India Unbound excerpts

We have read an interesting book, India Unbound by Gurcharan Das. First written in 2000 and revised in 2002, Das examines how the economic reforms of 1991 have led to a huge increase in entrepreneurialism and a rising middle class in India. Here are some quotes from the book, which have given us much fodder for discussion. We hope you find them interesting too:

“The theme of this book is how a rich country became poor and will become rich again. India had more than a fifth of the world’s wealth and a quarter of the world’s trade in textiles in 1700. It has seen its share decline to less than 5% of world income and less than half a percent of world trade in 1995. It may not have become poorer in absolute terms but compared to the rest of the world, it did get left behind. We have gotten so used to the inequalities between rich and poor countries that we the astonishing truth that living standards around the world were roughly equal in 1750 –everyone was poor. Even in 1850 things were not very different. Today the average person in the developed world is ten to twenty times richer. This happened …because of the capitalist breakthrough, which began in England between 1760 and 1820 with the invention of the cotton gin and the steam engine, followed by waves of technological innovations…railroad, steamship, steel…electricity…the automobile…the chip and computers. With the emergence of Japan and the Far East in the last quarter century, the world became a global economy.
India did not participate in this great adventure. We grew up believing that our “mixed economy” …though not as efficient as capitalism, was better because it cared for the poor. It was better than communism because it preserved political freedoms. But its problem was of performance, not of faith. If it had worked, most of the third world would be more prosperous today. Indians have learned from painful experience that the state does not work on behalf of the people. More often than not, it works on behalf of itself.” P.348-9

“In Hindu society the Brahmin (priest, teacher) is at the top of the four-caste hierarchy, followed by the Kshatriya (variously landholder, warrior, ruler). The Vaishya or bania (businessman) comes third, and the Shudra (laborer, artisan) is last. Below the four are the casteless “untouchables” and tribals. The three upper castes constitute roughly 15% of India’s population, and have ruled the country for 3000 years. About half of India is laboring or Shudra caste, divided in turn into hundreds of subcastes. Some are occupational-cobblers and carpenters, for example- others are geographic. More than 20% of the population are the casteless or “untouchables” and tribals for whose uplift Mahatma Gandi worked all his life. The remaining 15% of India belongs to other religions: 11 % Muslim, the rest Sikh, Christian, Parsee, etc.” P. 140

“It was estimated that in the mid 90’s the middle or consuming class was 32.5 million households. Since there are roughly 5 persons in a household, this means that the middle class was 169 million or 18% of the population. This household income is between Rs 45,000 and Rs 215,000 (US$ 1,000-5,000) and typically owns a TV, cassette recorder, pressure cooker, ceiling fan, bicycle and wristwatch. Two-thirds of this consuming class owns a scooter, color TV electric iron, blender and sewing machine, but less than half own a refrigerator.
(Of course, the penetration of TV’s, bicycles, radios and fans goes far beyond the middle class-TV’s are in over 62 million homes, bicycles in 80 million, wristwatches in 125 million and fans in 50 million homes.) Most striking is this consuming middle class appears to have tripled in 10 years. This middle class is projected to reach 91 million households by 2007, or 450 million people. “ P. 287


“Poor teamwork is pervasive in India…. I asked my cousin, Usha Kumar, if it had something to do with the Indian personality. She is a trained psychologist and she pointed me to Sudhir Kakar, the author of the Inner World: A Psycho-analytic Study of Childhood and Society in India. Kakar said that it begins with the Indian bride, who is not fully accepted into her husband’s home until she produces a male child. She is so grateful when a son is born that she indulges him to excess. As the boy grows up he remains close to the mother and distant from the father. The end result is that the boy grows up narcissistic and has a weak ego.
The adult Indian male personality that emerges from various psychologists’ accounts has a weak sense of self, one that needs the support of authority figures. He is less comfortable on his own. He needs appreciative, older, hierarchical figures, even late in his professional life.
It is difficult to say how valid this hypothesis is in the absence of broad socio-psychological data. Never-the-less, there seems to be near-universal agreement about this Indian personality among professionals.” P. 43

“Years later, my grandfather admitted that he was a little sad to see the British go and said “It is certainly nice to feel the fresh breeze of freedom, but you must remember, my son, that India had been the best-governed country in the world for a hundred years. Why, Britain itself was not as well ruled because it was, after all, a messy parliamentary democracy, and it was not run by the Indian civil service…. Yes, the English were arrogant, but it was a cheap price to pay for a hundred years of peace, good government, railways, irrigation canals, and the best law and order in the world. You may call me antinational, but this is how I feel.”” P. 52

“In my highschool in Washington I was surprised that we had to attend a class called “shop”. We learned to repair a window, make a table, or unclog a sink. At the end of the year, we had lost our fear of technology. We had understood Bronowski’s dictum that the world is understood through the hand, not the mind-the hand is the cutting edge of the mind. It explains why many Americans are “tinkerers”. This is a powerful idea for India, where we have traditionally had contempt for manual labor because of our caste system.” P.71

“I have found it frustrating that Indian intellectuals and political leaders are so anti-American that they are unable to perceive the qualities of America. The American education system has many flaws, but it is far fairer (and more creative) than most systems.” P. 80

