I've just been gone 4 days and yet to me it feels like a lot longer. Time does like playing funny tricks eh.
I'm now in Bhubaneswar, Orissa. It's the capital city and yes it's crazy but it's more manageable than Kolkata! The train journey here wasn't quite what I'd hoped - I'd booked a second class a/c bunk thinking comfort but this meant I couldn't see any of the sights! Sleeper class is what I'll go for next, where windows are open and you can see everything. In a/c classes, there are just small darkened windows which you cant see from the top bunks. Anyhow I had a bit of a chat with the family I was sharing with before they relaxed back for the afternoon. An amazing amount of stuff is sold on the trains in India 'chai chai' 'coffee coffee' 'pani pani' (water) 'cutlets' and 'samosas' were the other things I could work out, there was some kind of machine that made something resembling puffed rice too, with lots of pots of different things to go with it...Rohit/Neeb/anyone that's been to India - any ideas?!
So then I was here in Orissa. It's a lot hotter here, not the climate to go out in midday heat as I did today, forgetting that you just can't do anything in that sort of heat, particularly not looking at stuffy old museum exhibits. There's a lot of 'anthropology' in India but not the kind of thing I'm interested in, and just the kind of thing that promotes the kinds of attitudes prevalent here that tribal people are backward and primitive.In fact these are exactly the terms used to officially define India's tribal population.
However yesterday was amazing! I made a ridiculous amount of progress with my plans considering I just arrived the night before. This has been thanks to contacts made and given to me before leaving. I called one of them in the morning and was invited straight to the familiy home. After a bit of chatting I was invited to come to a film festival in Puri with him and his wife and friends, and then to Niyamgiri (home of the Dongria Konds, who I want to stay with) hills with him, two journalists and an Indian sociologist! Amazing! I felt really comfortable in their home too and feel this is going to be the perfect way to enter the community I want to find out more about. First impressions are going to be important, and as the reason we're going there is to attend a Dongria Kond political rally I will be able to show my support for their cause, rather than arriving in a village as a random person they will probably associate with an NGO or the mining company Vedanta.
So from Monday onwards I'll have company! As I'm not here as a backpacker, and I'm in an area not visited by tourists as much as others I've been on my own so far, and so far I haven't found it easy to meet people - not a good idea with random men as on my own and women are often difficult to approach. However anyone I have got chatting with has been incredibly helpful and friendly.
My hotel here is nice enough for the price and I've got a few friends there - Mr Cockroach the Roach, Fred Gecko and Bill Gecko and the army of amiable ants.
I also went to meet the NGO Living Farms, who promote sustainable agriculture in the area, particularly in tribal areas. To begin with I thought this sounded pretty crazy as its these people that know about sustainability for real, but after some talking I realised this is their view too. Whether this is reflected in all of their work I'm not yet sure. I felt really welcome, and the guy there is going to let me know about the chances of me being able to visit, and stay in the Niyamgiri area through them. If this looks good, I'll stay on after the others leave the political rally, either in the Living Farms office in Bissamcuttack where I've been offered a bed and food, or in the villages themselves. Apparently there'll be people there that can act as my translator, although I'm not sure for how long.
So all in all my plans are coming along amazingly. I'm just going to take this weekend to relax, read and use this little internet cafe. There are also some amazing temples in Orissa, some of the oldest Hindu sites. Saw one today, beautiful carvings in brown stone with many flowers and offerings around. And set in huge gardens, with a big lake on the side where people were washing.
I think I'm getting used to things a little here, although still getting ripped off here and there. Hard to tell really....And I'm not the best at bargaining, I think they know I'll pay! I'll harden up I'm sure.
Sending love home xx
I'm now in Bhubaneswar, Orissa. It's the capital city and yes it's crazy but it's more manageable than Kolkata! The train journey here wasn't quite what I'd hoped - I'd booked a second class a/c bunk thinking comfort but this meant I couldn't see any of the sights! Sleeper class is what I'll go for next, where windows are open and you can see everything. In a/c classes, there are just small darkened windows which you cant see from the top bunks. Anyhow I had a bit of a chat with the family I was sharing with before they relaxed back for the afternoon. An amazing amount of stuff is sold on the trains in India 'chai chai' 'coffee coffee' 'pani pani' (water) 'cutlets' and 'samosas' were the other things I could work out, there was some kind of machine that made something resembling puffed rice too, with lots of pots of different things to go with it...Rohit/Neeb/anyone that's been to India - any ideas?!
So then I was here in Orissa. It's a lot hotter here, not the climate to go out in midday heat as I did today, forgetting that you just can't do anything in that sort of heat, particularly not looking at stuffy old museum exhibits. There's a lot of 'anthropology' in India but not the kind of thing I'm interested in, and just the kind of thing that promotes the kinds of attitudes prevalent here that tribal people are backward and primitive.In fact these are exactly the terms used to officially define India's tribal population.
However yesterday was amazing! I made a ridiculous amount of progress with my plans considering I just arrived the night before. This has been thanks to contacts made and given to me before leaving. I called one of them in the morning and was invited straight to the familiy home. After a bit of chatting I was invited to come to a film festival in Puri with him and his wife and friends, and then to Niyamgiri (home of the Dongria Konds, who I want to stay with) hills with him, two journalists and an Indian sociologist! Amazing! I felt really comfortable in their home too and feel this is going to be the perfect way to enter the community I want to find out more about. First impressions are going to be important, and as the reason we're going there is to attend a Dongria Kond political rally I will be able to show my support for their cause, rather than arriving in a village as a random person they will probably associate with an NGO or the mining company Vedanta.
So from Monday onwards I'll have company! As I'm not here as a backpacker, and I'm in an area not visited by tourists as much as others I've been on my own so far, and so far I haven't found it easy to meet people - not a good idea with random men as on my own and women are often difficult to approach. However anyone I have got chatting with has been incredibly helpful and friendly.
My hotel here is nice enough for the price and I've got a few friends there - Mr Cockroach the Roach, Fred Gecko and Bill Gecko and the army of amiable ants.
I also went to meet the NGO Living Farms, who promote sustainable agriculture in the area, particularly in tribal areas. To begin with I thought this sounded pretty crazy as its these people that know about sustainability for real, but after some talking I realised this is their view too. Whether this is reflected in all of their work I'm not yet sure. I felt really welcome, and the guy there is going to let me know about the chances of me being able to visit, and stay in the Niyamgiri area through them. If this looks good, I'll stay on after the others leave the political rally, either in the Living Farms office in Bissamcuttack where I've been offered a bed and food, or in the villages themselves. Apparently there'll be people there that can act as my translator, although I'm not sure for how long.
So all in all my plans are coming along amazingly. I'm just going to take this weekend to relax, read and use this little internet cafe. There are also some amazing temples in Orissa, some of the oldest Hindu sites. Saw one today, beautiful carvings in brown stone with many flowers and offerings around. And set in huge gardens, with a big lake on the side where people were washing.
I think I'm getting used to things a little here, although still getting ripped off here and there. Hard to tell really....And I'm not the best at bargaining, I think they know I'll pay! I'll harden up I'm sure.
Sending love home xx
No comments:
Post a Comment