WOW! Now that our travel portion is completed, each of us seemed ready, willing and able (well most of us, who had not come down with Delhi Belly) to move forward to the next and most exciting chapter in our adventure - the construction of a catch dam (water harvesting dam) in the general area of Sohna - a small city about thirty kilometers from the bustling new I.T. center of Gurgaon. Now as the crow flies, this would take about a half hour, maybe forty-five minutes to get there. However, due to construction and roads being closed from overuse, the trip from Delhi took about four and a half hours! Yikes! For those of us who have been to India, and particularly to this region in past years, we know enough to put our seats in the bus to recline and to catch up on a few hours of sleep - interrupted as they might be. Some of the folks, I am sure, wee stressing out, because we were caught up in traffic jams basically from the time we left Delhi. When we went through two different toll booths on the highway, we were delayed an extra twenty minutes to a half-hour, because various taxes had to be paid, on the spot, by the drivers of both buses. Hard to imagine that with the I.T. industry being managed by folks here in India, that the rest of the country could seemingly be in such a state of disarray - but that is just how it is as this, e largest democracy in the world, struggles with growing pains as it strives to reach a prominent place in today's world.
We finally reached the back side of Sanjiv's weekend home - DERA ARAVALI, for lunch. However, by the time we arrived, it was well after 2:00 p.m. With the off-loading of the buses (to say nothing of maneuvering them through the bushes and brambles of what was not much more than a foot path) and the assignment of tents, we were well past lunchtime, when lunch was served. We had so hoped to be there by noon so we could actually get in some work at the site. Following lunch, we packed back into the bus (some of us preferred to walk to the site) and went to where we would be working over the next several days. More about why we were in this location, rather than Rajasthan, later, but the familiar roads to the veterans in the group were a pleasant change from the honking horns and near misses in the streets and roads in and throughout Delhi and other large cities.
The village where we would help construct the dam was CHAHALKA - the tiny Muslim village where other projects had been carried out and completed over the past four years. For me, and about ten others, it was like coming home again.
We arrived at the sight and local laborers were already hard at work. We stood around for a while and then, like true Rotarians, we just HAD to get our hands dirty, if only for a half-hour. Several of us began to pitch in by moving rocks and basins of masala (concrete mix). It just felt right! The gentleman who was overseeing the dam construction is the same one who was with us in Rajasthan this past year, when we helped to construct the dam at Teench Wala. With him, his two older sons - Sunil and Dinesh, were pleased to see our team and took the time to come ad greet me personally, since we had such a good working relationship in 2010. The next son was also there, working in the family business. Even though we have a couple of engineers in our group, who undoubtedly have many advanced degrees, this family has for generations constructed dams and similar projects in different parts of India. And for our engineers, I am sure nothing could have prepared them for the sight they first encountered - everything, with the exception of delivery of stone, sand, cement and water was done by hand! Remember the story of prisoners being forced to move a rock pile from one side of the prison yard to the other, and when finished, he had to move it back to the other side? Well, our task would not appear to be much different.
Tomorrow would be another day, when we would "officially" begin our project - and what could be more appropriate for a group of more than sixty Rotarians and Rotaractors from seven countries than to inaugurate this project on the 106th anniversary of the founding of Rotary International? I think Paul Harris and the other original members, would be very proud and approve of what we were about to undertake!
Happy Birthday, Rotary!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
If it's Monday, it must be Delhi~
After most of gathered at the Ramada Hotel in Delhi, from various travels in numerous areas of India, we enjoyed a day of exploring the sights, sounds and yes, smells of Delhi - both the old and new. Mos of the folks who had not been to India, or at least to Delhi, traveled by coach to Qutab Minar (one of the tallest minars in all of the Muslim world) as well as Humayun's Tomb and the Red Fort. This was all followed by shopping.
A few of us had some other errands to attend to and met up with our DREAM TEAM at about 6:00 at the hotel lobby. From there, we left by coach and were taken to another section of Delhi, here we all attended a meeting of the Rotary Club of Delhi - Megapolis - out host club and partner. We arrived in good time to the meeting and were greeted by Vikram Sahny, president of the club, as well as Navneet - the club's vice-president. We were so warmly welcomed by other club members, as they began to arrive. Regardless of the time stated on a meeting notice or a formal invitation, one must remember to be a Rotarian, one must be flexible accept INDIA TIME as the norm. This simply stated mean we will accept all scheduling and if the meeting time states 7:00 p.m., that means the time is the first anyone would ever be expected to arrive, but in reality, the actual time of the meeting would be a minimum of two hours after the stated beginning. INCREDIBLE INDIA!
Following the social hour, President Vikram called the meeting to order and proceeded to welcome us "officially". Then a most astounding thing happened - the playing (and singing) of the national anthems from seven countries - each one to be sung by those folks representing the particular. The first was INDIA, followed by the US National Anthem, then Canada, France, Iceland, Australia and finally, England. An absolutely smashing way in which to show everyone the incredible internationality of our organization - ROTARY INTERNATIONAL. Following this, Sanjiv Saran played a video of about five minutes, in which is described in great detail, the accomplishments of this tiny club, which up until now has been about twenty-five members! Once concluded the "formal" part of the meeting was replaced by reports from me (as team leader), followed by an even briefer report from a representative of each of the remaining countries.
Other than meeting, greeting and eating, when the meeting finally concluded BEFORE eating, we were welcomed once again and invited to quietly stand by as one new member of the Rotary Club. We then heard the bell once again, indicating a wonderful meal awaited us. We returned o the hotel and slept or packed or tried to access the Internet. Al Gore, where are you when we need you???
Monday, February 21, 2011
Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig!