“Although Americans think of themselves as individualistic, they have historically had a rich civil society…They have a dense network of voluntary organizations: churches, professional groups, charitable institutions, neighbourhood clubs and so on. (However, this rich associational life has weakened in the last generation as family life has deteriorated.) In contrast, the social life of Indians revolves around the family or caste. It does not encompass the whole community. Perhaps this is why our streets are dirty when our homes are spotlessly clean.” P. 81

“After the abolition of untouchability in 1950, the most dramatic development relating to caste occurred in 1990. Vishwanath Pratap Singh, the aristocrat turned politician (and able finance minister under Rajiv Gandhi), needed an electoral platform to differentiate himself from other politicians. Socialism had run out of steam. Mrs. Gandhi’s populism had been discredited. Singh looked for a gap and found it in the “backwardness of the “other backward castes” (OBC’s). These were the laboring Shudra majority, fully half the country’s population-barbers, carpenters, cobblers, goat herders, other artisans, and farm labor-who had lacked a political voice. In comparison, the Dalits had already found a voice in politics and there were programs in place to lift them, and the upper castes had always looked after themselves nicely for 3000 years…. The OBC movement spread like wildfire in the north Indian heartland. The upper castes were horrified. Suddenly another 50 % of the government jobs and places in colleges might be denied to them. With 20% of the jobs already reserved for the Dalits, they realized that if the OBC demand succeeded only 30% of future seats would be available on merit. It was an invitation for a caste war. And it came… The logic of the ballot box was too strong. Singh, as Prime Minister of a coalition government, tried to fulfill his election promise, but his attempts to increase reservations became mired in the courts. However, the succeeding Congress government of Narasimha Rao seized the opportunity to win the OBC vote. It enacted legislation raising the reservations of OBCs to 30%. Thus 50% of government jobs and seats in colleges are today based on criteria other than merit.” P.146

Das quoting a childhood teacher and the wisdom he imparted to him. “There are three kinds of knowledge: Knowledge of the world, of the self and of God.
Knowledge of the world came through reason and physical sciences. Knowledge of the self came partially from psychology and the social sciences. But for the knowledge of God one had to turn to the Gita. The Gita taught that knowledge from books was not enough-it had to be combined with action and it had to be experienced.” P. 294

Das commenting on remarks by Public Policy Specialist- Francis Fukuyama about prosperity in the modern, western world.
“There is also a bleak side to Fukuyama’s generally sunny vision. It is that bourgeois life tends to become consumerist, lonely, banal and unheroic. The irony of liberalism is that it gives the individual free space in order to fashion his life, but he is unable to cope with the free space and fills it with trivial objects. Without a God or ideology, bourgeois life is reduced to the endless pursuit of cars, VCRs, cell phones and channel surfing. The reference point is self, and the individual becomes self-absorbed in a world of physical security and rational consumption. Even when it comes to sport and exercise, one prefers to jog rather than play team sports. Without a higher moral purpose, there are no heroic acts to perform. Is this the life that India has to look forward to in this century?
Although India may compress the economic timetable and become prosperous in the next 25 years, I believe it will not lose out o religiosity quite as rapidly as the west and Far East. Religion has a powerful place in Indian life, and the persistence of God will be its strongest defense. However, the challenge will be to keep religion a private matter.”
P. 309


Gurcharan Das is the author of three plays and a novel, A Fine Family (1990). He is also a columnist for the Times of India and other newspapers. He graduated from Harvard College and attended Harvard Business School. A former CEO of Procter & Gamble India, he is currently a venture capitalist and a consultant to industry and government. He lives with his wife in New Delhi.

Varanasi by Steve

Varanasi is said to be the oldest living city and our friend Krystina says it is the place she feels most alive; our experience most certainly has been of a city full of life. After the relative peace and quiet of Kerala and the out-of-the-way, rural places we visited, the rush, and crowds and noise and congestion of Varanasi seem ten times more vibrant and exciting and scary. Everywhere is teeming with life. The lanes are jammed with people, bicycles, cycle rickshaws, scooters, and as this is the holy city, everywhere there are cows and water buffaloes. To add to the confusion, the old city is made up of tiny, winding lanes hemmed in by countless stalls selling everything from chai to silk saris to bicycle tires to coconuts and flower garlands for religious offerings.

The famous Ghats, which are stone steps that Hindus use to get into the River Ganges for a ritual bath, stretch out for over a mile of shoreline. Walking along the Ghats one sees religious devotees ranging from fat Brahmin priests in crisp white dhotees, to skinny sadhus in saffron robes with dreadlocks smeared with ashes, to middle class families from Bombay wearing jeans, to mourning families hunched around the burning corpse. The constant noise of horns and bicycle bells is punctuated by the shouts from touts offering rickshaws, boat rides, visits to their silk shops, guest house, hashish… Yes, Varanasi can be a sensory overload.

