How Travel Teaches

The (mis) adventure, in a sense, started at the word go...almost right from the moment I was to leave home.

Decision was to take a day bus..... an anytime preferred option, but especially so as I'd never done the Bangalore - Chennai stretch on road. I booked my cab on time, but there was a technical snag and the booking didn't get logged with the cab. Ten minutes of frantic effort and I realized there was no quick fix. So I started off by walk, a good distance to the nearest auto..... and as you can imagine, it wasn't a pleasant walk, what with luggage and being rushed.

I get to the bus stop, and the guy at the place says 'aap ka bus tho gayaa' (your bus has left).

I could only stare in disbelief....my watch showed 8.07, and the bus was scheduled for 8.10.....and I was left wondering if clock settings could have messed things up further. I was standing there wondering what next.... few minutes of total cluelessness. Then a bus drives in, and I was so relieved to hear that it was my bus after all..... the guy at the counter had made a mistake. Gosh, breathed again.

I reach Chennai at two, and then figure I need to get to a local bus stand to catch a bus to Mahabalipuram.  I ask around, and a guy there says it's just around the corner, very close......and I guess it was, except that with a bag, and straight off a six hour ride.....and in the blazing heat of Chennai it just didn't seem so close :(

I get to Koyemveedu bus stand, to find that the only buses to Mahabs are the rickety, open windowed, district buses. It was so hot I would have given a lot to get an air conditioned bus, but I decide to chance it....no energy to go searching.

And it turned out to be one of my craziest drives. I took the first seat behind the door. (rather the space for the door....there is no door :). At first it was exciting....but as you hit the east coast road which runs along the shore, you also realize what you need is not as much air conditioning, but basically a shutter to the window and the door, there was neither. I felt I was going to get blown off the bus.

And then there are the thoughts. If I can get the focus off the wind, and the dust, and the grime.....and look just beyond...there is the beauty of the road, the shore, and the sea.

If you can alter perspective....... you can alter the entire experience.

I did....so instead of getting off all dusty and upset and tired, I got off all excited, exhilarated and breathless. I was in perfect mood to see diksha and deepak who came to receive me.

They then took me through town.....through narrow winding streets of the fishermens colony..... and through a lane that seemed to reach straight into the sea, and was also entrance to Bob Marley's.

An eventful day...in terms of experience and learning. Stay focused on objective, and the little difficulties cease to distract...better still, look for the beauty in things, and chances are you'll see it :)

Robert Kennedy Savarimuthu

Robert is as interesting and intriguing as his name is.

                                           

As I sat by the first evening of my visit, listening to this really mixed group from Mahabs, Bangalore, Paris, Tunisia and Chennai, chatting up over a bottle(s) of wine, I was not just fascinated, but also got curioser and curioser. The last day of my visit, I was lucky enough to catch Robert alone at breakfast for a more incisive chat. Here's excerpts:

Robert is basically from Chennai, and has worked his way up..... right from the slums of Chennai....through living in Australia, Canada, US, UK and Switzerland..... before finally making Mahabalipuram his home.

His fascination for the sea started right from when he was in class eight, and he used to often cycle all the way from Chennai to Mahabalipuram, just to soak in the sea and sand. While he was born into gang wars and the tough life, he says the calm and serenity of the sea used to feel like paradise, and there were days he used to even sleep all nights on the beach by himself.

He was a dreamy guy and not interested in academics, and in class eleven he was suspended from school. There was an Anglo Indian teacher in the same school who seems to have seen something in him...he took him under his wing, and Robert went on to live in that teachers house, helping out with the tuitions, and did his rest of schooling from there.

