Tuesday, April 21, 2009

A Feline Genealogy

In the beginning was Kat Katzenjammer, a beautiful gray striped tabby with white face, chest and paws. Kat is now the matriarch, affectionately known as Mama Kat.

Kat's first kitten died young, and was posthumously named Patient Zero. Her next, another singleton, was KitKat, white and tabby like her mom. Then came two boy kittens, Salt'n Pepper. (Salt'n has more white than tabby. Pepper has more tabby than Salt'n.) KitKat went AWOL some time back. Salt'n has adopted our sister who lives next door. Pepper continues to guard the home front.

And just last month (in March) Mama Kat had a litter of three: Tigger, Popo (short for Potpourri), and Dal (short for Dalmation). Unfortunately, Dal didn't stay with us long. But Tigger and Popo are happily romping around getting into mischief. Tigger is pure gray striped tabby; not a speck of white. Popo is a mixture of orange, gray tabby, and white. Dal was mostly white with a couple of tabby spots.

Soon after Kat adopted me, Kub Katzenjammer, an orange tabby, joined the family. Kub's first two kittens were named Orange Pekoe and Earl Grey. (I'll leave it to the reader to guess their colour.) Her next two were Tigger and Tiger, both striped orange tabby. Then came Roo and Roo Too. Her fourth litter were named Roo Two and Roo Two Too. All the Roos were orange, and approximately identical. Only one of the four Roos is still around today. All her other siblings have left home to follow their own adventures. Mama Kub has found another home too.

So the current home team lineup is Mama Kat, Pepper, Roo, Tigger and Popo.


Update: A couple of months ago Roo started showing a suspicious bulge, so we began calling her "Preggers Roo", expecting that she would soon earn the sobriquet "Mama Roo". Well, the big day came, but it was a very difficult delivery, and she clearly wanted to distance herself from these three little creatures that had caused her so much pain. Mama Kat helped a bit as a midwife, giving the newborns their first wash, but couldn't or wouldn't nurse them; and Roo ignored them completely -- no maternal instinct in evidence at all. With no loving mommy to care for them, what chance would these poor little guys have? They hung on grimly for a couple of days, but eventually closed their tiny unopened eyes for good.

Just last week another small kitten turned up and asked if she could stay. She is almost exactly the same colour as Popo, but about half the size, so she can't be more than a couple of months old. The other cats didn't object, so the newcomer was allowed to join the family, and was christened "Pooh", after the A.A. Milne bear; the name also sounds like the Tamil word for "flower".

So with Tigger, Roo, and Pooh in the family, as well as Mama Kat, Pepper and Popo, I'm wondering if I should change my name to Christopher Robin.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Some notes for prospective visitors to India

I provide personalized introduction and orientation tours of south India for Western visitors as a hobby. I've been living full-time in India for the last five years after retiring from UBC, and have chosen to spend the rest of my life here. I love to show people around India.

Costs will depend on the level of comfort you would like in terms of accommodations and modes of travel. I don't charge anything for my services as a guide; I just ask that you pay for our travel, accommodation and meals. If budget is an issue, and you don't mind "roughing it" a bit, you could manage on Cdn$50/day (total for both of us). Or we could travel in splendid style on $100/day. Airfare (from Canada) is about $1,500 return, so you could do a month-long trip in comfort, and spend less than $5,000 for everything. I'd suggest a minimum of a month; six weeks or two months would be better still.

The best season to visit India is December through March. Plan to fly into and out of Chennai (Madras) in Tamil Nadu. Here is a suggested circle tour: Mamallapuram, Mysore, Ooty, Kochi, Alleppey, Varkala, Madurai, Pondicherry, Auroville, and back to Chennai. But that's only a preliminary suggestion to get the juices flowing. If you have some special place you have read about or had recommended, we can include any part of India you like. I specialize in south India (Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Goa) because that's where I live, but I have been to northern India several times and would be glad to travel there if you like.