Following a wonderful day cruising around the lake, we returned to the resort for a wonderful evening, complete with dinner and an evening dance program. Next morning, we were up for a leisurely time for the next several hours until we would have our bags taken down to the area near the infinity pool, where we would await the arrival of our houseboats - home for the next twenty-four hours.
After seeing several of the houseboats arrive, we were anxious to begin our own journey, and although I checked several times with the guest desk, our two boats had not pulled into shore. I called Manoj and he called the booking company and although noon came and went, we were still not afloat. Another half-hour and one boat arrived. We decided to all put our luggage on one boat, board the boat and take off out into the lake and cruise down the lake and catch up to the phantom boat. We were assured the boat would rendezvous with ours in "just five-ten minutes", but after all, as we had come to learn, this is INDIA TIME! Following floating for about three quarters of an hour, we saw one boat tucked away along the shoreline We pulled alongside and turned, so we were nose to nose and tied up to a couple of coconut trees. There was a great deal of emotional "discussion" between the two drivers, but when the matter was settled, we were informed "lunch would be served". A fine lunch it was, too.
Following the lunch, we untied and began our journey. Not too long afterward, we more or less fell into line with dozens of other houseboats. Each of these converted rice barges was individually appointed, some more elaborately than others (pictures to follow, I promise, when I can get connected directly to this site from my own laptop.) As we got out closer and closer to the lake, following along in the narrower waterways, between islands of rice patties, I realized we were truly in a March of the Elephants. I am sure I remember a piece of music composed by one of the greats, which I heard as a child. It was truly an amazing sight to look in front and behind our houseboats, and also far across to the other side of the island patties, and see dozens more of these behemoths, silently gliding along the waterways, presumably leading to a destination, soon to be revealed to us. Having traveled along for a few hours, our captains steered us over to a place where the bamboo mat clad mammoths had gathered to graze. Seems this location was a common place to stop and passengers could disembark and actually choose from the fresh catch of the day their chosen meal for the evening - whether fresh water mussels or whatever varieties of fish had been caught from the lake, or even brought by small speed boats from the harbor boats in Cochin.
Our pilot was genius at steering our boat into a slip, between two of the wide-bodied elephants, with two of the deck-hands (sometimes cooks) standing on the each side of the boat, just to make sure we did not bump into one of our sister boats. We disembarked and wandered along, looking in at a few tiny shops, offering snacks, soft drinks, and of course, the fresh catch. Many other passengers also were enjoying this brief stop, but then we were back on board and out into the mainstream, drifting along with the lumbering herd. It was very relaxing just to sit on one of the cushions or one of the rattan chairs, either in or out of the sun, reading or simply taking in the sights and sounds of what I might call the "bayous of south India".
A few hours passed and we pulled along shore and tied up to coconut trees again, and knew this would be our location for the evening, and where we would sleep the night away. Each of these boats, as I mentioned earlier, is appointed quite differently - some with just the basics, some which appeared to be floating living rooms, complete with chandeliers, some with a deck up above for observation, and others almost looking like baby elephants, having only one guest cabin. My "state room" was furnished with two single beds, the walls were paneled with mahogany, and the ceiling was panels of birds-eye maple. The bathroom, on the other hand was not quite so plush - your basic dingy gray with that ever-so-faint presence of mustiness. However, anyone can tolerate some of the lesser comforts of life for a few hours, particularly since we had just left the lap of luxury at the lake resort. Following dinner, and the rising of an orange and nearly full moon, we all settled into our respective rooms for the night. The generators were turned on in each of the boats, and we were then able to turn on the air conditioning units in our rooms, along with fans to circulate what had become stale air during the day. My two systems created a cacophonic cadence of clicks and snaps, and reached the point than rather being able to settle into this cadence and eventually to slumber, I found myself actually listening for any possible changes in the cadence or any irregularity, and then wondering what may have caused it! A few hours passed, and I found myself still awake, so I turned off the snap-snap-snap of my ceiling fan, and then ventured into the bathroom, tore off a couple of sheets of toilet paper, rolled them up and stuffed a wad into each of my ears, hoping beyond hope this might remedy my situation so I could get some sleep. I guess it worked, because the next thing I realized was I was staring out at a blazing sun rising on the far side of the waterway, announcing my birthday! As I came out into the "lounge" area of our boat, John and Judy Hutcherson were there and greeted me with, "Happy Birthday, Elias". I looked across at our sister boat, and Mike and Frankie Holness from Windsor, England waved a birthday greeting, as did Kelly Wike and Ellen Ollivet. About a half-hour later, Veronique Favart (one of the French Connection on the other boat) came out on the prow of the other boat, and proceeded to sing
Joyeux Anniversaire a Elias" to me, while gracefully dancing around in a circle. Christian Favart then emerged and poked his head out from under the canvass tarp and also wished me Happy Birthday. This was going to be a GREAT DAY!
A few minutes later, I returned to my room, to turn on my mobile phone, and I received calls from my wife, my daughter and one of my sisters, each wishing me Happy Birthday. The crew of our boat also extended "many happy returns of the day, sir". Our pilot, who had the day before been wearing a MAKITA shirt, came forward and we presented him with one of our DREAM TEAM shirts from a previous year, and he seemed very pleased. He left down the corridor, and a few minutes later returned wearing his new shirt. We explained to him why were were in India - to immunize children against polio and also to help in the construction of a water-harvesting dam in Haryana state, to help bring much needed water for irrigation to a few of the villages there - a concept he had great difficulty understanding, since there is such an abundance of water in this part of south India, where the lushness of expansive rice paddies, dotted with swaying palm trees and banana plants was the norm.
Following breakfast, we cast off the lines from shore and once more joined the parade of pachyderms - all presumably heading for port, where passengers would move on to a new chapter for the coming days.
