Tuesday, March 24, 2009
GREAT NEWS!
We have not-so-patiently been awaiting a package the Shilo's dad went to a lot of effort to send to us here in Hampi and it has finally arrived! We got our new stove and water filter (huge Thanks to Brad the dad), warm weather gear, books and special treats like ziploc bags, ear plugs, good pens and PEANUT BRITTLE!
So now we are off to crazy chaotic Mumbai, biggest city in the world. A wee bit scary after spending 4 weeks losing all my "tough travel skin" here in easy Hampi-bubble land.
Shilo is getting over a bug, so we plan to leave it two days. Marking a full month in Hampi. It's been lovely, my ass has permenant hammock markings in it :-)
AND, we just found out that my lil brother will be joining us in Delhi for a Taj/Varanasi India blitz before we all head into Nepal for some trekking, kayaking and Himalayan culture! WICKED!
So now we are off to crazy chaotic Mumbai, biggest city in the world. A wee bit scary after spending 4 weeks losing all my "tough travel skin" here in easy Hampi-bubble land.
Shilo is getting over a bug, so we plan to leave it two days. Marking a full month in Hampi. It's been lovely, my ass has permenant hammock markings in it :-)
AND, we just found out that my lil brother will be joining us in Delhi for a Taj/Varanasi India blitz before we all head into Nepal for some trekking, kayaking and Himalayan culture! WICKED!
Monday, March 16, 2009
indian top 10 list
10. Gleaming and beaming kids' smiles . . . surprisingly, even some of the really poor kids have great teeth here.
9. Preening men. Never have I seen so many men spend so much time primping! At every opportunity, the comb is whipped out to set the already coiffed pompadour puffs or heavily feathered eighties dos. They still love the tight polyester flare pants coupled with full length sleeve button down collared shirts (usually fairly conservative, but sometimes crazy patterns and colors). These pants highlight the skinny long legged no bum look. Rarely do I see women in front of mirrors, but men often crowded around one.
8. The innate ability to turn off the aggression displayed after the insane bus line scrum to get seats, line butting to buy train tickets or enter a temple/palace, waiter abusing or full fist fights on the bus. Only minutes before it seemed like we were all fighting for our lives, and now everyone is happy, sharing a small space and smiling at one another. BUT I guess that is what it takes when your country has 1.15 billion people living it!
7. Aside from the frequent violence in the political/terrorist arena, India as a whole, is a peaceful country. Peaceful despite the huge diversity in language (over 200) and religions. Hindus, Muslims, Jains, Christians, Jews, Parsis and Buddhists all mix on a day to day basis with relative ease.
6. The earnestness, almost child like, in some of the Indians we have met. Whether it's in their questions "Do you speak Tamil?" (not likely, sorry) or in their patriotic pride (rivaling American patriotism) that "India is rapidly modernizing" ---YA RIGHT, maybe a few cities, but the country as a whole still does not have adequate housing, water source, sewage, education or health care for its citizens....strolling through small villages is like a time warp to 1000 years ago.
5. The Regality of the women. Women are second class citizens, often the milk producing cow is better fed than the family matriarch. Yet it's rare to see a despairing woman. They hold their heads high, walk with purpose and exude a confidence I cannot describe. If you are lucky, you may be blessed with a rare smile.
4. The perseverence of the poor. 1/3 of the WORLD'S poor population resides in India. People still carry on, often with a level of compassion and warmth our nation lacks.
3. Black pepper. Where would our culinary delights be without black pepper. Nevermind all the other incredible spices India produces and exports.