He said everything in his life was a story. It's on the Mahabs beach that he got to know a lot of tourists, especially foreign tourists....... being with who, he says, expanded his 'world view'. And he said it's here that he was introduced to the world of music and art which grew to become a significant part of his life. (to the extent that today he plans to visit Belgium to attend a music festival)

His uncle was a kingpin in Burma bazaar (anyone who knows erstwhile Madras will know that this was a most popular smuggled goods market), and Robert was his right hand man, and was pivotal in sourcing products from Singapore and Malaysia, as much above board as under. He started to challenge the norms and he found himself making a lot of money. To the work trips to Malaysia he added visits to Genting island, again the sea....... and this time the casinos. (I could see he had identified his own concept of a stop loss ) He had a figure that was non negotiable; if he went in with ten thousand ringets, that was his threshold of loss. 

And then he made more money, and started to travel the world, all through his contacts built on the beaches of Mahabs. He even become the contact guy for song filming in Switzerland for the Tamil film world, back in the day when the concept was yet nascent, also through a Swiss contact on the beach of Mahabs.

One thing he said he had learnt from all his travel abroad, is how much people lived by the watch, how everything was a norm, a rule..... sleep, work, love, play..all timed....and life almost got lived only on weekends......and somewhere along he decided he wouldn't live like that. He didn't want a system.

Here was a guy who really thought for himself.

One of the really interesting and deep things he said. He has this policy he calls 1/3 , 1/3, 1/3.

One third part of his earnings for daily expenses, one third part for savings, and one third for helping others. He say whatever he has earned, he has always done that. I found that profound and exemplary. 

During the tsunami of 2004, he was in Canada. The tsunami impact on the east coast of India was catastrophic.....and that's when he decided his place was here, and he had to do his bit....... and he came back....and it's then that Bob Marley happened to him.

A French - German couple who owned a small shack called Bob Marley's, decided to move back to France ......and there he spotted his opportunity. He bought the place. He bought it as a small shack, and over the years he has built on it. He now has around five rooms and while it's now a concrete structure, it still retains the thatched roof and the shack feel that's so intrinsic to it's ambience (In fact that couple came back to India later, and now have a cafe in Pondicherry and he's still in touch with them)

An interesting twist was an issue with the name......he received a letter from the US stating copy right reasons.  He then changed the name to Bob's Cafe, but even today everyone in Mahab's knows it as Bob Marleys.

A couple of things at Bob Marley's which also caught my attention.... he has one beautiful dog named Rasta and, hold your breath... around fourteen cats on the premises. He says the cats help keep away the rats, but .....but there's one little mouse in his room which is so cute that he doesn't let the cats in.

He also epitomizes the culture of the place..he lives it.... art and music seem to flow through the walls of Bob Marley's ...it's music even I'd listened to....full retro and all.

He has almost taken Diksha and Deepak under his wings, and while they are hard at work on the art on his cafe walls, as also others, I came back reassured that until they are in Mahabalipuram, they were not only in safe hands, but also in inspiring hands. Thanks Robert, for encouraging them, hosting them, motivating them....and keeping the pressure on them :)

And Robert, was really interesting meeting and talking to you...not too many can boast as fascinating and self chosen a journey as yours. Good Luck in the years to come, and may Bob Marley's go on forever !!

Velankanni & Nagore

With a three day trip that covered Velankanni (a church), Nagore (a dargah) and Kanchipuram (a temple), I've rewritten my sentence which I'd started with 'as a non believer....' so I'm sneaking it in end of sentence...just to retain flavor.

Guess folks will call it perspective....but yes, each of those places was a conscious and planned visit. Diksha being in Mahabalipuram was the magnet that made it happen, as that was like base camp.

When I spoke of a bolt of inspiration that made this trip happen, it's quite literal. The thought just flashed into my mind..... that I should visit Velankanni....... and I listened. There's a talk of Deepak Chopra's in which he says "the universe is at all times in conversation with you..is your radar tuned well enough to catch what it's saying". Guess my radar was :). After that things just started to fall into place, and the trip happened. A trip that will remain one of my most intense and cherished in more ways than one.

