(1) Trivandrum, Kerala
(Diary: Sojourn to India - March 30 - April 30, 2006)
Maybe its the excitement of being in an exotic place or its the itchiness from my bed linen, I woke up early (well, 7am is early for me!) and went to Prime Square, a restaurant off MG Rd. I don't really know what I'm eating but its called Thali. It tasted good, though my nostrils seem to be bursting!
I walked around looking for a bookshop to get a copy of Time & Newsweek and maybe a novel or two for my 18-hr trip to Bangalore later in the afternoon. Movie posters are everywhere! I was later told by an officemate that in the states of Tamil Nadu & Kerala, they have a vibrant Tamil movie industry and that it's different from Bollywood (the dialect used for instance). It is indeed vibrant. The pictures are colorful montages of dramatic duels and street fights -- a recurring theme in their movies (medyo kahawig ng FPJ movies! binubugbog muna ang bida bago bumawi).
There is a restaurant along MG Rd that is an institution in this town. The Indian Coffee House, with its turbanned waiters (totoo, naka-outfit sila! nakalimutan ko lng i-piktyur kasi ang bilis nila maglakad) and winding tables, shaped like a tower, it looks so odd from the outside like a clay pot! Of course i had to go there before i leave town. Feeling ko nasa Leaning tower of Pisa ako, coz while I was walking up looking for a vacant table (the place is always full) I feel as if I'm tilting and I have to grab at the table edges. Finally, I got a table. I was already eating when I realized why its vacant --- it is located directly near the toilet (men's pa talaga!)
Time to go..... train is boarding up at 2.30pm and is expected to arrive at the Cantonment area between 8.30 - 9am.
p.s. Trains usually have an AC and nonAC compartments; 1st class AC, 2AC, 3AC (2 berths and 3 berths, the lower berth is more expensive than the upper berths -- only during night time that the upper berths will be taken down for sleeping)
Trivandrum International Airport is the smallest international airport i’ve been to, so far! Just four immigration desks, it’s even smaller than Cebu! (Umm...since i haven’t been to Clark or Laoag yet maybe you can discount my pronounciations)
India is definitely an assault on the senses. You either love it or hate it on sight. I happen to fall in love with everything at first sight!
I arrived in the hot, dusty capital of Trivandrum in the afternoon with a promise to myself that I will not splurge or bust my budget. I’ve been told before that the best way to experience India is to live on a budget, live like a local and travel like one.
Lugging my backpack (I borrowed it from a friend – thanks!) with me, I asked the tuk-tuk driver to let me off at Trivandrum Central coz I want to get a train ticket for Bangalore before I go looking for a place to stay the night. After being pointed, first to a local railway depot (after lining for a queue – they told me, Central station is on the other side of the street) and a bus terminal, I found the ticketing office.
Bad news! The line is long......... a lot of people are waiting, some with children in tow. Everything is so confusing for me. Do I wait in line? Or get a priority ticket before filling up the form or vice-versa? Or just simply barge into the counters? I did all three and was told there are no more seats for the following day or if i can wait for a few more hours there might be an opening of slots for Tatkal (an express service supposedly used for emergencies wherein you can buy train tickets to all parts of India a day ahead of your trip). But take note, it is 300 rupees more than the average fare for each accommodation (2AC regular fare is 1410 rupees + 300 Tatkal service) – well, you asked for express, right?
Getting a train ticket in India is really an art. Some people like the couple who had a daughter, Dona, waited for 8 days just to get tickets. Upon hearing this, i got more and more deflated.
Oh God, there goes my vacation schedule. I only have 5 weeks, I can’t stay in Trivandrum forever!
Since i have two hours to kill before checking back again, I decided to go out and look for a guesthouse/hostel. I am cheap, very very cheap. Although i am working for a hotel company (with 5-star properties!), the sophistication and glamour has not rubbed off on me.
Following my Lonely Planet guide, i walked through MG Road. The whole town converges I think on this strip, the train & bus stations, budget hotels, restaurants, bookshops, you name it, its there. Being Pinoy to the core, I expected to see shopping malls (or at least one!) in every street corner of the capital. But alas, even the Higginbothams branch they have is just a dark, small place crammed with books!
A few blocks inside Manjalikulam St, I found Pravin Tourist Home. It’s clean, airy and the staff at the reception is helpful. The downside of paying only 237 rupees per night is that you have a fan room, only a bucket and no hot shower and a threadbare cloth as bed sheet.
After a quick cold shower, I went back for my ticket.
The ticketing officer was in ebullient mood, he asked from which country i am from and when i said, “I’m from the Philippines!” he said, “I watched a very famous movie, Crying Ladies ( i tried to remember what is the movie about so i can answer him back) and I like Sharon Cuneta, she’s a very good actress. And i answered, “oh yes, she is also my favourite!”.
