June 15, 2007
I am sitting here in my comfortable hotel room in Kodai. It has been quite an eventful few days getting to this place, though. We drove the airport very early in the morning and boarded a small plane to Maduri. Then we went on a three hour car drive up a beautiful mountain road. Along the way a few people in our party had to take anti nausea meds. Nitara, surprisingly, was fine. We kept passing cars that had stopped at the side of the road to either vomit or clean up vomit. Yes it was that bad of a road. We arrived at a resort where we were supposed to stay. Everything looked wonderful on the outside. They had one of the most beautiful gardens of flowering plants I have ever seen. The gardening staff was amazing. If that place had spent half the effort on the inside of the cottages it might have been a great stay. We inspected six rooms, starting with one that had raw sewage coming into it. The last set of rooms was pretty bad, but at that point we were exhausted and ready to collapse. The bed was dirty, the couch was even dirtier, and the bathroom had splatters of human filth all over it. I refused to use it. The kitchenette had splatters of food, the fridge looked like someone had thawed out meat in it, and the complimentary cooking utensils had dried food on them. We settled down, me and the girls in the big bed and V on the couch. No one slept very well. The next morning we found a room at a much, much better hotel down the street. My in laws decided to just stay at the same hotel and upgrade to a two-room suite. The hotel gave better attention for the higher paying people. It was not acceptable by most standards but at least it was reasonably clean and they felt it was acceptable for the baby.
That afternoon we rented some bikes, one for me and Abi, and one small one for Nitara. The one I rented for Abi and I was the worst bike I have ever ridden. If I went over a bump the seat went forward, and over the next bump the seat tilted backwards. It was so rusty it was hard to pedal. Abi and I had a good time on it though. Like everyone else was doing she straddled the luggage rack and we rode around the lake. Nitara’s kiddie bike was hard for her to pedal so we took turns pushing her. She was okay with that, though. Later Nitara and I shared a horse ride with Abi on her own horse in the rear. The horses were very healthy and happy looking and we took a short ride around the lake. The person leading us asked where I was staying and if I was interested in a longer ride through the forest the next morning. I said I would talk to my family and see what the plan was and get back to him.
We got back to the in law’s place and I think the lack of sleep and travel fatique got to us and we had a big exchange of temper tantrums from the baby on up to the oldest person. We went back to our hotel and had a good night’s sleep. As we were drifting off I was treated to a sound that is typical of India’s diversity. We are staying by a very old German Christian church and the sounds of hymns mixed with the more distant sounds of a procession going around the lake in honor of a certain Hindu goddess including drumming and chanting.
As is typical in his family, we all pretended it had never happened by this morning. I was awakend by the phone. The front desk said there were two men with horses waiting to take me on a horse ride! I never told them I wanted it for sure and was thinking there was some miscommunication. As it turns out they do this a lot to get business. We had a good buffet breakfast and then walked around the lake. Anirudh has yet to accept his stroller that I bought for Kamini way before he was born, but it was handy for Nitara. The sling that I bought at the same time as the stroller was useful, and he was passed around as we made the long walk. We found a stand where the girls got shells etched with their names in them for keepsakes. Then we road a paddle boat. Abi really, really wanted to ride in a swan paddle boat. After that we went back to the hotel for lunch. This was third time we had eaten at this particular place. For about two dollars per person we filled up on naan bread, some yummy curries, and dessert. I ate so much all three days that I did not have any need for dinner at all. We finished with dessert. Abi got a whole banana split and I got a fruit triffle. I was amused by a typo in the dessert menu for “leeches with ice cream.”
Okay so now that I’ve given a rundown of events since the last blog, I have to say I feel like never ever going on a trip with his family again. It is so, so hard for me to live with the contant change of plans. Literally they change drastically ever ten minutes. One time yesterday we were all set to leave for an outing. I was down at the bottom of the hill at the place where the inlaws were staying. I was sitting at the playground waiting for everyone else to come down. We were supposed to go horseback riding or bike riding at a certain place across the lake. I waited and waited and no one came down. I pulled my knitting out of my bag and finished about 1/3 of a washcloth waiting. Finally they all came down. They had decided to take a walk instead. Other times we have a hard time finding the driver to take us places. My inlaws don’t drive much anymore due to eye problems and have a driver. He has the keys to the car. Sometimes we have been all ready to go somewhere, and then not been able to find the driver and go back upstairs again and wait. The driver was not told to meet us at that time so I at least don’t blame him. He was probably off getting some tea or reading the paper.
Abi has found SpongeBob on TV and after it’s over we are going to put them to bed and then V and I hope to catch a movie on HBO. We were hoping that we could have some private time together but the bed situation is such that one of the kids has to sleep with us. But since one gets jealous if the other sleeps with us, V ends up sleeping in the livingroom area on the twin bed and the girls sleep on either side of me. The situation at Kamini’s house is pretty much the same, with us in one bed and the kids each in small beds in the same room. Oh well. At least the scenery at this place is beautiful and the weather is cool.
