Kerala in 10 photographs
18 December 2016
Kerala 28.11.16 - 05.12.16
Three things we learnt in Kerala.
Kathakali is not a comedy show
Our first stop in Kerala was a small fishing town called Fort Kochi. The town itself is beautiful; it shares a likeness to many coastal towns we've visited before with its boutique back alleys, friendly locals and artistic nature. But of course bearing that unmistakable wonderfully wild Indian culture and tradition. Going back to our Bollywood experience, a couple of guys we spent the day with who had just travelled from the south were raving about a traditional dance performance unique to Fort Kochi called 'Kathakali'. They had told us it was a strange but unmissable tradition, so along with a friend from our hostel we decided to give it a go. The performance was down as starting at 6pm but we were invited to arrive from 5pm to watch the actors apply their stage make-up; this in itself was quite something. The paints were made before our eyes from 100% natural ingredients, first a powder made from grating colourful stones then mixed with with coconut oil (it really can be used for anything mum!). The application took over an hour, in which time the four men had totally transformed themselves into a decoratively intricate version of the good, the bad and the ugly; they looked spectacular! After a brief translation lesson the official performance began. The actors performed the entire story using only the movement of their facial muscles accompanied by emotive percussion; it was absolutely hilarious. The entire room was transfixed on the performance, at times in deadly silence, whilst we sat at the back trying to hold back our childish giggles for the most part of the show. Maybe it was just the audience we were part of that night but we somehow seemed to be the only one to see (or seek out) the humour in the show. I guess I would liken it to pantomime - which is making me think now it's more likely we were the only English in the room. Nonetheless, unmistakably a timeless tradition in the small town of Fort Kochi I would recommend the show highly - however you choose to enjoy it.
Indian cooking is less complicated than we thought
We spotted the ad on a local notice board: "Indian home-cooking class" and after a brief Whatsapp conversation found ourselves wearing pink frilly pinnies in a lovely local lady's kitchen. We learnt how to make three dishes, in what she described as a traditional home-cooking style for families. It was the simplicity that shocked us, being the 'chuck it all in and hope for the best' types we couldn't believe how few spices and how little of each is needed to create such complex flavours. The biggest shock was how quickly she made a thick and tasty sauce using only whole fresh tomatoes, salt and cumin seeds (I would normally spend half an hour desperately stirring corn flour into a can of chopped tomatoes). And finally the order of techniques was mostly the opposite of what we know, for example frying raw potatoes before boiling them.
At the end of the lesson we were invited to enjoy the dishes at her dining table, as you can imagine they were mouth watering (we had mainly stood by and watched the magic unfold)! What really touched me at the end was our teachers shy request for her children to have some of the resulting food, of course we gladly agreed but it was a small reminder of how precious food must be for this amazing woman and her family. Her children had been so patient during the two hours we had no idea they were even in the house. We both agreed what an amazing insight the experience had been both into Indian cooking and into an example of a south Indian family home.
A day spent on the bus is a day well spent
On our mammoth journey to Goa we stopped in a town called Kannur in North Kerala for a few nights. Aside from beautiful beaches there wasn't a lot we would say for the town centre, apart from the local buses. They, are, spectacular. If you're looking for a first bus / magic bus / megabus experience to compare this to then stop now. These buses are lit up, leopard print, dance beat, glitter covered sass on wheels. In a conservative country like India these buses are sex. I don't know why so much time and effort has gone into the creation of this particular towns' bus service, but at 25p for a 30 minute journey down to the coast we couldn't get enough. Although, the funniest thing about them is the locals still sit there in silence scowling out the window just like we would on a grey Monday morning commute to work. It seems however fancy, a bus ride will always be a bus ride.
5 December 2016
Aura Art Stay 19.11.16 - 23.11.16
After a busy few weeks city hopping with Rawat we were looking for somewhere a little less urban to stay put and relax for a few days, preferably near to Mohali where we would be watching India V England in the test series. We found Aura Art Stay on hostel bookers; it's a hostel cum artist retreat located in among a cluster of rural Punjab villages. Originally the art stay had been an invitation only month-long residency for 12 artists at a time, however, they have very recently opened their doors to backpackers inbetween residencies. The setting is an inspiration in itself, an extremely well equipped artist studio is surrounded by a maze of jungle like gardens and hammock hide-out spots; bellissimo! Because the location is so remote breakfast, lunch and dinner are all included in the room price, which at £12 a night is a bargain. We felt so at home for the 5 days, made possible with the delicious home cooked meals, Fifi the hostel dog continually at our sides and of our course the wonderful hosts Anuja, Apurva and Atul. Cheers lovers!
