lundi 31 mars 2008
India House
Last post on India, after two fascinating, not always restful, months traveling into the North. A lot of colors, various strong smells, rickshaws and horns, noise, touts, curry and masala, met on my way... for better or for worse. At the end of the day, I had a pleasant time and had left the country my heart closed to the new friends made there... Namaste India!
Accomodation
Delhi Vivek hotel, Namaskar Hotel (recommanded) 480Rs for a 3 beds room
Amritsar the Golden Temple provides for free bed
Jaisalmer Swatsika Hotel, Peacok Guesthouse (recommanded) 250Rs double
Jodhpur Heaven Guesthouse (the best guesthouse ever! Thank you Nisha and Vinod) 250RS double
Udaipur Mona Lisa Hotel 200Rs single
Bundi Parihar Haveli Heritage vieuw 150Rs single
Pushkar Priya Guesthouse 150Rs single
Varanasi Puja guesthouse (coup de coeur!!!) 300Rs double
Kajuraho Yogi Lodge 100Rs single
Orchha Shiva Guesthouse 150Rs single Milan Restaurant for the best food ever!
Jaipur Paradise Inn 300 Rs single (a bit of a splurge before leaving India... ;) Cocoon restaurant
Orchha Palace, India
samedi 29 mars 2008
Family pics - India 2008
Frederik - Moana - Patrick - Nisha - Vinod - Pintu - Shambhu - Nati - Manu - Evelien- Koen
jeudi 27 mars 2008
Tout un cinema...
Who knows me, knows that i am not a big movies fan... I'd rather stay home reading a good book (or alternatively go for a beer...) than paying 8 euros for a crap blockbuster. Twice a year maximum, mainly due to peer pressure, I would accept to enter a cinema. But that's a max. Yet, abroad, it figures as a sociologic experiment. In Jaipur, Rajasthan, going to the theater is a must-do. It is like entering Disneyland since it is designed as a kitsch creamy cake circle. A thick carpet softens your steps and the reclining chairs are a luxury for only 60 Rs (not even 1 euro).
The movie as such was not too bad... forget about the cliche of Bollywood movies as displaying only dances and hindi songs with a green Swiss scenery behind. Black and White is a very modern story taking place in the "war against terrorism" context. A Muslim (originally from Afghanistan) comes to Delhi, planning a suicide bombing in the Red Fort during the Independance Day memorial. The bad boy will get to know a very famous professor of islamic culture and his hindu wife and will start doubting about his mission. Of course (it is still a Bollywood movie at the end of the day) some hindi dances and a little bit of romance were added to complete the story... So Indians are as afraid as us of terrorists, but in a country where muslims are still present, despite the Partition having created Pakistan - the nation of the pures- in 1947, the message tries to be positive and peace oriented. Yet, in a still very conservative country, sex scenes were mere pillows fight between wife and husband. It was interesting to notice as well how the way of shooting did not transfigure reality but mainly stands to please one's eyes. Delhi appears very quiet and clean, no one in the subway or in the Red fort surroudings for instance. When you know how it is in for real, you can only smile...
This, added to the French movie I'd seen in Delhi in the framework of a French festival organised by the French embassy, I reckon I am done with cinema for 2008...
mercredi 19 mars 2008
Homo Erectus
Kajuharo, Utta Pradesh. Les avis a son sujet divergent. Et dix verges, c est bien connu, c est enorme.
On dit de cet endroit que c'est architouristique. On raconte que les indiens ici sont particulieres tenaces et desagreables, a vouloir a tout prix vous vendre cartes postales, kama sutra et babioles en tout genre. Enfin, on dit aussi que les temples n'en valent pas le detour. Et bien, il m'a fallu etre comme Thomas et voir pour croire... et infirmer tous ces dires.
Les touristes, on les evite en parcourant le site a 6h du matin, ou du reste cela permet de se retrouver seule, les temples et personne d'autre. Les indiens, bah, deux mois en Inde ont forge une strategie de refoulement assez efficace. Et les temples, ce sont des petits Angkor indiens...
Le principal attrait de Kajuharo sont les sculptures erotiques ornant les temples. Mais attention hein! Faut pas s'emballer. Pas de porno trash ici, mais bien des oeuvres raffinees, ou les details foisonnent. Par contre le raffinement retombe tout de suite lorsque, comme moi, vous vous faites suivre pendant une demi-heure par un indien en rute, vraisemblablement inspire par les oeuvres l'entourant, qui vous regarde d'un air malsain en se caressant. Et oui, c est ca aussi l'Inde. Et ce n'est pas la premiere fois et sans doute par la derniere que je croise la route de ce genre de dements...
lundi 17 mars 2008
Laisser de marbre
Once upon a time, an emperor, desperate by the death of his beloved wife decided to build up a big white marble monument in her memory. It stands today as one of the most famous symbol of India, the Taj Mahal. Later on, he planned to build up a black Taj as well, but got put in jail by his own son in the fort of Agra before he could achieve his black dream. His last request was to get a room, however small or spartiat it would be but having at least a window from where he could admire the Taj. The Taj Mahal sums up an Indian world full of paradoxes. It is a muslim monument in a country largely run by hindouism, it is a monumemt dedicated to love, where 80 % of weddings are all arranged. But what a nice love story behind...
