Kerala

So it's been awhile since I've posted.  It's been a busy few weeks.  I recovered from my first (and it was really bad) bout of food poisoning.  After that, we headed off to Kerala which is to the Southwest of Bangalore.  This area is much warmer than Bangalore and has a much slower pace of life than other cities and regions in India.

The city we went to visit is called Kochi.  They have these Chinese fishing nets along the water.  We walked around, took some pictures, and visited a spice gallery which is what Kerala is known for.

The next day we got to go on a boat ride around some of the islands in the area.  Lunch was served on the boat.  It was a very good time.  We even got to wander around a small island and see all the different types plants like pepper plants, banana trees, jack fruit, cocoa, pineapple and papaya!

After lunch, we got to go on smaller boat through narrow canals in a small neighborhood.  This was really relaxing.  After a small spot of tea, we headed back to the main city and wandered around there a bit more for the remainder of the night.

A video of us traveling on the small boat in the canals.

A video of our view in Kerala where we ate a late lunch looking out over the Arabian Sea

A video of our trip from the side of the bigger boat

An empty bldg on the island we visited by boat in Kerala

The type of boat we were riding in the morning

Chinese fishing nets in Fort Kochi

the smaller boats we took in the canals

a shot from the smaller boats in the canal

paper star decorations outside a church in Kochi

eating a traditional south Indian lunch on the boat

cellphones in India

So cell phone usage in India has definitely skyrocketed in the past 5-10 years.  People everywhere use cellphones including farmers in remote areas.  Cell phones here are also very cheap compared to American phones and plans.  Most of the networks are 2G with some 3G scattered around here and there.  It's obviously easier to put up cell phone towers all over the place rather than dig and route telephone wires everywhere.

All incoming calls and texts are free in India.  This is awesome and totally the way it should work in the US.  A byproduct of this is that you'll periodically get calls or texts advertising something.  I've been told there is a "do no call or txt" line you can call to stop these messages.  These probably help subsidize the overall cost of the plans. 

Plans are prepaid and post-paid or similar to monthly plans.  Pre-paid plans cost 1 paisa per second.  (1 rupee = 100 paisa) so you can talk for about a minute and a half for one rupee.  Very cheap!  Data plans are about $12 to $24 with unlimited calling.  If you throw in international calling plans, most will never spend any more than $90 a month!  Cell phone plans in the US with data typically start around $99 and go up from there.  I'd be curious to know what cell phone plans are like in other parts of the world.  Plans are definitely really cheap in India which I think is great.

quiet weekend

So far, it's been a pretty quiet weekend.  Tracy and I went to commercial street on Saturday to do some shopping.  Today, we went over to O-zone (a community where some of the expats live) to play a few games of volleyball with co-workers.

Later tonight, we'll be back over there again for a big BBQ feast which should be a lot of fun.  I've got a few pictures from commercial street.  It was really busy, very hectic, and nice to walk around and try and bargain with people to get the best deal possible.  Though I have to admit, it can get tiring after awhile.  It's like shopping for a car all the time in the US.  You know you can get something for much cheaper than they're quoting you for it, but you have to work at it to get it. 

a couple views down commercial street and some side streets

inside Mysore Saree shop on commercial street

My next post will be later this week about cellphones.  Americans pay what for their plans?......... $50-60 on the low-end.  iphone users and those with data plans are probably racking up at least $100 a month or more.  Indians pay less.........and I mean A LOT less.

Also next weekend, we'll be in Kerala riding boats in the jungle on back water canals.  It's going to be a lot of fun and very relaxing!

New Indian foods

So today was Phil's last day in India.  We all went out to lunch for work to a place called Zaica.  Very good Indian buffet.  (No McDonald's this time)  I had the opportunity to expand my horizons with some unique Indian cuisine.  The first is called Jalebi.  My co-workers tell me it's basically deep-fried sugar soaked in more liquid sugar.  Apparently it's some kind of batter, deep-fried, then soaked in some super sweet syrup.  It was very sweet but I've been told there are even sweeter variations than the ones they had at Zaica.

The other thing I had after lunch is Paan. It's a betel leaf with a whole bunch of stuff wrapped up inside of it.  There are lots of different variations.  I'm not quite sure what was inside of the one I ate, but it tasted sweet, had a hint of licorice, and had an after taste of toothpaste. There were a bunch of other flavors in it that I couldn't distinguish.  It was quite a cacophony of flavors. It's supposed to help with digestion and make your breath smell better after eating spicy foods.  It was definitely an experience.

