The Spicy Journey!By: Maathini Arulgnanapiragasam

India/Sri lankaAugust 22nd, 2012The journey Begins..

Entry 1:

I had imagined the hot plates of different styles of Indian chicken, how they would sizzle in my mouth with spicy delight. The journey to Chennai was short i had left Brunei on the 22nd in the morning and arrived at 11:00pm. This was my first destination on my travel round india and down through to Sri Lanka. My back pack of a suitcase was full, and i saw it coming my way on the luggage belt. But no journey is complete without a little weirdness, and right at that moment, a man had ran up to me grabbing my human size back pack screaming “MA’AM MA’AM, I’VE GOT YOUR BAG!”Now in India there a lots of these screaming men, wearing blazers with neon yellow or green stripes on them. They grab your bag without permission and run at you and once they arrive at your feet, they ask for money for doing a job without even asking if we needed assistant. But i simply thanked the strange lovely man and gave him a tip for his kind services.

The smell filled my nose instantly as i rushed out of the airport into the taxi stand. I couldn't quite pick out the smell well because, there were more than a million circulating the area. Before my taxi could be hijacked by another traveller!! i quickly threw my bag in the auto and threw myself in after it asking the auto to take me to the nearest tea shop. My quench for te tarik tea Indian style was growing and i thank god to the driver without a say he took me to the tea shop, even though it was 11:30pm and soon to be sunday.

To my surprise the tea shop was filled with various people of all ages, enjoying the same thing i had come for. Traditional indian style te tarik tea, holy goodness that warmed and filled you little tummies. It was near the Chennai gold road beach. Which was nice because they had small mattresses lined across it to watch the night sky. So I took my tea and camped out on one of the mattresses for a while...

Entry 2: I remembered my eyes fluttering open, and then i realized i had dozed of for a few minutes. Still on the mattress as one piece, i scanned around for a while looking to see if the same crowd was there as had arrived. But not to my surprise most of the people at the tea shop had already gone. But the smell of the salty food stalls, that filled the beach earlier had remained. Pale white sand covered the beach, so soft and cooling to the feet. However this time when i had tried to close my eyes, the lights that lit the beach at night were piercing my eye lids. Forcing me to open them again, and admire the wondrous sparkling sparks of beauty. Would of been lucky if i had you here with me, then that way the stars would of looked down on the both of us. Blessing us both and i wouldn't have been so lonely on this beach, i would have had you next to me..

Exhausted from the journey, i thought i should get up and find my way to some sort of a in to stay. To my shock my eyes had shut down and i was vast asleep on the beach, would of been for the whole time of not i had heard..

“Get of the beach you beggar!”Smartly dressed, in uniform of some sort is all i could of made out in the dark light. It was a man for sure, the voice and built figure that shadowed on the beach said it all. I assumed it was some sort of guard or police. With the faintest voice i had i was able to break out a few words“Woah slow down, i ain’t no beggar” “yea well your on the beach past time, you stupid aswell cant you read signs?!”“what that old thing? that barely makes out a single digit on it” “besides whats the point of having such a nice beach, if we cant even admire it!”“ alight lady just cause your from the “outside” doesn’t mean we make special rules for you” “ get of the beach, or get to the station”“well aren’t you cupcake”“A what?” “what did you call me?!”“Nothing jeez im leaving!” “ You bloody westerners!”Grabbing my back pack and turing on my heel, i screamed at the man and ran for my life, forward in every direction away from him. “IM FROM HERE YOU IDIOT!” I ran out to my auto and said in a almost begging voice to take me to Kerala. It would be a journey but i needed to get there soon, i was expected there by latest tomorrow night.

The man seemed baffled and surprised and quiet frankly amused by my request. He made a quick phone and said“yes, i will take you. But it cost America money” “you have America money?” I had the biggest smile on my face.“Yes yes! just take me there before tomorrow night, and i’ll give you America money”waving the cash in his face as proof, i got in the auto and slumped down. As i kew this journey would be a rather long one.

Now i don't remember most of my journey, because my exhaustion had practically led me to passing out in the auto, but i did arrive in Kerala, and not just before the deadline, but in the afternoon. The man had dropped me at the bottom of a mountain. The people i had met then I remembered from a past experience of once coming here. They greeted my well. Paying of the auto driver with the cash he wanted, we made our way up to the lodge. Which involved us practically hiking up the mountain. I was glad I made Chennai just a stop, because Kerala was the real place i wanted to visit and site see.

