Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The morning consisted of a visit to the Armenian College, founded in 1821 in Calcutta. Thackeray was born there in 1811.
A program in both Armenian and Bengali was presented by the schoolchildren who recited poems in both languages, danced Indian classical dances and performed an Armenian play by Gevorg Emin. I think they had the most fun with the fast paced Punjabi dance.
Afterwards guests were able to visit the newly renovated parts of the school. Lunch was in the cafeteria followed by my farewells to everyone.
I caught a taxi to the domestic terminal. At the security desk, a female guard did a tafteesh while another one checked my boarding pass; the latter asked me “Are you Indian maam?” to which I answered “no, I’m Armenian” and seeing her blank stare added “I’m Western Asian”.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Lectures in the new community center
During the course of the morning, the community center in Tangra was inaugurated with a series of lectures by scholars.
Opening remarks were by the community leader Mr. Soukias who spoke about the redevelopment of the Armenian-Indian community.
Following was the first lecture entitled “Armenian Church in India: Restoration and Renovation Programme” and was delivered in Armenian by Father Oshagan Gulgulian. He showed slides of pictures of pre and post renovation in various cities taken in 2005 and later.
Fr Gulgulian noted that these buildings are part of the Indian heritage as well as the Armenian one. A total of 8 churches exist in India, 5 of them in West Bengal. I approached Fr Gulgulian to ask him for a paper copy and he said he is close to publishing a book about the region’s churches.
After a community of 40,000 in India there is only 150 or so plus the students. The community is always hoping for visitors and that some of the students of the college stay after graduation.
The second speaker was Prof Richard Hovanissian of UCLA who spoke about the concept of Armenian communities of the diasporan and the homeland. His first visit to India was 50 years; he had noticed that there was a strong link between India, and other eastern diasporan communities and New Julfa (homeland).
Important personalities in Madras: Joseph Emin (check out his autobiography in English circa 1782) and Movses Baghramian, Shahamir Shahamirian (a tailor who established a printing press and published a book entitled Nor Dedrag vor gochi godorag and another book Nor Dedrag vor gochi nshavag) and Fr. Shmavon. Ideas that emerged from this group included some very avant-guarde ones, such as national education, separation of church and state, equality, an Armenian Parliament named DOUN, in a democratic constitutional Armenia.
While Madras was concerned with a future liberated Armenia, Calcutta believed more in permanency in India: two schools were built for women, plus the College; there were several newspapers. The community believed in individual liberation and then collected liberation of the Armenian people.
After the lecture, Prof Hovanissian graciously presented copies of all his books to the College’s wardens.
Dr. Omar Khalili of MIT’s Aga Khan program for Islamic architecture presented his paper Places of Piety and Eternal Rest: Armenian Churches and cemeteries in India. He spoke in detail about the architecture of the Armenian churches in India.
In his closing remarks, Mr. Soukias added that the community participates in many ways in Indian life. For example, after the tsunami a few years ago, and after the NGOs had left, Calcutta had 140 orphans and the Armenian community took care of them. They’ve also participated in the creation of a school in the slums, sponsored programs to help the disinfrenchised and a hostel that saves children from forced labor camps. The Armenian community has helped build the first trauma center in the region as well as a children’s HIV hospital in East India.
Tuesday afternoon, we visited the smaller St Gregory’s church where I found out they have a visiting doctor. I consulted him regarding my cold and got a prescription which cost me $3.00 to fill. I slept much better at night.
Opening remarks were by the community leader Mr. Soukias who spoke about the redevelopment of the Armenian-Indian community.
Following was the first lecture entitled “Armenian Church in India: Restoration and Renovation Programme” and was delivered in Armenian by Father Oshagan Gulgulian. He showed slides of pictures of pre and post renovation in various cities taken in 2005 and later.
Fr Gulgulian noted that these buildings are part of the Indian heritage as well as the Armenian one. A total of 8 churches exist in India, 5 of them in West Bengal. I approached Fr Gulgulian to ask him for a paper copy and he said he is close to publishing a book about the region’s churches.
After a community of 40,000 in India there is only 150 or so plus the students. The community is always hoping for visitors and that some of the students of the college stay after graduation.