After seeing several of the houseboats arrive, we were anxious to begin our own journey, and although I checked several times with the guest desk, our two boats had not pulled into shore. I called Manoj and he called the booking company and although noon came and went, we were still not afloat. Another half-hour and one boat arrived. We decided to all put our luggage on one boat, board the boat and take off out into the lake and cruise down the lake and catch up to the phantom boat. We were assured the boat would rendezvous with ours in "just five-ten minutes", but after all, as we had come to learn, this is INDIA TIME! Following floating for about three quarters of an hour, we saw one boat tucked away along the shoreline We pulled alongside and turned, so we were nose to nose and tied up to a couple of coconut trees. There was a great deal of emotional "discussion" between the two drivers, but when the matter was settled, we were informed "lunch would be served". A fine lunch it was, too.
Following the lunch, we untied and began our journey. Not too long afterward, we more or less fell into line with dozens of other houseboats. Each of these converted rice barges was individually appointed, some more elaborately than others (pictures to follow, I promise, when I can get connected directly to this site from my own laptop.) As we got out closer and closer to the lake, following along in the narrower waterways, between islands of rice patties, I realized we were truly in a March of the Elephants. I am sure I remember a piece of music composed by one of the greats, which I heard as a child. It was truly an amazing sight to look in front and behind our houseboats, and also far across to the other side of the island patties, and see dozens more of these behemoths, silently gliding along the waterways, presumably leading to a destination, soon to be revealed to us. Having traveled along for a few hours, our captains steered us over to a place where the bamboo mat clad mammoths had gathered to graze. Seems this location was a common place to stop and passengers could disembark and actually choose from the fresh catch of the day their chosen meal for the evening - whether fresh water mussels or whatever varieties of fish had been caught from the lake, or even brought by small speed boats from the harbor boats in Cochin.
Our pilot was genius at steering our boat into a slip, between two of the wide-bodied elephants, with two of the deck-hands (sometimes cooks) standing on the each side of the boat, just to make sure we did not bump into one of our sister boats. We disembarked and wandered along, looking in at a few tiny shops, offering snacks, soft drinks, and of course, the fresh catch. Many other passengers also were enjoying this brief stop, but then we were back on board and out into the mainstream, drifting along with the lumbering herd. It was very relaxing just to sit on one of the cushions or one of the rattan chairs, either in or out of the sun, reading or simply taking in the sights and sounds of what I might call the "bayous of south India".
A few hours passed and we pulled along shore and tied up to coconut trees again, and knew this would be our location for the evening, and where we would sleep the night away. Each of these boats, as I mentioned earlier, is appointed quite differently - some with just the basics, some which appeared to be floating living rooms, complete with chandeliers, some with a deck up above for observation, and others almost looking like baby elephants, having only one guest cabin. My "state room" was furnished with two single beds, the walls were paneled with mahogany, and the ceiling was panels of birds-eye maple. The bathroom, on the other hand was not quite so plush - your basic dingy gray with that ever-so-faint presence of mustiness. However, anyone can tolerate some of the lesser comforts of life for a few hours, particularly since we had just left the lap of luxury at the lake resort. Following dinner, and the rising of an orange and nearly full moon, we all settled into our respective rooms for the night. The generators were turned on in each of the boats, and we were then able to turn on the air conditioning units in our rooms, along with fans to circulate what had become stale air during the day. My two systems created a cacophonic cadence of clicks and snaps, and reached the point than rather being able to settle into this cadence and eventually to slumber, I found myself actually listening for any possible changes in the cadence or any irregularity, and then wondering what may have caused it! A few hours passed, and I found myself still awake, so I turned off the snap-snap-snap of my ceiling fan, and then ventured into the bathroom, tore off a couple of sheets of toilet paper, rolled them up and stuffed a wad into each of my ears, hoping beyond hope this might remedy my situation so I could get some sleep. I guess it worked, because the next thing I realized was I was staring out at a blazing sun rising on the far side of the waterway, announcing my birthday! As I came out into the "lounge" area of our boat, John and Judy Hutcherson were there and greeted me with, "Happy Birthday, Elias". I looked across at our sister boat, and Mike and Frankie Holness from Windsor, England waved a birthday greeting, as did Kelly Wike and Ellen Ollivet. About a half-hour later, Veronique Favart (one of the French Connection on the other boat) came out on the prow of the other boat, and proceeded to sing
Joyeux Anniversaire a Elias" to me, while gracefully dancing around in a circle. Christian Favart then emerged and poked his head out from under the canvass tarp and also wished me Happy Birthday. This was going to be a GREAT DAY!
A few minutes later, I returned to my room, to turn on my mobile phone, and I received calls from my wife, my daughter and one of my sisters, each wishing me Happy Birthday. The crew of our boat also extended "many happy returns of the day, sir". Our pilot, who had the day before been wearing a MAKITA shirt, came forward and we presented him with one of our DREAM TEAM shirts from a previous year, and he seemed very pleased. He left down the corridor, and a few minutes later returned wearing his new shirt. We explained to him why were were in India - to immunize children against polio and also to help in the construction of a water-harvesting dam in Haryana state, to help bring much needed water for irrigation to a few of the villages there - a concept he had great difficulty understanding, since there is such an abundance of water in this part of south India, where the lushness of expansive rice paddies, dotted with swaying palm trees and banana plants was the norm.