When i entered the lodge my first and only intention was to sleep on a proper bed. And so i did, i was lead to my room where i unpacked and covered myself in layers of clothes to withstand the night. Due to Kerala beinging quiet cold. Without even eating, i snuggled myself into bed, and got a good rest for the day ahead.

Entry 3:

Frozen nose, frozen feet and frozen hands jolted me into a sudden awakening. I tried to pin point the source of where all the chill were coming from. At that point i had realized i left my window wide open. The small piece of plastic that was pulled of as a window, had caused all this commotion. How fascinating.

Running through the daily routines of getting changed, I awaited for the journey that laid ahead. How i had been so eager to go see the Kerala mountains, or well known by the people who live there "God's Home".But it had to wait, because at that moment i had smelled the spicy scent of masala tea. Breakfast was ready!The warm smell had travelled through the flat wooden panelled house. Contrasting nicely to the cool, lushes green outside. This is what i loved about Kerala. Bam! greenery at every view you have, and not those man made plants and bushes. Pure natural scenery. Truly making Kerala deserve its name as "God's Home".

I headed down to the breakfast hall. The spicy curry had already entered my nose, sending a glorious sense down my body of curry delight. I could see women already grabbing rolls and rolls of roti,covering it in spicy chicken curry and gulping it

down one after the other. So i joined them in the harmonious cycles of dip and gulp. One after the other, i could slowly feel my insides warming with the hot spicy curry. Saving me from the cold breezy atmosphere that surround me constantly.

No taxi, no bus, to make sure all is kept clean, and lush and not harmed by mans monsters i decided to go by foot around the mountain area. As i went ace out i could feel the ice slap my face, cutting through my skin and sending chill after chill around my body. It was cooling but painful.... very painful. But despite it all i dared to open my eyes to "God's home", and i let the beauty sink in. The mountain peeks were hiding nicely behind fog clouds, causing a mystery of the shape of the very top point. Beautiful shades of green, sugar coating the tea bushes, and little glistens on them from the moist air keeping them fresh. From those bushes emerged women in sari's. One after the other in single file, walking as in a rainbow, perfect because there sari's had colours of all sort. They made there way to the tea fields. As i got close, one of the ladies had passed me a basket. She was pointing at the bush and picking the leaves and putting them inside. The nodded at me, then pulled one the most sincere and beautiful smiles i had seen. I then plucked a leaf and looked at her, and in slow motion put it in the basket. With an approving smile she clapped and went back to her own work. I understood then she wanted me to help and experience it for myself. To be honest, it was one of the most relaxing things i had done.

Entry 4: I awoke to a much more subtle morning, because i had actually remembered to shut my piece of plastic. Shoving shirt after shirt, and a packets of hand picked tea leaves i zipped up my back pac and prepared for my next destination, Agra!

In the state of love and the all famous "Taj Mahal" and its many wondrous powers of love. I thanked the women greatly, and gave them money just as i left. Though it was quite a struggle to get them to accept the gift. The women i thanked was tamil to my surprise, like me. Not many tamil people live in Kerala. So i wished her in the best way i could, in tamil.

"Nandri Akka, enodah help illai inda naan kandipa kastupaturupen" (Thank you sister, without your help i would have defiantly struggled to find a home to stay in)"Oh unaku tamil therium?" " romba sonthosiam thankasi, una patha endre pillai mari irrukuthu"" swom a pongo" ("Oh you know tamil?" " ver happy little sister, when i look at you i can see my own daughter" " have a safe journey")"Thanks akka, kandipa thirupi varuven" (thank you sister, i will defiantly come again)

The laddies at the lodge were grateful enough to hire me a bus. But that involved going back down the mountain. Now as i remembered clearly half way down the mountain this was me.."OI SEND SOMEONE TO TAKE ME BACK! IT'S OK I PREFER STAYING ONTOP OF THE MOUNTAIN THEN GOING DOWN!""PLEASE, TAKE ME BACK UP!"Now the problem was not that i was afraid of heights, but more of the fact that i slipped and was hanging on the side of the mountain. But to my relief i only had to

fall a few meters till i hit the ground, so i went for the jump, and successfully landed only getting bruises and a sprained ankle.Yes i was rather impatient, and could not wait for the ladies to come get me. A rather rash decision i would say, but it caught me the bus on time, so well done Maathini.

