my thai-land

once again we found ourselves at the bombay airport (i think that makes 4 times in 5 days or something obscene) and - after being mistakenly dropped at the domestic terminal - were on our way to bangkok. in less than five hours we were in bangkok. i have to admit, it was a little weird to be out of india. the language of course i knew nothing of (but i will say the alphabet looked something like malayalam or tamil). at first it was a little stressful leaving the airport with no idea how the transportation works, how much something should cost, etc. etc. but once i realized i was just a tourist and there was no expectation (from myself, more than anything) to know any of these things i relaxed and just braced myself to get somewhat ripped off. something that's always hard for me to accept.

we got in a thai version of an auto rickshaw (each country seems to have its own) - he took us a bit farther then realized he either didn't know where we were going or for some reason no longer wanted to take us there. he dropped us off and fortunately we were able to find a nice taxi driver who even went by the meter.

we arrived at our hotel which was perfectly situated in the old part of town along the river and, as it turned out, had an unbeatable view of wat arun, the temple across the water. the hotel - sorry, residence - has only a few rooms and ours was just lovely. a living area and bathroom with a loft bedroom area above. the shape of the space and the look of the stairs (and, i suppose, the presence of water) made it seem somehow boat-like and fun. we briefly enjoyed our surroundings and then rushed out to find some food. it was now past 2pm and the cookies we'd had on our 6 am flight were a distant memory.

fortunately on the corner of our little street was an unassuming outdoor eatery of plastic tables and chairs (this seems to be a wide trend among southeast asia). we sat down and had two bowls of delicious noodles/rice with pork and a few sodas. i made note of the accoutrements on the table - we had a set of various spices, vinegar and chilis - sort of like the typical indian lemon, onion and pickle combo. we devoured everything in front of us and paid our bill (about $3) and were on our way fully satisfied.

from there it was a short walk to one of the ports. along the way we saw all manners of dried seafood, fruits, nuts. at one point i took a picture of a basket of shrimp and was immediately accosted by the shopkeeper and unwittingly dragged into a 10-minute conversation in which he showed me every photo he had of the members of his family and all the countries he'd visited (which was quite impressive). he was nice, but it was still very odd, and ended with him giving us an envelope and enlisting us to send him something from america. lesson learned.

nightly boat traffic on the river at wat arun

we reached the dock and decided to take a trip on the water taxi as an intro to the city. we quickly hopped on a boat - they seemed to be arriving every few minutes - and wobbly found a seat on the long, low narrow boat. we saw a few temples.. then fewer, as we headed into the more hotel/corporate end of the city.. then an interesting expansion bridge.. then the sun began to set and we figured we should turn around. we got off at one stop, easy enough, then waited for another going the opposite direction, and suddenly realized that we hadn't really seen any. it only ended up being about a 10-minute wait, though, and we arrived back at our stop just as it was getting dark and the temples were being lit up. we hurried back to our hotel where we enjoyed both the spectacular view of the opposite temple lit up and our complimentary welcome drinks. it happened to be valentine's day, as well, so on our way down we passed several couples dressed fancily (when was the last time i saw so many miniskirts and heels??) for a dinner at the hotel's classy restaurant.

street food/night life

we walked the other direction this time, in search of a cheaper option. on the way i was excited/dismayed to learn that there was a french movie playing outdoors nearby - very cool, but unfortunately we were too hungry/late to catch it. we walked on and soon came upon the beginnings of a street market (produce and sweets mostly) where we saw another corner restaurant. same plastic chairs, same table garnishes, slightly different but delicious food. this time noodles with pork balls (which can also be seen roasting on every street corner). we got and paid for our food mainly through pointing and gesturing, then enjoyed it as we watched a few cars zip by along the street.

the next day we set out early since we had so little time in the city. hoping to do the royal palace first, we headed in that direction. on the sidewalk we were intercepted by a man who told us we weren't properly dressed for the palace (half-true) and that it wouldn't be open for foreigners until the afternoon (not true). instead he recommended we visit several other temples in the rickshaw that just, hey, happened to be nearby. in retrospect, we quickly realized this was a scam. still, the ride was dirt cheap and we were only taken to a few jewelry/silk emporiums - at one of which we bought something, the others we extricated ourselves as quickly as possible. apparently the drivers get a cut when they bring us there. pretty sneaky. at any rate we saw a few temples, tried a tempting chicken-on-a-stick (full of fat, bleah) and had a wonderfully spicy lunch (fiery shrimp paired with a thai iced tea with milk) before being dropped off back at the royal palace.

