February 25 through March 7, 2023
I had every intention of making more than one post about India (it deserves at least 2) but between our super hectic schedule, me getting sick, and weak wifi at the host's house, I am just now catching up. So one post it is! Here are some highlights and an overview (no time for emojis right now :( and a smattering of photos).
1. Kochi, Kerala was an interesting first stop, made all the more interesting by our 1.5 hour drive from the airport. Any ride through the streets of India is bound to be interesting, with the crazy traffic and hectic pace and variety of roadside activity. I assure you I will NEVER be driving in this country. We arrived at our beautiful hotel safe and sound (after driving through what seemed like endless low-income areas).
2. Kochi has a big fishing industry (we got to see the famous Chinese fishing nets), museums, temples, and notably an old Jewish area. We got to see the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth, dating back to 1568, as well as a shopping/residential area called Jew Town (not what I would have named it). Very cool. Despite all this, I couldn't find any evidence of hamantaschen in the local bakeries (Purim was this week).
3. Besides our guided tours, we didn't venture outside the hotel much (we felt safe and able to eat the food there). I think this was a good call overall, especially since I had accidentally booked the executive suite room and it was amazing (sweeet). Happily, our tuk-tuk guide/driver was an expert and took :) us all around the area at our own pace (it was just the two of us).
4. We had an overnight tour on a houseboat on the Allepey River which was lovely, especially since it was just the two of us and 3 staff members (captain, skipper, and cook). We enjoyed the ride, the waters were calm, the sunset was beautiful, and I even got to steer the ship once. It was also interesting to see the locals washing themselves and their laundry in the river.
5. After Kerala, we flew to Manipal (airport Mangalore) via Bangalore. This was the start of our 5 day adventure with the Bhat family who connected with us years ago when their son went to one of Art's TEDx talks in India and (later) we hosted their son at our house while he looked at California colleges. This family has since come to believe that Art changed the course of their son's academic life and they revere Art for his support and his brains. I cannot overstate this enough; they revere him. And then they came to revere me by association.
6. Mr. Bhat laid out a very full schedule for us to see Manipal (a university town), for Art to give a public show there, for Art to launch a new academic program, to be interviewed by the students, and to be the guest of honor at an extended family party. I have never been so busy or so feted on my holiday. It was non-stop, despite set breaks in the schedule.
7. The Bhats fed us well, but I discovered two things: south Indian (where Manipal is) food is quite different from north Indian (which is more common in the US). Also the Bhats are not only vegetarian, they are Jain, so they don't eat onions or garlic (or anything which disturbs the earth). I tried so hard to pretend to eat, but everyone in the family noticed and commented on how little I ate (hated that). It didn't help that I arrived with a bad cold so my appetite was low already. I'm happy to report that I did not get sick from the food or water (we only drank bottled water); not sure I can say the same for Art ;)
8. While with the Bhats, I got to experience Ayurvedic massage twice. Although it was okay, it is not my favorite (too oily and too much pressure point stuff for me). Plus I had it done at their local hospital so it all felt very clinical and not spa-like. I was so hoping it would cure my recent pinched nerve in my left arm (happened in Namibia for no reason) but alas it did not.
9. The Bhats offered us local attire for the major functions we attended and it was fun dressing up (and totally okay because it was their idea). I must say I rocked the sari :) Everyone commented favorably on the attire. And by the way, let me say that the Bhats are truly some of the absolute nicest people I've ever met. Nice to have such friends in the world!
10. We got to briefly attend an Indian wedding, I got to take a lovely punting/canoe ride on the river, we got to visit a nearby island on the Arabian Sea, we saw Indian dances (including one on our arrival in their driveway!), heard Indian music, and visited more temples and ceremonies than I can remember. Even found some time to get my hair done despite the obvious language barrier between me and the hairstylist. It was all amazing and exhausting, but I wouldn't have traded it for anything.
11. Fun aside: At one temple we visited, we ran into some schoolkids who knew we were "famous" and wanted to take photos with us. Not only was Art swarmed with new fans, so was I! Kind of a new experience for me :) I was also the center of attention when we visited the Bhat's in-laws where the grandma took a huge liking to me (practically wouldn't let go of my arm the whole time). I guess I'm just "best to take home to the grandparents" :-)
12. Other fun aside: coconuts are prevalent in India (at least where we were) and palm trees abounded. Everyone uses the coconut oil for cooking, massages, etc. One night we had dinner on the beach and the waitstaff made a point of moving our table out of the way of a palm tree because the "coconuts just might fall on us".
13. Less fun aside: On one of our final days with the Bhats, I took a spectacular fall down their stairs. I didn't break any bones, but did get a bit bruised and banged up. Of course this prompted way too much attention and concern by everyone (I just wanted to disappear...). Couldn't wait to escape their worried faces and cry in my own space. Oyyy. I'm pretty much fine now, just a bit sore.
14. For our last days in India, we took the train up to Goa. We had booked 1st class with A/C but didn't quite realize what their definition of 1st class is (yes A/C, no on private cabin, definitely not what an American would think a 1st class train cabin would be). Although it was 4 hours, it went by pretty quickly and at least we did have "beds" to lie down on.
15. Goa is a more developed state, has lots of Portuguese influence (they were the colonizers for 400 years after all), more modern amenities, pretty architecture, spice plantations, and beautiful beaches. And lots more tourists. I had a day tour to see the highlights; mostly we hung out in our air conditioned 5-star hotel (which was super cheap by American standards). We finally got to have some meat dishes (the chef here is amazing) and so far we have escaped any (major) intestinal issues (yay!). Plus we got to actually relax a bit (I finished my latest book!).
16. The weather in India ranged from hot to very hot, but not horribly hot. Everyone worried about our ability to handle it :) I learned that there are 3 seasons here: winter (Dec-Jan), summer (Feb-May), and monsoon (May-Nov). We arrived on the cusp of summer and wouldn't have wanted to be here any later.
17. According to our hosts, India continues to have challenges with government bribes/corruption and inefficiency. When I mentioned that in our country, people lobby our representatives for legislation they want passed, we were told that would just never work in India.
18. [Not for Laurel's eyes] Lastly, I need to mention that there is a symbol occasionally used in India that is the mirror image of a WWII symbol. Apparently it was used and misused by the Germans to mean the exact opposite of what the Hindus use it to mean (good health and well-being). According to our hosts, the Indians don't really know its history so they use it anyway. It was a bit jarring for me to see it around town, as well as at the wedding we attended.
Heading out tomorrow for Indonesia which I expect will be quite different in many ways :)))
Deena and Art
P.S. The Bhats and the University took thousands (and thousands) of photos of us and gave us the thumb drive but I haven't gone through it all, so below is a small subset of what I have. Enjoy!
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