Health concerns should not be an issue, as long as you are in generally good health, and are careful about what you eat and drink here.

Please, fire away with questions. I'd be delighted to help you plan your trip and travel with you.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

My Karnataka trip - stage 7

I got a late start from Raichur, since I had to get my bike serviced in the morning, and took the route via Manvi and Sindhnur, and arrived Siruguppa about 4:30pm. I should have stopped there for the night; it seemed a very pleasant town; but instead I pressed on to Bellary, arriving just before sunset. Some of the roads in Bellary are dreadful, more pothole than pavement. The first few lodges I looked at were either above my budget, below my standards, or full, but I finally got a decent room at about twice the price I thought it was worth. All the more reason I should have stayed in Siruguppa.

Continued south the next day on very good roads via Halakundi, Rampura, Hanagal, Molakalmaru, and Chailakere, arriving Hiriyur about 4pm, where, having learned my lesson the day before, I stopped for the night. It's much nicer to stop with a couple of hours of daylight left, rather than press on till sunset or later.

I wanted to avoid the heavy traffic on NH 4; the smaller roads are much more pleasant to drive, as long as the paving is good. My route took me via Huliyar, Chiknayakanhalli, Turuvekere and Maisandra; and just as I was thinking about where to stop for the night, not wanting to push on to Mysore that day, I saw an enormous temple complex just off the highway, and went to have a look.

It was the Sri Adichunchanagiri Mahasamsthana Mutt, and they have a large guesthouse, so I took a spartan room for Rs 200, and climbed up the broad steps to explore the temple. It's newly built, officially inaugurated earlier this year, although the older temple further up the hill has been there for centuries. There was a special puja that evening, so there were lots of visitors, plus many of the 3,000 students from the school and college hostels which are also part of the complex.

The next day I climbed up to the old temple, and then continued to the very top of the hill. For the last stretch there are iron pegs set into the rocks to help you scramble up, and the view is spectacular. I stayed at the summit for a few hours, and was joined briefly by a school group on a day outing. Since it was late afternoon when I climbed down, I stayed another night at the guesthouse. A most interesting place to visit, and I'd like to go there again some time.

Then on to Mysore via Nelligere, Nagamangalla, Pandavapur and Shrirangapattana. I stayed in Mysore for a couple of days, then returned home to Tamil Nadu on Christmas Day after a wonderful month exploring Karnataka.

My Karnataka trip - stage 6

From Gokarna I went a few km south on NH 17 to Mirjan, and took the Devimane ghat road to Sirsi. Great views, great road, with the occasional pothole to keep you alert. Sirsi seemed pleasant, but I only stopped for lunch. The road from Sirsi via Katur and Mundgod may be the shortest route from Sirsi to Hubli, but it isn't a pleasant drive. Only one lane in some places, so on-coming traffic slows you right down. And very bumpy and tiring. So I stopped early for the night in Mundgod. Maybe from Sirsi I should have gone via Yellapur. Oh well, too late for this time.

Next day I continued to Hubli, then via Gadag and Ron to Badami, arriving just before sunset. The road from Gadag to Ron was one of the nicest I've driven: perfect road surface, no traffic, gentle curves, passing through lush farmland. From Ron to Badami was almost as good, except for a few trenches dug right across the road, sort of inverted speed breakers.

Next morning I explored the Badami cave temples; stopped for a while at the delightful Mahakoot temple; continued on to the temple complex at Pattadakal (a hefty Rs 250 entrance fee for foreigners, vs Rs 10 for Indian citizens); and finally to Aihole/Aivalli before returning to Badami for the night.

A long haul next day on generally pretty good roads via Guledagudda, Hungund, Mudgal, Lingusugur, and Sirwar to Raichur, to reconnect with a friend I had met earlier in the year. We had a nice reunion, but unfortunately the next day there was a death in his family, and he had to leave for Hyderabad, and with no other reason to stay in Raichur, I started the final leg of my Karnataka adventure, heading back to Mysore.

