Sunday, January 31, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Tuesday January 26th Cochin Kerala.
INDIA CELEBRATES 60 YEARS OF INDEPENDANCE TODAY!
Fitting that I just finished reading Gandhi's autobiography. Amazing.
Can't help thinking he would turn in his grave (if he had had one) if he saw india today.
I didn't get to tell you much about Gokarna as I found a good Ayuvedic Doctor and spent 5 days in treatment for my gall bladder but I think I am fine now.
I loved Gokarna.Its a one street town full of little temples and lots of pilgrims and many cows.
It felt like going back in time.People living as they have done for hundreds of years with just a few more white folk around and cell phones.The white folks are a trip.Never seen so many dreads as many seem to be compeating for the longest dreaded hair or beard like the babas.
It's the in look in Gokarna along with face piercing and tatoos and clothes of every discription but most popular is the the Gandhi look complete with stick.Most are wearing some kind of beads and often bracelets and anckle decoration too.This is the white men!!
Some came years ago and never left as it is so cheap to live in Gokarna.My lovely guest house room with private bath and views was only $4 a night and my meals were never more than $2
There are great beaches there too and lots of choice.I managed to grab a couple of days topping up the tan before comming here to Cochin Kerala. A 13hr train journey.
This is a whole other world here too.I am on the island of Fort Cochin which I came to by a little ferry so you can imagine how at home I feel.This is like being in Portugal somewhat as the Portugese settled here in the 1500's and built churches and many other lovely buildings.It is famous for the Chinese fishing nets which hang out into the water from the shore and are still in use and each day you can whatch them bring in the fish.
It's much more up market here with clean streets, boutique hotels, and prices to match though there are also loads of nice guest houses for cheap.I pay $6 here. Food is double what I paid in Gokarna but lots of great fish. I just wish they didn't fry everything.
There is a lovely area called Jew town where the jews settled when they were thrown out of Palastine so long ago.An origional synogogue is still here dated 1550.The area is also becoming very up market with trendy coffee shops and book stores and of course the clothes and jewlery shops that all seem to sell the same things which you get sick of seeing.
I drove a scooter around the island yesterday and didn't have to go far to see the other side of life where the poor live in falling down houses. Every town here seems to have an abundance of derilic buildings. Some old some never finished building yet there are plenty of people in need
though I see no beggars here.There is definately more money around here.
I did encounter an Indian man going around asking fellow Indians for money as he needed an operation.Thank heavens for BCMed.
I am always surprised by the type of people I meet here.The other night I met an older conservative english woman who came here 7 years ago on holiday and has been living here 7 months a year since. She loves it , weares a sari and hangs out with the indian folks. Says the moment she arrived she knew this was here place.
I am certainly enjoying myself here and now looking forward to the backwaters.Will probably head down there tomorrow.
This is a very old computer and it doesn't even have a spell check dam it.
That's all for now
Namaste.
caz
Fitting that I just finished reading Gandhi's autobiography. Amazing.
Can't help thinking he would turn in his grave (if he had had one) if he saw india today.
I didn't get to tell you much about Gokarna as I found a good Ayuvedic Doctor and spent 5 days in treatment for my gall bladder but I think I am fine now.
I loved Gokarna.Its a one street town full of little temples and lots of pilgrims and many cows.
It felt like going back in time.People living as they have done for hundreds of years with just a few more white folk around and cell phones.The white folks are a trip.Never seen so many dreads as many seem to be compeating for the longest dreaded hair or beard like the babas.
It's the in look in Gokarna along with face piercing and tatoos and clothes of every discription but most popular is the the Gandhi look complete with stick.Most are wearing some kind of beads and often bracelets and anckle decoration too.This is the white men!!
Some came years ago and never left as it is so cheap to live in Gokarna.My lovely guest house room with private bath and views was only $4 a night and my meals were never more than $2
There are great beaches there too and lots of choice.I managed to grab a couple of days topping up the tan before comming here to Cochin Kerala. A 13hr train journey.
This is a whole other world here too.I am on the island of Fort Cochin which I came to by a little ferry so you can imagine how at home I feel.This is like being in Portugal somewhat as the Portugese settled here in the 1500's and built churches and many other lovely buildings.It is famous for the Chinese fishing nets which hang out into the water from the shore and are still in use and each day you can whatch them bring in the fish.