2. Indian drivers. THE best and worst drivers in the entire world. Able to negotiate the craziest traffic, but also build the biggest traffic jams. We took a bus from Hassan to Mangalore. At the crest of a winding mountain road we came upon a long line of traffic, apparently there was a wreck a few kilometers away. We sat with all the other buses, trucks, motorbikes and cars for about 1/2 hour when a few buses broke ranks (our included) and decided to race down the WRONG way of a 2 lane narrow mountain road. We made it about 3 kilometers. We reached the wreck and now traffic was stopped in both directions as the sole, and very irritated policeman, tried to unravel space for vehicles to pass. He laid a serious beat down with his 5ft bamboo beating cane on a rogue man trying to direct traffic against the policeman's whistle. This required the 3 initial buses and all the tag along vehicles to back up along the winding road, squeezing into spaces made by the opposite side vehicles squishing and driving onto crumbling shoulders or use the widened road of a curve to make a "3 way" area for cars to pass one another. This process took a little over 1 hour.
1. hmmm, I am saving this one, have't quite decided :-)
9. Preening men. Never have I seen so many men spend so much time primping! At every opportunity, the comb is whipped out to set the already coiffed pompadour puffs or heavily feathered eighties dos. They still love the tight polyester flare pants coupled with full length sleeve button down collared shirts (usually fairly conservative, but sometimes crazy patterns and colors). These pants highlight the skinny long legged no bum look. Rarely do I see women in front of mirrors, but men often crowded around one.
8. The innate ability to turn off the aggression displayed after the insane bus line scrum to get seats, line butting to buy train tickets or enter a temple/palace, waiter abusing or full fist fights on the bus. Only minutes before it seemed like we were all fighting for our lives, and now everyone is happy, sharing a small space and smiling at one another. BUT I guess that is what it takes when your country has 1.15 billion people living it!
7. Aside from the frequent violence in the political/terrorist arena, India as a whole, is a peaceful country. Peaceful despite the huge diversity in language (over 200) and religions. Hindus, Muslims, Jains, Christians, Jews, Parsis and Buddhists all mix on a day to day basis with relative ease.
6. The earnestness, almost child like, in some of the Indians we have met. Whether it's in their questions "Do you speak Tamil?" (not likely, sorry) or in their patriotic pride (rivaling American patriotism) that "India is rapidly modernizing" ---YA RIGHT, maybe a few cities, but the country as a whole still does not have adequate housing, water source, sewage, education or health care for its citizens....strolling through small villages is like a time warp to 1000 years ago.
5. The Regality of the women. Women are second class citizens, often the milk producing cow is better fed than the family matriarch. Yet it's rare to see a despairing woman. They hold their heads high, walk with purpose and exude a confidence I cannot describe. If you are lucky, you may be blessed with a rare smile.
4. The perseverence of the poor. 1/3 of the WORLD'S poor population resides in India. People still carry on, often with a level of compassion and warmth our nation lacks.
3. Black pepper. Where would our culinary delights be without black pepper. Nevermind all the other incredible spices India produces and exports.
2. Indian drivers. THE best and worst drivers in the entire world. Able to negotiate the craziest traffic, but also build the biggest traffic jams. We took a bus from Hassan to Mangalore. At the crest of a winding mountain road we came upon a long line of traffic, apparently there was a wreck a few kilometers away. We sat with all the other buses, trucks, motorbikes and cars for about 1/2 hour when a few buses broke ranks (our included) and decided to race down the WRONG way of a 2 lane narrow mountain road. We made it about 3 kilometers. We reached the wreck and now traffic was stopped in both directions as the sole, and very irritated policeman, tried to unravel space for vehicles to pass. He laid a serious beat down with his 5ft bamboo beating cane on a rogue man trying to direct traffic against the policeman's whistle. This required the 3 initial buses and all the tag along vehicles to back up along the winding road, squeezing into spaces made by the opposite side vehicles squishing and driving onto crumbling shoulders or use the widened road of a curve to make a "3 way" area for cars to pass one another. This process took a little over 1 hour.
1. hmmm, I am saving this one, have't quite decided :-)
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
How to Climb a 12' Horozontal Roof Crack
BIG thanks to the Kiwi Craig for the spot and Day for the photography. Cheers!
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