Making Samosas

Delhi Street Scene

Note the Happy Family sign for rice behind the driver and cart.

Suave, waiting for tea

I just thought this guy looked so cool and smooth, a scene out of a Bogart movie while waiting for tea.

How bad was the hotel in Agra...the Taj Khema

Pottery Samples for Cheryl & Mikeo

Timea - a special lady

In the morning in Agra we had a special view of the Taj from behind - a wonderful view - a better view and time was had meeting Timea her husband and his brother and wife. Timea with her husband, Sanj, her brother and sister-in-law have started a school in Calcutta for children of the street - they have 12 students right now. Timea and Sanj live in LA and put their spare money into their new school. Their sister-in-law is the teacher, and Sanj's brother runs a printing company and lives in Calcutta, next visit we would like to visit them in Calcutta. They are looking for a building right now to house the school and the printing business so that can all be involved in these endeavors together.

Dilli Haat - Bazaar in Delhi

Local Starbucks

Yes I did drink chai from this tea vendor and did not die...well didn't know the tea was from here until after I drank it..

Delhi neighborhood views

Home

Tired...stinky - but had such a good time - so good to see Marco, Jacquie, Hannah, Gary, Coco at the airport and Salad for supper yum! Photo posting later this week.!

Winding up

Well we wandered around Old Delhi today - Pahar Gangh it is very Indian - more locals and hippies hang out there - so in a way more fun because you are not harassed to go into everystore - it is more like a neighborhood with shop keepers calling accross the alley to their neighbors. We got henna on our hands again, Susie did both but I could not wait the 30 minutes to do my right hand because I wanted to take photos and not stop. We made a few little purchases but mostly soaked up the Delhi atmosphere...and there is no room in our bags...leave for the airport in 4.5 hours where we know, we envision....we pray for bulkhead seats and Lufthtansa agents to be pleasant!!!! (of course there is a story here!) Next week I will post many India photos here so if you check back after I get over jet-lag there will be a link to more photos - from Delhi - hugs - KB

Saturday - our last day

Wow - we cannot believe it but today is our last day - we are up and ready to go - but unheard of freezing temps in Delhi - 4 degrees - which is really cold for us with nothing warmer than a T-shirt and a fleece - so we might take a taxi ride around some sites but probably won't do so much - sitting her typing, watching the monkeys playing in the trees beside the internet - they are huddled together for warmth - it will be fun to watch something besides animal planet on TV - this is the only english station we can consistently get - sometimes we get HBO but always B rated, terribly violet movies...and food - Susie and I were talking - what do we miss,I miss the gals J & C and Marco, friends, family, I miss fresh fruits and veggies - cold sparkling mineral water, milk, my own bed, my own potty, toilet paper always available and my laptop! Leave in 12 hours for airport - it is 9:30 am - so we have the day to chill and maybe wander a bit - right now...breakfast...(PS: not my monkey picture, snagged it from Google images...)

Can you say shopping at Delhi Haat, Madam?

Today we awoke at the YWCA in Delhi, warm, clean... a wonderful feeling. Next door there is an associated restarant with beautiful food and always someone interesting to strike up a conversation with. Today I sat near a couple from Rome, he is an architect who travels all over the world consulting - he had been many places in Canada - I shared some details of our trip to Italy this summer and he and his wife shared their memories of Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver - we have a coffee date tomorrow am! He spoke longingly...before his wife arrived (ha...) of his first girfriend 30 years ago who emigrated to Canada and he declined to leave Rome!!!!! Tea and toast and veg cutlet and we were out the door to Delhi Haat - this is a combination of merchants who by lottery get 17 days in this year round bazaar. There are hundreds of merchants from all over India. What a sight. There was also a traditional dancing performace - smells that were incredible - it was hard to stagger out with our finds and flag down a rickshaw driver!

After this we headed to Rikhi Ram - he is a renown Sitara and Table maker to the stars - lots of famous musicians of course in India but also Europe, North America etc go to Rikhi Rams for their music. He played several instruments for us and served us Chai tea - how fun. It is a rickshaw ride away from the hotel - down in this crazy neighborhood, at the end of a convoluted street - with laundry crossing from one side to the other and shops mingle with housing and repair stores of all varieties. The base of the sitara is a gourd - which he calls a pumpkin!

Now we are warm and fed and wondering...how will we fit our month long collection of items into our luggage? Tonight will be our last sleep in India - we leave tomorrow night for the airport around 10 pm - for our 3am flight - we are envisioning a smooth flight - with Lufthtansa agents being happy and pleasant....Only 28 hours left in India - what awaits us on our touring of Delhi tomorrow?

A Toast (high Velocity) to Agra

Oh my Gosh - what a journey - it was CRAZY Madam...if you had of written the script you could never have believed it - where to start????We got to Delhi and dragged our exhausted selves to the YWCA in Delhi - tumbled into bed and got up bright and early the next day (yesterday) for our journey to Agra and the Taj Mahal. Our driver Amar was a wonderful man who came to get us from Agra and we fought Delhi traffic for 2 hours then continued our journey - total time to Agra...5 hours......aaaaaaaaaahhhh. Halfway you can stop and we did at a hotel/roadhouse with a beautiful garden. We stopped for tea (as I had a terribly sore throat) and some chipati bread (tortilla) and a little abuse from the toilet attendant...a Rajistani woman - who was quite a pain!