Following breakfast, we cast off the lines from shore and once more joined the parade of pachyderms - all presumably heading for port, where passengers would move on to a new chapter for the coming days.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Phillipskutty Farm
On day two at KLR, we departed by our coach to take us to our waiting boat - larger than the motorboats we had toured in yesterday. This time, we were going to travel out into the lake, again seeing the floating carpets of green, dotted with lavender and hot pink. We came to fantasize about the wonderful and restful life of the people here. These canals served as inland waterways through a patchwork of rice paddies. We are not talking of tiny, individual farmsteads where rice was being grown, but huge, nearly endless spans of green fields of rice. All the while, we were seeing the thatch roofs of houseboats. These were appropriate to be here, since all of these houseboats originally were rice barges, used to carry rice - millions of tons of rice - out the waterways to the harbor in Cochin, to then be shipped around the world. Even though rice is still a product of the area, it is no longer the king of crops, so to speak. Today, to some degree, we re-traced our journey out on the lake, but far more extensive views of this huge inland sea!
We were coming to understand more that where we were is not so dissimilar from the bayous of New Orleans - reclaimed land, planted to rice, with homes and shanties along the shoreline, with built-up pathways, not much wider than required for two people to walk along together. Seeing both men and women, stepping into the water, right out the front doors of their homes, bringing their clothing or kitchen pots and dishes to wash. In addition, they were also bathing and brushing their teeth, sometimes scooping handfuls of water into a glass and drinking it. Not our cup of tea, I imagine, but it works for them. Seeing women almost sacheting along the paths, shielding themselves from the sun with black, or sometimes colorful parasols, seems to speak of the gentle and grace-filled lifestyle here. So imagine for a moment, living along a waterway, in front of rice paddies or coconut groves, being able to "go to town" only by boat crossings... romantic? To us maybe, but these people are such hard working, industrious people, who subsist on little, but seem to be blissfully happy and content.
Travelling along one of the waterways, Solange, who was sitting on the top deck of the boat with me and with Frankie Holness, wore her straw "boater" jauntily perched on her head. We rounded a corner, and a tiny gut of wind took it and sent it out into the middle of the river! Our pilot stopped the boat, but when he pulled it to shore, and walked down the path to gallantly retrieve the chapeau, he was greeted by three tethered cows, grazing on some grasses, and turned back, not ready to face cows who could not have reached him if they tried! I think he simply did not want to venture into the water, amongst the lily pads, and hyacinth bunches!
We stopped along the way for coffee and tea, at a tiny outpost, and then re-boarded the boat to our next destination.
Pulling up alongside a pier, parallel to the shoreline, we were greeted warmly by a lovely woman, Anu Phillipskutty. She is the proprietor of Phillipskutty Farm. This serene guest house with cottages, also offers the day tourists a wonderful look into the past and a great lunch. We were treated to refreshing drinks, and a walk about the farm. Her late husbands grandfather had been a part of the reclamation of the lands and the family now owns about thirty-five acres of land. The entire plot, as well as the island, sits six feet below the level of the lake. They farm coconuts, mangoes, bananas, as well as vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon (they were actually drying some bark off the cinnamon tree out in the yard on a newspaper). She and her mother-in-law and her two children manage the property and warmly greet guests. One thing that struck us all is the great number of churches - Christian churches, that are evident in the area. Christianity is very prevalent in this part of the country.
Following a restful and delicious home-prepared meal, we then departed by dugout canoes to the mainland, where we met our coach and returned to KLR for a peaceful afternoon and evening. Houseboats tomorrow!
We were coming to understand more that where we were is not so dissimilar from the bayous of New Orleans - reclaimed land, planted to rice, with homes and shanties along the shoreline, with built-up pathways, not much wider than required for two people to walk along together. Seeing both men and women, stepping into the water, right out the front doors of their homes, bringing their clothing or kitchen pots and dishes to wash. In addition, they were also bathing and brushing their teeth, sometimes scooping handfuls of water into a glass and drinking it. Not our cup of tea, I imagine, but it works for them. Seeing women almost sacheting along the paths, shielding themselves from the sun with black, or sometimes colorful parasols, seems to speak of the gentle and grace-filled lifestyle here. So imagine for a moment, living along a waterway, in front of rice paddies or coconut groves, being able to "go to town" only by boat crossings... romantic? To us maybe, but these people are such hard working, industrious people, who subsist on little, but seem to be blissfully happy and content.
Travelling along one of the waterways, Solange, who was sitting on the top deck of the boat with me and with Frankie Holness, wore her straw "boater" jauntily perched on her head. We rounded a corner, and a tiny gut of wind took it and sent it out into the middle of the river! Our pilot stopped the boat, but when he pulled it to shore, and walked down the path to gallantly retrieve the chapeau, he was greeted by three tethered cows, grazing on some grasses, and turned back, not ready to face cows who could not have reached him if they tried! I think he simply did not want to venture into the water, amongst the lily pads, and hyacinth bunches!
We stopped along the way for coffee and tea, at a tiny outpost, and then re-boarded the boat to our next destination.
Pulling up alongside a pier, parallel to the shoreline, we were greeted warmly by a lovely woman, Anu Phillipskutty. She is the proprietor of Phillipskutty Farm. This serene guest house with cottages, also offers the day tourists a wonderful look into the past and a great lunch. We were treated to refreshing drinks, and a walk about the farm. Her late husbands grandfather had been a part of the reclamation of the lands and the family now owns about thirty-five acres of land. The entire plot, as well as the island, sits six feet below the level of the lake. They farm coconuts, mangoes, bananas, as well as vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon (they were actually drying some bark off the cinnamon tree out in the yard on a newspaper). She and her mother-in-law and her two children manage the property and warmly greet guests. One thing that struck us all is the great number of churches - Christian churches, that are evident in the area. Christianity is very prevalent in this part of the country.
Following a restful and delicious home-prepared meal, we then departed by dugout canoes to the mainland, where we met our coach and returned to KLR for a peaceful afternoon and evening. Houseboats tomorrow!
HARD TO IMAGINE...