Aura Art Stay in ten photographs
22 November 2016
Poems 23.11.16
Three poems for the people of India
Chai
Hot pot bubblingFriends gather, a quick pitstop
Hot sweet tea for all.
For the women of India
She walks with purpose
Her head held high and her face determined
She dresses with pride
Her bare skin breaths free and alive
She is tenacious
Her words sung with no caution
She smiles and laughs loudly
Her thirst for life above all else
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Cash Crunch Blues
10 0'Clock news brings a surprise,
We must fight black money, all rise!
500 and 1000 notes will be no more,
For the people of India hard times are in store.
A withdrawal cap of 4000 per day,
Food, rent, bills - how will we pay?
Another morning another dash,
By midday every ATM out of cash.
Shop keepers worry to no end,
With no money, people can't spend.
The government pose a new 2000 note,
But who will have enough change in their float?
As tourists join the cash point queue,
Kind locals say 'please go through'.
Not quite the the holiday we had in mind,
But no doubt an experience we won't be leaving behind.
In times like these it's important to remember,
To have patience and keep our temper.
To support each other, we endeavour...
After all, we are in this together.
21 November 2016
Rajasthan 09.11.16 - 20.11.16
Three things we will never forget - Rajasthan.
Lions & Tigers and ... weddings!?
Ranakpur 13.11.16
At around 8.30pm in the rural village of Ranakpur we had just agreed on an early night when we heard a sudden outbreak of bongo drums and traditional Indian singing. Along with the 6 other guests we rushed out to the hotel gate where we were greeted with a small group of locals who where jamming away on the side of the road; the sound was incredible, we hardly recognised any of the instruments which made it all the more enchanting. Our wonderful guide Rawat beckoned for us to join in advising that we walk over with 10 RPS between our teeth to show gratitude. Feeling ridiculous, we awkwardly sidled / danced our way into the circle (I hope you have some great imagery) and were immediately accepted into the group. We soon realised this was only a fragment of the celebrations. 100m up the road and we were transported back to our Bollywood experience; bright lights, an explosion of colour and animals dressed to the nines all around us. It felt like we had stepped into a fairytale. As I snapped away at the incredible scenes I suddenly felt intrusive as I remembered this was someone's wedding; but if I've learnt anything from our Indian experience so far it's how welcoming the people are into their magical culture. The guests, the band and the whole load of people working on the wedding were more than happy for us to be there and experience such a joyous tradition - as long as we were dancing. (If you've ever been to an Indian wedding you'll know about the dancing!) We laughed and danced our way through a colourful line of Ox and camel drawn carriages lead by a 20 man (or more) brass band. My words don't do justice to this dreamlike experience, nor how lucky we were to be in the right place at the right time. Even Rawat was amazed by what happened! A raw experience of this magical country, never to be forgotten.
-
Al Fresco Sleepover - by Lucy & Dod
Khuri // The Thar Desert 16.11.16
Of all the amazing hotels Rawat has organised for us to stay in during the last 2 weeks the night we spent outside has come out top! We drove about 50 kilometres from Jaisalmer to Khuri, a small village on the verge of the Thar Desert. On arrival we were shown to a small round hut to deposit our bags in before travelling up to the dunes by camel to take in a beautifully rich sunset. We were informed that after dinner and evening entertainment back at the huts we would be given the option to sleep on the dunes under the stars. After some lovely grub and a few rums we decided it was an opportunity we couldn't pass up on. Along with four other couples we loaded onto a Jeep to embark on our al fresco sleepover! The actual sleeping part wasn't all that fun; it was incredibly cold and one of us (we wont say who) had an unfortunate toilet related incident - without a toilet. We'll leave it at that. However, as the sun rose and we were bathed in golden sunlight it all seemed worth it. Everyone was running around like children, jumping down the dunes and rolling in the sand, it was a truly glorious morning. An unforgettable experience, perhaps more so for one of us!
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The Cash Crunch
Rajasthan 09.11.16 - present day
You may have seen on the news that Indian tender has undergone a bit of a make over recently. As guests of the country it has been something quite fascinating to be a part of, and at times quite hard to cope with. Our tour of Rajasthan has been an incredible journey, and in a way the cash crunch has become a big part of the experience. With that said and done it felt right that I write about what has happened, our personal encounters and the massive impact it's currently having on the country...
