DEAR VISITOR! THIS TEXT IS STILL IN PROCESS, AS THERE IS MUCH MORE TO TELL OBVIOUSLY;-). THANK YOU AND... ENJOY!

INDIA IS FULL OF INDIANS. UNLESS YOU ARE ARRIVING IN MAGAO, GOA AT 3:30AM AT NIGHT AND TRY TO SLEEP ON THE BEACH, BEING SURROUNDED BY SIX DOGS, YOU WILL ALWAYS BE SURROUNDED BY INDIANS. THAT IS THE FIRST MAIN DIFFERENCE. THE ONLY CHANCE TO CATCH A LITTLE BIT OF SOLITUDE AND PRIVACY, IS ON YOUR BED IN YOUR ROOM. THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENCES IF YOU LOOK AT THE SMALLER THINGS IN LIFE. IN GENERAL EVERYBODY ON THIS WORLD IS BUSY WITH EARNING MONEY FOR HIS LIVING. SO, IN INDIA. BUT IN A MUCH DIFFERENT WAY. IN THIS COUNTRY I LEARNED TO KNOW HOW BASIC SELLING AND TRADING IS FOR LIFE. THE SMALLEST CHILD I EVER SAW WORKING, WAS A LITTLE GIRL MAYBE 3 YEARS OLD, VERY CUTE, BEING FORCED BY HER MOTHER TO SMILE FOR MY CAMERA AND BE PRETTY. THE GIRL HATED IT. AND I HATED PHOTOGRAPHING THE SITUATION, BUT I FELT I SHOULD STILL TAKE PICTURES, BECAUSE I MIGHT OFFEND THE MOTHER AS IF I WOULD THINK HER LITTLER GIRL WASN`T PRETTY ENOUGH FOR MY CAMERA. YOU CAN SEE THE PICTURE I AM TALKING ABOUT AT PEOPLE FROM SOUTH INDIA OR CLICK HERE. IT WAS A VERY STRANGE SITUATION FOR ME, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE OLDER SISTER CAME ALONG, ABOUT 12 YEARS OLD, AND, TOLD BY HER MOTHER, FORCEFULLY TRIED TO MAKE HER LITTLE SISTER SMILE. FINALLY WE WERE ALL LAUGHING, AS THE WHOLE SITUATION SEEMED VERY ABSURD.

IF YOU WANT TO GO TO GOA, YOU SHOULD EITHER BE INTERESTED IN SUNBATHING EXPECIALLY FROM 12 TO 15PM HAVING ONLY LITTLE SHADOW – OR THIRSTY FOR CHEAP DRINKS, CHEAP FOOD AND CHEAP SERVICE FROM BREAKFAST TO LATE NIGHT SNACK. ANOTHER STANDARD BEHAVIOUR AMONG MOST TOURISTS IS DRINKING THE FIRST BEER FOR BREAKFAST AND START SMOKING CHILLIUM; PLUS - LATE AT NIGHT - DRIVE BACK TO YOUR ROOM WITH THE MOTORBIKE YOU RENTED. ALL THIS, OF COURSE, WITHOUT A HELMET, WHILE WEARING FLIP FLOPS, SHORT SKIRTS AND SHOULDER FREE TOPS (WHICH IS STOMPING ON THE INDIAN CULTURE) ALTHOUGH YOU DON`T EVEN HAVE A LICENCEC AND ALSO ARE NOT USED TO DRIVING ON THE LEFT LANE . ALL THIS IS POSSIBLE. I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MANY TOURISTS WITH INJURIES AND BANDAGES. I SAW A GIRL DRIVING HER RENTED VESPA AROUND A CURVE AND RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT, SHE JUST FELL ASIDE WITH THE BIKE ONTO HER LEG. SHE SIMPLY COULDN`T DRIVE.

HONESTLY, IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A H-O-L-I-D-A-Y WITHOUT HAVING TO ADAPT TO THE BEHAVIOUR DESCRIBED ABOVE, FLY TO THAILAND. IF YOU WANT TO LIE IN THE SHADOW, ENJOY YOUR BOOK, HAVE A PERFECT BANANA SHAKE AND FRESH MANGO YOU CAN TRUST, SNORKEL FOR AN HOUR FROM 4 TO 5PM AND MAYBE EVEN GO JOGGING INTO THE SUNSET – GO TO THAILAND.

