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Gingee Fort
Entry 13 of 42 | show all | print this entry |
This was truly an amazing and memorable day, for so many reasons.
First, we got up at 6 am in order to be on time for breakfast. To our (unpleasant) surprise, Ravi was also up early, knocking on our door for 15 minutes because he thought we would be too late. When we told him we would be on time, he left...but locked the door from the outside so we couldn't get out. We tried to shout but since he doesn't hear very well, it didn't work. Luckily our neighbour heard us, so we made it on time for breakfast.
Breakfast in the ashram was again very simple, some ricecake on the floor mixed with dahl and hot coffee. After that we went to Shantimalai, a handicraft project. Claudia has a colleague who is responsible in her school for sponsoring the Shantimalai project, but it turned out it was another project (started by the same Swiss couple - Hugo Meier and his wife) about 4 km outside of the city. So we drove to this school and tried to find the colleague who was at that exact time also in India. Unfortunately we didn't manage to find her, but the head of administrations showed us around.
With the money from sponsors they offer basic education to children from poor (Indian terminology is sometimes "backward") areas or low-skilled parents. And the good thing is that not only the smart can go on to study at university, but also those who show real character and commitment. Maybe these projects can really make a difference, and it was good to see that the money collected in German schools DOES help.
During the tour we saw the different classes, talked a bit with the teachers and pupils. I felt a bit like our king making a trip to a school LOL
Then we took a bus to Gingee Fort, which is an amazing place with two big forts on hills that overlook a moonlike landscape.
We didn't visit Rajagiri but went to the biggerm Krishagire instead. It dates from the 16th Century and looked really impressive. I can't wait to share the pictures with you.
the whole fort is swarming with cheeky monkeys who try to steal your food. Ravi thought he would tease them a little so he took our bread and held it high to make the monkeys jump. Well, you guessed it, the monkeys did jump...disappeared...together with our bread.
After seeing how silly humans can be, they tried to do the same with my camera lens, which I hid from then on.
I was particulary impressed by the granary complex where the Indians kept their rice and wheat during the 16th century. It was similar to our silos, only much longer and the rice was dropped from the top into the granary, and recovered from the bottom.
Ravi wanted to climb the fort in the middle of the day, something not even most Indians would do because of the heat. So i just sat down in the shade and Claudia went for a little walk with him to a temple. While I was trying to write my diary a large Indian family came up to me and asked me all kinds of questions, even how much money I make :)and then they shared some food with us.
At that time all I wanted was a bit of peace. But it is amazing how Indian people want to have a conversation with us, sonetimes it feels like they have never seen white people before. Especially young children are fascinated by us.
When we said goodbye to Ravi he demanded money from us. We were shocked and disappointed, because we thought he was showing us around for friendship's sake and not for money. We paid all his transport (even to his home), we took care of all the entry tickets, let him use our phone and shared our time and companionship...and after all the friendliness we encountered from other people, we were surprised. If only he had told us in advance that he wanted to give us "service" as he called it, we would have been able to prepare ourselves for it, but when he started talking about it just before our ways departed, we felt a bit sad.
The bus trip to Pondicherry was mad, mainly because our bus driver was mad LOL. Even some people from Rajastan were looking in total amazement how the bus overtook 2 other busses in one go, almost killing 2 pedestrians, a rickshaw driver and a cow :)
In Pondicherry we were staying with Vinoth, but there was a problem with his phone because we couldn't reach him. Apparently his number had been cancelled but luckily I had the telephone number of his friend, so we managed to contact him and he took us to his office. His office is actually a 1 meter on 6 meter long corridor where he makes copies and prints photos for his clients. It is also the place where he and his colleague, Tamil, sleep. Needless to say it would have been difficult to fit us all four there for the night, so he looked for a hotel for us.
Vinoth took us for a visit around Pondi (as local people call Pondicherry, a former French colony). This has been without a doubt the most relaxing and silent place we have seen so far. It also has a real French feeling, even the French signposts and the nice weather made me think of Marseille or Nice. And the people playing petanque of course.
Vinoth's friend, Tamil, took us to his home for a home-cooked dinner. We were given a mat to sit on and a bananaleaf and ate a delicious meal of rice and sambar.
After that we checked into the French Guesthouse, a very strange hotel where the reception was 2 meters on 2 meters maximum, and the view from our bathroom was...the reception :) Also the shower wasn't working perfectly and the sheets were dirty...but at least we had a good night's rest... and a fridge. It's amazing how well Sprite tastes after a couple of ours in the freezer :)
Latest Comments (2)
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laurispassagetoindia (reply)
Aug 14, 2008 08:12 EST by lauricarlson
I read your blog on Ft. Gingee. I am heading there tomorrow from chennai where i live and teach. Next weekend I am going to Pondicherry. It was nice to see your pictures. Nice writing. Thanks
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laurispassagetoindia (reply)
Aug 14, 2008 08:12 EST by lauricarlson
I read your blog on Ft. Gingee. I am heading there tomorrow from chennai where i live and teach. Next weekend I am going to Pondicherry. It was nice to see your pictures. Nice writing. Thanks
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