On the scene - PHOTOS from beyond

okay, so it has been a challenge to download photos (and quite time consuming to post on the blog), but i have finally gotten some downloaded. now that your eyes are red, sore, and unable to focus from all of the words on the page, below are some links to photos from Maharashtra (Mumbai and Mahabalashwar) and Goa (Punjim and Arombol). now you can put some visuals to all of that writing.

http://picasaweb.google.com/katiedonze/IndiaMumbai#
http://picasaweb.google.com/katiedonze/IndiaGoa#

Southbound

So a quick update: city life began to take its toll, so we jumped a bus from Pune and headed south to Mahabalashwar, a smaller touristy (Bransonish for you fellow missourians) town mostly visited by Indians, but also had walking opportunities to escape...and find much needed peace and quiet in the forests and hills. we strolled along the valleys and hills, greeted a few cows, and explored various temples. it was here that we discovered our true star stature, as we were asked multiple times for our photo (although kids cried when their parents wanted them to pose next to us).

After a couple of days in Mahabalashwar, we jumped an overnight "luxery sleeper" bus, meaning there were beds, but they sort of smelled of dirty head. the roads themselves were quite windy, and were often awakened by a stream of honks and sharp turns that sort of forced the wedging of a limb into the bed frame to avoid flying from one side of the bus to another. not necessarily the most restful night's sleep, we rolled into Punjim, Goa's largest city, safely. it is our first day here, but the town is quite different from the other few places we have visited. it has a strong portuguese influence, including buildings, layout of the city, colors, food, and is much more western. we found a great hotel called Afonso with a kind, gentle-spoken owner, and it is by far the best we have layed our weary heads. the pillows are soft and the bathroom clean. we are happy.

Rite of Passage

Mumbai is a fascinating city with much to show and tell. The systems in place are incredible. and with limited resources (as we know them) and millions and millions of people, the chaos is functional. For example, the ghats (discussed in the previous blog), and perhaps the most intriguing to me is the dabawallah system. Thousands of women throughout the city prepare lunches to be delivered for the working people, and specifically their husbands. So between the morning hours and lunchtime, the food packaged in aluminum trays travels through many hands, on bikers' handlebars, shoulder poles, carried on heads, and for the millions delivered, rarely is one ever delivered late or wrong.

I hope that I have not painted a negative picture of the city, although I would not be telling the truth if i said the smells, large quantities of trash (trash cans are hard to find), the smog, and the extreme poverty didn't effect me, because it definitely does. And sleeping is tough...because i have become hypersensitive to anything crawling or touching me (a piece of hair could be a mosquito carrying malaria or the wind from the fan brushing against me could actually be a rat), but mostly some of the images are haunting.

With so many people packed into the city, the poverty is obvious - young mothers holding a mostly naked child begging for food or money, small children defecating off of the curb, a man collapsed on the sidewalk (possibly dead, maybe still alive. people had left bananas and crackers at his side, but perhaps it was too late), animals sick and wounded, and just quick glimpses into one of the many slums of a city where over 50% of the 16 million live. And the smells that accompany it due to lack of facilities and garbage containers is overpowering. it is difficult to know how to react or what to do, but it leaves me with a visceral response. where do you start? how did these injustices happen? I want to search for the dignity that seems to have been lost somewhere along the way. But their spirits are strong and alive and so is their will to live. There is no fault there. And it seems that a majority of Mumbai residets carry smiles on their faces and are genuinely welcoming and friendly.

i am ready to leave the smog and hustle and bustle of the city (i have never been one for big cities), and am still processing the experiences of mumbai. but i guess, in a sense, it was a rite of passage (if there is one) into India.

Hot and Sunny...with Smoke

This is the daily forecast in Mumbai. But the city seems unphased by it. With over 16 million people crammed into such a small space and 70,000 taxis alone, it is no wonder their is a cloud of smoke looming over the city.

So our few days spent in Mumbai was quite an experience. Having just arrived to India, this was quite the introduction. But we explored the city's main attractions on foot one day and by taxi with a guide the next. We were hoping to have some questions answered regarding the infrastructure, culture, etc but many of our questions were lost in translation. In any case, we enjoyed the day roaming the city and witnessed some incredible systems. The ghats is an outdoor laundry facility. And by facility, i mean concrete partitions and tables holding water where hundreds of people slung loads and loads of colorful clothing and linens delivered from around the city to be washed...by hand...in the hot hot heat.

Next, we visited a Jain Temple and one of the many Gandhi museums, which we all thoroughly enjoyed learning more of his philosophies and wisdom, and of course of his tragic, yet always humble end.

The later part of the day was spent taking a boat to Elephanta Island to visit the Shiva cave sculptures carved into basalt over the course of 100 years. That was a fascinating sight, and fairly well preserved considering the portuguese military used the carvings for target practice over the course of history.

Then it was back to our home, the Seashore Hotel housed on the 4th floor of a building near the ocean where each floor occupied a separate hotel. The staff was friendly and clean enough, except for the rat that lived in the trash.

And as of last night, after a train ride 4 hours east, we arrived in Pune to set off further south in the coming week.

