Part 9 - India Travel Journal

August 13, 2013:

·      Day One: Ayurveda Massages for One and All

Before arriving in Kerala, I had mentioned to Tom that Kerala was renowned for Ayurveda treatments.  I also mentioned that I was curious to learn more about the treatments.  Ayurveda is an ancient form of healing in India.  It is purely herbal based with medications and oils made from the roots, sap, or even the bark of a tree; from spices; and even precious metals administered in powdered form.  The treatments are used for beautification, as well as for pain relief.

Being a totally sweet guy, Tom decided to treat Emily and I to the ayurveda treatment of our choosing.  Emily chose the “Royal Facial” (aka “Mukha Kanthi Lepanam”), and I chose the “Rejuvenation Therapy with the facial” (or “Rasayana Uzhicil”).  The Ayurveda doctor met with us and explained that the Royal Facial was conducive to all skin types and that is extremely nourishing because two facial masques are applied during the treatment, leaving skin looking radiant and fresh.  The doctor explained that the rejuvenation therapy would be most appropriate for me given the nature of my injuries stemming from the accident.  The treatment would consist of 3 parts: (1) seated massage; (2) general body massage; and (3) a steam bath.  Emily and I followed our Ayurveda therapists eagerly.  Unfortunately, we had no idea what we were in for…

Emily and I entered our respective rooms, which were adjacent to one another. 

“Remove all of your clothes,” my therapist instructed me. 

“All?” I asked. 

“Yes, all, and then please sit on this stool.”   

I was embarrassed but did as I was told, silently thanking God that Emily opted for the facial and not the massage!

As I sat on the stool, the therapist covered me in slimy, yellow oil – including my hair.  Ew…  Well, one thing is for sure: yellow is definitely not my color!

After the oiling, the therapist instructed me to lie face down on the bed.  I stood up, yellow slime oozing from my every pore, I moved slowly to the table and lie down careful not to slip and slide right off onto the floor.

Just then the door opened, and two more therapists entered my room.  My room was becoming a regular party room – who knew!  Huh…. What was happening?

The two new therapists were positioned on either side of my bed.   While the third therapist dipped a pouch – filled with milk powder and other herbs and spices – into a warm liquid.  She then applied the extremely hot pouch to my body while gently squeezing the pouch.  The other two therapists massaged my body in unison.  It was actually pretty amazing.  No one spoke yet a perfectly synchronized dance was taking place above me, as one therapist’s movements directly paralleled another’s.  This portion of the treatment lasted about 20 minutes, and was simply lovely despite my innate and mounting anxiety about what additional surprise might still lie ahead.

After the triple massage concluded, my initial therapist wrapped me in a thin white, fairly see-through towel and led me to what appeared to be a refrigerator box.  She opened the box, helped me to carefully climb the steps inside the box, shut the door tightly, latched it, and turned on the heat.  She then wrapped a towel around my head, making me appear nearly headless (to use a reference from Harry Potter).  I was in the equivalent of a heated magician’s box with only my “severed” head emerging from the top.   I giggled to myself as I thought – well, if Tom could only see me now.  Or if anyone could see me now…

After sweating profusely, I was released from the coffin and led to a bathroom with a shower where I was eager to wash all of the ooey, gooey oil off my body.  Oh, but there’s no showering solo.  They bathe you.  Yup, that’s right.  They bathe you.  They stand there while you shower, helping you scrub all those hard to reach areas… and those not so hard to reach areas!

Well, I could not wait to get out of the aruyvedic clinic, eager to debrief with Emily.

What I didn’t know at the time was that we “all” shared this unique “aruyvedic” treatment experience.  Emily was not actually given the “royal facial”.  Nope, she got the same massage that I did.  And I thought I was flabbergasted -- poor Emily must have been stunned and thoroughly confused by facials in India.

Post 8 - India Travel Journal

Memorable Moments in Kerala

Kerala’s beaches, backwaters, mountain ranges and wildlife sanctuaries are major attractions for both domestic and international tourists, making Kerala one of the most visited spots in India.  Several notable changes exist between Kerala and the northern Indian cities we visited earlier on our trip, primarily in the areas of fashion, religion, and cuisine. 

Fashion:

There is a significant shift in the clothing choices worn by the locals.  In Northern India, women primarily wear a salwar kamiz, which is basically a long tunic top with loose fitting pajama-like pants; whereas, in Southern India, women tend to wear saris or long strips of unstitched cloth that are draped over the body in various ways.  More noticeable that the shift in women’s attire is the dramatic change in men’s dress down south.  In Northern India, men mainly wear button-down shirts or t-shirts and slacks (much like men in the U.S.).  Whereas, in the south men wear dhotis or lungis.  A dhoti is skirt-like fabric that is tied or fastened in various ways to resemble a grown-up diaper or modern-day loincloth (for lack of a better description).   

