’s accent. After a 2 hour bus ride through the city, we arrived at a southern area that has a huge network of waterways. We rode a tuk-tuk through narrow streets to our houseboats.

Barbara, Larry, Mark and I are on one, each with our own bedroom, with AC and a fan!! and a private bath. After lunch on board, we cruised a bit, sitting in a lovely deck lounge, nice breeze and then stopped at a village for a walk. It’s very small, with huge embankments (for when the monsoons come and flood everything!) and rice fields in between. After walking for about an hour, past many basic homes, concrete blocks covered in stucco, we rested back on our decks with a cool drink. 

I can’t say I’ve grown enthusiastic over Indian food. Wasn’t too crazy about it when we had ordered it for Doug’s birthday party from Kolam in Newtown. Tonight we stopped at a little fish shop on the bank and VJ bought HUGE prawns for our dinner. So we’ll see! I DO like the Kingfisher beer here and Barbara and I have been sharing one in the evenings. 

Today we walked down the path to watch a “tapper.” This is a guy who climbs up a coconut tree and taps, with a femur of a sama deer to loosen the sap, I guess. He had tied coconut rope and part of a shell to make steps up the tree. He was tapping on part of the flower of the tree. Another stem that he had previously tapped and cut, had a bucket hooked on and he poured about a liter of sap into his jug. The one he tapped he didn’t cut - he apparently taps it every day for about a month and then cuts it with this HUGE chopping knife he had around his waist. He dropped a few drops on VJ’s hand so we could taste the clear sweet liquid. It’s called “toddy” but with a long o. Everyone can drink it this way, or wait 3 hours and it ferments and becomes a mild alcohol. We tasted a bit of fresh - it was very mild; we’ll have the toddy at dinner tonight.

After breakfast we all got on one boat (the two couples were on a different boat, with VJ) and we cruised together, learning information about Kerala. This state has a 100% literacy rate, everyone is employed, and people seem to have a pretty nice life, in this lush subtropical growing area. It was surprising to see so many churches an religious schools. This area was settled by the Dutch, Portuguese and English explorers. Vasco de Gama, the Portuguese, died here but his body was later returned to Portugal. The Dutch helped build all these dikes to protect the fields; many of the rice fields are actually below sea level, like in Holland. We walked through one village where they were having a huge gathering, with VERY loud shouting over speakers and music as we got closer. It was a church where hundreds of people were listening to this born-again-type speaker shouting at them. There were portraits and statues of some kind of saint and VJ said it was a local guy/saint. 

Boarding our houseboat for 2 days

Relaxing on the deck

This was the other boat.

Rice fields and bank. Learned from the Dutch!

Mahogany boat

Villagers as we walked around.

Fisherman diving for clams.

What a life! Cruising along!

We passed groups of first elementary, then middle school, then high school kids all in different uniforms heading home. VJ said they were from a government school, not a private religious one. I think he said most people were Hindu, maybe 20% were Christian, more than any other area of India. 

We passed several groups of women gathered in one house. VJ said they were settling up accounts from their morning working in the rice fields. Looked like a nice social time for women! We also passed a house where maybe 15 children were sitting on a blanket and seemed to be working on homework with one of the mothers answering questions and supervising. 

A village house

Precarious walking!

Entering a shrine

Offering at a shrine

Malayam is different than Hindi.

Poison fruit. Good for suicide! :(