Traditional Indian Laundry Service

The women  of India are remarkably power beings. It was rare that you didn't see the women working at something  to keep the family going. There were  North American type washers and dryers in the more affluent homes but the majority of the poor did everything by hand. The washing procedures looked pretty back breaking as the women hunched over either a pond or stream or simple water bucket manhandling yards and yards of fabric. The ring cycle was also difficult as they teamed up at either end of the fabric twisting and pulling until the water was squeezed out onto the ground. I think the drying cycle was probably even more efficient than our dryers because all they did was lay the fabric on the steaming rock steps where the clothes dried quite quickly.

Indian Washing Machines

The stairs on the edge of the temple in Badami was the perfect spot to do the laundry, although I am not sure how clean the water looks.

Roadside laundry service

This was a typical scene as we drove through the small villages. The women are working hard.

Indian Dryers

This was a simple everyday activity that the hard working women in Badami performed  everyday. The drying process created a beautiful mosaic of spectacular sari's along the steps. If you look at the far end of the picture you can see the sacred cow also being washed and cooled for the day.

 

India's Natural beauty

It is amazing to me that even the plants of India have a survival instinct. February in India is very dry and yet you find these beautiful gems  brightening up the view.

Edible flower

This beautiful plant was growing in Biri's back yard. This plant feels like it is plastic. Ramka told me that you could eat it and he pinched off a piece and dared me to try it. I did of course. It wasn't too bad and I lived to tell the tale.

Cactus growing beside the temples in Badami

Even the garbage bins are unique.

Going with the flow in India

I have not travelled many places in my life but I figure that when you go to a foreign country you have to accept their culture and go with the flow, within reason of course. I took a few pictures of common occurrences  that we witnessed in India. Paul and I just chuckled.

Local Gas Station

We were driving along on our scooters taking our lives in our hands (driving is life threatening in India), when Biri said we needed gas. We stopped at this little shack on the side of the road and an old Indian gentleman ran back to his house and came back with a one litre and a two litre water bottle filled with gasoline. We had a chose.  We opened the seat to our scooters and filled up. Anyone can be an entrepreneur in India. What a country. Notice in the background of this shot that you can buy some candy and refreshments as well as premium gasoline at this rest stop.

Cappuccino Machine

When we stayed at the Mowgli Hotel in Hampi we had many opportunities for North American modern conveniences. This gentleman is making us a cappuccino in the morning off this plastic  lawn chair. I am sure there was a perfectly legitimate reason for doing it this way.

 Mowgli Menu

If you have the time to look at this menu closely, you will laugh and have no idea how they came up with these prices.  Example: Fried Egg 20.00 rupees // Scrambled Eggs 50.00 rupees. It takes a lot of effort to whip up a scrambled egg. You've got to go with the slow. Just so you know,  $1.00 Canadian dollar equals $52 Indian rupees.

 

Indian Head Gear:

I think someone should do a coffee table book with pictures of all the things these extraordinary people can carry on their heads. Maybe that will be my task on our next trip to India. I unfortunately was only able to capture a few amazing feats of balance.  There are a few images that I cannot get out of my mind. One was of a man carrying tree branches about 15 feet long some how balanced from front to back on his head. He was just casually walking down the road carrying the fuel for cooking several nights dinners. Another image was of a young girl with one long pole across her head with around fourteen empty water jugs balanced on either end. I think they were empty? I can't imagine that she could have carried it otherwise. I did capture a few people as we zoomed along the roads. We would be driving along and before I knew it we were passing by these amazing feats of strength and balance. I can't imagine how long it would have taken us to get where we were going if I asked to stop every time I saw something I so wanted to take a picture of.

Balancing act

I like this picture because it shows a typical day in India. This women is coming home after washing her clothes in the stream with her trusty cow waiting to greet her. What I didn't notice was the satellite dish on the roof of this meagre home on the side of the highway. There is one of those crazy Indian contrasts.

Fabric donut

Notice the fabric ring placed on the head to help with the balance. It would also help decrease the pressure on the top of the head.

Beautiful working clothes

I love how spectacular the working women look as they carry the load of laundry on their heads. 

Relaxed effort

As I watched these people carry these parcels on their heads I wondered what the thinking is? I guess they feel their necks and backs are stronger than their arms?

Do I have a vase on my head?

Doesn't it seem like this is effortless for her?

 

Crumbling Temples

When you consider that the temples in this part of India were built thousands of years ago, you might expect some erosion to occur. The temple in these pictures below was built in 1422-1426 AD. The Indian government has started a project to hopefully restore the parts of the temples that are not too far gone. It would be devastating if these treasures were lost.




Vitthala Temple

This temple was the most spectacular one that we saw in India. I am thinking that the carvings within the temples have been protected the most from the punishing effects of the sun and pollution. It is difficult to imagine how these stunning works of art were created. Apparently all of the temple surfaces were originally painted. Over time the paint has disappeared but every once in a while you could see the remnants of it. On the left side of the picture your can see orange paint on the monkey god Hanuman.