IN INDIA, YOU CANNOT DO ALL THESE NICE THINGS IN ONE PLACE AT THE SAME TIME. IF YOU ARE IN GOA ON A BEACH, AN AVERAGE OF 5 TO 10 INDIANS WILL COME UP TO YOU AND START TALKING TO YOU, TRYING TO SELL YOU SOMETHING. SHAWLS, LUNGHIS, CLOTH, SUNGLASSES, SHIVA, SWASTICA OR GANESHA STICKER, COCONUT OR PINEAPPLE. THAT IS A REALITY, NO TRAVELLAGENCY TELLS YOU. TRAVELLING INDIA IS NOT ABOUT MAKING THE PERFEKT HOLIDAY, BUT MAKING A HUGE ADVENTURE, WHICH IRRITATES YOUR MIND AND MAKES YOU SEE YOUR OWN WORLD FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE. SOMETIMES IN LIFE THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT AND REFRESHING.

IT IS NORMAL TO BE STARED AT, AS THERE IS NO SUCH TABOO ABOUT IT LIKE IN OUR CULTURE. BEING SURROUNDED BY CHILDREN AND APPROACHED BY GROUPS OF MALE TEENAGERS WHO MIGHT EVEN (TRY TO) TOUCH YOU IF YOU ARE WESTERN, WHITE AND FEMALE IS NORMAL.

FOR US, THE NICEST ROOM WE HAD IN SIX WEEKS (CLEAN AND (!) HOT WATER), WAS AT BOON`S ARK IN GOA, VAGATOR BEACH. THE PLACE WAS SO CLEAN, WE HAD THE PERFECT ILLUSION OF INDIA: A CLEAN GARDEN WITH NICE FLOWERS, A GOOD DOG AND A VERY FRIENDLY LANDLORD WITH HIS WIFE. PETER WAS RIGHT WHEN WE ASKED WHETHER WE HAVE TO BARGAIN FOR EVERYTHING, EVEN THE RIKSHAW? AND HE ANSWERED: "YOU HAVE TO BARGAIN YOUR LIFE". IF YOU ARE STAYING LONGER AND GET TO KNOW THE RIGHT PRICES YOU WILL HAVE TO GET USED TO BARGAINING FOR EVERYTHING, UNLESS YOU DON`T CARE ABOUT PAYING UP TO 500% MORE THAN NORMAL. IN GENERAL, PAYING MUCH MORE THAN THE LOCAL PEOPLE IS VERY TOLERABLE TO A GREAT EXTEND IN THIS POOR COUNTRY. BUT ON THE OTHER HAND: COULD WE IMAGINE TO MAKE FOREIGN TRAVELLERS PAY EXTREMELY HIGHER PRICES, ONLY BACAUSE THEY ARE TOURISTS AND MAYBE COME FROM A RICHER COUNTRY? THERE WOULD BE A LOT TO DISCUSS, I THINK.

NOT TO MAKE ANY ADVERTISEMENT, BUT THE NICE PLACE IN VAGATOR BEACH IS CALLED BOONSARK.COM AND WE LIKED IT THERE VERY MUCH.

WE ONLY WENT TO ONE PARTY AT NINE BAR WHERE THE MUSIC ONLY PLAYS FROM 5PM TO 10PM. NOT ENOUGH TIME FOR A GOOD PARTY TO ME, BUT I WANTED TO CHECK OUT AT LEAST ONE GOA TRANCE PARTY. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE NINE BAR SOUND AS KILLER TRANCE, WHICH I HAD READ IN A LOCAL PAPER BEFORE, WAS ACTUALLY QUITE FITTING... YOU CAN SEE MOSTLY (YOUNG) INDIAN MEN DANCING AROUND SINGLE EUROPEAN WOMEN, TRYING TO CHAT UP BY IMITATING THE TYPICAL BOLLYWOOD MOVEMENTS – OR EVEN TOUCH A GIRL (TRYING TO TOUCH WESTERN GIRSL IS A SPORT AMONG TEENAGE INDIANS). AS A LOVER OF GOOD (TRANCE) PARTIES, HONESTLY, THIS WAS NOT AN ATMOSPHERE FOR ME TO RELAX. BUT MANY LIKE IT, APPARENTLY. I TOOK FUNNY PICTURES AND WATCHED ;-).