My Karnataka trip - stage 5

I spent a week in Gokarna, which is delightful.

I fell into a sort of electronic black hole during my stay. There was no cell phone coverage (Tata Indicom) in the town, although my phone worked at the beach, and my laptop died the first day, and refused to boot up. It seems the universe was telling me to get away from the keyboard, and enjoy the sun and sea instead. So I did.

There's lots of accommodation in Gokarna and the nearby beaches, from primitive to very comfortable. The season was just getting started (and may not improve much; see my comment on the IndiaMike forum
here) so lots of rooms are available, although a couple of places I looked at were full.

The nicest place by far in the town is Nimmu House, very close to the beach. The budget rooms (Rs 300 to 500) are in the older building, and the deluxe rooms (Rs 800 to 1200) are in the new building. Very nice garden. Tea and coffee available on request. (08386 256730)

On the main road, close to the bus stand, is Hotel Shri Sai Ram, very clean and well maintained. Rs 300 to 500. (08386 257755)

I stayed at Hotel Vaibhav Lodge, not far from the bus stand. A real bargain: only Rs 125 for a double room with balcony. (08386 256714)

Hotel Gokarna International is Ok but getting a bit shabby.

Drove to Om Beach one day, and had an excellent lunch at Namaste Cafe. Another day I walked to Kudle Beach, also very pleasant. Twice I walked north on the main beach; and once did a day trip to Ankola.

Gokarna is definitely on my list of places to visit again..

My Karnataka trip - stage 4

From Kollur I returned to the coast and continued to Murudeshwar. I took a cheap (Rs 200) room in the town; but first I should have checked out the two RNS places right on the beach behind the Shiva temple and statue. The upscale RNS Residency has rooms for Rs 1500 to 5000, and the cheaper RNS Guest House charges Rs 650 to 2000. Although it's more than I like to pay, I could have stretched my budget to stay at the Guest House for one night. It would have been worth it just for the view. If I had stayed another day I would have moved; but there wasn't enough of interest to keep me there. If I come back, I would certainly stay at the Guest House.

Next day I continued up the coast to Gokarna.

My Karnataka trip - stage 3

Roads have generally been pretty good. Parts of NH 17 north of Malpe are a bit ragged.

From Malpe I drove to Maravante, and looked at Turtle Bay Beach Resort, but felt it was too expensive for what was offered. A couple of other so-called beach resorts a little further up the highway were dismal and overpriced. So I continued on to Kollur, which is a delightful little pilgrimage town nestled in the mountains.

There is lots of accommodation in Kollur. I lucked out in finding the Bhagirthi Tourist Home, only 200 m from the temple, but completely isolated from the bustle of the town. There's a stream running past my balcony, and nice views of fields and hills. (Rs 200 to 400).

Kodachadri: There are shared jeeps (8 pax @ Rs 175) that leave from the autostand opposite Kollur police station. (I had to wait from 11am to 1pm mid-week for the jeep to fill, so an earlier departure would have been better.) It's 40 km each way. The first 25 km, up to the Kodachadri turnoff, is well paved; then 5 km of so-so road; but the last 10 km is four-wheel-drive only, not bikeable. That last stretch is the hands-down first prize winner of The Worst Road I Have Ever Travelled On In My Life Award. There is a PWD Rest House and a temple at the end of the road; and you can hike another 1.5 km up to a small temple at the summit. Great views, very peaceful.

Next day I went to the Andjari Nature Camp a few km south of Kollur. Entry for the day is Rs 40 for Indians and Rs 80 for foreigners. (The guy on duty only charged me Rs 40.) There are double bedded tents and double bedded cabins for overnight stay, from Rs 400 to 1200. You can swim in the stream, and wander the nature trails. The sign at the gate says you have to get advance permission to enter from the Forest Department office opposite the bus stand, but that's not accurate; just turn up and the attendant will sell you a ticket. Bring your own food.

