In Kochi

The whole group, 22, are now in Kochi (ex. Cochin), a place of 600,000 residents located on the west coast of India in central Kerala.

I enjoyed my time at Varkala and I think most did. Some stayed three nights and left with Br. Denis and 'The Thompsons' to go to Allaphuza, the main town to stay in to visit the Keralan Backwaters, a series of waterways that are near the coast and go inland. Myself and others stayed in Varkala for five nights with Pepe Di Ciccio, and yesterday (30/12) we headed up to Kochi to meet the others who had come from Allaphuza.

At 4:00pm today we are meeting to arrange plans for New Years Eve tonight. The night of the first of January we board a train for twelve hours which takes us to Bangalore, arriving on the morning of the second. The day is spent there and we go to the airport in the evening, to board an aeroplane to Bangkok, Thai Airways flight TG 326, departing on the third of January at 12:30am. Three nights in Bangkok and then we are heading home.

Everyone is very much looking forward to coming home to see you all, and I assume you are all very much looking forward to us coming home.

Have a happy new year. We will see you very soon.

Ben Healy.

Sweet

Will Hassall aka Haching on the 23rd of November.

On this day all the coolies headed down to the beach at Kovalam about 25 minutes away from Trivinandrum on the coast. Me and a few others woke at around nine o'clock to go to a buffetbreakfast at 'The Residency Tower' (say with a posh accent). Not bad for five bucks Aussie a head, personally i njoyed the french toast and the prospect of a coffee nmot from a street stall, the others enjoyed their customized omeletts Will Dillaine in peticular got a simple but equally tasty combination of just cheese and egg. After confusing the waiters (who tried so hard to impress all the westerners) with the fact that we didn't stay there we headed back to base the very stinky and small 'Omkar Lodge' in the heart of Trivinandrum where we proceeded to gt ready for a day at the beach.
Kovalam is the nearest beach to 'Trivi', about 25minutes south. It is a lovely place with many Europeen tourists and inflated prices. There are three main beaches a couplle have Ok sand (by Australian standards) while the other two are a mix of a dark black muddy sand and your regular beach sand (talk to David Antonborough for more details). Theeach are just of mostly hilly terrain and are seperated by rocky outcrops and even a cliff (which will return later in this blog). After a walk along the 'boulevard' looking at some shops most people hit the water running in screaming, playing (aagh) and attracting attention. While me, Madaf, Jock and Penny went to get drinks and some food. While we waited me and Penny went to check out the nearest Henna Tattoo parlour though we didnt buy any right then we did see some we like and if it lasts expect to see it when i get back. The restaurants that line the beach are very relaxed and make you feel like your somewhere else (not in India) playing old music chilling music like Bob Dylan, Beatles, some 70s and 80s rock and then later on even some nineties dance...if only they had a D-Floor. Our waiter at this place was an absolute MC and already knew Jock from the day before learning all our names speaking like a Jamaican (even though he is Indian) and giving us nicknames we didnt quite understand, nevertheless the perfect salesmen. It was also at this time that telling me the alchohol he had on the menu the whole mood took over me (i may have blacked out) and i had this urge to invent a new drink. I ordered i Pineapple Lassi - (an Indian milk drink that can be flavoured either sweet, sour or fruity) with some rum (they didnt have white). They came seperately but i lowered the lassi and added the rum ctreating an all new experience which after tasting the other guys were enthusiastic about trying.
After my oversized shot of rum i headed the only place i knew would be safe, the water. Armed with a 12rps cricket ball for skimming cross the water we joined the others already out there. We played and plashed around noticing the new creatures from a distant past in bikinis as well as body surfing with style. The water was pretty warm and after an afternoon of swimming I felt as if i'd been coated in some sort of oil though i was sure salt water couldn't do that.
When we got sick of the green tinged water a group of us headed back to another resaurant overlooking the water for an avo snack and some beers. After re-energising we went shopping finding out the power of impulse buying on the wallet and Mum and Dad though i have got you pressies i am now feeling a bit guilty, i think. Then we had another swim as Bro. D, Peppe and other had arrived deciding following the cool cats to the beach for dinner was the way to go. I never thought such a nice humble Brother like Terence could be so scary but in those Budgy smuglers even the Lungi - wearing Indian men were taken a back, Peppe managed to pull his boy-legs off having aged a little more gracefully. More good times in the water trying to catch waves that were bigger than a metre, we did have more luck than the rediculous Brits on surfboardsn though and before long were sufficiently tired enough to quit and head in for a night of cocktails.
After stealing a quick shower in a hotel courtyard me and Matty O'Shea had to build up our funds for the rest of the night which was destined to be expensive. The whole coolies group had pre-dinner drinks at the lunch bar served again by the cool waiter, this time a few others tried my invention and surprisingly werent as impressed but with pride in tact, convinced the bartender ruined it i followed the group on to dinner. We split into to halves to ease the pressure offf the would-be poor chefs and waiters, they st-ruggle enough. I was at 'The Beatles' with about eight others inlcuding Peppe and the cocktails kept coming with Spanish Punches and Aloha's they weren't as good as the meal but for those back home they are about 6-7 Aussie dollars (thats cheap). I had the Prawns in coconut and spiced sauce on rice, but only after finding out their half kilo lobster wasn't available for me and Dan Rodway to share, the prawns were beatiful though worth the eleven aussie dollars. We ate well talking about De La, times like the blueslip skeem and Mr. May's, and Mr. Hewit's musical prowess.
The 'piece de resistance' though came last in the ight as we headed for 'The Leela', 'The Essence of India' (ha) a classy, illustrious and extravagant hotel that dwarfs all others sitting atop a clif that seperates two of the beaches. Rooms we guessed would have to be around 3-400 Australian but we were just there for the Salsa dancing which Peppe had scouted earlier 'accidently' walking through. Though we didnt fing a salsa dance floor a great dissapointment to us (well me anyway) we did find an amazing bar with plush white seats and lounges overlooking the Indian Ocean. We saw at least three great pools one of which was of course an infinity as well as day spas, toiletts and even a gym that would make Arnold (the Governator) horny. We lay down blown away and ordered high class cocktails that you wouldn't find anywhere else in India a few of the boys decided to go undercover with the 'James BOnd Classic' while i stayed tropical with a Mai Tai and Peppe got his Capryosca, made to perfection. But the highlight for me anyway was ordering (sorry parents in advance) with BFO and Will Dillaine one of their expensive and cased cigars. We had the Hoyo de Monterry ( i think), a churchill ("darling") and yes it was wonderful, absolutely, and went perfectly with BFO's Vodka Martini ("shaken not stirred", also smooth as you like) aagghh the high life of a Coolie. Did I mention we finished work at G-Kaliputi last thursday, we deserve it. We decided we better head home after a second cocktail and some great mood making guiter playing from Penny, oh and paying the rupees 10, 000 bill wow!.