I threw my back pac on top of the bus, as everyone else did. Then found my way to a window seat. But NOT to my surprise was that window made of plastic! I got my jumper in knowing that the piece of plastic would cause me hell, and snuggled into a position for the long ride ahead.

I struggled to fall asleep, so i decided to ease my mind and looked outside the now already moving bus. At first my sight was beautiful, lush green trees took over the land, with bushes and bushes of flower at it's feet. All sorts of colours at the bottom, and the at the very top leaf after leaf of good green freshness, not a leaf out of place. But as time went on and we got further away from Kerala, i noticed a change in my scenery. It wasn't the green goodness i had exhibited before, but a dark brownness. A dusty air, and wicked smell. No trees, no flower bushes covering the ground. It was bare and dirty and filthy and a slum..A slum filled with people, children and babies. Mothers and fathers all living as one there. But why? that thought had disturbed me for the rest of my ride to Agra.

Entry 5:

I awoke on the bus, officially in Agra. But the happiness didn't sink in then. A still image of that small town we passed stuck to my mind. Why was it in that condition? But most of all why wasn't anything being done? The other's on the bus had not seem to give much care, so i pushed it to the back of my head for the time being. Leaving my thoughts un answered..

As i got of the bus i took in the atmosphere. The roads were loud and busy as ever, auto's honking around demanding to be let through. Men on cows strolling away with their lives, as they caused road blocks. Stall after stall of all kinds of selling's. Shoes, shoe repairs, punjabi shops and there colourful material clothes hanging on the outside, colouring the streets.

Before the heat could take me whole i decided to find shelter in a small tea shop. That consisted of 2 benches on the outside, and a small hut with the tea maker on the inside. Lined up on 1 of those benches was a group of middled aged men, and on the other bench was swarmed with teenage school boys. Who clearly seemed more focused on the new specimen that had walked in aka Me then there books. As i slowly made my way to the tea maker i could feel eyes scanning me head to toe. Eyes peeped from books, and laughs and smirks being shared. I let my insecurity sink.

They must have noticed the clothing immediately. Crazy neon shirt with spikes on the border of the bottom neck line, and shorts which were most unusual for people living here to be wearing. Then hair let loose and all over my face, not properly tied back into a plat as one of the school boys examined.The same boy he let out a loud chuckle and pointed at my human sized backpack. I stayed in the shop for a while, as i ordered my meal of a vadai. Delicious donut like food but with a savoury twist. Gulping down the remains i tipped the tea maker, nodded a farewell to my ever so wonderful watchers and walked my way to the hotel.

After walking through the doors of the "Raja hotel" i could already feel pampered. It truly was a grand hotel, with chandeliers swarming the ceilings and beautiful almost gold tiles covering the floor beneath me.After going up the rather spacious elevator i made my way to the room, and decided i earned myself a luxurious nap for the journey ahead...

Entry 6:

Snuggling around in the bed to my pillow, i woke up feeling gloriously rested in white sheets still smelling of lavender from the night before. The air was pure, so much better than what waited for me outside this magnificent hotel. Knowing that today would be my last full day in India i sat in bed and mopped for a good long 5 minutes. But i remembered that i had the Taj Mahal to visit and of course the fair..

Ah yes the fair, which i have actually only been to once in my life. And that was in New Zealand when i was 7 years old. I was all swag, chill and cool going in the haunted house that was there. Remembering little girls screaming, i would just laugh and walk of thinking i was nearing the end of this boring haunted house. Though as i approached the end, i remember seeing a man, who stood there smiling at me. I walked past trying to push the final door to exit the haunted house. I tried to push the door open again and again but it just wouldn't budge. All that time, the man had juts stood there smiling at me, all creepy and old like. Then he spoke.

“Oh dear come here, theres no way your getting out of here alive”

Then that is when i panicked, and maybe started screaming and banging the door. I didn’t cry, at most i just got a little teary. Funny enough the little girls i laughed at, there parent were the ones that got me out of the haunted house, and the man he was just part of the act...

Lesson well learnt then, i decided to help anyone in a fair or haunted house. And not to laugh at them if there scared.

