26 December 2004

One year ago........
A way to remember:

Disaster Remembrance Week



In these days TV shows the terrible images of the tsunami, survivors talk about their experience and their lost beloved ones(40 italian people died there).
All the people I've heard (still in the sufference) continue talking about helping the poor people of these areas and everybody tell that in the following moments after the tragedy people helped them with the little they had and with compassion.

I know that not all the money and the help probably have gone to the poor people and some speculation fuelled in the most touristic areas of Thailand and Sri Lanka but I think that we still have to do our best .

....life goes on

Well, our journey has gone on (fortunately!)
After Trivandrum we travel to Varkala where for 4 days the beach was closed and where a couple of restaurants were damaged. In every bar or restaurant people from all over the world in their own language discuss about the tragedy... and about their new travel plan!


Facing the ocean

After 5 relaxing days here in Varkala we would like to go on the backwaters but some people told us that in Kollam was still unsafe so we proced directly to Allepey were we found a very nice place to stay (Tharavad Heritage Resort).


Kettu vallam (a boat)

After Allepey (didn't love this place a lot really) we went to Fort Cochin where you can breath a nice atmosphere.....


Mum & Dad, me&Mauro.......just amazing!
(I let you guess why the first pic is really better than the second one-my father was spectacular when uses my digital!)

After Cochin we went back to Trivandrum to spent the last days on the beach of Kovalam. There we met again Luca and visit again Vellanad and the children.

The new office 

Now the new office is finished and all the staff is ready to welcome everyone who wants to visit the children and the families and wants to learn how the association use the money (there are two or three rooms free for the visitors).

Me, Mauro and Biju, happy for the simple toy we brought to him. 

The worse side

Unfortunately just the second day of our stay a terrible cataclysm occured.
We didn't understand how big it was until we saw on television on the following days all the news and the picture and.... Oh, my gosh!
In the afternoon of the 26th of December we received this call from some friends from Italy asking:" Hey, are you OK?". And so we asked "Why?". And they answered that there was a big hearthquake in Indonesia "Well, but we are in India now, no problems here!". Oh yes, they said to us, but here in Italy all the TVs show this disaster because a big wave formed after the quake called "tsunami" in japanese and this wave have swept everything on his path........


Tsunami map

So we knew about this incredible disaster and passed all the day calling home to assure everybody that we were fine and safe on the west coast of India. Only in the following days we learned that some waves hit near Kollam, and near Trivandrum and Kanyakumari and some people told us that the level grew in the backwaters.

Read the latest news at http://tsunamihelp.blogspot.com

The arrival

Now I'm here, back in my house. I'm writing and pasting on the diary some pics from my collection.
It's really unbeleivable all the things that happened (fortunately all good things...). The big fear with my parents was to get sick or worse....
We arrive at the airport of Trivandrum on the 25th of December very tired but happy and excited. Outside an incredible crowd of people...just amazing!
Oh Lord!Where's Luca? But Luca was there waiting for us.
First of all a good breakfast at the Veli's Indian Coffee House: first masala dosa for all! (Mum was a little shocked ...only water for her)

Then went to the Hotel Chaitram near to the Bus Stand and the Train Station.... (really near and really noisy, avoid it if you can).
And after a little shower (it was really hot temperature) we went to Vellanad, the village on the hills near Trivandrum (about 30 Km) where Namaste has an office.


With Vishnu and his family

The first pics with Mauro trying to hide, Taddeus huging Daddy and Mum .... now she smiles but when we leaved from the house of these sweet people and say goodby.....

Well, this was our first day. After that we had a really good time with a wonderful lunch prepared by the cook in the office (the best biryani I've ever had!).

The night (as I've said the hotel was near the Bus Stand) was a nightmare... but we were also really tired!

UNBELIEVABLE!

I know, I know ........
So many months ago (it seems to me) I started this blog just to write down my sentiments and share with (don't know who....) my experience.
From then a lot of things happened.

My first intention was to update my travel journey every day while in India or at least once a week..... Of course didn't happen.
WHY?
Couldn't find Internet Cafés out there? No, it's plenty of its nowadays.
The costs was too high? No, from 15 to 30 Rs. per hour (about 0,26/0,52 euro).
Not enough time to spend in an Internet Café? Well, probably, and just because I still prefer my old paper diary and my coloured pens.
And thanks to it now I can write down what's happened.

