tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45450940285018146572024-03-13T20:52:49.185-07:00South India 2009Beatrice Barbareschihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13685745063687620485noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545094028501814657.post-28805443750230174322009-04-26T04:42:00.000-07:002009-04-25T18:58:58.482-07:00Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu; Sri Lanka; Kathmandu and... goodbye!Since our last entry, David and I have moved quite a long way...<br /><br />We spent a couple of days in Thanjavur, where we visited the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brihadisvara_Temple">Birhadeeswara Temple</a>, one of the largest temples we've seen in our travels. We spent a lovely late afternoon/evening there, and the light was perfect for taking some pictures of this great architectural structure...<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXOdn1nfTI/AAAAAAAAA4g/us8fr_oFx5g/s1600-h/IMG_6723.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324889142740876594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXOdn1nfTI/AAAAAAAAA4g/us8fr_oFx5g/s320/IMG_6723.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(Find Bici in the picture!)<br /></span></div><br />We spent the next morning at the Thanjavur Museum, which holds a large collection of both stone and bronze sculptures. Below are some of our favorites. When possible, I would highly recommend clicking on the image to take a closer look for yourself:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXOdvjPWJI/AAAAAAAAA4Y/jthBwEIxGGI/s1600-h/IMG_6760.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324889144811280530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXOdvjPWJI/AAAAAAAAA4Y/jthBwEIxGGI/s320/IMG_6760.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXOdR562GI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/SNRxGebPrig/s1600-h/IMG_6763.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324889136853342306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXOdR562GI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/SNRxGebPrig/s320/IMG_6763.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXOdGAXKCI/AAAAAAAAA4I/MhP3mE-2Z4M/s1600-h/IMG_6775.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324889133659138082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXOdGAXKCI/AAAAAAAAA4I/MhP3mE-2Z4M/s320/IMG_6775.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(This was our most favorite piece in the bronze collection! It's a really soft, well proportioned, and overall beautiful Siva. The picture doesn't do justice to the sculpture, but at least it's documentative. If you are ever in Thanjavur, keep your eyes out for him!)<span style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><br /></span></span><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">After two days in Thanjavur we returned to Chennai, took our last auto-rickshaw drive<span style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"></span></span></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXOFATMmkI/AAAAAAAAA34/5Mmqtndj__Y/s1600-h/IMG_6852.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324888719810665026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXOFATMmkI/AAAAAAAAA34/5Mmqtndj__Y/s320/IMG_6852.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />...and took off for Srilanka, where we met with Margot, Tom, Ben and Ele. The following are a series of pictures from our one week stay in this BEAUTIFUL country. David and I really look forward to going back for more exploration.<br /></div></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXOFKoKGeI/AAAAAAAAA3w/aLAWdw7EfP8/s1600-h/IMG_6942.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324888722582936034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXOFKoKGeI/AAAAAAAAA3w/aLAWdw7EfP8/s320/IMG_6942.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(We were staying in a resort close to Tagalle, in the South of Srilanka. On our second day there we took off for an elephant safari. On our way there we saw these Giant Bats hanging out on a tree as the sun was rising. They were huge!)</span><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXOEzb_1HI/AAAAAAAAA3o/3t7Xy-EGFTI/s1600-h/IMG_7031.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324888716357915762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 250px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXOEzb_1HI/AAAAAAAAA3o/3t7Xy-EGFTI/s320/IMG_7031.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(A family of elephants who spent quite a bit of time looking at us and posing for pictures. The tiny one was always somewhat hidden by the adult elephants :-)</span><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXOEz6VaOI/AAAAAAAAA3g/pcJ_zif8w7I/s1600-h/IMG_7052.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324888716485159138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXOEz6VaOI/AAAAAAAAA3g/pcJ_zif8w7I/s320/IMG_7052.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(Our jeep and the landscape of the natural park we visited for the safari. Ele is standing in the background...)</span><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXOElIFmzI/AAAAAAAAA3Y/PNhAgOCeyy8/s1600-h/IMG_7090.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324888712516311858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXOElIFmzI/AAAAAAAAA3Y/PNhAgOCeyy8/s320/IMG_7090.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(We spent 4 days in a beautiful resort by the beach. Above is a classic sun-vacation shot of David and Ele.) </span><br /><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXNOfvuMJI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/ARdpF_IoE1A/s1600-h/IMG_7106.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324887783359000722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXNOfvuMJI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/ARdpF_IoE1A/s320/IMG_7106.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(View from the resort's restaurant. Quite idyllic. It was really special to meet in this beautiful place...)<br /></span></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXNOPVY-fI/AAAAAAAAA3I/Xvsyw8AUE3c/s1600-h/IMG_7115.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324887778953591282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXNOPVY-fI/AAAAAAAAA3I/Xvsyw8AUE3c/s320/IMG_7115.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(Ele between her two guardians, David and Ben, who are shading her from the midday sun.)<br /></span></div><br /><p>We spent 4 wonderful days with our families, celebrated Passover, hung out on the beach, and just generally had a good time. When Margot, Tom, Ele and Ben left, David and I spent two more days in Srilanka. We visited the beautiful fortress/castle/Buddhist site of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brihadisvara_Temple">Sigiriya</a>, famous for its frescoes portraying women from all around the world...<br /><br /></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXNONep_mI/AAAAAAAAA3A/8ghvMS2CJrU/s1600-h/IMG_7140.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324887778455584354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXNONep_mI/AAAAAAAAA3A/8ghvMS2CJrU/s320/IMG_7140.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXNN1T1mFI/AAAAAAAAA24/muyXZ8M_sNU/s1600-h/IMG_7142.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324887771967756370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXNN1T1mFI/AAAAAAAAA24/muyXZ8M_sNU/s320/IMG_7142.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />We were also able to quickly visit the ancient capital of Srilanka, Anandapuram, which used to be a very important center for Buddhism. Below are some images to give you a feeling of the location...<br /><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXMRcMdAFI/AAAAAAAAA2o/GRRlMC875ug/s1600-h/IMG_7164.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324886734433747026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXMRcMdAFI/AAAAAAAAA2o/GRRlMC875ug/s320/IMG_7164.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />The two photos below will give you a sense of how similar the art in Anandapuram is to the work in Amaravati. We were told that during the time these reliefs were made, Sri Lankan artists were traveling to Andra Pradesh to learn from artists in Amaravati...<br /><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXMRSYWeAI/AAAAAAAAA2g/34LF5BVGJmc/s1600-h/IMG_7176.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324886731799296002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXMRSYWeAI/AAAAAAAAA2g/34LF5BVGJmc/s320/IMG_7176.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXMRLOeTiI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/HBxsh4uAsAY/s1600-h/IMG_7179.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324886729878818338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXMRLOeTiI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/HBxsh4uAsAY/s320/IMG_7179.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXMRJQvIHI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/3zWAMwKjE3A/s1600-h/IMG_7198.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324886729351438450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXMRJQvIHI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/3zWAMwKjE3A/s320/IMG_7198.JPG" border="0" /></a> </p><br />Anandapuram is also known for a beautiful moonstone (the stone at the footstep of a stair case.) I love how the animals on this one have worn out with time, giving them a real three dimensional feeling, as though they were shaded.<br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324885486810907250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXLI0b_QnI/AAAAAAAAA2A/sOpDf-Rb_LI/s320/IMG_7203.JPG" border="0" /></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXMQyvXAXI/AAAAAAAAA2I/Vo-oXtGA5pI/s1600-h/IMG_7200.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324886723305865586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXMQyvXAXI/AAAAAAAAA2I/Vo-oXtGA5pI/s320/IMG_7200.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />At Anandapuram we were caught in our first real monsoon! Below, omnious clouds before the drenching rain...</p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXLIi8bwUI/AAAAAAAAA1w/RehGOV1Jvlw/s1600-h/IMG_7227.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324885482115154242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXLIi8bwUI/AAAAAAAAA1w/RehGOV1Jvlw/s320/IMG_7227.JPG" border="0" /></a> </p><br />After Sri Lanka we quickly made our way up to Kathmandu, taking 4 planes in 4 days. Needless to say, once we got here we were a little exhausted. For more than a week now we have been planning our (now imminent) trek around the Manaslu Circuit. We are actually leaving in just a few minutes, after a full week of planning, shopping for food and equipmnet, getting permits, and other general organization. During the week, both David and I managed to get sick, but are now basically healed. Our trek will last 24-25 days, and won't be documented online, but I will be happy to share images and stories once we get back and, with many of you, hopefully in person. Thank you so much for participating in our travels by reading and writing- it has been a wonderful journey and this blog a special way to share our adventures.<br /><p>Wishing you all much happiness,</p><p>Bici</p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXLIfrq45I/AAAAAAAAA1o/lgQx2eUfB3U/s1600-h/IMG_7257.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324885481239536530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SeXLIfrq45I/AAAAAAAAA1o/lgQx2eUfB3U/s320/IMG_7257.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /></p>Beatrice Barbareschihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13685745063687620485noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545094028501814657.post-48320921451866833232009-04-02T06:43:00.000-07:002009-04-02T09:52:49.198-07:00Trichy, Tamil Nadu.We left yesterday from Pondicherry with a train that took us to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichy">Trichy</a>, also know by its easier name: Tiruchirapalli. At the station, we discovered that both our cell phones were missing. I had placed them in a small pocket that we found open, so it's unclear whether they just fell or were... borrowed permanently. I felt a little demoralized as during this trip I have lost several objects: my I-pod on a plane, my wallet on the way to Munnar (it fell out of my bag and someone witnessed a girl quickly picking it up), a special pair of earrings in Varkala, and now the cell phones... Even though we have few belongings on us, it seems like I can't keep track of them... My mother told me she read somewhere that it's pretty usual to loose things while traveling, anyone have any stories to share?<br /><span style="color:#000000;">o</span><br />Luckily, during our train wait I was distracted by our sitting area neighbours. These two men came in at different times and easily made them selves comfortable. Really something.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTFrovv2UI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/tC4uXpJlJs4/s1600-h/Bici+022.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320094413294131522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTFrovv2UI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/tC4uXpJlJs4/s320/Bici+022.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Now we are in Trichy. We came here to get a look at three main sites: the Rock Fort Temple, Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple (dedicated to Vishnu), and Sri Jambukeshwara Temple (for Shiva.) We saw all three today. Below is one of the first images to greet us on the way up to the Rock Fort Temple, which sits on top of a 83m high stone hill that stands lonesomely in the middle of the plain arond Trichy.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTFrBhJiUI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/q_CJLmXVRkg/s1600-h/Bici+024.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320094402763917634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTFrBhJiUI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/q_CJLmXVRkg/s320/Bici+024.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />As we walked the 437 steps up the rocky hill, we met yet another group of smiling children. They waved to us while screaming "Hi!" almost to the top of their lungs :-)<br /><span style="color:#000000;">o<br /></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTFq3eFO9I/AAAAAAAAA1I/q6fFnEVUNqU/s1600-h/Bici+025.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320094400066698194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTFq3eFO9I/AAAAAAAAA1I/q6fFnEVUNqU/s320/Bici+025.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The two temples at the Rock Fort were crowded with people doing morning poojas, and the space was full of the sounds of drums and bells and the smell of incense. We discovered the best piece on the hill right after saying hello to the children, see below.<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTFqZhLcjI/AAAAAAAAA1A/7zTS1X4SYGQ/s1600-h/Bici+026.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320094392026624562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTFqZhLcjI/AAAAAAAAA1A/7zTS1X4SYGQ/s320/Bici+026.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">(This dynamic looking Shiva is very reminiscent of the work we saw at Mahabalipuram - you should be able to make our some Pallava traits in the carving.)</span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTFpjljOeI/AAAAAAAAA04/zNRegbzUEpc/s1600-h/Bici+028.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320094377549445602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTFpjljOeI/AAAAAAAAA04/zNRegbzUEpc/s320/Bici+028.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Here is the view from the top of the hill. In the forefront, the Shiva temple halfway up the rock. Immediately to the left, in the background, a huge church. Oh, the lovely diversity of India.)</span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTFGevXY_I/AAAAAAAAA0w/STBPaRtB138/s1600-h/Bici+029.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320093774953014258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTFGevXY_I/AAAAAAAAA0w/STBPaRtB138/s320/Bici+029.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(This was the last sculpture we saw on our way out of the Rock Fort: a nicely oiled and flowery Ganesh. It's really great how sensous the sculpture gets with all the dowsing in oil, milk, tikka powder, etc.)</span> </div><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320093768542475954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTFGG2-VrI/AAAAAAAAA0o/vOI4kNTc7bg/s320/Bici+030.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(After darshan - seeing God - David and I were fed prasad in the form of a small glass of sweet milk. We discovered its sources live in one of the side temples along the stairs! Margot, we think of you every time we see nandis and nandinis...)</span></div><span style="color:#000000;">o</span><br />After taking an extra long break from the heat, David and I visited the main Vishnu temple in Trichy, a really large complex encircled by four walls. Below are some images from there:<br /><br /><div align="center"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTFF5lXfrI/AAAAAAAAA0g/IUbRlC6AsrQ/s1600-h/Bici+034.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320093764978966194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTFF5lXfrI/AAAAAAAAA0g/IUbRlC6AsrQ/s320/Bici+034.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">(She was at the base of a column and reminds us of our friend Keely!)</span><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTFFjsNSkI/AAAAAAAAA0Y/Pn5q571MMg8/s1600-h/Bici+035.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320093759102077506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTFFjsNSkI/AAAAAAAAA0Y/Pn5q571MMg8/s320/Bici+035.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Look closely at this image to find the incospicuous genitalia...)</span></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTFFn171vI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/GgVjj4r8KSI/s1600-h/Bici+036.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320093760216618738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTFFn171vI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/GgVjj4r8KSI/s320/Bici+036.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (The lower parts of these colums have turned black from the many years of dowsing the sculptures carved on them with oil and milk.)<br /></span><div align="left"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">o</span></div><div align="left">Below is a closer look at a couple of sculptures that have gained a particular look through all their divination... </div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">o</span></div><div align="left"></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTEVBzu5RI/AAAAAAAAA0I/XlTI1nZvTRA/s1600-h/Bici+037.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320092925373113618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTEVBzu5RI/AAAAAAAAA0I/XlTI1nZvTRA/s320/Bici+037.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Vishnu sitting on Shesha, the king of snakes.)</span><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320092921443294546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTEUzKynVI/AAAAAAAAA0A/Fx3ih_LHct0/s320/Bici+039.jpg" border="0" /> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Vishnu crowned with flowers.)</span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTEUt-KuQI/AAAAAAAAAz4/8OT7V6NgWA8/s1600-h/Bici+044.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320092920048171266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTEUt-KuQI/AAAAAAAAAz4/8OT7V6NgWA8/s320/Bici+044.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Along one of the walls surrounding the temple are large emblems of Vaishnavite worship- a bit like a logo...)</span></div><div><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTEUdNF5cI/AAAAAAAAAzw/3CVRGpt2vZk/s1600-h/Bici+045.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320092915547366850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTEUdNF5cI/AAAAAAAAAzw/3CVRGpt2vZk/s320/Bici+045.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(Colorful back doors to the inner temple.)</span></div><div></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">o</span></div><div align="left">Next we visited Sri Jambukeshwara Temple, a much quieter and more intimate space. Again, below is a little overview... </div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">o</span></div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTEUCDs_nI/AAAAAAAAAzo/afvv7c8IfWw/s1600-h/Bici+048.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320092908260228722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTEUCDs_nI/AAAAAAAAAzo/afvv7c8IfWw/s320/Bici+048.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (Outside of the temple: typical </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dravidian_architecture"><span style="font-size:85%;">Dravidian architecture</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">, very wide spread in Tamil Nadu.)</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTC4saAN_I/AAAAAAAAAzg/aNVHEO0nd1g/s1600-h/Bici+051.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320091339080087538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 271px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTC4saAN_I/AAAAAAAAAzg/aNVHEO0nd1g/s320/Bici+051.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Finally documentation of the elephant blessing one of us! I waited for David to get into position to get a good shot, dropped a 2 rupee coin in Shakti's trunk, and enjoyed the gentle weight of her trunk on my back :-)</span></div><div><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTC4vygWpI/AAAAAAAAAzY/D63WAoEObhY/s1600-h/Bici+055.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320091339988163218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTC4vygWpI/AAAAAAAAAzY/D63WAoEObhY/s320/Bici+055.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(The men sitting around were playing some sort of game- many people just hang out on the temple grounds.)</span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">o</span></div><div align="left">This temple had some really beautiful portryals of plants as well as some interesting small panels that we weren't able to understand in terms of iconography. The pictures I took of the flowers and plants really aren't great, but here are two panels that caught our attention: </div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">o</span></div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTC4W5WFZI/AAAAAAAAAzI/bhfWoEqK9m0/s1600-h/Bici+057.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320091333305963922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTC4W5WFZI/AAAAAAAAAzI/bhfWoEqK9m0/s320/Bici+057.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTC3xoe6UI/AAAAAAAAAzA/hxexcIP0r5w/s1600-h/Bici+059.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320091323303127362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdTC3xoe6UI/AAAAAAAAAzA/hxexcIP0r5w/s320/Bici+059.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Is he a shy rishi?)</span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">o</span></div><div align="left">Tomorrow we're already off to Thanjavur, where we will go look at some more art, this time mainly Chola work. As we come to the end of our travels around Southern India, we both think we will be returning to Tamil Nadu sometime in the near future, with a careful eye to temperatures and seasons... Meantime, we will enjoy the next couple of days of exploration before making our way to Srilanka and meeting with our families (we are very very excited about that.)</div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">o</span></div><div align="left">A presto,</div><div align="left">Bici</div></div></div></div></div>Beatrice Barbareschihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13685745063687620485noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545094028501814657.post-42148476231171712822009-04-02T00:18:00.000-07:002009-04-02T06:38:49.369-07:00More Auroville...So... our stay in Auroville ended up being longer than we expected. From the Central Guest House, we moved to Verite', a community in the North West part of this green town. Our new room was called "Skyroom," it was on the upper floor of a barn-like structure, which made it a little hot, but so beautiful and spacious that it was worth the extra warmth:<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdSC3HgYI6I/AAAAAAAAAy4/Z_lx8ePfJ5o/s1600-h/Bici+033.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320020943250662306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdSC3HgYI6I/AAAAAAAAAy4/Z_lx8ePfJ5o/s320/Bici+033.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdSC2kfKe6I/AAAAAAAAAyw/R6MA_Dz_zbE/s1600-h/Bici+032.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320020933850332066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdSC2kfKe6I/AAAAAAAAAyw/R6MA_Dz_zbE/s320/Bici+032.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />During our extended stay, David and I paid daily visits to the Matrimandir to meditate/ sit in silence for about an hour. This is a HUGE spherical building covered in discs made of goldleaf fused in glass, so that the whole thing looks like a shimmering ball of gold (in fact, only a total of 6kg of gold were used fot the whole building.) Inside it's WILD. It was designed by Roger Anger in the 60's and has a total futuristic feel, a little like being in a spaceship, with two spiraling platforms that lead to a 2nd floor chamber. This chamber is totally dark except for a gigantic clear optical glass ball that refracts light in the room as well as through itself in a channel of light that moves down and out of the building. Inside, the Matrimandir is mostly made of white marble, and when you sit in the meditation chamber it feels really soothing... You can read more about this non-religious gathering space <a href="http://www.auroville.org/thecity/matrimandir/mm_main.htm">here</a>. It's thought of as the "soul of Auroville," and the whole town is planned around it.</div><div><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdRsEAChM7I/AAAAAAAAAyA/0hQfl42BHdo/s1600-h/Bici+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319995875817239474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdRsEAChM7I/AAAAAAAAAyA/0hQfl42BHdo/s320/Bici+006.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (You are not allowed to take pictures of the Matrimandir up close. Here, behind the tree on the forefront, you can see the Matrimandir on the right and a glimpse of a beautiful and huge banyan tree on the left. The banyan tree was discovered by the original Auroville settlers and chosen as the center for Auroville.)</span></div><div><br /></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319994749350302674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdRrCbn309I/AAAAAAAAAx4/0JzCy_SzLv4/s320/Bici+007.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">(A better shot of the Matrimandir, with less objects in the way. It's slightly squashed in shape, like the Earth. It reminds me of the yolk of an egg/ an ovary/ the center of a flower -it's surrounded in what are called "petals" - as well as all sorts of other images of fertility. When you are inside, it's quite womb like too...)</span></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdRsEQg41xI/AAAAAAAAAyI/8ayrqjF0F_4/s1600-h/Bici+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319995880239585042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdRsEQg41xI/AAAAAAAAAyI/8ayrqjF0F_4/s320/Bici+005.