Panajim (Goa), November 29, 2007
Funny India
I was warned that Goa, it was not quite India. Yes. If I find out of the plane the same sultry, humid accompanied by the heady smell and sticky that struck me last year in New Delhi, the framework is not the same. When I left the taxi in the district of Panajim, Pretties houses with walls adorned with yellow and red tiles were false airs of Lisbon. At a street corner, a group of Indians singing prayers to the accompaniment of violin for a small niche all it yad'hindou with crowns flowers, except that it contains a statue of St. Francis Xavier, the great evangelist of Asia. The Portuguese have left the state of Goa in 1961, after four centuries of occupation inaugurated by the courts of the Inquisition. Here, we tortured the natives who refused to convert ... So, one third of the population is still Catholic, and Christmas is, apparently, a holiday magic. It still leaves a funny aftertaste. The day after my arrival, I went to Old Goa, the state capital until 1843. In place of the city which once vied with Lisbon, I found a simple park surrounded by a half-dozen churches, certainly lavish and monumental, but isolated. Before the Bom Jesus Basilica, a mass at the familiar liturgy despite the exotic language is given under a roof of sails before a crowd of Indians very collected.
Kagal (Karnataka), December 3
Welcome to paradise
After four hours by bus south, here I am at Kumta in Karnataka state. I came back and Hugo Juan, two French friends who took care of me last year while I was ill in Ladakh in northern India. After half an hour rickshaw on a small road lost amid the fields and rice paddies, I arrive at the destination. They live a little "Land" paradise after Kagal Beach, a deserted sandy beach seven kilometers.
From the sea you do not discern a fence lined summary of plants and a small hut in plaited overlooking the sea, which serves as my office to write these lines.
Upon entering the small property, you take a short road lined with banana leading to the kitchen and shower, a small river in dry season and two this farés, charming wooden huts on stilts surrounded by coconut trees, painted with the colors green, yellow and red Rastafarian and connected by farandoles of multicolored Buddhist flags of Ladakh.
corner could not be more tranquil. In the morning the fishermen bring their fish huts adjacent to their canoes, under the indifferent eye of some cows trying vaguely to graze the sand. Then it's time for village cross the beach to wash their clothes in the nearby spring. At night, teenagers play cricket before the sunset. I never see a tourist there.
Kagal, December 6
gently and not too fast
The days are going very, but then very calmly. I who am not yet a natural restless, I am surprised by this sudden brake application. And finally, I get used pretty quickly. The main occupations of Juan and Hugo are to develop land art projects, gardening, swimming with dolphins, giant grouper grilling on the barbecue, prevent cows from entering the enclosure where they sacked the plantations and hunting stray dogs rummage in the kitchen. We hang a wicker chair between two coconut trees in order to read a book in front of the levitation adjacent paddy field and assemble shadow facilities provided for the full moon.
the evening they held forth in endless spirals of chillum and reggae on stories of Brahmans raptors, monkeys, crested punk, consignment of cocaine fell miraculously from an airplane in the garden of a friend and Dominican, especially about future facilities Juan and Hugo.
Seen like that, okay, they look like two crazy sweet perched on their beach side of the world. True, they hover a little, but they can also arise. The Ouroboros
Juan has exhibited since the 80 galleries in New York and European paintings, collages and sculptures that deal mainly with the issue of travel and border. He spent most of his life on the road, and seven years ago, he met Hugo and his father in Rajasthan. Hugo was then only eighteen years, and his father was about to find the corner of beach that he was going to the Land. At his death in 2005, Hugo and Juan launched the project of the Ouroboros. This is a pattern of the fifteenth century alchemist representing a snake biting its tail, a symbol of self-regulating nature of the destruction and creation, they reproduce in gigantic proportions to denounce the company Current consumption at its loss. Since then they have traveled the world to complete their project, riding their bikes beautiful ornate Royal Enfield Lion of Judah, the effigy of Bob Marley and slogan "One Love" on green, yellow and red.
A multitude of options
They drew their first Ouroboros using a bulldozer in the desert of Sinai, with the support of the European Space Agency, which offered them the pictures via satellite. Another was carried out on the sea off the port of Jaffa in Tel Aviv, but cylinder assembly was disrupted by the storm before the picture is taken. This year, after six months of prospecting in Nepal, they ended up being shown out by the Maoists would have preferred a structure in the shape of Lenin ... Currently, they wrestle with the Karnataka government for permission to establish an Ouroboros on an estuary consists of several miles of fishing nets hanging from bamboo poles. In the future, they hope to work on a lake near Harar in Ethiopia, a salt lake near Ankara in Turkey, the coast of Belize in Central America, a glacier in Chile ... Thanks to the Internet, they would eventually organize and conduct exhibitions of photos simultaneously in Paris, New York, London and Tokyo. As Juan said, "The great advantage of the artist who smokes in his chillum faré is that he the choice between a multitude of options "... Fortunately, a friend of Paris contemporary art circuit, Muriel, has just arrived for a few weeks and give them a helping hand to connect more to the outside world. These are beautiful kids accompanied by Muriel.