all that gold must be heavy

entering the grounds feels very much like entering disneyworld. there's a big crowd, cheesy music piped in and a recording that repeats a welcome message and the opening hours for visitors. once inside we found out i had to cover my shins (seems like vital information for a guide book, no?) so we had to wait in line to borrow a wrap-around fabric. it was actually quite pretty but also very hot in the rather stifling heat. the grounds of the palace are, of course, massive. we wandered around the vast set of temples - all covered in ceramic mosaics or gold. actually there's just a lot of gold here, period. and here i thought india was super-decorated. every inch is covered with something - either a guardian figure, some sort of stylized flames, or just tiny tiles. after exhausting our bodies and cameras we left in search of a respite. we got some water and street food (crab wrapped in dough and dipped in some sort of mango butter, i think) and walked through an informal street market that had wares ranging from food to old coins to plenty of tiny buddha figurines.

baskets and bouquets - thousands of roses

in need of a rest, we headed back to the hotel to relax before dinner. by the time we headed back out it was dark (it does get dark early) and we set out in search of the night market. after a short, overpriced rickshaw ride we realized it was just a bit past where we'd walked for dinner the night before. live and learn. we wandered through the market - first flowers. thousands and thousands of flowers of all kinds. but mainly marigolds (yellower than the indian counterparts), roses, carnations, and orchids (so cheap you almost just want to buy one for the novelty!) an amazing site. i stopped for an iced coffee (so delicious - like south indian filter coffee but with condensed milk) and we walked on through the food sections with produce, sweets, all sorts of fruit, meat, just about anything. we crossed a big intersection and entered the other part of the night market, that is, mostly retail. all kinds of clothes, shoes, cosmetics and accessories. there were some pretty good tees and sneakers - definitely a step above fashion street (sorry, bombay). i had my eye on some sneakers but in the end only walked away with some nail polish. oh and a tiny blueberry waffle which was delightful. we ended up hungry and wandering to the nearest restaurant we could find - over a little bridge right on the river (which i recognized later in a scene of the hangover 2, on tv the next day). they had tom yum soup - exactly what we'd been searching for. it's a delicious tomato-based soup with shrimp, lemongrass, lime leaves, basil, and other subtle citrusy spices and herbs. perfectly accompanied with a cold singha beer. one of our favorite meals of the trip.

gaudi, before gaudi

the next day it was up early to head to the temple across the street. you gotta break up these temple visits; there are so many and it's easy to get 'templed out'. we were there a little after 8 and found a pretty peaceful temple, with just a group of schoolchildren in formation reciting some kind of pledge. we wandered around, watching as people fed the one or two puppies and went about their morning routines. it was more of the same decoration - lots of ceramic of all kinds and a few golden spires. the interior, here, though, was the main attraction. in one of the temples resided the sleeping buddha, a reclining buddha that's over 45 feet tall (god only knows how long) and takes up almost the entire space. the buddha himself is covered in gold - all but the bottoms of his feet, which are mesmerizing swirls of mother-of-pearl. pretty amazing.

we decided we had time so we'd head across the river to wat arun, that temple we'd been gazing at from our hotel every night. a quick ferry ride and we were right there. it turned out this temple was worth a closer look. it was, like others, entirely covered in ceramic and gold, but the ceramic of this temple came mostly from broken cups and saucers of all different designs. very gaudi-esque. you were able to climb up the (incredibly steep) steps up part of the stupa which i did, clinging to the flimsy metal handrail.

then back across the river and out of the sun for a somewhat unremarkable lunch (our first) before checking out of the hotel and heading to the train station to leave our things. this ended up being almost hassle-free, and a nice service to have. from there we went to the jim thompson house (after some minor difficulty finding a cab), which is the residence of a WWII soldier/architect who moved to thailand after the war. i was skeptical as everything was very overpriced and chi-chi (the store prices were ludicrous). but actually the house itself was quite innovative. he incorporated indigenous design elements with clever ideas of his own. he even incorporated antique asian pieces (like doors) in interesting ways - as room dividers or tables.

from there we took the metro to a shopping area in the newer part of town - somewhere we hadn't really explored yet. the metro itself was quite nice - user-friendly and clean, with TVs everywhere. but it was rather expensive. and with all the line-switching (there are two separate lines with separate payment systems for some reason) it ended up being probably more than taxis would have cost us. seems counter-productive to me.