All of us enjoying Paan

McDonald's

So I think it was Tyler who told me he has taken pictures of McDonald's anywhere he goes in the world.  I know, I know, there are way better food options out there but I wanted to at least show some pictures of the menu.

Taken with the Blackberry so it's a little blurry

So the first thing you'll notice....no hamburgers.  You can get hamburgers in India, but they are usually only found at fancier restaurants that typically cater to foreigners.  Prices aren't too bad.  A value meal is only 125 Rs. which is just a little bit more than 2 US dollars.  This McDonald's is in a shopping mall that relatively close to our hotel.  (about a 5 min. drive and there isn't a lot of traffic).

There are veggie burgers, Paneer Salsa wrap (Paneer is cheese), fish, chicken nuggets, and of course, the Chicken Maharaja Mac which probably replaces the Big Mac.

It was very odd to see the McDonald's close at 2pm in the afternoon.  I couldn't believe it.  They closed the restaurant in the middle of the day for cleaning.  Everyone was just hanging around at the counter.  My picture was actually taken during one of many cleaning breaks they had during the day.  People were waiting to get in and buy food while they were cleaning.  Definitely something you would never find in America.  We went in to get a bite to eat, and after we finished (about 30 min. later) they closed again for cleaning!  They have a very different mentality here.  This wasn't just the case with McDonald's though.  We saw other restaurants that closed for long periods of time in the middle of the day for cleaning.

Another interesting thing.....apparently they deliver.

finally got to see Megamind!!!!

So this was a pretty quiet weekend.  We didn't go anywhere except to go and see Megamind!!!!!!!!

FINALLY, after months of waiting I got to see it.  I think I'm probably one of the last few people to have worked on the movie and not seen it yet.  We went to the Urvashi theater which is supposed to be one of the best 3D theaters in India.  Phil also went with us to see it again in this theater and it is definitely one of the best out there, including better than most theaters in America.  Turns out that the guy who built this theater meant business and did everything the "right" way.  Basically, he uses two high end projectors, one for left eye, and one for right eye.  This way, brightness is doubled and I have to say, this was easily the brightest theater I've ever been to.  American movie theaters should take note...3D films require more brightness!

As for what I thought of the movie, it's difficult to properly analyze the work and objectively review it.  Especially since this was the first movie I've worked on, I found myself just admiring all the incredible work that went into making this film.  I studied every little detail about the movie rather than focusing on the larger picture. 

The movie theater

We got the red carpet treatment which was awesome!

On safari and Happy Thanksgiving!!!

So last week we went on a safari.  The place we stayed at was called jungle retreat.  It was a wonderful location.  The food was great and the safaris were well orchestrated.  We took the train from Bangalore down to Mysore again.  It's cheap, fast, and a great way to travel.  Plus it was nice to have Roshan on the trip with us this time.

After the train trip, we took a cab for about 2 hours south of Mysore to Bandipur national park.  Let me say, traveling in the city is one thing but traveling on back country roads is an entirely different story.  There are lots of slow moving trucks, and it seems to be a requirement to pass them at all costs.  Unlike American roads, this quickly turns into a dangerous game of chicken.  Even buses will pass slower moving cars and trucks.  Just because your lane is clear doesn't mean you won't run into a bus and a truck coming barreling at you.  Obviously given their size, we sometimes had to almost stop or get off the road to avoid being hit.

So after the exciting and very bumpy car ride, we reached the safari camp.  We didn't hang out long and went straight out for an evening safari.

Me and Roshan when we got to Jungle Retreat

This first safari we went on stayed on the main roads.  I wasn't sure we would see much wildlife from the main road but I was pleasantly surprised.  We saw some peacocks, sambar deer, bison, wild boar, and elephants. We got some pictures but since we didn't want to use a flash, the pictures are a bit blurry.

Really cool to see a wild elephant

The next day we took a tour of the jungle retreat area.  They have tree houses people can stay in.  They're even equipped with full bathrooms!  Unfortunately, they're only open during the summer but we were able to go up inside one and look around.

Tree house

In the afternoon, we took another safari into Bandipur national park.  This one went off the main roads and out into the park.  Saw similar wildlife from the night before and unfortunately, no tigers.

A small temple near where we stayed

Jungle retreat is right at the foot of these mountains

The main building where we ate

Gaur or Indian bison

Sambar deer

Monkeys looking for free handouts

Gecko

Pigs at jungle retreat.  They had lots of farm animals there

domesticated water buffalo

white spotted deer

Driving in India

So I think I've sort of figured out driving in India.  At first, it seems very hectic, chaotic, and definitely intimidating but there is a rhyme and reason to it.

