Wednesday 31 December 2014

Someone has turned the temperature down


Thank goodness, as the 28 degree humid heat was getting unbearable! These hill stations were established by the British to escape the oppressive heat of the plains in the summers. They relocated govt for those hot months and enjoyed a climate reminiscent to England. Now I need a blanket at bed time and not a fan and my shoes and fleece have ventured out from being stuffed in the bottom of the rucksack!

Wow I'm on the Nilgiri steam train


This is the whole inspiration for my trip! Not that I'm a railway buff but I have have always wanted to go to the famed hill stations in India which have been served by railways for over a hundred years. There's three such hill station railways, all with UNESCO World Heritage status, Darjeeling (where had to take as I arrived so late, Ooty and Shimla, which is on my destination list as it's the gateway to Daramasala, the home of the Dalai Lama. So After watching the BBC three part documentary in these hill stations I decided I had to go to Tamil Nadu and go across the Nilgiri range on a stream train!
So sixty days ago I booked my ticket, second class for 30 rupees. I had a mammoth journey to get there, leaving Thanjuvar  on the 19.15 and arriving in Salem at 00.45. I then had a very slow wait at this station for two hours .... Joining the sleepers on the station I sat on platform 1 willing time to whizz past. Luckily an inquisitive policeman joined me on my bench and we whiled away some time conversing in broken English. His children were both engineers, in fact most students I meet on buses etc are engineer students, send the guy I was queuing behind in the incredibly chaotic immigration booths at Chennai Airport was here to have a 25 year graduation reunion of his engineering class and he now lived in The States.
So I got my second train, arrived just in time to get the steam train and started the spectacular journey shrouded in mist! Slowly it broke and we were rewarded with incredible views as our carriages were pushed by the 125 year old steam train named Nilgiri Queen. We made several stops, as the engine had to take on thousands of gallons of water as it inched up hills. In total it took us 5 hours to go 30 miles, but it truly was a fantastic experience. Squeezed into my carriage was a coup,e of families and when they heard to my long train travels I was given a homemade biryani and it had just turned 7.30! I was not going to starve on this journey! It's wonderful to see how many home tourists are always travelling around. The westerners sat in first class, but I was definitely having more fun and food!

Just one more temple


Before I head off to the hill station of Ooty in the Nilgiri range there's one more temple to head to. The thousand year old chola temple to the north of Thanjavur. Yesterday in the unexpected constant rain I travelled by train to the nearby town to see the urban temples and the rural 1000 year old chola temple complex famed for the its miniature statues. I had to get the rickshaw driver to stop off for me to get umbrella to cope with either unexpected deluge of rain. My planning hadn't factored in this, I have sun screen, mosquito repellent, hand sanitiser and now a new umbrella! Must make the most of temples, as I am moving west and there are other sights to seem.

Saturday 27 December 2014

I must help you, as you are in my country


Heading from temple to temple across Tamil Nadu has been an amazing experience, from the largest temple in India in Trinchy, to the tallest tower in Tiruvannamalai, to the sacred Shiva temple of fire to the Shriva temple of water in Trinchy, there's 5000 temples here to explore and that is why I chose here to travel. This is my 6th time in India and it's a place that you either fall in love with and want to come back again and again, or it overwhelms you and you will never return. It is a hard place to travel, the chaos, the crowds, the dirt, the extreme poverty, but take these all in your stride. India is magical, welcoming and open to the adventurous! I got a bus yesterday from the main temple in Trichy to the important Water Shiva Temple a few kilometres away. I asked a woman in the queue if I was waiting at the right stop and she said "I must help you as you are in my county". She guided me to the right bus, popped me in a seat behind her and her friend and then quizzed me about my travels through India. To most men I say I am travelling with my husband, who is back in the hotel with a poorly stomach. In absolute contrast, to most women I declare that I am travelling alone, which brings an equal reaction of anxiousness and amazement. India still is a male dominated and women are culturally and religiously ruled. Sure there's huge exceptions, within a country with such a wide disparity of wealth and opportunity, but a woman travelling alone is an exception. I remember on my last trip in the north I was waiting for a train and a woman near by struck up conversation. She was with her brother in law and father in law and told me that she couldn't even leave the compound where she lived unaccompanied by a male. This really made me thankful to be able to be independent in ever sense! 

Thursday 25 December 2014

Where to stand


There's always an element of chaos at the train stations. Checking platforms, checking for delays and getting the right spot to stand for your carriage, as there's about 40 of them! We see a decline in services, cost cutting and fewer more crowded trains. Indian railways is one of the biggest employers in the country, moving millions of people daily from A to B. When I got on the overnight train to Madurai I really misjudged the spot and as the train pulled away the train guide helped me by dragging my rucksack through half a dozen carriages of sleeping passages, as it had gone midnight. Today I'm heading north and in the light of day the chaos is easier, here at Madurai station there's digital displays showing the train number and carriage. Come on Chennai express,  I'm eager to explore my next destination of Tiruchchirapali. 
Yesterday I walked though the maze of back streets by the dried up river, taking my own walking tour of where the locals lived. The streets were full of temples, children and families going about their daily business, just slightly bemused as to why a traveller would be wondering in their neighbourhood. So many people wanted me to take their photos, from the bamboo sellers to the women at the water pumps! I ended up playing a game at the end of the street, must find out what's it's called bot you flick a white counter and have goals in each corner - like finger snooker! Let's just say I did better playing cricket with the kids the other evening and it's always a pleasure to find yet another you're hopeless at! 