another quick stop for a market (again mostly retail - cute but very small clothes and shoes) and another ill-advised chicken-on-a-stick (same result) and then back to the train station. there we hoped to enjoy a massage as we waited. there was only one staff member on the job so mom got a foot massage while i explored what little the train station convenience store had to offer (ice cream flavored oreo? crab flavored chips?)

then pretty soon it was time to board. next stop: chiang mai

caves of wonders

after giving my mom a whirlwind two-day tour of bombay we headed out for aurangabad. we ended up flying which seems a little ludicrous given that it's in the same state. buses and trains run regularly but we were short on time so for us this was the way to go. why go to aurangabad? well it has the advantage of being a small city between the cities of ajanta and ellora, both of which have ancient caves with sculptures and paintings.

the first day we checked into our fabulous hotel (i'd forgotten what it's like to have a room with a tv, much less a refrigerator or a hotel pool - traveling with your mother has definite advantages), got ready and set out to find an auto to take us to ellora. mom was ready to agree to the price our cab driver had quoted (to be fair, less than the hotel's prices, yes, but those were ludicrous) but i wasn't having it. in
the end we got an auto and payed a modest but ample sum for the 2 hour round-trip drive.

to contextualize this a bit, i should add that ajanta and ellora were two of the earliest discoveries of ancient indian sculpture, made by early british 'orientalists' (to oversimplify: the good kind, not the edward said kind). it was also some of the earliest indian art i was exposed to (along with the stupas at sanchi), in asian and indian art classes so they have something a sentimental/nerdy, art historical appeal for me as well.

notice the faux-wooden ceiling beams

when we reached ellora we of course had to fend off the inevitable book peddlers and would-be guides before buying our tickets (10 rs, for me, thank you very much). once inside the path led to the middle of the set of caves; we chose to visit the latter half first. there are over 30 caves (mostly hindu and buddhist, but a few jain), some only separated by a few meters, others quite a bit farther. the guidebooks like to choose their favorites to highlight so we kept that in mind but also stopped wherever we felt like it. the first few caves we stopped in had minimal, but quite excellent, carvings of larger-than-life bodhisatvas and guardian figures. i had to remind myself there was much more to see. we continued on, exploring caves with, usually, a central buddha figure in the back niche and other figures flanking it. there were some lovely carvings of scenes like 'shiva and parvati playing dice' and 'ravana shaking the mountain' (ravana proved hard to find though, as he didn't appear to have 10 heads). at one point we came to an impasse, the narrow path, which followed some steps down and then edged along the curve of a small cliff, was blocked, presumably because the steps were a little worn. this was probably the dumbest thing anyone could have done - since the scaffolding they placed over it didn't preclude anyone from climbing around the side of it along the border of the stairs. which is exactly what people did. surely edging along the side of a staircase (and cliff, as it were) clinging to some bamboo scaffolding is much more unsafe than some worn-down steps. i was convinced we could get across - as we watched many people do the same, but mom was unsure (rightly so) so we had to turn back. one of the authorities - who would sporadically yell at people not to climb around (to no avail) - told us there was a path above. somewhere. perhaps there was, but if so we never found it.

we came back to the middle, where had begun, and continued on, skipping the central cave, which we knew was by far the largest and most elaborate. we walked on and saw some fantastic structures - caves with arches and beams that mirrored those in wooden architecture at the time (it's amazing how many cultures have done that), and of course humbling, reverent buddha figures at the far end. it was quite a sight, and the crowds were such that if you waited a few minutes you'd probably have any of the particular caves to yourself. we made our way onward, exploring some caves and not others, stopping for a sit in the shade and a snack of oranges.

not sure this does cave 16 justice.. it was massive

finally we arrived at cave 16, the main attraction. this cave blows all the others out of the water, in terms of both scale and sheer amount of sculpture. it can't even be called a cave, really, except that it was underground until it was discovered in the 19th century. it's actually a series of multi-storied temple structures surrounded by a covered arcade. the structures themselves have fabulous heavy relief sculptures, from goddesses (these are largely hindu) hybrid animals to giant, almost freestanding elephants (who sadly had a lot of broken trunks). there were even some traces of paint on some of the sculptures. what an amazing sight, and a good note to end on.

