Indian Samurai इंडियन सामुराई

Recently, India, to me, seemed just too polluted, too noisy, too hot, too smelly, too chaotic, too complicated, too mosquito-friendy. Just too much. It was probably the effect ‘three weeks in Europe in September, with an idyllic climate, the beautiful landscapes of Scotland (without pollution, without noise, without heat, without humans; well, just without anything)’. And I had to answer the same ten questions about life in India, which somehow makes me highlight the challenges – and consecutively wonder what I am still doing there! – rather than focusing on the positives, I don't know why. So landing back in my ‘reality’ under fooggy 40 degrees was a bit rough this time.

Until the day (less than a week after I came back) where, in the toilets of Chennai airport: I had been struggling for a good five minutes with my earrings – I got my ears pierced two years ago but I am still very clumsy and I hurt myself every time I try to put an earring – when the cleaning lady offered her help. And saved my right ear from a bloodshed!

When you need to breathe – and it happens sometimes (every day?) when you live in Mumbai (see thus article regarding pollution in India) – nothing like Kerala ! And if you have to take a plane, might as well go somewhere beautiful and 'exotic'. You might as well take a plane actually, since getting out of Mumbai by car takes at least one hour and half and the road with the traffic is just depressing.  

So one hour and half away from Mumbai (by place) there is Calicut/Kozhikode (the new name), with two daily direct flights. And this is the entrance point to Wayanad that you would reach a 3 hour drive later – yes, you need to work hard to get your Indian getaway!   

 

Less known than Kerala backwaters, Munnar tea plantations, Thekkady wild elephants, Wayanad is as lush and green…

Wayanad is also a famous place for ayurveda. A dream setting for a treatment! Since my parents had tried the experience, the choice of hotel for the following week-end was quite critical: it had to be something nice but without too many people, for a smooth transition back to the 'real' world. Wayanad is known for its ‘tree-houses’. We had selected two: Tranquil Resort and Marmalada Springs.   

But finally we went to Grassroots: luxury tents in breathtaking nature. And for half the price as other resorts. And we did not regret the choice!! Only 5 tents, a big convivial dining table and a crazy view!! The only 'fla"w' is that who says tent says flimsy barrier to sound. You immediately feel less secluded when you hear the imam* five times a day, the fish monger who sells his produce early morning, the staff listening to techno music, the neighbour switching on TV or a baby crying (mine this time ;-) ).

 

* There are a lot of Muslims in North Kerala – 2 millions in Wayanad, and 79 millions in the entire state (they represent 25% of the population, against 13% at the country level) (source 1, source 2) 

So when you get down the plane, you see almost everybody carrying this type of boxes: 

 

 

Initially I thought it was some kind of aquaguard to purify water but actually no. Asking around we found out that most of the passengers were coming from the Gulf** and were bringing back zam-zam water with them, holy water from Meca. 

 ** More than one fourth of Kerala households have a non-resident worker; and it goes up to three fourths in Muslim households! Also 10% of Kerala population live outside Kerala. In 2007, 85% of the 3 millions of non-resident workers malayali were based in the Gulf. (source) 

To finish, they eat some weird stuff there (but not bad): fruits marinated with chilis in salted water:

The other day I went back from work walking, to ease off my bad mood…

Great idea.

Thankfully no one asked me that day “hey, what is an Indian city like”?

I would have answered:

Well, an Indian city? It’s ugly. It’s even very very very ugly.

If by chance you see a nice looking building, take a good look because after one or two monsoons, it will be as ugly as the others. Why painting??

If only it was just ugly…

No it is also extremely difficult to walk. When you look at the pavements, you feel like you are in Sarajevo during war time. But even then, you are lucky there are pavements because most lanes don’t have. I have stopped judging Indians for never walking; it might not be only laziness after all… ;)

The height of it, it’s the noise. It is plain hell. Honking that make you deaf for sometime, drillers, engines, you just don’t see the end of it.

And it also smells. It smells so much that when you walk by a fruit stall, you feel like in heaven. For instance, on my way home, it smelled of the sea (which somehow regularly smells of a dead rat, god knows why), and then the river which seems the most convenient place to throw garbage (you cry when your rickshaw is stuck by this river waiting for a line to clear), and petrol. It smells, it smells, it smells.

This walk home finished me off.

 

No need to tell me, like my Hindi teacher did, that no one is asking me to stay. Here I am and here I stay. I am just not staying for the Indian cities. For what then? I’m thinking, I’m thinking.

And if someone can show me that actually Indian cities are not so bad, I’m waiting! I still remember going for a walk in Raipur. Plainly depressing…