                               

                               

Needless to say, the first look takes your breath away. It's architecturally beautiful. It looms over you with nothing to clutter the backdrop..almost surreal in it's magnificence. The pristine white, the arched windows, the delicate balustrades and the beautiful steeples made it feel like a carved vanilla cake that would just melt away in the blistering sun.

Considering we knew nothing about Velankanni, Diksha was reading on her phone as we drove there, and that created a nice receptacle in our minds.

Its origins can be traced back to the 16th century, and there are some interesting legends associated with the church, all of which are kept alive through either beautiful sculptures or glass paintings. There are three miracles said to have founded the church, two through an apparition of Mary and Jesus; one to a slumbering shepherd boy, the healing of a lame buttermilk vendor and then the survival of portuguese sailors from a ship wreck on it's coast. 

It is built in the Gothic style, was modified by Portuguese and then further expanded. The church building was raised to the status of basilica in 1962 by Pope John XXIII, and is now called 'Basilica of the Lady of Good Health' . It's also known as the 'Lourdes of the East'.

While the main church was impressive and pretty and all, it was the earlier church that's behind the main church......which we totally chanced upon (nothing happens by chance :) that was an intense experience for all of us, and made me glad we'd visited.

So if ever you do go, do not forget to visit the church behind. 

Then onto the Dargah. On the way back to Mahabalipuram, we visited the Nagore Dargha, which was a surprise add on, as I hadn't even heard of it until the day before I left for the trip ( I was telling Vijji aunty of the trip and she says, definitely go to Nagore...and go we did). Was an interesting visit, though diksha and I weren't allowed inside the sanctum sanctorium ( no women yet ). 

                        

The traditional ritual of the khadim patting your head with the Farrasha ( a broom like thing made of peacock feathers) was very intense and interesting. In fact when we came out and exchanged notes, we found we both had identical reactions. At first you start to giggle because it's like getting whacked on the head and repeatedly so, and it's just so novel I guess..... and then you sober out and gradually connect into the prayer as it intensifies and it then feels powerful.

And Nagore town itself was interesting, with many a quaint old house from times gone by. 

This was idli's on the way. Mani, our cab driver kept trying to take us to what he thought were decent enough places to eat, little knowing we had no such hang ups. We stopped at this shack, which had just idli and chutney and sambar, and we all loved it:

Travel sure expands horizons.........

On A Trip

This was 'a trip'.....physically and metaphorically too. A trip pretty literally born out of a sudden, and not so random bolt of inspiration. The story of the why later, but the trip itself was a three day visit to Mammalapuram....and I'd say, to another world.

Mammalapuram, also known as Mahabalipuram is a historical, artistic, intriguing beach town, around seventy kms off Chennai....known for it's ancient temples, artistic sculptures, artsy cafes and beautiful beaches.

Diksha and Deepak have been at Mahabalipuram for three weeks, painting walls of two local cafes.....and in a sense, their first foray into independent living. Three days with them and I guess I got an insiders peep into a bohemian life.

Their base was (is actually as they're yet on the job) Bob Marley's Cafe, a chilled out cafe and beach house. While I have visited Mahabs (as it's locally called) earlier, that was as tourist, while this was an entirely different experience; in their three weeks there, they've been pretty much accepted into the local stream ....and it gave me a sneak peek in.

                                   

The place has a flow of energy that seems to envelope anybody entering it's fold. When Diksha said, 'we meet so many different kinds of people ma... it's wonderful, interesting and intense space', I now begin to understand. It's such an informal and close knit community.....  guests, owners, owners friends, workers...all belong to this one commune. Any kind of barriers just fall away; cultural, language, class, city, country, education, age.......none are visible.

While mornings are work, evenings are hang out time.... some known, and some new folks each day. If one evening was Shabari, a friend from a neighboring village telling us his experience with the tsunami, one was Robin from Paris and Noor from Tunisia sharing their experiences from across the globe (they are on an eight month backpacking tour of India), another was Manoj's story from Nepal, another a guest from Chennai....it's just this heady mix. 