The second speaker was Prof Richard Hovanissian of UCLA who spoke about the concept of Armenian communities of the diasporan and the homeland. His first visit to India was 50 years; he had noticed that there was a strong link between India, and other eastern diasporan communities and New Julfa (homeland).
Important personalities in Madras: Joseph Emin (check out his autobiography in English circa 1782) and Movses Baghramian, Shahamir Shahamirian (a tailor who established a printing press and published a book entitled Nor Dedrag vor gochi godorag and another book Nor Dedrag vor gochi nshavag) and Fr. Shmavon. Ideas that emerged from this group included some very avant-guarde ones, such as national education, separation of church and state, equality, an Armenian Parliament named DOUN, in a democratic constitutional Armenia.
While Madras was concerned with a future liberated Armenia, Calcutta believed more in permanency in India: two schools were built for women, plus the College; there were several newspapers. The community believed in individual liberation and then collected liberation of the Armenian people.
After the lecture, Prof Hovanissian graciously presented copies of all his books to the College’s wardens.
Dr. Omar Khalili of MIT’s Aga Khan program for Islamic architecture presented his paper Places of Piety and Eternal Rest: Armenian Churches and cemeteries in India. He spoke in detail about the architecture of the Armenian churches in India.
In his closing remarks, Mr. Soukias added that the community participates in many ways in Indian life. For example, after the tsunami a few years ago, and after the NGOs had left, Calcutta had 140 orphans and the Armenian community took care of them. They’ve also participated in the creation of a school in the slums, sponsored programs to help the disinfrenchised and a hostel that saves children from forced labor camps. The Armenian community has helped build the first trauma center in the region as well as a children’s HIV hospital in East India.
Tuesday afternoon, we visited the smaller St Gregory’s church where I found out they have a visiting doctor. I consulted him regarding my cold and got a prescription which cost me $3.00 to fill. I slept much better at night.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Calcutta: Celebration week begins
I am only doing part of this week's events.
Today I rested then did a little bit of shopping.
We arrived late in the afternoon at the Armenian Church in Tangra, an old tannery neighborhood, where a new community center was recently completed.
After the Hrashapar ceremony, with 200 visitors, some students from the Armenian College, a large group of Armenian clergymen from all over the world, and the Etchmiadzin choir singing, His Holiness did a mini ceremony for the centre, and thanked everyone.
We had dinner al fresco, buffet style, sitting around tables under a large tent.
Today I rested then did a little bit of shopping.
We arrived late in the afternoon at the Armenian Church in Tangra, an old tannery neighborhood, where a new community center was recently completed.
After the Hrashapar ceremony, with 200 visitors, some students from the Armenian College, a large group of Armenian clergymen from all over the world, and the Etchmiadzin choir singing, His Holiness did a mini ceremony for the centre, and thanked everyone.
We had dinner al fresco, buffet style, sitting around tables under a large tent.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Chennai: St Mary's Armenian Church
In the morning, we drove to St Mary’s (Sourp Asdvadzadzin) church in Chennai for the 300th anniversary reconsecration ceremony by His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II.
We had refreshments afterwards and got to chat with His Holiness in an informal gathering.
It was very moving to hear the church bells toll and us walk in for the church ceremony, to hear Krapar and Sharagans in India.
I took a brief tour of the grounds and paid homage to the tomb of Rev. Haroutiun Shmavonian, founder of Aztarar, the first Armenian periodical published in Madras, 1794.
Lunch was at the Taj hotel. It was a lovely affair and then some of us did some shopping while others rested. We have a flight tonight into Calcutta where the Armenian program continues. Unfortunately I will not be able to attend everything as I have to fly home.
We had refreshments afterwards and got to chat with His Holiness in an informal gathering.
It was very moving to hear the church bells toll and us walk in for the church ceremony, to hear Krapar and Sharagans in India.
I took a brief tour of the grounds and paid homage to the tomb of Rev. Haroutiun Shmavonian, founder of Aztarar, the first Armenian periodical published in Madras, 1794.
Lunch was at the Taj hotel. It was a lovely affair and then some of us did some shopping while others rested. We have a flight tonight into Calcutta where the Armenian program continues. Unfortunately I will not be able to attend everything as I have to fly home.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Madras/Chennai
After pickup at the train station, I got to the hotel around noon and rested. At dinner time I met up with the Armenian group which had arrived via Calcutta.
