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Chennai Street Markets
Two places to witness street markets in Chennai - Ranganathan Street and Mambalam Vegetable Market. You can get all you want vegetables and local and imported fruits at very cheap price. Some of the vendors are so friendly to foreigners and some just don’t look at you. You will also find spice grinding mills, poultry and meat stalls in the same vicinity. The markets are usually crowded up till about 11 am and then it starts becoming busy after 4.30 p.m. Traffic is very congested during the peak period.
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People Watching in Chennai
I like to take time to watch people. First find a café that overlooks a busy street. Buy a coffee and just sit and stare. I will always remember a line from a poem by W.H. Davies "What is this life if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare?" Precisely, it is only when you take time to observe people that you will begin to love yourself and appreciate all the good things that is happening to you. While staring, don't forget to keep a ready smile for the weary pedestrian or to wave your hand at a passer by. You never know - you may…
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Dawn at Royapuram Fishing Harbour
Dawn is the perfect time to visit the Royapuram Fishing Harbour. It is truly and exhilarating experience to see the action of the fishermen, the fish vendors, middlemen, the visitors and the mountains of fish being unloaded from the boats and canoes in the dark. It is noisy with all the bidding from the auction of the fish and people haggling. Bring a jacket along as the wind will be very cold and wear shoes.
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College Street – Mecca for Book Lovers
It is simply amazing! Hundreds of thousands of books of all sorts are sold at the College Street bookstores in Kolkata. I did not know where to start my walk and what to look at. When the giant bookstores are closing down in many countries, this place is having a roaring business. This street is on the same road as the famous Presidency University. My trip to College Street was even more interesting when I witnessed some rallies and protests!
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Streets of Kolkata
Kolkata, also known as City of Joy to many, is a highly polluted place and very dusty, busy and noisy! Cars, taxis, trams, men-pulled rickshaws and pedestrians make up the bulk of the road. I found it interesting that while there is so much of poverty and begging kids around, there are also the equally wealthy travelling comfortable in their air-conditioned cars or eating lavishly at some fine dining restaurants. Though, I swore never to go back to Kolkata again after a terrible lung infection of carbon monoxide, at the point of typing this, I think I will go back – it is indeed a love-hate relationship with this place.…
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People watching in Pune
It is only in the countryside that you get to see more people in ethnic clothes! When travelling, I want to see people the way they are - the villagers are innocent and mostly shy people but their hospitality is so warm. They are always ready to share their food - language is not a barrier here - just with gestures they will convince you to have a drink or eat something in their houses. I love people and I do not class people into groups. In my eyes, all men are equal!
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Shivaji Market
When in Pune, visit the Sivaji market. You might consider being a vegetarian for life after seeing all that healthy, fresh looking vegetables on sale there. Most of them were probably just plucked from the trees that morning. The vendors were very friendly and the whole lot of them were like one huge family!! Check out the two women who are chiselling the mortar and pestles.
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Handicrafts of Kerala
Kerala is well known for its beautiful handicrafts. These items range from brass and bell metal works, silk sarees, wall hangings, coir products, ivory works, lacquer products, sandalwood carving, wooden toys, jewellery, coconut shell products, and cotton and silk fabrics.
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Life in a Houseboat
Never leave Kerala without experiencing a stay in a houseboat. Trust me, you can stay in the houseboat, just chatting, reading, eating, drinking, lazing and just observing nature. You can see people bathing, washing their clothes or doing work along the banks of the river; you can watch the small boats or the bigger boats passing you; you can see boats used as a transport carrying heavy metal, bricks or wood. You will be able to see birds, chicken, hens, goats and cows as you pass the back of the houses. You can see another boat load of tourists and locals passing you………one of my most relaxing and peaceful times…
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The Elephant Fort at Thirssur
The Punnathoor Kotta is located about 3 km away from the famous Guruvayoor temple in Thirssur district of Kerala, and lots of tourists visit this place. This place is also known as Anakkotta – meaning Elephant Fort in Malayalam (language of Kerala). The elephant farm is said to be the largest in India and is owned by the temple. The elephants in this place were given to the temple by devotees and are looked after and trained here by the paid mahouts. The Hindus look upon an elephant as a sacred animal as it is considered to be a living symbol of Lord Ganesh, the deity who removes all obstacles…