DURING THE TIME OF TRAVELLING THROUGH SOUTH INDIA, I DID NOT SEE A SINGLE INDIAN YOUNG WOMAN WHO MOVES ON HER OWN WITH HER OWN BUSINESS TO DO, LIKE BEING A STUDENT OR JUST A "NORMAL" WOMAN – FROM WHAT WE ARE USED TO IN OUR CULTURE. WOMEN ARE EITHER ACCOMPANIED BY AT LEAST ONE MAN OR BY THEIR WHOLE FAMILY. THERE IS NO REASON TO BE BY YOUR LONELY SELF, AS EITHER YOU HAVE TO LOOK AFTER YOUR CHILDERN OR PERPARE OR SERVE LUNCH FOR YOUR HUSBAND, ESPECIALLY IN THE TRAIN (WHERE FOOD IS MOSTLY EATEN WITH HANDS FROM BANANA LEAVES LYING ON THE TRAIN SEAT). LOGIC TO NEVER SEE A SINGLE YOUNG INDIAN WOMAN DANCE BY HERSELF – AND IF, SHE WOULD NOT BE SEEN AS A GOOD WOMAN. CONCERNING HYGIENE, NOISE-LEVEL, WASTE DISPOSAL, DISTANCE TOWARDS STRANGERS, SUSTAINABILITY AND MANY MANY OTHER THINGS, INDIA IS VERY DIFFERENT.–

 

ON THE DAY OF THE TSUNAMI, WE WERE EXTREMELY LUCKY STILL HAVING BEEN IN THE SMALL BEACH VILLAGE VARKALA (SOUTH WEST COAST) – WHERE ALL HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS ARE ON A HIGH CLIFF – AND NOT TOURING AROUND THE SOUTH COAST, AS PLANNED BEFORE. SUNDAY, THE 26TH OF DECEMBER 2004 STARTED SLOW AND LATE. WE HAD NOT HEARD OR FELT ANYTHING AS OUR HOTEL WAS ABOUT 200 METERS AWAY FROM THE CLIFF. WHEN WE WENT FOR BREAKFAST, SITTING HIGH UP IN A RESTAURANT WITH ONLY THE SHINY BLUE SEA IN FRONT OF US, THE ATMOSPHERE WAS CALM AS YOU WOULD IMAGINE IT ON A SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS.

THEN WE SAW THE BEACH COMPLETELY EMPTY WITH ONLY A FEW GUARDS PATROLLING IN THEIR BLUE UNIFORM. HOW STRANGE, WE THOUGHT, AS USUALLY THE BEACH WAS FULL OF TOURISTS LYING IN THE MIDDAY SUN. THE SHAPE OF THE BEACH WAS COMPLETE CHANGED AND LOOKED VERY DIFFERENT FROM BEFORE. WHEN WE ASKED LOCAL PEOPLE WHAT HAD HAPPENDED, THE ONLY ANSWER WE GOT WAS THAT THE SEA WAS DANGEROUS TODAY AND SWIMMING IS FORBIDDEN FOR THE NEXT THREE DAYS. IT IS NORMAL NOT TO BE TOLD THE TRUTH, SO YOU GET USED NOT TO BELIEVE THE FIRST PERSON YOU ASK. LATER, I WENT TO HAVE AN AYURVEDIC MASSAGE AND THOM WENT TO LEARN COOKING THALI FROM SADJU IN HIS RESTAURANT. THEN WE MET A SWEDISH WOMAN FROM OUR HOTEL AND SHE TOLD US, THAT SOMETHING MAJOR HAS HAPPENDED CNN IS CONSTANTLY TALKING ABOUT. SO WE PLANNED TO CHECK THE INTERNET LATER AND MAYBE PHONE HOME.