This was mostly a day of rest and getting to know each other. I caught up on sleep.
This was mostly a day of rest and getting to know each other. I caught up on sleep.
Friday, November 07, 2008
Kochin: City Tour
Today being Friday, the Dutch palace and the Synagogue were closed. I saw the Dutch cemetary (1724), Fort Cochin (where the giant Chinese nets are located), the Santa Cruz Bazilica (originally built 1506) with pastel colored murals from the renovations in the early 20th c, and St Francis church built 1503, where Vasco de Gama was buried in 1524 for 14 years or so before his remains were returned to Lisbon. I've seen the newer grave but it was before I did my travel blog :-)
At lunch I had a simple grilled fish with a ton of garlic, and some garlic naan.
In the afternoon, we went to visit the Hill palace, where the last Raj of Kochin used to live prior to unification. His forefather had received a golden crown from Vasco de Gama 5 centuries ago. Another impressive object was the thrown which is in silver. There are portraits of the rajes, while the rest of the artefacts are from the archaeological society which currently runs the buildings. Most interesting for me were the early stone carvings showing Malayalam script's early versions and several manuscripts of important books such as the ramayana and the Mahabarata, ayurveda treaties.
After a bit of shopping to get some spices, I had dinner and went to the train station for a 12 hour (overnight) ride to Chennai (Madras).
At lunch I had a simple grilled fish with a ton of garlic, and some garlic naan.
In the afternoon, we went to visit the Hill palace, where the last Raj of Kochin used to live prior to unification. His forefather had received a golden crown from Vasco de Gama 5 centuries ago. Another impressive object was the thrown which is in silver. There are portraits of the rajes, while the rest of the artefacts are from the archaeological society which currently runs the buildings. Most interesting for me were the early stone carvings showing Malayalam script's early versions and several manuscripts of important books such as the ramayana and the Mahabarata, ayurveda treaties.
After a bit of shopping to get some spices, I had dinner and went to the train station for a 12 hour (overnight) ride to Chennai (Madras).
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Kerala: Backwaters
This morning I was picked up at 9 am to go to the Backwaters. We drove to Veikom, in the district of Kottayam to board our houseboat, or kettuvallam.
We were four passengers, two punters and our guide.
We went first into the Muvattupula river, in the backwaters where fresh water and the Arabian sea meet, then continued into man made canals and then into Vembanad Lake, the second largest in India.
This year’s two monsoons in Kerala were unusual; there was not enough rain and the coconut trees show it. Nevertheless, it’s a lush area with lots of trees, water lilies, wild pineapples, mimosa plants and water hyacinths. We also saw various birds including kingfisher and cormorans.
Amongst the edible plants we saw in one of the islands were green pepper corns on their vines, jack fruits, various bananas and tamarinds, papaya, nutmeg, cocoa, turmeric, “drumstick” and bethel fruit.
We stopped in a village to watch the making of ropes from the coconut fibers. Our guide explained how toddi, an alcoholic beverage, is made from coconut juice, that there are 100 uses coconut, the trees, leaves and so forth and that they’re harvested every two months. We saw how oyster shells are collected then dried to harvest calcium from them.
We took a lunch break in one of the islands, where we ate a copious keralan meal on a banana leaf.
After lunch we continued on to the lake, where we saw fishermen catching their prey by hand, and keeping them in their dhotis (men’s ankle length skirt).
Our six hour excursion in the backwaters was very relaxing. The area is quite pristine, but is suffering from more humans populating the area. There are conservation efforts there as well as the many preserves in the area.
We were four passengers, two punters and our guide.
We went first into the Muvattupula river, in the backwaters where fresh water and the Arabian sea meet, then continued into man made canals and then into Vembanad Lake, the second largest in India.
This year’s two monsoons in Kerala were unusual; there was not enough rain and the coconut trees show it. Nevertheless, it’s a lush area with lots of trees, water lilies, wild pineapples, mimosa plants and water hyacinths. We also saw various birds including kingfisher and cormorans.