Midnight mass


A friend who coincidently is now in Bangalore posted that this was her 6th Christmas abroad. I'm probably double that, but seldom take the opportunity to go to church. Here in Madurai there's plenty of churches, and after enquiring at the reception desk where an English speaking service was, the hotel manager invited me to join him for midnight mass. And what a joyful mass, there was so much music and dance and the congregation was full of beautiful voices. It certainly was a privilege to see in Christmas in this way and always brilliant to belt out some carols! After the service we all congregated outside the church holding candles and wishing everyone a merry Christmas, which was a lovely end to the service

An Apprentice style challenge


After heading out of the pedestrian streets surrounding the Meenakshi temple I succumbed to the sight of coffee being poured into the tiny glass cups - to give you just enough of a sugar and caffeine shot. On this busy  thoroughfare hordes of pilgrims and devout headed through. I'm not sure how this happened but I was suddenly on the selling side of the stall and joyfully chanting chai and coffee. I'm sure I would not have survived the boardroom with my sales totalling 30 rupees, but it was certainly fun! 

Tuesday 23 December 2014

Photographers heaven


Incredible India, you never know what is round the corner, but I bet you want to take a photo of it! I have been overwhelmed by the number of volunteers to have their photo taken. Each day I am setting a photographic assignment and today was shadows. So after a night train to Madurai I checked into myhotel and slept, showered and had breakfast before heading into the bustling centre to see the amazing Meenakshi Annam Temple in the heart of town, dominating the centre with four huge colourful gigantic towers. The pilgrims, worshippers and devout line the streets and wait patiently for the 4o'clock gate opening. Surrounding the temple are quieter non traffic roads and after heading to the market, set on an ancient temple I perplexed the stall holders by just taking photos of the feet and shadows of passers by. It's great to take a breathe in the chaos of the streets and concentrate to get a great result!

You're never alone when you travel by yourself in India


There's always someone starring, someone begging, someone selling and someone who wants to be helpful! At the incredible temple in Tiruvannamalai there were hundreds of pilgrims who have walked there from far flung places, women dressed in their finest saris to pay their respects to Shiva, and families galore.  This huge temple has been totally restored in the last forty years and is the fifth largest in the world, preserving this important Hindu site for another thousand years. It's a privilege to visit  such a sacred site and once I got my camera out, everyone wanted to have their photo taken. The four pilgrims by the gate were the keenest and were eagerly giving me instructions on how to take the best portrait. Eventually they agreed that a close up was the most trilling portrait ... Job done.... 

Sunday 21 December 2014

And a squeeze of lime in your eye will stop you drinking

I head out of Pondicherry to the west for a day of forts and temple viewing. My taxi driver, who insists his name is Guru, makes plenty of stops when I want to take photos and we end up in a tiny temple just off the main road to Gingee. Here a group of men are celebrating their sobriety and during the blessing from the priest they get a squeeze of lime in the eye - crikey that would be enough to put anyone off drink! They then get a red band on the wrist to remind them off their sobriety, but brilliantly the priest answered his phone whilst performing this ceremony. 
Then I stop at Gingee Fort, a complex of forts across the multiple hill stops. The views are stunning and an ancient temple provides another opportunity to be blessed. Here I'm invited to lunch by a lovely family, but I'm running out of time and need to press on! It's so funny being here where there are so few International tourists! 

Saturday 20 December 2014

I know it's only 50 rupees for the rickshaw, but I am a little fat and need to walk

Now the jet lag is slowly waring off I spend a dozy day wondering round town. There has been a local tragedy, with three women living in the local ashram threatened with eviction and committed suicide. This has caused local outrage and the whole town was on strike. Riot police were everywhere and the shutters were firmly shut across Pondicherry. After heading to a couple of temples, being blessed twice !! I then have to go in search of the restaurant where I'm meeting an old work colleague who's here teaching yoga. I spot the shutter of the closed restaurant of our rendezvous and luckily it's only secretly shut, so when we go they bring up the shutters and whisk us in! After a good catch up and a walk we head our separate ways and after a stroll along the beach I indulge in an afternoon nap. After making my reviving coffee I then manage to kick it over, smashing it and spilling all the coffee on the beautiful rug in my teak festooned heritage hotel room ...aarghhh! 
With the sun going down the shutters come up and the city springs back into life. I head off in search of the clothing Mecca FabIndia, I even love it's name. I decline the offer of a 50 rupee rickshaw ride and put my best foot forward to start my shopping ....

Friday 19 December 2014

Planes, trains and taxi's


What a journey! A delayed takeoff at Heathrow resulted in a swift transfer and Bahrain and in Chennai I was really relieved to see my rucksack appear on the crazily crowded luggage belt at 5am. By 6.30 I was sitting in a cafe in Chennai's main station, having not quite spent 50p on my train journey from the airport, got coffee and breakfast - I'm definitely back in India! 
Already fielded hoards  of questions about me travelling alone, most notably from the passport officer! But that is part of the course of travelling solo. At the train station heading into town from the airport I met a woman who was an air stewardess from Chennai and really understood solo travel. Luckily she said her favourite city was London, but on a recent stop over got a cold as it was freezing! In contrast here's it a humid 28, which will take some getting used to. But it was great to sit in the sanctuary of the women only carriage  and chat before I got to the chaos of the main station. 
On the three hour journey south soon the city rolled into rice fields festooned with palm trees and the gentle sway of the train lulled me to sleep, as I had now been travelling constantly but I woke to see the train come to a holt at my stop and had to carry my rucksack through the carriage, so as not to sweep up all the shoes that lined the aisle. Already London feels a million miles away! 

Sunday 14 December 2014

The rucksack is out and ready to be filled

I love the excitement and challenge of packing! With my holiday just around the corner, four sleeps, it's time to dust off my rucksack and get packing. Time to sync my iPad so I have all the desert island disc podcasts ready for my long train journeys and make sure all my camera batteries are fully charged and there's plenty of memory cards, as there will be so many amazing photo opportunities to come!