we had a long leisurely auto ride back punctuated by a stop for chai and pagodas. back at the hotel we relaxed by the pool, enjoyed a lovely hotel dinner and ordered a movie to our room. this is more like it!

the next day was ajanta, a longer (about 3 times longer) ride that my mom didn't relish taking in an auto. instead we hopped an auto to the bus station where, indeed, we were approached by someone offering us a cab. there was apparently a dearth of cabs that day due to a local election but we still got a pretty decent price and were able to travel alone. one long nap later and we arrived at ajanta to the same fanfare of perspective guides and all sorts of vendors. cold drink? ice cream? book? postcard? we bypassed them all - including one very insistent man who was convinced my mom needed to be carried on a chair over the site's various steps. no thanks, bud.

entering ajanta

a bit like ellora, the caves at ajanta are arranged around a small sort of valley. they follow a horseshoe shape, so you walk around the curve of the hill. evidently in the rainy season there are waterfalls to be seen but of course, being february we saw none of those. no matter, the main attraction was the caves themselves.

we walked into the first cave and i was astounded to see one of the most famous paintings there, right off the bat. if you've perused any books on indian art you may have seen this image - of a sinuous figure whose torso seems to follow the curves of the lotus vine he holds. the cave walls and ceiling are all covered with detailed paintings such as this, some in better repair than others. there were quite a few people there but once again, with some patience, and a tripod, i was able to get a few worthwhile shots.

and now a moment on the state of the sites. i, and perhaps you too, have been reading lately about UNESCO world heritage sites and the effects of that label on their security and protection. in theory that status is meant to protect the sites from destruction and provide funds for their preservation. however funding seems uneven at best and often sites are left with few resources and a lot of extra attention (thanks to this new label). what i witnessed at each of these sites was some sporadic conservation and even more sporadic security. at the entrance of some caves guards were stationed, warning people against using flash and ensuring they removed their shoes. of course for every group of 50 that went in there were inevitably 1 or 2 who ended up using the flash either in ignorance or blatant disregard for the posted rules. at one point i was reprimanded for using a tripod (which, with its round plastic bottoms, surely did less damage than the feet of the 30 people who shuffle in there every other minute). as i was asking why this policy was in place, a buddhist family had gone up to the main idol to touch and take pictures with it. as the guard realized what was going on, he went (belatedly) to stop them, but as i pointed out to him - surely that's a more important problem than my 8 oz. tripod. then later at one of the more famous caves i was horrified to see scores of people going up and touching the reclining buddha figure. surely if my tripod's not allowed, that shouldn't be either. so, i suppose my final conclusion is that security is uneven and haphazard at best.

paintings everywhere

alright, back to the caves. we continued on admiring the impressive paintings (sadly few remain in good condition) and more buddhas figures. the final cave was that with the large reclining buddha. it was as impressive as the cave was crowded, including a japanese group that seemed bent on standing in front of the statue, taking pictures, and touching it as long as possible. not quite as quiet as the day before had been, but we still enjoyed the spectacular sites.

we hiked back, this time down through the small valley, past the vendors and back to our cab with a fanta for the road. one more night at our fabulous hotel and it was back to bombay the next day. from there it was just a quick stop in the city and then back to the airport. this time, bangkok-bound…

joa jao jaisalmer

i was barely back in bombay for two days before i was on the road again. (it seems to be my style of late, for better or worse. i miss you bombay, i really do.) this time it was a train to delhi and i traveled in style. rajdhani style. a fancy 3rd AC train ride (with meals) and i woke up after just 15 short hours in delhi once again.

a day well-spent at the surajkund craft mela (oops, didn't know there would be textiles. bye bye, rupees) and an evening with my friend's family. our other two travel companions arrived in the night (and i was rudely not awoken for midnight biryani. straight form hyderabad, i should add. humph!) and we were off early in the morning.

our destination was jaisalmer, for the 'desert festival', whatever that might entail. i had visions of the so-called camel dances of the pushkar fair in my head. i had been told variously that jaisalmer was 'beautiful, the golden city!' and 'completely over-hyped, with nothing there'. guess i figured i'd find out for myself. our route took us through bikaner, with plenty of stops for the essentials - chai, dhaba fare, and cigarettes (not for me, mom. don't worry) after we left the delhi radio stations behind we realized we had little in the way of musical entertainment, but we made do. (and when that got repetitive we bought some blank CDs for some variety.)

