Searchings of a Kiwi lass

Impressions indeed.... this town on the south east coast of India, a few hours south of Chennai, is a hugely popular tourist destination for Western and Indian tourists alike, though I don't feel to write about this. Instead, here is what has stuck with me.

Old, old stone. Centuries old. Reliefs of Shiva, Krishna, Arjuna carved into ancient sandstone. Temples by the sea all washed away except for one, which I visit at dawn in the muggy breathless heat. Walking beachward with me are a busload of Indian tourists from Andryha Pradesh. Most likely they have never seen the sea before, for they stand ankle deep in it and marvel at its foam circling their bare feet. Some stand with plastic bottles to capture some in rememberance, perhaps to use for future ceremonies - I'm not sure. All I know is that it was beautiful to be there with them, me all hunched up and hugging my knees on the beach as the sun made its way up into the sky, watching them all murmur in wonder and exclaim loudly whenever the water rushed in to touch their chappals (sandals)on the sand behind them. I go on to the temple alone - and an hour later I see them still in worship of this new element.

Two Keralan brothers - cousins actually, and both beautiful. I meet Manoj and Munnar, masseurs and yogi's both whose off season meant for a lot of time to sit and talk with me, and cook me a Keralan specialty on my last day. How was I to know they had had this planned - to purchase jackfruit specially and boil them inside banana laves with sugar and spices for their white sister. Delicious! Of course they made me eat twice as much as they - they even packed me up a little takeaway to eat on my upcoming train to Kolkatta (36 hours or so...). I leave them reluctantly with this hot little parcel clutched in my hands along with a small Ganesha statue and malla from them. Beauties both, indeed...

I meet a crazy man in a Tibetan cafe one night. He has the white stripes of the Shaivite (Shiva devotee) on his forehead although the only things he seems to be worshipping at the moment are alcohol, cigarettes and curse words! He certainly has some right interesting stories to tell about his carving expeditios in Europe (he is Tamil born)- and at first I am drawn in and bewildered by his swear-like-a-trouper shock factor but as soon as he calls me baby I decide I better hightail it. So many people here, using the 'right' spiritual words to try and hook girls. And I don't fall for it anymore. It's a good thing.

The water in this town is so bad I consider bathing in mineral water. Honestly, it smells like grease - or something horrid anyway, and the sea is not much better. The aftereffects of the tsunami are stil in evidence here, and although there were very few casualties (three I think) I do hear stories of water up to people's doorsteps. Terrible... so I bathe little, swim when i can and get bitten by a crab for the first time in my life! I had always had this crazy notion that, being a Cancerian, they would leave me alone forever... But it's a minor incident so all is forgiven.

The lady in the beauty parlour tells me I have too many wrinkles after she pulls her fingers from my nose, succeeding in changing my nosering. I suspect she's trying to sell me her products more than anything; these beauty parlours are the 'in-thing' I suppose but they certainly ain't MY thing... I marvel at her price list, wondering what exactly the 'top to bottom' bridal makeup entails - where does it begin and end?!? She does offer shiatsu which I am tempted by but I feel demeaned enough by having another person prod at my snout so leave with nothing more than a Neem face pack.

Sun, so much sun... for some reason it feels worse here than in other places, for although I go on to higher temperatures it just feels harsher on this coast. Even with my fan on full bore all thru the night I awake often, turning much, and dream strange dreams... after a few days I am tired of this off season tourist town, which although beautiful is starting to get on my nerves a bit what with all the hungry shopkeepers hunting for business. I don't blame them - it must be hard to anticipate four months or so with very few tourists - but I just don't want to shop right now, it's too hot and plus I'm feeling the pull of the north... so its off to Kolkatta I go, the city I first fell in love with two years ago, to revisit some of those first-time-in-India places so special to me...