June 15, 2007
Today started out badly but got better. Nitara’s tube “fed the bed” for a good part of the night. Not a good thing since it was the hotel’s bed and not ours. We showed the housekeeper her tummy tube and explained what happened. They were very nice about getting a new mattress and cleaning the room extra well. We have been tipping them a lot. It’s only 10 rupees (25 cents) each day but for them, they probably don’t get paid a whole lot and they work hard. This morning we had a nice breakfast at the hotel of puris, potato masala, eggs, milk and coffee, all you can eat. The total bill was 260 rupees. With the tip added, it was still under $10 for three of us.
Since Vignesh is having the same feelings as I am about traveling with family, we decided to take the day into our own hands. We went to a natural history museum. Although they had some interesting artifacts and pottery from ancient people in the area, they also included some funeral urns with bone fragments right on display. There was motley collection of stuffed animals who had seen better days. Some had ruffles on them and I imagine that about 100 years ago it was sitting in front of some British settler’s fireplace. There were some full animal skeletons, butterflies, eggs of native birds, and jars and jars full of preserved animals—a two headed shark and some fetal animals. Also on full display were jars with preserved human embryos. They ranged from very tiny with placentas attached, one with severe deformities, and a a full term nine day old baby who was very beautiful and perfect to my eyes. I could almost lift it out of the jar and expect it to open its eyes and cry. There was no warning about the human embryos on display at all. Luckily our kids were more interested in the skeletons. The whole “museum” was one room. Towards the end of our visit the place was flooded with about 50 police trainees. I have no idea why they where there, but each was rapidly taking notes in the jarred specimens area.
After that we went to Cokker’s Walk, a sidewalk built high on a mountain with breathtaking views. It was similar to the Grand Canyon though not quite as deep, and below we could see both the natural forest and cultivated plantations. We were literally in the clouds. We headed back to our hotel and will soon go off to lunch and meet with the family in the afternoon.
I am sitting here in my comfortable hotel room in Kodai. It has been quite an eventful few days getting to this place, though. We drove the airport very early in the morning and boarded a small plane to Maduri. Then we went on a three hour car drive up a beautiful mountain road. Along the way a few people in our party had to take anti nausea meds. Nitara, surprisingly, was fine. We kept passing cars that had stopped at the side of the road to either vomit or clean up vomit. Yes it was that bad of a road. We arrived at a resort where we were supposed to stay. Everything looked wonderful on the outside. They had one of the most beautiful gardens of flowering plants I have ever seen. The gardening staff was amazing. If that place had spent half the effort on the inside of the cottages it might have been a great stay. We inspected six rooms, starting with one that had raw sewage coming into it. The last set of rooms was pretty bad, but at that point we were exhausted and ready to collapse. The bed was dirty, the couch was even dirtier, and the bathroom had splatters of human filth all over it. I refused to use it. The kitchenette had splatters of food, the fridge looked like someone had thawed out meat in it, and the complimentary cooking utensils had dried food on them. We settled down, me and the girls in the big bed and V on the couch. No one slept very well. The next morning we found a room at a much, much better hotel down the street. My in laws decided to just stay at the same hotel and upgrade to a two-room suite. The hotel gave better attention for the higher paying people. It was not acceptable by most standards but at least it was reasonably clean and they felt it was acceptable for the baby.
That afternoon we rented some bikes, one for me and Abi, and one small one for Nitara. The one I rented for Abi and I was the worst bike I have ever ridden. If I went over a bump the seat went forward, and over the next bump the seat tilted backwards. It was so rusty it was hard to pedal. Abi and I had a good time on it though. Like everyone else was doing she straddled the luggage rack and we rode around the lake. Nitara’s kiddie bike was hard for her to pedal so we took turns pushing her. She was okay with that, though. Later Nitara and I shared a horse ride with Abi on her own horse in the rear. The horses were very healthy and happy looking and we took a short ride around the lake. The person leading us asked where I was staying and if I was interested in a longer ride through the forest the next morning. I said I would talk to my family and see what the plan was and get back to him.
We got back to the in law’s place and I think the lack of sleep and travel fatique got to us and we had a big exchange of temper tantrums from the baby on up to the oldest person. We went back to our hotel and had a good night’s sleep. As we were drifting off I was treated to a sound that is typical of India’s diversity. We are staying by a very old German Christian church and the sounds of hymns mixed with the more distant sounds of a procession going around the lake in honor of a certain Hindu goddess including drumming and chanting.
