Indian Earthquake... we are safe...

Hello everyone,
Just wanted to let you know that we are okay - we didn't feel anything from the earthquake, although we were just in Amritsar (north in Punjab) a few weeks ago, and we've seen some devastating pictures from the damage there. So many people dead and left stranded in Pakistan and Kashmir... after seeing the way the structures are constructed here, I can just imagine the whole towns toppling over like a card house. Stacie left us to go back to Kenya on Friday, so she may have felt something, because she was in Delhi at the time it hit and we heard Delhi felt the aftershocks.

Interestingly enough, we are now in Bhuj, Western Gujarat, where a huge earthquake hit in 2001, killing 10% of this city's population - about 20,000 people dead, and many more in the surrounding tiny desert villages. Even now, many things have been rebuilt, but many have not, and it is like a strange ghost town to wander among the rubble of the fallen castles and homes... Today we had to find the Tourist Info Office, and we knew it was inside the castle, but it felt like we were trespassing about 500 years into the past. Deserted ruins, fallen pillars and stonework, overrun with flowering vines, pigeons, and cows (of course cows are everywhere always in
India). The Secret Garden came to mind. We ascended a flight of stairs, crumbling with old blue paint, after spotting a pair of shoes at a door. On the second crumbling floor was an eerie tourist desk, surrounded by a collection of old hunting mounts of deer, tigers, and other preserved beasts layered in years of dust. In the middle of the dark room was an old palaquin (a large carrier for the old majaraja kings, that people used to lift up and carry). Very spooky. But the man behind the desk, P.J. Jethi, was a wonderful warming smile that began our amazing journey into the Little Rann of Katchh (or Kutch) Desert...

Today we took a wild city bus to Anjar, about 40km from Bhuj. This area (Bhuj) is way out here, way off the beaten tourist track, as it takes about 2 days to reach here from Udaipur and the border of Rajasthan, so we are definitely the weirdos here. Gujarat is not high on the tourists lists, so the only foreigners who make it out to Bhuj are usually textile researchers and anthropologists, studying the richly preserved desert cultures of the Little Rann. And let me tell you, today I felt that my life has culminated in this place - all of the textiles that I have distantly admired (those at the shop - remember the Sind Desert piece at the bottom of the stairs at the U-D?) seem to originate here and are still worn everyday in the folk
cultures of these towns. We were just astounded to see these people... They make the colorful saris look like everyday western wear... Just completely different costumes, jewelry, turbans, etc. Bright bright primary colors in tight, shaped bodices with extremely flashy skirts, covered in thick embroidery and mirrorwork beyond belief. P.J. pointed out to us at the desk the different nose rings we would see, which indicate the different tribe and the marriage status of the women, and some nose rings are so huge that they have a head strap to hold them up! Also mixed into the crowds are the Rabari people, who are nomadic and semi-nomadic, wandering the deserts with their herds in search of water. Interestingly, they came from the Jaisalmer region (where we met Bobbi and her sister). I had purchased some amazing wool wedding shawls from a textile shop there, that are almost black with faintly dark red tye-die spots, then mirrorwork embroidery near the bottom. And today, I was soooo excited when I saw crowds of people wearing similar pieces (the Rabaris). The women wear an all black, mostly wool costume, consisting of a tight backless bodice, with beautiful purple
stitching at the bottom, and then a full, black skirt and black wool head covering that hangs very low in the back to cover their back. Keep in mind that these people are in full wool wear when the temps are breaking 100F every day. We were pouring sweat and they showed not a drop. The men, in contrast, wear mostly all white with a shimmery purple irridescence. THeir turbans must be over 20 feet long, as they sit huge and tall around their heads- by far the largest turbans we've seen. They then drape a white scarf around their neck, with crazy colorful embroidery and weaving at each end. The pants are the kind that are basically a skirt with a colorful band
hanging between the legs to separate the bunched fabric (I can't remember
the name of them at the moment).

I just can't explain to you how excited I am to be here, to see these beautiful people who's culture has not changed in hundreds of years, perhaps thousands. To think that these people have barely heard of Pepsi or Lays...

