Hubli

I arrived in Hubli, a city in Northwestern Karnataka, at the Old Bus Stand in town and finally met up with Arati. We had lunch and took a rickshaw back to her house. It was so great to see a friend and it was nice to stay in a "home" rather than a hotel, I felt very comfortable. Also Arati hooked me up with some Indian clothes to wear as you will see in the photos- I am so lucky that I was able to connect with her- thanks Mrs. Kelly!

The next day I went to the local campus, where Arati works, to participate in a volunteer orientation that her organization put on. Arati is a program manager for the Deshpande Foundation which funds several NGOs in and around Hubli. New volunteers had just arrived and were being introduced to the principles of Deshpande and visiting the local NGO's they will be working with. I felt very fortunate that I was able to tag along and learn about what Deshpande does, ask some of the volunteers about their projects, and it was very cool to drive out to the communities outside of Hubli to visit the NGOs.

School children waiting outside Deshpande Foundation to walk through the "Internet Bus"

The first organization we visited was Akshaya Patra, a huge kitchen that feeds over 250,000 children everyday. We got to tour the kitchen which included huge vats for cooking rice and lentils, a grain sorter, silos, conveyor belts, and huge bins of vegetables. Everyday fresh wholesome meals are prepared and loaded up into a caravan of jeeps and delivered hot and steaming to children all over the area. It was an amazing operation.

Akshaya Patra

Arati and I in rice storage- yes we had to wear hairnets :)

Delivery squad

Later that day we drove out to some agricultural communities outside of Hubli and visited the NEEDS organization. We saw homes that had been built with the help of Habitat for Humanity and spoke with a local woman who created a community bank by initiating small investments from all of the women in the community. Today the bank is still operated by women and has helped put local children through college. I can only try to imagine all of the other bold and couragous ideas like this that are being made into reality all over the world. There are really some amazing people out there. Arati is so fortunate to work with many of them everyday.


That evening we went out to a nice dinner in town. It is surprisingly much cooler in Hubli than it was in the north due to the recent rain, and I finally have an appetite again. Before it was so hot I feel that I mostly drank water and the delicious roadside drinks. Now I am enjoying some really good South Indian cuisine. I have one more day in Hubli and then I am off to Mangalore, a well known port on the Arabian Sea.

Me and Arati about to enjoy a south Indian feast

Mangalore

Mangalore

I left Hubli at 11:00 at night on an overnight sleeper bus to Mangalore. It was a pretty neat experience, there are two levels of sleeping berths with curtains for privacy and huge windows that you can have completely open if you want as you are traveling down the road. However I didn't sleep very much, because it was so nice to look out the window with the bright moon. Once we stopped at a checkpoint along the small highway and I could hear all of the night sounds coming from the jungle right beside the road- there were a lot of creatures out there making crazy noises.

Bad picture but you kind of get the idea

I arrived in Mangalore at 6am and checked in to my hotel. Afterwards I spent the morning and afternoon wandering the streets out to the ocean. Mangalore is a major port on the Arabian Sea known for its big spice trade operations. I walked through the small ship yards and then headed back to my hotel through a seemingly exclusive Muslim neighborhood. I was one of the only women out in public for miles it seemed. Sometimes I would see a women standing in the doorway of her home, and if they were out on the street they were wearing Burkkas- completely concealing black clothing. Everyone was friendly, however I did get some weird stares from people probably just wondering why in the world I was walking through the area.

Goods carriers like this can be seen driving all over

A Burkka fashion store

The next morning I took a local bus out to the coastal village of Ullal for the day, about 10km south of Mangalore. Local city buses are so awesome! I loved riding them in Mexico and Central America and I love riding them here. The buses are all completely filled to capacity (over capacity sometimes) with men, women, and school children. There is the bus driver and then a bus captain of sorts and they communicate by using different whistles (its amazing how they do it with all of the commotion). The bus is actually comes to a complete stop at the bus stops for about a quarter second and then its off again, so you really have to be ready to get on and get off. This is especially difficult when the bus is really crowded. Many people will just grab the handle and get one toe on board, hanging out the side, while they wait for everyone to crowd in- everyone is very skilled at the art of jumping on and off the bus.

Believe it or not the bus is relatively empty right now

Driving the family to work and school- everyone rides like this- it's great!

When I got to Ullal I headed straight for the beach. It was a gorgeous day- no sign of monsoons (which is surprising for this time of year). I walked along the beach and had planned to swim but apparently there is a very strong undertow along this beach and there are signs everywhere stating not to enter the water. I happened to come upon a really nice swimming pool at a small hotel set back in the palms off the beach. You could swim for 100 Rupees (about $2)- and it was worth it!

I see the beach!

This was a really nice pool- I was the only one there

After cooling off I caught the bus back to Mangalore to pack my bag and relax before my next overnight bus trip to Kochi. I will leave at 8:30pm from Mangalore and arrive at 6am in Kochi, Kerala only a couple of hours from my final southern destination in Kottayam before flying back to Delhi to meet my dad.

Waiting for the bus back to town

Kochi, Kerala

I arrived on the bus to Kochi at 6am and walked to the main jetty where I took a ferry to the island of Fort Cochin. Fort Cochin is around two hours north of Kottayam and is known for its Portuguese and Christian roots after discovery by Vasco de Gama. Kochi is made up of the main land and four islands which you travel to by ferry. Also interesting are the Chinese fishing nets that surround all of the islands. This is the only place outside of China where they are used.

See all of the Chinese fishing nets in the background

The nets are lowered into the water counter balanced by the rocks.