Crumbling Temple

This is the façade of the temple in the above picture. If you look at the top you can see the crumbling carvings. I am not sure if all the temples were made this way but if you look carefully it seems that it was made of small bricks and plastered over. Seeing how detailed the lower section is, I wonder what historical masterpieces have been lost above. Such a shame.

 

Temple under repair

As you can see in the background, some of the pillars are being held up by metal rods. We were not able to go inside this side of this temple.  Nothing happens fast in India so I hope they can keep ahead of the erosion.  

Which monkey is cuter?

Indian people really don't seem to like monkeys. They are like our raccoons in Toronto. They are very cute yet destructive when they get into your stuff. The monkeys we got close to in Hampi were very cute but I wasn't going to feed them. They would hold your hand and wouldn't let go until all your food was gone.  We were warned not to put a bag down because it would be gone. I was happy other people were feeding them so I could get some great shots. Which one do you think is the cutest?



Beautiful Langoor Monkeys

This mom was so  protective of her baby. It made me miss my little monkeys. Langoor monkeys seemed pretty peaceful but when Biri pulled one of their tails she retaliated with a bite to his arm. She could have done a lot more damage I think. Biri said he just wanted to see what she would do. I shook my head and told him to put disinfectant on it.

Rhesus Monkeys  

I was a little afraid of these monkeys. The two monkey families lived in close proximity to each other and we were warned that they did not get along. They did seem to have come to an understanding when it came to lots of tourists with plenty of food to go around. Up in the Monkey Temple it may have been different.

 

 The Thinker



 

Contrasting Indian Sunsets

India in February is a very dry place but this enabled us to view some pretty amazing sunsets everywhere we went. The landscape is so varied in India that it gave me some interesting backdrops to take pictures with.

Sunset in Badami

Sunset over the Arabian Sea in Goa



Sunset over Hampi River

 

 



Drinks on the beach in Goa

Farming technology contrasts:

Travelling through so much of rural India allowed us to witnessed the varied farming techniques which were dramatically different from region to region. In Badami we saw how the people used the traditional technique of utilising the strength of their sacred cows to plow the land  and give them sustenance. Also in Badami some were lucky enough to have tractors to help with their farming duties. The amazing thing was that it seemed they were very appreciative that they had these amazing technological advancements. We saw tractor after tractor elaborately decorated with flowers and ribbons, it was their prize possession. There were times that I wondered how they could see out onto the roads.
When we travelled from Hampi to Goa we saw hundreds of acres of high tech windmill farms. I have never seen such large wind farms even in Ontario. It was striking. It just emphasised how strange and diverse India can be when it comes to the haves and the have nots!

Sacred cows

This was a common occurrence through Badami. I love the painted horns.

Tractor Decoration

High Tech Wind farms

If you look deep into the picture you will find even more wind mills turning in the breeze.

 

Extreme Building Contrasts throughout India

As I spent many hours peering out the car window on our journey, I couldn't help but notice the differences in the buildings along the way. It was difficult to get a good shot because we were moving too quickly but I was able to get a few pictures to show you how the vast majority of people live in India in contrast to the temples which were very grand and ornate. The haves and have nots!

A Temple along the side of the Highway



A Typical Indian home on the side of the Highway

The Krishna Hotel in Badami

This is a hotel that we stayed in. It was very new and fancy unlike the houses we drove by.

 

Intriguing Landscape Contrast: Number two

I have mixed feeling about travelling by car in India. On one hand I am really glad we did because we were able to see so much more of the real India. On the other hand, it can be a truly terrifying experience.  We were able to see that there are vast areas in India that are empty except for maybe a few farmers and cows cultivating their land and then you happen upon a village or town and are faced with extreme population explosion.  It is unbelievable that that many people can live in such close quarters.

Badami

I had no idea how large this town was until we made our was up to this lookout point. I am not quite sure what all these people do to survive especially during monsoon season.



The area surrounding the town of Badami:

As you can see, there are large areas of undeveloped land even within as little as a kilometre outside of the town.



Typical Indian Town

I took this picture out of a restaurant that we stopped in on our way back to Goa from Hampi. I found the sign on the right side of the picture to be quite funny. It was hard to believe that there would be a luxury resort anywhere close to this setting. 

Open spaces

This could be a view in northern Canada except for the type of trees and the fact that there could be a crocodile in the water or a tiger stalking their prey. 

 

Intriguing Landscape Contrasts in Hampi:

The landscape across India is so varied,it is incredible. Even within a small radius around the town of Hampi, you could find drastically different landscape features. The area was blessed by the Indian government to be granted with the funds to create a dam to help the farmers irrigate their Rice Patti fields. Without, this help one wonders if they would be so prosperous considering all the rock surrounding  the area. I found this remarkable.....



Rocky Passage

If you look at this picture you can see huge rock piles stretching out for miles and miles. You wonder what kind of soil there is interspersed between these monstrous towers of rock.

Lush Green Rice Fields

What a contrast from the parched surfaces on the rock mountains.