Robert also plays great music, and I was intrigued to hear him say he wants to go to Belgium to attend a music festival. In fact I'll need to do a whole separate post on Robert (who owns Bob Marleys). There's often also a lot of jamming that goes on into the wee hours of the morning, as so many of them are heavy into music, guests and locals alike (Deepak plays the melodica). 

Two evenings, and my senses were flooded with the experience...all this, and then the beauty of the shack being right on the shore, literally a stones throw away...you can hear the change in the sound of the waves as the tide comes in...and the noise of the sea is always there in the background.

Here's some of the art work from Deepak and Diksha:

        

I just didn't get the lizards bit (i have a phobia), but gecko's are apparently an accepted and loved part of life in Mahabs. There's even a gecko's cafe :)

The two below are at a cafe called Instant Karma. And they are yet working on the third.

Mahabs is also called the Dream of Stones, and you still see a lot of artisans busy at sculpting. Diksha bought me a Buddha (the eighth buddha in the house she said :), even as the sculptor was blowing the dust off the statuette. She said the stone was hot in the hand as she picked it up. And what's more the sculptor has become friend and agreed to give them sculpting lessons :)

Diksha and Deepak....wonderful art work there. Admire your grit and determination in braving the heat, to stay with the art...and what's more, enjoying.... and learning from the whole process. And yes, thanks for letting me into a whole different beautiful world. 

On Navarathri...

On festivals, what's app can get flooded with greetings...and from that flood there was this one which I was particularly happy to see.

Especially so, as it came from a friend who till so recently thought she needed to have her husband choose what she wears, as she didn't trust her own choice.

"And then the princess found herself locked in a tower surrounded by a stinky moat with crocodiles and a huge scary dragon guarding the door," read the mother, with her eyes wide and voice deep. Then, she made a sad face and continued softly, "So, the poor princess waited and waited for her prince to come--"

"But, why was she waiting for the prince, mumma?!" asked the little girl, impatiently.

The mother added, "To come and save her, silly."
"But, mumma, why did she need a prince to save her?" the girl asked again.

"Uhh... hmm..." the mother was at a loss of words.

The little girl said proudly, "If it were me, instead of waiting for years and years for a prince, I would have tamed the dragon and flew out of the window. I would have rescued myself."

She discarded the book and walked away, "This princess is stupid."

The mother whispered with a broad smile, "I guess it is time to rewrite the fairy tales."

After all it's a festival of the goddess....great time to connect into the feminine energy..... Happy Navrathri !!

Hey Mountain Dweller

At times, it takes just that one fleeting moment of clarity and honesty to see, and connect into stuff that matters....

I was half way through writing a post on self awareness, and I recalled I might have done a similar one.... on emotional intelligence a long while ago....... and when I found it, more than the post, what caught my attention was the comments. It had an interesting exchange with Mountain Dweller....... and it enabled some smilingly poignant moments.

Mountain Dweller was an interesting part of my initial blogging days...a pervasive mysterious presence with his (her) intelligent, incisive, sensitive, and at times cheeky comments. I'd hoped to one day know who. I still do.....

Anyways, this gave me occasion, especially so on a milestone (six hundred posts :), to pause and acknowledge the 'comments'.......... they do add a feel good factor. So, to all folks who've done that every once in a while....girija, vishakha, kusuma, kiran, ajit, sujatha, annapurna, eunice, rams, vineyard grapes, ajit, usha, swaroop, nakul and ma......your comments made a difference. It matters that you've been part of a very cherished journey..... thanks from the heart.

And to Mountain Dweller for evoking this :)

A Hatke Trascendence

Early morning...way back from my walk....and this number plate caught my attention 

'Transcend Marlboro'.

Brought on the smile...I was thinking, this guy sure has his routes easier :)