Fresh catch

After a bad hotel stay in Mangalore, I decided to treat myself to a really nice small (cottage like) hotel on the water for the steep price of 1000 Rupees (about $20). I was in heaven- beautiful room, so clean, soft towels, and an awesome shower (a real luxury in India). It was a hotel/ Ayurvedic spa, so the rooms were plush and were supplied with aromatic oils and soaps.

That afternoon I decided to rent a bicycle again and take it on the ferries around to the different islands. It was so fun!! I would be in line with all of the motor bikes, and when they open the gate it is like being in a motocross race start to get on the ferry. I rode all around the islands- it was another great adventure.

See my bicycle in line with all of the motorcycles and scooters

The madness is about to begin- rev up your engines!

Coming through! (Ringing my bicycle bell)

I returned to the hotel just before the rains came, and decided to treat myself to an Ayurvedic massage at the hotel spa. So glad I did, it was amazing- rejuvenating and relaxing at the same time. Afterward I had a really nice seafood dinner out on the dock and watched the sunset.

The dock where I ate dinner

Tomorrow I head to Kottayam, Kerala to meet George Sebastian, director of the Thanmaya media center. I am very excited to meet him and visit the backwaters of Kerala.

Kottayam, Kerala

The Arabian Sea

I have had an amazing four days in Kottayam, Kerala where I stayed with Father George and Father Thomas at the Thanmaya Media Center. I feel truly fortunate to have connected with Father George Sebastian, as he and Father Thomas truly looked after me and gave me a glimpse into the local culture and of the beautiful places that can be found in Kerala. Both priests are usually very busy with workshops, seminars, and retreats and I was lucky to catch them during a few days they had free.

The Thanmaya Media Center (with Father George Sebastian)

So a bit about Kerala.... Kottayam and the rest of Kerala have strong Christian roots dating back to around the year 1000 and there is a large Christian community in Kerala, seemingly outnumbering the Hindu community. There are many beautiful and old churches, many resembling the Portuguese style of architecture, due to historic Portuguese settlements after discovery by Vasco de Gama. I was able to attend a small mass held every morning at the Thanmaya Center, which is frequented by a few school children, local women, and nuns from the convent next door. Everything in the mass is the same, expect that it is in a different language, Malayalam, the local language of Kerala. It was a unique opportunity to interact with the community.

The beautiful Portuguese style alter preserved from its construction in the year 1002

Later that day, Father George and his family ,along with Father Thomas, took me on a beautiful drive out to the Western Ghats, a beautiful green mountain range running north to south only an hour or two from the coast. It was beautiful!! The rains had made the hills a verdant green and the clouds hung low around the mountains making a beautiful mist. It reminded me of the movie, The Sound of Music,...."the hilllss are alive...with the sound of muusic......" if any of you are familiar with that one you'll know what I mean. We followed the narrow road that winds up through the mountains and at the top we reached the tea fields. Many women could be seen picking the green tea leaves out in the fields wearing tarps to shield them from the rain. We were able to walk through a small tea factory where we saw how the tea is made, and afterward we stopped at a local hillside tea shack and had tea and fresh hot corn cakes. It was so amazing...

Father George (left) and Father Thomas (right)

After heading back down into the valley we all went over to George's brother's house and had a wonderful home cooked Keralan meal. It was so nice to have such great company, and to be able to interact with a family. I really enjoyed it.

The following day Father Thomas took me to visit a local school for the mentally handicapped. When we arrived all of the children were having a tea break and seemed very happy to have visitors. It was an excellent school, the director told me of all of the amazing progress from students and they were all so happy and focused in their classes. It was a treat to be able to meet the wonderful teachers and children at the school. From there we stopped by a famous Hindu temple that usually does not accept non-Hindu visitors. However, the director allowed us to view the musical procession around the temple and gave us a sweet, spicy porridge to eat.

That evening we went to Father George' other brother's bakery and tried some sweets. We then went to his home and had yet another home cooked Keralan meal!! It was also amazing food, and I am getting much better at eating with my hands, as Indians do. You may not think much of it but its quite tricky when you are trying to eat rice and various sauces. Everyone tries to give me a spoon, but I tell them I'm fine eating with my hands- they always seem pleased. Also they warn me not to eat certain things because they will be to spicy for me. Little do they know, I am from Texas... I can handle it... and have loved everything so far.

The next day I had a relaxing morning, and went to visit the sisters at the convent next door, as they had invited me twice at morning mass. It was great to sit and talk with them, they prepared tea and cake... it was really nice. I have been offered so much food though, the past few days, I feel that I am eating every place I go- it's Indian hospitality. I am never really hungry, but don't want to miss the opportunity to try new things and don't want to be rude. I'll take a break when I get back to Delhi.

Dosas (a South Indian specialty)

That afternoon, Father George and two of his friends took me out to the backwaters of Kerala- the largest backwater system in the world. It was so cool- the culture, the houseboats, the homes on thin strips of land between bodies of water, the means of travel, clothing- everything! We took a small boat around the backwaters of a small coastal town near Kottayam and then went to the beach just on the other side of the town.

One of the many house boats

The beach was beautiful- even with the rain. Though the beach life is quite different here than in other places. Women do not really swim, if they do they are fully clothed and may just stand in the waves up to their knees. Similarly, though it seems a popular place for families and for couples too. You can see couples holding hands strolling along the beach- which is uncommon to see in India usually. Hugging, kissing, and holding hands between the opposite sex is extremely inappropriate behavior in public- but it seems romantic strolls on the beach are an exception.

I had such a wonderful time in Kerala but am excited to head back to Delhi to meet my Dad. Only a few more days and we will be heading toward the Himalayas!