Keeping an Eye on Technology Futures, No Hidden Agendas, New Attitudes, No Platitudes!
First we went to Kerala in the South, where I'd never been before, traveling by "luxury bus" at night, to avoid the heat and traffic of the day. Kerala means coconuts and the name becomes evident, even at night, with the thickening forests of coconut palms.
We arrived in Ernakulam, previously my sister's home for many years; she speaks Malayalam, which sounds like gargling to me. Across the bay was picturesque Cochin, with beautiful backwaters everywhere. Many good stories, backed up by thousands of pictures.
We went by train to Trivandrum - I love trains in India, because you can view the scenery while you keep being served with tea and snacks. We drove by taxi (including driver, $50 for the day) through endless villages and coconut forests and exotic scenery till we got to the southernmost tip of India, formerly Cape Comorin and now called Kanyakumari. This historic area has become completely commercialized; you have to walk through the gauntlet of shops to get to the long lines to board the boats which ferry you across to the two small islands just off the cape. Pretty soon you get used to the jostling of the crowds, made more enjoyable by friendly smiles and constant chattering. Bucket-list experience.
On the way back, we stopped at famed Kovalum beach. I walked end-to-end - just a few miles in a sheltered cove - to trace the tracks of my son David who had been there with his surfboard in years past. The blessings of a beautiful sunset crowned this part of my bucket-list.
The next day we traveled by "deluxe, luxury" (it was NOT) bus to Salem; my sister made the needlessly thrifty booking ($5 ticket for 300 miles). The trip took 10 hours because the bus stopped at all the towns along the way. It did have bucket-list qualities, because we saw and sampled everything along the way.
During one fairly long section, I needed to go, you know, fairly urgently, and discreetly asked the conductor's advice. He yelled, "Aaah! You want to go urine!" They stopped somewhere (not-so-isolated, because Kerala is crowded) and several men (no women) joined me in watering the landscape.
Our niece Patsy and her husband Suhas picked us up in Salem, to drive up 17 hairpin bends into "hill-station" (mountainous) Yercaud; chilly compared with the hot plains of Tamilnadu. After a restful and reflective three days, they drove us back to Bangalore, to spend a joyous Christmas with family.
After all these years, I'd still never seen the Taj Mahal, one of the 7 Wonders of the World. This time I was determined to visit, as part of my bucket-list. And I did; on New Year's Day, 2009. New Delhi is the nearest major airport, more than a couple hours flying time (most flights cost about $100). We took a taxi (with driver, $100 for the day) to drive 125 miles to Agra, where the Taj Mahal is located.
With heavy traffic and a fleeting view of Northern India's scenery, we arrived at the Taj at about 4:00 pm, recognizing that we'd have only a couple of hours before sunset, when the doors closed. The next day was Friday, the Muslim Sabbath holiday, which left us no choice. Being New Years' day, it was crowded - I mean jam-packed entry lines half-mile long. Expediency dictated that we accept, for a small fee, the services of an "Agent" who pushed us into the front of the lines, fairly near the ticket-inspectors and entry-police, evidently "friends". Well, we got in.
I have heard many people say that they were surprised at how big the Taj Mahal is. I was expecting BIG. But still, I was surprised - it was more gigantic than I imagined. And more beautiful. Built in the mid-1600's the Taj Mahal is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, combining Persian, Ottoman, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. It's an integrated complex of structures; the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar.
I took pictures on "Clinton's Bench" (which doesn't show crowds, except in the distance). And another popular pose - pretending to hold the Taj between my finger and thumb....
There was lots more that happened during this bucket-list trip in India. But the reflections related to those will take time to seep though my consciousness, and they'll seep out in future issues of eNews.