BEFORE DEPARTURE


"...all my bags are packed,I'm ready to go..."/ Mum



Mauro / Dad



...meee!

One year ago / Un anno fa

It's incredible, I can't really beleive that another year has already passed by .....
E' incredibile, non posso credere che è trascorso un altro anno .....
I think that it was about this period when with Mauro and a friend of ours started to talk about a journey. Obviously when I decide to leave my first thought is always India and that was how all started...
Eravamo circa in questo periodo quando con Mauro e una nostra amica abbiamo iniziato a pensare ad un viaggio. Ovviamente quando io decido di partire il mio primo pensiero è per l'India ed è stato così che iniziato.
By the way, Terry, our friend, she doesn't come with us ( I don't know why) but my parents do!
In ogni modo Terry, la nostra amica, non viene con noi (non so veramente il perchè) ma i miei genitori invece sì!
Everything is ready.....or better: nothing is ready! We have our tickets, the visa, our backpacks already packed and ........nothing else!
Tutto è pronto.... o meglio: niente è pronto! Abbiamo i biglietti, i visti, gli zaini già pronti e..... nient'altro!
May be I am a little fool but I am sure that everything will be all right!
Forse sono un pò matta ma sono convinta che tutto andrà per il meglio!
I have my contact down there with Luca, a nice guy from Castenaso who is there for one year now, helping Valeria at the village of Vellanad. He will come to the airport to pick up us and will help for the first accomodation. After that, I don't know. All that could happens it will be good for us.
Ho il mio contatto laggiù, Luca, un ragazzo di Castenaso che è là da un anno ormai, aiutando la Valeria al villaggio di Vellanad. Ci verrà a prendere all'aeroporto e ci darà una mano a cercare il primo hotel. Dopo di ciò, non lo so. Tutto quello che succederà andrà bene per noi.
See ya! Bye.
A presto. Ciao.

The itinerary

24th December - Departure from Rome to Kuwait City and arrive in Trivandrum the 25th December.
25th December - The first day will be of rest and acclimatization for all. Maybe in the afternoon we could have our first approach to the town and have a nice walk in MG Road. In the evening Christmas' Dinner.

26th December - Trivandrum sightseeing: the temple, the fort, the markets, etc.
27th December - A trip in the surroundings area: Ponmudi, Neyyar Dam.
28th December - A trip to Padmanabhapuram.
from 29th to 1st January - Varkala: the temple, the beaches, the nice village.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

1st January - Will move to Kollam by bus and then take a boat trip to Alappuzha: backwaters wonderer.
2nd January - Visit of Alappuzha and Kumakoram.
3th January - Kottayam and Ettumanur temple. After we will move to Kumily, near Peryar Wildlife Sanctuary.
4th & 5th January - Visit to the park.
from 6th to 8th January - The ancient town and porto of Kochi with its palaces, churches, synagoge.
from 9th to 11th January - Don't know what we could do: maybe we can stay here or go to Thrissur or .......
from 12th to 14th January - Go back south to Kovalam! Last few days we can rest here!
15th January - Departure.

Ricordando il Kerala

E' una sensazione strana questa.
Perchè il ricordo è basato su poche ore di viaggio in treno lungo un tratto di costa.
Eravamo partiti la sera prima da Bangalore. Mauro mi svegliò alle cinque di mattina convinto di essere già arrivato, ma mancavano ancora ben dodici ore di viaggio!
Io mi sono riappisolata sulle sue ginocchia fino a quando il vagone si è riempito e i rumori non mi hanno più fatto dormire.

Dapprima tutto mi parve normale. Poi, dopo la sosta a Cochin .....
Bagliori, sprazzi di luce e di verde smeraldino. Il sole, luccichio dorato tra le palme. E poi le lagune, i canali, i terrapieni.
E' come la favola che abbiamo immaginato tutti da bambini: un magico mondo dove la natura ti avvolge e ti abbraccia e non ti spaventa con rumori, animali feroci, boschi tetri, persone cattive.
Io non ero più sul Trivandrum-Express.
Guardavo fuori dal finestrino e volavo. Ogni capanna era la mia capanna; ogni villaggio il luogo dove ero cresciuta; ogni saree colorato in mezzo al verde lo indossavo io.
L'uomo che ora vedevo attraversare la risaia era mio padre. Sì, era lui!
Ma il treno si muove rapidamente e lui è già scomparso.
Di nuovo costeggiamo un canale e poi, incredibile ma vero, scorgo fra le palme una "cinquecento"!