Off we went and before you knew it we were in Agra - wan to know some of the things we saw on the way - crazy things - like lots of camels, pulling all sorts of things, crops, sugar cane, people - we pulled over and took the photo of a fellow and his camel - just before I clicked the shutter - he leaned over to Susie and said "not for free...rupies"... a little later there was a 10 camel, camel train on the other side. Amar stopped for us to take photos - I took photos and was aware of some men hovering - a quick smile and I was heading back to the car - Susie was ahead of me and started to giggle - from her vantage point she could see I had picked up a 15 man entourage of camel riders, workers etc and I was blissfully unaware that just feet behind my my fans were closing in...Amar had the door ready and off we went! Rickshaws that drive 2 or in a pinch 3 people are on this highway driving 6, 8 even 10 people - legs and arms hanging out - Crazy Madam we say as we look at each other. Much of the crop we pass is sugar cane - so always something to do with sugar cane, tending, threshing, loading, moving but camel or cart or buffalo. Imagine everyone intermingles on the 3 lane divided highway on each side...buffalo, camels, cows, horse carts, bikes, motor bikes, rickshaws, cars and buses!!!!!! Constant honking! As we passed the General Institute for the Reasearch into the Study of Goats Building - we had to smile...this is India Madam...Little patties built into little bee hive shaped structures dot the landscape...these are made of cow, buffalo and camel patties shaped into 12 inch diameter (ish) and 3 inches high circles and dried in the sun then stacked, used for fuel for cooking they remind us, nothing is wasted here in the rural communities. Halfway we took a breatk and had tea, this was the guard a the roadhouse/hotel
Our journey at an end, our Agra tour leader Sodhi met us by the side of the road and Amar had to leave us as cars not allowed in the city proper of Agra - so we transfer two big back packs, two little back packs on camera pack, big blue (the super gynormous back from MEC (familiar to Canadians) and the more modest killer whale black bad from Sonoma Outfitters) along with two very stinkly and exhausted madams to the rickshaw - Sodhi then excorted us to the Taj Khema hotel - the hotel from hell...more on that later...we head in, sign many many forms that Susie finally has a freak out about and they stop giving us forms - good job Susie...then Lalita arrives and Sodhi exits stage left... Sodhi is a good Sikh who of course set us up with a woman tour guide - she hurried us thru some tea and rice and off we went by the hawkers to the Taj Mahal - wow words cannot describe the Taj - it is magical, mystical, beautiful, crazy - incredible...We were there rather late so had only a couple of hours of light and photographed the heck out of the situation - went inside the tomb and wandered all around with Lalita insisting on taking our photos - we had to teach her how to do this though - as the first photo was just of our heads, the next of only the Taj - but she warmed up under our instruction sand soon both Taj and us were appearing in the same photo! Quick trip by a fabric store - where they had to fire up the generators to turn on the lights - enough allready take us home....we freshened up and ordered tea, 50 minutes later no tea ...then Susie being fresh of mind...decided to put our 2 day long joke about toast flying thru the air...not sure how we started joking about this...anyhow before I knew it, there was a projectile toast heading my way...one slightly fat lip later... we wandered down to the guest reception and gave up on tea - it was however ready about the time we had to leave for the Taj moonligh viewing...so a quick gulp and off we go - getting a flavor for the unintentionaly India diet? The full moon viewing was surreal - Sodhi had purchased tickets for us the day before and Lalita escorted us to the entrace - we entered annother world...there were easilty 200 military men, in body armor sporting automatic riffles - we were x-rayed, grabed, squeezed and probed by 3 women - Lalita had warned us, camera, money, water - NOTHING else - some not so lucky travellers were loosing the contents of their make-up kits etc...move, stop, push, pull - we were surrounded by the military - what had we gotten ourselves in to? Exiting the check point the crowd of 50 grew quite - what a privilege to view the Taj for 30 minutes in the moonliight with an unubstructed view - Alas Susies camera had died so I was on tap to photograph the situation. All too soon we had to leave and head back to the hotel -on the way we wanted to get, yes a drink...I admit it we needed it...but of course all of Agra is dry, almost impossible to find and buy some alcohol and we did not want to wander - so we went to the shop accross the street from the hotel, in the back room they sell sarees, have you ever seen this done, a huge platformed surface 2 feet up is covered in white sheets and the owners take our sarees after saree and flings the 6 metres of fabric out at you for viewing...a Russian couple and their child were there viewing sarees, Susie taught them how to dress in a Saree as the owners were hopeless and she bought 3 - she is an actress in Moscow and her husband a director, they are moving to New York shortly - what a kick - he thought Susie was the best as she helped him negotiate from $125 per saree, to $150 for all 3...finally we left to go back to the hotel..., the hotel itself has a viewing point so we headed up there...and took some more photos - now completely exhausted and freezing (no more bathing suites like Goa) we headed down to our room - queue spooky music from Scooby doo...don't go in there Shaggy...OK picture this - dirty dirty blankets - sheets with strange looking black specs on them, mosquitos everywhere because of bathroom window that would not shut - providing the additional added bonus of waiters and hotel staff getting a good view of our potty habits...being concerned about lice, Susied donned a blue plastic bag on her head...nicely matching her Venice Beach Sleep Shirt...we were afraid to turn out the lights so I stuck my Costco flashlight inbetween the two twin beds, which were side by side and we amused each other by making shadow puppets on the ceiling - made crazed creatures forced to stay at the Taj Khema for more than one night - I took photos of this for our upcoming slide show vidoe production that we will subject our family to later this month...We finally drifted off - so cold we were so cold, I kept going to my back-pack and adding another layer - sarong, after sarong - what a sight I was - finally we got warm and fell asleep - bang, bang bang...the ratty bellboy who had propositions Susie last night (sorry forgot to mention that one...) is at the door wanting to be paid for who knows what - I saw steam rise from Susie blue plastic head bag...oh my God what else...well - I definately had a throat infection so had started on meds about 24 hours earlier - that or some Hotel Khema bug was at work - I now had Delhi belly and was making regular trips to the potty - the viewing potty you remember that the busboys pass by...however Susie had some meds to snap me back in shape...oh boy - Lalita came and we were going to the Red Fort with her - and Amar - we just could not handle driving her there, then back to Agra so we begged off and headed out just with our driver - Susie waited outside having gone there a few years ago and I did the highlight, self-guided tour. Six Indian boys (are you getting that boys from the North, the the excepting of the wonderful sikh men we met up here in the north) were sassing me and I was at my India limit - I looked at them and yelled in English...while pointing my index finger at them "you need to go get some manners now!"...I am sure that had an undeniable influence on their lives...ha ...but a Britsh couple were passing and I said to the woman, I am sorry I was having a rough moment...she said you are not having a frustrating moment Love, you are having an India moment....it has to happen some time! Sprint tour done, back to the car, Amar and Susie and our trip back to Delhi, which thankfully took only 4 vs 5 hours and was rather uneventful - I did however see this veggie vendor - note the red carrots!- well until we landed close to our hotel, all the streets were closed for a visiting Shiek, we had to cross 6 lanes of traffic with all of our luggage and transfer it to a rickshaw to finish the way to the hotel because Amar could not get his car to the hotel...but now our bellies are full, we have posted and a luke warm shower awaits...tomorrow is another day! Love KB from Delhi - remember to check Susies blog
for her take on the Hitchcock day from hell.....