It's much more up market here with clean streets, boutique hotels, and prices to match though there are also loads of nice guest houses for cheap.I pay $6 here. Food is double what I paid in Gokarna but lots of great fish. I just wish they didn't fry everything.
There is a lovely area called Jew town where the jews settled when they were thrown out of Palastine so long ago.An origional synogogue is still here dated 1550.The area is also becoming very up market with trendy coffee shops and book stores and of course the clothes and jewlery shops that all seem to sell the same things which you get sick of seeing.
I drove a scooter around the island yesterday and didn't have to go far to see the other side of life where the poor live in falling down houses. Every town here seems to have an abundance of derilic buildings. Some old some never finished building yet there are plenty of people in need
though I see no beggars here.There is definately more money around here.
I did encounter an Indian man going around asking fellow Indians for money as he needed an operation.Thank heavens for BCMed.
I am always surprised by the type of people I meet here.The other night I met an older conservative english woman who came here 7 years ago on holiday and has been living here 7 months a year since. She loves it , weares a sari and hangs out with the indian folks. Says the moment she arrived she knew this was here place.
I am certainly enjoying myself here and now looking forward to the backwaters.Will probably head down there tomorrow.
This is a very old computer and it doesn't even have a spell check dam it.
That's all for now
Namaste.
caz
Sunday, January 10, 2010
January 11th Leaving Goa.
Its been a while since I could get to this.Ive had a few health problems, Bronchitus and gall bladder trouble that put me in the hospital for 24hrs. Luckily it was a private hospital here in Palolem and they took great care of me. Apparently I have sludge in my gall bladder.If I eat anything greasy I throw up. Well guess what everything here is greasy so I am on fruit and yogut at the moment and feeling good eating less. I know it was the falafels and chips I had Christmas eve that started it. Christmas day was not fun .Anyway enough of that.
I have been in Palolem for nearly a week now.Its a long palm fringed beach full of beach huts and shack resturants. The tourist season is only 4 months and I was amazed to learn that they build everything each year and take it down again at the end of the season because of the monsoon.
Takes a month to build. Most of the season workers come from up north from villages.I really like village people.They are so sweet. I stayed in an up market beach hut resort as it was worth it to me to pay more for clean. There are lots of middle class Indians who have too much spare cash who come to the beaches now and they are all overweight and drink like fish and make fools of themselves.This is where India is going I'm afraid. Worst is they treat these lovely kind waiters like shit. It's the new money from Bangalore.
I had several vistors in my room. Tree frogs. They would jump off the palm trees a wait for me in my bathroom untill I get home in the evening and I'd jump out my skin. Found 4 frogs in two nights.
Ive had my fill of Goa now and heading south after visiting lots of beaches in the state looking for a clean one. No chance.When you are sick you really want clean.
I rented a scooter for a couple of days which was fun. Its the perfeact thing for getting around here. I love to be mobile and got to check out other beaches near by. Lots of lovely palm trees and warm water but lots of crap too. I can imagine how beautiful it must have been a few years ago. However the weather is marvelous and I have aclimatised so its not even too hot anymore.
So I will be in Gokarna tonight and then on to Kerala. More from there.
I have been in Palolem for nearly a week now.Its a long palm fringed beach full of beach huts and shack resturants. The tourist season is only 4 months and I was amazed to learn that they build everything each year and take it down again at the end of the season because of the monsoon.
Takes a month to build. Most of the season workers come from up north from villages.I really like village people.They are so sweet. I stayed in an up market beach hut resort as it was worth it to me to pay more for clean. There are lots of middle class Indians who have too much spare cash who come to the beaches now and they are all overweight and drink like fish and make fools of themselves.This is where India is going I'm afraid. Worst is they treat these lovely kind waiters like shit. It's the new money from Bangalore.
I had several vistors in my room. Tree frogs. They would jump off the palm trees a wait for me in my bathroom untill I get home in the evening and I'd jump out my skin. Found 4 frogs in two nights.
Ive had my fill of Goa now and heading south after visiting lots of beaches in the state looking for a clean one. No chance.When you are sick you really want clean.
I rented a scooter for a couple of days which was fun. Its the perfeact thing for getting around here. I love to be mobile and got to check out other beaches near by. Lots of lovely palm trees and warm water but lots of crap too. I can imagine how beautiful it must have been a few years ago. However the weather is marvelous and I have aclimatised so its not even too hot anymore.
So I will be in Gokarna tonight and then on to Kerala. More from there.
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