Holy Cow

"Holy Cow" is one of the books doing the reading round in our North India group, and certainly they are everywhere. Mostly the common grey kind, scrawny with a hump, but also water buffalo type, black with downward pointing foldable ears and shiny black horns and a few more familiar ordinary black cows. They are not only sacred but also provide and important service since dairy products are an essential source of protein, along with pulses for the millions of vegetarians.It is great, for me anyway, to be in a place where "veg" is the norm and "non-veg" always a separate menu item. (mind you the book was not about cows....)
Pretty self important these cows won't disturb themselves for anyone or anything. The bulls can be a bit aggressive at times and in a narrow alley who gives way?? Some of us had close encounters of the less than pleasant kind. How does a cow get onto a train platform in the middle of a station? there to piss copiously and splashingly close to the waiting passengers and their luggage.

Kolkata ( formerly Calcutta) was a very pleasant surprise and change from anywhere we had been. All along we had been told how busy, dirty etc it was so our expectations were low. Our hotel was well placed in easy enough walking distance of more of the city centre, and though the essentials were clean and comfortable (bed and bathroom) the walls and furniture were horribly grubby. Only one other hotel was less than good in all the 22 days so not bad for a "budget-basic" trip.
In Kolkata there were pedestrian lights and we could rely on them. There were street name signs, you don't miss them until you don't have them! The streets also had trees planted along them and green flowering medians high enough that you couldn't cross the road, altogether an attractive addition.  Not being a tourist city there were no touts trying to entice us to buy stuff we didn't want until the last day when we went to the New Market with Sylvia and Paul to get their last minute souvenirs, then they descended in force.
Large parts of central Kolcata are taken up by  "The Maidan" like a cross between Central Park NY and Phoenix Park (Dublin). Part of it is a military zone but still green, of course. The rest houses the Victoria Memorial a beautiful marble building, never designed to be a palace, it now houses a museum, surrounded by ornamental pools and magnificent flowerbeds. Obviously well respected and loved by locals who are very proud of their city, this place was immaculate.
There is also a cathedral with glorious stained-glass but such a stink of mothballs/petroleum based furniture polish that we had to get out of their fast...and a Gallery of contemporary Indian Art which was an oasis of calm and no smells! and some very interesting pieces, not angst ridden unlike some western contemporary stuff.
For our last night we went to a upscale restaurant in the fancy part of the city, frequented by wealthy Calcuttans, there was a queue for tables even on a Tuesday night. After that we went to a very loud bar/nightclub where a friend of Guru, our leader/guide was playing with his band. It was a total cultural shock for us, even the prices were western and more. The most expensive Mojitos we have ever had. It was kind of sad to say goodbye to a group we had been travelling constantly with for three weeks. we had got to know each other well and though there were smaller groups within the larger, there were no divisions or animosities. Guru workied hard to keep everyone interested and to cater to what was of special interest.

Chand Baori . One unscheduled trip was to a stepped well which one of the group, and then all of us, wanted to see.  http://www.amusingplanet.com/2012/10/chand-baori-step-well-in-rajasthan-india.html
(This site has the best photos.)

This side trip was well worth it, not only was this another highlight of the trip but it and also provided the chance to see village life which we had only done for an hour or so before. We saw potters at work making the tiny clay chai drinking cups. These are just air dried and when you have finished your tea you throw them on the ground where they break up easily back to clay. It is very clean and sustainable. There definitely seems to be a move here away from plastic. Containers and plastic items are very expensive and there is a charge for bags.

Now we are down south close to the southern tip in Trivandrum. Where it was cool, even cold at times, in the north, here it is definitely hot and humid.We swam in the pool before breakfast. Lovely. The advantages of an upscale, if boring, hotel.
Here the architecture is completely different, strangely like Victorian England though the influences are Mediteranean too. Lots of Christian churches and an ornate Public Library in a lovely garden. Our first stop was the zoo where it was feeding time which was great because all the animals were visible and active. A lovely spacious zoo where the animals looked very well cared for and the enclosures were generous sized. All the animals were native to this type of climate - no polar bears suffering here.The rhino was amazing! Waiting for his dinner he was charging around and the ground was shaking and his armour flaps were flapping and he was so enjoying himself. I got it on video but this would be too long to download.

Bernie is just back with neat beard and short back and sides after a trip to the barbour. I could do with a trim myself but all the Indian women have lovely long hair so I daren't risk how they might handle the short style! Even if there were hair salons for women....
 Across from us as we type is a Mum helping her son with long-division homework. He obviously has loads to do. Actually sounds like he doesn't need her help.... He's about 9 I'd say. Oops a smack has just been administered!
Yesterday afternoon we happened upon a girls voice competition/exam? Anyway there were clusters of young girls, all dressed to the nines, being led through their pieces in the garden at the hall. It was one of those serendipitous lovely moments. A small group of four girls, who had finished their performance and were hanging around, sang for us.

The choice was English or Malayalam so we chose Malayalam of course. They were charming and one of them had excellent English, we had a rather embarrassing moment when they wanted us to sing to them. Teddy Bears Picnic was all we could manage.
Tonight we meet our new group and new leader. It will be interesting. A whole new start.
Love, Mary and Bernie

Ps we haven't really turned pudgy! the camera angle is odd!