The bus stand in semi-modern Bhuj proved to be a wonderful people watching area, as many different tribespeople were waiting there for their particular bus, gathered with their children (who also have flashy insane outfits) and have their faces painted around the eyes. When we reached Anjar, it was like a different universe... I doubt many of these people have ever seen a white person... sometimes if we smiled at someone, they would get the worst look of fright across their face and literally run away. It was really neat though - Monday is the big market day for them, so people all pile into town to exchange food and cooking wears, fabrics, etc. I have never felt so out of place, or out of century, as in Anjar. We looked like aliens from outer space. They speak Kutch mixed with tribal dialects... and in Bhuj they speak Gujarati, so even if we knew Hindi it would be of no use here. We were basically huge dorks walking around town, but when travelling, you just have to swallow your pride and know that you look like an idiot. Most people were shy to look at us, but when we smiled, they giggled and chanced a smile in return. Smiles are priceless here.

I was disappointed that I didn't get many pictures of the people, but they really don't like it if you take their picture (and I can understand, obviously). I kept asking different women, but they would run away and shake their finger at me, so I was just content to park myself on a median and people watch without snapping my shutter. So sad though- I wish I could show you all how different this land is. I've absolutely got to come back here and study textiles with P.J.! Maybe learn at least a little of the Kutch language. The main tribes here are the Jats, the Meghwal people
(Harijans), The Ahir: shepherds who claim to be descendants of Lord Krishna, and the Rabari.

For tomorrow we hired a jeep for the whole day, which will take us to 6 or 7 small villages north of Bhuj. We had to get special permission from the government, because it is right on the sensitive border of Pakistan and entry is highly regulated. P.J. says that these villages welcome visitors who want to see their textile processes, so hopefully we won't feel too much like invadors. I seriously feel like I'm in a movie here - I have never seen people like this. So beautiful.


We did have an awful, awful time in Ahmedabad (the capital of Gujarat, that we had to transfer buses in to Bhuj). We got tricked by a hotel and a terrible travel agent, and the details would take me forever to tell, but we ended up getting cheated out of about 1,000 rupees, which for here, is a heck of a lot of money (about $23 US). They had us running all over town, rickshaw drivers were chasing us and telling hotels not to take us in, so I was worried we might not find a place to sleep. I ended up intimidating the travel agent, with my glasses on, by standing there and repeating, "We would like a refund. We would like a refund. You will give us a refund." And my
voice was strong and powerful, and my gaze was steady and unwavering. He knew he had cheated us and started sweating and shaking, while I just kept repeating that we weren't leaving without our money. He refused to give it to us, so I walked out and said that we would inform the police about him and the evil hotel man that was in on the scheme. Then, he ran after us screaming, a huge crowd gathered (at any time about 30 men are always milling about anywhere on an Indian street, so a crowd can gather in about 3 seconds). We marched away, and the agent hired a rickshaw to follow us and
make us miserable. Every hotel we went in to, he would find and then tell the counter person something horrible about us in Hindi, and then they would tell us that they could not give us a room. Finally I faced the rickshaw driver, and screamed at the top of my lungs, "STOP FOLLOWING US. GET AWAY FROM ME. DO YOU UNDERSTAND. STOP FOLLOWING US," over and over. He was just laughing in my face, but he did finally leave us, and we found a hotel who would house us. We were shaken but okay, just out $23 bucks which is not bad in the total scheme of things. I was proud of myself that I made that guy shake... I guess I have a mean streak in me somewhere... anyway, we were soooooo glad to fall into our beds that night safe and sound. Their trickery meant that we had to reach Bhuj a day late, but I'm just happy we're okay.

IN great contrast to the capital city, Bhuj is full of warm, friendly people who ask you questions and don't have a tricky motive, and don't cheat you in every way they can think of. We love it here, and appreciate it all the more because of our scary experience the day before.

This week is the Navratri festival in Gujarat (and parts of Rajasthan), so at night there are lights and decorations and dancing with these sticks (a traditional dance), so it's really fun to watch. In Udaipur, we met an amazing Rajasthani Puppet Master at his puppet shop, who invited us up to his house to watch the festival with his family from above. It was amazing because we could see the dance as a whole unit, how it worked together, instead of just from street level. So fun!! The dancing goes on for 9 days!!

Okay, Kim and Jamie are waiting for me, so I best be wrapping this up!

Love to all, till next time (we only have a week left - sad)
Mand.