after a full day of driving we arrived in bikaner and managed to get a great price on a lovely haveli, thanks to our friend who the manager remembered from three years ago. our rooms had cushioned window seats, tvs, and room service. everything we needed. we even managed to catch (read: join in) the last bit of the rajasthani 'folk dance' in the restaurant.

snack time

the next day we were on a mission. do a little sightseeing, get some provisions, and get out of town. all of this somehow took us until 2pm. first it was a little jaunt to the 'rat temple'. yes, it's what it sounds like. you enter the temple and dozens and dozens of rats scurry past you towards the bits of food or giant bowls of milk. you try not to think of all the diseases you're probably walking through as you traverse the marble floor barefoot. certainly a unique experience though.

car snacks. must for any road trip

rooftop view

from there we headed back to jaisalmer. or so we thought. about 12 kilometers out we realized we were heading the wrong direction. once we turned ourselves around and got back into town we set out to accomplish our aims: the girls would acquire the all-important bikaner namkeen (they don't call it bikanerwala for nothing), and the boys were to get the proper dinner fixin's for the evening. hours later, we were in the car enjoying the fruits of our labor - snacking on namkeen as our chicken and paneer marinated in the trunk (the marinade, by the way, we prepared at a dhaba, and the local puppies were all too happy to have us.)

finally around 9:00 we arrived in jaisalmer. our hotel was supremely located with a gorgeous rooftop view of the fort. by night, fully illuminated, the sight is unbeatable. the hotel graciously let us use their rooftop space to cook. but man was it cold! we bundled ourselves as we waited impatiently for the coals to get hot or the whiskey to warm us up. we were rewarded with a delicious meal and some post-dinner dancing.

the next morning we took it slow as, frankly, there's not a lot to do in jaisalmer. we walked about the area outside the fort and spent a good deal of time at various leather shops. it was worth the time though, because we all walked away with something and got a pretty good price  at that. next was lunch at a place recommended by our leather guy. dal bati churma and some other rajasthani dishes made for a good meal. from there it was into the fort. it's known as a 'living fort' because for some reason the government has decided to allow people to live and operate businesses inside the fort. this means that the fort is full of hotels, restaurants, and vendors as well as local families. it also means a lot of waste, both in and around the fort area. as my friend put it, 'it's not a living fort; it's a dying fort.' sad but true.

rippling and golden

that evening we drove out the 25 or so kilometers to the edge of the desert. we had made a deal for a camel ride package at one of the many resorts. we got there and mounted our camels (only 2 so we had to share) and walked about 1000 meters into the very beginning of the dunes. we could still see the road and the row of resorts. there, our guides let us down and told us that was it. unless, of course, we wanted to pay more to go to a nearby village. we were a little annoyed and declined, choosing instead to sit in the dunes, buy some overpriced snacks (because, yes, even in the desert there are peddlers), and wait for the sun to set. the dunes were nice, being sand dunes, but i guess i've been spoiled by the great expanses of the sahara i've seen in morocco and tunisia. it was enjoyable, but i wasn't blown away.

after sunset, we were hurried onto our camels for a quick, bumpy ride back to the resort. here we were seated on mattresses laid around a giant cement circle. we were served chai and snacks as the show began. rajasthani performers of various kinds.. music, dance, fire breathing and some balancing acts. it was entertaining, but not quite as much as the obscenely drunk man who insisted on butting in on every part of the show. why they didn't ask him to leave i'm not sure (but i suspect the amount of expensive drinks he was buying had something to do with it.) we declined the resort's expensive dinner option and headed back into town for another local-recommended place. this time non-veg and it was delicious!

the next morning it was up early for a breakfast of kachori near the fort and one last tool around the old town. then it was back on the road to jodhpur. there's just something about driving in india that's so wonderful. the roads we had in rajasthan were all great, and there was hardly anyone on them. it just feels very relaxed. and then the dhabas. well, you just can't compare that to a US rest stop. you just can't. even with several chai stops we arrived at jodhpur a little early so we stopped at a nearby lake for a quick boat ride. it's crazy to think that there are so many little attractions like this all over india. sometimes i just step back and think 'where am i?' and have to remind myself that i'm in the middle of one state or another in india. it's a good feeling.

and with that (and another stop for street food) i was on my way. my friends waited with me on the platform for the train and saw me off. they continued on the road to jaipur. and i rode the rails back to bombay, only to leave again after two days. (see what i meant?)

