First Week in India

India is a country of contrasts, including contrasts in feelings about the country. One minute I can be in ecstasy and the next swearing I will never come back here. I arrived in Bangalore on Dec. 10 after a very smooth trip from Vancouver, through London and 24 hours at the Globetrotters Hostel by tube and being upgraded to first class on British Airways to find that Bangalore has a new international airport far from the city and 950 (about $35 Can)rupees later arrived at my homestay. I was so tired that I barely noticed the dinginess in contrast to my recent luxury on BA, but felt a bit depressed by it at first. I arrived at 6 AM and was amazed at the modernness of the airport, a brand new car, and a modern freeway. At 6 AM there were no cows on the roads so I could barely believe I was really in India!
But reality soon set in as I was taken down some very dirty backstreets and I shuddered to think where I was going to end up.
The homestay turned out to be absolutely wonderful thanks to the warmth and hospitality of my host and hostess, Sumathi and Jay Jayakrishnan. There were some other travellers there from New Zealand and Australia and we all ate with the family and became fast friends. All of the others were going on to Ooty, a hill station, and the highest elevation settlement in Southern India. When I realized that it was on the way to Coimbatore I decided to do likewise.
When I arrived in Bangalore I discovered that Manoj was no longer there, but he had returned to Coimbatore. So, rather than carry so much luggage by myself I ended up finding some needy orphanages in Bangalore and considerably lightening my load. Sumathi helped me to meet some people who were very much in need of school supplies and clothing, saris, etc.
After all of the others had left I became very good friends with my hosts and they took me with them to their farm, and to the Banaglore Club--one of the most luxurious clubs I have ever seen.
It is left over from the British colonial days and has been completely restored to its former opulence. We had dinner there one evening and I got a tour of the club.
Bangalore is quite a modern city with a nice climate. It is the IT capital of India. It is not unusual to see a chauffer-driven Mercedes limo next to a cowherd driving the cows home to be milked on the main streets of the city.
After 3 days in Bangalore I boarded a bus for Ooty. It took 8 hours, the last 4 of which were climbing via hairpin bends and first gear. We went through tea plantations, teak forests, and many villages. I could not believe that a city existed at such a high altitude and still cannot fathom how they get everything up here to service the needs of the thousands of people who live here. Ooty was a hill station where the British went to find cooler weather and relief from the hot summers of the plains below. It is now full of Indians doing the same in the summer but winter finds more foreign tourists here. It is a pleasure location with a man-made lake and lots of fun things for families to do. It was originally inhabited by indigenous peoples called the Toda, and some still live nearby. I am hoping to ride a horse to one of the villages later today if it ever stops raining. I am very glad that I still have my winter jacket with me as it is very cold here at night.
Yesterday I unexpectedly met my Australian friends from Bangalore on the street and have been hanging out with them as we are all staying at Reflections, a lodge overlooking the lake that had been hightly recommended by our hosts in Bangalore. It is full of backpackers from France, Germany, Holland, Poland etc. I am enjoying being on the road again and exchanging information with other travellers. Tomorrow I will be taking the mini train down the mountain and changing trains in Metapulayam for Coimbatore. Manoj will be meeting the train and has arranged a place for me to stay near the orphanage, so a whole new chapter of my life will begin.