The original plan had us staying in Varanasi for three days but that was extended to six days as we couldn’t get on the flight we wanted. Although I was keen for the family to experience the incredible energy of Varanasi, I find that the cities are tough to visit with the kids, what with all the traffic, crowds and other hazards so I feared that six days would be too long. However, thanks to our friends, Krystina and her brother Mark, our stay was very relaxing. They arranged an apartment for us in a residential neighbourhood, showed us some of the key sights and recommended some great restaurants. We ended up spending lots of time shopping and eating. Our favourite hang out was a lovely place called the Open Hand which served excellent fair trade coffee and fresh fruit salad in a charming atmosphere created by beautiful silk cushions, curtains, table covers, all of which were for sale. Since coming to India we haven’t really done much shopping as I always said I didn’t want to haul heavy suitcases on and off trains for a month. Well, our train travel was over, and once we knew we were allowed 30kg of baggage on the flight to Kathmandu, there was no stopping us. As well as the silk, we spent a couple of pleasant afternoons at a material and tailor shop getting fitted and selecting colours for shirts, pants, and skirts to wear for the next stages of the trip.

Leaving Varanasi we had another set of extremes. Our 9:30 am taxi was late and we took forever to get through horrible traffic jams so we were late getting to the airport, and the crowds were lined up out the door, so I was a bit tense. However, my cousin Joe’s connection in Delhi had arranged business class tickets, so we zoomed straight up to the special counter where the agent got us the best seats for the views of the mountains and an hour later we were sitting in extra wide seats, sipping drinks served on starched white napkins, gazing at the snow capped Himalayan Mountains where we will soon be trekking.

Varanasi Robert

Varanasi est sale et rempli de vehicles, de gens et de la poussière. Nous habitons le troisième étage d’une maison dans un secteur résidentiel. Nos amis Kristyna et son frère Mark ont un magasin à Varanasi. Krystina connaît Varanasi très bien et elle nous a fait un tour. Ensuite, nous sommes allés à son magasin où j’ai fait faire une chemise pour moi. J’ai bien aimé choisir le tissu et les couleurs moi-meme.

Varanasi est un site touristique et religieux parce que la croyance Hindu dit que si tu te baignes dans le Gangies avant le lever du soleil, c’est très bon pour l’âme. Si un homme meurt à Varanasi il peut attendre Nirvana.

La rivière Ganges a une centaine de Ghats. Les Ghats sont des immenses escaliers avec des noms comme Assi Ghat et Sivala Ghat. En se promenant sur les Ghats nous avons vu beaucoup de choses intéressantes. Il y a des mendiants religieux, des Sadhus, qui ne porte rien, mais sont couverts de cendres. Plusieurs Sadhus construisent des abris sur les ghats dans lesquels ils vivent pendant les grands festivals.

Varanasi Kathleen

Varanasi est très pollué mais très belle. Ici à Varanasi on reste au troisième étage d’une maison où on a une belle vue sur cette ville, qui est très occupé. Varanasi a beaucoup de poussière dans les rues parce qu’il y a beaucoup de bicyclettes et de rickshaws à vélo.

Quand on était à Varkala, on a rencontré une sœur et frère, Kristyna et Mark, du Toronto. Kristyna a une entreprise à Varanasi où elle fait faire des jupes pour vendre à Toronto. Maman a choisi une et parce qu’il n’y a pas des grandeurs pour des filles, j’ai choisi le tissu moi-même et le couturier a fait une sur mesure pour moi. Je l’ai déjà et je l’adore!

Ce matin, on est allé au Café Open Hand. On est déjà allé, mais on a retourné parce qu’on l’a tellement aimé. En attendent nos repas, on peut magasiner. Robert et moi, nous avons choisi des coussins pour nos chambres.

Varanasi Facts

Things we learned while walking the Ghats along the Ganges in Varanasi.

The word Varanasi is an ancient name meaning the city between two rivers- the Varuna and Assi, both of which flow into the Ganges. It has been a center of learning and civilization for over 2000 years, and claims to be one of the oldest living cities in the world.

The city of Shiva on the bank of the sacred Ganges, Varanasi is one of the holiest places in India. Hindu pilgrims come to bathe in the waters of the Ganges, a ritual that washes away all sins. It is believed that if you die in Varanasi, and have your funeral pyre on the banks of the Ganges and your ashes scattered in the Ganges, it ensures a release from the cycle of rebirths (reincarnations) and an instant passport to heaven.

The Ganges water is thought to be the purist holy water there is. At the edge of the water on the city’s famous ghats (steps which lead down to the river), the most intimate rituals of life take place in public. It is used for daily ablutions, bathing, washing clothes and for religious pujas. The water is thought to cure many illnesses. However, a water sample tested showed a fecal coliform rate 250,000 times higher than the WHO safe maximum!

Achieving enlightenment allows one to escape the cycle of reincarnation and attain Nirvana.
In the Hindu religion women are not able to reach enlightenment. The reason they cannot reach enlightenment or become a Sadhu (a wandering religious ascetic who gives up all material possessions to enter the fourth stage of the ideal Hindu life) is because women are said to be unable to give up attachments, principally their children.
Instead, women who die along the Ganges in Varanasi, hope to be reincarnated as a man and therefore come one-step closer to reaching enlightenment.

Varanasi is famous throughout India for silk fabrics and saris.

We will leave Varanasi on March 3rd, one day before is the Indian New Year called Holi, which falls on March 4th. This is one of the most exuberant Hindu festivals, with people marking the end of winter by throwing colored water and gulal (powder) at one another. On the night before Holi, bonfires are built to symbolize the destruction of the evil demon Holika. This is mainly a Northern festival as there is no real winter in the south.