When we arrived in Cochin following the performance of Kathakali Dancers, we checked into the Cochin Casino Hotel. I am not sure right now, but I think we had dinner that night. Kind of interrupted sleep for most of us, but the following morning, we all had breakfast and then boarded our coach - said hello to our driver, Shiva, and traveled to our next stop - Kumarakom Lake Resort. MAN, what a magnificent place. Both at Cochin Casino Hotel and Kumarakom Lake Resort, we were all greeted by the staff, complete with a tikka on our foreheads, a garland of the freshest smelling flowers, and a refreshing drink of juice. At KLR (as I will call it) we waited a while as Manoj, our guide, checked us into the hotel, and it seemed as though each of us was a sponge, simply soaking up the surroundings, the intricate carvings on doors and pillars, gazing out across the beautiful grounds to the 45 square mile lake and almost pinching ourselves as we could not really believe we were here.
We were each escorted to our rooms - each of the team members having a poolside villa, while my room was on the other side of the resort, in the more quiet section - although quiet was not missing from anywhere at KLR - serenity was the name of the game. Pathways criss-crossing lush green lawns (although not your regular "Kentucky Blue") as well as channels of water, that were daily filled from a pump station down near the lakeside, the winding pool which gently meandered among the pool villas, an infinity pool down at the lake. Looking out from the property, one sees dozens of the houseboats, similar to what we would be boarding in a couple of days.
Following lunch, we were drive a few kilometers to a bird sanctuary. We opted to take small power boats out into the larger canals and into the lake, rather than walking the 6 kilometers of pathways. It was great fun having Frankie and Mike Holness in my boat, since they are keen birders and brought along a book of Birds of India. Probably the most amazing feature of this lake (and one of spectacular beauty, and concern at the same time) were literally millions of tiny floating gardens, naturally occurring bundles of water hyacinths and lotus lilies. All of the boats simply plow on through these tiny oases, rather than trying to go around them. I guess after piloting a boat through the lake for years, one realizes these islands are afloat rather than attached, so it is safe to cut through them. The beauty comes from a lush carpet of green shiny leaves of the hyacinths, along with the occasional lily pad, dotted with blossom stocks of lavender. In less traveled areas, bunches of magenta lotus blossoms stood higher and prouder than any of the other blossoms, their open blooms enticing bees and dragonflies to sample their nectar. We saw cormorants, turns, gulls, bee eaters, kingfishers, heron, ibis, kites, and so many more varieties of birds. It was a most relaxing two hours out on the water, enjoyed by all of us, and providing a sampling of the pampered life style we were going to enjoy for the next two days. We returned to our villas, awaiting dinner and a dance program.
Dinner was wonderful, with great selections of VEG and non-VEG dishes, salads, soups, breads, juices, and of course, the huge table with about two dozen different desserts - not that any of us would dream of consuming! The dance program, at least for us, was a bit ho-hum, only that it was a repeat of the prior night's program of Kathakali dancing - replete with Hanuman with his plated white beard, and the temptress who ends up each night having one of her breasts ceremoniously cut off by Hanuman's wooden sword! (I guess you have to be there to appreciate it).
Many of us decided to take advantage of the two dozen different types of massage offered at the spa, and most likely none of us expected what we experienced. I will leave it to readers to inquire of your friends who are a part of this TEAM to find out the details. Days blend into days, and I would challenge any of our group to be able to successfully separate them. However, I will attempt to do so in the next installment. Additionally, when I have an opportunity to connect my camera or mini-laptop to the internet, I will add photos.
We were each escorted to our rooms - each of the team members having a poolside villa, while my room was on the other side of the resort, in the more quiet section - although quiet was not missing from anywhere at KLR - serenity was the name of the game. Pathways criss-crossing lush green lawns (although not your regular "Kentucky Blue") as well as channels of water, that were daily filled from a pump station down near the lakeside, the winding pool which gently meandered among the pool villas, an infinity pool down at the lake. Looking out from the property, one sees dozens of the houseboats, similar to what we would be boarding in a couple of days.
Following lunch, we were drive a few kilometers to a bird sanctuary. We opted to take small power boats out into the larger canals and into the lake, rather than walking the 6 kilometers of pathways. It was great fun having Frankie and Mike Holness in my boat, since they are keen birders and brought along a book of Birds of India. Probably the most amazing feature of this lake (and one of spectacular beauty, and concern at the same time) were literally millions of tiny floating gardens, naturally occurring bundles of water hyacinths and lotus lilies. All of the boats simply plow on through these tiny oases, rather than trying to go around them. I guess after piloting a boat through the lake for years, one realizes these islands are afloat rather than attached, so it is safe to cut through them. The beauty comes from a lush carpet of green shiny leaves of the hyacinths, along with the occasional lily pad, dotted with blossom stocks of lavender. In less traveled areas, bunches of magenta lotus blossoms stood higher and prouder than any of the other blossoms, their open blooms enticing bees and dragonflies to sample their nectar. We saw cormorants, turns, gulls, bee eaters, kingfishers, heron, ibis, kites, and so many more varieties of birds. It was a most relaxing two hours out on the water, enjoyed by all of us, and providing a sampling of the pampered life style we were going to enjoy for the next two days. We returned to our villas, awaiting dinner and a dance program.
Dinner was wonderful, with great selections of VEG and non-VEG dishes, salads, soups, breads, juices, and of course, the huge table with about two dozen different desserts - not that any of us would dream of consuming! The dance program, at least for us, was a bit ho-hum, only that it was a repeat of the prior night's program of Kathakali dancing - replete with Hanuman with his plated white beard, and the temptress who ends up each night having one of her breasts ceremoniously cut off by Hanuman's wooden sword! (I guess you have to be there to appreciate it).