hampi.. history, hippies, hummus

from pondicherry we hopped on a bus back to chennai, then took a train to bangalore, and from there an overnight to hospet. from hospet it was an auto ride to hampi, where we cross the river jammed into a tiny boat and walk the remaining kilometer along the path lined with guest houses. easy as pie.

where's dino?

hampi, as expected, was pretty much filled with white people. which for some reasons means that 'german bakeries' and restaurants with menus that feature israeli food or pizza seem to pop up all over. so, as i said, i was expecting the abundance of absurdly clothed and hairstyled (or should i say non-styled) foreigners. what i wasn't expecting was how beautiful it was there! everywhere we went we were surrounded by gorgeous green rice paddies, palm trees, and crazy rock formations that look like something out of the flintstones.

climbing to the top

one evening we were wandering around, taking in the scenery in the glowing orange light. an auto rickshaw passed by and two spanish girls yelled out with an invitation to go to the monkey temple. in a few minutes we found ourselves climbing the hundreds of white washed stairs that lead up the side of a mountain. it was a long hike so we made sure to stop plenty of times to take in the gradually changing view. the panorama, bathed in the golden light was really quite remarkable. and then we reached the top and arrived at the so called 'monkey temple' which apparently is thought to be the birthplace of hanuman. no wonder there were so many aunties climbing all the way up there. the view was beautiful as we watched the sun go down over the rocks. the unexpected discoveries are so often the best ones.

the next day we set out to explore the ruins of hampi, the remnants from the vijayanagar empire. evidently most of the remaining structures are only from the 16th century, which begs the question why are they in such lousy shape?

after crossing the river again we found a place to rent some bicycles - old and rickety as usual - and made our way towards the first set of ruins. we biked all around and still, i'm sure, only saw a fraction of the sites which span acres upon acres. we ended up making a pretty big circuit, in the end probably biking across 15 kilometers or so. but we had lots of breaks to enjoy the temples, scenery, and occasional popsicle.

exquisite carvings

the last temple on our must-see list was the vitthala temple. a long trek, but we figured we could finish the circuit on bike and head back to bazaar road and make the last-boat 6.00 deadline. the temple was pretty spectacular, especially in that gorgeous amber light of early dusk. the carvings on the pillars and exteriors were in fantastic shape. it was certainly worth the trek.

the ride back however... i should say i'm using the word 'ride' very loosely here. the first few minutes we did ride our bikes away from the temple complex. then we hit the rocks. at first pretty flat, nothing we couldn't walk our bikes over. then they got bigger. and craggier. and finally there were out and out hills. pretty much everyone walking by commented on the four strange white girls who seemed to think you could bike across a kilometer of craggy granite hillside. some favorites were 'mountain biking?' and 'power lifting?' eventually we had to carry the bikes part of the way - principally up the stairs and over the larger chasms.

but somehow we made it back to the main road, returned our bikes, and - yes! - made it back to the boat launch site with 25 minutes to spare. a hampi success. the rest of the night was spent relaxing over dinner and enjoying a few well-deserved beers as we watched one of the movies offered at the local restaurants (they know there's little to do in hampi at night and seem to know their audience pretty well, at least based on the movie selection).

the next day we spent visiting the nearby town of anegundi (this time by rickshaw/walking), just 7 kilometers away. the kishkinda trust has come in to encourage sustainable tourism and integrating the locals so that they can benefit from the economy. we wandered around and saw what there was to see, although it was pretty sleepy on a sunday.

the rest of our time in hampi was spent relaxing. with little internet connection and little else to do, we enjoyed our remaining hours sipping lassis and reading or napping in the sun on the swings outside our cottage. not bad, hampi. not bad.

..and then there was auroville

just a few kilometers from pondicherry was auroville, an odd little city we'd heard about, mainly for its architecture.

since it was relatively close, we thought we would just rent some scooters and zip through the six (or maybe 10.. we never really got a straight answer) kilometers and be back in no time. well, after a few wobbly test runs up and down a quiet street we decided maybe the indian highway wasn't the best place to debut our scooter skills. we settled for regular old bicycles and headed out onto the open (congested) road.

for a while everything was good. the city traffic cleared out.. we passed furniture workshops and open fields.. we even got a glimpse of the beautiful blue bay. then we hit kilometer five and i thought 'how much more of this?!' luckily my legs came back and i got a hearty second wind. it was about then that we were informed that auroville was, in fact, behind us. we had gone about 5 kilometers too far. whoops.