 

Intriguing Indian Contrasts: Number One

All through our trip Paul and I couldn't help but notice how India was so full of fascinating anomalies. Now that I am coming to the end of our trip, I wanted to write them down just to maybe help you understand India a little better.
My first comparison deals with the technology in India. All the places we visited were lucky enough to have electricity. The thing is, you never knew when you would instantly loose it. The most dramatic contrast was when we were at the top of the mountain in Hampi waiting to see the sunrise. Paul stood at the top of a massive bolder talking to his mother in Canada as we witnessed all the lights in the town below instantly fade to black. Paul could still communicate with his mother but the people  were temporarily without electricity. I found this funny.....

Lights Out

What a good son!

 

Sublime Restaurant in Goa

When we arrived back in Goa we decided to see if there was a more up scale restaurant to dine at in the evenings. We asked Biri and he suggested this restaurant called "Sublime" It is owned by a young chef who is Indian but grew up in California. His father was a famous actor in India and his mother was Californian. The restaurant was on Ashvem Beach. We enjoyed the food very much so we decided to go back each night we were at the beach. It was a direct route from our hotel so we rented a scooter and Paul drove. He was getting braver on the roads as we spent more time in India. I don't think I could ever get use to the craziness and unpredictability of life on Indian roads.

Sublime Restaurant

This picture is taken from the beach looking in to the restaurant. It was very comfortable and a little up scale from the other places we visited in Goa. The food was great.

Dinner with the Sohdi's

On our final evening in Goa we brought Biri and has family to Sublime for dinner. We figured it would be best if we sat in this tented area on the beach so the boys could roam around a little.

Hammock for four

Leela took the boys to the hammock when they had had enough of sitting calmly at the table. This worked out very well for the boys and us I guess. Although Leela was left out of the adult time once again. That's life with little kids. 

 

The Seat Belt Scarf

When we were leaving on the scooters to go to the Mapusa Carnival Parade, Leela ran back in the house and came out with a beautiful pink and turquoise scarf. It was lovely and it complimented her outfit. What I did not realise was that later on in the evening, Leela would be using it as a seat belt to tie Tejas to her on the scooter. Biri said that there are times where the five of them are on the scooter  when travelling into town. Crazy things go on on scooters in India! Leela said that she can usually handle things when Tejas and Angad fall asleep when they are riding in front of her on the scooter but it gets difficult if Ramka falls asleep behind her. She has to stop and readjust at that point. You just do what you have to do. There aren't as many rules and police in India.

The Seat Belt

I liked watching Leela in the market because the vendors underestimated her. She looks like a tourist but she knows the prices very well. She usually got the price she wanted. The scarf she brought along for the ride was so long that Lena had to pick it up off the ground and swing it over her shoulder. All the better to wrap up a sleeping child with.

Rita in the Carnival spirit

Rita really wanted to feel a part of the festivities so she bought a gold mask. She couldn't wear it the entire parade because it was too hot.

 

Terrifying fish float

There were many floats that represented the fishermen of Goa. There were at least four floats with plump sailors swaying back and forth wearing basically a scarf wrapped somewhat discretely to cover their junk. I will spare you the visual.  This fish does not give me the desire to eat the seafood in the area. It kind of looks radioactive.

 

Carnival dancers

I thought this women was beautiful. If you look carefully at the image you might be able to see that she has applied white makeup on her face. Biri told us that some Indian people do this to make themselves look paler. All of the people on their billboards and TV shows are fair-skinned. We saw it happen pretty much in every area of India that we travelled to.

 

The witching hour on Ashvem Beach

The Yab Yam Resort was very  magical at night. One thing that did surprise me was their technique for helping with the mosquito problem. Every night at dusk they lit bowls of cow dung along the paths to smoke out the mosquito's. When Biri told that it was cow dung, I didn't believe him because it didn't smell that bad. What an inexpensive way to deal with these flying pests. With the number of cows around, cow dung was in abundance.



Dusk at the Beach

Sunset on the Arabian Sea

Biri took us to one of the local beach bars close to where we were staying. We met up with some Canadians who have been in Goa for years and years. They were transplanted hippies. We heard some interesting stories and wondered how they had survived this long considering the 'adventures' they have had. They were actually heading off to a ceremony for a friend who had past away last week from a motor cycle accident.

Respecting traditions

This is why you carry around a flashlight. This picture is only lit by the flash of my camera. I thought it was funny to take off your shoes at a beach bar. 

 

Mapusa Market

Before the parade we walked through the Mapusa Market. It was very interesting to see the variety of products that you can get on a daily basis at the local town market. This was typical of everyday life in India.

Every kid loves a balloon

The first thing that we had to buy was a bunch of colourful balloons for the boys. Kids are the same anywhere in the world I think.



Local Fruit

Ropes of a different colour

I had to take a picture of these ropes. The colours just popped off the pavement. I hadn't noticed the huge pile of potatoes beyond the ropes until I looked at the picture later.

Spices

I laugh when I see this picture. I love the guy posing behind his spices. He obviously saw me taking the picture.