Made it to Delhi

Well after that New Years Eve...then New Years Day just snoozing and walking down the beach and watching another gorgeous sunset - Good luck to you Chris and Jeff in getting into Hotel Vikki! Enjoy Hampi!Thanks for delivering the stuff to Hotel Vikki for us...Time for a Russian update you say...well if you read the excellent report from Susie on our New Years Eve you will remember the Russians we tried to rescue...well it turns out older sister Helen tried to leave in the middle of the night - thank God the 93 pound security guard was able to stop her - there were people and cars filling the street to capacity - probably 6-8 people walking in each direction - the football field beside us was filled with tail gate party people...she might have been lost - but later in the day we saw them and today before we left - they were sheepish but have not abandoned Vodka as their drink of choice...I suggested eating as well as an option...Anna laughed and said - youve arest too funny my canadian lady...OK well I still think it was good advice...Hey we forgot to mention that the toilet seat was stolen on New Years Eve from the toilet near the pool! The Hotel Manager was sad we would not consider being his american wives....hummm...you have to laugh...what flirty men...but then today we had to leave our wonderful Goa at 95 degrees to go to Delhi which is about 50 degrees...our new friend Ally drove us to the airport in his Honda SUV - what luxury - Air Conditioning...wow - we have not had that the whole time in India. Alas heading to Delhi I had to break out the shall we say...fragrant fleece sweatshirt? Ha! But we made it into Delhi - I think we got in about 1.5 hours late because of fog - a little wierd the airport tarmac was deserted as they were taking planes in so slowly with time between each. However - 4 flights hit the baggage round about inside at the same time...no carts - people were crazy with pent up post holiday energy and these fellows were just sceaming at one another - we could not understand but I think it went something like this...you son of an elephant - you stole my cart...I saw you - no that is not true you camel stealer - the cart was never yours - it was mine - go back to Goa you trouble maker...it was just crazy - I mean at the top of their lungs...or who knows - maybe it was just about wishing each other Happy New Years...ha -..but the screaming stopped when the ever present military quickly stepped in to check things out...something about the ever present machine guns that make the cart loss seem less important...Susie and I each stake out turf - her the luggage off, me the cart and loading - then off to the pre-paid taxi stand and out to manover cart and taxi drivers to take us to the YWCA in Delhi. Did we mention we miss Goa and want to go back with our families soon -evidently August is the best month - wouldn't that be fun! The airport at Delhi today...where is the airport you say? (PS: I changed my blog settings so it should be easier to post now - and thanks to Brenda, Mom/Dad, Aunt Carol and OJ for their great notes offline!) Photo from Delhi Newspaper

Happy New Year

Not quite New Year on the West Coast...but New Years Day half over here! Susie has done an amazing post of last night which you should read! From crazy Russian girls, sisters having a fight, to crazy Indian dancers, prawns tooth picked to tree, Susies hair catching on fire, a cheezy Indian singer singing 70's and 80's pop, getting locked in our hotel room - it was the craziest night! We stayed up until 5 am and it is noon now - so we had a good sleep! It is quite a crazy place at New Years this Goa! Hugs from Goa and Happy New Year! click here for Susies blog

Feeding Mama

Young Driver

Local pigs, wander around

Local Tailor's Son

New Years Eve in Goa

Today is New Years Eve. We got things started last night watching two football (Soccer for us!) games in the pub in the hotel. There are many English travellers here, our friends said they like to be known as English vs British...what a wild crowd going for their favoured teams! One man had his wife finally yell at him - just shut up, just shut up you bloke! We were cracking up!

Susie is a fan of wisky if she has a drink and she has converted me - you just cannot have soda that is from a fountain...as it has local water, beer too filling in the heat - wine...forget it...ha - so we have an occasional glass of wiskey, hoping the alcohol will kill any germs in the glass!

The military are out full time on the beach today - the revellers for New Years are filling the beach and they are maintaining control - I noticed them last night where there were about 50 on my walking stretch of the beach, there had been none before. This is the more family part of Goa - so you don't have a lot of wild college partiers, but lots of Indians come here to party with their families and many Brits come here year after year.