Another interpretation we have been given is that people celebrate the New Year by cleaning themselves, getting rid of their old clothes and putting on new ones. In the morning of the 4th people throw colored water and powder on each other while wearing their old clothes before changing into their new clothes and joining family and friends to share a celebratory meal. This way they will start the New Year with a fresh beginning.
For the poor, the Holi festival is particularly important because it is the one time of the year that they make a real effort to have new clothes. Often it is the only time during the year that this happens as they can sometimes wear this same outfit until Holi day comes up again.

Steven and Kathleen took an hour-long bicycle rickshaw ride to pick up our airline tickets for Nepal and they were amazed at the shops full of people preparing for their New Year celebrations.

Hampi by Steve

Hampi is another mind-boggling place in India, and it quickly became one of our favourites. The original site of Vijayanagar, supposedly one of the greatest cities in the world in the 15th and16th Century before it was destroyed by rivals and abandoned, all that remains is a widespread assortment of ruins in an almost surreal landscape of huge granite boulders scattered about the dry hills. These ruins are impressive: temples and public buildings made entirely from huge slabs of smoothly hewn granite supported by intricately carved columns and massive religious icons carved from solid rock.
The state of Karnataka is trying to get Hampi declared a “World Heritage Site” and the Archaeological Society of India has cleaned up many of the ruins that were buried or overgrown, as well as fencing in and charging a steep admission for the premiere attractions, otherwise Hampi is a quiet collection of dusty villages in a very remote part of India.
The ruins are spread over the large area of what was once the city, too far to walk in a day and many are not accessible by car. We rented sturdy bicycles, and by starting early in the morning, saw all the major temples and ruins and still had time for a nap at mid-day. The carvings and ruins are fabulous, but the best part of the day was to be out in the countryside riding our bikes along dirt tracks through the timeless landscape. We rode past oases with banana fields, people washing in the rivers, farmers herding goats or driving bullock carts from one dry field to another and always in the background the boulder-strewn hills dotted with ruins. A few of the ruins house active temples, which attract Hindu pilgrims on day trips and some of the new middle class Indian tourists. As well, Hampi’s natural beauty, historical interest and a kind of a spiritual feeling about the place combine to make it popular with plenty of Western travellers. Still, with so many ruins, there are only a few other people, if any at the any one place. A small town of lodges and restaurants has opened up in the past few years as Hampi has become a “cool” destination in India. The food was very good at The Gopi Guest House, ad watching the moon rise over the temples from the roof top restaurant, we kept saying what a perfect day we had in Hampi.

Badami par Robert et Kathleen

Le 21 fév.

Une autre journée de temples. Cette fois, les temples étaient de la sixième et septième siècle. Ils étaient construits dans des cavernes dans une montagne. Après, nous avons monté juste qu’en haut à un vieux fort. En descendant, nous avons vu le couché du soleil par-dessus la ville de Badami. Au même temps, plusieurs garçons de ville frappaient leurs tambourines pour marquer la fin d’une autre très belle journée.

Hampi par Robert

Le 20 février, 2007
Nous avons loué trois vélos, un pour maman, un pour moi et un pour papa et Kathleen sur le rack en arrière. Hampi est vaste et comme ça, nous avons pu voyager plus vite.
Il y a 600 ans le nom d’Hampi était Vijanagara. Vijanagara était une des villes la plus importantes pour le commerce en Asie. Les rois et reines dans ce temps étaient tellement riches qu’ils faisaient construire des énormes palais et temples. Maintenant tout ce qui reste est les ruines des bâtiments fait en granite. Mes ruines préférées étaient un temple avec des colonnes que quand tu les frappes, elles font un écho et un chariot fait entièrement de granite que des éléphants tiraient. Hampi est spécialiste pour ses rochers de granite.
La journée était spectaculaire. J’ai beaucoup aimé se promener en vélos entre les ruines et escalader sur les rochers.

Le tour d’éléphant par Robert

Ce matin nous nous sommes levés à l’aube pour le tour d’éléphant à 7 :30 heures. Pour se rendre au parc, nous avons eu un voyage en camion sur le pouce. Il était très excitant et bosselé. Le tour d’éléphant était la raison principale pourquoi nous sommes venus au parc Mudumalai. L’éléphant était très haut et il fallait une plate-forme pour monter sur l’éléphant. La selle était tellement grande qu’elle y avait de la place pour toute notre famille. Cette journée nous avons vu au moins six mâles paons et une vingtaine de femelles. Les mâles sont plus beaux que les femelles parce qu’ils ont une longue queue très colorée. Aussi, il y avait beaucoup de cerfs. À notre cabane, nous avons vu huit sangliers.
Une chose surprenant était de voir les énormes colonies de fourmis en forme de montagne. En revenant, nous avons vu d’autres éléphants entrain de se baigner. Les Mahouts conduisaient les éléphants par pousser les oreilles des éléphants avec leurs pieds. Quand les éléphants marchent, les passagers bougent de côté à côté qui est un peu inconfortable, mais on s’ajuste. Sur l’éléphant, on voit les animaux plus longs qu’on peut les voir d’un Jeep. Les animaux sont très, très beaux.