Many of us decided to take advantage of the two dozen different types of massage offered at the spa, and most likely none of us expected what we experienced. I will leave it to readers to inquire of your friends who are a part of this TEAM to find out the details. Days blend into days, and I would challenge any of our group to be able to successfully separate them. However, I will attempt to do so in the next installment. Additionally, when I have an opportunity to connect my camera or mini-laptop to the internet, I will add photos.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
FLY SOUTH TO GET WARM...
Nothing could be more true! The morning after we arrived in Delhi, about two-thirds of the team that had arrived, packed their bags and bid us fond farewell from the hotel parking lot - they were heading to tour the "Golden Triangle" as well as a trip to the oldest living city - Varanasi. The other eleven of us boarded our motor coach to head to the airport, where we would catch a flight to Kochi (Cochin) in south India. Some of these folks had arrived in the wee hours of the morning from France, and I had barely enough time to meet and greet them before our coach departed for the airport.
We all worked through security and ticketing and loaded our bags on the conveyor belt (working with Ritu from Jet Airways) and proceeded to the next security (this was the REAL one) point. All of us made it through with no incident, with the exception of Didier Fosse, one of the "French Connection" who was stopped because he had two bottles of French wine in his carry-on bag - a definite no-no. Since I had a carry-on which could be checked through, I returned to my new friend, Ritu, who looked up and said, "Yes Mr. Thomas, is there a problem?" I explained the situation and she kindly checked my bag through to Kochi. I had to go back through security, and sailed through.
Flying was easy and we landed in Kochi about three-and-a-half hours later. There, we were met first by Jackson from South Tours, and then Manoj, who was to be our guide for the next several days. We boarded another coach and proceeded to Fort Cochin, where we were to check in at our hotel - the Cochin Casino.
On our way to the hotel, however, we came across a religious festival procession, which featured several Brahman priests and three highly decorated elephants. Astride the elephants were several more of the Brahman priests, who periodically stood
on the backs of the elephants waving their arms and various implements - used in temples. Manoj explained to us this procession lasted most of one full day, stopping every 100 meters or so while the priests on the ground in front of the elephants played drums and blew bugles of a type. It was really a very colorful and festive exhibition. We re-boarded the coach and proceeded to our hotel. However, since we were going to miss the sunset cruise in the harbor, Manoj suggested we might enjoy seeing a performance of Kathakali dancing - being performed not too far from our hotel. Eager to absorb absolutely every morsel of this new culture, we agreed so our driver, Shiva, dropped us off at the small theatre. Here we watched as the actor-dancers applied their make
-up, and then watched the performance.
on the backs of the elephants waving their arms and various implements - used in temples. Manoj explained to us this procession lasted most of one full day, stopping every 100 meters or so while the priests on the ground in front of the elephants played drums and blew bugles of a type. It was really a very colorful and festive exhibition. We re-boarded the coach and proceeded to our hotel. However, since we were going to miss the sunset cruise in the harbor, Manoj suggested we might enjoy seeing a performance of Kathakali dancing - being performed not too far from our hotel. Eager to absorb absolutely every morsel of this new culture, we agreed so our driver, Shiva, dropped us off at the small theatre. Here we watched as the actor-dancers applied their make
-up, and then watched the performance. There we were greeted at the entrance by a young woman who placed "tikkas" on each of our foreheads, as well as presenting each of us with a floral garland. The tiny white flowers were so fragrant - reminding me of orange blossoms or stephanotis.
After check-in we came down to the dining room and enjoyed a wonderful dinner, and then returned to our rooms - after all most of us had been traveling for the better part of one or even two days to get to India, and then to wake up after only a few hours of sleep to travel to the southern tip of the country, we were pretty knackered.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
It IS all about relationships!
Several years ago, when Rob Stevens was called to be the priest at the Episcopal Church of Saint John, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, one of the first sermons he preached dealt with the topic of relationships. Whether or not the relationship between a husband and wife, two loving partners, a parent and child, a priest and his parishioners or just friends, life seems to be able to be reduced to one common denominator - relationships.
When one travels about half-way around the world, to be a part of a team of Rotarians and Rotaractors and Friends of Rotary, when converging at the central meeting place of an airport or a hotel lobby, at first the new team members maintain a more formal demeanor, but when one and then another and then another of former team members arrive in wave after wave, all of the reticence and reserved attitude is thrown to the winds, so to speak, as shrieks of joy emanate from team members, thrilled to renew past acquaintances, nay relationships.
This phenomenon began for our team at Newark's Liberty Airport, when I was greeted first by Kelly Wike (now a three-year veteran) and then Aruna and Shiva Khoushik from Ontario arrived with a few of the folks from their respective Rotary Clubs who had joined our merry band. Aruna and I reminisced about last year when we danced our way through the streets and alleys of the villages of Bisru and Punahana. This was all a part of the pre-NID rally (National Immunization Day) when we did our best to attract attention to ourselves and to, thereby, encourage villagers to bring their children to be immunized the following day - to receive those life-giving drops of polio vaccine.
Our group then proceeded to the banquet room of Gallagher's Steakhouse in Terminal C, and had the pleasure of meeting up with Pete Miller (another veteran) and his new wife, Kim. Barbara Fox was also there, along with several others from Vermont, Texas and around the country. We all chatted, ate a bit before moving to the concourse and to Gate 110. The folks at Gallagher's have always been so cordial in welcoming us and allowing us to use their banquet room for our troops to gather. This has become an annual tradition and we truly appreciate their hospitality and their great food!
As we entered our home for the next fifteen hours (BOEING 777) we settled into our respective seats and continued to chat about what to expect once we landed in Delhi. From total strangers only a few hours previous, we were becoming an amalgamation of the ROTARY DREAM TEAM - INDIA 2011, only to be augmented in our composition when we arrived in Delhi at the Ramada Plaza Hotel. There we met up with Helgi and Huldir from Iceland, as well as Mike and Frankie from England. We were told the "French Connection" was to arrive several hours later, due to a delay of arriving in Delhi. All would be better in the morning, after snacks, drinks, and a hopefully, a good night's sleep.
