The Four Country Dash

Well, it would seem Honduras wanted to hang on to us a little longer. We packed up and headed into La Ceiba for a 4 in the morning plane check in. You should know that things are not well when you are the first to arrive at the airport...well next to the Aus/Brit couple that lost their luggage en route to Honduras the week before. We re-united, exchanged stories, found out that they recieved their things 3 days after they arrived and had a beautiful time on Roatan. We chared divign stories and waited for the airport to open. We checked in, grabbed a drink, went through security and embarked onto the plane, were settled in ready for take off when they announced that we must now disembark from the plane....it was broken and the flight is canceled.
Overall, we were in better shape than most on the plane that had to catch connection to get home for work or into the U.S. Most people got transfered and it left five of us, the couple that had lost their luggage( Stevie and G) and Veronica from New Zealand. Apparently Mexico City and Belize City are not hot spots for Taca Airlines. It was a very long morning of convinving them it was their duty to find us a hotel on Easter Sunday, and finally with much chagrin they agreed. After arriving at the Gran Paris Hotel we succumbed to our fate, drinking cervesa and swimming in the pool with some very interesting people. Stevie works for the UN in Mexico city and G is with the British Embassy, Ronnie was a nurse making her way up to Chincago and onward to Inidianapolis.

The whole incident (although not as nasty after the relaxation by the pool and such) did set us back a day. Which meant that we had to do a four country dash to make our way to Cozumel, catch our dive and keep our reservation. So starting at 4 in the morning we headed back to the airport, flew to San Pedro Sula, on to El Salvador, into Belize City ( to pick up the wedding video) caught a bus to Chetumal in Mexico before landing in Playa Del Carma and catching the ferry to Cozumel...if it sounds tiring it was. Things went very smoothly and we land into our B and B to find out that it is beautiful. So we can relax for a few days before we head home to the real world and our real lives :)

t

Getting "Wrecked" in Uttila

Well, we have completed the wreck specialty course which had us penetrating the Halliburton wreck, tiying of the line and then turning around and coming back through. Not an easy task with an overhead environment and lines and reels at 100 feet below. It was very exciting. We finished the day at a bbq and hanging in hammocks. For anyone that has done deep dives you would know that it takes the wind out of your sails. Cheers to those that can do the dives and still make it to the out of countrol Full Moon party at Bundu beach.

We made it to the hammock and than to another hammock haha..it was not a dancing shoes night, that is for sure. I had to laugh, it was raining today so Rufas and I spent it playing yahtzee mania and crib in this funky little cafe (code word for a touch skeazy) on the water...everyone around us was complaining about the loud music that kept them up all night, and I don't remember waking up even once last night...gotta love diving.

Our dreams of sailing our way back across the sea to Belize have been blown away by an eastern wind that is going the opposite direction. We are still looking at some boat options but now it is back to the land travel for the two of us.

We may try and squeeze in one more night dive before heading to land and up the coast. It may mean a trip through Guatemala unless we can grab some chicken plane along the way.

The rain has ended, I won at scrabble through much contention over a few words..lost at yahtzee and had a good go at crib and now its time to stop playing games and figure out how to get out of here :) Not that I am in that big of a hurry to leave. We should be able to make our way by the 9th back up to Cozumel and catch one or two more dives before leaving central america for home sweet home..may need a little luck, a little less rain and wind and hopefully some good karma!,

t

Good or Bad Karma?

Well after much deliberation in Belize City with photos and video tape, we caught the plane to San Pedro Sula in Honduras. Rufas had a crazy travel agent that spelt our names wrong on our ticketand told him there were no flights to La Ceiba. We arrived for a plane change in El Salvador, and I, in classic fashion, found locals that were more than willing to try and talk to us. Befoer we knew it they were telling us about planes, trains and taxis that could get us to La Ceiba... with much discussion of whether we really wanted to be there or not (as it is a very transient town and a little rough)
We arrived in San Pedro Sula and rushed through customs (missing my tie on bag that had my yoga mat in it :( but chose to move on or miss the La Ceiba flight.

We got to the closed ticket counter and asked for two tickets...she said you will have to carry your packs on with you....NO PROBLEM!!! We ran up the tar mat to a little chicken box plane and were laughing..

When we arrived in La Ceiba, we grabbed our bags and two of the locals that we had chatted to before invited us with them...we caught a ride with Samir to his friends unfinished hotel....they took us all over to bank machines and to get water and back to a very fancy room guarded by rotweilers (Brutus bit one of the worker guys...but liked Rufas and I because we fed them chicken haha)

They gave us a ride to the ferry terminal and Samir gave us his number and told us he would pick us up and take us around if we were in La Ceiba again..otherwise we were to give him a call if we were to hit Toronto ( turns out he has been living there for the last 20 years..really sweet guy) I told Rufas that it is surprising sometime the people that take me under their wing...he said it was good Karma because we would do the same for others....he laughed and said that I even pick up stray dogs..which is true!

However upon trying to test our Karma theory out, we hit some bad Karma at the ferry dock. Rufas stood in line for almost two hours to have the guy in line beside him steal the last three tickets right from his teller! The next ferry wasn{t until 4:30 in th afternoon.

