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India

Asia, Destinations

Kerala’s Dream

December 3, 2012 • By

DREAMS do come true. We arrived in the state of Kerala in Kochi(Cochin), South India. It’s like going from Detroit to West Palm Beach as Jill put it. Upon touchdown, clean air, palm trees and lush vegetation engulfed us. We stayed at the Dream Hotel in the new part of the city (5 stars vs. Heritage crap hotels) where we enjoyed VIP treatment. I took the rare opportunity to exercise at the fully equipped gym and to re-calculate my body with a massage and a 45-minute rain shower. Finally cleansed and rejuvenated, Jill and I readied for a fancy night out on the town. We picked a highly recommended rooftop bar/restaurant in which to don our Indian look but when it was 8:30 pm and we were the only two dining we questioned where the other guests were eating. To our surprise, we learned that the first of every month is payday and also a dry day because the government wants to ensure the paychecks go home and not to the bar. We are jinxed. Here we are finally in a city where they serve alcohol and it is banned in the entire state (mind you the only state in India) and we are all dressed up on a Saturday night with nothing to do but eat more. Our visions of fine wine and dancing dashed; we retired to bed by 10:30 pm.

There are 33 million people living in Kerala. It’s a Hindu state but 24 percent of the population is Muslim and 19 percent Christian. As opposed to the hustle and bustle of North India, Kerala offers serenity, scenery, romance and a more relaxed quality of life. The two main investments in Kerala are gold and land followed by spices (pepper is referred to as black gold) and tea. Think back to your history books and the discoveries when you learned about the Spice Trade. This is where it all happened. The great explorer Vasco de Gama, a Portuguese navigator, was the first to write of finding a land rich with spices and silks. Local kings greeted European colonists with enthusiasm in return for protection from their rivals.

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to explore Southern India in the early 16th Century and their influence remains in the food and architecture today. Portuguese missionaries spread Christianity (primarily Catholicism) throughout Kerala. The Dutch followed suit converting the people to Protestantism and then the British arrived around 1725 spreading the Anglican faith (Church of England) by destroying any Protestant or Catholic churches along the way. As a Catholic, I was fascinated that even amongst Christians a caste system exists. Our guide, a Latin Catholic, made a point of saying she was not allowed to marry outside her caste. The Latin Catholics were the fisherman (the coast provided a livelihood and still does today) and did not convert until much later between the 16th and 19th Century, while the Syrian Catholics maintain they were converted from the highest caste as Hindus and should retain their status in Christianity. The Syrian Catholics are also known as the Saint Thomas Christians since it is believed that St. Thomas the Apostle brought Christianity to India. They represent a mix of local Indian customs and European influence and command much power in the region. The local and official language of Kerala, Malayalam, is their native tongue.

Kochi was home to an ancient thriving Jewish community (4th Century AD) responsible for controlling the spice trade routes long before the Portuguese discovered Kerala. Once a prosperous area, “Jew Town” (their name not mine) has only eight remaining residents. Jill thought they would look Indian having intermarried by now but the residents were all Caucasian and mostly in their 90s. We had the opportunity to meet Sarah, a 90-year-old woman, who makes beautiful embroidered linen pieces and sells them to visitors. Sarah is an icon and Jewish visitors come from all over the world to visit Jew Town and meet Sarah. We also visited the Paradesi Synagogue a functioning orthodox synagogue built in 1558. It’s the oldest synagogue in existence of any British colony past or present and its ornately decorated with Belgian glass chandeliers and Chinese tiles.

The state of Kerala is 100 percent educated. It’s the only state in India where the government requires all children ages 4-14 to be schooled (even Muslim). The government schools supply free books, uniforms, instruction and food, the aided schools provide food to students and the private schools are for those whose parents can afford it. In the last few years, Kerala has imported workers from Bangladesh since there is a big shortage of workers here. The educated folks no longer wish to work in the fields and many have gone to the North and the big cities seeking better opportunities. Some men within the Muslim community work abroad in Saudi Arabia, Emirates and other Islamic countries and send money home to their families.

Kerala is a nice change of pace. The people are lovely, the roads clean, the skies blue and the sun warm and vibrant. The Arabian Sea gives way to backwaters (mini rivers and inlets) and the landscape is mountainous with rolling hills of emerald green tea leaves. There are remnants of European conquests in the faces of the people, the flavors of the food and the designs of the homes, churches, mosques and temples. We finally found fish and lots of it. Kerala is a honeymoon destination for young Indian couples and a favorite vacation spot for the rest of the country. It’s important to see the two faces of India. My impression has completely changed but the electricity goes out in Kerala too and the bathrooms haven’t improved. The food is spicier and lighter but the shopping pales in comparison. In India, you take the good and the bad and right now I am really thankful for the warmth, peacefulness and beauty that Kerala offers.

