Indian Samurai इंडियन सामुराई

I recently did a mini-break in Orissa.

Orissa, and more precisely Puri, is there:

Immediate question when I speak about this trip (to Indians and others): “But why there?? Why Orissa??“

I was looking for a place to visit with my friends, with a big time constraint – which doesn’t really help in India.

I had posed a first option on Bundi, in Rajasthan. Super pastoral. But that implied one night of train + one hour of car to go there and 3 hours of train + a plane to return. And then while doing some research I found out that we would miss the local festival by only a few days. But that we could attend the festival of Puri, in Orissa. It is a sacred city in India and there is a festival! No need to say no more. And it is also easily accessible by plane and not too expensive. Done!!

We arrive at the mini airport of Bhubaneshwar. How nice to be able to walk from the plane to the terminal!! We find a car without a problem for Puri (one and half hour from there). It is dark outside and we can’t see anything. On the other hand our ears take load. Loud Indian music and the driver is hooked to the horn. Never seen (or rather heard) that. Really. And surprisingly our 2 other drivers during the trip, same thing!!

We arrive at the hotel. I succeeded in taking the last one on the beach, so far from the other hotels that the driver believed it did not exist! There is no roof, the 4th floor is in construction and obviously the work has been stopped. The restaurant is in the basement, “nicely” decorated with plastic flowers. There is no one… Guys constantly pass half naked (apparently the restaurant is between the staff quarters and the shower). The roasted fish is good but the chicken is not well unfrozen. I have to point it out. Answer of the waiter - which honestly did not express anything (the absolute vacuum): “it is the AC”. Good Lord. The food is not cooked and he talks to me about the AC! Good luck…

The night goes by, with crackers and other backfires…

Indigo is an Indian low-cost, my favorite. Brand new planes, a nice TV ad and they are regularly on time.

When I went back and forth to Bhubaneshwar, I found the stewardesses’ haircuts weird: how could they all have short hair? I looked and looked and finally I was sure: they wear wigs!! Poor things... 

 I took Indigo later on and all the hostesses were not wearing the wig but on that flight to Orissa, we felt on Pan Am airline in the thirties! 

 What is even weirder than the wig is the short haircut which is still not common at all in India. It is for “easy girls”. Hostesses to make people fantasize? Another thing I noticed: no steward, only women!!

And still for Indigo, here is the recruitment ad – the requirements are the same for all the companies. It includes a “clear complexion”. Americans would love that: straight to court!! 

India,
Ladakh the Great.
Gasp!
And then, years later,
An insider in Mumbai,
Ant among ants,
It doesn't feel that bad...
Matheran, its cliffs,
Its fog thickening from another age.
On the road,
Walls as snakes,
Burning carefreeness.
And Udaipur,
Lucky waters
A surprising strike,
Notebooks made out of leather.

India,
Country of asylum for my elder sister,
Who would have guessed?
Such a different culture... to enhance strenght of caracter?

India,
The first real sharing experience
Occured on a stop-over.

Love 

Adrien M., 07/11/2011, Trips:

August 2000 (Ladakh)

August 2009 (Mumbai, Udaipur, Matheran)