Kagal, 7 December
Hindus and Muslims
Time passes all alone here. Juan and Hugo are charming, always quiet, even if Juan grumpy all day long for a yes or a no. My time is also an opportunity to examine the functioning of Indian society. I learn that people who work in rice fields and salt marshes surrounding Hindus are generally untouchable, while sinners are Shia Muslims. When I see them in front of their huts, I can not tell the difference outside the white caps on the heads of men. But in the nearby town of Kumta, the contrast is striking between Hindu women in saris and colorful Muslim stashed under their black teepee, from which emerges their eyes, very erotic course. Still, everything seems to happen between the two communities, especially as according Puri, the peasant who also lives on the Land with his wife, Muslims demonstrate the utmost discretion when they catch a cow for the tuck.
"Never trust them" cons
By Juan and Hugo appear very disillusioned at the mention of their relations with their neighbors. As Westerners, they are both lower than the untouchables because they belong to no caste, and victims of jealousy because of their overall wealth assumed. Above all, they are surrounded by peasants a little simpletons among which, after four years on the Land, he does not none is found with which they have managed to make friends. In fact, they are very isolated on their piece of paradise. "India is the reward the guy who wants kiffer through against the Indians left unattended. One should never trust them, even among themselves they are the worst dross, "grumbles Juan triumphantly before quoting Henri Michaux, who in 1933 described in his book" A barbarian in Asia, "the Hindu southern India like - but I summarize these are the words of Michaux - "be a small, lively, quick-tempered, greedy and down the front, whose religion has lost its beauty and peace." The book I'm reading right now, "India where I lived," written by Alexandra David-Neel there half a century, also allows me to better understand the absurdity of the caste system. According to her, never accept a Brahmin from eating food contaminated by the eye or even the shadow of an untouchable. Even on the pews, ever the faithful from different castes do not mix. Moreover, only the Indians at the bottom of the scale were converted to Christianity in hopes of escaping their condition, but they continue to honor their old gods, lest they not retaliate by reincarnating in dogs or cockroaches ... The discovery of this racism and the hypocrisy hidden behind their incomprehensible ways I am not very pleasant, but I still have fond memories of encounters last year. I'll see.
Kagal, 8 December
Fairy
During a motorcycle ride in the countryside, Hugo gives me another insight into his vision of India. Of course, reports are complicated with the locals. But he also sees the country as a magical place, including violence and theft are virtually banished, at least in the campaign - he always leaves his keys on his motorcycle - and where animal life is respected. It is true that the vast majority of Indians are vegetarian, although this is changing slowly. The peninsula where we stand looks like a wonderful garden on the occasion of religious festivals and their almost daily procession of candles, fairy lights, multicolored geometric designs, tapestries on the temples and statues of the gods that we dress and walk ... And of course there are the women in saris flamboyant, to the miles of bracelets on each arm and flowers in hair.
Kagal, December 10
cows and buffaloes in India, according to Henri Michaux
I can not resist the pleasure of quoting this passage from "A Barbarian in Asia "Michaux, which I gladly share the views on the relationship between Indians and cows:
" They made an alliance with the cow but the cow does not want. There are cows everywhere in Calcutta. They cross the streets, spread out at full length on a sidewalk becomes unusable, self fientent before the Viceroy, inspect stores, threaten the elevator installed on the landing, and if the Hindu browsable was, no doubt he would be grazed. As for his indifference vis-à-vis the outside world again is higher than the Hindu. Obviously she does not seek any explanation or truth in the outside world. Maya all. Maya, this world. And if she does not eat even a tuft of grass, it takes more than seven hours to meditate. "
A little later, Michaux also discusses the prettily buffaloes, whose character is not very far from that
cow ... "Needless to say that the water buffalo is slow. The water buffalo wants to sleep in the mud. Apart from that, he is not interested. And if you hitch up, even in Calcutta, he will not go faster, oh! not, and from time to time his tongue sooty between his teeth, he will look at the city as someone who feels misled. "
At the same time, for the sake of intellectual honesty, I must also show this picture of two oxen at work.
Still the One to be lying quietly in front of the ploughshare few moments later ...
Kagal, December 12
Negotiations on a motorcycle
Instructed by my experience in Ladakh last year, I planned to buy a Royal Enfield motorcycle from the legendary Steve McQueen in The Great Escape , Che Guevara during his campaigns in South America and Lawrence of Arabia on English roads ... I can already see the handlebars of this little wonder straight out of the forties, tracing my path in the middle of rice fields and temples. Mayor Kagal sells his own, which is splendid. But I play the Indian- drags, does not come to visit. After a week of waiting, he tells me that his bike is a friend's house and it will only fit in three days. So I decided to go for a ride in the corner of nearby Gokarna pending his return.
