Bombay.The hard way

Of Bombay, Kipling was to write:

Mother of Cities to me,
For I was born in her gate,
Between the palms and the sea,
Where the world-end steamers wait.

Vibrations,colours, fumes and noise, kaleidoscopic visuals, glamorous hysterical Bollywood movies, grand colonial and unexpected ArtDeco architecture;Huge long bazaars filled with people of all cultures. That’s charismatic and slick Mumbai (Bombay): The heart beat of India , the main engine of the subcontinent. In one hand you have the big industry and the glitzy crazy Bollywood world, on the other hand you have the biggest slums in Asia.

Hate it or love it: the quintessential Bombay it’s India’s history-past present and future, all wrapped on shinny lace. For many Mumbaikers this is the place where you fall in love with your routine, Big metropolis they all have it: Istanbul, Rio, Cairo, Roma, etcetera.They are all loved by some people and hated by others.

Life goes by on different paces: it can be a very relaxed weekend when you can head to Oval Maidan and watch or play some cricket along with other thousands of people, or you can roam around the south part of the city and see some good ArtDeco buildings or some grand Colonial architecture-Victorian and Indo-Saracenic. Some places can give you the feeling you walk along the Strand or Oxford Street in London, all culminates with some great examples of both architectures: Victoria Terminal is an amazing sight, as for ArtDeco the climax comes when you reach in front of the Eros Cinema building. My favourite is the building of the India Inssurance company (gives me the progressive strange atmosphere from an Ayn Rand novel).

Is an assault to all senses.Walk in the bazaars and many secrets of a city will come up. Areas where you can see things you wouldn’t imagine they exist. Strange communities and forgotten buildings ( I found the J. J. School of Arts with the facade designed by Loockwood Kipling, Rudyard Kipling’s father wich was the founder of the institute and served it for a long time. And also the green house where Rudyard was living with his family, hidden in some back garden)

Sunset it’s a good time to join locals and go to the overcrowded city beaches, or socialise with the other travelers around the tourist district of Collaba; Tell your stories, have a pint of beer at Leopold’s (in)famous bar. Go with the crowds at the Gate of India, have a boat ride, lick a good icecream or in a national hysteria try to spot Branjelina in a rickshaw( It was the case last month, when they were filming in Mumbai). The rickshaw driver is a hero now, and his proud photo is on display.

Night comes…time to dancethenightaway in some Bollywood night party, elbowing Bollywood starlets and wannabes. Last 2 weeks lot of action took place around: Roger Waters had a concert here( at one point he screamed: Oh George! Oh George!
That Texas education must have fucked you up when you were very small), some exhibitions were around also. Even on a silent Thursday night, you could check Ferry Corsten spinning some bad trance at a fleshy, trendy(very expensive) club.

I personally had great time around Bombay. i love this kind of big cities that takes me back in time with all the genuine vintage stuff around on the outset:Taxi meters, old coffee houses, dirty subways, fascinating alive street corners with the pungent smell of foods, old style countryclub shirt making taylors with wooden facades to their shops or smelly fungus walled libraries.
I had also great hosts: Murtaza is a bright young designer and sculptor. His genuine hospitality tipically to Shia Muslims was a fresh breeze. And Cray, a young dynamic woman; Her love for electronic sounds made her set up and run a radio station, airing on the net trance vibes.Oh, and Nelson, another young artist trying to make it in the electronic music business. We had great time, and focused discussions on the metters we like.

I live Bombay behind with a true feeling that I’d like to come back

Bangalore

Bangalore is booming, and a look at some of its nicknames says why: “India’s Silicon Valley“, “Fashion Capital of India”, “The Pub City of India“, and on. Home to well over 6 million people, and a base for 10,000 industries, Bangalore is India’s fifth largest city and the fastest growing city in Asia.

Legend has it that the name Bangalore comes from “boiled beans” (Benda Kaluru), which were served by a humble old lady to a hungry ruler in the 10th century.

Surprisingly, despite some adverse environmental impact of industrial development in Bangalore, another of its nicknames is “The Garden City”. That’s thanks to many local parks, along with pink cassias, golden acacias, and jacarandas which bloom throughout the city.