Che posto strano l'India!
P.S. - presto questo ricordo lontano (lo scrissi nel '92) potrà essere confrontato con uno più fresco: sarà ancora veritiero?

Talking about India

Now I want to talk a little about India. Why India?

Well, really I don't know why!
Everything started about 14 years ago when my cousin Marzia asked me to leave with other friends. I gave up my job (I worked as a waitress at that time) and gone.... So happy I've done it! I was 21, just finished the school, didn't know anything about life .....
The trip was from 19 December ’89 to 15 January ’90 starting from Delhi to Agra then Varanasi, Khajuraho, Goa (Benaulim) and then Mumbai.
The group was formed by me , Marzia , Alberto (our friend, a very experienced traveller), his son and his “girlfriend”.
Some few words about Alberto: he usually travelled only with his camera and a little haversack , used only public transport, eat always “street food” (only sometimes in restaurant like Leopold’s in Mumbai) and for the accommodation he chose always budget hotel .
During our trip he was the captain and we were the crew, we followed him everywhere and did what he said without saying a word.
And that’s how I started to love India so much, due to Alberto and his roughness and to the fact that that year he dared us to follow him and we win!

Now I am 36 (the age of Alberto at that time), this year will be my fourth time in India and the third with my husband.
If Alberto is still alive he will be about 50 . But he is no longer with us cause to his heart disease. He died in 1997 after he came back from his last journey in India. I think he died happy because as he always said to us he lived in the way he like without worry about the illness.

… and when I think to India always think a little to him.

The group


After the journey, when I came back home, I feel like as a new me was born.
I found my love, Mauro, and after one year I was back with him.
50 days of an incredible, funny and awesome trip around Ma India.
Other things happened into my life after that (good and bad) but never stoped think about India.
It's only in 1997, when we decided to marry off, that we went again for our honeymoon

We spent 4 weeks trhough Rajasthan and absolutely loved it!

1997 - In the desert

Rajasthan, the Land of the Kings: the Rajput.
The Golden city of Jaisalmer; the blue Jodhpur; the relaxed Udaipur; the pink Jaipur.
Every town here has a colour, a smell, an idea of.......don't know what. And the people is fantastic, so friendly and helpful: can't forget Manu or Gandhisham and all the other.....

Ready to start!

Well, hallo!
I'm ready to begin my new on-line journal/diary. I know it will be hard for me because I want to write it in english (not my mother tongue, obviously) but I try to do my best.

Now, all this begins because I want to write about my next trip to India this winter and I need (if it's possible) to hold a diary of the journey, of the experience before, during and after this trip.

Map


This is the map of south India and here you can see the state of Kerala, called "GOD'S OWN COUNTRY" by the State Tourist Department.
The state of Kerala stretches for 550 km along India's southwest coast, and is just 120 km wide at its broadest point. Kerala offers beautiful beaches, trips through peaceful lagoons (the Backwaters) and canals, hills stations, wildlife sanctuaries and complex cultural customs.
The state of Kerala was created in 1956 from the former states of Travancore, Cochin and Malabar. Kerala had the first freely elected communist government in the world, elected in 1957.
Small scale and relatively relaxed, Kerala's cities and towns are all within easy reach of each other. That's good because I don't want to spend too many time travelling (we have only 3 weeks!) and also because our companion during this trip will be ....... mum and daddy!!

Mum & Dad


They have never travelled before ! I'm a little bit anxious about this! But I am so proud of my Mum : she wants to come, she wants to experience this and now I understand why I am a little.... fool ...I am her daughter! Well, hope that all will work fine.

We will arrive on Xmas day early in the morning at the Trivandrum's Airport and start our Great Indian Adventure from there. Then we move north to Alappuzha, then Kochi and Thrissur. Back to Trivandrum and go home on the 15th of January. More details in my next blogs.

In Trivandrum we'll meet with our long distance adopted children: two little boys (adopted with my collegues at work), and other two adopted by my parents.
We are very happy to do this and to help the people who does this hard work in this little village near Trivandrum.

Here is the link to the pages of the Association (in italian):
http://www.namaste-adozioni.org