As is typical in his family, we all pretended it had never happened by this morning. I was awakend by the phone. The front desk said there were two men with horses waiting to take me on a horse ride! I never told them I wanted it for sure and was thinking there was some miscommunication. As it turns out they do this a lot to get business. We had a good buffet breakfast and then walked around the lake. Anirudh has yet to accept his stroller that I bought for Kamini way before he was born, but it was handy for Nitara. The sling that I bought at the same time as the stroller was useful, and he was passed around as we made the long walk. We found a stand where the girls got shells etched with their names in them for keepsakes. Then we road a paddle boat. Abi really, really wanted to ride in a swan paddle boat. After that we went back to the hotel for lunch. This was third time we had eaten at this particular place. For about two dollars per person we filled up on naan bread, some yummy curries, and dessert. I ate so much all three days that I did not have any need for dinner at all. We finished with dessert. Abi got a whole banana split and I got a fruit triffle. I was amused by a typo in the dessert menu for “leeches with ice cream.”
Okay so now that I’ve given a rundown of events since the last blog, I have to say I feel like never ever going on a trip with his family again. It is so, so hard for me to live with the contant change of plans. Literally they change drastically ever ten minutes. One time yesterday we were all set to leave for an outing. I was down at the bottom of the hill at the place where the inlaws were staying. I was sitting at the playground waiting for everyone else to come down. We were supposed to go horseback riding or bike riding at a certain place across the lake. I waited and waited and no one came down. I pulled my knitting out of my bag and finished about 1/3 of a washcloth waiting. Finally they all came down. They had decided to take a walk instead. Other times we have a hard time finding the driver to take us places. My inlaws don’t drive much anymore due to eye problems and have a driver. He has the keys to the car. Sometimes we have been all ready to go somewhere, and then not been able to find the driver and go back upstairs again and wait. The driver was not told to meet us at that time so I at least don’t blame him. He was probably off getting some tea or reading the paper.
Abi has found SpongeBob on TV and after it’s over we are going to put them to bed and then V and I hope to catch a movie on HBO. We were hoping that we could have some private time together but the bed situation is such that one of the kids has to sleep with us. But since one gets jealous if the other sleeps with us, V ends up sleeping in the livingroom area on the twin bed and the girls sleep on either side of me. The situation at Kamini’s house is pretty much the same, with us in one bed and the kids each in small beds in the same room. Oh well. At least the scenery at this place is beautiful and the weather is cool.
June 15, 2007
Today started out badly but got better. Nitara’s tube “fed the bed” for a good part of the night. Not a good thing since it was the hotel’s bed and not ours. We showed the housekeeper her tummy tube and explained what happened. They were very nice about getting a new mattress and cleaning the room extra well. We have been tipping them a lot. It’s only 10 rupees (25 cents) each day but for them, they probably don’t get paid a whole lot and they work hard. This morning we had a nice breakfast at the hotel of puris, potato masala, eggs, milk and coffee, all you can eat. The total bill was 260 rupees. With the tip added, it was still under $10 for three of us.
Since Vignesh is having the same feelings as I am about traveling with family, we decided to take the day into our own hands. We went to a natural history museum. Although they had some interesting artifacts and pottery from ancient people in the area, they also included some funeral urns with bone fragments right on display. There was motley collection of stuffed animals who had seen better days. Some had ruffles on them and I imagine that about 100 years ago it was sitting in front of some British settler’s fireplace. There were some full animal skeletons, butterflies, eggs of native birds, and jars and jars full of preserved animals—a two headed shark and some fetal animals. Also on full display were jars with preserved human embryos. They ranged from very tiny with placentas attached, one with severe deformities, and a a full term nine day old baby who was very beautiful and perfect to my eyes. I could almost lift it out of the jar and expect it to open its eyes and cry. There was no warning about the human embryos on display at all. Luckily our kids were more interested in the skeletons. The whole “museum” was one room. Towards the end of our visit the place was flooded with about 50 police trainees. I have no idea why they where there, but each was rapidly taking notes in the jarred specimens area.
After that we went to Cokker’s Walk, a sidewalk built high on a mountain with breathtaking views. It was similar to the Grand Canyon though not quite as deep, and below we could see both the natural forest and cultivated plantations. We were literally in the clouds. We headed back to our hotel and will soon go off to lunch and meet with the family in the afternoon.
Photos from Kodia trip
June 17, 2007
I have noticed that in India I don’t find the mega packs of stuff like in the US. I have only seen 2 liter soda bottles a handful of times. Mostly I have found one liters or cans. There are Pampers and Huggies for those who can afford it but only in packs of about 10 diapers. Sanitary napkins come in packs of 12. Chips come in bags about half as big as the family sized packs in the US. I asked Vignesh why this is, since many people have the money to spend on these products. Diapers are not a necessity here but sanitary napkins are for most people. So why not sell them in packs of 30 and more like in the US? V said there were two reasons. One is that many people don’t have the money to buy large quantities all at once. If the company wants to reach all markets, they need to sell the products in portions that more people can afford. Secondly is that most people don’t have cars. They can only buy as much as they can carry in a couple of bags by foot, bus, or bike. They just go shopping more often. Speaking of shopping, those nasty little plastic shopping bags are becoming very unpopular. The cows eat them when foraging for garbage, they litter the roadsides and hang in the trees. More and more companies are starting to use paper sacks. Today I bought some essential oils (about 90 rupees or $1.50 for an ounce or more), and they were wrapped in newspaper that had been folded skillfully into paper bag shapes. I wish the US would find a market for something like that.