Funny, how it is so true about relationships - one picks up where one left off, as though only a few hours or days had passed since we were last together. The complexion of the DREAM TEAM would be in a constant state of flux, as we move to the travel portion of our journey, meeting a few more Icelanders, then a couple of
Aussies, and then even more Icelanders and a few more from the US and Canada. TEAMWORK is the mantra, and I have no doubt that this year's group will be every bit as good, if not better (or even the best) than previous DREAM TEAMS.
Together, on February 27, at the NID, we will work to END POLIO NOW, as well as bringing water for irrigation to the poorest of the poor, so they too might be able to sustain themselves and their families with growing crops for years to come. This will be the best ever, and truly, it IS all about relationships!
When one travels about half-way around the world, to be a part of a team of Rotarians and Rotaractors and Friends of Rotary, when converging at the central meeting place of an airport or a hotel lobby, at first the new team members maintain a more formal demeanor, but when one and then another and then another of former team members arrive in wave after wave, all of the reticence and reserved attitude is thrown to the winds, so to speak, as shrieks of joy emanate from team members, thrilled to renew past acquaintances, nay relationships.
This phenomenon began for our team at Newark's Liberty Airport, when I was greeted first by Kelly Wike (now a three-year veteran) and then Aruna and Shiva Khoushik from Ontario arrived with a few of the folks from their respective Rotary Clubs who had joined our merry band. Aruna and I reminisced about last year when we danced our way through the streets and alleys of the villages of Bisru and Punahana. This was all a part of the pre-NID rally (National Immunization Day) when we did our best to attract attention to ourselves and to, thereby, encourage villagers to bring their children to be immunized the following day - to receive those life-giving drops of polio vaccine.
Our group then proceeded to the banquet room of Gallagher's Steakhouse in Terminal C, and had the pleasure of meeting up with Pete Miller (another veteran) and his new wife, Kim. Barbara Fox was also there, along with several others from Vermont, Texas and around the country. We all chatted, ate a bit before moving to the concourse and to Gate 110. The folks at Gallagher's have always been so cordial in welcoming us and allowing us to use their banquet room for our troops to gather. This has become an annual tradition and we truly appreciate their hospitality and their great food!
As we entered our home for the next fifteen hours (BOEING 777) we settled into our respective seats and continued to chat about what to expect once we landed in Delhi. From total strangers only a few hours previous, we were becoming an amalgamation of the ROTARY DREAM TEAM - INDIA 2011, only to be augmented in our composition when we arrived in Delhi at the Ramada Plaza Hotel. There we met up with Helgi and Huldir from Iceland, as well as Mike and Frankie from England. We were told the "French Connection" was to arrive several hours later, due to a delay of arriving in Delhi. All would be better in the morning, after snacks, drinks, and a hopefully, a good night's sleep.
Funny, how it is so true about relationships - one picks up where one left off, as though only a few hours or days had passed since we were last together. The complexion of the DREAM TEAM would be in a constant state of flux, as we move to the travel portion of our journey, meeting a few more Icelanders, then a couple of
Aussies, and then even more Icelanders and a few more from the US and Canada. TEAMWORK is the mantra, and I have no doubt that this year's group will be every bit as good, if not better (or even the best) than previous DREAM TEAMS.
Together, on February 27, at the NID, we will work to END POLIO NOW, as well as bringing water for irrigation to the poorest of the poor, so they too might be able to sustain themselves and their families with growing crops for years to come. This will be the best ever, and truly, it IS all about relationships!
Go with the flow...
As most Rotarians have come to understand, the name of the game is flexibility and this trip is going to be no exception. Whether a member of a Rotary Club for three weeks or fifty years, I am sure each of us has encountered the need to be flexible, or to go with the flow. This phrase - go with the flow - seems particularly appropriate, since one of the two tasks before us is to assist in the construction of a water harvesting dam in a remote and arid area.
This past year, our DREAM TEAM was successful in serving beside local laborers in a work project, not too far from the Sariska Palace in the state of Rajasthan. We stayed in a Heritage Hotel - the Sariska Palace, and although the facility had seen better days, one could only imagine what it must have been like to be welcomed as a guest by the Maharajah and his Maharani. Arriving, perhaps on an elephant or in a camel-drawn cart, the pageantry of those times is captured in the many paintings and photographs adorning the walls of the Palace. One inconvenience we encountered, however, was the distance the Palace was from our work project.
Each morning, we would arise from our beds and dust the sleep from our eyes, dress for the day and walk to the dining room to have some breakfast. We would then board our bus and set out on the hour-plus ride through the Sariska Jungle to reach the other side of the jungle, be processed through the gate, pay our toll, and then travel an additional fifteen or twenty minutes to the dam site, located in Teench Wala. Believe it or not, this was the SHORT way! If for some reason we might have missed entering the jungle park during regular operating hours, we would have been forced to take an alternative route, which I recall would have added yet another two hours to our journey, each day! Fortunately, we did not experience the longer trip.
This year, our project was to be located about fifteen kilometers away from the 2010 project, and after discussing the matter with many members of last year's DREAM TEAM, I decided to ask Sanjiv if there might be a possibility of creating a sort of tent village, right at the site, near the villages we would be serving. Doing so, we would achieve a number of objectives: first, we would eliminate the need to waste a minimum of three hours each day, when we could be more productive; next, we would add another dimension to the adventure, by actually living outside in tents; and finally, and in the mind the most important bonus would be that of mixing our cultures (after all, we are comprised of more than sixty members from seven countries, including India) not only among ourselves, but best of all, perhaps as we sat around the fires at night, possibly singing our favorite old songs or telling stories, some of the local villagers would be encouraged to join us and share some of their songs and dances. Who knows?