We chatted to some travellers..got some info and headed to the airport to check out flights...caught one an hour and half after we arrived...We were in Roatan before the first ferry practically arrived. Its a beautiful little place with great food... but it is insane during Holy week!!! We ran into the couple that were on the same flight from Belize City that we were on...we recognized them right awy because they were in the same clothes! Any passenger that had a straight through ticket to La Ceiba ( rather than a mad dash with a backpack) had not recieved their luggage..instead it was in New York!! ( Once again the good Karma bad travel agent worked in our favour)

The final good Karma revelation was that the morning ferry that we missed by three tickets turned out to be the roughest ride on the sea..all of the people were seasick. The British couple with the lost luggage said that they had never seen that many people heaving over the side rail..they had hit a wave that put the whole fairy below sea level and then rocked them back up to the top. We ended up in a flight that cost us the same as the ferry that landed in Roatan in 10 minutes....very good Karma!

Are we still in Roatan?...Nope Too busy we have relocated to Uttila Caye and are in laid back dive centre that costs us 6 dollars a night U.S hanging out on hammocks and doing some dives. the diving is 0nly about twenty dollars a dive and when you take a course the accomodation is free. We are signed up to take a wreck diving course with Cross Creek. It is going ot be fantastic. But Rufas is done his work-out and we are going to see if there is a sailing trip back up to Belize city..it would mean a few more dives and some fishing along the reef on our way back home...so far the Honeymoon is amazing...

I will try and post some pics next time

t

The Wedding Story

Well, I have been absent from the blog site because I have had a limited time to plan and organize a little wedding ceremony. As of yesterday, I officially became Mrs. Tanis Crawford. I don't have a picture of the wedding dress. I only have the ones of the sunset sailing trip and the dinner that was served to us on our balcony with champagne and flower petals that were spread from the doorway and all over the decorated bed and out to the balcony that overlooked the ocean and sailing boats.

It was a stunning day on a little island and it was simply perfect. The only thing missing was my family.

Five years ago Rufas and I met here in Belize when he was living in Mexico city. He had asked me to come visit him so he could tell me in person that he wanted to be more than friends. When we got to Mexico this time, he told me that the trip was my engagement trip versus getting a ring (which by my standard was much better than a ring any day). And when we hit Belize, it beame the perfect place for a wedding. It meant a lot to both of us and it was the right time and setting. The difficult decision was deciding on what to do about our family. Both sets of parents had had medical issues over the last 6 months that weighed heavy on both of us.

Rufas asked me the question Could you live with yourself if something happened while they were here....and the answer was no.

The rest of the wedding was planned in a golf cart in one day zooming up and down the Caye on its two streets.

We went to Raggamuffin boat and sail trips and the girl working made some arrangements. She found out the guy who was making Rufas shark tooth necklace was also a pastor. So when we wandered back to pick it up we asked if he could mary us...he siad yes and he took care of most of the paperwork. We toured around in the golf cart some more to find some flowers (and give the little coconut fudge girls a ride home).

It was a beautiful day and we got it videotaped for our family. So I am not posting the wedding photos until after my family gets to see them.

We took the sunset cruise after we returned from the Caye...it was very romantic and very sweet. Finishing touches of champagne and a trail of flower petals made for a beautiful day and evening.

With the finishing touches we were off to Honduras for our Honeymoon. I will try and update the rest of the trip as I go.....

t

Welcome home, go slow

We did not stick it out in Playa, we caught the bus with the locals and headed to Belize City. It was an adventure to cross the border from Mexico into Belize that landed us paired up with Valerye and Louise from Quebec. They were making their way in the same direction so we shared some of the costs to hit the border of beautiful Belize...and it is still beautiful. The customs people were so friendly they were giving tips on how to see the whale sharks down in Plancencia. I immediately remembered why I love this country.

We made it into Belize City, but missed the last water taxi out to the Cayes. Even the people looking for cash are friendly. They eventually ask you for a dollar but then when you say no they say "okay mon, you have a great stay in Belize mon..beautiful Belize mon" You can't help but shake your head. Anyone and everyone will stop to see if you need something or if you are looking for something. We ended up eating with Marva and her family in a little restaurant with te staple food being red beans and rice....very nice with a little jerk chicken or deer meat and side of potatoe salad mmmmmmgood!

Rufas got picked up off the street: "you look like a mon that works out, come see my gym" and of course every person has something that you should buy...especailly the fressh cut fruit on the street stands.

We made it out to the Caye after much organizing and planning... Upon arrival you are greeted by many: Welcome Home..Go Slow..it is the official slogan here. However, I am not sure how one could go any slower. Even the little girls selling coconut fudge are so laid back they could care less if you bought it or not. I was looking at some jewelry and could not even fins the guy who sold it..he could see me but send t a friend over to see if I really needed anything. People leave their little stands all of the time. It is just a really safe place
Once we hit the Caye we headed to our old place Lorraine's guest house to see if we could get our old cabin form five years ago...however we ended up next door on the stilted shacks that look over the ocean..not a bad compromise for 20 dollars a night. it was a step up from the10 we paid in the past...oh well.

More organizing and Belikin drinking landed us on a dive boat for the morning. And into my Belize 5-0: Translation, I officially hit 50 dives under water and had Rufas look at me and say "I think I have done over 1000"....haha. I guess I deserved that one...diving with a commercial diver and all.

I missed these waters... the blue is a color that is not describable...only stunning. We are soaking up the rays and the salt sprays..but I will try and find a computer to upload some pictures.

