Karmi Farm Sikkim

Karmi Farm clings to the side of a steep hill on a West facing slope about half a mile from the Nepali border.  The river down below is the border with the state of Sikkim and all that goes with that.   This region is almost completely Nepali and Tibetan.  The ethnic features are obvious.  Chinese eyes with lighter skin.  The faces of the people are more rounded and the young women are very beautiful.  Andrew is the owner of Karmi with his mother who is Indian.  He is a man full of tales of the parties of the old Raj and the tea planters club in Darjeeling.  That is were his father and mother met and married.  That is also the lovely older lady who just handed me a cup of coffee as I am writing.   

Karmi is a guess house now and not a working farm but you can see the old terraces that existing in the day.  Andrew said, the super awful road had only come up this far in the last 15 years.  Before that all the supplies had to be carried by Sherpa’s across the ridge to the older road.  I also learned that Sherpa is a caste level in this part of the world.  It is also a job title and has been for many many years.  Sherpa’s are the high altiude porters that carry supplies for Himalayan Mountaineering expeditions.  Tenzing Norgay was a Sherpa from Darjeeling when he became the first person to summit Mount Everest.   I will have to settle for summiting A Mount Gay Rum bottle when I get back.  It is ridiculous to see these slight people both men and women carrying hundreds of pounds on their backs attached to trump lines on their foreheads.  I get tired and mad when I have to carry my groceries to the truck from Walmart...   Well, I have finished my coffee and every else is gone on some short hike.  I think I will just chill out and look at Nepal for a few minutes.   Wish you all were here to join me.....  Namaste

Good bye Darjeeling

Saying good bye to Darjeeling was very hard.  It is a wonderful city and continues to hold on to some of the colonial charm of the British Raj.  It’s a city that  I will return to one day and spend more time.  I only barely scratched the surface of the place.  Darjeeling had a wonderful send off for me as it revealed Mt. Kuchenjunga for the first time all week.  Looking at the 3rd highest mountain in the world from my hotel window was a big treat on the last morning.   It is breathtaking to see how massive and regal these mountains are in the morning sun.  Time for a new adventure and some overlanding to Karmi Farm.  A place owned by a British fellow with ties to India that go back generations.  One thing about Karmi Farm is that it is not easy to get to.  It took four hours by jeep on some of the roughest roads I have ever seen.  They were steep and narrow and about half had been washed out leaving you to navigate a road with only a couple of inches between the rocks on one side and 500 feet of cliff on the other.  Not to mention heavy machinery that was tearing up portions of the road and required another near death move to get around them.  This time trusting your life to the newly moved loose earth. Next time,  I will have some great photos of this process because I will not be inside that jeep anymore on those crossings of faith.  So If I owe anyone money don’t panic...I will get out of this alive.

It's Republic Day

Today was the Indian 4th of July, well sort of, it's Republic Day  Not a ton of flag waving but a proud holiday none the less.  The bad thing is that everything is closed today.  I didn’t even know about Republic Day until late yesterday afternoon.  At least I got to stock up on some Old Monk before the world shut down.   The biggest thing going on was some regional dancing done by local villages and from Darjeeling itself.  My favorite was the youngest member of a local dance troupe.  She was gorgeous and was very into this extremely long dance.  Not bad for a 3 or 4 year old.  And of course put her own spin on it.  You couldn’t have be in this part of the world without the king and his dancers. The young girls were beautiful and it was funny to see them in traditional dance and then talking on their cell phones afterward.  What kids do for their parents....  And no Rebublic Day celebration would be complete without some military type bands to get the patriotism flowing.  The gentleman who was leading the police bag pipe band commanded a respect that caused everyone to take notice.  The festivities were capped off with some hot tea from the local plantations.  All in all a very nice morning.  Then....the world closed back up.  

Darjeeling

We arrived in this amazing place late yesterday after a night train from Calcutta.  I managed to carve out my sleeping bunk amongst eight very loud and playful Indians who enjoyed each others company enough to stand at the side of the bunks for most of the night.  Their little girl of about 5 was sleeping in the bunk above me and kept reaching her hand down and hitting me on the head.  After about three of these I was ready to be the ugly American only to realize that she was completely asleep.  Nothing like opening your eyes to see an Indians back side and having the occasion slap from a 5 year old to relax someone on a long journey.