This is the local paper the Navhind Times
There was a crazy parade last night - for Christmas or New Years...complete with Santa and JingleBells and all sorts of marti-gras like floats - and also firecrackers! Went right in front of the pub - very fun. They are preparing all day for the party - this is a sample - the banana tree stalks have what attached to them you say? Yes those are shrimp for supper...on toothpicks...interesting presentation for sure!

We have only the rest of today and tomorrow in Goa - our time has flown!

Sunset in Goa

My gals

Who couldn't love these two crazies! Good looking right? Glad you are home and keep those photos coming girls! I can see you have been flossing! Went to Old Goa today and St. Francis Assisi Cathedral...that was totally cool - then we went to Panjim - hot and crazy...but cold Diet Coke...Ha! Now back at hotel and internetting...then we will have a swim...ahhhhh...Susie sent another box yesterday - she totally scored for her business in Mangalore - her friends helped her find some wonderful stuff! Hugs from South Goa and 87 degrees...87% humidity!!!!!!!!!!!

Dec 29th in Goa - Happy Birthday Brenda!

Happy Birthday Sister - will toast you tonight! Actually it is night...8:30 pm but just 10 am for you - a whole birthday day ahead of you!

I took about 200 photos today on the beach - lots of kids ready to ham it up - we took great sunset shots tonight as well - We are going into old Goa tomorrow to look around but quite a haul from where we are...1300 rps...$33 which is a heck of a lot for a taxi drive return in India - but it will be worth it. Susie swam in the pool and met some British Mates whose wives all went topless and shocked the Indian boys assembing a stage for the New Years Eve party...I think there was a work slowdown... :) We are back to rice and tandori chicken -only safe food - we had some food last night that had us both gagging...so back to the simple...though the Brits beside us had chips and hamburgers for dinner....we were drooling....but of course better to be plain and boring and not get sick!

Thanks for all the emails - a bit lonely here...wanted to fly home yesterday and poor Susie was worried...but today was great ...so hangin in..!

Colva Beach

We thought as I said yesterday it would be quiet here...we are going this aft to find a quite beach 3 km away up north the beach. But I found a great fellow and bought some earings and a ring today - for sure Marco you will love...ha! Jacquie I need your ring size - hugs

Left Mangalore, missed plane...now in GOA!!!

So there was a moment or 30 today when we thought we might have to take this boat to Goa and not our fancy plane...Ha! So it turns out the flight was changed to 10:20am today to noon....2.5 months ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Despite 2 confirmation calls in India and having flown to Mangalore on this same airways and having our flights verified... 2 days ago...no one told us - so flight was taking off just after we arrived in the stinking hot Managalore airport...all those nights reading Negogiating for Dummies...pays off in spades...as Susie says...good when you have a 5'10" Madam as a friend - I simply refused to move from the counter in the nicest of ways...my parents would have been proud...until they resolved this and assured them they could find a solution other than their suggested driving 8 hours at a cost of 4000 ruppies...assumed by myself and Susie as the fault lay with them...30 minutes later we were on our way to Bombay (Mumbia) then on to Goa vs our planned Mangalore, Bangalore Goa - no worries, an hour later than planned we checked in to ur hotel...Williams Beach...ahhhhhhh....Thanks to Kish for hanging at the airport with us until he knew we were on the plane in case we had to negotiate a car to Goa. And super yummy dinner last night - thanks to Kish and Mamta in their wonderful Mangalore home...and thanks for taking Susie shopping for 4 hours and not making me come! Ha!
Anyhow... We were high-fivin' all the way to Goa. Which is , as a town a rather wild retreat for Indians and Europeans alike...but a beach for every age and desire... - our part of the beach is south Goa - we are too old for the party all night Panji scene- but yet our part of the beach was not quite - but quite family like - it was like Daytona Beach in India - everyone goes for the sunsets and watches and swims the Indian men and women often go in fully dressed, the women in their saris and salwars including the dupatas (India scarves)- to add a little sureal to the situation...as if needed...there was a Mickey Mouse jumpie, and small ferris wheel - and we were plagued by offers to take boat rides or go up in a balloon like thing behind a boat and get toed in the air..... etc...WHAT?...not quite what we expected you say...that is true - we were then done with the beach and so we headed back to our hotel to internet, hit the restaurant and pool - we will scope out a quiet beach tomorrow! Our pool below which we will also check out!

Also - Thanks to Gavin I have a somewhat complete understanding of cricket - he patiently explained the rules to me as he headed to meet family in Goa - so 11 players, 3 wickets a bat, switching positions...if you hit correctly with the batter of your team who is at the wickets at the other end - getting 4 or 6 points and additional points for successfully switching places with your teammate at the other wicket...well - at least a basic understanding...perhaps a few holes in my knowledge... but my seatmate tried his best! Photo from newspaper
Have you been checking out Susies Blog? If you want to click here!

The Catch

The Fisherman

Beach Trickster - wanted "school pens & Chocolate!"

The Fisherman's Wife

The Children on the beach at Mangalore

Mangalore

Wow - hot and huuuuumid here. Last night we ate with Mamta and Kish and experienced a few new Indian dishes - I am getting much more experimental with spices - not quite the wimp I was 2 weeks ago!

Mom you were wondering where we are - we are in Mangalore (in red) then fly back up to Bangalore on our way back out and up the coast to Panaji (Panjim or Goa) we are staying in Colva Beach in Goa for 5 days of relaxing and swiming and touring around before heading to Delhi - hopefully Delhi if the fog will lift - they have had problems for the last 4 days getting people in and out so hopefully we will get there to see the Taj but if not - I am sure it will be some kind of adventure! Hello Mr. Ratburn and Hannah - good to hear all goes well in Florida - I am taking good care of your Mama Hannah - making her sleep and take her medicine - I think she is totally healthy now! No more rest for Karen!