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (Speaking of flowers... The Mother was really interested in the connection between flowers and spirituality. Auroville takes its flowers - as well as its trees - very seriously, and the grounds are covered in beautiful and delicious smelling blossoms. Above are two lotuses from the lotus pond at the </span><a href="http://www.quiethealingcenter.info/"><span style="font-size:85%;">Quiet Healing Center</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">, a resort for massages and other treatments right by the beach...)</span> <div></div><div></div><div></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"><br /></span></div><div align="left">While we were in Auroville, we went by the Tibetan Pavillion, which is a new building that was inaugurated by H.H. Dalai Lama just this past February. It's quite new, and the picture below makes it look more like a digital rendering than the real thing! </div><div align="left"><br /></div><div></div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdRrCNKx3hI/AAAAAAAAAxw/Lur0dqHg4ho/s1600-h/Bici+008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319994745470180882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdRrCNKx3hI/AAAAAAAAAxw/Lur0dqHg4ho/s320/Bici+008.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"><br /></span></div><div align="left">Within the urban plan for Auroville, there is a whole area designed for buildings representing cultures from all over the world... I think this will be a very interesting aspect of Auroville to watch evolve, with all sorts of politics and differences in interpretations involved (even with the assumption that everyone means to represent each culture at its best.) The Tibetan Pavillion is an interesting example, considering all the political controversy around China/Tibet/H.H. Dalai Lama, and so forth.<br /><span style="font-size:0;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">It was great spending some more time in Auroville. On Friday afternoon we went to visit Sadhana Forest, a special place where a family is replanting 300 acres of dry and depleted land with trees (together with the help of about 500 rotating volunteers each year.) I did not take any pictures, but you can learn more about this project on this man's </span><a href="http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Pondicherry/blog-127308.html">blog</a> as well as in this <a href="http://www.auroville.org/journals&media/avtoday/may_2008/a_day_in_sadhana_forest.htm">article</a>. Definitely a place to check out if you go to Auroville!</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"><br /></span></div><div align="left">Our last night was made particularly eventful thanks to a Ramayana festival taking place at a cultural center nearby (<a href="http://www.adishaktitheatrearts.org/">Adishakti</a>.) We got a chance to see an evening performance of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathakali">Kathakali</a>, a dance form from Kerala. It was great! I have seen a solo Kathakali dancer perform before, but this was much more complete, and so theatrical! What really struck me was how much of a popular kind of theater Kathakali is, reminiscent of the Italian <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commedia_dell">Commedia dell'Arte</a>. I imagined a very serious evening of classical Indian dance, but it felt much more participatory and humorous than, say, a Bharatanatyam performance piece. Kathakali is filled with stock characters and well known stories, so that the audience can always anticipate what is coming. Each character is introduced by a makeshift curtain (held by two stage hands who, in this case, seemed a little bored with their job!) and while loud drums beat frenetic rhythms, the audience waits in anticipation for the character to be revealed in all his/her glory and color (costumes are so dramatic!)</div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"></span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdRrBzkbaZI/AAAAAAAAAxo/JoAkJgSmEHw/s1600-h/Bici+009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319994738598439314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdRrBzkbaZI/AAAAAAAAAxo/JoAkJgSmEHw/s320/Bici+009.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdRrBulS2hI/AAAAAAAAAxg/kPaPnd68EgE/s1600-h/Bici+010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319994737259895314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdRrBulS2hI/AAAAAAAAAxg/kPaPnd68EgE/s320/Bici+010.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (Who could it be?!)</span></div><div><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdRrBoIT94I/AAAAAAAAAxY/2U3kibUYkB8/s1600-h/Bici+011.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319994735527720834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdRrBoIT94I/AAAAAAAAAxY/2U3kibUYkB8/s320/Bici+011.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (Ta da! It's HANUMAN! The performance we got to see centered on Hanuman and his quest to cross over to Srilanka to find Sita- damsel in distress previously kidnapped by evil Ravana- and reassure her that Rama was on his way to save her.)</span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:0;"><div align="left"><br /></div></span></span><div align="left">One of the more interesting scenes in the performance involved Hanuman's encounter with an ugly and evil demoness who obstructs his entrance into the city of Lanka. After several attempts to get passed her, Hanuman slaps the demoness and...lo and behold, she transforms herself into a beautiful deity and we discover that she was under an evil spell. By slapping her, Hanuman has restored her beauty and divine state. The moral: if your woman has ugly breasts and demon like behavior, slap her into beauty. </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><span style="font-size:0;"></span><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div></div><div></div><div></div></div><div></div><div> </div><div> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319993611694490114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdRqANhlwgI/AAAAAAAAAxQ/1XTHeBA0yRE/s320/Bici+016.jpg" border="0" /> <div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">(The encounter with the horrific demoness. We are told Hanuman openly makes fun of her ugly breasts...)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdRqACcuRPI/AAAAAAAAAxI/EgHWeNTSkxk/s1600-h/Bici+017.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319993608721286386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdRqACcuRPI/AAAAAAAAAxI/EgHWeNTSkxk/s320/Bici+017.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (Post-slap beauty. I believe here she's thanking Hanuman for hitting her...)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">And here is Ravana, in all his evil-regal splendor, standing next to an apathetic and uninterested Sita-she does not do much for the whole play.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdRqALe1jmI/AAAAAAAAAxA/eel6gfGb8p0/s1600-h/Bici+018.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319993611146071650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdRqALe1jmI/AAAAAAAAAxA/eel6gfGb8p0/s320/Bici+018.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdRp_2A7SRI/AAAAAAAAAw4/P-TAJ2TaPUA/s1600-h/Bici+019.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319993605383473426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SdRp_2A7SRI/AAAAAAAAAw4/P-TAJ2TaPUA/s320/Bici+019.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (After attempting to seduce Sita with precious jewels and textiles, Ravana looses his patience and decides to kill her. He is stopped at the last minute by his wife, who reminds him that one must never kill a woman. This is an interesting triangle, in which the wife begs her husband not to kill the woman with whom he's trying to have an affair...)</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>We left Auroville a couple of days ago, spent two nights in Pondicherry, and visited the nearby town of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chidambaram">Chidambaram</a>, where there is a large and renouned Shiva temple. Our next destination: Trichy. I will create a new entry for that shortly.</div><div></div><div></div><div>Om!</div><div>Bici</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Beatrice Barbareschihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13685745063687620485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545094028501814657.post-35505533734863004302009-03-24T02:12:00.000-07:002012-10-15T06:30:31.901-07:00Pondicherry and Auroville, Tamil Nadu.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David and I managed to leave Chennai on March 18th, after I was finally able to eat more than curd and rice. We spent the next couple of days in seductive Pondicherry, which was under the French until 1954 and still retains a strong colonial charm. We stayed at the Hotel de Pondicherry, which in itself was a special experience: overall decadent feel with spacious rooms with high ceilings and beautiful color combinations. Below are a few images of this heritage hotel, its garden outside, and the veranda/reception...</span><br />
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<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316689585491206498" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/ScitAkw44WI/AAAAAAAAAuU/G9p9C6KS280/s320/Bici+010.jpg" style="display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" /><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/ScitA7i3okI/AAAAAAAAAuk/W-VlgisBU7U/s1600-h/Bici+005.jpg"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316689591606420034" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/ScitA7i3okI/AAAAAAAAAuk/W-VlgisBU7U/s320/Bici+005.jpg" style="display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We stayed in the French Quarter, which is close to the beach and is defined by beautiful streets with colorful and elegant buildings, large trees and blossoming flowers (see example below).</span><br />
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<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316689596896732578" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/ScitBPQLZaI/AAAAAAAAAus/CuxAr6OeEaQ/s320/Bici+007.jpg" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316687207243034722" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sciq2JGVsGI/AAAAAAAAAtc/GNjE7N1pu1o/s320/Bici+018.jpg" style="display: block; height: 241px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SciudvkgTTI/AAAAAAAAAvU/WwNx7smNaTg/s1600-h/Bici+001.jpg"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316691186119888178" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SciudvkgTTI/AAAAAAAAAvU/WwNx7smNaTg/s320/Bici+001.jpg" style="display: block; height: 238px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A really welcome change from busy Chennai! Pondicherry has a great boardwalk that gets very crowded around sunset time, with families, vendors, and all sorts of people coming to enjoy the breeze and the sea air. About halfway along the boardwalk is an impressive sculpture of Gandhi surrounded buy beautiful sculptures which David has identified as Chola:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SciudkEb1eI/AAAAAAAAAvM/vnqiVhCO_MQ/s1600-h/Bici+002.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316691183032587746" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SciudkEb1eI/AAAAAAAAAvM/vnqiVhCO_MQ/s320/Bici+002.jpg" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> (Gandhi by day.)</span></div>
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<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316688369552022050" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Scir5zCZWiI/AAAAAAAAAts/UO_akJAbG1Y/s320/Bici+016.jpg" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Gandhi by night. Even though it's not easy to see, in the evening time children turn the sculpture into something of a jungle gym, climbing up and down its side ramps which they use as slides!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Pondicherry we had delicious breakfasts...</span><br />
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<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316691168324162290" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SciuctRrEvI/AAAAAAAAAu0/9mGbGTioTOg/s320/Bici+008.jpg" style="display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(The prevalence of white is an indicator of my still recovering belly. This was idly - rice dumplings - with sambar (soup) and chutney, as well as curd and white rice at the American owned <a href="http://www.kasha-ki-aasha.com/">Kasha Ki Asha</a>. We definitely recommend it.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...and drank more fruit juices...</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SciudEyWt_I/AAAAAAAAAvE/u21MNC_0jjA/s1600-h/Bici+003.jpg"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316691174635255794" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SciudEyWt_I/AAAAAAAAAvE/u21MNC_0jjA/s320/Bici+003.jpg" style="display: block; height: 286px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...we found fruit vendors with tasty fruit...</span><br />
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<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316688363698792370" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Scir5dO4J7I/AAAAAAAAAtk/uZgJOimBc8I/s320/Bici+017.jpg" style="display: block; height: 242px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(This man posed for me holding up the bananas, which was really special. I think he was selling more than 5 different kinds of bananas! )</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...and went to the town temple, where we saw yet another Laksmi (Hampi had one too) blessing generous donors...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sciuc1JjCcI/AAAAAAAAAu8/vs-HVxI8E40/s1600-h/Bici+004.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316691170437564866" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sciuc1JjCcI/AAAAAAAAAu8/vs-HVxI8E40/s320/Bici+004.jpg" style="display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 298px;" /></a> (David caught this with great timing!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Pondicherry we also saw the most packed autorickshaw yet! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/ScitAf3hKlI/AAAAAAAAAuM/qGUy_e80l8E/s1600-h/Bici+011.jpg"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/ScitAf3hKlI/AAAAAAAAAuM/qGUy_e80l8E/s1600-h/Bici+011.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316689584176835154" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/ScitAf3hKlI/AAAAAAAAAuM/qGUy_e80l8E/s320/Bici+011.jpg" style="display: block; height: 234px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Walking by a rickshaw parked in front of a school, we noticed all those backpacks and became a little curious about who was sitting inside...)</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Scir6YQq2aI/AAAAAAAAAuE/GuLYSHW8pgU/s1600-h/Bici+012.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316688379544000930" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Scir6YQq2aI/AAAAAAAAAuE/GuLYSHW8pgU/s320/Bici+012.jpg" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /> </a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(It appears that the driver was trying to fit a whole class in his rickshaw! He just piled one girl right on top of the other!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, we visited the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Aurobindo_Ashram">Sri Aurobindo Ashram</a>. This was funded in 1926 by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Aurobindo">Sri Aurobindo</a>, but quickly given over to a French woman, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirra_Richard">Mirra Alfassa</a>, to be in charge. Henceforth she was known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirra_Richard">The Mother</a>.Today the ashram is a large and powerful institution, owning several businesses and properties around Pondicherry. People have complained that since the death of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirra_Richard">The Mother</a> (1973), the ashram has moved away from the ideals that were upheld by its gurus. In any case, at the ashram there is a beautiful granite mausoleum dedicated to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Aurobindo">Sri Aurobindo</a>, commemorating the place where he died. This tomb like structure is covered with flowers and lies under a huge shady tree: it's lovely to simply sit there in silence and watch as many people touch their foreheads to the mausoleum and take a moment to meditate/contemplate/pray/etc.</span><br />
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<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316688373863611138" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Scir6DGW-wI/AAAAAAAAAt0/3sPGmfL8ma8/s320/Bici+015.jpg" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(The ashram from the outside. No pictures are allowed inside.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ashram also resonates in the park of Pondicherry, where gigantic wind chimes hang around the grounds and fill the air with soft notes whenever a breeze stirs the branches. When they sound it's a bit like a gentle reminder to breath and be aware of what is around you...</span></div>
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<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316688373433591362" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Scir6Bf1ZkI/AAAAAAAAAt8/RtJ4m1ZEc7U/s320/Bici+014.jpg" style="display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We left Pondicherry two days ago to come and learn about <a href="http://www.auroville.org/">Auroville</a>, the "human unity" experiment taking place a few kilometers North of Pondicherry. Originally affiliated with the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Auroville is a kind of utopian community founded in 1968, with the purpose to create a city "dedicated to human unity, and based on the vision of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother." When The Mother died in '73, the differences in ideology between Auroville and the Ashram lead to a case with the Supreme Court of India. In 1981, Auroville was recognized as an independent, secular, government organization, and it has enjoyed a very particular status since, having its own parliamentary act in the Constitution. It's a VERY complex experiment, both in its history and present. David and I have been attending a series called "Insight Seminars" which has been very useful in answering some of our questions. In the seminar you are able to talk to other people curious about Auroville, as well as "Aurovilians," people who live here and work within this unique system. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wouldn't know where to begin to explain Auroville, but here are a couple of things. It's an eco-village of about 2000 people, with a strong focus on sustainability, recycling, renewable resources, and intelligent urban planning/architecture. The central ideology revolves around concepts of unity, spiritual growth, social awareness, perfecting oneself, education and experimentation. There is a lot of volunteering, trading, bartering, sharing, and exchanging going on, and the economy tries as much as possible to move away from cash exchange. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is much more, and we will only be here for another couple of days, but I highly advise stopping by and taking a look for yourself if you are ever in this part of the world. It is also a place worth visiting for much longer, depending on your interests. In addition, the land of Auroville itself is really beautiful! When it was bought, Auroville was a deserted place, but since the 1960's Aurovilians have planted millions of trees! Today they keep the temperature relatively cool and the air smells wonderful! Our guest house (<a href="http://www.aurovilleguesthouses.org/gs-profiledetails.php?id=27">Center Guest House</a>) has tables under this gigantic banyan tree... it's so beautiful to eat underneath it...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Huge banyan tree.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sciq1g7iZpI/AAAAAAAAAtU/51iBKzYGzJ8/s1600-h/Bici+019.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316687196460312210" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sciq1g7iZpI/AAAAAAAAAtU/51iBKzYGzJ8/s320/Bici+019.jpg" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">(View outside our balcony.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sciq1fJ9c0I/AAAAAAAAAtE/u1WbytjuRU8/s1600-h/Bici+021.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316687195983934274" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sciq1fJ9c0I/AAAAAAAAAtE/u1WbytjuRU8/s320/Bici+021.jpg" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> (Simple and comfortable room.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sciq03kkkVI/AAAAAAAAAs8/Fc4hWidiBtM/s1600-h/Bici+022.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316687185358131538" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sciq03kkkVI/AAAAAAAAAs8/Fc4hWidiBtM/s320/Bici+022.jpg" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> (Our temporary shrine: the picture of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo comes with the room. I really like how David added to it :-))</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the next couple of days we will keep exploring <a href="http://www.auroville.org/">Auroville </a>and then continue making our way South throughout Tamil Nadu. We recently discovered that we will be meeting David's family, as well as my sister (!), in Sri Lanka on April 7th, where we will spend a week together. I really look forward to meeting up with them and getting a feel for Sri Lanka (On the side: my thoughts go out to the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/world/asia/22lanka.html?em">hundreds of refugees </a>who are struggling at this very moment because of the fighting going on between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan government. The situation in Sri Lanka is really awful, all the more because of the lack of support for the refugees.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are now into our 3rd month of traveling and staying in Pondicherry and Auroville has been very restorative. We hope all of you who are in the West are beginning to feel the signs of Spring and send warmth your way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A presto,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bici</span></div>
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Beatrice Barbareschihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13685745063687620485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545094028501814657.post-64331468637565470282009-03-16T00:42:00.000-07:002009-03-16T07:05:46.655-07:00Chennai (Madras), Tamil Nadu.So, here we are in Chennai. For the past week we've been hosted most graciously by Sudha and Ravi, friends of David's parents. Staying at their house has been truly wonderful: not only is it so restful to stay in someone's home and eat delicious home cooked meals (Sudha has made sure that our menu never be the same! Only since being at their house have we begun to understand the wonderful variety of foods available in Southern India: from millet to brussel sprouts, to different kinds of rice based noodles and dumplings, many varieties of dahl, as well as incredibly tasty cauliflower, and so much more... "Unfortunately" Sudha and Ravi are vegetarian and cook food very lightly, without ghee or butter: David and I have landed in a food paradise!) In addition to feeding us and giving us a lovely room to sleep in, Ravi and Sudha have suggested all sorts of plans for us, and allowed us to use their home as a base for day trips in the area. (I will upload a picture of all four of us shortly.)<br /><br />Among my favorite things has been a visit to an absolutely wonderful art school: <a href="http://www.kalakshetra.in/home.html">Kalakshetra</a>. The school was founded in 1936 by the visionary dancer Rukmini Devi. Among the many ideas of this school is the belief in students' potential and creativity, so that teaching should work with, rather than against, that creative impulse. Rukmini Devi actually worked closely with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Montessori">Maria Montessori</a>, who in 1939 was invited to Chennai by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theosophical_Society">Theosophical Society </a>for 6 months and ended up staying in India for 6 years (she did not return to Italy as WWII broke out.) Thanks to Sudha, we arranged to watch a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharat_Natyam">Bharatanatyam </a>class, the traditional dance form from Tamil Nadu (Ruksmini Devi really revived the form.) So interesting to see the dancers practice again and again as their teacher sang the poem that they were dancing to!<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4K-1KmobI/AAAAAAAAAsc/aT4I8cEOPcg/s1600-h/Bici+042.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313696684883485106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4K-1KmobI/AAAAAAAAAsc/aT4I8cEOPcg/s320/Bici+042.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4K-oX_5DI/AAAAAAAAAsU/1UwsoMcHZRY/s1600-h/Bici+043.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313696681450005554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4K-oX_5DI/AAAAAAAAAsU/1UwsoMcHZRY/s320/Bici+043.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(Dancers wear a special kind of sari for lessons, called a "dance sari".)</span></div><br /><div align="left"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4K-LyBSyI/AAAAAAAAAsM/kjKVFhZH9I4/s1600-h/Bici+044.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313696673774521122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4K-LyBSyI/AAAAAAAAAsM/kjKVFhZH9I4/s320/Bici+044.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Sudha also arranged for us to see the rehearsal of a piece which the lovely school director, Leela Samson, is performing in Delhi just as I am writing. Seeing a rehearsal was so exciting: the musicians and both dancers were excellent, and there was a vibrant quality to the whole process as it was the first rehearsal for the artists and they were due to perform a day hence! Really a special time, as well as a beautiful <a href="http://kalakshetra.in/koothambalam.html">theater</a>. <span style="font-size:0;"><br /><br /></span></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4EZph2f3I/AAAAAAAAAqs/W2eHs6qsAjc/s1600-h/Bici+059.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313689449034841970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4EZph2f3I/AAAAAAAAAqs/W2eHs6qsAjc/s320/Bici+059.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (To the right, the school director, Leela Samson, rehearsing.)<br /></span><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4EZQeV8tI/AAAAAAAAAqk/OBZCcdU_G2Q/s1600-h/Bici+060.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313689442309239506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4EZQeV8tI/AAAAAAAAAqk/OBZCcdU_G2Q/s320/Bici+060.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(The rehearsal was attended by lots of students, although this picture was taken towards the end and only few remained. To the left and right of the dancers sit the musicians, singers, and time keepers.)