All of that was worth it to get to this fabulous place.  They call it the gateway to the Himalayas and everything about it seems to ring a bell with me.  Darjeeling is really a series of small villages precariously perched on the sides of steep hillsides and cliffs.  I promise you there is not 10 square yard of level ground in the entire place.  On a clear day you can see the see 4 out of 5 of the worlds tallest mountains including Mt. Everest.  Kachenjunga, the worlds third highest mountain is very close to Darjeeling.  All can be seen from Tiger Hill.    I’m staying in the Old Bellevue Hotel which was built for the British at the turn of last century.  It’s very run down now but you can still see how grand the place must have been in it’s day.  The British Raj used Darjeeling to escape the summer heat in West Bengal.  Today however, it has no heat!  And its pretty damn cold up here.  There are 6 inches of wool blankets on the bed which make sleeping fine but that late night trip to the bathroom is an eye opener.    The people here are very western and are mostly Nepali and Tibetan looking.  Very different from their countrymen just a couple of hours away.  It really makes you wonder when you are listening to the music in the shops and the morning prayers how diverse we really are as a world.  The thought did occur to me to buy a space heater and spend some more time here.  It’s just that kind of place.  

Back Alley Calcutta

Sorry for the resend but the power went out and the photos didn't go. Enjoy

After spending a few days in this enormous city I have decided I love Calcutta.  It’s huge for sure but as clean as any large city anywhere.  There is an energy and pace here that is not available in Bombay or Madras.  The streets in the Chowinghee district are laced with small tight back alleys that house a completely unique society.  The alley on the back side of Sudder Street is one of those places.  If you dare to sit on the small bench opposite the hawker stalls you will see a piece of this city that is far removed from the Oberoi Hotel or the posh restaurants of Park Street.  My Chai guy could say hello in about 10 languages and was pretty good at figuring out that I was American.  He did not know “Howdy” and could not speak much Texan.   He did make amazing Chai tea that was cooked on this grill that had a compression cylinder that was pumped to spray what smelled like Kerosene or something.  Toast, eggs, and butter was about 25 cents.  

The street was also full of rickshaws moving people all over the place in the steady pace of the driver.  As you set there and watched the rickshaw comes to make sense in a place that has so many people.  The driver, who is walking can move and stop and wiggle his way along without causing any stress to anyone.  You can’t say that about the young kids on the motorbikes.   There are many wonders here in Calcutta and it’s a place I would come back to.  

Hotel Samrat

I saw a sign a few days ago that commented on the wide range of hotel choices available in rural India. I would like now to officially call bullshit on that sign.  Most hotels in rural India are not really hotels at all.  They are usually places to stop and have thalie which is a mix of rice with two or three different "things" available to add.  Most of the time you can only make out a couple of them so there is no need to go on.  Some are good but most are a little questionable for my taste.  I do like eating with my fingers I have found out and will be trying it when I return.  Advance apologies to my future dinner guests.

One of these rather interesting hotels was the Hotel Samrat.  I could do a lot of things with that name but I think everyone gets the picture.  Yes I did actually eat at the Hotel Samrat one afternoon on the way to Puri and the coast.  No, I did not spend the night but the place did have some space available.  A shed near the herd of unfenced cows would have been a night to remember.   Happily ,I did get to discuss the finer points of chicken bones with the chef.   The food was tasty and no Delhi Belly for this traveler...

Trials and Tribulations of Overlanding

Overlanding is a very different way of travel.  It allows you to see more of a country from the ground but also has some interesting twists.   One such twist is how to get a very large and heavy truck onto a tiny car ferry over a big river.  No one seemed to be worried as the truck crushed the loading ramp getting on and caused the ferry to dip a little as it settled in.  You just can't help but remember the small headlines on the back of the paper about 124 drowned in some far forgotten place as a ferry went down.  We made it across and all survived to make it to the best Hotel in the town of Puri.  Puri is on the Eastern coast of India and will be the last stop in the hill tribe area.  The hotel even had a pool and with some very stern rules.  So much for swimming......

Hill Tribes

After spending a few days in some of the most dirty cities I have ever been in I arrived  at a wonderful place in the restricted area of Orissa and the hill tribes.  I traveled through the Chandoori market today and it was wonderful.  It’s very difficult to get into this region and my small group of folks were the only westerners in sight.  The tribes come down from the hills and sometimes walk 20 miles with these ridiculous loads on their heads to arrive at the market before dawn.  In Chandoori they buy, sell and trade their crafts for food staples and other necessities they need in their villages.  Then at the end of the day they pack up and walk back.  It’s a very typical market that can be seen in Guatemala or Ecuador but it never ceases to amaze me.  The colors of the saris in this market were breathtaking.  Everyone I met was smiling and kind to me as I wondered through.  The lines on the faces told many stories and life was everywhere.  I even caught the strange custom of smoking a cigar with the lighted end in the mouth.  Being in the market reminded me of how we in the West tend to marginalize indigenous cultures around the world.  Watching a fit six foot 4 inch British man from our party try to balance and carry a load of clay was an eye opener.  He then smiled and gave it back to the 5 foot 4 inch indian who weighted all of 130 pounds who smiled back and carried it off into the distance.   Or watching the man repair a motorbike with one wrench and a few wires.  Traveling by road also reminds me that women in the world are still under attack and exploited.  Watching them work on the margins of life while barely being acknowledged by the male society is heartbreaking.   I feel that India will get there but they still have a long way to go and so does the West in it’s treatment of native peoples and their rights to be human beings.