Amongst the edible plants we saw in one of the islands were green pepper corns on their vines, jack fruits, various bananas and tamarinds, papaya, nutmeg, cocoa, turmeric, “drumstick” and bethel fruit.
We stopped in a village to watch the making of ropes from the coconut fibers. Our guide explained how toddi, an alcoholic beverage, is made from coconut juice, that there are 100 uses coconut, the trees, leaves and so forth and that they’re harvested every two months. We saw how oyster shells are collected then dried to harvest calcium from them.
We took a lunch break in one of the islands, where we ate a copious keralan meal on a banana leaf.
After lunch we continued on to the lake, where we saw fishermen catching their prey by hand, and keeping them in their dhotis (men’s ankle length skirt).
Our six hour excursion in the backwaters was very relaxing. The area is quite pristine, but is suffering from more humans populating the area. There are conservation efforts there as well as the many preserves in the area.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Kerala: Arrival in Cochin
Yesterday afternoon I checked out and then went to the internet café to upload some pictures. I had a good chat with my sister-in-law and then returned for 8pm pickup. After about an hour’s drive, Angelo and I got to the train station. I invited him to dinner because he wouldn’t accept my tip, so I bought us dinner and then gave him a tip anyway because he had driven me back and forth from the station for 3 hours.
At 10pm, Angelo left and I waited for my train in the Women's Waiting Room. The train was about 20 minutes late. The family waiting on the platform, husband wife and two young kids happened to be my berth neighbours. We were in the B2 compartment, which has three level berths. We managed to get a night’s sleep after tickets were checked.
In the morning, we had breakfast delivered as it is the custom here, and then at 11:30, we had lunch. The state of Kerala is very green and beautiful from what I could see in the train ride. Cochin has quite a different feel to it.
After a bit of rest, I am going to go to a concert tonight. Very much looking forward to it.
At 10pm, Angelo left and I waited for my train in the Women's Waiting Room. The train was about 20 minutes late. The family waiting on the platform, husband wife and two young kids happened to be my berth neighbours. We were in the B2 compartment, which has three level berths. We managed to get a night’s sleep after tickets were checked.
In the morning, we had breakfast delivered as it is the custom here, and then at 11:30, we had lunch. The state of Kerala is very green and beautiful from what I could see in the train ride. Cochin has quite a different feel to it.
After a bit of rest, I am going to go to a concert tonight. Very much looking forward to it.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Goa visit to Northern Part
Thoughts on the road:
I need to make Sambar when I get back home. It's my favourite dish so far. The vindaloo in Goa is worth writing home about. Naan in Goa is 15 R, about 30 cents.
I need to cherish the memories of how I kept to myself yet people approached me on the Princesa de Goya and on the beach with the simple request of "One picture please", as if I were a VIP.
I need to remember how parents cherish their kids, especially the father-daughter connections, which I witnessed again and again.
Today's morning tour took us to the vicinity of yet another Portuguese heritage, the 17th century Fort Agua lighthouse, the jail nearby and the boat trip we took to see the grey dolphins (for an additional 200 R). We were able to see several sightings, but alas, I think I managed only one decent picture of a tail.
This was followed by a couple of stops at beaches which were overcrowded and so I stayed a little behind. I roamed around instead and bought a book by Naupal.
FYI: My fellow travellers and guide were all Indians; the guide was kind enough to translate for me where we were and what time to get back to the bus, always with a smile.
After the return to the hotel, I quickly took a shower to freshen up and packed. I checked out of my room, and then had lunch. I have several hours to kill before my 10pm train. I will arrive in Cochin tomorrow at about 2pm.
I need to make Sambar when I get back home. It's my favourite dish so far. The vindaloo in Goa is worth writing home about. Naan in Goa is 15 R, about 30 cents.
I need to cherish the memories of how I kept to myself yet people approached me on the Princesa de Goya and on the beach with the simple request of "One picture please", as if I were a VIP.
I need to remember how parents cherish their kids, especially the father-daughter connections, which I witnessed again and again.
Today's morning tour took us to the vicinity of yet another Portuguese heritage, the 17th century Fort Agua lighthouse, the jail nearby and the boat trip we took to see the grey dolphins (for an additional 200 R). We were able to see several sightings, but alas, I think I managed only one decent picture of a tail.