</span><br /><div align="left"><span></span> </div><div align="left">Ravi and Sudha also introduced us to Nayantara, a woman our age who lives in Chennai but also went to Stanford. She was really nice and unexpectedly invited us to celebrate <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holi_festival">Holi </a>with her and some of her friends. That was really special: this festival of colors is mainly celebrated in the North, so we wouldn't have known about it were it not for her invitation (we were hosted at the house of a couple from the North of India, and Nayantara's own family is from the North). To prepare for the festival, David and I bought some cheap white clothes that we knew would have to be thrown out by the end of the day. Here we are, before:<br /></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="left"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4K9wGQqnI/AAAAAAAAAsE/t_A3UPdQxQI/s1600-h/Bici+045.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313696666343221874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 218px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4K9wGQqnI/AAAAAAAAAsE/t_A3UPdQxQI/s320/Bici+045.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />And after...<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4Jjc00C2I/AAAAAAAAAr8/B2AWJ87S274/s1600-h/Bici+046.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313695114981542754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 228px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4Jjc00C2I/AAAAAAAAAr8/B2AWJ87S274/s320/Bici+046.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />For David's birthday (March 12th) we left Sudha and Ravi's place for an overnight stay in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabalipuram">Mahabalipuram</a>, where we got to see more beautiful sculptures! To get there we took a "Hop On Hop Off" bus, a first, and a pretty good experience. We hopped off and on at two locations along the way: the first was <a href="http://www.dakshinachitra.net/">Dakshina Chitra</a>, an interesting museum that has bought houses from the different states of Southern India and somehow "recreated" the culture around them (no doubt this would make for an interesting deconstructionist exercise...)<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4JjHdY_MI/AAAAAAAAAr0/6SRLAaoT7g8/s1600-h/Bici+047.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313695109246155970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4JjHdY_MI/AAAAAAAAAr0/6SRLAaoT7g8/s320/Bici+047.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (Getting hennah done in the "Tamil Nadu" area of the museum. You can make out an upside down peacock on my arm.)</span><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4Ji7ozrwI/AAAAAAAAArs/L6Wfd6WJjec/s1600-h/Bici+048.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313695106072817410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4Ji7ozrwI/AAAAAAAAArs/L6Wfd6WJjec/s320/Bici+048.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (Learning to make a children rattle toy using palm leaves in the "Kerala" section of the museum.)</span><br /></div><br /><div align="left">The second stop was at a site called Tiger Cave, the first glimpse I got of Pallava sculpture before reaching Mahabalipuram. While the cave was very beautiful... </div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4JijbAz2I/AAAAAAAAArk/pMBMNva8Svk/s1600-h/Bici+049.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313695099572506466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4JijbAz2I/AAAAAAAAArk/pMBMNva8Svk/s320/Bici+049.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div align="left">...I am most fond of this place for the incredible chance it offers for lingam worship...</div><br /><div align="left"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313778469160713778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 229px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb5VXTVxfjI/AAAAAAAAAss/_xQtjqYzWow/s320/Bici+565.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Blissful worship.)</span></div><div align="left"><br />Mahabalipuram was exeptional. Below is an image of the well known 5 Rathas (chariots). All the buildings and the animals you see have been sculpted out of a single, giant boulder.<br /></div><div align="center"><span> </span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4JiZiceLI/AAAAAAAAArc/qEPrV6zMlkM/s1600-h/Bici+050.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313695096919324850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4JiZiceLI/AAAAAAAAArc/qEPrV6zMlkM/s320/Bici+050.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4ILHhWyNI/AAAAAAAAArU/FSIg5xOksZ0/s1600-h/Bici+051.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313693597434300626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4ILHhWyNI/AAAAAAAAArU/FSIg5xOksZ0/s320/Bici+051.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(Another view of the 5 Rathas.)</span><br /></div><div align="left"><br />While Mahabalipuram is best known for a magnificent wall carving depicting all the creatures of the Earth coming to praise and thank Shiva for bringing the Ganges down to Earth<br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4IJ9aCqEI/AAAAAAAAAq8/fC9WbBRzQ-4/s1600-h/Bici+057.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313693577539397698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4IJ9aCqEI/AAAAAAAAAq8/fC9WbBRzQ-4/s320/Bici+057.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4IJgAegQI/AAAAAAAAAq0/u5lf2_UFbXw/s1600-h/Bici+058.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313693569647542530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4IJgAegQI/AAAAAAAAAq0/u5lf2_UFbXw/s320/Bici+058.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Right above the temple, standing to the left of an ascetic in tree pose, you should be able to make out Shiva.)<br /></span><br /></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">David and I loved many of the pieces there. Below is a fantastic relief of the fearsome goddess Durga about to slay a demon disguised as a bull. It's so alive, full of movement and detail, as well as interesting characters. Hopefully you will be able to zoom in by clicking on it!<br /></div><div align="center"><span> </span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4IKl2QCYI/AAAAAAAAArM/UARS0LGLLJQ/s1600-h/Bici+052.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313693588395133314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4IKl2QCYI/AAAAAAAAArM/UARS0LGLLJQ/s320/Bici+052.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div align="left">We also loved this Ganga Lakshmi. As you can see <a href="http://www.dakshinachitra.net/">here</a>, she is usually portrayed in a very plastic version: both elephants simoultaneously pouring water over her. The overall feel is of symmetry, resulting somewhat static. Here, instead, the artists were really playful.</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313782816248408514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb5ZUVgPqcI/AAAAAAAAAs0/OpxvXwZsAEg/s320/Bici+585.jpg" border="0" /><br /></div><div align="left">Since returning from Mahabalipuram, David and I have also made a day trip to the small and dusty town of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanchipuram">Kanchipuram</a>, where we saw a beautiful Shiva temple from the 7th-8th century (the town is actually COVERED in temples, but very few have beautiful art.) Below are two images of the reliefs on the walls of the temple, both depictions of Shiva. <span><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span> </span></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313689432929218594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4EYth-MCI/AAAAAAAAAqU/rY519rHrCA4/s320/Bici+064.jpg" border="0" /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4EYZtQg1I/AAAAAAAAAqM/2i7jynoeZGE/s1600-h/Bici+065.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313689427607847762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/Sb4EYZtQg1I/AAAAAAAAAqM/2i7jynoeZGE/s320/Bici+065.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Kanchipuram, while interesting for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kailasanathar_Temple">Kailasanath Temple</a>, proved poisonous for my health: I have been stranded at home all day with a typical Dehli belly and all the other symptoms that come with it (general aches, sometimes a little fever, tiredness, etc.) It is not so bad, considering it's only the second time since we've been here and that it's given me the opportunity to bring the blog to date.</div></div><p>Tomorrow (if I have recovered enough) we plan to leave for Pondicherry, where we will stay for a couple of days before moving on to Auroville. I hope this entry finds you well and healthy!</p><p>Ciao,</p><p>Bici</p>Beatrice Barbareschihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13685745063687620485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545094028501814657.post-91675007531189575352009-03-15T03:39:00.000-07:002009-03-16T02:20:35.905-07:00Hyderabad and Tirumala in Andra Pradesh.<div align="left">From Nagarjuna Sagar, David and I took a bus up to Hyderabad: as usual, quiet tiring, but also always lovely to see the people around us and get a sense of public transportation in India. (Even though it's pretty rough sometimes - especially when buses are not AC - we have found places to be well connected and buses and trains to run regularly and on time.)<br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZG8twk1-I/AAAAAAAAAnc/b-2Gr9jun1k/s1600-h/Bici+022.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311510819419510754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 218px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZG8twk1-I/AAAAAAAAAnc/b-2Gr9jun1k/s320/Bici+022.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (This sweet pair was sitting a few rows behind us. The mother was a little shy about being photographed, but she also seemed delighted when I showed her the image.)</span><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZG8Vw6uuI/AAAAAAAAAnU/wLr-DqNYmNQ/s1600-h/Bici+023.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311510812978494178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 258px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZG8Vw6uuI/AAAAAAAAAnU/wLr-DqNYmNQ/s320/Bici+023.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (Umbrellas are functional ways of creating immediate shade. This woman was sitting on the main road of one of the villages we passed with the bus.)</span><br /><span style="font-size:0;"></span></div></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span></span> </div><div align="left"><span></span> </div><div align="left"><span>We managed to get into Hyderabad during a heatwave, which was not so great since this is a very polluted city, with very few trees and too many cars and autorickshaws. The city itself has a long is history associated with different Muslim rulers, and so far it has been the place where we have seen the largest Muslim population. For instance, while we have seen many Hindu couples riding motorcycles...<br /></span><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZGAuVdD1I/AAAAAAAAAnM/DWhOdlycg5U/s1600-h/Bici+025.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311509788782038866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 246px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZGAuVdD1I/AAAAAAAAAnM/DWhOdlycg5U/s320/Bici+025.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:0;"> </span><div align="center"></div><div align="left">This was the first time we saw Muslim couples on scooters! </div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZGAaP6x-I/AAAAAAAAAnE/B8uBKQRwb7Y/s1600-h/Bici+026.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311509783390111714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 231px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZGAaP6x-I/AAAAAAAAAnE/B8uBKQRwb7Y/s320/Bici+026.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311508163270373730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZEiG1RcWI/AAAAAAAAAmM/0XxmHuJHw9A/s320/Bici+033.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">(How many people could this fit in India? So far, the most we've seen on a motorcycle are three adults and one child...)</span><br /></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:0;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:0;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"></span>The highlight of our stay in Hyderabad was a visit to the "Medieval" fort of Golconda, about half an hour outside of the city. The fort used to be the capital of the Muslim Kingdom of Golconda, and was originally built as a capital for the kingdom, and then rebuilt as a defense against the invasions of the Mughals from the North. This picture gives a good sense of the general build of the fort.gives a good sense of the general build of the fort.</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZGAL_athI/AAAAAAAAAm8/b-MdckjDQUY/s1600-h/Bici+027.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311509779562804754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZGAL_athI/AAAAAAAAAm8/b-MdckjDQUY/s320/Bici+027.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (The army quarters.)<br /></span><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZF_6-VcaI/AAAAAAAAAm0/lRXSugqVrr8/s1600-h/Bici+028.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311509774994862498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 241px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZF_6-VcaI/AAAAAAAAAm0/lRXSugqVrr8/s320/Bici+028.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(One of the entrances to the queens' quarters.) </span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:0;"><span style="font-size:0;"></span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"><span style="font-size:0;"></span></span></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">We visited the fort and then attended the "Sound and Light Show", which brings the fort to life with colored light and a fairy tale like recounting of its history, complete with the sound of galloping horses, sung poetry from the time, and the climactic sounds of the battle under which the fort fell. Here, for you, is "Golconda by Night":<br /><br /></div><div align="center"><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZF_8w_wLI/AAAAAAAAAms/St38fx_yOAg/s1600-h/Bici+029.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311509775475785906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZF_8w_wLI/AAAAAAAAAms/St38fx_yOAg/s320/Bici+029.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZEilShx3I/AAAAAAAAAmk/WZZOfkSNpNc/s1600-h/Bici+030.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311508171446142834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZEilShx3I/AAAAAAAAAmk/WZZOfkSNpNc/s320/Bici+030.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZEimb4kPI/AAAAAAAAAmc/UX_1BcIj4Oo/s1600-h/Bici+031.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311508171753820402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZEimb4kPI/AAAAAAAAAmc/UX_1BcIj4Oo/s320/Bici+031.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /></p><span style="font-size:0;"></span><div align="left"></div><div align="left">During the show we learnt that when Golconda fort became too small for its growing population, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Muhammad_Quli_Qutb_Shah_portrait.JPG">Shah </a>started the construction of a new capital for his kingdom, today's Hyderabad.</div><div align="left"><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311508167993659394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZEiYbZEAI/AAAAAAAAAmU/DiBLguwbdTw/s320/Bici+032.jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(The </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charminar"><span style="font-size:85%;">Charminar </span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">was built by the Shah shortly after Hyderabad was founded, in 1591. It is one of the most important monuments of the city and used to house the meetings of dignitaries.)</span><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"><br /></span>We left Hyderabad gladly, although a little unsure of the trip ahead of us: before returning to Chennai we planned to stop in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tirumala_-_Tirupati">Tirumala</a>, a HUGE pilgrimage center in the South of Andra Pradesh where people from all over India come to ask the main deity (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venkateswara">Venkateswara </a>- a form of Vishnu) for their wishes to come true. In order for the main deity to grant their wish, pilgrims are supposed to shave off their hair as an offering. Tirumala is thought to be the richest and most visited pilgrimage site in the world, and is visited daily by about 50,000-100,000 pilgrims. Because it is such a busy place, all overnight trains were booked way in advance and David and I had only one option for our trip there: overnight bus with (drum roll) reclining chairs. We figured if we can do transcontinental airplane trips like that, a bus should not be too difficult. Well, it was definitely an experience, of which the highlights were 1) the outrageously loud volume of a Hindi movie that was played for the first two hours of the journey; and 2) the likewise outrageously loud volume of the morning prayer which was blasted at 6.30am. Luckly David and I are still mesmerized enough with all that is new and different to have found it funny...</div><p><span style="font-size:0;"></span><span style="font-size:0;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Tirumala definitely made up for the difficult journey there. It's hard to describe the whole process, but basically once you arrive at the temple grounds you buy a ticket and stand in que in order to catch a glimpse of the God (or the statue that represents it.) This is called </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darshan">Darshana</a>. We got tickets for the faster que, which meant we were in a line for only one hour and a half. In line you stand pressed against the bodies of other pilgrims, trying to prevent people from cutting in front of you, while avoiding crushing little children and older people. Every now and then a chant of "Goooooovinda!" starts and people chant together for a few moments. Around us were women singing and praying softly, and a fun group of young men, all with their heads shaven and sandalwood paste all over their bald heads. </p><p align="center"></p><p>Right before seeing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venkateswara">Venkateswara </a>you arrive at the main temple: an incredibly intricate construction complitely plated in gold and silver. The "viewing" only lasts a few moments: there are temple guards all around literally shoving the crowd along so as not to hold up the que too much. And then, you are out! That is the most exhilarating feeling, and it leaves you in a blissful state: you are done with the que, have been dizzied by the golden temple, and have caught a brief glimpse of a beautifully adorned sculpture about 10 meters away, only lit by candle light. What's even more lovely is that after Darshan the priests feed you Prasad, a little bit of food you are supposed to have after viewing God. For us it was a delicious mix of curd and rice, with some mustard seeds. And finally, each pilgrim (together with their ticket) receives complimentary Laddus, DELICIOUS balls of ghee, cashews, raisins and some sort of doughy element that are renowned among those who have been at Tirumala.</p><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"><br /></span><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"><span style="font-size:0;"><span style="font-size:0;"></span></span></span></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311508159080829842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZEh3OaE5I/AAAAAAAAAmE/AOcNW4RUNv4/s320/Bici+034.jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Delicious laddus, each large enough so that your hand can't close around it.)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:0;"><br /></span><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311507321431841042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZDxGvU2RI/AAAAAAAAAl8/CPbx13eDNXw/s320/Bici+035.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Blissful faces on their way back to Chennai. You can spot some shaven heads in the back.)</span><br /></div><div align="center"><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZDxINL36I/AAAAAAAAAl0/RDDLv7Tef5k/s1600-h/Bici+037.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311507321825517474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZDxINL36I/AAAAAAAAAl0/RDDLv7Tef5k/s320/Bici+037.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (They were sitting across the aisle from us and we were a little jealous of how quickly and easily they fell asleep...)</span></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZDxPJfq_I/AAAAAAAAAls/1OK8O34WKi8/s1600-h/Bici+038.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311507323689085938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 186px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZDxPJfq_I/AAAAAAAAAls/1OK8O34WKi8/s320/Bici+038.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZDw4mKEyI/AAAAAAAAAlk/-BhVI7CGPDg/s1600-h/Bici+039.jpg"></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(Sunflowers and mango trees growing next to each other in the country around Tirumala.)</span></div><br /><div align="left">And so, blessed and carrying sweets, we made our way back to Chennai...</div></div>Beatrice Barbareschihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13685745063687620485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545094028501814657.post-30659471804497152782009-03-10T03:55:00.000-07:002009-03-14T02:27:04.969-07:00Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda, Andra Pradesh.<div align="left">Hello all! As you might have noticed, it's starting to become a little difficult to keep up with the blog regularly. It has to do with internet access, as well as with a subtle change in my way of thinking about the trip... we have now been traveling for more than two months, and the initial excitement over every thing new is transforming into something a little more subdued. There's still a lot of wonder, but it's quieter, and more complex, as David and I see things within a deeper and deeper context. It has become harder for me to synthesize places/people/experiences in just a few thoughts, and therefore harder to write on the blog.<br /><br /><br />In any case, the following two blogs are a bit of a catch up to where David and I are right now (which, by the way, is back to Chennai.) I have divided them in order to make them less daunting to read.<br /><br /><br />David and I reached Chennai (also known as Madras) on the morning of March 3rd, which also happened to be my birthday (26th). As a treat for the celebrations, we checked in to the Taj Coremandel, a beatiful hotel in the heart of Chennai. I had a really really great time on my birthday. After all our traveling, a night in such a lovely hotel was INCREDIBLE! David and I appreciated every detail: from the comfortable and super-accessorized bedroom, to the politeness of everyone we spoke with, the lack of bargaining, and, most wonderful of surprises, the Hotel's ITALIAN restaurant (Prego), run by a Chef from Milano (Giovanna). We had dinner there, complete with birthday cake, red Italian wine (Mark, for your interest: Rosso di Montalcino) and Polaroid snapshot. It was awesome.<br /><br />Spending a night as the Cormandel was incredible...and also kind of a mistake, lulling us into a false sense of calmness and cleanliness. We had to snap out of it pretty quickly, as we spent the rest of week traveling all around Andra Pradesh (the state immediately north of Tamil Nadu and Chennai.) On March 4th we took an autorickshaw...<br /><br /><br /></div><p align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZJ0KaczHI/AAAAAAAAApk/LLRbwDUjqIQ/s1600-h/Bici+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311513971027397746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZJ0KaczHI/AAAAAAAAApk/LLRbwDUjqIQ/s320/Bici+002.jpg" border="0" /></a> </p><p align="left">to Chennai's central train station...<br /><br /></p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZJz7xil0I/AAAAAAAAApc/E6H4X4_TOgU/s1600-h/Bici+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311513967097714498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZJz7xil0I/AAAAAAAAApc/E6H4X4_TOgU/s320/Bici+003.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />...and after a 7 hour train ride, reached Vijayawada, a city on the mouth of the River Krishna (considered something of an equivalent to the Gange in the North. In this bustling town, we spent a nite in the dreary Santi Hotel, made all the more unattractive by our memories of Chennai...<span style="font-size:0;"><br /><span style="font-size:0;"></span><br /></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZJ0cabhvI/AAAAAAAAAps/Oq68_qrZYbQ/s1600-h/Bici+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311513975859152626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZJ0cabhvI/AAAAAAAAAps/Oq68_qrZYbQ/s320/Bici+001.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(Super Luxurious Birthday Room.)</span><br /></p><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZJcBTs1yI/AAAAAAAAApU/LUj190lhIfA/s1600-h/Bici+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311513556266309410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZJcBTs1yI/AAAAAAAAApU/LUj190lhIfA/s320/Bici+004.jpg" border="0" /></a> (<span style="font-size:85%;">Siva Hotel made to look good by our bed spreads.)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311513554192865154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZJb5lWl4I/AAAAAAAAApM/llcWTcocGHY/s320/Bici+005.jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(This photo is the highlight of our stay in Vijayawada. Good colors.)</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"><span style="font-size:0;"><span style="font-size:0;"></span></span></span></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"></span></div><div align="left"><span> </span></div><div align="left"><span></span>Luckly we were in Vijayawada only for one night: we used the city as a departure point to visit the aaancient Buddhist sites of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaravati,_Andhra_Pradesh">Amaravati </a>and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagarjunakonda">Nagarjunakonda </a>in Andra Pradesh. Both these sites are really important to the development of Buddhism in India, dating back to the 1st-2nd centuries. In 2006, H. H. Dalai Lama gave a Kalachakra (special initiation) in Amaravati, and now they are building a giant Buddha there. It was cool to see a contemporary monument to the Buddha being made, and it made it feel like Buddhism still has a strong presence in India. (It's interesting to think that now, with all the Tibetan refugees here, Tibetan Buddhism is indeed very alive in India. The religion is also being shaped by it's new geographical surroundings: for instance, now vegetarianism is an option for monks, who could not do without meat in the Hymalayas and the Tibetan Plateau.) </div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"></span><span style="font-size:0;"></span><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZJb5Mg69I/AAAAAAAAApE/T1pqDFgwJFE/s1600-h/Bici+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311513554088684498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZJb5Mg69I/AAAAAAAAApE/T1pqDFgwJFE/s320/Bici+006.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (Giant Buddha in Amaravati.)</span><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZJbnTUqgI/AAAAAAAAAo8/jTaBzmGJqO4/s1600-h/Bici+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311513549285403138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZJbnTUqgI/AAAAAAAAAo8/jTaBzmGJqO4/s320/Bici+007.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(The holes in the feet and the belly are as big as regular doors. The scaffholding is all made of bamboo. We were told that the painting is being postponed because we are in election time...)