WHEN WE WENT ONLINE AT ABOUT 5PM WE SAW THE SAD TRUTH IMMEDIATLEY. THE MOST SHOCKING PART TO US WAS THAT THE AFECTED AREAS SURROUNDED US AND WE REALISED THAT WE HAD ONLY BEEN SO LUCKY BECAUSE OF THE HIGH CLIFF IN VARKALA. THE SHOCK GREW SLOWLY AND LAY A DEPRESSING SHADOW OVER OUR JOURNEY. ALL OTHER BEACHES NORTH AND SOUTH OF US HAD BEEN DAMAGED AND PEOPLE WERE EVACUATED TO VARKALA. WE WERE IN THE ONLY PLACE WHICH WAS SPARED. IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET EXACT INFORMATION AS THE INTERNATIONAL NEWS COULD NOT MENTION THE SMALL PLACES IN OUR REGION, THE LOCALS THEMSELVES DID NOT KNOW FOR SURE AND THE NEWSPAPERS GAVE CONTRADICTIONARY INFORMATION.

WHEN WE CALLED HOME WE LEARNED THAT OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS FEARD FOR OUR LIVES AND WITH MORE AND MORE INFORMATION, MOST RELIABLY THROUGH THE INTERNET, WE REALISED THAT WE HAVE SURVIED A CATASTROPHE WHERE WE COULD HAVE DIED. A FEELING I HAD FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE. VERY AMBIGUOUS. NOT EASY TO DIGEST. INDIA ITSELF IS NOT EASY TO DIGEST – SO INDIA + TSUNAMI WAS REALLY TOUGH FOR OUR SENSES AND FEELINGS. VERY INTENSELY WERE DEALING WITH VERY BASIC AND VERY IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF LIFE – ASPECTS WHICH TEND TO BE FORGOTTEN IN OUR SAVE, CLEAN AND LUXURY BASED CULTURE AT HOME.

THE DAYS THAT FOLLOWED WERE VERY EXHAUSTING AS WE HAD TO MAKE MANY RIGHT DECISIONS. AS WE WERE NOT IN A DIRECTLY HIT AREA THE FIRST PLANES WE COULD HAVE TAKEN BACK HOME EARLIER WOULD HAVE BEEN ON JANUARY THE 10TH 2005. A LONG TIME IF THERE IS A CHANCE OF A SECOND WAVE AND EPIDEMICS. I FELT LIKE TRAVELLING USING A MAP IN A FOREIGN COUTRY WITH WHITE SPOTS ON IT – PLACES WHERE YOU DON`T KNOW IN ADVANCE IF YOU CAN GO THERE. MOST TOURISTS SAID, IT`S BEST TO TRAVEL UP NORTH AND INSIDE THE COUTRY. SO FOUR DAYS AFTER THE TSUNAMI WE MADE OUR WAY TO KOLLAM TO MAKE THE BOAT TOUR THROUGH THE BACKWATERS TO ALEPPEY.