Life is good, it feels like home and its nice to go slow!

xot

Living the life

We

have arrived safe and sound in Mexico. We have spent the day at the beach eating ceviche and drinking cervesas and margaritas. We finished the afternoon with a massage on the beach to the sound of a mariache band in the background. We are making some plans to head straight down to Honduras to see if they will let me in! I only have 3 months left on my passport and they may be sticky about it. Soooo we are relaxing, drinking and eating some seafood, before we attempt to make the trek to Utilla. We are seriously thinking of hitching the ride with the fishermen and working our way across to the other side. But we also really want to take the train ride along the coast line that only costs one dollar! How many times can you catch a train for a dollar?

First on the list is some arrangements for some diving in Cozumel and then we will see where things are at.

So for, the cervesas are cold and the sun is hot..not much more you can ask for in life!

t

Home again, home again..

I managed to post my last blogs and I am currently safe and sound in Saskatoon. I arrived for the first day of spring..which in Canadian terms is a fresh snowfall...In other words I am cold!!!

Rufas met me at the airport, as did my Mom and Dad. But most exciting was that I also got top reunite with my dog....she is still the sweetest thing in the world. It was very exciting to be home. I managed to get into Toronto and visit my sister and Andre who treat me very well and I was sad that I had limited time with them, but I was also anxious to see Rufas and my family. There is nothing like a Canadian hug and man did I miss it.

The exciting news is that the adventure do not end with India. I hopefully will be able to post part II of my trip..which has been a mystery to me until today!!!

I recieved my itinerary and it looks like Rufas and I are doing a very exciting tour through Central America..hitting Mexico and following the diving tour all the way into Honduras. I am very excited. It will be our first official trip together where we will actually be in the same plane! In all of our travels we have never been on the same plane together.

I am in Plunkett tonight to pack and we leave tomorrow from Saskatoon at 6.

t

Delhi

So sadly I returned to Delhi and to the AIPTF office to pick up a suitcase and say my good-byes. I was surprised to see Suresh, one of my PDP students had shown up to surprise me and say good-bye. I was a little cught of guard, as were they. They said I went away Canadian, and I returned looking Indian. In other words I picked up some sunshine in Goa that gave me a tan. They took a picture and so that I could send it to them. My going away gift from Suresh was an unbelievable sari the is multi colored and jeweled and sequence..it really does turn me into a princess. I tried to dress myself with the instructions I had recieved from Meena but they informed me that I must have missed a step...haha. So I wouldn't let them take a picture. I am going to practice and get it right. I am taking off for Canada in less than 12 hours...

t

Last days in Goa

The pool, the ocean and of course the unbeleivable view.. I debated about posting the models but you have to understand that I don't normally sneak into five star resorts but the men were just tooooo beautiful to not enjoy the view. There were seven of the guys doing some work for Levi and Wrangler jeans.

I spent my last few days in Goa hanging out with them before returning to Delhi and the real world of India. I was offered a job in Mumbai doing some modeling work ( which made me want to scream with laughter..only in India would I be considered a beauty) I kept get asked for my hotel room number and I kept avoiding the answer simply because I wasn't staying there! As well, I was very clear about my unavailable status but I have to say getting adored by beautiful men was really just too much fun. I finally confessed that I was not staying at the hotel and I got the official invitation to return the following day and hang out with them...ummmm I didn't refuse. They didn't know how to swim and I spent my last day in Goa giving swimming instructions to two of them, and really not complaining about it. Lets face it, not even in my wildest dreams will I ever be in swimming pool with 7 top models from Mumbai all by myself ever again...and I truly soaked up every single minute of the attention.

where in the world....

Well I have decided to stay put. I was going to head to a beach for my last few days, but the people in the place I am staying are really sweet. So the solution has been to wander over to the five star resort and pray that no one catches on that I am not staying there....so far so good.

I managed to stay the whole day in the beautiful pool area and hang out with the fifteen to twenty models that are doing a shoot here. Very beautiful surroundings in every way. Dakksh and his manager have invited me out on the town with the rest of the gorgeous peoples but I have to say its a little unnerving. I feel like I am in some magazine with the pool overlooking the ocean and too pretty of people everywhere. I am thankful that the extremely white and sunburnt westerners are around to balance the world of beauty. Not only can I camouflage in, no one even questions what room I am staying in...which I should really figure out, just in case I do get asked...

enjoying the beauty of India for a few more days...
t

Balancing to Bouyancy

So getting into the Goa Resort to do a dive is quite a task. But the resort is stunning with manicured lawns and a sunken pool bar that has a waterfall..very nice! I am not staying here. I am staying at Pete's Hideaway. I think it is called this because it does not want to be seen by the high end Marriot people haha. Its just hidden in a little hole across the street.

What it does have is very hospitable people that went through a list of city options for food, travel and sight seeing which included them photocopying a map for me..very sweet people. I was told to say the word and Grandma would be happy to cook me supper..and I think she seriously means her Grandma!

Sheets are clean, the fan works and the showers are hot. The only cockroaches have been the two that I imported from Mandrem in my luggage..nasty little buggers. So I am content where I am at!

I am tucked in this little place because I headed out in the dawn to check out the dive situation in the Arabian Sea. As promised visibility was 2 metres which is not the greatest for a diver. But the water was warm. And there was still much to see..you just had to be very close up to see it!

The pictures are of Vikar and the boat guys. The one of me shows what 2 hour long dives does to a person: wipes you out and also gives you a nice little mask indentation.