As much as i would of enjoyed staying in bed that day, i had to get changed. That particular day, as it was my last in India i decided to wear a sari out today. A beautiful pink and blue, well bejeweled and sequenced bordered sari. I stood in front of the mirror twirling around and around because i really didn't understand how to wear one. I didn't know what went where, till i did a quick search up on the net and followed the tutorial. I had my hair to the side, and as women in India would most traditionally do so, i had a ball of jasmine flowers weaved together and i put it at the back of my head. It is a way here in India to express your beauty as a women and feminine side.

All was good in looks till i put on my back pack, and in just seconds the whole traditional look fell down the drain and was never found. But not having a care in the world i made my way down the the lobby checked out, and found myself an auto. That had taken me to the Taj Mahal. The encounter from the tea shop still left me a little baffled as to if i was that different to the people that lived there. beside my clothing i did look somewhat alike these people. I wondered if i would meet people like that again. And as i wondered and wondered i had reached the Taj Mahal by then. One of the most looked up to monuments of love. The tale of the Taj Mahal.

The Tale of the Taj Mahal:

A king named Shah Jahan was not the oldest in the family but was proven to be the most noblest and victorious in his battles. in that honor his father made him king after he died. Shah Jahan had met the love of his life a beautiful lady at the bazar. They both fell involve and got married. The two had a large family of 14 children, but has she sadly died giving birth. As she lay dying she requested from Shah Jahan that he build her a beautiful burial place. He was so damaged by this, that he built the beautiful and breathe taking Taj Mahal. Where she was then buried there.

Walking inside this palace, all i could feel was the ambles amount of love that was put into building this place. The love Shah Jahan had felt for his loved one still roamed in this palace, and i could feel it in every step i took. The walls were beautifully white, and each curve and roof top was all made without a single imperfection. Mesmerized is the only word that i can possibly use to describe my experience there. I left learning more than i can actually have ever imagined, not just what love is. But what the human limits and emotions can create, and without a doubt it can truly create as beautiful as the Taj Mahal.

Entry 7:

I spent the rest of my last day in the fair, which went rather well. Though i didn’t dare approach or try ride any of the the rides. The conditions of each one seemed like an instant ticket to death, i would rather keep my chances clean. But the food was outstanding. All kinds of chicken like i had previously hoped for coming here. Tandoori, malasa, kurma, chetinad and butter chicken, They even had an all chicken wrap with 3 types of chicken, with fresh raw vegetables nicely wrapped in roti. The taste set my tastebuds running wild in food heaven.

I made my way to the airport, to reach my final destination Sri Lanka. I was finally going back to my native home...It had been years since i’d visited the place. Not much i know about it, but I'm hoping to find out. To find out any links in my life, anything that might help me understand the core of myself. I boarded the plane in my sari, which was not that awkward because most of the ladies that joined my were all in sari’s as well just not as bedazzled. I thought about Sri Lanka the whole time during the plane ride, and how come i had never visited often or even tried to find out about. I saw pictures of my family when they were young and living there. the beaches looked beautiful, i promised myself then i would go to that beach, and find myself there. My missing part.

Entry 8: My final Destination, home.

I got of the plane and a sudden heart warming feeling that i was home rushed in. The smell of coconuts surprisingly overwhelmed the air, and a salty presence too. I had already known where i wanted to go and that was the golden bay beach. Jumping over luggage belts i found my bag, and ran out of the airport and into the nearest auto i could find. Scenery after scenery went by, so many beaches everywhere. Sri Lanka is well known for there beaches and the golden bay beach near the marina hotels is the most glorious of them all. It was a roughly 30 minute drive from the airport to the beach.

I paced myself carefully as i got of the auto. The sand was shining brighter than diamonds. It had almost looked like someone had shattered diamonds and sprinkled it onto the beach. Step after step my pace increased, and speed and soon i was running towards the sea at full speed. Just like my parents did as kids. i was still I'm gorgeous sari, but i didn’t care. Waves came crashing at me, swallowing me whole and getting rid of all worries in my life. The sea was clear, crisp blue.

The waters had me rather famished, and i was craving a Sri lankan Delicacy, Kotu roti. An amazing blend of broken up roti bits and chicken all stirred in a frying pan with lots of different spices which will drive your tastebuds mad with happiness.I sat and ate the roti with total contempt. Knowing that i would be here for a few weeks, going down to the north of Sri Lanka “Jaffna” where my parents used to live. , then Kandy. One of the worlds biggest tea plantation areas. I plan on uncovering this whole country my country.

This journey had been amazing and i cant wait to explore more of this world..