Religion:

There are Catholic churches scattered all throughout Kerala – an uncommon site in India.  In fact, Kerala has a unique record for harmonious coexistence of diverse religions. Hindus, Christians and Muslims are the major religious communities of the state, but there are also Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jews as well.  I would go so far as to argue that you can feel a sense of the religious tolerance that exists here.

Cuisine:

South Indian food is often considered spicier that northern cuisine.  In addition, since Kerala is a coastal state, seafood is a very popular part of its cuisine.   Fresh catch of the day is often make into a fish curry, known as Fish Moilee, which I learned to cook from the chefs at our resort.

Breakfast also features different choices, including: idly (fluffy rice pancakes), 

dosa (a crepe or pancake made from rice batter and black lentils),

idiyappam (or string hoppers – i.e., pasta for breakfast), 

and appam (flat bread made out of Rice and Coconut served with some spicy condiment or curry.)  

Tom was actually a big fan of Indian breakfast, especially of idly and appam.

Climate and Other Interesting Facts:

Kerala has a wet, maritime, tropical climate influenced by the seasonal heavy rains.  Palm trees, flora, fauna and wildlife abound.   A tranquil climate, stretches of emerald backwaters, lush hill stations and exotic wildlife, and sprawling paddy fields are just a few aspects of what make Kerala so appealing.

Moreover, Kerala is credited with having the highest literary rates in the entire country – a rather impressive feat and a statistic that makes me personally very happy to share. 

August 12, 2013:

·      The trek to Cochin

This was our hardest travel day by far.

Finally after approximately 12 hours: 2 plane rides with a 6-hour layover in a desolate airport, 2 long car rides, and a boat ride, we arrived at Coconut Lagoon after dark.  The staff was incredibly hospitable greeting us with fresh flowers, live traditional music and fresh coconut water (right up James’ alley!).  We were all incredibly tired, but happy to be there.  Rather than watching the traditional dance performance that evening, we opted to take a tour of our room choices.  There were two options available: traditional style, stand-alone bungalows or 2 side-by-side rooms in the so-called ‘mansion’, or the traditional wooden house of Kerala. Both the bungalows and mansions are furnished in a style that retains all the charm of the original family home. They both featured a private outdoor shower and bathing area (ours came complete with a banana tree reaching up through the open bathroom roof). They were rustic to say the least. 

At Coconut Lagoon, you are definitely thrown smack dab into the middle of nature as giant spiders, geckos, and even butterflies enter your roofless bathroom (and if you are not careful about closing your room door, enter your room too!)  Also, unlike our other rooms, the rooms at Coconut Lagoon had no Television sets or Wi-Fi connection – so, if you wanted entertainment, you had to learn how to cut coconuts or attend a yoga lesson or take a walk in the neighboring village.

It was definitely a bit of a transition from our prior 2 palace stays!

After selecting the ‘mansion’ side-by-side rooms, we went to dinner in the only restaurant on Coconut Lagoon premises.  Dinner was a buffet consisting primarily of Indian dishes; however, there were also several salad options and even a pasta option.  It appeared promising. 

But each bite was spicier than the next.  In fact, even the pasta was alarmingly spicy.  The meal was tough even for Tom, James and I who fancy spice.  Ah, poor Emily with her spice-sensitive palate.  Thank goodness we had several boxes of Clif bars back at the room to tide us over until morning.

Quite frankly, the first night in Kerala terrified me: from the bugs -- to the lack of technological indulgences available - to the super spicy food, and I had serious doubts about whether we would make it through our remaining three days in Kerala or whether we would have to pull the ripcord.   

And it’s too bad because I am a fan of Kerala. 

Perhaps, we all just needed a good night sleep.  Maybe the morning would promise brighter horizons for us in Kerala.

Part 7 - India Travel journal

August 11, 2013: Today, we toured Udaipur.

·       Early Morning Yoga

Tom grudgingly agreed to do early morning yoga with Emily and I.  Actually, I sort of forced Tom to do yoga with us.  Tom has been promising me for 2 years that he would take a yoga class with me – and so, I told him it was time to man up, grab his mat, and get his butt to class once and for all.

A woman with a sing-songy voice taught our yoga class.  The class was very relaxing.  It was focused primarily on stretching and on sun salutations.  We methodically stretched each and every facet of our bodies, and our teacher was very thorough, talking about how each yoga stretch benefits the body specifically.  (E.g., this stretch aids in digestion).  She then led us through sun salutations, or Surya Namaskar.  Sun salutations are traditionally performed in the morning and consist of a sequence of flowing postures that can be a complete yoga practice in itself or can simply be the beginning for a longer series of asanas.  Sun salutations provide various benefits for practitioners, including physical toning, weight loss, and relaxation.  Overall, the class was very Zen-like.  Although, I did have to fight to urge not to laugh when our yoga instructor directed us to “relax your buttocks… that’s right, just relax your buttocks…. Relax, relax, relax.”   This killed me.  Thus, perhaps, it is I (and not Tom) that needs to grow up, focus, meditate and practice more.