Wednesday 10th November - 10pm
"1000 INR and 500 INR notes scrapped" was the tag line and the only thing we could understand from the screen. Our telly had just automatically switched to the news channel where India's Prime Minister, Modi was giving a speech in Hindi. Panicked, we googled the situation and found an article had just been released stating that the government had decided to scrap the countries main tender (the equivalent of our £10 and £20 notes) in an effort to tackle an increasingly prevalent Black Money issue. A new 500 note as well as a brand new 2000 note were to be circulated around the country, but in the mean time to ensure everyone could get enough cash there would be a 2000 withdrawal limit per card and a total withdrawal limit of 4000 a day per person until the end of the month. Obviously, we were fretting big time. Only hours ago we had withdrawn 15,000 rupees all in 500 notes which were, as of midnight, worthless. As the announcement came in English we learnt tourists could change their notes at airports, and citizens with an Indian bank account had until the end of the year to deposit their old tender. The final blow was that ATMs and banks would be shut for 2 days to prepare for the high demand. We had about 300 RPS legal tender between us, which was do-able if we ate from the street venders and skipped the touristy stuff. We agreed everything would work out, but neither of us really slept that night.
Thursday 9th - Saturday 11th November
The next morning we met Rawat at 9am worried that our Rajasthan tour would be cut short as there was no way we could get enough cash for him before the trip was over. He confirmed that no one had a clue this was coming but also seemed completely laid back about the situation. We were feeling pretty stupid for losing sleep over it! En route to Pushkar we stopped at a service station, "WE ACCEPT 500 & 1000 NOTES" was hand written on signs everywhere. Relieved we filled a basket with drinks and snacks which we assumed would come to the usual 100 - 150 RPS; 520 the cashier said after clearly pretending to add the amounts up in his head "but you can give me 500 because we can't give change". It was already very clear tourists were a prime target for exploitation of the situation. When we arrived in Pushkar there were similar signs up amongst the markets, cafes and restaurants. However, a restaurant bill was much more likely to come close to 500 RPS and so thankfully the next 24 hours were pretty plain sailing for us. However, towards the end of our stay we learnt businesses were beginning to suffer. We were denied the use of a 500 note of the first time by a market stall owner; although we knew it was illegal we were surprised as all the small independent businesses had been more than happy to take the notes off our hands up until now. He explained to us that businesses were only allowed to bank 4000 RPS a day in the newly illegal tender up until the new year when it wouldn't be accepted as real money. With this in mind he had already taken his limit, if he took any more then he wouldn't have enough time to bank it all. We actually ended up paying for our things in sterling; in the ten minutes we were in there he lost three customers and was so desperate he agreed to take our English money.
Sunday 12th November - present day
But things were about to get worse. On the 12th November the banks and ATMs re-opened and the 'cash rush' began. Since then not much has changed; queues are up to 5 hours long, nowhere is accepting old notes and almost everyone is struggling. The new 500 and 2000 notes haven't really been circulated yet, which means the cash machines are only churning out 100 notes. That's 40 notes per person each transaction, meaning the machines are empty within a few hours of being restocked.
At most cash points we've been urged to the front by locals despite them queueing for hours, sometimes because I am a woman (women usually queue separately) but also because they understand as travellers we can't really be without cash. Although, as time goes on and people get more desperate these queue jumps are understandably becoming less favourable.
People are now frustrated and scared; but from speaking to Rajasthan locals most seem surprisingly understanding of the government's decision. On paper it makes total sense, articles say the move might actually have a positive impact on fighting terrorism as India's black market trade extends right across the border. But the real issue is how unprepared the country has been for such a drastic decision that is of course going to impact absolutely everyone. Yes there's new tender, but it seems there either isn't enough to go around or the banks haven't received the new notes in time. Whatsmore when these 2000 notes really hit businesses are going to struggle to give change without the existence of a 1000 note. Although we have mostly encountered positive feedback there is of course protest in other parts of India as Prime Minister Modi seems to be shying away from the publics' struggle.
So far we have been pretty sheltered from what's happening around us; in the care of our amazing driver Rawat all our hotels have been pre-paid for with breakfast included for the last 2 weeks - luxurious back-packing! But today is our first day without him. We attempted to withdraw cash yesterday but there's also a 20,000 weekly limit which we had of course reached. We had 200 RPS between us (not even £3.00), so last night was a packet of crisps for tea kind of night. For the next week we're staying at an art retreat where breakfast lunch and dinner is included in the price of our room, thankfully they have kindly let us transfer our payment online. Hopefully by next week the cap will be lifted - but at this rate, who knows what's going to happen in this crazy country! Nonetheless, what an experience this is; we have been given the opportunity to understand and connect with the people of India on a level we never imagined. Thank you to all the kind faces who have helped us to front of a queue, understood when we couldn't tip and even offered for us to pay for our meal the next day! You are truly amazing.