This was followed by a couple of stops at beaches which were overcrowded and so I stayed a little behind. I roamed around instead and bought a book by Naupal.
FYI: My fellow travellers and guide were all Indians; the guide was kind enough to translate for me where we were and what time to get back to the bus, always with a smile.
After the return to the hotel, I quickly took a shower to freshen up and packed. I checked out of my room, and then had lunch. I have several hours to kill before my 10pm train. I will arrive in Cochin tomorrow at about 2pm.
Monday, November 03, 2008
Goa
November 3, 2008
I had a lunch of Prawn curry, my first non-veg meal. At 2 pm we had a tour of Old Goa, , Miramar Beach and a one hour boat cruise.
Our first stop was the Mangueshi Temple, where I witnessed several blessings and heard beautiful chanting. Out of respect, I didn’t take pictures.
Our next stop was in Old Goa, the Basilica of Bom Jesus, a 16th c church, one of the Unesco World Heritage sites. The body of Saint Francis Xavier, the founder of the Jesuits, lies here. There is an interesting legend about the body.
I took a few pictures outside and inside the basilica and the Professed House next door with its cloister. We only had 20 minutes in this site. We spent lots of time in transit and some in traffic.
At about 5pm, we were at the beach of Miramar, where I had enough time to walk straight to the water and dip my feet in the Arabian Sea. Something wonderful happened there; several young couples approached me to have their picture taken with me.
At six we boarded the Princes de Goa boat for a tour of the Mandovi River. Barely off the jetty, the DJ invited the young kids to dance; the entertainment included Goan folk dancing and more disco dancing. I tried to concentrate on the river view. The boat had some snacks and drinks. So after the tour, I headed out to dinner and enjoyed a chicken vindaloo.
After dinner I bought a couple of bags; one for me, and another for a gift.
I had a lunch of Prawn curry, my first non-veg meal. At 2 pm we had a tour of Old Goa, , Miramar Beach and a one hour boat cruise.
Our first stop was the Mangueshi Temple, where I witnessed several blessings and heard beautiful chanting. Out of respect, I didn’t take pictures.
Our next stop was in Old Goa, the Basilica of Bom Jesus, a 16th c church, one of the Unesco World Heritage sites. The body of Saint Francis Xavier, the founder of the Jesuits, lies here. There is an interesting legend about the body.
I took a few pictures outside and inside the basilica and the Professed House next door with its cloister. We only had 20 minutes in this site. We spent lots of time in transit and some in traffic.
At about 5pm, we were at the beach of Miramar, where I had enough time to walk straight to the water and dip my feet in the Arabian Sea. Something wonderful happened there; several young couples approached me to have their picture taken with me.
At six we boarded the Princes de Goa boat for a tour of the Mandovi River. Barely off the jetty, the DJ invited the young kids to dance; the entertainment included Goan folk dancing and more disco dancing. I tried to concentrate on the river view. The boat had some snacks and drinks. So after the tour, I headed out to dinner and enjoyed a chicken vindaloo.
After dinner I bought a couple of bags; one for me, and another for a gift.
Goa: En route and arrival
I woke up after a very long and satisfying sleep at 7am on the dot, and having had only a snack for dinner, was ravenous. After a copious breakfast of rice and vegetables (I’ve been veg and alcohol free ever since landing) and lots of coffee I packed and was ready for pickup at 9:15 am.
In this high end Comfort inn, the elevator man picks you up to the tune of Fur Elise which plays when you pushed the button to call the elevator. He wears a red uniform and always asks how you’ve slept.
My trip to Goa was supposed to start at the historic Victoria Terminal (VCT) but due to the change of schedule I departed instead at 11:40am from the crazy Lokmanya Tilak, The station was a complete madhouse, and the police were beating people with long sticks whenever something foul was happening (or maybe not). I sat for 45 minutes before departure in my second class AC but didn’t climb up to my berth. It didn’t have a window and I was taking the train to see the country after all.
Once the train started rolling, it was interesting to see people tending to their little plots near the tracks. They plant herbs and vegetables it seems wherever they can.
There are so many shanty towns around and inside Mumbai. Children and adults sleeping, eating and bathing on the street corners of a city which has officially 15 million residents.