</span><br /><br /><div align="left">The main attraction of Amaravati are the ruins of a stupa dating back to the 2nd century BCE. The stupa is a beautiful site, and the museum right next to it has a lovely reconstruction, as well as some great pieces of art that used to decorate the stupa. </div><div align="left"><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZJbdqj99I/AAAAAAAAAo0/axPctfBWOts/s1600-h/Bici+008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311513546698520530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZJbdqj99I/AAAAAAAAAo0/axPctfBWOts/s320/Bici+008.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (This is one of the earliest stupas in India, built during a time when Buddhism was flourishing. It is also a very large stupa.)<br /></span><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311512567291480466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZIidFuiZI/AAAAAAAAAok/z5odR64dG7g/s320/Bici+011.jpg" border="0" /> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Reconstruction of the stupa. All of the surface area was decorated with bass-relief.)</span><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZIiuRJKDI/AAAAAAAAAos/y2GGxldBJZs/s1600-h/Bici+009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311512571902765106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 242px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZIiuRJKDI/AAAAAAAAAos/y2GGxldBJZs/s320/Bici+009.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">(The Amaravati Museum was delightful: spacious, well organized and lit, and pleasant to walk through. Some of my favorite art dated to the 2nd Century ACE. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take pics, but here's a </span><a href="http://orias.berkeley.edu/visuals/buddha/11_lg.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;">sample from the internet</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">. It's all limestone carving. We hear that some of the best pieces from this site are at the British Museum in London.) <span style="font-size:0;"><br /><br /></span></span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Amaravati was very pleasant. We got to Nagarjunakonda on the same day, to discover a pretty rough "resort" (which made Santi look clean and comfortable.) This was the first time since we've been here that I could smell our mattresses: it wasn't pleasant.<span><span><br /> </span></span><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311512128335563826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZII52ezDI/AAAAAAAAAnk/5f9pqPmzpag/s320/Bici+021.jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"></span></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"><span><br /></span>The second not-so-great surprise was that the museum we had come to visit (which is situated on an island in the middle of a large lake created by a damn- Nagarjuna Sagar) was closed on Friday. Things didn't look great, but David and I decided to take a boat over to the island anyway, in order to look at the sites around the museum (a standing sculpture of a Buddha, the reconstructed remains of a temple, the ruins of a couple of stupas...) At the "boat launch" we discovered, after an hour of waiting in vain, that boats only run with a minimum of 50 passangers. As the museum was closed for the day, David and I were about to pack our things and leave Nagarjunakonda behind when... the classroom miracle happened!! A group of more than 50 children and their teachers were there for a school trip and we were able to make the trip to the island thanks to their school trip! </div><div align="left"><span><span> </span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"></span></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZIiQejTGI/AAAAAAAAAoc/RHJOYg_8oy0/s1600-h/Bici+013.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311512563905940578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZIiQejTGI/AAAAAAAAAoc/RHJOYg_8oy0/s320/Bici+013.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (Hurray!)</span><br /><br /><div align="left"><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZIiEfeYHI/AAAAAAAAAoU/JHw4z2KxhQ0/s1600-h/Bici+014.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311512560688586866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZIiEfeYHI/AAAAAAAAAoU/JHw4z2KxhQ0/s320/Bici+014.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (Making our way to the island.)</span><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZIhxc0nkI/AAAAAAAAAoM/Z_43BqgcfnY/s1600-h/Bici+016.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311512555577187906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZIhxc0nkI/AAAAAAAAAoM/Z_43BqgcfnY/s320/Bici+016.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (Succesful viewing of the standing Buddha.)</span><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZIK8SEKJI/AAAAAAAAAoE/WZF1hKtMZXI/s1600-h/Bici+017.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311512163347867794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZIK8SEKJI/AAAAAAAAAoE/WZF1hKtMZXI/s320/Bici+017.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (Reconstructed temple at Nagarjunakonda.)</span><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZIKAq7nSI/AAAAAAAAAn8/9O1ZSYpdLaI/s1600-h/Bici+018.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311512147346038050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZIKAq7nSI/AAAAAAAAAn8/9O1ZSYpdLaI/s320/Bici+018.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (A special flower on the island.)</span><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZIJhed4PI/AAAAAAAAAn0/SSp-1zrdmvM/s1600-h/Bici+019.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311512138972258546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZIJhed4PI/AAAAAAAAAn0/SSp-1zrdmvM/s320/Bici+019.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (Bodhi tree planted by H. H. Dalai Lama in 2006. The sign has something very humorous about it...)</span><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZIJBg2leI/AAAAAAAAAns/rrnshBAAKSU/s1600-h/Bici+020.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311512130392331746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SbZIJBg2leI/AAAAAAAAAns/rrnshBAAKSU/s320/Bici+020.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (Looking through the windows of the closed museum. We actually sighted quite a few objects that will make a future trip all the more exciting...)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"><br /></span>Having made it to the island, and desperate to leave our "resort" behind, David and I left on March 6th and made our way to Hyderbad, the capital of Andra Pradesh. I have run out of time for now, but there will soon be another entry on our doings in the capital and our return to Chennai. (David and I are on our way to celebrate Holi with a new acquaintance and her friends. It's so exciting: we bought white clothes for the purpose, which we will definitely have to through out after the celebrations :-)</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Ciao,</div><div align="left">Bici.</div><br /></div></div></div>Beatrice Barbareschihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13685745063687620485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545094028501814657.post-23853644587918932872009-02-23T21:14:00.000-08:002009-03-27T23:37:22.375-07:00Kerala backwaters, Varkala, and Kanyakumari.<div align="left">Right after breakfast in Allepey (back on Feb 19th), our little group of 5 found a lovely houseboat on which to do a 22 hour tour of the famous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala_Backwaters">Kerala backwaters</a>. Renting a houseboat was not greatly appealing. Earlier in our travels we were warned several times that the whole "backwater tour", while probably something special 20/30 years back, is now a very commercial enterprise. Indeed, in the canals we navigated there was quite a bit of traffic, complete with honking. The tour was also relatively brief, partially because we were not able to make the 11.30am departure (leaving instead around 1.30pm). However, it was still interesting to move around these waterways, which consist of broad and narrow canals between endless rice patties. Being in a little group also made the time more fun, making things feel a lot like a short holiday. Once we relaxed on our super upper deck, the whole thing was very pleasant...<br /></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306243352573732210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaOQNynvZXI/AAAAAAAAAkk/8sxsUWSvbNQ/s320/Bici+035.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Very pleasant banana.)</span></div><div align="center"><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306228361170857954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaOClLSxL-I/AAAAAAAAAgU/8VfwO7REnc8/s320/Bici+002.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Downstairs on the boat.)</span><br /><br /></p><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaOClR3tpoI/AAAAAAAAAg0/xVAob4Dsrtk/s1600-h/Bici+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306228362936428162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaOClR3tpoI/AAAAAAAAAg0/xVAob4Dsrtk/s320/Bici+007.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (Very pleasant view of the backwaters.)</span><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaOQNwKwnCI/AAAAAAAAAks/Gkriz_RzcfE/s1600-h/Bici+037.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306243351915306018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaOQNwKwnCI/AAAAAAAAAks/Gkriz_RzcfE/s320/Bici+037.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(More very pleasant.)</span> </div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaOClVIliQI/AAAAAAAAAgs/9HM7xQtWRWc/s1600-h/Bici+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306228363812505858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaOClVIliQI/AAAAAAAAAgs/9HM7xQtWRWc/s320/Bici+005.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (The canals are at once panoramic and fully functional for the communities living around them. The fisherman above was on the more "exotic" side of the spectrum. The rower below on the "sexy" side- check out those muscles!!)</span> </div><div align="center"><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306240969698089522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaOODFt6mjI/AAAAAAAAAkc/ns1V6fUevEI/s320/Bici+003.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaOClbX3g8I/AAAAAAAAAgk/m6a8BoMBaJA/s1600-h/Bici+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306228365487211458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 231px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaOClbX3g8I/AAAAAAAAAgk/m6a8BoMBaJA/s320/Bici+004.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (Sunset. And surprisingly few mosquitoes.)</span><br /></div><br /><div align="left">Unfortunately I don't have many good pictures of this particular trip. With just one click, however, you may view many more on <a href="http://picasaweb.google.co.in/BriStal/FtKochinAllepeyRiverboat#">Brian's photo sharing website</a>!(Just scroll about half way down the roll.)</div><br /><div align="left">On Feb 20th we were back in Alleypey and under Erica and Aoife's suggestion we made our way to Varkala. Brian insisted that the following picture be posted on the blog, in order to illustrate our super Kerala train-ride down to Varkala. This is one of the best trains we have seen so far.</div><div align="left"><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306228826975108850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaODASjJ_vI/AAAAAAAAAg8/O5F7cEuTQRQ/s320/Bici+008.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="left">Varkala is an interesting place. It's an over-developed, commercial beach town, filled with a wide range of white tourists: from old time hippies who've been coming here for the past 20 years (long before the beach was so developed), to package tourists seeking luxurious lodging in a tropical setting for cheap, to students of various ages, and other travellers. There aren't many Indians around (except those working in the many shops). The actual beach is protected from development because it lies at the base of a huge cliff. Our first day there I was very skeptical about the town. It is by far more commercial and populated than Agonda, so to me it felt a bit like a tourist trap. Our meals weren't very good either. AND, there are HEAPS of trash lying on the cliff!</div><div align="left"></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306228828048764802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaODAWjIr4I/AAAAAAAAAhE/jCYLGTKMVmY/s320/Bici+009.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">(View of the cliff from the main road at the top, where the restaurants and lodgings are. There is trash like this all along the cliff surrounding the beach.)</span><br /></div><br /><div align="left">Slowly, however, the place grew on me. I think that is true for all of us to different extents: we liked Varkala more as we spent time there. While we spent the first day cooking in the midday sun, we learned very quickly to keep out of these burning rays between 11a-3pm.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><p align="center"></p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306228828243481122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaODAXRj0iI/AAAAAAAAAhM/7SxO9KYrQWY/s320/Bici+010.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Hanging out on the beach at noon our first day. At this stage we still looked pretty fresh. It was only around evening time that we felt the power of the heat...)</span></p><p>Instead of lying on the beach all day, we learned to take advantage of the middle of the day for other activities, such as yoga...</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306228830707401442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaODAgdAQuI/AAAAAAAAAhc/cRi5yjiRY58/s320/Bici+012.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>And eating GOOD food at the best restaurant on the cliff (a vegetarian one which we found on our third day).<br /></p><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306228834822538786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaODAvyIRiI/AAAAAAAAAhU/f7VJVy8hP4s/s320/Bici+011.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">(This was one of our best meals in Varkala. From the top, going clockwise: sauteed okra, pumpkin curry, rice with dahl thadka, malai kofta- a potato based dish cooked with dry fruit, tomato fry, and tofu cashew masala. So delicious! One of the perks of being a larger group is that we can order more dishes and sample lots of different things...)</span></div><br />We also discovered that sunset is a great time to hang out on the beach. The man below (Jose) has been in Varkala since November and every evening he takes on his position, complete with small speakers that play a sithar accompaniment, and plays soft tunes on his tenor sax. It's wonderful to watch the sun set and the stars come out while listening to his sounds...<br /><br /><p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaODT7Hn12I/AAAAAAAAAhk/lcp0XTnfF2s/s1600-h/Bici+013.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306229164282992482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaODT7Hn12I/AAAAAAAAAhk/lcp0XTnfF2s/s320/Bici+013.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p>After about 3 days of beach life, (during which I had my first, very oily and pleasurable, Keralan ayurvedic massage), our group of 5 left Varkala for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanyakumari_(town)">Kanyakumari</a>, the southernmost tip of India, from which you can look at both sunset and dawn from the same location. We took a car there, but even with airconditioning, after more than 3 hours of driving we started feeling a little tired: </p><p></p><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306229166387456354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaODUC9XaWI/AAAAAAAAAhs/9a1VCtOBGQk/s320/Bici+014.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><div align="center"></div><div align="left">Although the drive was tiresome, getting to the tip in Kanyakumari was so exciting that it made the effort very worthwhile. Right before sunset, the tip of India is buzzing with life! In the distance you can clearly make out the giant sculpture of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivekananda">Swami Vivekananda</a>. This swami from the end of the 19th century has a very strong presence on this cape. He is particularly known for being one among the first to travel to the United States (to Chicago, where he spoke at the Parliament of World's Religions in 1893) and put India and "Hinduism" on the map in the West. We stayed at his ashram, which was 1) incredibly cheap, 2) very well organized, and 3) very close to a beautiful spot for watching the sun rise. I think we would all recommend it.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"></span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"><span style="font-size:0;"></span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"><span style="font-size:0;"></span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"><span style="font-size:0;"></span></span><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306233099547202162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 246px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaOG4_HuUnI/AAAAAAAAAj0/rxHLZHKrIjU/s320/Bici+031.jpg" border="0" /> </div></div><div align="left"><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Giant sculpture of Vivekananda... remeniscent of the Statue of Liberty.)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"><span style="font-size:0;"><br /></span></span>Below are some pictures from our sunset in Kanyakumari. Although the images are not enough, they do give a sense of the crowd that gathers at the beach. We hear it's like this every evening. It might also be that ours was a special sunset, since it was on the eve of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shivaratri">Shivaratri</a>, a huge festival dedicated to Shiva in which people stay up all night chanting and making offerings to Shiva. The whole cape, however, is generally set up like the grounds of a big entertainment park, with booths of all sorts selling shells, food, horse rides (!) and cheap toys and souvenirs...</div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"></span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"><span style="font-size:0;"></span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"></span><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="left"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306229168789597986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaODUL6FLyI/AAAAAAAAAh0/KFVBJ9QkwYU/s320/Bici+015.jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Giant and mini shells are sold all over the cape. There is a large fishermen population in Kanyakumari: many of the shells must just end up in their nets. Some of them are so large they don't look real...)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"><br /></span>All sorts of people gather on the beach to look at the sunset: these nuns and "lay women" (as described by one of the nuns) were bathing in the warm and agitated ocean waters while singing hymns to Jesus...<br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaODuFY121I/AAAAAAAAAiM/n1s44NYZlyg/s1600-h/Bici+018.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306229613716167506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaODuFY121I/AAAAAAAAAiM/n1s44NYZlyg/s320/Bici+018.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">There were also families...<br /><br /></div><div align="left"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaODUXgFY5I/AAAAAAAAAiE/00qrKBOgh0g/s1600-h/Bici+017.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306229171901784978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaODUXgFY5I/AAAAAAAAAiE/00qrKBOgh0g/s320/Bici+017.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />And the usual people interested in taking pictures of the (relatively few) white women...</div><div align="left"><br /></div><p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaODUCfX5CI/AAAAAAAAAh8/1BN6NljBDVQ/s1600-h/Bici+016.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306229166261658658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaODUCfX5CI/AAAAAAAAAh8/1BN6NljBDVQ/s320/Bici+016.jpg" border="0" /></a> </p><p>The pictures below might give you a sense of the crowd that gathers for sunset. The energy was electric: the waves of the ocean(s ?) beating against each other, the laughter of those swimming and jumping in the water, some flirtation among the younger people, and the general awe that comes with the beauty of sunsets. </p><p><span style="font-size:0;"></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaOGDFq3UrI/AAAAAAAAAis/N2Hf1_yh8Jw/s1600-h/Bici+022.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306232173592269490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaOGDFq3UrI/AAAAAAAAAis/N2Hf1_yh8Jw/s320/Bici+022.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaODuBJSL_I/AAAAAAAAAik/tx9nvKYaAT4/s1600-h/Bici+021.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306229612577173490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaODuBJSL_I/AAAAAAAAAik/tx9nvKYaAT4/s320/Bici+021.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />A really beautiful time. </p><div align="left"><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaODuLsWwQI/AAAAAAAAAic/XkNqVJySW3Y/s1600-h/Bici+020.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306229615408627970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaODuLsWwQI/AAAAAAAAAic/XkNqVJySW3Y/s320/Bici+020.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (David looking West. The beach around the cape is dotted with large boulders that break the waves and make for a great soundtrack.)</span></div><br />Here is our little group caught in a "historical" picture at the cape...<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaODuHygV8I/AAAAAAAAAiU/nYfxI1Zw8PA/s1600-h/Bici+019.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306229614360680386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 224px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaODuHygV8I/AAAAAAAAAiU/nYfxI1Zw8PA/s320/Bici+019.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Once the sun was down, we walked through the plastic toy bazaars around the beach. I had a great time: it felt like the grounds of an oldschool amusement park!<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306232173256351778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaOGDEaxoCI/AAAAAAAAAi0/2JDhgufRANA/s320/Bici+023.jpg" border="0" /><br />Kanyakumari was our last night together. The next day, Brian was to take off for Madurai while Aoife and Erica were headed to Trivandrum to go to Goa and then back to New York. The 5 of us spent had a wonderful night together, hanging out on the beach by the ashram and listening to the loud chanting going on in the temples all around us. It is not surprising that not all of us made the dawn the next morning :-) David and I went off to see the sun come up at around 6am. The dawn was beautiful. Again there were many people up to see it...<br /></div><div align="center"><br /></div><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306232173271502418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaOGDEeYzlI/AAAAAAAAAi8/TQ23iz_K0OE/s320/Bici+024.jpg" border="0" /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaOGDU_mZAI/AAAAAAAAAjM/sJYHlZhjSdw/s1600-h/Bici+026.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306232177705772034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaOGDU_mZAI/AAAAAAAAAjM/sJYHlZhjSdw/s320/Bici+026.jpg" border="0" /></a> </p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306233092607207170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaOG4lRGZwI/AAAAAAAAAjc/g8uWLOgbDiY/s320/Bici+028.jpg" border="0" /> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Some of the sand on the sunrise viewpoint beach was pitch black. I have saved some in a little bottle: it weighs like lead... anyone know why sand can turn out like this?)</span> </p><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306233096838974130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaOG41CCCrI/AAAAAAAAAjk/ENcmyCTuYeA/s320/Bici+029.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Watching the sun rise with a garland of jasmine in my hair... part of a much longer series of "self portraits" taken during David's meditation. This is the only one to have survived a careful selection.)</span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:+0;">What was really delightful, however, was what came after the sun rise. David and I made our way back into town along the beach (which we had not done before). In order to get some breakfast, we walked past the fishermen's boats... </span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"></span></p><p align="left"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaOH7eaNlAI/AAAAAAAAAkE/lvaIqcu72t0/s1600-h/Bici+033.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306234241817613314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaOH7eaNlAI/AAAAAAAAAkE/lvaIqcu72t0/s320/Bici+033.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">(You can see the giant sculpture of Vivekananda on the horizon, further South from the fishermen's boats.)</span></p><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:0;"><br /></span>From the beach we walked inland, through the fishermen's village. There, on more than one occasion, we were surrounded by children of all ages holding plastic bottles filled with red, blue, green, and yellow dyes. More than once we had to look at the as sternly as possible and with a loud (and clearly scared) "No!" stop them from squirting the ink at us. It was early in the morning, and the laughing and menacing children definitely got our hearts racing. Finally we came upon a HUGE group of them. We thought this time we were definitely going to get it. Luckly, with the help of some adults who were standing around this maddened crowd of children, and with the awe that only cameras can infuse, we were not only able to escape the danger of the dyes, but actually got a great shot of the feasting children! (If possible, zoom in and look at some of their faces. They were really partying!)<br /></div><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306233095957402978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 232px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaOG4xv2VWI/AAAAAAAAAjs/psfYLqlB-fc/s320/Bici+030.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>We later discovered that we had walked in on their Fat Tuesday celebrations: a Christian holiday (which in Italy is celebrated with masks and costumes and greasy food as Carnevale). Really cool to see the Indian version of these celebrations.<br /></p><p>Also on our morning walk, David and I walked passed this little sweet pea:</p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaOH7vR20_I/AAAAAAAAAkM/rptqoOmtaEc/s1600-h/Bici+034.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306234246345970674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 198px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaOH7vR20_I/AAAAAAAAAkM/rptqoOmtaEc/s320/Bici+034.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />We left Kunyakumari on the same day. David and I spent a night in Trivandrum with Aoife and Erica, and then made our way back to Varkala. We have been here for the past 3 days for a little more yoga, fruit salads, and massages, and we plan to leave March 2nd for Chennai, where we will begin our exploration of Tamil Nadu after briefly dipping into Andra Pradesh.