vendredi 14 mars 2008
Holy days
Vanarasi or Benares. A city name full of meanings and dreams. The holy city where the Ganges encompasses both life and death. From the 80 ghats, Indians people take their bath, pray, burn their dead relatives, do their laundry, swim, play cricket, etc. I am not a very religious person but the feeling you get from this holy place is unique. Once you'd got through the tenacity of touts and autorickshaws hassles, Varanasi unveils its magnificience to you. Yes there is a lot of tourists but you easily forget them when spending 2 hours on a ghat, just watching at the life that buzzes here.
dimanche 9 mars 2008
Road Trippin'
Petit silence radio pendant une semaine sur le blog... benh quoi? On se prend les vacances qu'on peut en vacances...! ;)
Aux nouvelles, decouverte de Bundi (coup de coeur), un havre de paix, loin du circuit touristique, ou les "Namaste" veulent vraiment dire bonjour (et non pas "Bonjour, viens donc dans mon magasin acheter de l'eau/coca/cigarettes/biscuits/chocolats..."), avec son magnifique fort abandonne et envahi par les singes, surplombant la ville, bleue elle aussi, comme a Jodhpur. Un excellent moment passe avec Chiko, a filer comme des fous sur sa moto au travers de la campagne environnante. Waouw! La moto, ca faisait bien longtemps depuis la Birmanie et ca me manquait vraiment ce genre de petites escapades, cheveux au vent, a avaler une tonne de mouchettes!
Ensuite, arrivee a Pushkar, la ville du dieu Bhrama, entourant le lac sacre ou les indiens se baignent comme a Varanasi, un havre de neo hippies baba cool aux longs cheveux pas coiffes et d'israeliens... ou toutes les pancartes sont en hebreu. Quel depaysement ma foi!
Ce soir, direction Agra, histoire de constater par mes propres yeux ce que l'amour peut vous faire faire... Y'en a qui offre des roses. D'autres construisent des Taj Mahal.
samedi 1 mars 2008
Bride and Prejudice
Perhaps I should give a try to arranged marriages... It seems to work*. Yet, it is true that the second day of the wedding, during the second function, where the groom finally met the bride, no look had been given, no smile, they remain as marble stones. Yet, the 4th day, they seemed much more relaxed, and even smiled to one another (which is usually not the case, when the groom is on his white horse - another tradition- during the parade, he generally looks very angry, or perhaps it is due to the thoughts flashing in his mind about how to handle a girl...). So yesterday, was the big day, when we are all dancing in the streets. Those Indians are crazy dancers! It was a lot of fun. The reception too, where all the guests could admire a yellow and a white girl dressed with their splendid sarees ;). Around midnight, another rite took place, with prays and sacrifices to Ganesh.
An unique experience indeed. I don't regret my overstay here in Jodhpur with Nisha and Vinod. I love you and will miss you. And will miss my little Naresh, the 11 years old Nepalese boy working at the guesthouse (I've lost all my values - child labor and co - in India...), and his husband's crisis towards me when I dirtied the floor, came back late from the wedding party, did not hurry up enough to answer the phone. But in reward, the look glanced at me when I appeared in my saree was good enough to break my heart.
* On the contrary, love marriages are hidden in India and are not well considered. With arranged weddings, the bride is chosen by the boy's father and she is kind of sold to his family. Since expectations towards the counterpart are lower (or even unexistant), marriages here last at least. And complicity and affection can emerge. I see everyday for 8 days now the perfect example with Nisha and Vinod.
vendredi 29 février 2008
La femme a barbe et l'homme invisible
Although I'd missed the election of Mister Moustache of the Desert in Jasailmer... I found instead much better: Madame Moustache of Jodhpur 2008. No comment. (Et sans trucage).
Et l'homme invisible, c'est moi. Il fut une epoque ou en Birmanie, je n'arretais pas apparemment de me faire mater (c'est Jacques et Jerome qui me l'ont fait remarquer), par les hommes comme par les femmes. Correspondant peut etre aux canons de beaute local, les "lade" (= belle, jolie en birman) ont serieusement flatte mon ego (ce qui n'est pas trop mal non plus, loin de la jungle et de la faune Placeluxienne... ;) Et en Birmanie, les gens etaient tellement adorables que cela ne me posait aucun probleme, aucune intention vile ne traversant l'esprit des hommes (birmans) la-bas. Par contre, il faut croire qu'en Inde, je suis consideree comme moche. Sacrement moche meme. Au point, que je pourrais danser seins nus en plein milieu d'un mariage qu'on ne m'adresserait pas la parole pour autant. Il est vrai, je voyage avec Moana, (presque) blonde, aux yeux bleus... et elle, subit des harcelements permanents. Ce qui finalement me fait dire que c'est peut etre mieux comme ca, que personne ne daigne me regarder... on me fout la paix, et je n'ai pas 6 indiens entasses sur moi a longueur de temps. Et je peux continuer a chanter a mon aise "Je pue du cul, je pue du cul" sur un air de "smelly cat", au grand desespoir de Moana.
Une fois n'est pas coutume, une photo perso:
mardi 26 février 2008
Preliminaire nuptial
First day of the wedding, the daughters of the family are praying Ganesh to protect the union. To the groom is associated the first son-born of his sister. Since only children are pure, his nephew will be considered as for the rest of the wedding as the reincarnation of the God Ganesh on earth. Each rite operated on the groom has to be done first on the little baby. If the baby was not aware of what was going on, the groom seemed to be very bored...