So although part of the dive was like being in a Saskatchewan blizzard ( because of the plankton), there was some neat things to see: groupers, barracudas, moray eels, nudi branch, parrot fishies, huge angel fishies and a ship wreck...okay Suzy's wreck was there for a long time but it was like being in "Finding Nemo" and ducking through little holes peeking at the schools of fish and picking up little shell snails that crawl across your hands. I love being underwater. The second dive was not as interesting as the first, however there were a tonne of sea cucumbers. You can pick them up and play with them, but you have to be careful not squeeze tight otherwise they will throw-up their insides(all of their organs!) and literally explode in your hand..I have never done this... quite honestly because I know that if they go into defensive mode it will take them months to generate all of their organs back..which means that they don't eat and it is quite traumatic for them.

The dive masters were funny and tried to joke with two people doing intro dives about sharks..unfortunately they didn't find them very funny. The reality is that the only sharks to be seen are nurse sharks and they are pretty harmless.

The last thing that made me laugh was the description of the parrot fish..it eats coral and poops it into sand. I was told today that a large parrot fish will actually poop out a truck load of sand in one year...all my time on the beach and I never realized I was lying in coral poop, it is still making me giggle. it reminds me of the termite mounds in Australia made 100% out of snot...its the things you never think about that really get to you.

Checking out Boloma for tomorrow night..not sure I want to stay in the city much longer.

t

Anjuna Market

So sometimes hiring a taxi is easier than waiting for a non-existent bus. It costs more but it has perks..like they will wait for you while you shop and take you to the next spot. The bus is almost never on time and sometimes doesn't show at all...hence I opted for the taxi and I got stp at the Anjuna Wednesday market... it was crazy and colorful. It spread out for miles and the tax driver parked in the middle and I told him I would be back in a couple of hours..the downside to having a car wait for you is that when you get utterly lost you can't just grab a different taxi...argh.

I got so utterly lost because many of the vendors sell the exact same thing. The small area is packed with walking peddlars and these little girls that clasp onto you and say " Madam, madam..please don't forget about me and my shop madam"..as they lead you into the depths of the market never to see the light of day.
I really wanted the singing bowls, and someday when I am not carrying all of m worldly belongings on my back I will be able to purchase whatever I want. But because that is not the case I passed on the singing bowls and did look at some of the jewelery. This is always a mistake...once you stop you are prey that has stopped moving and the hands come out and grasp you around wrists and arms and sometimes ankles. They have a mighty grip that is sometimes painful and just when you think your senses are going to overload, the man with painted cow and musical flute comes wander by followed by women and children begging for money.

I told the taxi driver two hours, this did not include haggling time, nor did it include be strapped down by four Indian women wrapping things around my wrists and ankles. And so my time at the Anjuna market came to an end rather quickly..I bought something from one of the vendors so that he would show me the way back to the taxi and I exited the streaming market overwhelmed and with a smile..only in India could buying a ring actually be a three ring circus...and I never did buy the ring :)

Healing the soul

Before I start I have to post the pic I took of the little girl who sat next to me in Mandrem when was writing e-mails. It amazes me that sometimes the traditional goes high tech--this was a hole in the wall internet place with home separated by a curtain. Her Dad said I could take a picture of her b/c she was making me look at all of her doodles on the computer, jabbering to me without a care that I didn't understand...super cute.

Well, I have made my way to Miramer...which is not much of a place but it is the home of Barracuda Divers in the Goa Marriot Hotel..slightly stunning hotel with full on security..I had to pass through metal detectors and get my bag searched before I entered.

I made arrangements yesterday to stop in at the Anjuna Market and then head to Miramer. Here you hire a taxi and they wait on you while you shop and than take you to your next destination. It is high class next to taking the bus. Especially when you are unsure if the bus is going to be on time, or for that matter even show up.

The day before last we went to Patric the healer. He was a lot younger than what I thought..in fact I think I expected someone with white hair..not sure why but that is what I expected. I have been having a lot of problems with my lungs and sinuses so I thought I would check it out. We left at 6 in the morning so we could sign up in the book and actually be able to see him..we wer not the first in fact by 6:30 There were already 42 people signed up and there was another 50 that followed until they finally wrote closed. It was people of all sorts, disabled, Indian, Israeli, Brazillian... a whole czech family (10). We had breakfast and waited for our turn. I got to sit in a chair and he stood in front of me. I shared the things that I wanted to this young man and he smiled and asked "Is that everything?" I said "Yes" and he stood in front of me with his hands out and his eyes closed. In the response to breathing problems he said: you do not have enough cilia in my nose. He said that without it my upper sinuses open and try and cleanse which creates an overabundance and makes it difficult for me to hear and breathe! All this without even looking up my nose...and yet more information than I have recieved from any doctor..or healer. He was a very kind soul and said that he would help me with time..I am not sure how but somehow it did make me feel better.

Sooo for the cynics in the crowd, the special note is that he does not charge anything. There is a donation box and a sign requesting that all people become selfless...in fact the sign went so far as to request items for nearby orphanages in the area (clothing, soaps, towels) It was very interesting..especially because I just felt good after leaving him..just really really good.

However, not as good as I did after the Ayurvedic Shirodahara massage. It was to create balance in the body and balance the dosha's vatta and kapha. It was sureal. I felt like I had an out of body experience. Who knew that dropping hot oil on person's forehead could make you lose your mind? It was more than just the oil..there was also a scalp massage..back massage... and the oil treatment...it was very, very euphoric and I would reccomend it highly to anyone.

This finished my day with supper and music and a bunch of hippies on the beach singing rajas...quite a day

t

When a day was long...

Retreating to silence only to break it with supper

Well I have completed my retreat...in silence. Apparently this is what the retreat meant when I signed up for it. I really thought I would be finding "peace through meditation" The meditation and yoga was a part of it, but so was the complete silence for all members of the retreat for seven days. No internet, no phone calls, and no talking to people on the retreat. Eating, meditating, yoga, group activities in silence.