Was good to hear everyone in Ottawa is good and Christmas was celebrated by 31 of you at Moe and Dave's, alas no snow for Coco!

Summer Sands is beautiful - but we continue to draw crowds of children wanting to talk to us, touch us and practice their english. Hugs from Mangalore - KB

Mangalore

Got up early today to head to the airport - GoodBye Bangalore - Mangalore is an hour flight away but in many ways a world away from Bangalore - much more of an emerging city they recently got their first large mall - but this newness is intermingled with clay streets, frequent loss of power and overwhelming heat and humidity. We are staying at a beach hotel called Summer Sands - people from all over the world are vacationing there - so that is fun, and the beach is beautiful, went in the arabian sea today - but then were besieged by beach rats...the two legged 12 year old variety - we were so stared at we hightailed it back to the resort part, benind the fence and hit the pool... the two gals we met from England had had the same experience! We met Susies friends Mamta and Kishore - who drove us all over and took us to the zoo and flower show - I got lots of photos of lions, tigers and SNAKES! Also some great flowers and portraits of people. I made a friend - a woman captured me and held my had for 10 minutes and introduced me to her family and told me of her time 30 years ago studying to be a teacher in Baltimore. So now we are cooling and posting and going out to dinner shortly - got some great snake pictures for you Taran! Hugs from Mangalore - KB

Christmas Day - Bangalore

Crazy to wake up here Christmas day and it be so different. Christmas eve as well - went to dinner with Mahesh and Sushma - that was fun - spicy Indian food - but I keep asking for it less spicy! Susie keeps telling me it is good for me! It made me miss Sebastopol to hear of the Illingworth/Buchignani christmas eve and my Ottawa christmas eve - everyone here is wishing us Happy (not Merry) Christmas and the restaurant manager beside our hotel is desparate to make us a christmas dinner - but was so sad to hear we only eat one meal a day and so the lunch he had just served us was it - he had all this splendid food planned! But he gave us both a rose as a christmas gift before we left.

Happy Christmas Marco and Coco and Jacquie - I miss you very very much and hope you have a wonderful day - I will call you later today - your Christmas morning, at Nona and Nono's.
Sorry there is no snow Coco!

Yesterday was so much traffic - you wait and wait and talk to the people beside you in their motorcycles or rickshaws - that is a lot of traffic!

Susie and I were joking as we got in the Rickshaw and I winked at her - only the rickshaw driver thought I winked at him...the rest of the ride was most incomfortable as he moved his rear view mirror to wink at me the rest of the trip and turn around and down right stare at me - I made my shawl like a burka so you would only see my eyes...to no avail - I had picked up another India boyfriend! In my haste to disembark I ripped my pants so my underwear showed...as good as a double wink - Susie had to protect me with her backpack and scoot me into the hotel - ahhh...crazy life in B'lore as they say!

Tomorrow to Mangalore - we were a little overwhelmed with our stuff and took a trip to DHL where I forwarded stuff to the Syieks to hold for me and Susie did the same to her neighbor - now we can carry our luggage again! I will buy no more!

Christmas Eve - Bangalore

Hello from Bangalore. We got up early to head back to Lalbagh Rock and just climb up the rock and sit. We were however the main event and many children came up to us. A Dad, his two kids and niece and nephew sat with us for a long time. They wanted us to come to their house for food and tea and a lesson on Bangalore - but alas I wanted Miss Susie to relax - she is a total trooper but not feeling well so visiting was a little too much work for us. We tried to go back to eat at MTR Restaurant but with an hour wait - we dream only of our masala dosa...we are back on you guessed it - MG road - our favorite Bangalore hang out - we got some jewelery today and some clothes and some food. Soon we will go to our favorite clean restaurant for soup before I will drag Miss Susie back to our hotel to have her rest. It is such a trip here. People are all wishing us Happy Christmas - there are many Christians here so they are ready to celebrate Christmas with Cake and tinsel trees. If I could, I would transport myself to Ottawa for 24 hours to be with Marco, Jacquie, Coco and all my wonderful family. But I cannot - so sending love and hungs from Bangalore - KB

Mysore, Mysore, Love Hate - 1

Well I cannot tell you why but there is a surprise posting on why I Love Mysore...that will come tomorrow...but there were many things I liked...and equally hated really - it is smaller, it has less western exposure than Bangalore- the men well they are rather brutish for a western woman, of course the anthropologist point of view - they are perfectly in context...not necessarily great for a western woman... - the staring and pointing was getting a little old for me - coupled with the heat and complete and absolute lack of diet coke ..ha! The palace at mysore was incredible, the hawkers intense, the Chamundi hills wonderful..but all in all....glad to be back to MG (Mahatma Ghandi) Road in Bangalore and the places we know. We had hired a car to drive us back to Bangalore 1200 rps ($30) it was better than beating traffic to the train station and this got us right to our hotel in Bangalore. Our hotel in Bangalore had room 611 waiting for us and fresh laundrey that we had left for them before we went awaited us clean and folded! - Outside,there are now street urchins selling red christmas hats and a very very bizarre and scary santa at Spencers Food Store! Very skinny santa with a very odd mask...Off we go to commercial street! Hugs from Bangalore