Le tour d’éléphant par Kathleen

Un matin, on s’est levé pour aller sur un tour d’éléphant. On était très excité parce qu’on allait exactement sur un vrai énooorme animal qu’on n’a pas au Canada. C’était très amusant d’aller sur l’éléphant, mais c’était drôle parce que l’éléphant marchait de côté à côté. On a vu des animaux et spécialement les paons. J’ai tellement aimé mon tour d’éléphant.

Le train à Ooty par Kathleen

Le 13 février à 6 :15 a.m., on s’est levé pour prendre un autre train à Ooty. ‘It was a steam engine train with cogs.’ Alors, le train était couvert avec la vapeur au départ et pendant le voyage.
Le train a arrêté souvent pour prendre plus d’eau. Sur la route, on a passé dans des tunnels. La vue avec les montagnes était spectaculaire. Quand on est arrivé à Ooty, c’était tellement beau avec des plantations de thé. J’ai tellement aimé l’expédition en train.

Le train pour aller à Ooty par Rob

Il fait deux jours depuis que nous avons pris le train à Coimbatore. De Coimbatore, nous avons pris un autre train pour aller à Mettapulayam ou nous sommes resté dans un ‘railway retiring room’. La chambre était décorée d’un style Anglais et elle était énorme. Le matin prochain nous sommes levés è 6 :00 heures pour être à l’heure pour le ‘Nilagris Passanger Cog Train’. Le ‘Nilagris Passanger’ est un locomotive à vapeur. Il était spectaculaire quand la locomotive laissait échapper de la vapeur et de la fumée. Il fallait arrêter à chaque heure pour remplir avec de l’eau. Dans ce temps, nous nous sommes étirés et nous sommes allés voir la locomotive. La vue était spectaculaire avec des montagnes et des forêts. Après cinq heures de train, nous sommes rendu à Ooty!

Ooty and Beyond

The train rolled across Kerala, away from the lush green coast and onto the drier foothills of the Western Gahts. While changing trains at Coimbatore we experienced the extremes of India in the 19th Century washrooms and the 21st Century Internet Café. On to Mettapulayum where we stayed in a railway retiring room that was probably last re-modeled during the British Raj.

We woke at dawn when the first train pulled into the station, but still had to rush to get our stuff all packed and downstairs for the 7am departure of the Niligiri Passenger to Ooty. We managed to get our bags stuffed into the tiny compartment we shared with two Indian honeymoon couples. The toy train to Ooty is a delightful ride right from steam filled departure and seeing the sparks flying from the boiler in the dawn light. We were concerned about a five hour trip in the small compartment, but we were able to get out to stretch during each of the stops to take on water, and of course during the tea stop. Most fellow passengers were Indian tourists, but there was very enthusiastic group of British rail buffs always vying for the best angles for pictures.
Spectacular scenery unfolded bend after bend and through each tunnel as we climbed ever higher into the mountains. The cog engine averages about 20 km/h on the steep climb through so we had plenty of time to admire the distant mountains and deep ravines. By noon we were among the cedars and eucalyptus trees, the hillsides were covered with bright green tea plantations, and we were in Ooty. Officially the name was changed to Udhagamandalam a few years back during the move to Indianize names, but our taxi driver said that everyone still uses Ooty.
We came to hike so we chose another “faded raj” hotel on the outskirts of town and found a trail that led straight back into the hills. Like everything in India, even hiking means one is never out of sight of people, but we enjoyed being out in the cool air and the scenes of villages and tea plantations. Apart from hiking and a great restaurant, Ooty had little to offer us, so after one very cold night (I wish I had bought that Rs10 toque) we decided to head down to Mudumulai a day early.
Mudumulai is a wildlife sanctuary lower in the Niligiri hills, which is home to wild elephants, tigers and other animals. We splurged on a taxi for the 37 km trip that took 90 minutes to navigate the 36 hairpin bends on the steep descent into the very dry Deccan Plain below. As with many Indian government institutions, getting a room in the national Forest was a lengthly ordeal, but eventually we were settled into a remote and very “faded Raj”, but comfortable lodge which Ann said made her think of Out of Africa. Included was a cook who was able to make tea, rice, dhal, dosa and chapattis as many times a day as we wanted.
The first night the girls were woken by an elephant at their window at 3am and we saw hundreds of monkeys, as well as some deer, wild boar and peacocks, but no tigers. We had fun on the 30 min elephant ride and it was quite something to see the elephants being fed and washed. The best part was that Mudumulai was very peaceful so we stayed an extra day there catching up on reading, writing and sleep.