It was the first time, when approached by peddlars on the beach that I was sad to see them leave :) I am soaking up the sun and sweating in the unbelievable humidity but not really complaining...if there was a place to be silent in it would be here. It is very tropical and green with less garbage than I have seen in all of India. The beach is right behind the retreat centre and so if I feel the urge to scream or talk to myself I can easily duck to the ocean. We were supposed to go to a healer (India's Jesus), a couple of days ago but it has been postponed until tomorrow morning. He is supposed to be quite amazing. I haven't figured out what I want healed but I am sure I will think of something just to have the experience and then I am going fo some Ayurvedic Shirodhara. I am really not sure what the whole thing is except that they pour hot oil on your forehead for an hour and then give you some kind of massage. It is supposed to balance the vatta and soothe the kaffa in me. It is a naturalist healing. By the time I make it home I will be blessed, meditated and healed and be dying to talk.

It actually hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. The first couple of days were rough and then you softened into it and started to really erase some of the busyness of the mind.... and man is my mind busy :) I actually came to realize that it had been so long since I had talked to anyone Canadian that I had somehow picked up pidgin English with strange Brazilian, Cezch, British, German lilts ( we are a bit of a motley crew with homes all over the place). I am glad no one could hear me speak, my inner voice was all messed up. I had actually forgotten how to Canadian pronounce things and it made my mind spin a little. Now I have my voice back and it is a struggle to start speaking.....where to go from here?

I am heading down south to check out the dive situation before getting on a plane and returning to Delhi. And then back to Canada and a Canadian accent! I am only home for 1.5 days..long enough to get my Mom to cut my hair ( I hope) and give my dog a long cuddle and then Rufas and I are heading on the Mystery Tour 2007. He has been pretty good about not sharing the actually destination... although I have a few ideas. I really am still quite happy that I don't have to think about it or plan anything and I think he is happy that I am not involved in the planning!!

I missed some steps along the way with the speaking ban..so I what I forgot to share here, I may be able to fill in the holes upon my return. I hope all is well at home and spring is around the corner

xot

Goa

I am here safe and sound..but I just lost the internet connection and unfortunately the entire blog I wrote. I have started the yoga today and I have a class in 10 minutes. But this place is gorgeous..something like a cross between Portugal and Belize...very unlike the rest of India I have been too..which means a lot more western people. It is the most English I have heard and spoken in weeks.

will write again when I have more time,
t

Toilet note

*****As pointed out by a few in the toilet area of things. I was very nice when I took a picture of the clean toilets. These are by far the higher end of things haha, but I am surviving!

t

Kanyakumari

We headed to the southern tip of India today. It is where the Arabian Sea, the Bay Of Bengal and Indian ocean all meet. It is also where some of Mahatma Ghandi's ashes were kept before being spread.

We headed to the meditation monument and statue area ( I cannot even start to spell the man's name... may have to come back when it is in front of me) He is famous for his spirituality and meditation as well as yoga teachings. It was a treat to have Vydhia with us for the day. She was very cute and even when we were meditating she sat with us. Very sweet girl. We walked through the memorial of Ghandi and had lunch and followed by some delicious ice cream in a little fruit shop. It was a long trip there and back on the bus but it was very enjoyable. I am heading to Meena and Sivan's righ now for a good-bye breakfast, as I am on the bus today for Trivandrum in Kerala. From there I will catch a flight to Goa and head to the Ashyiana Ashram for a yoga retreat. My time with Nallasivan and his family has been unbeleivable. It is the true heart of India. I was taken aback by the number of white people in Kanyakumari...I had forgotten how to be a tourist. We got some strange looks: Nallasivan said that they were trying to figure out how the two of us had an Indian girl with no western features. Meena is 8 months pregnant and was unable to come with us. It is an exciting to see there family but also sad to have to say good-bye

t

Pooja Blessing

More food

So, eating here also means that you may be served on banana leaf which I am all for..the level of garbage in this country is unbelievable..at least this garbage is bio-degradable and kind of neat. This was an amazing meal made by an amazing teacher at Nallasivan's school. The teachers and the students have been overwhelming me with there welcome. It was very sad to say good-bye. I managed to get some pictures of some of the students, but the second I brought my camera out they would stand and say in unison good morning madam and then picture madam picture madam....it got a little crazy. I finally took a picture of the class outside with me in the middle. Sivan kept saying "My school is your school" but the reality was that I cused a ripple effect through classrooms adn I felt bad for the teachers that had to deal with there students after I left. Getting pictures of the actually classrooms was a real challenge. The buildings are in blocks similar to Delhi but they house many students. There is a problem with kids staying home to take care of their younger sisters and brothers..so there is a policy at the school that allows them to bring them to school. It is strange seeing a grade 5 class with a little one tucked into the dress of their sister.

The one picture shows the open air building that houses grades 1,2, 3, and 5 the only divider between classes is a half wall. The closed buildings house the older grades and they are usually in larger numbers...the one teacher was away on my first visit and the teacher trainee was in charge of a class that had more than 70 grade 8's. I couldnt imagine leaving my intern in that situation...

I have a tonne of pictures that show the buildings and the blocks as well as the classes that are taught under the trees. The teachers are an incredible team and the students were very sweet. After my last school visit we went into the mountains to have a bathe and then we stopped at Nallasivan's temple. I got a special pooja blessing and I also got see a lot of the orphans again who were singing prayers and running around the temple...very adorable.