Mysore, Mysore...The Love Part

Just as we had decided Mysore was the most horrible place - it is much smaller than Bangalore - western women are total novelty and is totally exhausting beating everyone off - then a miracle - Susie looking for a vendor she had used before, stumbled upon Dr. Anan - her friend from her last visit, 2 years ago. He is a school ayurvetic Dr. - 10 years of university studies in Mysore and Bangalore to join the family business of ayurveydic Dr's since the Raj gifted 350 acres of herb growing land outside of Mysore to his family , actually his great-grandfather in 1860. The family still grow all herbs for 100% pure oils. It was an incredible experience - Susie had gone out alone and came back bouncing around the room so excited to take me! What an expereince. It was dark so we hired an autorickshaw for 150 rupies ($4) to drive us there and back and wait for us outside. Anan pulled me upstairs to introduce me to his boys - who were anxious to show me the slimey eyeball (plastic!) that they had shown Susie 3 hours earlier, typical kid behavior - they had Alladin on the TV! When he was finished with his client, Anan had us downstairs for Chai tea before assessing me as he had assessed Susie earlier. He cracked my back and neck and it felt incredible. We sampled each oil, by smell on each nuckle, then wrists then upper arms...running out of smelling spots! I got some oils for alergies, stress, sleep and perfume. He told us what to eat and not eat based on his assessment - I cannot eat pork...yeah Jacquie - we have an excuse now for Dad...no pork for us! We were there for almost 4 hours from the time we left and returned to the hotel. Anan is a most wonderful person, as was his wife - but it was nuts - inbetween the time we were there, people were coming and going and his assistants were coming in to take and refill certain oils and he was giving them rupies for all sorts of things - and he had two cell phones that kept ringing!!! He says he works 18 hours a day and loves it - also his three kids would in succession poke their heads in the office and he would tease them. His little daughter kissed us both on each cheek and forhead. Finally we were done, because we had not brought much money to the neighborhood, his brother followed us to our hotel on his motorcycle - so we could pay him. Susie rode on the back of the motorcycle and I took the autorickshaw back! Dr. Anan has many Canadian and American clients he exports to because the quality of his oils are so high. What an interesting experience.

More offerings at the temple - Coconut smash!

Chamundi Hills Friends

This is the kind of people we totally meet all the time - wonderful, happy to see new faces in their town. Of course the street beggars are crazy and incessant...but that is a whole socio-political-economic discussion not for here... new wonderful people take away the life challenges!

School Pens Madam

Susie was smart enough to remind us to bring lots of pens and pencils to India - so when asked for school pens we have them to give out. These kids scored - she had 8 pens on her and the first 3 kids who asked got them, but then she gave out more on the way down the hill.

For Coco, Roy, Nick, Hannah & Katya

Monkey see, Monkey do - they are everywhere and are very very cheeky and bold - they bounce and are quick and talk to each other and absolutely drive the locals NUTS!!!!!

Offerings at Chamundi Hills

You buy flowers or coconut to offer for your prayers at Chamundi Hills, the sign said one of the most sacred places in India.

Chamundi Hills

The Chamundeeswari temple is located on the hills above Mysore and is accessed through a crazy road - crazy twists and turns and where staying on your side of the dotted line is optional for all - a two lane road that has often 3-4 vehicles abreast! Chamundeeswari the deity of the Mysore Maharajas has been held in reverence for centuries, and the Wodeyars of Mysore have made extensive contributions to this shrine.
A flight of one thousand steps (which we went down and not up!!!!!!!!) built by the Maharaja Dodda Devaraja in 1659 leads up to the top of the hill ,about 3000 feet. Chamraja Wodeyar IV is said to have worshipped here in 1573 and was miraculously saved from a lightning hit. Krishnaraja III (late 18th century) built the temple tower and presented the Nakshatramalika jewel with sanskrit verses inscribed on it. This is half way down the hill - Nandi the bull.

Made it to Mysore

INTENSE, INTENSE...much more so than Hampi or Bangalore. It is hot and persistant street vendors and beggers and autorickshaw drivers....hey learned a new word Mom...remember when kids come home saying this...well by not purchasing a flute from a street vendor got me a new word "lesson" in Hindi...Susie understood alas...Susie took care of me , and flashed the international symbol of...well...a bird or sorts...ha...life in India... Hotel is great - an oasis - tried to go to Mysore Palace but closed until 4:30 so hanging here until the palace open - no camera for me...gulp...ha...and no shoes...always interesting... We took the train here ...from Platform 9 3/4 Coco (Ha!) Saw bricks being made on the road side, Molly saw water birds for you, wished I could have taken a picture. When we slowed in a station, two boys pointed at me in the window, you could tell they were going "Oh my goodness - a white woman" so I started to giggle and wave, they all waved like mad...we saw many people washing in the rivers we passed, then beautiful fabrics spread on the grass to dry. We passed much farm land, hay was being harvested. We took executive class on the train, it was $12 but it meant we had a 2.5 hour cool relaxing trip. Thought of you Brenda doing this to Montreal every week - there was even a plug for my mp3 player. Got a dupatta in Bangalore, a long, light scarf in red...it is because the Indian men, being typically a couple of inches shorter than 5'10" are stumbling straight in to my breasts and well...they are passing out...ha...just kidding J-dog...no they are staring and well, after a while being a Bollywood movie star with my camera, a girl just needs some privacy - so floating the gauzy scarf is a good distraction technique...I crack myself up...Susie is jealous because all the men are staring at me...but when I put my camera away...they stare at us both...we have found the techno attraction...Hey I may have forgotten to mention that I learned how to drive an Autorickshaw...would not do it in Bangalore but was fun to do in Hampi...Susie wants to buy two next year and have Jacquie, Coco, Marco, Hannah and Gary come too, and travel thru India! Off to see the Palace - hugs - KB

Hello guys

Greetings Jacquie, Coco and Marco - glad you are all having fun - thanks for taking such good care of the girls Marco - I hear you have been cooking at Rico & Karins and fixing stuff at Brenda's and swimming today - sounds like fun!