The elderly gentlemen L. Watts sat across from me for a while. He’s a railway employee on his way home to the South, with a day and a half in the train. He helped me order my lunch. We ate on our lap, rice with lime pickle, bean curry, sambar and curd (which I didn’t drink). He talked at length about his mixed heritage, his daughter’s wedding and his grandchild, his love of Country music, and visited me a few minutes here and there during the 12 hour train ride.
Others who came and went included a young woman and her daughter, then a man and his toddler. The relationships were beautiful to watch. I took some pictures during the ride. I find the kids to be generally well mannered and very happy. The adults are generally very polite.
After lunchtime, the train car got very quiet and people drew their curtains to have a snooze. It looked like a scene from “Some like it Hot”. It was quiet except for the sellers walking by with their calls, “Tea-tea”, “Coffee-Coffee”, or “pakora-pakora-primri-primri”.
The express to Goa stopped every once in a while for 10 minutes or so at either a station or to wait for track changes.
Halfway to Goa, my cellphone receives an automated text message “Welcome to Goa and Maharashtra”. My T-Mobile GSM phone is working fine now that I know which codes to dial. No one at the hotel could advise me of the codes. But when we stopped for the tire change in the slums, the Vodaphone/cigarette seller told me to dial 00 for outside and one 0 then the local number for India.
I was reading quite a bit during the train ride, but once in a while would take a peek outside to see the lonely palm tree, or the groves, the women and men tending to their crop in perfectly square patches of cultivated land.
At 8:30pm, our dinner was delivered and it was light sambar (soupy lentils with cubed veggies) with four pieces of fresh chapatti for 27 rupees (which is less than a $1).
I disposed of my trash in the tiny bin on the far side of the car (if you can call it a trash bin). The railway engineer came to say hello and I told him I enjoyed my dinner. He assured me I would dine very well in Goa and must try the prawn curry. So maybe in Goa I will release myself of the “veg” and alcohol free diet?
The train was a few minutes late, and there was an hour’s drive into Candolim a small town near the Arabian Sea. My package includes breakfast and two half day tours here. My room is very colonial looking with some amenities (TV but no TP). There was a small bottle of local Porto (this is a former Portuguese region after all).
I had breakfast and went to search for an internet café.
In this high end Comfort inn, the elevator man picks you up to the tune of Fur Elise which plays when you pushed the button to call the elevator. He wears a red uniform and always asks how you’ve slept.
My trip to Goa was supposed to start at the historic Victoria Terminal (VCT) but due to the change of schedule I departed instead at 11:40am from the crazy Lokmanya Tilak, The station was a complete madhouse, and the police were beating people with long sticks whenever something foul was happening (or maybe not). I sat for 45 minutes before departure in my second class AC but didn’t climb up to my berth. It didn’t have a window and I was taking the train to see the country after all.
Once the train started rolling, it was interesting to see people tending to their little plots near the tracks. They plant herbs and vegetables it seems wherever they can.
There are so many shanty towns around and inside Mumbai. Children and adults sleeping, eating and bathing on the street corners of a city which has officially 15 million residents.
The elderly gentlemen L. Watts sat across from me for a while. He’s a railway employee on his way home to the South, with a day and a half in the train. He helped me order my lunch. We ate on our lap, rice with lime pickle, bean curry, sambar and curd (which I didn’t drink). He talked at length about his mixed heritage, his daughter’s wedding and his grandchild, his love of Country music, and visited me a few minutes here and there during the 12 hour train ride.
Others who came and went included a young woman and her daughter, then a man and his toddler. The relationships were beautiful to watch. I took some pictures during the ride. I find the kids to be generally well mannered and very happy. The adults are generally very polite.
After lunchtime, the train car got very quiet and people drew their curtains to have a snooze. It looked like a scene from “Some like it Hot”. It was quiet except for the sellers walking by with their calls, “Tea-tea”, “Coffee-Coffee”, or “pakora-pakora-primri-primri”.
The express to Goa stopped every once in a while for 10 minutes or so at either a station or to wait for track changes.
Halfway to Goa, my cellphone receives an automated text message “Welcome to Goa and Maharashtra”. My T-Mobile GSM phone is working fine now that I know which codes to dial. No one at the hotel could advise me of the codes. But when we stopped for the tire change in the slums, the Vodaphone/cigarette seller told me to dial 00 for outside and one 0 then the local number for India.