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Comments are up and running

I am off to an Yoga and Aeuryvedic Medicine place today. I need the reprieve or some kind of exercise..they are going to roll me off the plane to get home. The little orange sweets are killers..as well as the fact that no matter how many plates of rice you consume it is never enough.."you did not eat very much!" they will say and then put anothe course in front of you. Eating times are very different.. a late lunch 1:30 and a very late supper 8,9 soemtimes 10 at night, with much tea and treats in between. I have not been hungry on this trip!

South Indian Lunch

So I am being taught the fine art of eating with one hand and no utensils. It is a skill and I am stil trying to figure out how to eat with out getting a cramp in my hand. The trick to eating: wash your hands before every meal (especailly your left hand) you remoe the liquid portions from your plate and a man comes around and puts ALOT of rice from a

pot on your plate. you pour some samba or curry on it, knead it and mix it, form it into a ball scoop and use your thumb to lever it into your mouth... with one hand... I will stress again..one hand. I did not realize how much I used both hands to eat until I ate in India. If this sounds at all easy..it is not and it is very interesting to watch experts zoom through a meal while I am still trying to figure out how to make little tasty rice balls with my hand.

At the end of the meal you are given a little green leaf that has a paste inside and a rose petal for looks on top. You pop the whole thing in your mouth and chew..I hated it in my mout but it did really help with digestion..it was very soothing.

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Toilet Talk BEWARE

At some request I am sharing some toilet information...western toilets are few and far between..but they are not as scarce as toilet paper. Beside every toilet (squatter or pot) there is bucket and tap. Sometimes there are three buckets, sometimes there is a spray nozzle( very similar to Thailand) Now for those that did not know: the left hand is used for cleaning purposes and washing. The tap beside the pot is what you fill up and flush with, and the second pot is what you wash with...or if its high class you have the spray nozzle. However it tends to be high pressured and not always pleasant. There is much more to explain but at risk of turning away many readers of this blog I will stop here and answer any questions when I get home or you can e-mail me. Beleive me..there are still questions that I need answered: like how the shower is supposed to work in the place I am staying right now...it has me baffled.

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Squeaky clean in Tamil Nadu

First Bathing experience was in the temple in the mountain outside of Madurai..second was the waterfall in the Tiger Sanctuary... very unique experiences. Sivan found it quite humourous... he kept saying nothing like this in Canada? If there is.. I sure haven't experienced it!

School..Family and a Tiger Sanctuary

I have found an e-mail place but once again I have limited time. I am heading into the mountains today with Nallasivan and his colleauge. I travelled Nallasivans school in the village (20% of the students are orphans) I met a Canadian and English girl who were working at the orphanage nearby so I went and visited them as well. Nallasivan's staff put on a welcoming ceremony and I was the ambassador for their Green movement. I got to plant some trees in the court yard. I am going to try and upload the pictures of the ashram orphanage and me doing some quick hair-cuts for some of the girls: the one's name was Sashee..very sweet.

I spent yesterday in Meena's kitchen learning how to cook and she was also filling me ino some secret ingredients that are not so secret in India but until now have remained a mystery to me...like why the tea tastes so much better here than at home!

She also took me through the traditional Hindi wedding and the reasons behind some of the reception. We ended the day with a lesson of saree dressing. I think I am close to being able to dress myself. Vydyha looked on and giggled but she told me I looked very nice. It is a real treat to be dressed and have your hair done with jewels and flowers.

I going back to the village and visiting water dam area. Nallasivan is trying to get special permission to have me enter a certain area. Okay, so the areas we were in was Tiger Sanctuary..unfortunately ( fortunately?) no tiger sitings. But two different species of monkeys..pretty cute in my books. As well we ended up hitting one of the waterfalls and went for a bath. This entailed me undressing in front of an audience...if you recall the male female ratios here, this was no different..22 men, 2 women ( that two is including me!) They

had a guard stand nearby and clear the rest of the men out of the waterfall. I stood in my sarong while the onlookers stared and stared and stared ( Kit that was for you..I thought you might be missing those horrible TV commercials haha)

For a country that is very particular about seeing legs and shoulders of a woman, this was quite the experience. But very refreshing..if not a whole lot revealing.

The Royal Treatment

So I was met at the airport by teachers from Madurai. they took teh The Royal Court Hotel and I rested from my days journey. I was met the next morning and taken to my room to be dressed. Lakshimi had brought a sari and jewellry and Jasmine for my hair..as well as the bhindi and I was magically turned into an Indian woman. I felt very beautiful. Lakshima and her son Vidya and Robert another teacher and a friend took me throughout Mandurai..the best day in India yet.

Our first stop was teh famous Sri Meenakshi Temple.....HUGE. I was very appreciative to have the guidance. However I also become a site seeign attraction... western woman dressed in saree, with mendhi hands and after a special pooja ceremony, completely garlanded with wedding garlands from Meenakshi... so I was surrounded by people from Kerala who wanted to know who I had married...not married just feeling like a Hindu princess.

I took pictures with some of the ladies adn one of a little girl that was simply beautiful.

We headed up the mountain to a temple that had water flowing from the depths for over 3000 years...I was again was given a special pooja ceremony and taken down into the specail bathing area..where I stepped in and joined the rest being blessed by the water but looking slightly like coralled animals. It was brilliant, Vydia, Lakshima and me were first to dip in and splash. We then finsihed with a little picnic right in the temple of rice wrapped in banana leaf and some very sweet treats. I was blessed with the ash and garlands and then we finished our day with a stop at a coffee shop and walk through of a Mahatma Ghandi memorial... all in all a very Hindu day the left me in awe. I did not have enough gratitude for the kindess of my hosts...I was heartbroken to see them leave. It was a very special day.