Video Greetings From Bangalore

Susies Amazzzzing friend recorded this video and emailed it to me - this is me in Bangalore sending greetings to girls - hugs hugs - KB (will take a while to post as I just sent it to YouTube)

Thursday in Bangalore

Hello from Bangalore - we have checked out and our friend Chandra that we met on the plane - lets us use the university email - which is next door to our hotel - yippee - well miss Susie had a rough night but thankfully she is much better - she gave in and took her Cipro - good choice because it is clear she had some bacterial something working and barely 8 hours later she is much better. We are taking the train instead of bus to Mysore thought it will be easier. We are taking on Indian expressions...OK OK OK said quickly, uuuuun - for yes, no ruppies for the hoards of street children who come after you in the train station ( sigh......) So all looking great here - hugs from Bangalore!

Susie and Karen - overlooking Hampi

Tomorrow to Mysore (Click here for more info)

Veggie delivery

At Hampi - hotel Vikki (More on Hampi)
This lady delivered fresh veggies every day to the restaurant. She and the owner sat on the floor and she weighed everything on a hand scale.

Street scene Commercial Street - Bangalore

Ruins outside Hampi

Isn't this incredible these ruins? We bumped along for 4 hours and Susie got sick after but we both agree - Hampi rocks...literally with all the rock outcroppings. The schools in Hampi have no pencils - so when we got back to Bangalore today we bought 4o pencils and had 25 pens and will send them to Hotel Vikki where we stayed for them to distribute.

Another photos

This is Ramesh our guide in Hampi and his brother in law - Ramesh on right. Ramesh is the one who will wed next year, his parents are looking he told us, but he still gets a say, his Dad is modern. His brother organzied a union of rickshaw drivers in Hospet and now it works much better - governance is by unions and of course the state , but at a city/village level by unions. His brother in law seemed much younger, we met them on the road, as his brother in law also a guide. Ramesh knows absolutely everyone, eveyone knows Ramesh - what a score for Susie and I - totally safe for two days in Hampi, no one messes with Rameshes clients! We are going to write to the guide book lonely planent, that we are using about him and maybe see if we can't set him up with a website or something.
PS: J-Dog - tell Uncle Rico I think he is cool too! I miss those swedish biscuits Aunt Karin - hello to Julia and Kristian as well.

Road to Hospet

Bumping along on the road to Hospet to catch the train back to Bangalore - traffic jams are usual, goats, cows, pigs - banana fields to our left - rice fields to our right - cool evening air, no honnking, only smiles as we pass by...

Day in Bangalore

Met a gal today from NY - but now NY accent - she was touring for 6 mo and just finished a volunteer session teaching English and computers in Delhi...game for it my daughters? Perhaps in a few years! Susie is so-so...she is up resting now - I am dosing her with digestive cookies, water and imodium...alas - she is a total trooper. Back to Bangalore crazyness...J-dog the food you and C-dog packed - total saviour - saving the last of the nuts/raisins...they are my morning breakfast. Well words fail I always pull out your photo of J and C and the group photo of us 4 and pantomime something about you girls - sure to put everyone in stitches...the Indians I have met are vey impressed that all three of my family members play football, Madam...why not you they say...I point to the camera and say - who would take photos of my football playing family....I am attempting to understand cricket...I need the book Cricket for real Cricket Dummies...ha To mysore tomorrow - by bus if Susie is OK or by train to see mysore palace...hugs - M-Dog. Also thanks Allison in Ottawa for getting me measurements - you were right Brenda they were on the blog I had not fully looked!

J dog measurements

Still need - no J dog didn't get them - where did you send them? Hugs - M-Dog

Back to Bangalore

We took the night train back to Bangalore last night - it was once again wonderful - we were so anxious that we could not get the 1st class and yet travelling 3rd class sleeper turned out to be the most fun! On our return we were with an executive from a chemical company in Hospet - so were westerners might not travel this way - junior and even upper middle managers and some executives travel this way. The trains leave EXACTLY on time - but they may take a little longer on the road! Another gentleman was from the steel company and another fellow was a manager with Dell - it was a little odd - you are in a compartment as described before - three bunks one side, three the other, and then a passage then two on the other window, there are 8-10 compartments like this in one train car - so if I heard Jacquie was doing this...I would freak out - but it is totally safe - the men of india 30-50 are very cool to talk to - those of working class because they speak english and are completely used to working with women - they have been westernized! OK it was a little odd to wake up and look 5 feet away and see a strange man sleeping there - but you talk for 3-4 hours before you pull down the bunks...hummm...it was good to see Susie below me sleeping. You now get thrown off the train if you harass women - YEAH! There was an upper military man in our little group of 8 but you could tell he thought we were riff raff, included the two indian men, not just us - so he got "TT" (Ticket Control) to move him...ha - his loss! Susie has Delhi Belly - she was so sick on the train and this am - she is better now but back on a diet of digestive cookies and water and Coke...poor thing - I am fine. We are back to the honking of Bangalore - shopping on MG road and happy to be back at Chalukiya - had our one meal of the day in the Bangalore Central - a mall just off MG road - we usally scope out a safe restaurant and eat once a day - rest of day we have water and maybe a granola bar.
Hugs from India - to Mysore tomorrow and overnight where i am not sure if Internet will be easy to find.