WE WERE LUCKY AGAIN, AS WE CATCHED THE FIRST BOAT WHICH RE-STARTED THE BACKWATER TOUR AFTER THE WAVE. THE BACKWATERS AND EVEN THE ASHRAM OF THE HUGGUNG MAMA WHICH LIES HALF WAY TO ALEPPEY HAD ALSO BEEN FLOODED. FROM ALEPPEY WE WENT TO FORT COCHIN, WHERE THE BEACH WAS STILL IN CHAOS AND UNFORTUNATELY THE ELEPHANT PARADE FOR NEW YEAR`S DAY HAS BEEN CANCELLED. NEW YEAR`S EVE ITSELF WE FIRST SPENT CRYING LATER LAUGHING A LITTLE AS WE WERE VERY VERY MUCH IN FEAR OF THE LIFE OF TWO FRIENDS WHO LIVE ON A SMALL ISLAND IN SOUTH THAILAND WITH THEIR BOAT. THEY DID NOT ANSWER BACK MY EMAIL SINCE FIVE DAYS AFTER THE TSUNAMI. SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS IT. YOUR PERCEPTION AND THE WAY YOU THINK IS DIFFERENT WHEN YOU ARE IN A STATE OF SHOCK AND HAVE TO FIND YOUR BEST WAY OUT IF IT. EVERYBODY WAS IN SHOCK, THE ATMOSPHERE WAS VERY CALM AND TENSE, YOU EXCHANGED NEWSPAPERS AMONG EACH OTHER AND TRIED TO GET TO A TV WITH THE CONSTANT CNN NEWS. YOU SPOKE TO OTHER TOURISIS TO ASK ABOUT THEIR PLANS AND WHERE THEY GO NOW. NEARLY EVERYBODY WE SPOKE TO HAD TO CHANGE THEIR ROUTE. AROUND 9PM ON DECEMBER 31ST 2004 I GOT AN EMAI FROM ANOTHER FRIEND ON THE ISLAND IN THAILAND WHERE OUR FRIENDS LIVE AND HE TOLD US THAT EVERYBODY SURVIED AND NOBODY, NOT EVEN THE BOAT WAS HIT OR HURT. RELIEVE. BIG BIG BIG ONE. TO MAKE THAT DAY A BIT MORE SPECIAL WE FINALLY WENT TO A SOUVENIR SHOP AND BOUGHT A BIG DANCING SHIVA STATUE AND A SMALLER GANESHA – SOMETHING FOR A LIFE TIME. A SYMBOL FOR US. ALL FESTIVITIES HAD BEEN CANCELLED AND ALL TOURIS WHERE SITTING IN ONE OF THE FEW BARS. THERE WAS NOTHING MUCH TO DO SO WE ENDED UP ORDERING OUR FIRST AND ONLY "SPECIAL TEA" IN ONE OF THOSE BARS: INDIAN BEER SERVED IN A TEA POT, TO CHEAT THE PROHIBITION ON ALKOHOL.

ONLY A FEW DAYS LATER WHEN WE HAD ALREADY "SURVIVED" THE 16 HOURS BUS JOURNEY TO GOA WHERE WE ARRIVED AT 3: 30AM AND TRIED TO SLEEP ON BENAULIM BEACH WITH ALL OUR LUGGAGE AND SIX DOGS SURROUNDING US, I GOT AM EMAIL FROM TWO OTHER FRIENDS WHO, ALSO VERY LUCKYLY SURVIVED THE TSUNAMI IN KAO LAK, THAILAND. ON THAT SUNDAY MORNING THEY HAD GONE ON A TOUR UP THE HILL CARRYING THEIR PASSPORTS AND FLIGHT TICKES WITH THEM. WHEN THEY CAME BACK, THE HOTEL AND ALL EMPLOYEES WERE GONE AND ONLY THE HOTEL MANAGER WAS LEFT. WHAT AN INDESCRIBEABLE FEELING TO BE AMONG SIX FRIENDS WHO ALL COULD HAVE DIED, BUT SURVIVED.

SEE A PICTURE OF VARKALA BEACH HERE AND ANOTHER ONE ONE DAY BEFOR THE TSUNAMI HERE. SEE THE ATMOSPHERE AFTER THE WAVE IN THE AFTERNOON OF DECEMBER 26TH 2004 CLICK HERE.

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PLACES PHOTOGRAPHED IN SOUTH INDIA IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER: TRIVANDRUM – VARKALA (KATAKALI DANCE, JANARDHANA SWAMY TEMPLE) – KOLLAM (BACKWATER TOUR TO ALEPPEY) – FORT COCHIN (FISHERNETS, SYNAGOGUE) – GOA: BENAULIM BEACH, VAGATOR BEACH, CALANGUTE BEACH (CHAPORA FORT, BEACH, PARTY, TAILOR, RESTAURANTS) – HAMPI (CORACLES, HAMPI BAZAAR, MANMATHA LAKE, VIRUPAHSHA TEMPLE, ACHUTARAYA TEMPLE, SHIVA LINGAM) – MYSORE (MARKET, HILL TEMPLE, NANDI BULL, PALACE, ZOO) – KOVALAM.