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Pimpin' a ride

Soooo I am on my own and I was transferring to to get to Madurai. Option A wait in the airport for 5 hours. Option B get harrrassed by a taxi driver to let him take me around the city for free...nothing in India is free. So we negotitated and he took me back to his rattle trap car and I started thinking..what did I agree too? Wellt eh arragnemetn was five stores that I had to go into..he would get paid 200 Rs a store for bringing me.....and I would see Bangalore. As he drove me down some back alley and through some deserted streets the only thing goign through my head was: missing tourist in Banglore. He grabbed my hand and pinched my fingers and laughed. He then looked at me and said 2 chidst..??? two chidst You will have two children hahah. The first store we went to a took his keys and a taxi liscence and went in and had masala tea with some beautifil Kashmir men. I came out of the store and he said: you are very smart lady and I thought: I don't think my mother would think that right now:)

I went to the stores and visited with the Kashmir men and learned many interesting things.... my driver took meout for lunch and said I will pay if you stay one more day...I laughed and said takeme back to the airport please....free taxi, free lunch free tea and a free tour of the city..with only one or two panic atacks.. all is well and I am on my way to Madurai

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Mendhi and Old Delhi

If you have ever watched the Amazing Race you will know the day that Kit and I had shopping. Our taxi driver got lost and we ended up on teh opposite ened of where we wanted to be and ended up walking through the some of the streets of old Delhi. It put your senses to the test between watching where your footing, watching your bag and the action and odours.. you found your head spinning. We ended up grabbing a bicycle rickshaw and it was much nicer. We ended our day with mendhi... we negotiated the price, got the henna on our hands and the ladies cahnged their price. It is the first time that we have been out and out lied to... not bad for a one month stay in India. The henna goes on and must stay on your skin for one hour. Then you have to scrape it off and not wach for one evening. The henna dies your skin an orange color that keeps getting darker. It is a chocolate brown color right now and will last a couple of weeks. It is wedding henna. Brides get it done on their hands and feet before they get married.

Love and Marriage

More picture of the Taj Mahal’s detailed carvings and marble work..and some info on Love and Marriage in India

So my investigation into love marriages and arranged marriages continues. Furthuring my interest Kuldeep answered many questions that I was curious about. When getting married, there is a dowry that the bride’s family needs to pay. It is usually all of the household items and money, dependant on the wealth of the family. The bride will also pay for the ceremony ( which can be as long as 5 days). It is tradition that the brides aunt and uncle will give the couple a gift as well…usually 20,000 to 50, 000 Rs This is the traditional sense. Kuldeep to0ld me that he and many others do not always expect a dowry and the money from the aunt and uncle but it is the way.
He also told me that in India it is based on a joint family tradition. The brothers will stay together in living arrangements with their mother and father while the daught is expected to move in with her husband’s family and brothers. He was surprised that Canadians live independent of their families in many cases. He said that the other families take care of the children and duties in a communal sense. How old? Well for women 20-25, for men 25, 30 to 40. The one thing that is essential is that child brides have been outlawed and men are not allowed to marry before 25.
I asked him if he got to meet his wife prior to marrying him and he laughed and said yes…but this is not the traditional way The men and women that have love marriages will receive no support from their families or friends..he was very clear that they would be isolated and not supported.. He said these marriages do not often last. He told me that to see the young couples out who are not married and in his words “making fun” of the traditions of India were very disrespectful. I was a little sheepish in the idea that I could not tell the difference between the married and unmarried couples. He noted a few in the places we were…I asked about dating and he said that it is not approved of but media and movies are eroding the traditional values.
I have seen this in the youth going to discos in the hotel. It is a shock to see anyone’s legs here, westerners and Indian people included. I have been here a short time and I will catch myself staring. So, to see music videos and young women in short skirt is not fashion dress that is approved of here. And dating before marriage is a hidden secret and does not have the approval of the majority.
Big or small it is okay to show your belly (except in Haryana and Punjab) but to show your legs is obscene.
As for infidelity, if it does happen it is denied profusely. Arranged marriages are defended and believed to work better than love marriages. But it is questionable when one sees t-shirts that say MBA: married but available and many people of all ages are on love match sites in the internet places and there are many people seeking connections with westerners

In my own experience I have had a few seeking my affections, some more persistent than others. But the mother intervened on my behalf: she told him that I was the moon and he was the cloud and the cloud could not talk to the moon. She told him to wish me a happy journey from her and from him and to let me be. It was very sweet way of putting it. I told Rufas that if I was the moon then he must be my sun :)

...times are changing and many are resisting the change, but the times just keep changing,
t

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal

I traveled to Agra yesterday and there is not enough words to detail the grandness and beauty of the Taj Mahal. I will post some pictures..but even then it does not capture the feel of the place. So with requests, I will post three pics..the one with the back of my head so that my sister can pretend that it is her. One for my fellow yogis who won’t laugh at me when everyone else is haha! And of course the one that left me breathless: A group of school children in bright red uniforms running in between the mosque and the Taj Mahal. And the last one is the interesting thing about India: I go to take a picture of the Taj Mahal and the Indians want a picture of me...these were my new friends haha!

