I've been staying away from places I've been to my 1st epic trip here in India, and as I'd missed going to any hill stations before, I thought it was time to break out my hiking boots and head to the mountains. Hill stations are towns that sprang up in places with high elevation during the Raj rule to afford the Brits stationed here relief from the sweltering heat that hits India around May. I have a sweaty love affair with mountains and hiking, and try to head to them wherever I am ASAP, so the small hill station of Kodaikanal seemed an ideal place to head to. The ride there was awe inspiring, as the public bus snaked up winding roads that run up the Southern mountainous region, or ghats. Lush vineyards, roadside stops where women sell mountains of fruit, dizzying views f valleys below: the change from flat, red dirt carpeted Tamil Nadu was profound.
Kodai town itself is more of a collection of so-so hotels geared for newlywed Indians, and after staying there 1 night I hopped in one of the ubiquitous white taxi vans (100 Rs) and headed to Vattakanal. Vatta is little more than a small collection of houses perched on the side of a valley, really not even a village proper. Families living up small, unmarked dirt paths have rooms they let out(100-150 Rs), as there is no proper hotel or stores here. The allure of Vatta can be put down to several things: fireplaces en suite, scenery, psychedelic mushrooms growing wild, and avocado and omelette sandwiches at Dipa & Johnny's New Canaan Shop. This place is severely chilled out, and Israelis doin India pull in here and stay for a while, and being able to have a very nice house of your own with fresh firewood (100Rs a bundle) without any India hassle makes Vatta a place unlike any other I've stayed at in India. Vatta is a reprieve from the hassle, hustle, grime.
Maps. I appreciate maps, love the security of having a map, particularly in an area that begs to be hiked. They simply do not exist in India's trekking areas outside of the Himalayas. I searched everywhere in kodai for a map. Zilch. The area around it so stunning it seems a shame not to be able to hike around, so even without map I set out for a place called Perumal peak, supposedly a great place to get 360 view. Perumal is a village 12 km from Kodai, and I took a state bus(5Rs) to the stopping junction. The village itself is foul and scruffy, and after walking the main road for a while wondering how to get to this peak, an old man pointed me down an unmarked track road that had a barrier across it to prevent motorized vehicles. The start of the road had more feces droppings than I've ever seen, and I think it has become the designated poo area for the village, but once I started walking it was nice enough, but once I reached a stretch of farmland about 45 minutes in I couldn't make out any clear continuation of the path, so I turned around. I realized then that you can't hike on your own in India, as this place that is supposedly a main tourist spot had absolutely no markings and without any map, you simply can't do it. Which I feel is a shame, as I've done independent trekking in Nepal, Oregon, Austria and Poland which I harbor such great memories of.
Walking down the mountain, I spotted a gate that was inscribed Bodhi Zendo meditation center. I googled it back in town, and the next day walked up to check out the scene. This place is one of the best kept secrets in India. I would have trouble believing it myself if I hadn't been there. The setting is incredible, the center itself is incredible ( the library will make your jaw drop), and the to stay there cost all of 200Rs to 250Rs, for everything! It turned out that a seshiin was starting the day I arrived, and not knowing what that was it seemed like a good idea to join. I retrieved my bag, taxied it back to Zendo, and suddenly I'm in the middle of a 3 days of silence, 6 hours of meditation daily, retreat. I'll say for the record it was much easier than I thought initially. Not communicating with others, even avoiding eye contact, is actually a treat for a time. And the meditation itself was made easier by having all sorts of pillows to avoid having to shift during the 25 minutes of continuous meditation. I had a breakthrough of sorts there, as I've always squirmed and struggles with any meditative practice. I think the prospect of having to meditate a lot opened me up to working on clearing my mind rather than entertaining myself with hashing out plans and loopy fantasies, which everybody resorts to at first with meditation. Father Samy, a Jesuit priest in his 70's, is the only certified Zen master in India, and he is the founder of this place, which does not espouse any religion per se. Being a Zen master, I could not casually sidle up to him and discuss my usual sack of trivialities, but he seemed to be a very kind, wise man from what I saw of him during lectures and as he led meditation sessions. It was tough to leave after 4 days, but I felt it was time to head back to Vatta and see if 2 kooky acquaintances had arrived.
Tom & Amy also taught ESL in Korea while I was there, and are friends with a certain burnished haired Brit I'm fond of. We never had that much of a chance to hang together in Korea, as I lived in Gotham and they lived in Pleasantville, but they decided to do the smart thing post-Korea, mid-global economic meltdown ( does anyone evr take my advice other than my dear friend Charlie, who I went to HS with, traveled in Europe for a too-brief spell, and is now sending mates of his over to meet me in India) and travel in India for 6 months. Arriving back in Vatta, word on the street was they were around, everyone but everyone had seen them over the last 3 days (Tom is very tall, Amy is very silly!) but no one knew where they were staying. Rain commenced and I was about to give up all hope when I went intoKodai for breakfast and a German friend sptted Tom lurching down the street in a yellow mac. Joyous reunion ensued, as they had been 30 minutes from catching a bus out of the mountains, and for the next week I had a great time getting to know them both, listening to Tom strum his ukelele while Amy clarineted, playing crossword puzzles, sitting around the fire as sheets of rain poured down a couple of nights, and talking about friends and life.
And eating lots of avocado sandwiches and pineapple and even shakshuka, an Israeli omelette Amy whipped up in our kitchen. We said goodbye yesterday, and they are headed north while i'm headed back to Sivananda Ashrom near Tivandrum in the far south of Kerala state. Incidentally, Amy had been there, and her account was quite disturbing. Since so many people are going to this place, quasi-militaristic rules have been erected, such as signing in for everything and limited access to the beautiful lake that was my sunbathing spot of choice 2 years ago. I'm catching a train in 3 hours for there, so i'll tell you how it is. As I've noted, my stay at Sivananda ashram Madurai was wonderful, peaceful, and I'm going back in mid-January, though not many people go to it because this other pplace gets all the press because it's in heavily touristed Kerala state. Speaking of press, I happened upon this article yesterday. Maybe seeking out this respites has something to do with being in your 30's and a former disaffected literati. In my own simpleton way, of course.Someday there will be pics up. I need to find a speedy internet connection first, which will probably happen after New Year. It'll be strange being in an ashram in the southernmost part of tropical India, chanting, meditating and eating choice vegetable meals with my fingers from a stainless steel plate, but it will be good. I wish I could be with all of you(Texas, DC,UK, ROK, you know who you are, but i'm in the right place for me right now. We'll bump into each other before too long. I've got a good feeling bout that. Merry New Years from Ben.
