Missed our train to Pondicherry from Madurai. Went for a meal on a roof top restaurant as the sun went down after visiting the Mahatma Ghandi museum. Saw massive bats flying overhead, must have been fruit bats. The museum was very insightful: we learned about India and the times of the British raj. It was a little depressing but it’s been interesting over the past month discovering how India is coping with it’s relatively new found independence. The goals of freedom and prosperity for all may well arrive one day, but it’s certainly not here yet. The rich are certainly rich and we’ve met and seen a lot of wealthy north Indian families over the past 2 weeks holidaying in the south. The poor then, are extremely poor. We have seen all kinds of things this past month, some very disturbing and some very funny and we’ve come to the conclusion that India is simply an amazing country.

I mean amazing in the proper sense – it seems that every day we witness something incredible. And this country is absolutely teeming with life of every kind, everywhere: people, birds, animals, insects, auto-rickshaw drivers, bats. I’ve taken some photos, but one of the first things which struck when we arrived in Mumbai and every city or town since is that birds of prey are so common here – all kinds of buzzards and hawks are gliding and circling over roof tops, whilst in the street, amidst the traffic chaos, cows wander here and there, some with painted colourful horns. Chipmunks scurry up and down trees, calling to each other and at night bats feast on hordes of flies and other bugs swarming around street lights while dogs, cats mice and rats run around the lanes and roads, scavenging for food.

Today I trod in a cow pat. It was massive and I was wearing flip flops. Before that, I banged my head on the kitchen door frame of our guest house for the 2nd time. Yesterday, I fell over on some mud left over from the flood. I’m not sleeping well but I am entertaining Dr. Lee no end.

From the sleeper train, we arrived in Villapuram to catch a bus into Pondicherry. 4am in a packed bus and the sky opens. We arrived at the end of a 3 day monsoon in pouring rain and the loudest thunder storm ever. The bus stand was over crowded and cockroaches and beetles were scurrying over our bare feet as a rickshaw drivers conned his next victims. The town was flooded, in some places it must have been a foot deep, likely deeper elsewhere. Our tip for great accommodation was nowhere to be found and fallen trees were blocking roads. An hour later, the sun was rising and the rain abating. A monumental argument with the rickshaw driver ensued. A kindly security guard let us sit in the damp restaurant Satsanga, whilst I found our guesthouse on my own, wandering through flooded streets. Vicki was resting with the luggage and waiting for the cook and waiter to arrive so we could get some breakfast.

It’s a day later now and we’re enjoying Pondicherry very much, the surreal night of arrival put behind us. The guesthouse, Le Rêve Bleu, Miland Street, is a beautiful old french house and the whole french quarter is lovely to wander around. And they serve alcohol in Tamil Nadu! Woo! A much needed bottle of red wine last night. Vicki had a really tasty grilled red snapper.

Some sites today. Tomorrow we leave for Mammallapuram then onto Chennai airport for the 4th and Bangkok for wedding arrangements and dental enquiries…

Here’s a funny shop name for you: St. Mary’s Rubbers. Not, as we first thought, some kind of protestant-run pharmacy specialising in contraception but a tyre re-treading business. It can be found on the road between Kumili and Kollam in Kerala state.

posted: Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 10:00
under: travels.
follow: RSS 2.0 feed.