Leaving Varkala

Departing Varkala brought mixed emotions tied in with some unexpected twists and turns. It started off on Sunday, the day before departure with Ann suffering from an upset stomach. We considered delaying our leaving but Ann rallied late in the pm for a final burst of packing and cleaning. The evening was hectic with neighbours coming in to say good-bye, a final meal at Kumari’s and the removal of Steven’s stitches by the sister-in-law of Kumari, who is a nurse. We turned the lights out at 11:30 pm and set our alarm for 6 am.
The next morning we packed our lunch and the last of our things into the suitcases and awaited the taxi we had booked for 6:45 am. Kumari, our angel yet again, arrived at 6:30 with a tray of steaming chai, just the way she knows we like it. Kitty, Prinjin and Pradeep accompanied her and asked if there was anything they could do. As we hauled our bags outside more neighbours appeared to wish us off. Jasmine, Jismane, their Mother, little Mahu, Patma and her husband and Subadge, their son. If we had not already been touched by the generosity of our neighbours, this was the icing on the cake to see them smiling and wishing us well on our journey. But their invaluable help was not completed yet. Soon it was 7 a.m. and with no taxi in sight the neighbours jumped into action by getting out their cell phones and phoning taxis. With no luck and time slipping away, Patma called Renni (the son of our landlord and her nephew) to see if he would drive us in their family’s Ambassador. It was getting tight to make our 7:45 am train, Remi said he would come but having been woken up it would be a few minutes. That’s when Kathleen rushed to the bathroom and was sick to her stomach. We had by now adopted the South Indian expression “What to do? What to do?” Kathleen said she felt better. “What to do? What to do?” We decided to go for it as Renni pulled up. Last minute hugs all around and many promises to write and send post cards as we threw the bags (all nine of them) into the car and raced for the train station, with one eye on Kathleen. As we pulled away from our home of the last three months, our last image was of the extended Predeep family and neighbours smiling and waving good-bye. They had shown us true generosity and an unforgettable welcoming spirit.
We made the train with 10 minutes to spare.

Cost of Living in Varkala

The cost of a sampling of items regularly purchased. Approximately converted to CDN$

500ml milk 20¢
1 kg tomatoes 30¢
1 kg bananas 35¢
1kg pineapple 55¢
1 kg rice 40¢
Brown bread $1.10 from the so-called German bakery
White bread 40¢
Eggs 7¢ each
Filter coffee 60¢ for 250g
Tuna $5.00 for a 2-3 kg fish
Prawns $6.00 per kg (not shelled)
Kelloggg's Wheat flakes $4.25
400g tin of Processed cheese $2.50
Pasta 75¢ for 800 g of Indian made which is very gluey
Pasta $4.00 for 800 g imported from Italy which is delicious
toilet paper $1.00 per roll of very firm stuff
Peanut Butter $2.00 for 250gm jar
soda water 20¢ 600ml bottle
7up or pepsi 75¢ 600ml bottle
Beer $1.20 650 ml bottle
Wine $16.00 for the one Indian vintage for sale at the liquor store. Tastes sort of like a rough Australian shiraz.

“Meals” for 4 $2.00 (See Eating in Varkala post for explanation)
Dinner for 4 $3.00 at a local restaurant
Dinner for 4 $8.00 for a Kumari meal with 10 or more dishes
Dinner for 4 $15-20.00 for a fish dinner with a view of the ocean at a cliff restaurant
Prices include bottled water, but not wine. Most cliff restaurants are not licensed but will serve beer in a coffee cup on request.

Eating in Varkala

The local diet in Kerala is very consistent; some form of rice and vegetable curry, three times a day. This food is easily available everywhere and can be incredibly cheap, therefore Keralan dishes are the mainstay of our diet, but for variety and to accommodate our tastes we add in some Western ingredients and practices.

Indian breakfast consists of rice pancakes, either flat ones called dosas, or thick, smaller ones called iddlies, served with coconut chutney and curried vegetables called sambar. We prefer a western style breakfast so at home we have fruit with museli cereal and yogurt, served up with filter coffee. Real fresh fruit and vegetables are a great pleasure of living in the tropics, but visitors to India are warned never to eat uncooked vegetables and eat only fruit that can be peeled. Fruit and vegetable stands are everywhere and as long as we are in a house we can properly clean what we buy so every day we have oranges and bananas with breakfast, at least one pineapple and just now watermelons and mangoes are coming into season. As well we have a plate of carrots, cucumbers and tomato sometime during the day. Having ripened on a tree a day or two before, the fruit is alive with tastes we never experience in Canada, but they have to be eaten in one or two days as they do go off so fast in the tropical heat.

Grocery shopping involves many stops: We buy basics, including milk, yogurt, butter, eggs and bananas at the corner shop (he also sells single cigarettes, but I have not indulged). The two regular grocery stores in town carry huge assortments of biscuits, rice, packaged spices and cleaning products, but very few canned goods and they don’t even have a freezer. Special and western style foods such as our preferred Kellogg’s Wheat Flakes, cheese, real pasta and frozen sausages are found only at one grocery store, which is just on the other side of Varkala town. Once in a while I brave the smell and noise of the fish market to buy fresh tuna or prawns.