Rats, Cats, Dogs, Cows...and Monkeys

The animals are many, and they coexist quite well. however, many of them are not necessarily well, nor are the resources available for them to be well...or fixed. the result is a large number of unwell and unclaimed cats and dogs. most are pretty calm, roaming around minding their own business, hunting for food. but we tend to attract some friends occasionally. yesterday morning, meg, tim, and i hit the fishmarket for a stoll. we strolled quickly as instructed because it is closely monitored due to the nearby military base. it is also apparently monitored by dogs. we immediately befriended "tripod", a 3-legged dog who led us through the market. he was a loyal pup since he caught up with us even after being cornered by a small gang of dogs. we eventually lost tripod, but in search of the nearby market, we took a turn through a neighborhood (which were open shacks along a walkway). it was an accidental, but invasive turn at the least, but we hadn't realized until the unfriendly guard dogs appeared. my heart about jumped out of my chest when it lunged and jumped on my leg barking and growling. in a frozen stance, all i could think was "rabies, rabies, rabies". I did not look back and hoped for the best. i escaped unharmed. it was a reminder to be more aware of people's privacy and making an effort to maintain it.

rats have also seemed to become local inhabitants. they hang out under food carts, in the streets, in the trash can of our shared hostel bathroom (witnessed twice by tim). i have unfortunately become a little paranoid and try to keep my legs elevated as much as possile. and i wondered why all of the cats around cannot keep them under control. perhaps the sheer size of them in comparison to the cats is a bit intimidating. or perhaps the cats are not up for the challenge. one cat in particular had problems walking as its legs collapsed beneath it when it tried. it can be quite heartbreaking watching the suffering animals, and even moreso witnessing the poverty (which is at least a separate blog entry).

the cows seem quite content roaming the streets and treated quite well by their respective owners. fresh blades of grass appear out of thin air and they contently munch the day away.

the monkeys on elephanta island that we witnessed today were cute, but because of human intervention (as is often the case with bears, squirrels, etc) have become quite a nuissance as we have forced them to depend on human food and drink. it was not unusual to see a monkey drinking out of a water bottle they had just stolen from a tourist.

as for the bed bugs...they are simply a nuissance!

Hold on Tight!

Riding in a taxi is a pretty essential experience in Mumbai. I believe something in the range of 70,000 of them circulate the city. the drivers are friendly and the rates reasonable, but the ride, oh the ride. in the few days i have been here, i have learned a few rules to live by.

rule #1: keep all limbs and head inside of the vehicle, no matter how hot it is. this way you can avoid petting the cyclist, cart, cow, pedestrian, bus or car beside you. driving dangerously close beside and behind another vehicle and inches from pedestrians' legs is the norm. collisions appear to be rare however. feeling the wind of a passing vehicle can actually be quite cooling.

rule #2: sweat and cleanse your pours. the heat of the engine creates plenty of it. deodorant doesn't help.

rule #3: enjoy the continuous symphony of horns. the puny sound of the fiats mixed with the occasional base of the buses.

rule #4: sit back and enjoy the ride. in this game, the lines on the road hold little value, so don't worry about it. the more cars that can fit abreast, the faster everyone moves. weaving is a given.

India: Take 1

Alright, the time has come. Meg, Tim and I arrived safely in Mumbai on the 16th, but not without a few small adventures first. I arrived in the wee hours of the morning and started off with a good ole' fashioned bout of the motion sickness. So upon landing, I b-lined to the bathroom gripping the barfbag tightly, finding comfort in the fact that if I may have to let it out, my first impression at least would not be spread all over the floor. I made it to the bathroom without incidence and did my business in the stall, not really caring what sounds were leaving my body. I just wanted whatever was making me feel so crappy to leave. Anyway, after settling in on the bathroom floor for a bit, I recovered.

I had 7 hours to kill before Tim and Meg arrived, so i ventured out of the airport briefly where many people waited. A trustworthy man offered me a free ride via airport shuttle to his hotel where i could rest my weary head, shower, and use the internet for a small fee. i just kept remembering what someone had warned me about on the plane, "don't trust anyone." but that feels so unnatural, and the offer sounded so great. but it was sort of true. the cost of the room was way too expensive for my liking, so i spent the remainder of the morning in the airport. that was small price to pay for an easy lesson.

We took a cab into the city and found our hostel. it is an experience in itself to ride in a cab in bombay where the lines on the road don't hold much meaning and the pedestrians take their lives into their own hands.

Yesterday, (day 2) we happened to be at the right place at the right time, and tried our talent as extras in a party/gambling/cabaret scene of a bollywood film. we couldn't quite figure out what the storyline was, but we enjoyed building up our star status. what a trip! we were dressed in some pretty glitsy clothes and bling. it was difficult to part with my gold ribbon heels but i managed.

and we spent today strolling around the city which was a nice way to experience it. for the first time, we understood the strong smells people had warned us about, and we began stumbling upon a few sights that left us with visceral reactions. just a few sneak peaks into a slum made me realize I have things pretty great. i could never understand a day in the life, try as i might. it does make me reconsider my wants vs. needs, and wonder how the hell these injustices happen.

on a lighter note, we will be spending another day or so in the city where the horns beep continuously. people have been very friendly to us, despite our obvious tourist appearance. in my first impression of the city i think i will have to disagree with the "do not trust anyone" statement, but maybe change it to, "be very cautious or you may have to pay a little more."