back we went, in search of a break somewhere before making the turn to auroville, provided we could find it. naturally, we thought of the sea, glittering and blue, tempting us in the 90 degree heat. we hauled our bike through meters of sand only to find an impassible stretch of water. we forged ahead and made our way to a rather deserted 'resort' area that had apparently been damaged by the recent cyclone. did i mention there had been a cyclone? we changed into our suits in a crude sort of outhouse and took a short dip in the water as fully-clothed and underpants-ed locals looked on.
it was weird. still - bay of bengal: check.

pretty exhausted from biking and daunted at the thought of the 'up and down' road to auroville we bargained for an auto to take us the rest of the way, leaving our bikes locked on the side of the road. this ended up being a very wise decision, as the road to auroville (perhaps metaphorically?) was bumpy. along the way we passed signs for places named things like 'Surrender' and 'Certitude'. yeah, it's that kind of place..

when we finally got to the visitors center we were meant to watch a 10 minute video before getting our passes. we politely (succintly? curtly) declined and luckily they didn't put up a fuss. all the literature surrounding us talked about thing like the Divine Consciousness and seemed to like capitalizing Random Words. after our long day of bike riding, we weren't having it. we spent what turned out to be a rather long walk to view the famed temple (mantri mandir, officially) complaining - completely disregarding the signs for silence, and perhaps in a burst of karma, my dying sandal finally gave out. eventually, though, we made it to the viewing point.

and what was our reward for this long journey?

there she is

that's right. i giant gold golf ball. yes, this was the closest we could get to it. and no, we couldn't go inside. those passes had to be got the day before. incidentally, it's supposed to be quite an experience. all white inside.

we made our way back to the auto just before our pre-negotiated hour cutoff. then it was a rather painless bike ride the five or so kilometers back to pondicherry. thank goodness for a relaxing dinner of fantastic french food.

pretty little pondicherry

i've always been sort of intrigued by pondicherry. initially because it had such a cute name. i mean, pondicherry? it sounds adorable. then when i found out about its major french influence, i was sold. having now spent several months in india almost entirely pastry and non-amul cheese -less, i was hopeful for some authentic food if nothing else.

pondicherry did not disappoint! a charming little town, it boasts both lingering french influences and actual french people - thanks to the prominent ex-pat community. each street has two names, one french and the other vaguely tamil or perhaps the name of a person (confusing for the mailman, i'm sure). the city is divided into sections - french, tamil, muslim etc and bifurcated by a canal that has surely seen better days.

petit déj, anyone?

we stayed at a quaint little guest house (le rêve bleu.. charmant, non?) that seems to be popular with the french set - evidenced by the scene of baguette-tearing and cigarette-chain smoking we came down to in the morning. the french proprietess steered us towards the best bakery in town, baker street (english/sherlock holmes theme but thoroughly french) where we indulged in a breakfast of macarons (basil and vanilla olive oil) and croissants of the regular and almond variety (the latter was the best). french pastries at indian pastry prices? a rare find indeed.

properly stuffed, it was off to explore the city. we rented bikes and cycled around town, meandering here and there and stopping to take very similar pictures about every 30 meters. we made it out to the sea (which we later learned was a bay) and pedaled our way along the shoreline. at some point we stopped along the water at a cafe named, aptly, le café, where we had a lovely breeze and may have even been in the background of a (very cheesy) tamil music video.

colors of pondy

after some more wandering we made our way to a nondescript place farther down the beach for a quick drink as the sun was setting. on the way we stopped to see 'the elephant' who visits the temple each day to bless whoever wants to offer money or fruit. for a few rupees you can experience the warm breath of an elephant as its trunk brushes over your head. for dinner we met a friend of a friend for a rather nice meal - mostly south indian food (think rice and coconuts) with a fancy touch. i had the chicken chetinad - a local preparation - and we shared other seafood and curry dishes as well. delightful!

which kind of sums up pondicherry actually. it was a delight, and we left quite full.

textile text

from the colors and kites of ahmedabad i headed towards the promise of deserts and textiles in kutch. a few hours spent mostly asleep at the back of a sleeper bus (they actually have beds with curtains - kind of like the 'knight bus' in harry potter. and often just as jerky) and i arrived in bhuj, the principal central destination and jumping off point for the area. the guest house i had tracked down was small and simple with a friendly staff.