Lunch at home can be eggs or cheese on toast, with fresh cut vegetables and pineapple for desert. If we are in town, we will stop in for what is called “meals” in Kerala, or a thali in many other parts of India. The local restaurants get high marks for volume of food and price, but rate poorly for variety, atmosphere or presentation and cleanliness. A typical “meals” starts with the waiter bringing each person a metal tray with a couple of tiny bowls of dry curry and some others with coconut, mango and lime chutney, or pickle, and a papadam. Our first time we thought that this was the complete meal, but in fact it’s only the garnish. Another waiter comes over with a bucket of rice and uses a soup bowl to dish out a huge mound on each tray. The third and fourth waiters circulate with 3 or 4 pots of very runny curry; there is always one with lentils and one sambar, which is an extremely spicy mixed vegetable, and often a milky yoghurt sauce. These waiters will continue to refill one’s tray, and I am now able to polish off at least two helpings. Restaurants in places that are used to tourists will bring a spoon, but in more out of the way places we are expected to eat with the right hand, just like everyone else. Another peculiarity is that many restaurants will serve only “meals” at lunch. On our first visit to a local restaurant in Varkala we went in and sat down at one of the many empty tables. After a few minutes the waiter came over with his pad ready to take our order. We asked for menus. He looked surprised but after a few attempts we finally communicated and he brought us 2 tattered sheets in dirty plastic sleeves. We looked over the long assortment of Indian dishes described, made our selections and called the waiter over. After some animated discussion we finally figured out that the menu was only for the evening and at lunch, “meals” is the only choice.

For supper we have to decide whether we want to eat in our out, western or Indian. If we stay in we can order a Kumari dinner, or if we prefer to cook western, we have found that we can get the right ingredients to make two dishes: a sauce made form fresh tomatoes and Italian pasta, or seafood paella. When we go out we can get a quick Masala Dosa at the Janardanapuram restaurant or head to one of the cliff top restaurants, which serve reasonably good seafood and have charming ambiance, but after a while they all sort of taste the same, so we hardly go there now. We tried a delightful place called “Home” which was in a normal house and run by a Nepali / British couple who prepared delicious dishes that were a fusion of eastern and western cooking styles. Unfortunately they split up so their “home” is no more.

Overall, we have enjoyed plentiful fresh food while in Varkala. Ann and I have slimmed down a bit, yet the kids seem to continue growing like weeds. We have been glad to be able to prepare some of our own meals, particularly breakfast and veggie plates, but have appreciated being able to eat out, or order in for such reasonable costs. As well our palates are more accustomed to the hot Indian food, so I am confident we will fare well during the 3 weeks we are traveling across India.

Travel plans Feb 12-Mar 03

Our time in Varkala is drawing to a close. We will be sad to leave, but are looking forward to the adventure of being on the move and seeing and doing marvelous things. Of course we plan to keep posting stories of our travels, but there may be some longer gaps between posts depending on how easily we find Internet Cafes.

Note: click on the underlined names to link directly to websites with tourist information about the place.

Our plan so far is as follows:

Feb 12 we catch the 7:30 am express train north, and after 2 changes and 30 hrs we arrive in Ooty. Udhagamandalam, is the official Hindi name for Ooty, one of the best known hill stations that the British built up in the hills to escape the heat of the plains. We should be able to visit a tea plantation.

Then on to Mudumali National Park where we hope to see wild elephants and domesticated ones working at logging.

From Feb 16-18 we are in Mysore, an lively ancient city in Karnataka state, famed for its palaces, silks and sandalwood.

After a brief stop to change trains in Bangalore, we take the overnight train to Hampi the vast ruins of what was a major trading city in the 14th C.

Our next stop is Badami site of a series of cave temples carved out of rock in the 5th C.

If all goes well and we have time we will stop in Bijapur to see the Islamic monuments that are thought to have inspired some aspects of the Taj Mahal. The actual Taj is much farther north and we will not be going there.

From Bijapur we take trains for two day and a night, arriving in Varanasi on Feb 25th. Varanasi is probably the most holy of Hindu cities along the Ganges river, and thought by some to be the oldest continually inhabited city in the world.

March 3 we fly to Kathmandu, and after a couple of days at my old haunt, the Kathmandu Guest House, we go trekking in the Himalayan mountains for 3 weeks.

April 3 we fly Kathmandu-Sharjah-Luxor, and plan to spend 2-3 weeks in Egypt.

Ashram & Backwater

Some people come to India to visit one of the many ashrams in the hopes of finding spiritual harmony. An ashram visit seemed to fit in with the purpose of our trip, which is to see many of the different ways people live. The Amritapuri Ashram is only about 50 km from Varkala and, as it is very popular with western visitors, we have had first hand accounts (including Gord and Erin) of how inviting it is for even a less devoted visitor to see something of Ashram life.

Amritapuri is home to the “Amma”, or the hugging mother, who is one of India’s better-known spiritual leaders. The ashram, which is located in the fishing village where she grew up, is large enough to house thousands of visitors at any one time, and the 12 story pink buildings towering over the palms are quite a surprising sight. Once inside the gates, we were directed to the International Office, where two young German devotees in white cotton dhotis, efficiently checked us in. We were issued a corner room on the 11th floor of building D, with a view of the backwater canal and a wonderful cool breeze. The room was Spartan: one bare light bulb, mats on the floor (we knew to bring our own sheets) and a simple bathroom. Pillows were available on request, but we didn’t think to go when the supply room was open!