Actually... Tom liked the yoga class much that he even agreed to do yoga again on our trip.  More than that, he asserted that he wants to (and needs to) incorporate yoga into his weekly exercise routine.  You heard it hear folks….

·       Jagdish Temple:

 Jagdish Temple is the largest Hindu temple in Udaipur.  The temple was built by Maharana Jagat Singh I in 1651 and enshrines a black stone image of Lord Vishnu. The exterior and the plinth are covered with base relief of elephants, horsemen and celestial musicians, dancers and Gods/Goddesses rising in tiers.  

As you remove your shoes, and enter the Temple, chanting, ringing of bells and music resonate vociferously. Today, temple visitors are mainly older women who are praying/repenting/worrying about the afterlife and their impending reincarnation.

The temple was very beautiful.  But my one regret was that our tour guide, Vikram, did little to explain the nuances of Hindu spiritual practice.  

That said, he did encourage Emily and I to circle the Basil Plant enshrined near the Temple.  He explained that in Hinduism, there are certain sacred plants, including the Basil plant, also called Tulsi.  In fact, we learned that most Hindu homes have a basil plant.  The daily worship and care of the plant is the responsibility of the women. The plant is regarded as a “symbol of ideal wifehood and motherhood”.    Thus, single women pray to Tulsi for a husband, and married women pray for the long life and prosperity of their husbands.  Emily and I both participated in the ceremonial walk around the basil plant.  To good hubbies for one and all…

·       City Palace Museum

Like the palace in Jaipur, the City Palace in Udaipur is a fusion of Rajasthani and Mughal architectural styles.  The City Palace Udaipur has a marvelous assortment of courtyards, pavilions, terraces, corridors, rooms and hanging gardens. Encircled by fortifications, this imposing Palace was wholly built in granite and marble.  The Palace sits on a hilltop that provides a panoramic view of the city and it’s surrounding, including several historic monuments and a gorgeous view of our hotel in the center of Lake Pichola.

Today, the main part of the palace is a museum displaying a diverse array of artifacts.  You can also explore the rooms of the palace, which are superbly decorated with mirrored tiles and miniature paintings.

Udaipur is famous for its traditional miniature paintings, which are mural-like paintings mostly depicting Mughal emperors, Queens, court scenes, hunting scenes, special ceremonies and love scenes.  The miniature paintings, which can be viewed all throughout the Palace, are beautiful if viewed from a normal distance; however, they are better appreciated close up where you can examine the details and intricacies in the paintings. When you look close up, every inch of the painting seems to come alive as you see each and every hair on the Mughal’s beard, feather in a bird’s tail, or jewel and embroidery in a Queen’s majestic costume.

Miniature painting continues as a thriving art form in the region.  After our tour of the palaces, we visited a cooperative where local artists still work on these paintings.  We learned that each creation takes a couple of days to several weeks to design depending upon the detailing and size of artwork.  Paintings are done on paper, silk, marble and camel bone.  The colors used in the paintings are derived solely from natural sources as our guide demonstrated for us.

While at the cooperative, we had no intention of purchasing anything, yet we did.  We bought a miniature painting of the Hindu god, Ganesha who brings luck, prosperity, and good health to your home. 

Tom, Emily, James and I had developed an affinity for Ganesha, the elephant God, on our journey.  I hope that you will enjoy the story of Ganesha’s birth as told to us by our tour guide. 

As the myth goes…

A long time ago while Lord Shiva was away at battle, the lady of the house, goddess Parvati was alone at home. While bathing, she needed someone to guard her home. Unable to think of a suitable alternative, Parvati used her powers to create a son, Ganesh. She instructed Ganesh to keep strict vigil on the entrance to the house and not to allow anyone into the house.  Ganesh agreed.

In the meantime, Lord Shiva returned home from battle only to be stopped at the entrance by Ganesh. Ganesh, acting on Parvati's orders, did not allow Shiva to enter the house. Lord Shiva was enraged.  And in a fit of rage, Lord Shiva severed the head of Ganesh.

Parvati was aghast.

In order to make things right, Lord Shiva agreed to Parvati’s conditions: (1) that Ganesh be brought back to life, and (2) that Ganesh be worshipped as a god.  Unfortunately, Ganesh’s head was lost and thus, Shiva decided to replace his head with the head of the first living being he encountered.   Lord Shiva encountered an elephant and the elephant's head was attached to Ganesha's body, bringing the boy back to life.