<br /><br />The heat is starting to make itself felt. We spend the hottest hours of the day in the protection of the shade. Our nights have been particularly tricky lately: I have been getting up in the middle of my sleep for a night shower, in order to cool down a bit! Still, the warmth is pleasant on the body and we can't complain...<br /><br />A presto,<br />BiciBeatrice Barbareschihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13685745063687620485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545094028501814657.post-52450040424624610332009-02-15T02:40:00.000-08:002009-02-23T21:13:20.557-08:00Belur, Halebid and Sravanabelagola and MUNNAR!This is going to be a recap of the days from after Mysore to our sweet break from the heat in the cool hills of Munnar. After the beauty of Somnathpur, David and I decided to visit two other <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoysala">Hoysala </a>sites, Belur and Halebid, about 4 hours North of Mysore. The sites are a few kilometers away from each other, and we used Belur as our base. It is in Belur, at the glamorous Vishnu Residency Hotel, that we were finally introduced to how to correctly look at Hoysala art. This "warning" is located in the hotel's "wing" dedicated to all the Hoysala sites in the area:<br /><br /><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302972720341468194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfxl8GKRCI/AAAAAAAAAck/_Ujb9-Li6LM/s320/Bici+046.jpg" border="0" /> <span style="font-size:85%;">(If you can't quite make it out, the text : "Oh Pilgrim! <em>Adore</em> at the door, <em>before</em> you enter. This is not only the STONE, it is a NETWORK of STONE ART.")</span></p>In any case, the art in both Belur and Halebid mainly consisted of variations on the Somnathpur theme. I enjoyed the temple at Somnathpur more than the temples at these sites, as it was located in the quietest and smallest of the towns and had some of the more intact and subtly sculpted details. Below are just a couple of images (all from the Halebid site) to give you a general idea of what we saw:<br /><br /><div align="left"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfxmC2ewcI/AAAAAAAAAc8/o1Du059yX5U/s1600-h/Bici+050.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302972722154750402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfxmC2ewcI/AAAAAAAAAc8/o1Du059yX5U/s320/Bici+050.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfxmAcV9CI/AAAAAAAAAc0/ECFPw8TSByM/s1600-h/Bici+049.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302972721508250658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfxmAcV9CI/AAAAAAAAAc0/ECFPw8TSByM/s320/Bici+049.jpg" border="0" /></a> (<span style="font-size:85%;">Although the temple at Halebid was not as intricately carved in the higher parts of the building as Somnathpur, it had a much more intricate floor plan, resulting in these labyrinthic niches all around the outside walls.)</span><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfxlwncvMI/AAAAAAAAAcs/O-Ig9Y_ep2k/s1600-h/Bici+047.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302972717259865282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfxlwncvMI/AAAAAAAAAcs/O-Ig9Y_ep2k/s320/Bici+047.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(A great image, possibly of an avatar of Vishbu, holding up the earth - with its trees and fruits - surrounded by all of creation.)</span> </div><br /><div align="left">We spent one day visiting Belur and Halebid. The next morning, we took yet another bus to visit the giant Jain Buddha at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shravanabelagola">Sravanabelagola</a>. I talked about the hybrid nature of this site before (the result of a mix of patronage for both Jain and Hindu beliefs). On a hill situated in the middle of a large plain, there are about 650 steps carved into a giant boulder that take you up to the temple. It's really great walking up there!<br /></div><div align="left"><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302972728520548162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfxmakNH0I/AAAAAAAAAdE/7r6suH9BRdU/s320/Bici+051.jpg" border="0" /><br />The Buddha at the top is indeed HUGE: 17.38 meters. Again, one of those objects of which you will find better pictures all over the internet, etc. In any case, the shot below gives you a sense of the detail and simplicity of the sculpture: </div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302973477975901474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfySCgSRSI/AAAAAAAAAdM/QKNaVld1tLQ/s320/Bici+052.jpg" border="0" /></div><br />This Jain Buddha is called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gomateshwara">Gomateshwara</a>. It is always depticted naked, in standing position, with vines climbing up his body, and an anthill at his feet. The story tells that he was a prince, son of a very powerful emperor. When his father died, the prince and his brother fought a long and horrible battle to succeed him to the throne. When the prince was just about to win, he realized the futility of it all, left the empire to his brother, and went off to a forest, where he eventually reached enlightenment. The vines and the ant hill in the sculpture are meant to symbolize the prince's total absorption in his meditation: he didn't even notice plants were growing on him! His nakedness stands for his giving up of all material things. Very beautiful in its simplicity, and a nice break from all the detail and decorations of the Hoysala temples.<br /><br /><div align="left"></div>In <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shravanabelagola">Sravanabelagola</a>, on our way to catch a bus to Bangalore, we ran into a fun musical procession moving along the main road. We weren't quite sure what was going on, but eventually were told it was a wedding! The couple seemed really excited to have their picture taken. Later David tried to run after them to get their emails (in order to send them the photos), but by the time we had the idea they had already moved far! It was a really festive procession :-)<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfySJeW3wI/AAAAAAAAAdc/DuQOb5YWAZw/s1600-h/Bici+054.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302973479846862594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfySJeW3wI/AAAAAAAAAdc/DuQOb5YWAZw/s320/Bici+054.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (The couple is walking under the umbrella. She is wearing green and carrying some fruits in a basket, he's wearing white and a turban. They had great smiles!)</span><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfySEUaAEI/AAAAAAAAAdU/1ECFc5e_y-E/s1600-h/Bici+053.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302973478462947394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfySEUaAEI/AAAAAAAAAdU/1ECFc5e_y-E/s320/Bici+053.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (The musical accompaniment.)</span> </div><br />We eventually left <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shravanabelagola">Sravanabelagola</a> on a 4.5 hour bus that took us to Bangalore, where we caught a plane to Kochi (Kerala). The Bangalore International Airport just opened up 8 months ago and felt as clean and fresh as a hospital after our 3 days of constant bus riding. I could actually feel the dirt on my clothes/skin while standing there.<br /><br /><div align="left"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfySah2MVI/AAAAAAAAAdk/7eZ6GI8L9SQ/s1600-h/Bici+055.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302973484424900946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfySah2MVI/AAAAAAAAAdk/7eZ6GI8L9SQ/s320/Bici+055.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfySeEeEOI/AAAAAAAAAds/A3MX4SE_9mI/s1600-h/Bici+056.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302973485375426786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfySeEeEOI/AAAAAAAAAds/A3MX4SE_9mI/s320/Bici+056.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />We slept in Kochi, or rather it's neighbouring town, Ernakulam, in order to catch a bus to Munnar the next day. Here is the only memory I want to preserve of Ernakulam (where the only food we managed to eat was one samosa each at the bus stand, and not because of lack of time):<br /></div><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302975946663381378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZf0hvFPyYI/AAAAAAAAAeE/BdrIPVcgShc/s320/Bici+057.jpg" border="0" /> (<span style="font-size:85%;">This was the COURTYARD of the Paulson Park Hotel, where we slept in Ernakulam. Fantasy inspired. Very, very strange...)</span> </p><p>So far, Ernakulam makes the top of our "worst places we visited" list. It was a chaotic, polluted, noisy town. The people at our hotel also seemed slightly dazed and generally confused every time we asked for information. It was a bit of a worrying introduction to Kerala... Luckly, by escaping to the hills (on yet another 4.5 hour bus ride, this time with no glass windows and very hard seats), we found some relief. Munnar is a small town 1,450m high, located in a valley sorrounded by tea, cardamon, and coffee plantations. I had never seen tea plantations before, and the first impression was of a gigantic and very manicured Japanese bonsai garden, with dense green bushes that look like puzzle pieces fitting into each other, and random rocks springing up every now and then. Really stunning. </p><p> </p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZf0hwGz4vI/AAAAAAAAAeM/A63RnpXK1yA/s1600-h/Bici+058.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302975946938376946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZf0hwGz4vI/AAAAAAAAAeM/A63RnpXK1yA/s320/Bici+058.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304346631687001522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZzTKGs-VbI/AAAAAAAAAfk/1nUvx75Wa6Y/s320/Bici+002.jpg" border="0" /><br /><u><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,255)"></span></u><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZf0hy4QWHI/AAAAAAAAAeU/OcDC9zilEc4/s1600-h/Bici+063.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302975947682633842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZf0hy4QWHI/AAAAAAAAAeU/OcDC9zilEc4/s320/Bici+063.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="left">We went on several walks around Munnar. One early morning we found this print in the sand:<br /></div><div align="left"></div><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304054738251582690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZvJrq62jOI/AAAAAAAAAes/FB-BdpmaGoQ/s320/Bici+012.jpg" border="0" /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZf0hizspcI/AAAAAAAAAd8/gmYECrnVfMA/s1600-h/Bici+064.jpg"></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">(David circled the print. It's a little hard to tell because of other shade in the image, but it consists of 1 paw with 3 claws, facing left.)</span></p><p align="left">Different people who saw it said it's a tiger print. It was close to some hoove-like prints, like the ones of a deer. There are tigers around Munnar, but it still seems hard to believe!<br /><br />In our walks around Munnar we encountered women cutting down the tea bushes<br /></p><p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZvL2AhijoI/AAAAAAAAAfE/Ls1lYWgzmi4/s1600-h/Bici+015.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304057114872942210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZvL2AhijoI/AAAAAAAAAfE/Ls1lYWgzmi4/s320/Bici+015.jpg" border="0" /></a> </p><br /><p>caught glimpses of beautiful views, </p><div align="left"><br /></div><p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZvL1y-5pHI/AAAAAAAAAe8/gmE93PE-DOE/s1600-h/Bici+008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304057111237993586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZvL1y-5pHI/AAAAAAAAAe8/gmE93PE-DOE/s320/Bici+008.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />and were amazed by the biodiversity of the jungly forests all around.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304346646331102434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZzTK9QZlOI/AAAAAAAAAf0/H3RbmXuMYBo/s320/Bici+009.jpg" border="0" /><br />We also learned that while tea needs the sun to grow, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardamom">cardamon </a>needs the shade. The bushes/leaves at the bottom of this image are cardamon:<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZvL1Z0GC3I/AAAAAAAAAe0/zEjlgmk7PFg/s1600-h/Bici+025.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304057104481782642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZvL1Z0GC3I/AAAAAAAAAe0/zEjlgmk7PFg/s320/Bici+025.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />And, for the first time, I saw what fresh coffee beans look like. They look like this (the bean is left to dry inside the fruit):<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304346639652910786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZzTKkYMdsI/AAAAAAAAAfs/Vx1djCG4qv0/s320/Bici+008.jpg" border="0" /><br />Very instructive, our walks. </p><p>We left Munnar yesterday afternoon, with a car drive that turned just scary enough once the sun set. David told me "If you don't look, it will hurt less," so I tried not to pay too much attention to the cars and buses driving towards us in our lane.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZzTLB1-SkI/AAAAAAAAAf8/Ohl34RDShe0/s1600-h/Bici+013.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304346647562439234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZzTLB1-SkI/AAAAAAAAAf8/Ohl34RDShe0/s320/Bici+013.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Now we are in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alappuzha">Allepey</a>, were we met up with Aoife, Erica and Brian and with whom we plan to hire a house boat to travel South along the famous back waters of Kerala. We are staying at the Vrindavanam Heritage Home, a pleasant hotel with two interior gardens in a building that is more than 180 years old. </p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306223611451361778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SaN-QtNZSfI/AAAAAAAAAgM/jXGJsbC7cxk/s320/Bici+001.jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(The courtyard of our hotel. Definitely a great place to stay in Allepey. And their cook is great!)</span></p><p>We had a lovely sleep in the humid warmth of the ocean and I am about to leave this post to go have breakfast.<br /><br />A presto,<br />Bici </p>Beatrice Barbareschihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13685745063687620485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545094028501814657.post-46430167585956133692009-02-15T02:32:00.001-08:002009-02-18T00:10:58.065-08:00Thali! Thali! Thali!Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Hotel RRR (..rrrrrrr...). From the outside, you might feel a little suspicious. After all, it does not have a very promising look, or name...<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfwk0MJh4I/AAAAAAAAAcU/U77Kr24BqBA/s1600-h/Bici+042.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302971601527605122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfwk0MJh4I/AAAAAAAAAcU/U77Kr24BqBA/s320/Bici+042.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />And yet, Mysore's Hotel RRR serves The Best Thali Ever. David and I came here for lunch on our first day in Mysore. We stepped in around 3pm, which we quickly learned to be peak hour in the restaurant. Soon after entering the restaurant, we were shaken out of our "put-my-name-on-a-list" mode (which makes waiting to eat in a restaurant in New York a very civilized process) and realized we had entered a no-rules zone (not so unusual.) If you try to have lunch at Hotel RRR around peak hour, the only way to sit down is to stand guard next to a couple of tables where it looks like people might be finishing up their meal and hope that the people waiting next to you won't be quicker than you at sitting down. A kind of thali-jungle.<br /><br />Luckly, we were able to return to Hotel RRR around midday a couple of days later. The restaurant was empty, giving us the opportunity to do a full documentation of the thali meal. You sit at a table with folded banana leaves waiting for use. In the middle of the table are salt, chutneys and chillies to accompany the meal.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfwkuHh0SI/AAAAAAAAAcM/HusmS25NEfA/s1600-h/Bici+041.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302971599897612578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfwkuHh0SI/AAAAAAAAAcM/HusmS25NEfA/s320/Bici+041.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Once seated, open your banana leaf and wipe it clean with a little water. David and I weren't too excited about getting tap water on our leaves, but it worked out...Your leaf now looks like this:<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfvy3pyMCI/AAAAAAAAAbU/J3CZOLcCcQg/s1600-h/Bici+034.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302970743463751714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfvy3pyMCI/AAAAAAAAAbU/J3CZOLcCcQg/s320/Bici+034.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Next, create a little assortment of chutneys and chillies on the side, just so:<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfvy2-lU6I/AAAAAAAAAbc/-KdBr3B4Z48/s1600-h/Bici+035.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302970743282553762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfvy2-lU6I/AAAAAAAAAbc/-KdBr3B4Z48/s320/Bici+035.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(We do hope you are appreciating our detailed composition.)</span><br /></div><br />Next come the dahl (lentil based), the pappad (crispy extra-thin bread on the side), as well as other delicious side dishes: a coconut based cold soup, some potato based soup, tomato soup of sorts and (my favorite) curd. In addition to the dahl, this particular thali served a dish with beans and bananas in it (the little grey-green hill in the center).<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfvyxlz10I/AAAAAAAAAbk/8M1UINvfQps/s1600-h/Bici+036.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302970741836470082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfvyxlz10I/AAAAAAAAAbk/8M1UINvfQps/s320/Bici+036.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />And finally, the hot, fluffy rice.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfvzK1V6nI/AAAAAAAAAbs/30nqNdhEcX4/s1600-h/Bici+037.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302970748612504178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfvzK1V6nI/AAAAAAAAAbs/30nqNdhEcX4/s320/Bici+037.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Any of these ingredients can be refilled as many times as you want. There are young men walking around the restaurant with large containers of rice, dahl, and other dishes. They are also able to refill your soups, etc. Really delicious.<br /><br />The only thing left to do (and the most enjoyble) is to start eating, while using only your right hand. David kndly demonstrates below:<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfvzdltkCI/AAAAAAAAAb0/aYnfaDVISqk/s1600-h/Bici+038.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302970753647218722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfvzdltkCI/AAAAAAAAAb0/aYnfaDVISqk/s320/Bici+038.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfwkbLIrtI/AAAAAAAAAb8/OEcm1_-HWFY/s1600-h/Bici+039.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302971594812468946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfwkbLIrtI/AAAAAAAAAb8/OEcm1_-HWFY/s320/Bici+039.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfwkaXJn0I/AAAAAAAAAcE/1S5SqOoG0uA/s1600-h/Bici+040.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302971594594426690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfwkaXJn0I/AAAAAAAAAcE/1S5SqOoG0uA/s320/Bici+040.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(Yummy.)<br /></span></div><br /><div><div><div><div><div>And if you are in the mood for a little sweet after lunch, head over to Indra Cafe' (I am starting to sound like a guidebook due to the extreme exposure to our Lonely Planet.) Anyway, the sweets below are mostly made with condensed milk, sugar, and ghee. I could have eaten the whole store!<br /><div><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfwk1DcKeI/AAAAAAAAAcc/uMKEKaiuNzU/s1600-h/Bici+043.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302971601759513058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfwk1DcKeI/AAAAAAAAAcc/uMKEKaiuNzU/s320/Bici+043.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />That's all for our Mysore Thali Special.<br />Ciao! B<br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Beatrice Barbareschihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13685745063687620485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545094028501814657.post-45278482970423487352009-02-15T01:36:00.000-08:002009-02-18T18:43:27.793-08:00Mysore and Somnathpur, Karnataka.<div align="left"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZvE7AyPjxI/AAAAAAAAAek/gRwqPBBp1Tw/s1600-h/Bici+039.jpg"></a>So, although it's been a while now, here is a little update on our travels since Hampi. On Feb. 7th we left the land of boulders, Hampi, with (drum roll) an Overnight, 2nd Class, Non-AC Train to Bangalore. Another really interesting travel experience after our overnight bus from Goa to Hampi! 2nd Class Non-AC is what many Indians travel by for long distance trips. Ours was an 11 hour ride in one of the filthiest and loudest trains I've been on so far. At the same time, thanks to our lovely sheets, we were able to create a semblance of coziness. Unfortunately David's bunker was right by a window, which caused him to catch a minor cold. We got in noisy and trafficky Bangalore very early in the morning, and caught an over-crowded, rush-hour train to Mysore at 7.30am. Because we had reservations, we were able to get our seats (having to ask 3 people to get up). The train was PACKED! Again, more than any other train we've been on so far.<br /><br /></div><div align="left">The trip to Mysore was made particularly interesting by 2 factors:<br />1) we were sorrounded by a cheerful group of 8 men in their late 20's who were on their way back from a pilgrimage to a site in the state of Andra Pradesh. David and I really enjoyed watching them relate: sitting on top of each other, playing around, rubbing the freshly shaven head of one of the larger fellows in the group. Their body language was so relaxed and familiar with each other: a lot of physical contact and playfulness. We have noticed this kind of intimacy before, strictly between members of the same gender, and have been wondering about how homosexuality or homoerotic behavior is understood in India. We know homosexuality is looked down upon very strictly... we wonder about how people here are defined as "gay/lesbian" by their communities...</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">2) At one of the stops on the way to Mysore, David and I noticed a very sad woman. She was young, maybe in her early 20's, and she was squatting by the railroad looking as though she might be crying. Eventually she got up from her squatting position to engage with a young man sitting nearby: it looked like she was trying to take a plastic bag with some objects in it from him. It became apparent that they were fighting- there was a lot of tension between them. Suddenly, the man hit her really hard in the face and then shoved her to the ground. He walked away for a minute as she lay on the ground, only to come back with a heavy rock held over his head. From a small distance, he threw the rock at her- it was clearly too heavy a rock to make it to where the woman was lying, but it was quite a shocking site nonetheless. The whole scene evolved quite slowly, and nobody around minded much. I felt a strong wave of anger surge inside of me, and I had to consciously restrain myself from screaming at the man from the train while he was holding the rock up. It was a very difficult scene to witness, one that left us asking ourselves many questions about human instincts and the power of education/mindfulness/awareness.</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">We got to Mysore around lunch time and spent the next 4 nights at the Maurya Hotel (not to be confused with the Maurya Palace Hotel :) right by the "great Maharaja's palace", one of the main attractions of Mysore. Although we eventually went to visit the palace (a gaudy and kitsch early 20th century building, the result of an unfortunate mix of British and Indian architecture) we were lucky enough to see it <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/kdaskdas/SK7qfHyR-NI/AAAAAAAABgo/lCJPldEj9-c/DSCN6108.JPG?imgmax=512">lit at night</a>. We think that's really the best way to go - they light the whole place from 7-9pm every Sunday. Mysore took a while to grow on us - it was hard to make the transition from the quiet and pictoresque Hampi to the loud and polluted city. We did find a lot of pleasure in the Devaraja Market, the historical in the city. There are tons of images of this market online, but here are a couple that show you our own experience of it.<br /><br /></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302962297597567874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfoHQWXo4I/AAAAAAAAAYs/5BvA3T55nnM/s320/Bici+019.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Ready-to-go bundles of groceries for the fast-shoppers.)</span></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfk2dJh3HI/AAAAAAAAAYE/ohR07GW2MOI/s1600-h/Bici+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302958710440713330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfk2dJh3HI/AAAAAAAAAYE/ohR07GW2MOI/s320/Bici+003.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">(These are cubes of SUGAR! They are sold in small bits together with a light, puffy, rice snack. You can see the rice in the bottom right corner. The cubes looked like honey wax from a distance and the sugar is really delicious, coming from the many sugar cane plantations all around Mysore.)</span><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfk3Nww0xI/AAAAAAAAAYU/2pLRpBAwq64/s1600-h/Bici+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302958723490173714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfk3Nww0xI/AAAAAAAAAYU/2pLRpBAwq64/s320/Bici+007.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(The most sensual and exhilarating part of the market are the two or three aisles in which flowers are sold. What you see here are spirals of threaded blossoms- mostly jasmine, so you can imagine the perfume- that people buy daily in huge amounts for pujas/prayers. Also, most of the women in Mysore wore garlands of jasmine in their hair.)</span><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfk26GKlvI/AAAAAAAAAYM/6w4TnHOjC_4/s1600-h/Bici+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302958718211233522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfk26GKlvI/AAAAAAAAAYM/6w4TnHOjC_4/s320/Bici+004.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (David insited on buying me a garland so I could blend in better in the crowd. It was very romantic...)</span><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfk2eTCF7I/AAAAAAAAAX8/vsvesnjWgh4/s1600-h/Bici+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302958710749009842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 241px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfk2eTCF7I/AAAAAAAAAX8/vsvesnjWgh4/s320/Bici+001.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(This sweets shop was just outside of the market. I thought the seller looked like a king of sweets, sitting as he was sorrounded by all these sugary snacks.)