Perhaps it was the large hotel complex look of the place but we were slow to get into the Ashram frame of mind and the kids found the pace a bit slow. In fact right up until minutes before we left, serious devotees felt they needed to remind us “this is an ashram, not a playground.” Like a boarding school or a resort, the day’s events are set to a schedule. We declined to join the 4:30-6:00am “Chanting the 1000 names of the Divine Mother” but did catch some of the “Meditation on the Beach at Sunset” and “Bhajans” or devotional singing at 7pm. As the Amma was not in residence the Bhajans were segregated and there were only about 40 men at our session (Kathleen estimated 100 women at their location) where Rob and I chanted along with enthusiasm. I have always liked the sound of the harmonium and voices raised in song for Krishna, which seem to me to be the most musical of the eastern devotional chants, so I was glad to join a class in devotional singing. We were about a dozen foreigners, all new to the ashram, who were led by a pleasant French devotee through the fundamental patterns and vocal techniques of a few of the popular chants. As we chanted, I began to let the outside world slip away and understand the appeal of the devotional life in an ashram. As well, because of the class, we were able to join in the evening Bhajans with a greater understanding and appreciation of what was taking place.

Meals were included in the cost of our room if we wanted join the long line of Indian devotees, students, and local poor who were invited to come in for rice and curry. After one Indian meal we discovered the western canteen that served pizza, toast with peanut butter and great coffee. At the canteen we met some other westerners, but mostly sightseers like us. The long-term devotees mostly kept to themselves, although Ann did speak to an American who had been there as long as possible for the past 12 years. I am sure that if we had stayed for a few days and participated in the daily chores we would have met more people, however one day was enough for this time.

Next morning we packed up and caught the train to Allepy. A huge part of Kerala is like Holland in that it is below sea level and the fields are drained into canals. According to the guidebooks, a boat trip on these backwaters is a “must do” for visitors to Kerala. We had looked into an overnight houseboat but decided that we did not really need a relaxing break from our relaxing life, and I was concerned that the kids would find the views from a small boat too dull after a few hours. Instead we took the 2 hour ferry from Allepy to Kottayam, which is the equivalent of a local bus that makes countless stops as it plies its route along the backwater lakes and canals. We lucked into the front seats where we had a great view of the lakes and canals, rice paddies, and as is always the case in India, the constant pageant of life lived in public. We saw locals crammed into tiny canoes and Indian “big shots” drinking whisky on huge houseboats; farmers cutting grass, harvesting rice, scooping reeds, people going to work, coming from school, women washing clothes, dishes and themselves, and of course, men just hanging out watching the people on the boat. The boat was reasonably comfortable, considering the fare came to less than $1 for all four of us, and we all agreed that a 2 hr trip was just about right.

To get to our flickr site with more pictures of the backwaters click on this handy link.

Driving a Rickshaw by Rob

Do you know what an auto-rickshaw is? Well, I got to drive one!

It is a three-wheeled motorcycle with a compartment for passengers at the back. A rickshaw is used like a taxi, but because it is cheaper they are more common in Varkala. We will usually take a rickshaw home from town.

One day we were going to town with Wilson, a rickshaw driver we knew quite well. He asked me if I wanted to help drive. I said yes, moved up front and he let me hold one handlebar while we were driving on our little laneway. I was surprised when we got to the road, instead of sending me back to the passenger compartment, he let me take over the steering. It was exciting to be on the road with other motorcycles, rickshaws and cars coming at you. I even had to drive past this ELEPHANT!!!! When we got to the main road, Wilson let me control the gas. In the end we made it to town safe and alive.

Wilson was surprised at how good a driver I was, but he did not know that my two grandpas have taught me how to drive!

Kathakali by Kathleen

On January 14, we went to temple Junction to catch the 5pm bus. We wore our best Christmas outfits, I wore my dress with embroidery, Jane wore her green sari and Rob and wore his lungi and shirt. We sat on the first bus for half and hour. When we got to Attingal, we wandered around the broken, sewer-smelling sidewalks as we looked at the banana and cloth selling shops. We soon found a very fancy restaurant, which was the first restaurant we have been to that the waiters have outfits. After eating supper, we hurried off to catch a bus to Thonakkal. Once we got there, we still had to get to the temple to see the Kathakali. An auto-ricksaw took us.

As soon as we arrived some people moved to give us three chairs. The ladies sat on one side and the men on the other. We soon got a seat at the front and at once saw the faces much better. But it started to go on for a little bit so we went to the backstage to see the painting and met some of Aunt Jane’s friends. We were impressed how they could put the make-up on themselves. One of Jane’s friends was Umnithan, who was playing Shiva, the most important player in the Kathakali performance.

Once they got into their woodsman costumes, they started to admire themselves. He said that he had snakes in his pockets and a moon in his hair. Soon a boar came rushing out and he shot at the same time as Arjuna did. They started to fight and shoot arrows at each other. Quickly, Parvati, Shiva’s wife, started telling him “stop, this is your follower”. Since Shiva did not listen, Parvati hurried over to Arjuna and said “stop, you don’t realize who this is and if you don’t stop right now I will turn your arrows into flowers.” Arjuna shot again and his arrows turned into flowers. Parvati gave another announcement and said “there are no more arrows in your bag if you don’t stop shooting right away.” He shot again but then there were no arrows, so they started fighting bare-handed. Arjuna got spun and spun around and lost the fight. After they finished the fight Arjuna realized that he had been fighting with Siva, one of the most important gods in Hinduism.

After the play was finished we went to the back to see them get their make-up off and say good-bye to the players. The person playing Shiva gave me his chin chooti and Rob his funny flowered nose. It was almost midnight by the time we got home and I was half asleep.