7/feb trivandrum & clothes
I took the train to trivandrum the 6th at 4 pm. And this trip wasn’t as special as the others. I was alone in my compartment, reading a lot, but nothing else more (even just that was good). It got dark after a while, so no chance to look trough the window, and we reached trivandrum 9 hours later. 250 km in 9 hours. So, when there was still light, I had the chance to see that there were no rice fields in that area. Everything was much dryer. Something like the savannah. I was almost expecting to see a lion at any moment.
I realized that women, hindu women, wear 2 different kinds of clothes; One would be the saree, this long sheet, that works as a skirt, and goes up to cover the breasts, and then back, over the left shoulder, till the middle of their back, more or less. Under this, they wear a top. Sometimes is a top, sometimes a t-shirt. But always, with colors. The other typical cloth, is always very colorful, but a little bit different. A long shirt that goes till the knees (let’s call it dress), with short (till the elbow) sleeves. Under that, long trousers, normally with the same material of the dress, and thin, and a kind of scarf. This scarf, is thin as well, and starts in the back, goes to the front, down on the breasts, and then up again to finish, simetrically in the back.
Men always wear shirt, white or with squares. If it’s hot, those sleeveless shirts, always white. Pants or dhotis. Dhoti would be a kind of pareo, almost always white, that goes till their feet. But they use to fold it till the knees height. Maybe because it’s easier to walk, or it’s fresher…
Once in trivandrum, 1:30 am, I found a place to sleep, and it wasn’t that easy. I can say that I spent there my wors night in this trip. There were a lot of mosquitos, and its noises, zzzzzz!!, and the worst thing, bedbugs… It was very hot as well, and humid. I used my mosquito repellent, and the mosquito coil. Plus the fan. But nothing to do against the bedbugs, so I spent the whole night waking up every now and then, and of course, scratching myself, everywhere!!! The morning after I had quite many bites, very small, in my forehead, arms, legs, feet… c’est la vie!!!
And yes, it was so hot!!! At 10 am, the asphalt started melting. Of course not everywhere, but, god… it was hot!! 2 steps, and more sweat. I decided to go south, to see a couple of temples. One of them is black, all black, quite strange in India, and never seen before. People were throwing coconuts against one of the temple walls. But I saw that from the outside, since only hindus are allowed to get in. After I went to see another temple, a very old one. I was told it was built 5000 years ago, by a maharaja, and that still now is private. But also here only hindus are allowed. I asked them if there was a way to get in, and they told me to make a hindu licence, 15 km from trivandrum. And it was a pity because that temple was quite amazing, with lots of wooden details, some of them pagoda like, those huge dravinian doors and a big water tank. I wonder how heat must be in the hottest time!!! I had a coffee in one of the Indian coffee house, but nothing to do with the one in kolkata. I spent a while in a park, and then in the british library, with a very nice air conditioning!!! I moved to another guest house, scaping from the bedbugs. It was also cheaper!
18/2/05
I realized that women, hindu women, wear 2 different kinds of clothes; One would be the saree, this long sheet, that works as a skirt, and goes up to cover the breasts, and then back, over the left shoulder, till the middle of their back, more or less. Under this, they wear a top. Sometimes is a top, sometimes a t-shirt. But always, with colors. The other typical cloth, is always very colorful, but a little bit different. A long shirt that goes till the knees (let’s call it dress), with short (till the elbow) sleeves. Under that, long trousers, normally with the same material of the dress, and thin, and a kind of scarf. This scarf, is thin as well, and starts in the back, goes to the front, down on the breasts, and then up again to finish, simetrically in the back.
Men always wear shirt, white or with squares. If it’s hot, those sleeveless shirts, always white. Pants or dhotis. Dhoti would be a kind of pareo, almost always white, that goes till their feet. But they use to fold it till the knees height. Maybe because it’s easier to walk, or it’s fresher…
Once in trivandrum, 1:30 am, I found a place to sleep, and it wasn’t that easy. I can say that I spent there my wors night in this trip. There were a lot of mosquitos, and its noises, zzzzzz!!, and the worst thing, bedbugs… It was very hot as well, and humid. I used my mosquito repellent, and the mosquito coil. Plus the fan. But nothing to do against the bedbugs, so I spent the whole night waking up every now and then, and of course, scratching myself, everywhere!!! The morning after I had quite many bites, very small, in my forehead, arms, legs, feet… c’est la vie!!!
And yes, it was so hot!!! At 10 am, the asphalt started melting. Of course not everywhere, but, god… it was hot!! 2 steps, and more sweat. I decided to go south, to see a couple of temples. One of them is black, all black, quite strange in India, and never seen before. People were throwing coconuts against one of the temple walls. But I saw that from the outside, since only hindus are allowed to get in. After I went to see another temple, a very old one. I was told it was built 5000 years ago, by a maharaja, and that still now is private. But also here only hindus are allowed. I asked them if there was a way to get in, and they told me to make a hindu licence, 15 km from trivandrum. And it was a pity because that temple was quite amazing, with lots of wooden details, some of them pagoda like, those huge dravinian doors and a big water tank. I wonder how heat must be in the hottest time!!! I had a coffee in one of the Indian coffee house, but nothing to do with the one in kolkata. I spent a while in a park, and then in the british library, with a very nice air conditioning!!! I moved to another guest house, scaping from the bedbugs. It was also cheaper!
18/2/05
posted by Unknown at 15:31
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