There is a great disparity between rich and poor here. In the US even the fast food worker or waiter is still someone I see as my equal. If I had money to hire someone to clean my house, I wouldn’t treat them as less than a person. I would see them as someone who is probably working their way to a better situation in life, because in the US if you study or work hard enough you have a good chance of moving up in life. In India it’s so crowded that it’s hard to move past your station in life a lot of times, even with hard work.
June 17, 2007
I have noticed that in India I don’t find the mega packs of stuff like in the US. I have only seen 2 liter soda bottles a handful of times. Mostly I have found one liters or cans. There are Pampers and Huggies for those who can afford it but only in packs of about 10 diapers. Sanitary napkins come in packs of 12. Chips come in bags about half as big as the family sized packs in the US. I asked Vignesh why this is, since many people have the money to spend on these products. Diapers are not a necessity here but sanitary napkins are for most people. So why not sell them in packs of 30 and more like in the US? V said there were two reasons. One is that many people don’t have the money to buy large quantities all at once. If the company wants to reach all markets, they need to sell the products in portions that more people can afford. Secondly is that most people don’t have cars. They can only buy as much as they can carry in a couple of bags by foot, bus, or bike. They just go shopping more often. Speaking of shopping, those nasty little plastic shopping bags are becoming very unpopular. The cows eat them when foraging for garbage, they litter the roadsides and hang in the trees. More and more companies are starting to use paper sacks. Today I bought some essential oils (about 90 rupees or $1.50 for an ounce or more), and they were wrapped in newspaper that had been folded skillfully into paper bag shapes. I wish the US would find a market for something like that.
There is a great disparity between rich and poor here. In the US even the fast food worker or waiter is still someone I see as my equal. If I had money to hire someone to clean my house, I wouldn’t treat them as less than a person. I would see them as someone who is probably working their way to a better situation in life, because in the US if you study or work hard enough you have a good chance of moving up in life. In India it’s so crowded that it’s hard to move past your station in life a lot of times, even with hard work.
Since my last visit five years ago I have noticed that many more people, especially people my age or younger, are looking westernized. Jeans and t-shirts are replacing salwar-kameeze sets and saris. The single long braids are being replaced by short salon-style cuts. I see a lot of cell phones. I just finished watching a TV program about Indian outsourcing in the hotel and it seems that the older generation is fearing the loss of culture from these young, educated Indians. 55% of the population is under age 20 and many of them are able to work in call centers and other U.S. based employment. They spend their money and get independence from the traditional family. They no longer feel they need to listen to their parents. They don’t need their parents’ money and can make their own decisions. I can see that the economy desperately needs to improve. Many see the acquisition of wealth more desirable than tradition. At their age, who wouldn’t? Skin lightening creams are advertised on TV by companies such as Garnier. Is it to look more western, or is because light skin has always been more valued in many cultures around the world. Maybe both. Poverty is so widespread and they need urgent funding for clean water supply and medical care to more people. Indian government is not keeping up. There is no social security system or real welfare system, poorly enforced child labor laws, no minimum wage. The court system is very very slow and so is the passing of laws. If the laws pass they are very hard to enforce. How will the new money coming into the country benefit the poor and society as a whole without the system in place to distribute the wealth? I just read in the local paper, The Hindu, that a year or so ago there was funding to build some solar powered police booths, and also provide some first aid kits to help accident victims more quickly. One year later the booths have been abandoned because of lack of maintenance, and the first aid kids have all disappeared. I hope that India is able to keep up a living traditional culture while embracing new economy. I want my kids to come back and find a culture, not just another consumer society. At the same time, I hope that when they come back as adults, or bring their own children, there will be a lot less poverty. A candy bar is about 20 rupees. A pack of 6 feminine napkins is 18 rupees. Our hotel room cost 1700 rupees per night. I have to keep in mind that 10 rupees is the day’s pay for a brickworker. Very humbling. I could (and maybe I will before I leave) hand out a day’s pay to 80 people for about $20.
1 comment:
Kodai is quite beautiful - even chilly! Saw the girls wearing jackets. Despite the frustrations dealing with your in-laws, it looks like you had a good time. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about it and seeing your photos. You take SUCH good pictures!!!
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