I was reading quite a bit during the train ride, but once in a while would take a peek outside to see the lonely palm tree, or the groves, the women and men tending to their crop in perfectly square patches of cultivated land.
At 8:30pm, our dinner was delivered and it was light sambar (soupy lentils with cubed veggies) with four pieces of fresh chapatti for 27 rupees (which is less than a $1).
I disposed of my trash in the tiny bin on the far side of the car (if you can call it a trash bin). The railway engineer came to say hello and I told him I enjoyed my dinner. He assured me I would dine very well in Goa and must try the prawn curry. So maybe in Goa I will release myself of the “veg” and alcohol free diet?
The train was a few minutes late, and there was an hour’s drive into Candolim a small town near the Arabian Sea. My package includes breakfast and two half day tours here. My room is very colonial looking with some amenities (TV but no TP). There was a small bottle of local Porto (this is a former Portuguese region after all).
I had breakfast and went to search for an internet café.
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Mumbai City Tour
Saturday, November 1, 2008
This morning I got up from a sleepless night – I had rested but not slept. The crows got me up at 7am and I had a small breakfast. I was hungry but had no appetite, which is a weird thing to say.
I went back to bed to rest, and was woken up by the reception. Mr. Sunil, my guide had arrived. We went straight to the Gate of India, which was built to commemorate the visit of George V and Queen Mary in 1911, and caught the one hour fairy to Elephanta Island. This visit was highly recommended by friends of mine so I did it. I believe it was worth it. We spent an hour on the island visiting the caves, rested briefly with refreshments, then another hour to get back across the bay.
A quick visit of the old and new Taj hotel, and we were off to lunch. We had talis. I tried gujarati first but found it too sweet so I switched to Maharashtra. The tali was all you can eat, with pakoras and several types of fresh baked breads with molten ghee poured on top. I ate very well, but not wanting to burst I didn’t finish everything. My guide devoured all in site with double the rice.
After lunch we went to the Jehangir art gallery. Then around Marine Drive and up to Malabar Hill and the Jain temple there. Our visit in that part of town also included the Hanging Gardens and the Kamala Nehru Park (a children’s playground and botanical garden).
A flat tire after visiting the washers at Dhobi Ghat gave us a 20 minute delay but I was able to do a quikh dash thru the Mani Bhavan, Gandhi’s residence/museum.
Tomorrow morning I will go to the old Victoria Terminus, built in 1887, and added to the UNESCO World Heritage list a few years back. It is the busiest train station in Asia, and it’s where I will take my train for Goa.
This morning I got up from a sleepless night – I had rested but not slept. The crows got me up at 7am and I had a small breakfast. I was hungry but had no appetite, which is a weird thing to say.
I went back to bed to rest, and was woken up by the reception. Mr. Sunil, my guide had arrived. We went straight to the Gate of India, which was built to commemorate the visit of George V and Queen Mary in 1911, and caught the one hour fairy to Elephanta Island. This visit was highly recommended by friends of mine so I did it. I believe it was worth it. We spent an hour on the island visiting the caves, rested briefly with refreshments, then another hour to get back across the bay.
A quick visit of the old and new Taj hotel, and we were off to lunch. We had talis. I tried gujarati first but found it too sweet so I switched to Maharashtra. The tali was all you can eat, with pakoras and several types of fresh baked breads with molten ghee poured on top. I ate very well, but not wanting to burst I didn’t finish everything. My guide devoured all in site with double the rice.
After lunch we went to the Jehangir art gallery. Then around Marine Drive and up to Malabar Hill and the Jain temple there. Our visit in that part of town also included the Hanging Gardens and the Kamala Nehru Park (a children’s playground and botanical garden).
A flat tire after visiting the washers at Dhobi Ghat gave us a 20 minute delay but I was able to do a quikh dash thru the Mani Bhavan, Gandhi’s residence/museum.
Tomorrow morning I will go to the old Victoria Terminus, built in 1887, and added to the UNESCO World Heritage list a few years back. It is the busiest train station in Asia, and it’s where I will take my train for Goa.
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