Ganesh and the Post Office

This lovely  group of ladies showed up early one morning at the truck park.  They were busy trying to dry the colorful red saris they had just finished washing in the sea.  These ladies were on a pilgrimage to worship the Hindu God Ganesh.  The elephant.  Ganesh or his contract workers (elephants) will bless you for about 20 rupees.  You hold out the money and they take if from your hand with their trunks and then touch or slap more often, you on the head.  There you go....blessed.  It reminded me of a pachyderm Benny Hind.  Anyway, these ladies were there to show their respect to Ganesh and have a good time.  As you can see they were anything but camera shy.  They are also pretty good hillbilly dancers but that of course is another story.

Anyone out there wondering where their Christmas cards are will be happy to know I found a post office.  Please overlook the slight delay and from the looks of it....the date on the card.  You may receive your goody sometime late next year from the Rock Fort office in Tamil Nadu....

Next are some remote hill tribes on the way North to Nepal.  For now...I'm living the life of the Raj in Madras sipping an unidentified cocktail on the veranda in a starched white suit and hat.... Ok. no suit but the rest is true...  Namaste my friends.

Driving up the Eastern Coast of Tamil Nadu

Eastern India is so different than the Western coast.  It's the Tamil religion and there are miles and miles of undeveloped coastline.  Nothing but fishermen doing what they have done for centuries.  The town of Trinchy has the largest temple complex in all of India.  It's amazing to see how these super large temples function in modern day.  They are essentially unchanged from ancient times.  You can buy pots and pans, toys, religious icons, and coca cola all in one place.  It's just a one stop shop.  You can also pray to Vishnu and a hundred other gods before you get your kitchen goods.  The only thing missing is the livestock which are now outside.   I missed my chance to lay on the ground and roll around only because I was not Hindu.  Oh well, next time.

Last night I was ushered to front of the line by a group of men in a "supermarket".  They insisted that I go ahead of them.  Period.  Next time you are in Tom Thumb, just think about it.  LOL  Farewell from the other side of the world

Sunrise at the Tip of India

It took us a while to get here but it was worth it.  After spending a few days at some beautiful beaches farther North, it was time to get back into the real India.  Kanyakumari is the real India.  Located in the state of Tamil Nadu it is the farthest point South in the Country and a place were oceans collide.  It is also a very special and spiritual place for the all of India.  There is a grand Temple complex and huge statue just off the shore that can only be reached by boat.  Each morning thousands of Indians line up on the shore to welcome the sun and pray to the Tamil and Hindu gods about a millions things.   Hindu Holy Men line the small area by the sea and pray dressed in traditional Holy Garb.  It's a little intimidating to be one of very few westerners packed into this sea of humanity.

One thing this gathering brought to me was the clear and undisputable fact that we are most often a bunch of putz's when it comes to religion and belief.  The world is full of wonderful people and different religions.  The enormous majority live in peace and harmony with the rest of mankind.  Everyone deserves to live and believe what they want as long as they do not harm or infringe on the security and happiness of others.  Being on at the beach this morning reminded me that it is a huge diverse world and....it's still only one world.    There is no place for hatred or racism based on color, creed, or beliefs.  We have to understand that being diverse and multicultural is the greatest gift we have ever been given.  

New Year in India

I can't help but be amazed by the lack concern for the start of the New Year here in Southern India.  Back in Texas the football games are going on and everyone is home from work.  People are making those New Year's resolutions that cause so much stress and making new manilla folders for files that say 2014 on them.  It's not the same here.  There was a big burst of activity on New Year's Eve but now life is back to normal.  The shops and restaurants on Karbala beach never missed a beat.  Granted this is their busy time of the year but still  the slower pace isn't a bad thing sometimes.

My trip has only hit just a few pieces of the coast of Western India.  I can't imagine how much deserted isolated beach lay hidden in the thick jungle down the coast.  It would not be an easy adventure to get to those places but I have a feeling it would be worth it.  Tomorrow we are heading to the absolute tip of India to enjoy the sunrise and the tip of the Sub Continent.  I'm looking forward to that.

This year I will make no lists, no resolutions, and no year goals.  The funny thing is that I could use the ones from years past.   You know....drop a few pounds, get in shape, quit procrastinating,  invest better, and be a better person.  They never seem to get off the list.  So....this year I have no list.  Instead....I'm going to eat what makes me happy, move only when something excites me,  practice selective laziness, spend my money when I want to, and stop hanging around people who aren't positive, loving, and make me laugh.    I have a feeling that radical direction change may be the answer.... As soon as I figure out the question, I will let you know.  Until then I wish you all every joy and happiness you can dream of and hope that everyone will practice uncontrolled radical limitless dreaming in the next 12 months.  Until next time from the other side of the world.