</span><br /></div><br /><div align="left">In Mysore we also went to visit a "<a href="http://www.bullybeef.co.uk/images/bidi1.jpg">beedi </a>factory". This was the factory:<br /></div></div></div><div align="center"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302962303446805538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfoHmI77CI/AAAAAAAAAY0/24RP6DAGw88/s320/Bici+021.jpg" border="0" /><br />We went there during the afternoon siesta, and were told that usually there are more people in the same room. Also, there are probably several places where the beedis are made all around the city. In any case, there was definitely an assembly line method going on, with the man on the left rolling the tobacco in the leaves, and the man on the right cutting out the leaves into rolling paper. We are trying to remember how many they wer able to make in a day, it was something like 2,000. The man on the right also lit one beedi after the other while working: he smoked about 30 a day. We were told it's good for the health...?<br /><br /><div align="left">Apart from the market and some delicious food (more on that on a later post), David and I were not crazy about the city. Only on our last day there did we discover that we were staying in the commercial center of town. It's probably a completely different experience to live in the more residential areas of town, where many of the Yoga Institutes have their home (Mysore has a couple of very important yoga teachers and centers.) We found some relief from the general loudness and pollution at the Royal Orchid Metropole, a hotel built by the Maharaja's family back in the colonial days. We spent a couple of evenings there, experiencing a different side of India from our backpacker's usual. The courtyard of the hotel was very beautiful and surprisingly quiet, and they had the Best Curd (yoghurt) we have had so far, as well as wonderful tandoori dishes. It was also lovely that no matter how expensive for Indian styles, our dinners never went past $20 :-)</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302962301771771826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfoHf5k77I/AAAAAAAAAYk/9AYK51UrRmY/s320/Bici+011.jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(At night, the mango tree at the back was lit with lovely lanterns. A really romantic setting.)</span><br /></div><div align="left"><br />Luckly we didn't run away from the Mysore area too quickly (we did think about it at first, as we were getting adjusted to the noise and pollution.) Following the advice of our train companions, as well as our semi-professional hotel manager, we made our way to a couple of sites outside of the city. The first was Chamudi Hill, on top of which is a large temple dedicated to Durga. We went to the temple very early in the morning, taking a public bus, and then made our way down the hill along the 1,000 steps that devoted pilgrims use to reach the temple. After many donations, buying of flowers, and general religious behavior, we left the temple feeling a little weighed down by the several requests for money in the temple. To think that hundreds of people go up to Chamudi Hill every day making offerings much larger than ours! There was also a large group of tourists when we got there, surely good business for the temple. The whole thing is very reminiscent of the Catholic Church, in terms of all the money that's flowing. We did find something wonderful up on the hill: a 5 meter high Nandi placed along the stone steps about 3/4 of the way to the temple, maybe a sign to encourage the pilgrims that they've almost made it.<br /><br /></div><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302964664727766322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfqRCmMBTI/AAAAAAAAAZM/z-Ebh-VwTVA/s320/Bici+017.jpg" border="0" /><br />While in Mysore, David and I also learned about the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoysala_Empire">Hoysala Empire</a>, headed by yet another powerful dynasty in the history of India. Point of interest: the founder of the Hoysala Empire was a man originally named Bittedeva, apparently a devout Jain during the time when the Jain religion was very powerful in India. At the turn of the 12th century however, Jainism started to decline, just as the Hindu worship of Shiva and Vishnu became more prominent. Interestingly, through a timely conversion to Hinduism, right around that time Bittedeva became Vishnuvardhana. By associating himself with the new powerful n in the area as well as through many military conquests, Vishnuvardhana really established the Hoysalas in the whole Kernataka region. As a result of Vishnuvardhana's mixed religious loyalties, Kernataka has an important Hindu-Jain temple (in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shravanabelagola">Sravanabelagola</a>, about which I will write more later), in which a gigantic Jain Buddha and a Jain temple have been enclosed within the walls of a larger Hindu temple.<br /><br />The Hoysalas are particularly well known for their patronage of the arts (apparently because of the interest of many different queens): from architecture to music, to dance and sculpture, and more. The Hoysala architecture is known worldwide for it's incredible sculpture and design. David and I had never seen images of the famous Hoysala temples around Mysore, so we made a short day trip to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somnathpur">Somnathpur</a>, 2 hours outside of the city, to check it out. It was AMAZING! We eventually made it to other Hoysala temples further North, but Somnathpur was the most complete and subtly sculpted, as well as the one in the quietest location. There is only one temple there, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Somanathapura_Keshava_temple_dtv.JPG">Keshava temple</a>. Below are some details from the building. </p><p></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302962308672282690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfoH5myYEI/AAAAAAAAAZE/Ayog5PBtf9k/s320/Bici+023.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center"></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302962303950140226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfoHoA8M0I/AAAAAAAAAY8/EId9WaT_JrE/s320/Bici+022.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302964672206092258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfqRedKN-I/AAAAAAAAAZU/n-FmlNGrv0s/s320/Bici+024.jpg" border="0" /></div><p align="center">(All around the outside walls of the temple, elephants are sculpted at the bottom for stability and horses above them for speed. In other temples we saw lions between the horses and the elephants, for valor. The fourth layer from the bottom is dedicated to the recounting of stories. In Somnathpur these were extracts from the Ramayana and the Mahabarata, as well as images of courtly events.)</span></p><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304059975466275458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZvOchEI0oI/AAAAAAAAAfU/T8_DfX0IPm8/s320/Bici+040.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">(These were just like the elephants in Disney's "Jungle Book". Really playful and dynamic in the way they've been carved!)</span></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfqRry03PI/AAAAAAAAAZk/OyqXLuDU84o/s1600-h/Bici+027.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302964675786628338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfqRry03PI/AAAAAAAAAZk/OyqXLuDU84o/s320/Bici+027.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (We were told that temples are meant to provide a full spectrum of the elements of life. As a result you should find anything sculpted on them, from myths and gods (such as the Vishnu above), to everyday activities, not excluding...sexy time and wrestling!! See below.)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304059968409631378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZvOcGxs-pI/AAAAAAAAAfM/p32sm6a4Zm4/s320/Bici+046.jpg" border="0" /></p><p></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304059985661279346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZvOdHC0PHI/AAAAAAAAAfc/IAr6JgdvhYw/s320/Bici+041.jpg" border="0" /> </p><p>The temples are carved out of a rock that is very soft when wet, but which hardens complitely when dry. Margot (David's mom) explained to us that in order to create such smooth carvings the artists were constantly wetting the stone while carving it. We spent about 2 hours looking at just this one temple, examining the Ramayana and Mahabarata stories carved on the walls, as well as many individual images. Below is an example of the total absorption of our observation (as well as a nice shot of my jasmine garland!)<br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfqRnBR3vI/AAAAAAAAAZs/QWOblDGW6jA/s1600-h/Bici+029.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302964674505072370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SZfqRnBR3vI/AAAAAAAAAZs/QWOblDGW6jA/s320/Bici+029.jpg" border="0" /></a> </p><p>Anyway, there is more to our traveling to tell in order to catch up to where we are now, but I have run out of time. I will update again very soon and, as always, look forward to your comments.<br /></p><p>A presto,<br />Bici </p>Beatrice Barbareschihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13685745063687620485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545094028501814657.post-65199563587931534902009-02-05T01:39:00.000-08:002009-02-18T00:36:07.524-08:00Hampi, Kernataka.<div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299258950815462514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq_8GgqNHI/AAAAAAAAAXM/SiI2_gP_ITE/s320/Bici+048.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virupaksha_Temple">Virupaksha Temple</a>, at the heart of Hampi, seen from down river.)</span> </div><div align="center"><br /></div>Have you ever been on a <a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2076/2414327981_c9157b612e.jpg?v=0">sleeper bus</a>? I didn't even know they existed, and yet, that is how David and I got to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampi">Hampi</a>, Kernataka, from Agonda. We left our paradisiacal beach on the evening of Feb. 1. I had not been feeling great: first a feverish day, and then the expectable - a bit of a Delhi Belly! The sickness made the whole trip that much more interesting...our bunk was way at the back of the bus, which meant that each bump got us a couple of inches off the bed :-) But apart from the particularly loud engine (which sounded like it could make the bus fly if needed), the 10 hour overnight journey was not too bad. We got to Hampi early in the morning and found a nice room at Archana's Guesthouse. We moved to a shared bathroom room (300 rupees) on our second night, but this room was our first night luxury dwelling (400 rupees)<br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299253486798165074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq6-Dda1FI/AAAAAAAAATs/C1LM7YpxpOU/s320/Bici+006.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299252828509431490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq6XvJJ5sI/AAAAAAAAATk/hROzYmym_uw/s320/Bici+005.jpg" border="0" /> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Notice the bed cover, a purchase from Goa that we happily use as our personal bed sheet. In general, it's a good idea to travel around with some clean sheets.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299252822936315698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq6XaYa5zI/AAAAAAAAATU/Zcetg93SZKk/s320/Bici+003.jpg" border="0" /> <span style="font-size:85%;">(The street we are staying on is in the heart of Hampi Bazaar, something like the "historical center" of town. In fact, the only center of town. The village life is one of the most pleasant aspects of staying here. There are tons of little - naked - children running around, as well as people going on about their business. But the town is generally very quiet. It's very special to wake up to the sounds and rhythms of the town.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></p><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299252816174249298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq6XBMN9VI/AAAAAAAAATM/9lyIWH-UmyU/s320/Bici+002.jpg" border="0" /> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Hot chillies drying in the sun on one of the small streets in the Bazaar.)</span></p><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><p><br />Now, you can look up all the various information on Hampi on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampi">wikipedia link</a>, but here are a couple of points that are interesting. Between the 14th and 16th century, the area all around Hampi was known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vijayanagara">Vijayanagara</a>, "the City of Victory", capital of the omonimous Vijayanagara Empire. (David and I have inevitably fallen into the trap of calling it Vagina-gara, but are working on getting out of that habit...) During its peak, the V-Empire was one of the most powerful in India, alone in its ability to resist the invasions of the Delhi based Moughals. Hampi is sorrounded by the ruins of this once rich and powerful city, whose strength relied on a large military and excellent relations with different religious institutions. One of our neighbors here in Hampi has compared it to Rome, arguing that it would take 3 months to see the whole complex of ruins. I am not sure the two cities can actually be compared in magnitude, but because Hampi locals live in and on part of the ruins, sometimes it does feel a little bit like being in Rome... a little bit...<br /><br /></p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299255937543290210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq9MtMlvWI/AAAAAAAAAU8/UzhG1x_Qq-Q/s320/Bici+025.jpg" border="0" /> <span style="font-size:85%;">(The main street of Hampi, leading to the still active <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virupaksha_Temple">Virupaksha Temple</a></span><span style="font-size:85%;">. The road functioned, and still does, as a bazaar. People live and work on the main street.)</span><br /></p><div align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYrAegCWliI/AAAAAAAAAXc/0MMgLhGPfNE/s1600-h/Bici+050.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299259541783221794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYrAegCWliI/AAAAAAAAAXc/0MMgLhGPfNE/s320/Bici+050.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (A goat herder's home along the main street.)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left">Sometimes the main street is turned into a parade ground. A couple of days ago David and I rushed off from dinner in the direction of some loud fireworks to discover the whole city parading a large scultpure of Shiva and Parvati sitting on Nandi (their bull). Although this picture is too dark, it does some justice to the generator operated lighting system that made sure you couldn't miss the sculpture!</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299253506256462546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq6_L8o4tI/AAAAAAAAAT8/IrbKayi-7lU/s320/Bici+008.jpg" border="0" /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">The parade was lead by Lakshmi, Hampi's elephant mascot. She's very cleverly trained: if you put a 1 rupee coin in her trunk and bow, she will bless you. David and I couldn't resist: she had a lovely touch. She's called the "white elephant" in town, because of the discoloration on her nose.</span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><div align="left"><br /></div><p align="center"></span><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299253503123925074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq6_ARyKFI/AAAAAAAAAUM/za_4J9qxl0c/s320/Bici+014.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299253504019434834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq6_DnSjVI/AAAAAAAAAUE/gCzwH7abbu8/s320/Bici+009.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Unfortunately you can't see from this image, but Lakshmi was CONSTANTLY surrounded by people and children, dancing and screaming to the beat of a walking drum circle that accompanied the parade. We could only imagine what could have happened if she had lost her temper...)</span><br /></p><p>In addition to its historical importance, Hampi is remarkable for its landscape. It's surrounded by INCREDIBLE boulders of red/ochra/grey granite. They are precariously placed on top of each other, like the LEGO kit of some giant creature. Surprisingly, we just learned that geologically the area around Hampi is one of the most stable imaginable (i.e. no earthquakes.) The boulders' shapes and precarious positions are merely the result of enviornmental forces such as water and wind, and the natural erosion caused by time. So although it looks totally brittle, it speaks of thousands of years of stability!</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299253492682582018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq6-ZYX6AI/AAAAAAAAAT0/pdCCFkkSOS0/s320/Bici+007.jpg" border="0" /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299254758817500434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 205px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq8IGGdjRI/AAAAAAAAAUk/2Yvq9zg8epo/s320/Bici+021.jpg" border="0" /></p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq_8a35TgI/AAAAAAAAAXU/n4CQBy6fzNc/s1600-h/Bici+049.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299258956281630210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq_8a35TgI/AAAAAAAAAXU/n4CQBy6fzNc/s320/Bici+049.jpg" border="0" /></a> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299252824130476466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq6Xe1IWbI/AAAAAAAAATc/Ao_rGMNP7A8/s320/Bici+004.jpg" border="0" /><br />Mythologically, the area around Hampi is considered to be the Land of the Monkeys, more specifically the home of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanuman">Hanuman</a>. In the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramayana">Ramayana</a>, in his quest to save Sita (his wife), Rama comes to this land and encounters Hanuman, the loyal monkey-servant of a powerful king. It is here that Hanuman, after receiving Rama's help, promises to assist him in retreiving Sita (he does so, naturally, with the help of his monkey army.) Depictions of Hanuman are present all over the ruins and temples around Hampi. Here is a sweet image among many:<br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299254761096597602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq8IOl10GI/AAAAAAAAAUU/N_5DBVlvCxw/s320/Bici+017.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>Interestingly, Hampi is also prime BANANA Land, yet another connection to the universe of monkeys...? There are so many banana plantations all around us, and the bananas are delicious! (I only got to taste them today for the first time, after a general stomach-soothing fast that has lasted 3 days where my diet consisted of curt (yoghurt) and plain rice with a little bit of salt- a really delicious meal, even though it got a bit repetitive.)</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299255934270545394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq9MhATnfI/AAAAAAAAAVM/WhhuvPQ4DNQ/s320/Bici+029.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Banana truck headed to Hospet, the closest city to Hampi.)</span> </p><p align="center"></p><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299255934104502018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq9MgYt_wI/AAAAAAAAAVU/bhWUkwBT-5k/s320/Bici+030.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">(David going local, sitting with the banana pickers.) </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left">David and I have only just begun to explore the ruins around Hampi: we plan on leaving the day after tomorrow. Below I have uploaded images from the Vittala Temple complex, known for some of the most beautiful architecture and carvings among the rest. </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299258952324118466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq_8MIWd8I/AAAAAAAAAW0/ALiHyqfQpZg/s320/Bici+045.jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(One of the temples within the large rectangular courtyard.)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299255940383095218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq9M3xpubI/AAAAAAAAAVc/rdA05MbQqTo/s320/Bici+031.jpg" border="0" /></div><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299258197684352850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq_QQ4Nd1I/AAAAAAAAAWk/RO_FQ2PDnBE/s320/Bici+042.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">(The wheels on this chariot used to be able to turn. The chariot stands in the center of the courtyard, facing the main temple.)</span></p><p><br />The columns of the temples are particularly beautiful:</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299257259155895282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq-Zolls_I/AAAAAAAAAVs/QRVWoQVVNCY/s320/Bici+034.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299257264690927650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq-Z9NPmCI/AAAAAAAAAWE/XAd6HN-ww0Y/s320/Bici+038.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299258196787904898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq_QNiewYI/AAAAAAAAAWU/ZO_2aojl1x4/s320/Bici+040.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>In order to give you a better sense of the intention of the artist, David has agreed to emphasize the message of one of the columns:</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299257253119400514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq-ZSGYGkI/AAAAAAAAAVk/S7t71MQ30zc/s320/Bici+033.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>The details on the colums are great too:<br /></p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299258199524801122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq_QXvAemI/AAAAAAAAAWc/VlRDiC8VCCM/s320/Bici+041.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Hanuman, or one of his monkey soldiers.)</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299258196410006402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq_QMIYe4I/AAAAAAAAAWM/hPTaYZ7gG54/s320/Bici+039.jpg" border="0" />(This sensual lady hanging onto a tree appears over and over in the temples...)</span></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299257259597972738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq-ZqO_RQI/AAAAAAAAAV8/PSiKxAbo59U/s320/Bici+036.jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(This is one of the best ones! Click on it to look at the details: in it Krishna has climbed on top of a tree with the clothes of the Gopis who were bathin in the river. The naked women are very expressive in their pleas to get their clothes back!)</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299258199737269042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq_QYhqezI/AAAAAAAAAWs/KXAkAlazlTk/s320/Bici+044.jpg" border="0" /></span></p><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(There are many images of Krishna in action. This is another situation in which he is mis-behaving and being reprimanded.)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Also, for the first time here in Hampi David and I have encountered these engraved images of men and women doing prostrations in the doorsills of temples. They are figurative reminders for the literate and illiterate alike of what the proper behavior should be during worship. I particularly liked the gendered one:</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq_8AZuI3I/AAAAAAAAAXE/NPBNhFop_bI/s1600-h/Bici+047.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299258949175747442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq_8AZuI3I/AAAAAAAAAXE/NPBNhFop_bI/s320/Bici+047.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq_8OEcrrI/AAAAAAAAAW8/6BdQ_18DTig/s1600-h/Bici+046.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299258952844619442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq_8OEcrrI/AAAAAAAAAW8/6BdQ_18DTig/s320/Bici+046.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This entry has taken me forever to write, and probably forever to read! So now I leave you with one last image from Hampi and the promise of more from Mysore, the next stop in our journey.<br />A presto,<br />Bici<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq8IL4PAaI/AAAAAAAAAUc/Gj4q2FIj_3Y/s1600-h/Bici+019.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299254760368439714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYq8IL4PAaI/AAAAAAAAAUc/Gj4q2FIj_3Y/s320/Bici+019.jpg" border="0" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div>Beatrice Barbareschihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13685745063687620485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545094028501814657.post-40573902667035334222009-01-28T23:00:00.000-08:002009-01-29T23:30:18.157-08:00Agonda, Goa.As some of you might have noticed, for about a week now there has been no news from David and I. As some of you have probably imagined, it's because we have reached a destination where our pace has finally slowed down to the point where days bleed into each other seamlessly and it has become hard to spend time in front of a computer. Welcome to Agonda.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFX8tldnbI/AAAAAAAAAP8/PTr4O2ODpd8/s1600-h/Bici+011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFX8tldnbI/AAAAAAAAAP8/PTr4O2ODpd8/s320/Bici+011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296611337304907186" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(A view of Agonda as we approached it.)</span><br /></div><br />Our last entry was from Benalium, which we understood to be one of the most beautiful and quiet beaches in Goa. Luckly, we were wrong. On the third day of our stay there, David, Brian and Ben went off on a scooter expedition to explore furhter South. They came back right at sunset full of excitement about a new spot which made Benalium look like a rock-n-roll party: Agonda, a 3 km beach about 1 hour South of where we were staying.<br /><br />The next day we left Blue Corner and made our way here, and David and I have not left since (Brian, Ben, and Sarah left two days ago, together with 2 other friends, in order to explore the party scene in North Goa - Arambol, Baga, etc. - but David and I will meet with them again in Goa's capital, Panaji, in a couple of days.)<br /><br />To give you a sense of the beach and our accomodation, here are some images:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFc8pe4YDI/AAAAAAAAAR8/vfGLwkHVl5A/s1600-h/Bici+050.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFc8pe4YDI/AAAAAAAAAR8/vfGLwkHVl5A/s320/Bici+050.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296616833761697842" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(Empty beach. I don't have better images unfortunately, but this gives a good idea. )<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFc8va5NDI/AAAAAAAAASE/8mLa8fXpWNg/s1600-h/Bici+052.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFc8va5NDI/AAAAAAAAASE/8mLa8fXpWNg/s320/Bici+052.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296616835355587634" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(Harmony Huts: our place is the furthest to your right. These huts have shared bathrooms, which is why we are only paying 330 rupees per night, about $7. It's wonderful falling asleep to the sound of the waves crashing on the beach. It's a little less wonderful being woken by the crawking ravens that live on the trees all around us. They begin screaming loudly at each other around 6.30am every day without fail. As the owner of the huts put it, these are huts that won't let you be lazy: they'll wake you nice and early so that you do you morning meditation... we live in sentient huts.)</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFh-vlHIGI/AAAAAAAAAS0/jjlmuq6AUAg/s1600-h/Bici+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFh-vlHIGI/AAAAAAAAAS0/jjlmuq6AUAg/s320/Bici+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296622367316320354" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(David relaxing on our porch. This is how we sometime spend the warmest hours of the day, 12p-4pm.)