Ruins in Hampi

cap locks do not work always...so here goes...
Today our guide ramesh toured us, same guide who took us from Hospet station to hampi - he is a wonderful fellow - 29, he will have an arranged marriage next year. He studied and recieved his Bac in history but hated being away from hampi and working for goverment, so now he runs tours and is a wonderful insight into making the choices that work for you - he loves his life in small town hampi and makes much more money and has many more friends as a guide. There is a habit here I must warn you of Marco...the western women taking indian husbands while having allready western husbands! We laughed (susie and I) - we promise you Marco and Gary we will not get married here also! The conversation started as we were adorned this morning before going with our red bindi - then the cheeky young brother of the Hotel Vikki we are at, put some at our hairline, implying he was our husband! We all laughed at that - but then Ramesh told us of the custom, his friend named his auto ricksaw after his one month a year western wife! Ha! One husband is enough for me I said!

There are lovely breezes here but 4 hours of touring very bumpy ruins exhausted us! We loved the Queeens bath - where she could choose to have a bath and choose if her husband could see here - her bath is about 100 feet square and was fed via aquaduct - very beautiul. (i would let you have a bath Marco!)

We met a most spiritual man in the hills who watches over the budhist temple in the hills - his is very deformed from polio but we were so happy to hear next month he goes to Bangalore for an operation - to help so perhaps he can walk. He blessed us and gave us sugar ? I am not sure why. We had to crawl into his cave it was very low for me - but it smelled so beautiul and he was so beautiful in his soul.

We are the stars of the student tours and were mobbed at the Hiari Rama Temple - we were asked to come in the students group photo and then all children wanted our picture - what a scene. Then the teacher came to sit beside me and I said you are the teacher?- but i touched him on the arm - he was dressed in western clothes as were all the boys and soso didn't stop to think... a howl went up from the men and women, of laughter - I it turns out am a very loose woman - western loose tall white photographing woman!!!!!!!

this town is active about 6 moths a year. Now is just beore the very busy time - it will be very busy in a week when we will be in Goa - we will have escaped! When on off season, those from far away, go home to their families. Our nepalize cook was quite wonderful these last two days and we have felt very strong with his all veg cooking - strong for the hiking! susie loves orange and has found a favorite pair of pants in orange - so she bought two!

thanks you J-dog for your posting and your email marco! hello Mom and Dad I hear you read every day! J-dog need your waist measurements for the skirt!

I got a custom made indian dress - that I will pick up tomorrow in Bangalore - hugs from Hampi - KB

Hampi musings

Today we walked around this small village. This village brings the book "Tales of a Female Nomad" to mind - be the anthropologist - observe, not comment or interfere. We have seen so much allready, poverty, education, lack of it, hygene, lack of it, castes, abuse, - we have just seen a tiny piece of India. Susie assured me I would love and hate India before I left - attempting to get on our train last night and being so confused and exhausted and harassed by beggars - but yet you just can't put into words what a gift this trip is in terms of understanding us on this planet. We spent time today with Rashmina - she is excited to be married January 1st when she turns 14, she lives in Hampi. Yesterday we spent time with a girl from Austria, she is 18 and has spent the last year voluteering in an NGO orphanage for children with special needs in India prior to beginning university - both approximately Jacquie's age..... The stories go on.

Susie and are very much movie starts here, Ballywood.... tall and with a camera - this stands out - we are swarmed often by children wanting us to take their picture and show them this immediately on the back of the digital camera.

Jacquie and Coco - Susie and I got a temporary henna tatoo on our hands today - it might be warn off by the time we see you but I took pictures! Hugs from India - KB
(Kathy Bell you were right about the experience...I am having similar... thank you Molly for you email)

Down town Hampi - Main Tower

Tower is about 165 feet high, and a base almost square 150x120 feet. With eleven stories it is calle Bistappaya Tower (say that 5 times fast!) It is not known when it was built. Water flows thu a canal in the middle.

Bamboo Shirts

Bamboo shirts - the rage, silk, linen now bamboo in fancy little shirt shop in Bangalore - Gary and Ann - if you want one for Gary let me know size and color.

Happy Birthday Marco

Happy Birthday to you (from India) Happy Birthday to you - Happy Birthday dear Marco - Happy Birthday to you! Miss you hugs! Jacquie Coco - send M-Dog measurements - chest, waist, hips if you want indian clothes!

Took night train to Hampi last night - remember the night bus on Harry Potter - this was so Crazy!!!!!! Susie and I almost, alternatively gave up - me once, her once...9 people we had to ask to find our coach and seat - even then we sat in the seat 44 and 46 our ages...ha - we missed that they post your ages up but our seats were really 25 and 28 - ages we approved of better!
There we 10 compartments of 8 beds, three facing each other and two on the end - then 10 little cubes like this per car - crazy - so we got to know the nicest people - just slept with our packs on the ground - the scenery once the sun started to come up was wonderful the doors on the way to the restroom were open once the sun came up - so you are flying accross the county and the door is right open.

Arriving in Hospet was a mind blowing sort of experience - but by then we had met a friend Guru whose brother works for Motorola in California (small world) and he got us a good taxi to take us the 14km to Hampi. There were many children, cows and pigs and chickens and dogs and donkeys and goats - all on the street - crazy!

Now we wanted to connect with home then set out to explore Hampi - small hippie town! Tomorrow we take a tour of the ruins outside of town.

Happy Birthday Marco - hugs - KB

Fruit on the street

All this cool fruit and booths on the street - we stear clear but it is very tempting all those beautiful fruits and veggies!

Bangalore

OK wow - Notes - Lalbagh rock above - from tour yesterday. Bangalore known as the garden city - has this beautiful garden and many more called LalBagh - with exotic plants from all over. Many roads (MG) are wide but the sidewalks are often completely crazy and you have to look up and down simultaneously as you walk!

Hi Coco hi Jacquie!

Bangalore has 8 million people - no so crowded today - everyone relaxing. Below friends Sita and Aveek - your photo for you - will email you one as well - good luck on your wedding!