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Asia, Destinations

Jaipur to Udaipur

November 30, 2012 • By

In short, Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan, one of India’s most modern and functioning states. It is known as the Pink City because its outer walls and gates are painted pink in honor of a visit from England’s Prince Albert in 1876. The Maharaja at the time –Sawai Ram Singh II wanted to impress the Prince so he ordered the entire city painted. It was a way for the Maharaja to form stronger ties with the British. This is one of the top destinations for most tourists and I contend because it’s actually a “walkable and shopable” destination and the quality of the goods warrant a look and purchase.

We left Jaipur and headed on an eight-hour journey to Udaipur. Still weakened from my bout with Delhi Belly, I didn’t eat much in preparation for the voyage. I’ve decided in this country safe is definitely the way to go. We planned a stop in Pushkar for the annual Camel Fair that brings out hundreds of thousands of Indians and tourists for the five-day event. The Camel Fair is one of the world’s largest and involves livestock trading as well but I could hardly see anything with the 10 deep crowds of people on the walkways. We caught the last day and missed most of the camels but let me tell you this we did not miss the masses of humanity. It was 80+ degrees, bodies everywhere of all different socio-economic backgrounds, sand, dirty pools of water on the ground, animal dung, and a massive amount of merchandise selling. There were tourists gathered around the tight rope performers and gymnasts, more flies on fruit than bees on honey and smells of varying degrees.

It’s like we were asking for trouble. I couldn’t even use their version of the toilet. I walked in the “bathroom” and a heavy scent of human feces greeted by nose and feet and I started dry heaving. Sometimes doing as the locals do (men that is) and utilizing the outdoors makes a whole lot of sense. I am glad we attended the fair but it was an overwhelming experience. Our driver Jayveer who has been our protector for the last six days pushed us through the madness to make sure we met the Camel Fair winner donned in brightly colored harness. We snapped some photos, bought some bangles to prove we were there, elbowed with more of humanity than is ever necessary and were back on the road to Udaipur.

Udaipur is known as the City of Lakes and often considered the Venice of the East. It lives up to its reputation. The Aravalli Mountain range, the longest in India, hugs the city and within their natural landscape rests seven connecting lakes giving Udaipur a sparkle like no other city we have visited thus far. Former Royal Palaces now converted into five star hotels line the waterfront and narrow streets give way to the Old City, merchant shops and bargaining tourists. Udaipur is one of the smaller “big” cities with a population of 500,000. It was founded in 1559 and is the third capital of the Mawar Dynasty, the longest serving dynasty in the world. The Royal Family still resides in Udaipur, while their power shifted to that of ceremonial they still yield some influence in the city.

We had a lovely guide Umeed who showed us the City Palace – part living quarters for the Royal Family and part museum. When Indira Ghandi served as the prime minister, she stripped India’s Royal families of their government payments. Most were forced to sell their property, while other resourceful royals converted their residences into hotels, which is why so many of the families are managing massive hotel or hospitality groups in India.

Construction of the Palace began in 1559 by Maharana Udai Singh (the founder of the city) and 22 kings reigned from this palace for the next 300 years. The City Palace towers along the banks of Lake Pichola, as does one of the former residences resting like an island in the center of the lake. The lakes in the area depend greatly on the runoff from the mountains to keep them full. There are many years when the lakes are barren especially when Monsoon season provides little rain and it seems the city does its best to keep them clean.

A tour of the palace and boat ride on Lake Pichola are the highlights of a visit to Udaipur but I quite enjoyed the casual and very peaceful lunch we had looking out on Lake Fatesigir. Our guide Umeed joined us and I immediately grilled him on his marriage – my current topic of choice. His story differed from most as his family placed an advertisement with the marriage bureau. When potential brides responded (their families), he and his family would go to visit her and her family. When I asked how many women he met before finding his wife, he responded, “innumerable.” He did meet a few women he was interested in marrying but after seeing the Brahman(Hindu Priest) and participating in the reading of the horoscopes some were not considered not a good match. Astrology is very important to Hinduism and if the charts do not align then the marriage is doomed. It works well in their favor. You rarely hear of divorce in India (it’s prohibited in Hinduism). It strikes me as significant that families and astrological charts know better than the young but it works. Our belly’s full and our guide tongue tied we retreated to our favorite stomping grounds – the shops for more scarves, more tailored shirts and just plain more.

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