Gokarna (Karnataka), December 13
A city being sacked
Gokarna is a common place of pilgrimage for Indians and hippies. There is a Shiva lingam, the symbol of his penis worshiped, a small sacred lake, with beautiful streets of traditional houses and numerous temples. But the village is changing with the development of Main Street. Quite simply, Enlarge the Indians by destroying ancient buildings and replace them with new. This is not the first place in the region I see launched in such turmoil. The southern advance and enriched by eye, but the heritage is a big hit. Until the city is completely disfigured, one still encounters the side of the Brahmans of old white-bearded hippies and young travelers with dreadlocks and necklaces wooden balls. They are also scattered along the coast down to the four tracks that follow south. In two hours we reached Kublai Beach, already a little built, Om Beach, where the great yoga lovers greet the sun each morning, the tiny wild Half Moon Beach and finally, the finest and most sulphurous for prudish Indian Paradise Beach. This is where I sit.
Paradise Beach, December 17
Footballers
nudist beach, backed by a crack on the hillside, like its namesake. When I arrived, a handful of beautiful young men in dreadlocks played football in front of topless mermaids languishing on the sand. A little shy, I put myself in the team swimsuits, but we do trounced by nudists, led by an Englishman who has a tattoo of a beautiful grove of hallucinogenic mushrooms on the side. In one corner, two Indians pretend phone to take pictures of the breast of a girl who protested vigorously. At the end of the match, I bathe in water that should be between 27 and 28 degrees, put my affairs in a hut overlooking the sea, before moving to the restaurant to get served a memorable dali chicken before the sunset ... Soon, I meet with residents of this cosmopolitan vacation camp. Some emerging from a period of meditation, where they remained ten days without eating meat, drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes or even speak. My neighbors, two Malaysians and a German, arrived three months of yoga Richikesh and prepare to do it again. The next day, one of the Malays was kind enough to massage for an hour and a half with his ayurvedic oil, attempting to patiently unravel each of my points of tension. From time to time he says he fell on a gas zone due to my consumption of meat and alcohol, and I hear him belch what would my own gas. I do not defend myself, anxious not to distract.
Panties White
Every afternoon, the little band ends up on the beach to talk pearl bracelets, his tattoos look pierced shells and put on his dreadlocks. Some feel so good on this track they have not moved for over a month. In the evening, all is love and happiness when around the fire, the congregation is caught naked hands for a moment of universal harmony. While a shooting star crosses the sky, a Brazilian ecstatic as the crown of curly hair that ensures every wish is already fulfilled. But he does it dry for maneuver closer to the beautiful Englishwoman who withdrew her bra in animal skin and blond American teenager who brandished his blushing white panties.
The Smile of the Moon
Djamel, guitarist emeritus and life and soul train company official, is ready to go very far to spare the favors of beautiful Israeli women, like to repeat to all winds that His name is Elijah and merrily sing "Shalom Evenu Balerem. But his astute tactical encounters a mixed reception, but he falls back on a successful Irish dead drunk though at unpredictable before break the teeth on the day after a Quebec depression. Above our heads, we behold the moon rising by displaying his curious smirk of the tropics. I laugh too much, but after a while the atmosphere under the palms Loft starting to get tired. It is time to look elsewhere.
Kagal, December 18
Haggling
Kagal I come back to buy the damn bike before hitting the road. Appointment is made with the mayor, who left me for an afternoon test. The engine hums on my beautiful vintage 350 cc I'm proud as a peacock. But less than a kilometer far, the battery case open and everything breaks the figure. Hugo helps me put the son who miraculously held by tape. Starting again to the grocery store where the purchase is done, the clutch is loose and I have to push the last 200 meters. In all, we must change the electrical system and clutch repair the meter, the throttle, the flight of the fork, brake lights, horn, headlight ... I'm holding still, after while it has only three years and its engine is in good condition.
I took 35,000 rupees (550 euros) is slightly higher than the rating but the Indians still sell above the market and bought Westerners below. The goal is to not lose more than a third of the release for sale in two months. Basically, I can expect between 20 and 25 000 if all goes well. But my dealer thinks I'm an American and he refuses to go below 42 5000, all his friends are all here to follow the negotiations. He laughs, pretends not to understand my concerns, underestimates the necessary repairs, invokes his mother who does not want to sell it ... In fact, it does not seem like enough to discard it to accept a decent price. Disappointed and a little exasperated, I finally take the set that I put on the table and go back to the Land. Say wait days to get there ... Juan and Hugo, my advisors on this one, tell me that I am likely to find a better opportunity at Garage Sikh Mapusa, in the state of Goa where I'm leaving tomorrow to do an article on the latest rave in the coconuts.
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