The beauty and the sadness of the Taj Mahal is wrapped in its story. A tribute to his wife, the emperor had many workers build the white marble structure. With devotion and love it was builton the bloodshed of many workers. After the artistry was complete the Emperor had the thumbs cut off of the men who constructed the beautiful symmetrical masterpiece so that they would never be able to copy the artistry anywhere else. It did not end there… he had most of the labourers killed so they could not replicate anything from the structure.
Once the white marble Taj was built he intended to put a black mirror image across the river. This did not happen. He started the outline and before any brick was laid he was imprisoned by his son in the fort facing the Taj Mahal. It is here he was imprisoned for the remaining eight years of his life. He had a complete view of his masterpiece and tribute of love…but also his unfulfilled dream.
His son believed he had already spent too much money and to build a black marble Taj Was too extravagant and he was taking too much money away from the people

I visited the fort and veiwed the place of imprisonment but I also saw the area where the golden chain of justice used to be. It is believed that there was a long gold chain that reached down to the common people. Any person could call for justice by shaking the chain and bringing awareness to the emperor of the justice being sought.

I also visted Akbar’s tomb with its 70 foot ceiling that allows an echo to carry out for longer than 5 seconds.

The most memorable things about the trip would be the kindness of my host Kuldeep who walked me through all of the areas while fending off many peddlars of tourist items.

The symmetry and precision of the artistry: large slabs that had perfectly symmetrical carvings.

And of course the drive to Agra: the roads in India are riddled with donkeys, camels and horses pulling carts beside large lorries filled with anything from dead cows and camels to people spilling out and hanging on precariously out the sides of rickshaws or on the back of bikes. Loads of immense size tilted and twisted to fit on too small of transportation. Donkeys next to small cars, right next to fancy jeeps, beside bicycles. It is a shock to the senses with complete and utter disbelief flowing through your veins at every moment of every moment forward in traffic. The only thought being one of wonder at how it all works. And the deafening sound of horns beeping to indicate anything from I want to pass to just simple..I am am right behind you. On the backs of trucks it says please use horn...as if anyone in India needed a reminder to use their horn haha!
I may make it home but it will be after my heart has taken a licking from mini-heart attacks and slight cases to extreme case of whiplash, and with some hearing loss all the while my driver is giggling to himself and singing little tunes completely unphased by the chaotic nature of the road.
Kit and I keep laughing that there are signs everywhere saying lane driving is safe driving and I have yet to see anyone drive in one lane..in fact even when there is no other vehicle the trucks still drive in the middle of the road (however there is rarley, if ever just 20 vehicles...)

It was a long trip there and back...the distance is not long but the traffic is intense...nonetheless well worth every twist and turn on the road.

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Hosts

Nice hosts and beautiful gifts...they joked about the use of mobile phones but there is no secretary or land line at this school, so it is the only way to have any contact with the world. the lady is the "sweeper" or the janitor of the place. She was so beautiful, I wanted a picture of her smiling..but I have found that there are few Indian people that will smile with their teeth showing. ( will add picture next time)

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School Visits

Me with the scared nursury students
Outdoor/indoor classrooms
computer room ( no internet)
playground and door ways to classrooms

The first thing that happens is a rest and have tea to recover from our five minute travel over to the school. Secondly, we are escorted to nursury classrooms and computer classrooms. The chirldren are very loud when we first arrive and then they get very very quiet when we step in the room. We talk and take pictures and they sit silent with big eyes. Some of the children are asked to sing and it is very sweet. They sit and stare and then when we leave they burst into giggles. The one teacher said that for some it would be the first time they have seen a white person.

I see the bare essentials in one of the better government schools. The walls have colorful things on them and the children are all dressed in uniform. This is one of the better schools. When we enter an extremely crowded classroom, we are told that one of the teachers is on a 4 month mat leave ( there is no replacement teacher...the children are divided between the other classrooms until the teacher returns). The next school we go to there are 2 women on mat leave and so the classrooms are very full. There are 700 students at the first school and the second school has about 1400... they come in two shifts 7:30-12:30 and 1:30-5:30 The girls come in the morning and the boys come in the second shift.

The toilet and clean drinking water is an issue. The school we see are very lucky, they have water and a few toilets (7 at the first school and 10 at the second) Some of the children that come to these schools do not have any bathrooms at home and will wait to come to school to use the ones there. This is one of the better schools. Some of the schools do not have good water or toilets..and some don't even have a building.

The teachers are stressed for space and they will often hold classes outside. They will take turns (one or two classes outside and then they will switch with another class). They struggle with attendance problems. Children will not come to school if the weather is poor..there is no means of transportation to get them to school.

They asked if school holidays were in the winter ( because they consider this to be our extreme weather time) When they have extreme weather like monsoons and heat..this is when school holidays are. A very different rationale for holding classes.

The schools we visited had very hospitable hosts. We were greeted with beautiful flowers and given shawls as gifts...it was very humbling when observing the limited resources adn struggles of the teachers. The one teacher said...education must come..the buildings will follow. We cannot eliminate poverty if there is no education. But she also said that it is a horrid circle..poverty is the root of limited education.

The computer room had 7 computers and at the second school there were 6. They leave their classroom and come in groups of 3 for a couple of hours a week. A very different type of idea abot technology and expectations.

The school visit was very interesting and at the same time very important for me to realize the needs of some of the teachers we were teaching. I am glad that I had such good hosts.

At the end of the school visits the headmasters gave us beautiful bouquets and wool shawls that were embroidered.

The gifts are quite beautiful..as were the students,

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