Wednesday 10th November - 10pm
"1000 INR and 500 INR notes scrapped" was the tag line and the only thing we could understand from the screen. Our telly had just automatically switched to the news channel where India's Prime Minister, Modi was giving a speech in Hindi. Panicked, we googled the situation and found an article had just been released stating that the government had decided to scrap the countries main tender (the equivalent of our £10 and £20 notes) in an effort to tackle an increasingly prevalent Black Money issue. A new 500 note as well as a brand new 2000 note were to be circulated around the country, but in the mean time to ensure everyone could get enough cash there would be a 2000 withdrawal limit per card and a total withdrawal limit of 4000 a day per person until the end of the month. Obviously, we were fretting big time. Only hours ago we had withdrawn 15,000 rupees all in 500 notes which were, as of midnight, worthless. As the announcement came in English we learnt tourists could change their notes at airports, and citizens with an Indian bank account had until the end of the year to deposit their old tender. The final blow was that ATMs and banks would be shut for 2 days to prepare for the high demand. We had about 300 RPS legal tender between us, which was do-able if we ate from the street venders and skipped the touristy stuff. We agreed everything would work out, but neither of us really slept that night.
Thursday 9th - Saturday 11th November
The next morning we met Rawat at 9am worried that our Rajasthan tour would be cut short as there was no way we could get enough cash for him before the trip was over. He confirmed that no one had a clue this was coming but also seemed completely laid back about the situation. We were feeling pretty stupid for losing sleep over it! En route to Pushkar we stopped at a service station, "WE ACCEPT 500 & 1000 NOTES" was hand written on signs everywhere. Relieved we filled a basket with drinks and snacks which we assumed would come to the usual 100 - 150 RPS; 520 the cashier said after clearly pretending to add the amounts up in his head "but you can give me 500 because we can't give change". It was already very clear tourists were a prime target for exploitation of the situation. When we arrived in Pushkar there were similar signs up amongst the markets, cafes and restaurants. However, a restaurant bill was much more likely to come close to 500 RPS and so thankfully the next 24 hours were pretty plain sailing for us. However, towards the end of our stay we learnt businesses were beginning to suffer. We were denied the use of a 500 note of the first time by a market stall owner; although we knew it was illegal we were surprised as all the small independent businesses had been more than happy to take the notes off our hands up until now. He explained to us that businesses were only allowed to bank 4000 RPS a day in the newly illegal tender up until the new year when it wouldn't be accepted as real money. With this in mind he had already taken his limit, if he took any more then he wouldn't have enough time to bank it all. We actually ended up paying for our things in sterling; in the ten minutes we were in there he lost three customers and was so desperate he agreed to take our English money.
Sunday 12th November - present day
But things were about to get worse. On the 12th November the banks and ATMs re-opened and the 'cash rush' began. Since then not much has changed; queues are up to 5 hours long, nowhere is accepting old notes and almost everyone is struggling. The new 500 and 2000 notes haven't really been circulated yet, which means the cash machines are only churning out 100 notes. That's 40 notes per person each transaction, meaning the machines are empty within a few hours of being restocked.
At most cash points we've been urged to the front by locals despite them queueing for hours, sometimes because I am a woman (women usually queue separately) but also because they understand as travellers we can't really be without cash. Although, as time goes on and people get more desperate these queue jumps are understandably becoming less favourable.
People are now frustrated and scared; but from speaking to Rajasthan locals most seem surprisingly understanding of the government's decision. On paper it makes total sense, articles say the move might actually have a positive impact on fighting terrorism as India's black market trade extends right across the border. But the real issue is how unprepared the country has been for such a drastic decision that is of course going to impact absolutely everyone. Yes there's new tender, but it seems there either isn't enough to go around or the banks haven't received the new notes in time. Whatsmore when these 2000 notes really hit businesses are going to struggle to give change without the existence of a 1000 note. Although we have mostly encountered positive feedback there is of course protest in other parts of India as Prime Minister Modi seems to be shying away from the publics' struggle.
So far we have been pretty sheltered from what's happening around us; in the care of our amazing driver Rawat all our hotels have been pre-paid for with breakfast included for the last 2 weeks - luxurious back-packing! But today is our first day without him. We attempted to withdraw cash yesterday but there's also a 20,000 weekly limit which we had of course reached. We had 200 RPS between us (not even £3.00), so last night was a packet of crisps for tea kind of night. For the next week we're staying at an art retreat where breakfast lunch and dinner is included in the price of our room, thankfully they have kindly let us transfer our payment online. Hopefully by next week the cap will be lifted - but at this rate, who knows what's going to happen in this crazy country! Nonetheless, what an experience this is; we have been given the opportunity to understand and connect with the people of India on a level we never imagined. Thank you to all the kind faces who have helped us to front of a queue, understood when we couldn't tip and even offered for us to pay for our meal the next day! You are truly amazing.
19 November 2016
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