At about 9:30 on Sunday morning, I received a phone call from Sanjiv. he had some news to share and was concerned that it might upset me. Due to the amazing amount of rain during the past monsoon season, and afterward, areas of India which would normally be arid were plagued by flooding and in some instances, thousands of acres remained under water. The result of these rains caused the governmental agencies to halt the construction of dams in certain areas - namely where we had planned to work! However, being "flexible Rotarians", Sanjiv was confident we would rise to the occasion and adjust to a different location. One of my concerns was that we would still be working on a dam construction and once completed, a few thousand of the local villagers would benefit from our efforts.
So now, sitting on our Continental BOEING 777, and only about four hours away from landing in New Delhi, we are primed for yet another adventure - the construction of a water harvesting dam, but rather than being located in the state of Rajasthan, we will be located nearer Sohna, and the area that several members of our current team had worked in previous years, when a part of another DREAM TEAM.
We can only trust this project will move forward and be a successful one, as other projects have been. After all, we will be working together as a TEAM, alongside local laborers, utilizing the rudiments of construction and engineering; we will develop relationships among ourselves, as well as with the locals; we will create a dam (or at least participate in the construction of a dam) that will benefit the villagers we serve, through providing sufficient water to irrigate and grow crops, thus becoming self-sustaining; we will still experience living in tents, although ours will be away from the village (actually set up at Dera Aravali - Sanjiv's country home). When I shared this bit of information with some of the team members who met in Newark, I noticed the slight relief which spread across the faces of some of the women in the group, as Kelly Wike ( a three time veteran of the DREAM TEAM) explained, "This means we will be using inside plumbing!"
So, fellow Rotarians, sit back, relax, and go with the flow - after all, there is precious little we can do to change things, anyway!
This past year, our DREAM TEAM was successful in serving beside local laborers in a work project, not too far from the Sariska Palace in the state of Rajasthan. We stayed in a Heritage Hotel - the Sariska Palace, and although the facility had seen better days, one could only imagine what it must have been like to be welcomed as a guest by the Maharajah and his Maharani. Arriving, perhaps on an elephant or in a camel-drawn cart, the pageantry of those times is captured in the many paintings and photographs adorning the walls of the Palace. One inconvenience we encountered, however, was the distance the Palace was from our work project.
Each morning, we would arise from our beds and dust the sleep from our eyes, dress for the day and walk to the dining room to have some breakfast. We would then board our bus and set out on the hour-plus ride through the Sariska Jungle to reach the other side of the jungle, be processed through the gate, pay our toll, and then travel an additional fifteen or twenty minutes to the dam site, located in Teench Wala. Believe it or not, this was the SHORT way! If for some reason we might have missed entering the jungle park during regular operating hours, we would have been forced to take an alternative route, which I recall would have added yet another two hours to our journey, each day! Fortunately, we did not experience the longer trip.
This year, our project was to be located about fifteen kilometers away from the 2010 project, and after discussing the matter with many members of last year's DREAM TEAM, I decided to ask Sanjiv if there might be a possibility of creating a sort of tent village, right at the site, near the villages we would be serving. Doing so, we would achieve a number of objectives: first, we would eliminate the need to waste a minimum of three hours each day, when we could be more productive; next, we would add another dimension to the adventure, by actually living outside in tents; and finally, and in the mind the most important bonus would be that of mixing our cultures (after all, we are comprised of more than sixty members from seven countries, including India) not only among ourselves, but best of all, perhaps as we sat around the fires at night, possibly singing our favorite old songs or telling stories, some of the local villagers would be encouraged to join us and share some of their songs and dances. Who knows?
At about 9:30 on Sunday morning, I received a phone call from Sanjiv. he had some news to share and was concerned that it might upset me. Due to the amazing amount of rain during the past monsoon season, and afterward, areas of India which would normally be arid were plagued by flooding and in some instances, thousands of acres remained under water. The result of these rains caused the governmental agencies to halt the construction of dams in certain areas - namely where we had planned to work! However, being "flexible Rotarians", Sanjiv was confident we would rise to the occasion and adjust to a different location. One of my concerns was that we would still be working on a dam construction and once completed, a few thousand of the local villagers would benefit from our efforts.
So now, sitting on our Continental BOEING 777, and only about four hours away from landing in New Delhi, we are primed for yet another adventure - the construction of a water harvesting dam, but rather than being located in the state of Rajasthan, we will be located nearer Sohna, and the area that several members of our current team had worked in previous years, when a part of another DREAM TEAM.
We can only trust this project will move forward and be a successful one, as other projects have been. After all, we will be working together as a TEAM, alongside local laborers, utilizing the rudiments of construction and engineering; we will develop relationships among ourselves, as well as with the locals; we will create a dam (or at least participate in the construction of a dam) that will benefit the villagers we serve, through providing sufficient water to irrigate and grow crops, thus becoming self-sustaining; we will still experience living in tents, although ours will be away from the village (actually set up at Dera Aravali - Sanjiv's country home). When I shared this bit of information with some of the team members who met in Newark, I noticed the slight relief which spread across the faces of some of the women in the group, as Kelly Wike ( a three time veteran of the DREAM TEAM) explained, "This means we will be using inside plumbing!"
So, fellow Rotarians, sit back, relax, and go with the flow - after all, there is precious little we can do to change things, anyway!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
JT’s observations about India
Follow this link to read the article about our recent trip to India, from the perspective of a 9 year old boy from Maine.
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110210/GJNEWS03/702109781/-1/SANNEWS
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