My Karnataka trip - stage 2

Stage 1 was Mysore to the coast, via Sravanabelagola, Belur, Sringeri, & Agumbe to Malpe beach, where I stayed for several days, at Silver Sands Holiday Beach Resort. (Half a dozen cottages, 200 m from the beach. Tariff Rs 600 to 1800 high season; discount for longer stay. Very helpful and friendly host Sunil; mobile 98860 91616. www.freewebs.com/silversands )

Malpe beach is about 2 km north of Malpe port. The upscale Paradise Isle Beach Resort dominates the beach. (Tariff Rs 1200 to 8500.) Silver Sands is another 500 m north.

I took the ferry boat over to St Mary's Island for the day. Very beautiful and peaceful place. Well worth a visit. The ticket office for the ferry is at the far end of the paved road into the harbour area, quite a hike from the bus stand. Tickets are Rs 70 return. The office opens at 9:30am, and the first sailing is by 10:30am, or sooner if they fill the boat. It's a half hour to get to the island, and the ferry stays one hour. You can go back on that sailing, or wait and return later. I stayed until late afternoon. There are three boats, which go when they are full. The last sailing from the island is by 5:00pm or so. You can buy bottled soft drinks on the island, but no food.

Next I'll head up the coast, turning inland to Kollur; back to the coast at Maravanthe; on to Murudeshwar; then to Gokarna. All these will be overnight or longer stops.

My Karnataka motorcycle trip - stage 1

In November/December 2008, I did a one-month motorcycle tour of Karnataka. Started from Mysore. My first stop was Sravanabelagola. Stayed at Hotel Raghu in the centre of town. Rooms from Rs 100 to Rs 250, some with balcony, TV, A/C. Very clean & friendly. Good veg restaurant on the main floor.

Drove through Hassan next day. Charmless with bad roads. Wouldn't want to stay there, although there is a good selection of accommodation.

Stopped in Belur. Stayed at Sumukha Residency, Temple Road. Rooms from Rs 250 to Rs 600. Very clean, good location close to the temple. Close to the KSTDC Hotel Mayura, which charges Single Rs 300, D/400, T/500 plus tax.

Stayed a couple of days for the weather to clear. Made a day trip to Halebid.

Then I'll go via Sringeri to Udupi and Malpe and up the coast to Gokarna.

A few more price comparisons

We're currently building an extension to the house: a two-room unit on the roof, with ensuite bathroom, which will be my fiefdom. Recently we paid the work crew for their week's labour: 3 men x 7 days at 10 hours/day. Total bill, including their travel costs (they live 300km away): USD 100, about five bucks a day each. (We provided their meals of course, and a floor to sleep on.)

These guys got the walls up, the roof on, and the window- and door-frames installed, in about two weeks.

Electrician starts work today, putting in the conduit. Estimate for the electrical work: materials, 200; labour, 200; connection fee, 200 (USD).

Plumber next. Then the inside finishing crew comes in.

Busy turning bank computer electrons into a perfect living space ...

Some price comparisons

One of the factors that prompted me to retire overseas is the considerably lower cost of living here in India. The local newspaper had an article recently on current wholesale vegetable prices at the central market (in USD per kilo):
- tomatoes .08
- onions .22
- cabbage .025
- beans .16
- carrots .06

Hardly seems worth planting a garden at these prices! Nevertheless we are busy doing so. Our first tomato of the season should be ready in a couple of days.

I share a four-generation family home with my adopted Indian family. We are eight adults and four children. Our total monthly budget, including food and utilities, is about USD 200. My share is USD 30, for which I have my own room and ensuite bathroom, and two (vegetarian) meals a day, breakfast and dinner.

I usually have lunch in the nearby town for less than USD 0.50 for a vegetarian meal, or USD 1 for non-veg.

Petrol (gasoline) prices have come down recently; now about USD 3/gallon.

My pension goes a long way here!