</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:100%;">After a couple of days of </span>Agonda, we all rented scooter and went on little explorations further South. On our first day, we visited Palolem, hailed as a great beach resort. After our Agonda paradise, Palolem was a bit of a shock. To give you an idea, the roads leading to Agonda beach look like this:<br /><br /></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFX8M-d05I/AAAAAAAAAPs/TfqzFSOHMuI/s1600-h/Bici+006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 241px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFX8M-d05I/AAAAAAAAAPs/TfqzFSOHMuI/s320/Bici+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296611328551408530" border="0" /></a><br />The road leading to Palolem, like this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFdXtNQY7I/AAAAAAAAASk/VEHNdnQuvh0/s1600-h/Bici+056.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFdXtNQY7I/AAAAAAAAASk/VEHNdnQuvh0/s320/Bici+056.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296617298617983922" border="0" /></a><br />Another example: in Agonda there's an endless number of little restaurants facing the beach, all with menus that could easily compete with the variety of food you find in New York - Indian, Nepali (lots of Nepali chefs!) Thai, Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Goan, Israeli and more! I have refused to try any of the Italian dishes, but the Indian, Nepali and Thai food that I have had here so far has been delicious! Here's a picture of one of our favorite spots, Sandyfeet:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFkHUqk9kI/AAAAAAAAAS8/HpaMyDbHKH0/s1600-h/Bici+007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFkHUqk9kI/AAAAAAAAAS8/HpaMyDbHKH0/s320/Bici+007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296624713733568066" border="0" /></a><br />In Palolem, the restaurant we tried served really "interesting" food (made what we were having in Benalium seem tasty!). The whole scene there is much more commercial and generally busy. And the beach is 100 times busier than Agonda:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFZqoZ-IFI/AAAAAAAAAQE/uDiODmSOlGg/s1600-h/Bici+015.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFZqoZ-IFI/AAAAAAAAAQE/uDiODmSOlGg/s320/Bici+015.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296613225700139090" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(Before all the restaurants/huts/tourist shops were there, Palolem must have been really beautiful. It's a smaller beach than Agonda, better protected from the currents and full of green palms. We hope Agonda won't undergo the same commercialization, although it seems inevitable.)</span><br /></div><br />Apart from the general shock of the contrast with Agonda, here's a nice shot of part of our group having a drink at a "raggae bar" in Palolem:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFZqvDKzlI/AAAAAAAAAQM/5cnplAwlM2Y/s1600-h/Bici+016.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFZqvDKzlI/AAAAAAAAAQM/5cnplAwlM2Y/s320/Bici+016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296613227483549266" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(From the left: Sarah, Brian, Oeud, Theo, Brian.)<br /></span></div><br />As well as of Sarah and I with a great Shiva background:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFZqwfPJ2I/AAAAAAAAAQU/KAfl2PGkVvE/s1600-h/Bici+017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 236px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFZqwfPJ2I/AAAAAAAAAQU/KAfl2PGkVvE/s320/Bici+017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296613227869710178" border="0" /></a><br />As well as of the dense "forest" of palm trees growing along the beach:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFZq1MOWdI/AAAAAAAAAQc/6qjLIoCvzAY/s1600-h/Bici+018.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFZq1MOWdI/AAAAAAAAAQc/6qjLIoCvzAY/s320/Bici+018.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296613229132143058" border="0" /></a><br />Our scooter exploration did not stop in Palolem. For the next two days, David and I travelled along beautiful roads that followed the sea and some internal rivers. We discovered a beach where turtles lay their eggs, and enjoyed our long rides always wearing our super helmets:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFcJnlms9I/AAAAAAAAARk/1ZTLX9UL_wQ/s1600-h/Bici+043.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFcJnlms9I/AAAAAAAAARk/1ZTLX9UL_wQ/s320/Bici+043.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296615957079700434" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(A little parenthesis on helmets: in India, the law demands that only the driver wear a helmet. As a result, when you rent a scooter, you will only receive a single helmet. Accidents are not really something anyone is thinking about. In any case, David had to wrestle a tiger to get me one. They are more like motorbike helmets than scooter ones, but we were definitely Safe.)</span><br /></div><br />When we came to the turtle beach, David and Sarah posed for me in triumph for our discovery:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFaZmgvmQI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/jbEGzHqKa4Y/s1600-h/Bici+030.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFaZmgvmQI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/jbEGzHqKa4Y/s320/Bici+030.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296614032645527810" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The roads around Agonda were mostly empty and easy to ride on:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFdXaek6mI/AAAAAAAAASU/2nQK6rRghls/s1600-h/Bici+054.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFdXaek6mI/AAAAAAAAASU/2nQK6rRghls/s320/Bici+054.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296617293590358626" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFc8tUMDBI/AAAAAAAAASM/gJ1_011STMU/s1600-h/Bici+053.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFc8tUMDBI/AAAAAAAAASM/gJ1_011STMU/s320/Bici+053.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296616834790591506" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFcJKub5jI/AAAAAAAAARM/cCE9Jw0PDPc/s1600-h/Bici+034.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFcJKub5jI/AAAAAAAAARM/cCE9Jw0PDPc/s320/Bici+034.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296615949332112946" border="0" /></a><br />That was really good, especially for Sarah who bravely decided to take on a scooter without ever having driven (anything!) before. Here's a hot shot of Ben and Sarah attacking a curb (Sarah is on the right):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFaZgbvofI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/hL9EflNEs5g/s1600-h/Bici+032.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFaZgbvofI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/hL9EflNEs5g/s320/Bici+032.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296614031013945842" border="0" /></a><br />The only time it's actually tricky to drive is when you go through little villages. There, you find the more familiar Indian chaos:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFcJpoI7yI/AAAAAAAAARU/OMUlM5SJ770/s1600-h/Bici+041.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFcJpoI7yI/AAAAAAAAARU/OMUlM5SJ770/s320/Bici+041.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296615957627203362" border="0" /></a><br />In our rides we encountered many rice paddies, the green of the fresh sprouts oh so irresistible to the camera:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFdXWpVfII/AAAAAAAAASc/0ZpGN_L8SlA/s1600-h/Bici+055.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFdXWpVfII/AAAAAAAAASc/0ZpGN_L8SlA/s320/Bici+055.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296617292561742978" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFcJt8zL7I/AAAAAAAAARc/fN8rELyZ4vQ/s1600-h/Bici+042.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFcJt8zL7I/AAAAAAAAARc/fN8rELyZ4vQ/s320/Bici+042.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296615958787600306" border="0" /></a><br />We also crossed a tiny little bridge that looked over a beautiful river coming from deep in the mainland:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFZrLr9-LI/AAAAAAAAAQk/YjYLbDczQuc/s1600-h/Bici+022.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFZrLr9-LI/AAAAAAAAAQk/YjYLbDczQuc/s320/Bici+022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296613235170867378" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(David on our vehicle on the tiny little bridge.)<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFaZnRs8eI/AAAAAAAAAQs/VKB46JMPc9w/s1600-h/Bici+023.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFaZnRs8eI/AAAAAAAAAQs/VKB46JMPc9w/s320/Bici+023.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296614032850874850" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(Beautiful river coming from deep in the mainland.)</span><br /></div><br />So there it is, a little update on our lazy doings of the past week. David and I have been getting up early every morning - together with our friends the ravens - and doing our yoga practice on the beach, right by the water. In some ways, it's hard to imagine leaving. As Sarah said, being in weather like this reminds you that as a species, human beings began in warm climate. What were we thinking when we moved up North?!?! The peace of Agonda is really something special, and we are enjoying every day of it. Soon, however, we will be moving onwards: to Panaji, the capital of Goa, and then to the state of Karnataka, where we will visit Hempi and Mysore. For now, goodbye . We will post again from a new destination.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFc8aoukFI/AAAAAAAAARs/rvw0tbbSX2I/s1600-h/Bici+047.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SYFc8aoukFI/AAAAAAAAARs/rvw0tbbSX2I/s320/Bici+047.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296616829776466002" border="0" /></a>Beatrice Barbareschihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13685745063687620485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545094028501814657.post-24917677325503683372009-01-22T03:42:00.000-08:002009-01-22T04:27:22.868-08:00Blue Corner in Goa...Under the advice of my knowledgeable friend Lena, the five of us have been staying at the Blue Corner, a Hawaiian style guest house right on the beach of Benaulim, in South Goa. We sleep in "Coco Huts", as they describe them: rooms with bathrooms with walls made of woven palm leaves. It is quite beautiful. Here are some pictures of the beach and of Blue Corner:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXhhesWG1tI/AAAAAAAAAPU/MiAIUkEAA3E/s1600-h/Bici+013.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 224px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXhhesWG1tI/AAAAAAAAAPU/MiAIUkEAA3E/s320/Bici+013.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294088541901870802" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(The empty beach...we are also here just as the season is ending.)</span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXhheqUX_hI/AAAAAAAAAPM/xFU3QKMdRoc/s1600-h/Bici+012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 282px; height: 211px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXhheqUX_hI/AAAAAAAAAPM/xFU3QKMdRoc/s320/Bici+012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294088541357735442" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(Blue Corner's restaurant...great spot for breakfast and drinks in the evening</span>.)<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXhfnjmX8nI/AAAAAAAAAOE/UvHziu-U3-M/s1600-h/Bici+010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXhfnjmX8nI/AAAAAAAAAOE/UvHziu-U3-M/s320/Bici+010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294086495149748850" border="0" /></a>(The courtyard. Raj, the young owner of Blue Corner, has a total of 10 huts arranged around a rectangular space of sand, where he has started to grow some palms. Blue Corner has only been around for 3 years.)</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXhhegLJlQI/AAAAAAAAAPE/Pz6XPRKVPJ4/s1600-h/Bici+009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 282px; height: 211px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXhhegLJlQI/AAAAAAAAAPE/Pz6XPRKVPJ4/s320/Bici+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294088538634687746" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(Inside our hut in the afternoon light.)</span><br /></div><br />Our days have finally slowed down after the initial sightseeing, and it has taken a full day to get used to actually relaxing on the beach. It is not hard doing, as you might imagine. Apart from the beauty of the beach and the Arabian Sea, both of which extend endlessly in front of the Blue Corner, there are a definitely a few problematic things. Firstly, the 30 or so "beach girls" from Karnataka who come spend 8 months in Goa (away from their home villages) in order to make some money by selling sarongs, cheap jewelry, and other nick-nacks to tourists like ourselves. Most of these girls have heart wrenching stories that they readily share in order to get you to buy something. It's hard to negotiate one's buying... I have felt very bad for refusing to buy from a girl named Anita, who is the only source of income for the family of 3 younger brothers and two parents (according to Anita as well as some of the other girls- who are all from the same village- there is no work in their village in Karnataka.) At the same time, I can't help but wonder about their stories and not imagine that they have carefully tailored their saleswoman personas according to what they have learnt to work with the Western tourist.<br /><br />David and I have discussed the question of somehow "giving back" to India after our trip, and it seems like the most practical way of doing so is to do a little research and find a good organization that works on a local level for change. We are particularly interested in anything that deals with women, children, and education - whether it's regarding health, economics, the arts, or anything else. If you have any suggestions, we look forward to your thoughts.<br /><br />Another, smaller, issue here in Benaulim is the food, which has proven pretty heavy (LOTS of coconut milk) and not so easily digestable. David and I have already caught ourselves longing for salads...it's too early in the trip to do so!<br /><br />Although I am enjoying the relaxed pace of staying by the beach, as well as the clean ocean air (what a relief after the incredibly polluted Mumbai!) I am already looking forward to our next travels. We are planning to move up to Northern Goa in the next couple of days, where we should find a younger crowd of tourists, as well as raves, chill out music, and general partying... we'll see how that goes! After that, we will be moving to the region of Karnataka.<br /><br />A presto,<br />BiciBeatrice Barbareschihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13685745063687620485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545094028501814657.post-38298765571074908672009-01-19T04:55:00.000-08:002009-01-19T07:14:44.217-08:00Bhaja and Karla Caves in Lonavala.Today was our last day of official art-site-seeing for a while, as the 5 of us (David, Brian, Ben, Sarah and myself) leave for GOA tomorrow! Wohoo!<br /><br />We spent the morning in Lonavala, a town about an hour and a half car ride away from Mumbai. There are two sets of caves here: Bhaja and Karla. Baja has some of the earliest Buddhist art in India, dating back to the 2nd century B.C.E. It is a rather small complex, with only 2 caves with actual carvings, and it's located on top of a hill that overlooks a beautiful ghat (valley). Here's a glimpse of it from within one of the caves.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR4-CJmzeI/AAAAAAAAAL0/HcdoYbIKEHA/s1600-h/Picture+2.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR4-CJmzeI/AAAAAAAAAL0/HcdoYbIKEHA/s320/Picture+2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292988469191560674" border="0" /></a><br />The caves here are Buddhist but they are pre-iconic, so there are no actual images of the Buddha. Instead, there are a lot of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stupa">stupas</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR4_XbDc8I/AAAAAAAAAME/DfqX-k4Ig9U/s1600-h/Picture+4.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR4_XbDc8I/AAAAAAAAAME/DfqX-k4Ig9U/s320/Picture+4.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292988492081755074" border="0" /></a><br />The carvings that we did see, in the cave furthest from the entrace, appear to be portraits of donors, or of stories from a long long time ago (maybe mythical endevours involving elephants uprooting trees or chariots trumpling of demons...) The detail on these sculptures is beautiful. I was particularly interested in the hairdos of all the different characters.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR7c03lxLI/AAAAAAAAAN8/8874RmnqTG4/s1600-h/Picture+6.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 298px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR7c03lxLI/AAAAAAAAAN8/8874RmnqTG4/s320/Picture+6.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292991197225534642" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(This elephant is brandishing what looks like a tree and walking over human figures.)</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR7cT8RmqI/AAAAAAAAAN0/cuVlyHH8OWI/s1600-h/Picture+7.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 309px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR7cT8RmqI/AAAAAAAAAN0/cuVlyHH8OWI/s320/Picture+7.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292991188386814626" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(A detail from the image abouve. The main figure has a great flower garland around his neck.)</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR7cI0RpTI/AAAAAAAAANs/6PLj87xIlGU/s1600-h/Picture+8.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR7cI0RpTI/AAAAAAAAANs/6PLj87xIlGU/s320/Picture+8.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292991185400472882" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(Three drivers on a chariot driving over a demonic looking figure.)</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR7brzNO5I/AAAAAAAAANk/N0ne_gu8G-w/s1600-h/Picture+9.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR7brzNO5I/AAAAAAAAANk/N0ne_gu8G-w/s320/Picture+9.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292991177611361170" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(The beautiful hairdos of the three drivers.)</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR5AJE_n1I/AAAAAAAAAMM/PHzUow5f01Y/s1600-h/Picture+5.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 279px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR5AJE_n1I/AAAAAAAAAMM/PHzUow5f01Y/s320/Picture+5.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292988505411002194" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(David exemplifying the original use for a one-person-bench carved in the rock. Good vibes by the caves.)</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR4-oNKomI/AAAAAAAAAL8/-KqEnqa2G98/s1600-h/Picture+3.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR4-oNKomI/AAAAAAAAAL8/-KqEnqa2G98/s320/Picture+3.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292988479407039074" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(A sense of the scale of the major cave in Baja. Brian and David chilling on the second floor.)<br /></span></div><br />After Bhaja we went to Karla, where caves started being built in the first century C.E. Here there are images of the Buddha on the facade. However, the more attractive figures are those of the patrons of the cave, represented both in the columns within the temple and on the facade (which was sculpted later relatively to the interior of the temple.)<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR6pNewIAI/AAAAAAAAAM8/NwGXsFjRHlw/s1600-h/Picture+14.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR6pNewIAI/AAAAAAAAAM8/NwGXsFjRHlw/s320/Picture+14.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292990310479044610" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(The interior of the temple, where people - including David and Brian on the right - try getting a coin to rest on the wooden parasol on the top of the stupa.)</span><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR6qRiTwzI/AAAAAAAAANM/nWOAfYfNn9o/s1600-h/Picture+12.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR6qRiTwzI/AAAAAAAAANM/nWOAfYfNn9o/s320/Picture+12.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292990328747574066" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(A detail from one of the columns inside the temple. On each one, a different couple of patrons - husband and wife - is carved out sitting on top of playful looking elephants.)</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR6pgXnnZI/AAAAAAAAANE/m5ibmaSeN3I/s1600-h/Picture+13.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR6pgXnnZI/AAAAAAAAANE/m5ibmaSeN3I/s320/Picture+13.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292990315549400466" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(A general perspective of the columns.)</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR6rf__H-I/AAAAAAAAANc/jNqNvNPWLG0/s1600-h/Picture+10.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR6rf__H-I/AAAAAAAAANc/jNqNvNPWLG0/s320/Picture+10.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292990349810016226" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(Sexy patron couples carved on the facade of the temple.)<br /></span></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR6q1c41dI/AAAAAAAAANU/geueea-emOE/s1600-h/Picture+11.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR6q1c41dI/AAAAAAAAANU/geueea-emOE/s320/Picture+11.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292990338388514258" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR56YUrH1I/AAAAAAAAAM0/2QrQ7CUP-50/s1600-h/Picture+15.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR56YUrH1I/AAAAAAAAAM0/2QrQ7CUP-50/s320/Picture+15.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292989505935712082" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(These two couples have intricate hairdos as well as very thick bracelets on their arms and ankles. To me, they are reminiscent of some beautiful Aztec art I saw at a great exhibition at the <a href="http://www.fieldmuseum.org/aztecs/">Field Museum in Chicago</a> a while back.)</span><br /></div><br />Finally, these are the most colorful pictures of the day! This group of beautifully dressed women was up at the Karla cave, worshipping in a Hindu temple that has been placed RIGHT in FRONT of the main temple with the beautiful facade. An interesting adoption of the Buddhist site by the Hindus. In any case, I asked them to take a picture and they all posed very seriously and beautifully. They were accompanied by a group of men who just did not make my color standards!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR554AkokI/AAAAAAAAAMs/0uHg-AKH65U/s1600-h/Picture+16.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR554AkokI/AAAAAAAAAMs/0uHg-AKH65U/s320/Picture+16.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292989497261466178" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR55TMGi8I/AAAAAAAAAMk/6jALa-kBhOE/s1600-h/Picture+17.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR55TMGi8I/AAAAAAAAAMk/6jALa-kBhOE/s320/Picture+17.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292989487377714114" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR54kaXZKI/AAAAAAAAAMc/EsKKaD-9ep0/s1600-h/Picture+18.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 167px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR54kaXZKI/AAAAAAAAAMc/EsKKaD-9ep0/s320/Picture+18.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292989474821072034" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(For one picture I posed with them, but could not stand up for fear of towering over them in the image :-)</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR53-GkbuI/AAAAAAAAAMU/yt3r0aitKR4/s1600-h/Picture+19.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXR53-GkbuI/AAAAAAAAAMU/yt3r0aitKR4/s320/Picture+19.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292989464537493218" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(Finally, here are David and Brian surrounded by the lovely ladies - all from Maharashtra - as we made our decent from the caves.)</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />We leave tomorrow morning at 6.55am for Goa, and we will be spending about a week in the Southern part of the region, and slowly making our way North.<br /><br />All is well and we will post soon.<br />Bici<br /></div></div>Beatrice Barbareschihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13685745063687620485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545094028501814657.post-19685186047350313312009-01-18T16:58:00.000-08:002009-01-19T05:11:11.977-08:00Short details.This is how eggs from small farms make it to the large Crawford Market in Mumbai in the morning:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXPQ_HdU0lI/AAAAAAAAALk/O9uzSIt2eQI/s1600-h/Mumbai+eggs.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 247px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXPQ_HdU0lI/AAAAAAAAALk/O9uzSIt2eQI/s320/Mumbai+eggs.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292803769842848338" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Quite precarious. Below, a detail of the influence of British colonialism. This gigantic shoe stands tall in the hanging gardens of Mumbai for children to play in, a clear reference to the British nursery rhyme "There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe":<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">There was an old woman,</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"> Who lived in a shoe; </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"> She had so many children,</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"> She didn't know what to do.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"> She gave them some broth,</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"> Without any bread;</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"> She whipped them all soundly,</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"> And sent them to bed.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">How strange...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXPQ_gmoWSI/AAAAAAAAALs/pYpCSlcA3Jg/s1600-h/Mumbai+nursery+rhyme.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXPQ_gmoWSI/AAAAAAAAALs/pYpCSlcA3Jg/s320/Mumbai+nursery+rhyme.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292803776592763170" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div>Beatrice Barbareschihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13685745063687620485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545094028501814657.post-65773511996972733722009-01-17T08:59:00.000-08:002009-01-18T04:48:57.368-08:00Some catching up...Dear all,<br /><br />David and I have been gone from easy and fast internet for the past week, which is why we have not been able to update the blog as frequently as we did initially. In this break I have also realized that posting images is a great luxury, only truly possible with a high internet connection. As a result, after this post you might see a pretty steep decline in the photos we'll be able to share.<br /><br />What you see below are images of the laundry district in Mumbai, a very large area completely run by men who "beat the hell out of the clothes" (as David put it). These photos were taken in the middle of the day, when most of the beating action was over (apparently usually the sound is incredibly loud and somewhat synchronized). To make up for the relative quite, the clothes were all hanging, creating a colorful contrast against the polluted skyline of Mumbai.