earthquake damage inside the palace complex

the first day i spent wandering the town, which is rather unremarkable except for the earthquake damage that’s still visible throughout. the quake, in 2001, was fairly disastrous for the region and many of its oldest buildings and the remnants are still around. i saw the aina mahal, the foremost of the city’s few sights, which was little more than a few rooms of a once-great palace. the blue and white-tiled floor and the room covered in mirrors made for quite a sight. i capped off the day with some window shopping – perusing the markets, shops and stalls for embroidery work and snacks.

the next day it was off to discover what i had come here for: textiles! kutch is the home of all things textile in gujarat, which therefore makes it home to some of the best textiles in the country. there are hundreds of villages in the region, each of which specializes in a particular craft, be it embroidery (of all different styles), dyeing, or printing.

so the first day i set off in a rickshaw with lilli, a lovely finnish, london-based lady who takes off the month of december every year to travel and has been making her way through india for the last few of them. we stopped at various points along the way at small villages to wander, take pictures, enjoy chai, or snack on namkeen. we even crashed the early stages of a wedding at one point. ‘tis the season.

displaying her wedding dress

our first craft stop was in bhujodi, known for its embroidery - as many villages are. the work was indeed detailed and beautiful - full of mirrors (actually more of shiny silvery discs) and every color imaginable. the things they produce are amazing and surely take months to create. one can't help feeling though that they would be helped (commercially, at least) by creating items with a color palette that appeals to a more western aesthetic (as opposed to every color you can think of). the pieces we later saw in workshops and cooperatives (run by westerners, often) reflected this notion, but the women whose work we saw in their homes largely didn't.

prints on prints

our next stop was ajrakhpuram, the home of traditional wood block printing. (!!) dr.ismail mohammed khatri's family has been in this business for nine generations and seems to be the only family left in this business. we took a tour of the workshop although it was past 3 and the dr. explained that the sunlight, and therefore work, was largely over for the day. this was disappointing, but still seeing the dyes, long tables laid with cloth, and best of all - dozens and dozens of block designs, was still fascinating. after the requisite chai we were let loose to explore the fabrics and clothes in the cabinets. my excitement must have been noticeable because at some point lilli said 'you're in heaven, aren't you?'. was it that obvious? in the end i curbed my enthusiasm a bit and walked out with some fabric, a scarf and a bag. and the important information that one has to go to a different city/region to buy the actual wood blocks (i smell another trip to gujarat!)

our final, rather abbreviated, stop (too many village stops earlier, i suppose) was in madhapur,  a town that had some handloom work. we saw the giant looms but, again, nobody working them. and i was disappointed to find not handloom textiles but rather predominantly heavy woolen shawls and blankets.

sari i fell in love with

the next day i headed north, up into the bunni region, which requires a government permit for a reason i'm still not sure of. it was a bit farther than the last day's journey and the wind made the trip rather chilly. but along the way there were sights of marshes and all kinds of birds. again it was a day of visiting random little villages that one would never find without a guide. here there are all types of embroidery, including jat and rabari, which each use distinctive stitches and motifs.

desert dwelling

but the villages were also filled with fantastic architecture. traditional round mud huts called bhungs decorated with the ubiquitous gujarati mirrors and carved designs. the interiors were similarly bright - filled with brightly colored walls and carved and mirrored wooden furniture. being me (of course) i also took particular note of the doors. there seem to be so many similarities between these and ones i've seen in north africa. it makes me wonder if there's a universal 'desert' architecture - the mud carvings i also related to the arid landscape of niger and nigeria (or at least what i've seen in photos). at any rate it was as beautiful and ornate as the textiles we saw all over - usually accompanied by arms loaded with plastic bangles and weather-worn smiles.

my final day in the region was spent in mandvi which is a port city known for its beach and ship-building. the beach was incredibly underwhelming - a depressing little stretch of sand with a few snack stands and some horses tethered to stakes. the city itself was similarly unexciting, the 'market' leaving much to be desired (like shops, for instance). the ship-building, however, was an incredible sight. i wasn't expecting much, but tramping around seeing these enormous wooden structures propped up on shore, being made by hand, was pretty awe-inspiring. like watching noah's ark being built. was it worth the 30 rupee/one hour bus ride? yeah probably.

in short kutch was a lovely place with friendly people, unique sights, and of course, colors!