Thursday, July 10, 2008

INDIA @ monsoon period

10th of July

We woke up at the Green House Cottage, our familiar room at Colva Beach. A very friendly environment, pigs and chickens are walking around and the green-purple color of the house makes your dreams come true. Its raining quite often…its monsoon period. Humidity also does not allow you to cycle so easily. You are sweating more than normal.
So after 2 days at Green house cottage, due to Hannes’ illness [diarrhea, stomachache and fever… I got the results from the health center the other day in the case of malaria: negative!!!...ou don’t really want to know the symptoms of malaria…it’s a hard disease.] So yes after two days of relaxing, some video editing, cooking and writing we were again up on our saddles. What a nice feeling…to ride away. New pictures are coming straight to your eyes. Its like watching cinema all day long. New faces. New places. New friends! Oh yes today we met some new friends. Our first monkey friends!!! Not on TV screen. Just next to us. They were starring at us. Sitting like kings, on their comfortable trees. I couldn’t stop enjoying the view! Hope they did the same!

Cycling in India at this time of the year – the monsoon period, it’s the most enjoyable I could say. But it does not mean that the Indian countryside is loosing its magic character! The tropical rains transform the fields on endless water lagoons. The Indians are there…at their fields cropping rice. Some others are selling fish on the road. And others laying back with a local drink – Jal, on their hands dreaming The Indian Dream! As the sun was disappearing behind the hills we were approaching Palolem – the quite Goan beach…actually everywhere you go right now in Goa is quite. The tourist are away…far away at other summer resorts were monsoon does not exist.

On our way, we met the only three English or Australian tourists on their hired motorbikes and Danny the English guru from Birmingham. He lives in a small Goan village for 8 years now! I wouldn’t do that not even on my next life…if there is one. But he got bored…he said. And he is moving south to Sri Lanka, as people are nicer and food tastier, according to his words. Who knows…! Maybe his luck it will be bigger down there!...and find his love.
But I believe that wherever you go, it will be the same. Its you that changes, and see things differently. You are going to ask me now, why am I doing this trip then? Well, when you travel away from your secure home you discover and understand yourself better. Some people can manage that, without moving a centimeter from their home. For others, its essential to experience life on different environments, to leave behind the secure, what they know already and search for the unknown.

So, here we are with our bicycles, having cycled 58km today and Hannes is cooking noodles. Oh yes noodles. I can hear my stomach screaming and demonstrating on wide roads for a big portion of noodles! We are trying to keep it balanced; one day I cook, one day he cooks! Yesterdays menu, had cooked beans with tomato sauce and cinnamon – a tasty Greek specialty! Hannes can you please don’t chop the onion under my eyes, please…I am starting to cry, and its not the right day for that.

But really what happened till now dear Angelo? Well I will try to summarise our way from Shiraz to Sarjah and then our arrival to Mumbai – the city of life under the bridge. And from there our train trip south to Goa.

Our flight from Shiraz, Iran via Sharjah (Dubai) to Mumbai was one of dramatic changes. First of all, one of our companion Dean (Kostas Mavridis) left us at the hands of god….which one, really don’t know. The Indian culture was welcoming us. On the airplane Ifelt exactly how a non-westerner feels when arrives at Europe or any other ‘western’ country: like a fly on the milk! It’s a kind of an oppressive feeling, when all the eyes around looks at you. I was frightened for a moment when a woman with “no face” turned back and looked at me. It is a weird feeling not to know who is staring at you. But I was so tired that fell asleep right away, even the Arabic speaking captain was familiar on my ears like I have been again on such a flight. The sleep was sweat and deep. And oh yes when we arrived at Sarjah airport I had my espresso coffee after a long time. Just one, I am not allowed to drink more. And from there we flew to Mumbai. An airplane full of Indians and a Bollywood film on screens. So after almost 4 hour flight we touch the Indian ground. Humid air and smelly sticks came right away upon me. So humid, I couldn’t even breathe. You get used of it after a while.
The Indians are friendly and nice people they look. Danny the English has an opposite opinion: “don’t trust them, they misguide you all the time” he said. Well this is partly true, as I can say from my little experience till now.

So we got two taxis, loaded with our bicycles on the roof and we set off for the city centre of Mumbai: 30km far away!!! We couldn’t actually cycle that during the night…and for sure, we would get lost on the way. And by the way I enjoyed the ride by taxi. The driver even if he couldn’t speak English, was very expressive….actually… bullshit….he was quieter than ever…no face expressions at all. So I decided to devote myself on exploring the urban space of Mumbai. Well I can say that the first sight shocked me. Homeless people are something common. Life under bridges is a fact. Children running behind you asking for food. Probably a human life in India, as far as I can understand is not something so valued.

Sea Lord hostel. Clean room? Well you cant say that. But was not so bad. For two days sleep was fair enough. Next day walking around the city was a great experience. Poverty and wealth are living together and so close in India. The English colonialism is still here. Victoria train station. Left hand driving. School uniforms for children. Etc etc.

Two days in Mumbai I think are enough. But we didn’t miss the chance to work as extras at a Bollywood film! Oh yes we had this kind of glory...I had the chance to get to know from the inside how Bollywood film industry works. We act as tourist (obviously) at an Indian club! Was fun…with funny Indian style clothes!

And at 7 am we took the train to Madgaor, Goa. Twelve hours trip. I was so tired but didn’t want to sleep at all. The scenery was amazing. We booked two seats at 2nd class - such a great experience! Meeting local people, taking photographs the passing food sellers, filming the forests and the train stations passing by!
On the way I made a good friend: a little mouse!

And here we are in Goa. After doing a round trip by our beloved bicycles at Old Goa, passing by the local health center to examine Hannes, we arrived at Palolem – south of Goa and I am ready to eat these delicious noodles made by glorious Hannes’ hands!

Bon appetite my dear friends.