Speeding is never really an issue.  There's TONS of traffic and lots of speed bumps. Staying within your lane is completely optional.  The use of your horn is recommended and you should refrain from using any turn signals because it will probably confuse people.  Late at night, stop signs and traffic lights are optional or whenever traffic is light.

People frequently use their horns to indicate when passing, to indicate when someone else is trying to pass you, to let other drivers know where you are, at pedestrians to let them know to get out of the way, and immediately after a red light turns green.  If you're not fast off the block from a red light, people will assume you're asleep at the wheel.

Traffic is also really bad especially during rush hour.  Typically, it takes about 1 hour to go about 10km in Bangalore.  That's about 6.2 miles.  If it's during rush hour, you can probably add another 30 minutes to that. 

Cutting people off is perfectly acceptable. Making u-turns whenever you like is totally alright, and even driving against traffic is okay if it helps you get to your destination faster.

Basically, as long as you don't hit anyone or anything, everything is fair game.

Roshan is here and BBQ

So this week Roshan came out.  Really exciting since he's out here for work as well.  We went out to BBQ-nation on Thursday night.  A very awesome place.  It's sort of like a Brazilian steakhouse where they keep bringing out food until you tell them to stop.  There was a small coal pit/grill in the middle of our table and they brought out vegetables, shrimp, fish, and chicken on kebabs.  It wasn't until after the fourth serving that we realized these were just the starters!  They had another buffet for main courses and desserts.  Oh well, the starters were great.

Towards the end of dinner, all the waiters performed a song and dance for everyone at the restaurant. Very interesting.

They didn't seem too happy to be doing it at first...

but with pom-poms, how can you not smile :)

We also hung out some in Bangalore over the weekend.  I'll put a few more posts this week as well since every weekend is sorta sporadic.  Next weekend we're traveling out to a national park near Mysore.  That will be a lot of fun.  Going on a safari, riding elephants, and taking a boat trip.  Hopefully I'll get lots of wildlife pics so more to come soon.

Happy Diwali!! - and our trip to Mysore

Happy Diwali everyone.  Today Tracy and I ventured off to Mysore....by train.....and no, we didn't get taken for a ride, contrary to what many assumed would happen.  Mysore is a very busy little city about 2 hours south of Bangalore by train.  We rode first class which was actually very nice.  They provided us a small snack, bottled water, comfortable seats (we didn't have to hang on the outside of the train) and the whole cost was only $12 per person.

Bangalore railway station

When we got to town, instead of riding an auto rickshaw, we decided to walk since it was only about 2km to our hotel. (a little over a mile)  It was incredibly hot, very humid, and the streets were extremely busy.  All in all, it was a lot of fun to walk through many of the markets in Mysore.  Unfortunately, the pictures don't really capture the chaotic atmosphere.

Bustling streets of Mysore

After we reached our hotel, we set off for Mysore palace.  This place was huge and extremely elaborate.  The attention to detail in the carvings, architecture.....it's truly astounding.  Unfortunately, photography is not permitted inside the palace so you'll have to come out here and visit if you want to see what is inside.  Apparently the prince still resides in this palace from time to time.

South gate of Mysore Palace

Mysore Palace

One of the temples surrounding the palace

One of the gardens surround Mysore Palace

Every Sunday, the Palace lights up at night from 7 to 8pm.  Since it is Friday and this is Diwali, they make an exception to this rule and light up the palace as well.  We decided not to stick around to see the palace all lit up.  Instead we took a cab out to Brindavan Gardens which have their own lit up fountains which react to music.  The show was really cool until it started to rain, and when it rains, it pours.  We got completely drenched!  It came down in buckets.  Stairways quickly became waterfalls and sidewalks turned into lakes.  It took us about 20 minutes just to walk back through the gardens to get our cab, and then it was another 30 min. back to the hotel.  All in all, a really fun experience.  Next time we won't forget our umbrella.

Some of the fountains at Brindavan Gardens

The next day we walked around the city a bit more, visited the art gallery and took the train back home.  A really fun trip and looking forward to taking more.

Mysore art gallery

A typical occurrence - cows in the road

A small hut and palm trees seen from the train

I've got a couple videos showing what the countryside looks like by train.  I apologize in advance for the bad quality.  I may upload HD footage to Vimeo or Youtube at some point.  For now, hope you enjoy!