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIPL_fBgHI/AAAAAAAAAJc/cJUClkpYvjc/s1600-h/clothes+cleaners+2.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIPL_fBgHI/AAAAAAAAAJc/cJUClkpYvjc/s320/clothes+cleaners+2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292309210808287346" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIPLC2SEvI/AAAAAAAAAJU/rk-f8EnfB40/s1600-h/clothes+cleaners+1.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIPLC2SEvI/AAAAAAAAAJU/rk-f8EnfB40/s320/clothes+cleaners+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292309194531279602" border="0" /></a><br />All around the neighbour you see charts with plump, round, sari-like fabrics filled with clean/dirty clothes which is either being delivered back to the school/restaurant/hosptial from which it came, or being brought to the launderers. I'm not really sure which. In any case, the fabric in which the clothes itself is being carried caught my eye.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIdG1h6RRI/AAAAAAAAALc/9iPBMcGk75s/s1600-h/Mumbai+laundry+detail.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIdG1h6RRI/AAAAAAAAALc/9iPBMcGk75s/s320/Mumbai+laundry+detail.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292324515399484690" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIdGKXRB2I/AAAAAAAAALU/U7bjTVaLtVQ/s1600-h/Mumbai+laundry.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIdGKXRB2I/AAAAAAAAALU/U7bjTVaLtVQ/s320/Mumbai+laundry.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292324503812114274" border="0" /></a><br />Before seeing the laundry district (from an over passage - I don't believe you can walk through it), David and I visited the ex- Victoria and Albert Museum, today the <a href="http://bdlmuseum.org/">Dr. Bahu Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum</a>. This is a really special building in Mumbai: it's originally from the 1870's and its vibrant and somewhat baroque colors and architecture have only been recently restored (the process was over just a year ago). This is a picture of the top floor, but you can see more on their website. The museum offers an especially interesting exhibit of miniature terracotta figurines showing all the "different people of Mumbai" over the centuries. It's basically an ode to Mumbai as one of the first intercultural and global center in the world. Not surprising seen all the trading that went on that had to go through this gigantic natural harbor...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIPM5jn9aI/AAAAAAAAAJk/7_xZspDtkVY/s1600-h/museum+interior.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIPM5jn9aI/AAAAAAAAAJk/7_xZspDtkVY/s320/museum+interior.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292309226396841378" border="0" /></a><br />Next to the museum is a botanical garden eventually also turned zoo. This is because the British, who originally established the museum, wanted to create a center for the people of Mumbai where the best flora and fauna could be exhibited next to the best "cultural items"...the zoo is quite awful, but the garden attracts many Mumbai families, which is very sweet to watch. Also, within the zooo/park is a beautiful Japanese garden. Here's a picture of a great piece of bamboo: it looks like the green streaks have been painted on it!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIPKImozNI/AAAAAAAAAJM/iagGj5hibLE/s1600-h/bamboo+1.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIPKImozNI/AAAAAAAAAJM/iagGj5hibLE/s320/bamboo+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292309178896403666" border="0" /></a><br />The pictures above all come from our last day around Mumbai last week. The next day we left for Arungabad, a really polluted city which connects trains and planes to the beautiful world heritage sites of Ajanta and Ellora. We went to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajanta_Caves">Ajanta</a> first, a loud 2.5 hour bus ride north east of Arungabad. The caves at Ajanta have been carved out of volcanic rock (basalt) in an incredible ravine. Although right now the place looks quite barren (see below), <a href="http://www.palacesandtigers.com/images/gallery/india/Ajanta%20Caves.jpg">in the summer time</a> it undergoes a complete transformation- everything turns green and lush, there are 7 waterfalls at different points between the caves, and the river below them roars with monsoon water. David and I are planning to come back sometime during the rainy season to experience the site that way.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIP8XR1QAI/AAAAAAAAAJs/hEC-IwNzT4s/s1600-h/Ajanta+1.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIP8XR1QAI/AAAAAAAAAJs/hEC-IwNzT4s/s320/Ajanta+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292310041829130242" border="0" /></a><br />What was REALLY special at Ajanta was hanging out with 81 year old Prof. Walter Spink, an American scholar who teaches at Michigan University and has been working at Ajanta for the past 40 years trying to unravel some of the puzzles posed by this incredible complex of 27 Buddhist temples carved in the rock. He was delightful! First of all, his insight was crucial in bringing to life the site. He maintains that the caves were all made within a span of about 20 years from each other. This is contrarily to popular opinion, which argues that they were built over several centuries. Spink's theory is that all the caves were began to be constructed under one major king's patronage and encouragement, King Harisena. When he was abruptly assasinated in 478 CE, the site was abandoned. You can see traces of this in actual sculptures which are left unfinished. Check out the second buddhas for example:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIP9OKKf3I/AAAAAAAAAJ0/Jkot9EJ7czQ/s1600-h/Ajanta+2.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIP9OKKf3I/AAAAAAAAAJ0/Jkot9EJ7czQ/s320/Ajanta+2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292310056560918386" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIP9kGZw8I/AAAAAAAAAJ8/nfo4iEc_n2U/s1600-h/Ajanta+3.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIP9kGZw8I/AAAAAAAAAJ8/nfo4iEc_n2U/s320/Ajanta+3.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292310062450721730" border="0" /></a><br />They just weren't finished! Anyway, there is a lot of scholarship on the topic of these caves and Prof. Spink has written volumes and volumes about it. Here he is in a "historical picture", at the computer on which he's writing the 6th volume of his Ajanta collection (here David was helping him make room in the memory of his PC):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIP-4S7JeI/AAAAAAAAAKM/YTAoMsh_yxk/s1600-h/Ajanta+6.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIP-4S7JeI/AAAAAAAAAKM/YTAoMsh_yxk/s320/Ajanta+6.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292310085051819490" border="0" /></a><br />Prof. Spink took the morning of our second day in Ajanta to show us around some of the most important caves of the site (#1,2 and 4). Here he is together with Davind in the main chamber of the same cave as the buddhas above. This is a great picture to give you a sense of the size of these temples (they were carved from the top down i.e. from the ceiling to the floor):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIP-GMRQVI/AAAAAAAAAKE/dV07Z9_7x5U/s1600-h/Ajanta+5.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIP-GMRQVI/AAAAAAAAAKE/dV07Z9_7x5U/s320/Ajanta+5.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292310071602135378" border="0" /></a><br />David and I fell a little bit in love with Prof. Spink. He even recited some Yeats to us over dinner. It was absolutely special to be there with him and to hear his perspective on the caves, as well as on the politics between him and the Indian bureaucracy concerning access to the caves, lighting, design of the structure to access the caves, and many many more things...he really loves this site deeply.<br /><br />Here are some other images from the Ajanta caves to give you a sense of how sophisticated some of the art there is:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXISDDi-GnI/AAAAAAAAAKU/kXA-DocoIBM/s1600-h/Ajanta+7.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXISDDi-GnI/AAAAAAAAAKU/kXA-DocoIBM/s320/Ajanta+7.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292312355814644338" border="0" /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(The facade of cave 26, the last one accessible of the complex. Really massive. The carving is very good.)</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXISEsSDB5I/AAAAAAAAAKs/slscTf-I_5M/s1600-h/Ajanta+10.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXISEsSDB5I/AAAAAAAAAKs/slscTf-I_5M/s320/Ajanta+10.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292312383929386898" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(Inside cave 26. General smiling picture of Bici waving an arm for special effect. This is a beautiful carving of the Buddha reaching enlightenment, sorrounded by all sorts of distractions. Doesn't matter, he's moved beyond...)<br /></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXISD7aIeeI/AAAAAAAAAKc/ofG06mV2OJo/s1600-h/Ajanta+8.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 204px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXISD7aIeeI/AAAAAAAAAKc/ofG06mV2OJo/s320/Ajanta+8.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292312370809960930" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(Wealthy guardian figure. I love his hair do and how sensual his body is!)</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXISEAdAgxI/AAAAAAAAAKk/RbyV-EmpLMc/s1600-h/Ajanta+9.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXISEAdAgxI/AAAAAAAAAKk/RbyV-EmpLMc/s320/Ajanta+9.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292312372164199186" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(Inside the cave guarded by the sexy wealth guardian...)</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />By the way, apart from the temples, at Ajanta David and I were two rock stars/zoo-like attractions. We had people taking pictures of us all over the place, as well as gaping at us sitting in the grass as though we were monkeys in a cage:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIUzPefU7I/AAAAAAAAAK8/1g1v3zUnNoo/s1600-h/Ajanta+12.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIUzPefU7I/AAAAAAAAAK8/1g1v3zUnNoo/s320/Ajanta+12.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292315382674052018" border="0" /></a><br />After two days, David and I left Ajanta and Walter Spink behind, as well with this interesting group of puppies who were being fed by their grandmother. Incestuos confusion apart, they were adorable!<br /></div> </div> </div><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXISFMseqXI/AAAAAAAAAK0/SNQ7K-jBJ5A/s1600-h/Ajanta+11.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXISFMseqXI/AAAAAAAAAK0/SNQ7K-jBJ5A/s320/Ajanta+11.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292312392630184306" border="0" /></a><br />We spent the next two days in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellora">Ellora</a>, where we took far less pictures. This is my favorite: it gives you a sense of how deeply people carved in order to make <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_ZFuGLbPsj7E/Rxa-9qI4DaI/AAAAAAAAAD4/LMx7RBscmaI/IMG_0813.jpg">Temple Kailasa</a>, the main attraction of the site. I'm sure you can get more pictures of the temples themselves online or in books if you are interested.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIUznPN9QI/AAAAAAAAALE/S1Wermj_cOM/s1600-h/Ellora+1.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIUznPN9QI/AAAAAAAAALE/S1Wermj_cOM/s320/Ellora+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292315389052450050" border="0" /></a><br />Ellora was definitely impressive. Particularly the Jain temples, further away than the Buddhist and Hindu temples (unlike Ajanta, which is totally dedicated to Buddhism, Ellora's temples are separated into three sections, each devoted to a different religion.) <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_24ubg_sIPJw/R9WCOg8rDWI/AAAAAAAAC8M/yhHIL9a7Brc/DSCN0994.JPG">She</a> was definitely one of our favorite figures in one of the Jain caves, in <a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2287/1614668608_c7752bcadf.jpg?v=0">cave 32</a>. Still, David and I missed Prof. Spink very much: the trip here was not quite the treat Ajanta turned out to be!<br /><br />Anyway, this is all the writing I can muster for one session. Oh! Today Brian joined us! In a pre-iconic quotation of Buddhist art (meaning: when Buddha still was not portrayed, but was merely symbolized by his footprints) here is a picture of our shoes: David, Brian and Bici. Your riddle: whose are whose? (Hairy legs are not a necessarily reliable clue, as I have been known to shun waxing for months...)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIcBHcc6OI/AAAAAAAAALM/Aci5iP5AMoc/s1600-h/Mumbai+shoes.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SXIcBHcc6OI/AAAAAAAAALM/Aci5iP5AMoc/s320/Mumbai+shoes.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292323317617584354" border="0" /></a><br />Tomorrow we will be joined by Sarah and Ben Lurrie, two other friends. Together we will be going site seeing for another couple of days, and eventually making our way to Goa, to lie in the sun like lizards.<br /><br />I will write more the next chance I get.<br />BiciBeatrice Barbareschihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13685745063687620485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545094028501814657.post-284801422790216042009-01-10T03:21:00.000-08:002009-01-19T05:11:48.278-08:00Elephanta Island.Today at 7am David and I temporarily left Mumbai behind and headed towards <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephanta_Island">Elephanta Island</a>. We went there to see a temple carved out of stone (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basalt">basalt</a>) dedicated to Shiva . Below is a shot of David as we made our way to the island, as well as an image of the <a href="http://www.tajhotels.com/Palace/The%20Taj%20Mahal%20Palace%20%26%20Tower,MUMBAI/default.htm">Taj</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gateway_of_India">Gateway of India</a> seen from the water. David mentioned that this used to be the first glimpse of India for all travelers who reached the country by boat in the past (minus the tourist boats and the tower). Almost at the same time as David said this, I was thinking that this was the way by which the November 08 attackers reached the Taj… By the way, we have heard different thoughts about the attacks, but those we have spoken with agree that life goes on pretty much as usual.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWiGBSPdYVI/AAAAAAAAAIU/fw7Nd2uxITo/s1600-h/Picture+5.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWiGBSPdYVI/AAAAAAAAAIU/fw7Nd2uxITo/s320/Picture+5.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289625118981316946" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWiGjQW4onI/AAAAAAAAAIc/GDO68afSQO8/s1600-h/Picture+6.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWiGjQW4onI/AAAAAAAAAIc/GDO68afSQO8/s320/Picture+6.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289625702591144562" border="0" /></a><br />On Elephanta there are 3 villages, and a total of about 1200 inhabitants. I imagine most of them make their living off of the tourists who visit the island. To get to the temple you have to climb about 120 steps. If you are unable to make it up by yourself, there are porters that will do it using one of these colorful chairs.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWiHEdwctPI/AAAAAAAAAIk/1YMduMmfJsk/s1600-h/Picture+4.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWiHEdwctPI/AAAAAAAAAIk/1YMduMmfJsk/s320/Picture+4.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289626273123710194" border="0" /></a><br />Because we arranged to get to the island privately and early (boat loads of people usually begin to arrive at 10am), we had a special experience of the temple. The only ones there so early in the morning were the women of the nearby village, busy filling up aluminum containers with water from the tank next to the temple (the tank, a huge cave, collects water during the monsoons which lasts throughout the dry season. Our guide called it “drinking water”, but the plastic bottles and trash floating in the water made me a little doubtful about its drinkability…) Apart from a few hungry monkeys and our amusingly misinformed guide, we were alone with the beautiful carvings. Below are a couple of images of the main sculpture of Shiva as creator (right), preserver (center), and destroyer (left, with beard). The picture with David gives you a sense of how large these sculptures are.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWlauKf3BsI/AAAAAAAAAJE/pH8r8DIQN9Y/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWlauKf3BsI/AAAAAAAAAJE/pH8r8DIQN9Y/s320/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289858986461824706" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWiIKltCTPI/AAAAAAAAAI0/tvtpCFds_Yw/s1600-h/Picture+2.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWiIKltCTPI/AAAAAAAAAI0/tvtpCFds_Yw/s320/Picture+2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289627477847723250" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWiIiFL-RtI/AAAAAAAAAI8/v9VqRIrC4JU/s1600-h/Picture+3.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 319px; height: 424px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWiIiFL-RtI/AAAAAAAAAI8/v9VqRIrC4JU/s320/Picture+3.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289627881435973330" border="0" /></a><br />We got back to the city around 11am and went for a great <a href="http://www.travelblog.org/Photos/1760191.html">dosa</a> nearby the harbor. Now we are at the hotel. David’s jet lag has overcome him (he was on Chicago time) and he’s fast asleep. When we get back from walking around the city we are usually pretty exhausted. The heat, the continuous honking, the pollution and different sellers constantly approaching us will do it. Hopefully we will get more and more adjusted and be able to last longer without a nap.Beatrice Barbareschihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13685745063687620485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545094028501814657.post-21626518889713790802009-01-09T23:45:00.000-08:002009-01-19T05:12:12.213-08:00An update from Thursday, Jan 8.I would have liked to upload all this two days ago...<br /><br />Thursday we went to the <a href="http://www.bombaymuseum.org/">Chhatrapathi Shivaji Mahraja Vastu Sangrahalaya</a>, formerly known by it’s more easily remembered name: Prince of Wales Museum. These are images of the garden around the museum and of the statue of the Prince of Wales getting a cleaning. This is the only statue of a British persona left in all of Mumbai.<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWhbz2TLLGI/AAAAAAAAAH0/WMm2Q_9Fnt0/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 235px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWhbz2TLLGI/AAAAAAAAAH0/WMm2Q_9Fnt0/s320/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289578708654042210" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWhYf6g2etI/AAAAAAAAAHU/JkXzF2T0wgE/s1600-h/Picture+2.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 341px; height: 277px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWhYf6g2etI/AAAAAAAAAHU/JkXzF2T0wgE/s320/Picture+2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289575067652881106" border="0" /></a></div><br />At the museum, these were two of my favorite pieces. The figure of a dancer done by a kashmiri artist:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWhZZ_w-_tI/AAAAAAAAAHc/H6Wf6t69upw/s1600-h/Picture+6.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 165px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWhZZ_w-_tI/AAAAAAAAAHc/H6Wf6t69upw/s320/Picture+6.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289576065495138002" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWhaD-MtxmI/AAAAAAAAAHk/qfUE-fjF_ek/s1600-h/Picture+5.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 237px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWhaD-MtxmI/AAAAAAAAAHk/qfUE-fjF_ek/s320/Picture+5.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289576786629084770" border="0" /></a></div>And this intricately carved elephant tusk. Really beautiful work. Unfortunately the resolution is not great, but you should be able to distinguish an ox pulling a cart.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWhamkN912I/AAAAAAAAAHs/Uv5Ywi0GPUY/s1600-h/Picture+13.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWhamkN912I/AAAAAAAAAHs/Uv5Ywi0GPUY/s320/Picture+13.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289577380950431586" border="0" /></a><br />On our way to the museum we crossed a large park, right next to Bombay University, that's basically grass-less flatland perfect for cricket.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWhdKce5DCI/AAAAAAAAAIE/noBmFQK6FzA/s1600-h/Picture+3.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 235px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWhdKce5DCI/AAAAAAAAAIE/noBmFQK6FzA/s320/Picture+3.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289580196372483106" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWhdm9z3A-I/AAAAAAAAAIM/zFRjmGfHDM0/s1600-h/Picture+4.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 236px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWhdm9z3A-I/AAAAAAAAAIM/zFRjmGfHDM0/s320/Picture+4.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289580686355137506" border="0" /></a><br />After a long walk through the galleries of this funny building—a mix of Hindu, Muslim and Christian architecture (!?!) – we returned “home” for a quick nap (<a href="http://www.hotelmarineplaza.com/">Hotel Marine Plaza</a> - I am including the link for those who need a recommendation for where to stay in Mumbai. The hotel is on the expensive end, but it's in an incredible location and has very good rooms and food.)<br /><br />Next came a lovely shopping experience at <a href="http://www.fabindia.com/company.asp">FabIndia</a>. We were escorted there by Namita, the wife of a friend of David's, who introduced us to this colorful and high quality store of local Indian cottons and silks. I tried on several <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salwar_kameez">salwar kameezes</a>, before deciding on two cotton outfits (for a Bici catwalk see below.)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWhcIAutDeI/AAAAAAAAAH8/-UCUDcUHdaw/s1600-h/Picture+7.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 114px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWhcIAutDeI/AAAAAAAAAH8/-UCUDcUHdaw/s320/Picture+7.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289579055051247074" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Photo courtesy of David Pritzker<br /></span></div><br />Tonight we had a great dinner of vegetarian kebab and I learned that in Bengal a meal is always served in separate courses, meat never coming on the same plate as vegetables. In Western India instead, such as here in Mumbai, a plate of food will be composed of a legume (such as a dahl), a yoghurt based dish, a green vegetable, a non-green vegetable, and <a href="http://ammar.fuzedbulb.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/roti0266.jpg">roti</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papadum">papadum</a>. Rice will only be served midway through the course, once the wheat (i.e. roti/papadum) has been consumed. Basically, a <a href="http://community.iexplore.com/photos/journal_photos/goa_thali_4.jpg">thali</a>.<br /><br />The food is delicious and all is well...Beatrice Barbareschihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13685745063687620485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545094028501814657.post-52070220656347238912009-01-07T19:11:00.000-08:002009-01-07T19:37:02.608-08:00Travel India 1/8/09Dear All,<br />I have arrived in London and am waiting for my Bici so that we may leave for Mumbai. Packing was not so enjoyable though it is an interesting test of materiality- what do I really NEED? No matter Bici and I will soon find out.<br /><br />I can't help but begin to get tickles of excitement now that I have landed in the first among many stepping off points. London seems particularly appropriate as the first point of our trip.<br /><br />1/6/09<br /><br /><br /><br />Dear All,<br /><br />May you all have happiness and the causes of happiness. Be free from suffering and its causes. Abide in happiness free from suffering, and remain peaceful free from attachment and aversion.<br /><br />London was cold. But now Bici and I are reunited and are in Mumbai and the weather is good. We had our first tahli meal and I had a dosa for dinner ( a personal favourite). We walked all over last night beginning by going to the Gateway to India. The Taj looks magnificent at night all lit up with people hangin about in the public space between it and the Gate. Many windows there are boarded up and it looks like they are working through the night and fix. There is security at our hotel but it is not at all harsh or intrusive.<br /><br />Today Bici and I will be going to the <a href="http://www.bombaymuseum.org/">Prince of Wales Museum</a> for the morning and then I hope to eat another dosa (mmm mmm mmm, yummm yummm yummm!) and then we need to go do a little shopping for B who has intelligently brought next to no cloths so that she may buy all appropriate gear for the the climate and culture here (as usual men get off easy wearing a buttoned down and slacks).<br /><br />The both of us are very much still settling in at the very beginning of a five month trip and excitements, anticipations, unknowns, and general confusion / jet lag / and awe, all mixed together work themselves out.<br /><br />While that happens I am very very very excited to go to the Museum this morning!<br /><br /><br />With love and happiness,<br /><br />David<span style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"><br /></span>DTPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09680173821253056639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545094028501814657.post-63238742624030924502009-01-06T10:23:00.000-08:002009-01-06T10:28:06.752-08:00leaving london<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWOirKVg-6I/AAAAAAAAAHE/CF7WOJPcSOg/s1600-h/sky+mxp-gatwick.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 429px; height: 321px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O4H-0aObybE/SWOirKVg-6I/AAAAAAAAAHE/CF7WOJPcSOg/s320/sky+mxp-gatwick.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288249249855765410" border="0" /></a><br />on our way to heathrow airport!<br /><br />this is a sunset above the london sky when i came in yesterday.<br /><br />we'll be in mumbai in less than 12 hours!<br /><br />biciBeatrice Barbareschihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13685745063687620485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545094028501814657.post-66593187502200106112009-01-04T08:18:00.000-08:002009-01-04T15:56:49.941-08:00Before we leave...I just finished setting up this blog for all those interested in following David and myself through the next 5/6 months. We will be posting pictures and thoughts about our travels in South India as often as we get a chance to.<br /><br />Right now David is on his way to London: his plane left Chicago just a few minutes ago. I am leaving tomorrow to meet him in London, and we will leave for Mumbai at 9pm on the 6th.<br /><br />Please feel free to leave us comments with thoughts/ideas/advice as we move along in our travels.<br /><br />BiciBeatrice Barbareschihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13685745063687620485noreply@blogger.com2