After a few minutes, he told me, he got a berth for me at the 2AC compartment. Aleluia! Salamat po Ate Shawie!
---------------
India is definitely an assault on the senses. You either love it or hate it on sight. I happen to fall in love with everything at first sight!
I arrived in the hot, dusty capital of Trivandrum in the afternoon with a promise to myself that I will not splurge or bust my budget. I’ve been told before that the best way to experience India is to live on a budget, live like a local and travel like one.
Lugging my backpack (I borrowed it from a friend – thanks!) with me, I asked the tuk-tuk driver to let me off at Trivandrum Central coz I want to get a train ticket for Bangalore before I go looking for a place to stay the night. After being pointed, first to a local railway depot (after lining for a queue – they told me, Central station is on the other side of the street) and a bus terminal, I found the ticketing office.
Bad news! The line is long......... a lot of people are waiting, some with children in tow. Everything is so confusing for me. Do I wait in line? Or get a priority ticket before filling up the form or vice-versa? Or just simply barge into the counters? I did all three and was told there are no more seats for the following day or if i can wait for a few more hours there might be an opening of slots for Tatkal (an express service supposedly used for emergencies wherein you can buy train tickets to all parts of India a day ahead of your trip). But take note, it is 300 rupees more than the average fare for each accommodation (2AC regular fare is 1410 rupees + 300 Tatkal service) – well, you asked for express, right?
Getting a train ticket in India is really an art. Some people like the couple who had a daughter, Dona, waited for 8 days just to get tickets. Upon hearing this, i got more and more deflated.
Oh God, there goes my vacation schedule. I only have 5 weeks, I can’t stay in Trivandrum forever!
Since i have two hours to kill before checking back again, I decided to go out and look for a guesthouse/hostel. I am cheap, very very cheap. Although i am working for a hotel company (with 5-star properties!), the sophistication and glamour has not rubbed off on me.
Following my Lonely Planet guide, i walked through MG Road. The whole town converges I think on this strip, the train & bus stations, budget hotels, restaurants, bookshops, you name it, its there. Being Pinoy to the core, I expected to see shopping malls (or at least one!) in every street corner of the capital. But alas, even the Higginbothams branch they have is just a dark, small place crammed with books!
A few blocks inside Manjalikulam St, I found Pravin Tourist Home. It’s clean, airy and the staff at the reception is helpful. The downside of paying only 237 rupees per night is that you have a fan room, only a bucket and no hot shower and a threadbare cloth as bed sheet.
After a quick cold shower, I went back for my ticket.
The ticketing officer was in ebullient mood, he asked from which country i am from and when i said, “I’m from the Philippines!” he said, “I watched a very famous movie, Crying Ladies ( i tried to remember what is the movie about so i can answer him back) and I like Sharon Cuneta, she’s a very good actress. And i answered, “oh yes, she is also my favourite!”.
After a few minutes, he told me, he got a berth for me at the 2AC compartment. Aleluia! Salamat po Ate Shawie!
---------------
Maybe its the excitement of being in an exotic place or its the itchiness from my bed linen, I woke up early (well, 7am is early for me!) and went to Prime Square, a restaurant off MG Rd. I don't really know what I'm eating but its called Thali. It tasted good, though my nostrils seem to be bursting!
I walked around looking for a bookshop to get a copy of Time & Newsweek and maybe a novel or two for my 18-hr trip to Bangalore later in the afternoon. Movie posters are everywhere! I was later told by an officemate that in the states of Tamil Nadu & Kerala, they have a vibrant Tamil movie industry and that it's different from Bollywood (the dialect used for instance). It is indeed vibrant. The pictures are colorful montages of dramatic duels and street fights -- a recurring theme in their movies (medyo kahawig ng FPJ movies! binubugbog muna ang bida bago bumawi).
There is a restaurant along MG Rd that is an institution in this town. The Indian Coffee House, with its turbanned waiters (totoo, naka-outfit sila! nakalimutan ko lng i-piktyur kasi ang bilis nila maglakad) and winding tables, shaped like a tower, it looks so odd from the outside like a clay pot! Of course i had to go there before i leave town. Feeling ko nasa Leaning tower of Pisa ako, coz while I was walking up looking for a vacant table (the place is always full) I feel as if I'm tilting and I have to grab at the table edges. Finally, I got a table. I was already eating when I realized why its vacant --- it is located directly near the toilet (men's pa talaga!)
Time to go..... train is boarding up at 2.30pm and is expected to arrive at the Cantonment area between 8.30 - 9am.
p.s. Trains usually have an AC and nonAC compartments; 1st class AC, 2AC, 3AC (2 berths and 3 berths, the lower berth is more expensive than the upper berths -- only during night time that the upper berths will be taken down for sleeping)
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