Recording to the IT related minister in the region: “In the last few years, Bangalore has transformed itself from being a ‘Pensioner’s Paradise‘ to the ‘Silicon Valley‘ of India.. This is the kind of growth Information Technology has experienced in Bangalore. While there are many reasons for this growth, it is mainly the pleasant climate, the talent pool of highly trained professionals, the training infrastructure and progressive Government policies that have led to this amazing IT explosion in the city. Bangalore is home of the corporate giants in IT like Infosys, Wipro, Satyam, Aditi, IBM, Compaq etc.

 

And you can see the difference on everyday life. Walking around the center you can feel the young vibration, smart dressed Indians, with trendy haircuts and designers clothes; the eternal moustache is lost here. And in the evening people go to pubs and lounges. It’s interesting to see how the coffee latte generation is born here, by having one at Barista ( equivalent of Starbucks) along with the moneyed young Yuppies from the IT industry.

Hyderabad (nicknamed Cyberabad) in Andra Pradesh is following the model, and more and more IT companies they settle their business there.

Hampi

” If dreams were made out of stone, it would be Hampi”

HAMPI, the seat of the famed VIJAYANAGARA empire was the capital of the largest empire in post-mogul India, covering several states. The empire reigned supreme under Krishnadevaraya, the Emperor. The Vijayanagara empire stretched over at least three states – Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh. The destruction of Vijayanagar by marauding Moghul invaders was sudden, shocking and absolute. They reduced the city to ruins amid scenes of savage massacre and horrors beggaring description.

Although in ruins today, this capital city once boasted riches known far beyond the shores of India. The ruins of Hampi of the 14th Century lies scattered in about 26 sq. km area, amidst giant boulders and vegetation. Protected by the tempestuous river Tungabhadra in the north and rocky granite ridges on the other three sides, the ruins silently narrate the story of grandeur splendor and fabulous wealth. The splendid remains of palaces and gateways of the broken city tells a tale of men infinite talent and power of creativity together with his capacity for senseless destruction.

But there is not only history around. The place is a set in a great position, and the surrounding landscape is wonderful. The walks around the small villages around area great and people genuinely great you with the famous indian swing of the head. And there is also one of the best sunrise tou might see!

Cow’s Ear

 

Mid january I heard about a place where all long time hippies and people in search of the old time Goa go, a nice secluded place with pristine beaches, free life, like-minded people travelers and a world away from  the vivid and noisy everyday life here in India. One has to engage in a semi-long journey by old buses speeding on bumpy roads, to reach this place in the state of Karnataka, just south of Goa.

 

The town is  a shanty place with remarkable ancestral homes on the back roads, and a fascinating colourful market road. Gokarna is the name of the town, and long time travelers already come here for a while. Few km away there is a stretch of beautiful coast line with 4 great beches. The first 2, Koodli and Om Beach are reachable by road. Over the hills, on a nice trek you find secluded Half Moon Beach ( My fav) and Paradise Beach. I already have been 2 times. First just after Goa, to release myself, and one more time middle of January after I met again Marielle, a Luxemburgish friend and traveled together around great Karnataka. Both times I based on Om Beach(it really has the shape of the OM sign). Great atmosphere, very international ( Europeans , Mexicans, Portuguese, brasilians, Israelis and young creative Mumbaikers). I made great friendships, and convinced people to visit Romania in the summer. Like Joaquim from Andorra, my drinking partner there. We settled all the autumn plans; I will visit him in Menorca, Baleares where he’s a Chef, and short after the season ends he’ll pay a visit to Transilvania.

In rest, life’s good.

Oh, and Gokarna means Cow’s Ear. Funky

The arts of Kerala

Kathakali is one of the oldest theatre forms in the world. It originated in the area of southwestern India now known as the state of Kerala. Kathakali is a group presentation, in which dancers take various roles in performances traditionally based on themes from Hindu mythology, especially the two epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

A traditional Kathakali performance begins in the evening and continues throughout the night, culminating at the auspicious hour of dawn, when Good finally conquers Evil. Today, however, it has been modified for the proscenium stage, and urban audiences can participate in this ritualistic theatre experience in the comfort of a plush auditorium, within the span of a couple of hours.

 

Regarded as the oldest and most scientific in the world, Kalaripayattu, the martial art form of Kerala, is an integral of the Malayali culture. Kalarippayattu is an Indian martial art practised in Kerala and contiguous parts of neighboring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. It incorporates strikes, kicks, grappling, and weaponry, as well as healing techniques. Malabar is considered to be the home of kalaripayattu. The folklore of malabar is full of ballads depicting the heroic deeds of men and women, who were exponents of this marital art form.