Thats enough from me i hope you enjoyed. Good Samaritans and party animals signing out.

Photos of...

Daniel paying off the policeman.












The boys on their bikes in Pondicherry.













The boys on their choo-choo in Pondicherry.














Working with the masons at Kallupatti.













Cleanest man in Kallupatti.














The coolest men, Will and David, in Kallupatti taking in the sun and local adulation.













Josh relaxing on his patio reading.

Day Out in Madurai

Yesterday groups A and B had a day off as the work was well ahead of schedule and we had heard of the Theme Park at Madurai! With water slides etc it is a rough and wilder version of Wet’n Wild on the Gold Coast. Chris and Chas Thompson, Josh, Will and myself decided to visit the world famous Sri Meenashi Temple. I had been to the waterpark last year and did not need to put my body through such a rigmarole again.

We met for a rooftop dinner on a fancy hotel, and heard stories of how the boys had taken over the park, turning rides on and off as they pleased, coaxing the attendants to let them do asthey wished. Most had an array of bruised elbows, knees and feet, and tales of near-death experiences. Ben H seemed to defy gravity when his bulk almost burst out the top of the ride known as the Space Bowl. The group also challenged to load capacity of a tuk-tuk finally managing to get 10 in the one enlarged tuk-tuk. Unfortunately no pictures are available.

Dinner began at 5 for some and 6 for most. The ordering was completed by about 6.30, and then came the delivery, spread over the next 90 minutes. Beau managed to get served first, then put in another order and be served second also! Will D had to wait till 8 before his tandoori chicken arrived. The bill came to just over R6300 for the 15 of us. We had planned to get the last bus back at 8pm. However we didn’t leave the meal till nearer 9pm. Fortunately we found a travel agent open, and booked a bus to take us back to the door at G Kallupatti in relative comfort.

Nagapattinam to Kallupatti

Last Thursday group B returned from Kallupatti and C headed to Nagapattinam. This entails a trip from each end to Tiruchirappalli (better known as Trichy).

RTU has a 10 seater Jeep which just fits 7 of us, a driver and our luggage. From Nagapattinam we had to hire a “taxi” which barely fitted 8 standard Indian sized persons let alone a group including Br Denis, Beau, Will H, and Ben H. Both groups set out about 8 am, and with a stop on the way for a coffee break finally met at the now popular Trichy diner for lunch at 12. As this was the second changeover so things went like clockwork this time. The first time we managed to find each other by finding the “taxi” with the luggage piled high on top!

The meal was a noisy affair with everyone obviously trying to share some of the experiences they had had since the previous encounter. We drank all their cold bottled water, and most of their soft drink, and most of their chicken and meat dishes, as well as copious quantities of naan, barota, noodles and rice.

A little after 1 we were on the road again after exchanging luggage , bodies and vehicles. 4 hours later we were in Kallupatti, and Peppi with group C and Br Doss were at Nagapattinam.

A day in the life of a coolie

7:15 am and the sound of Peppe’s voice rings over the G Kallupatti court yard where 12 exhausted De La Coolie’s boys are sleeping soundly. “Morning, boys..." tends to be the first sound of the day with a variation of either a knock on the door or a tap on the window to wake us up. Breakfast is served by 7.30 and everyone is ready for a hard days work by approximately 8:15am. The group then drags their steal capped work boots to the RTU centre where daily morning prayer is held (only in Tamil of course). As 12 of us file out of the prayer room we are given orders by the great Suravanam (or SS as some of the boys like to call him) on what is installed for us that day. 8.30 arrives as we all separate into groups of 3 or 4 and wander off to the 13 scattered construction sites across the village.

Each house's building process involves a number of steps and a hefty amount of back breaking work! Before any of the fun stuff begins the boys have the opportunity to meet the fortunate families of the new home's. A quick 'before' shot is taken of the family in front of their lopsided hut and then demolition begins! The houses are quickly unloaded in a record time of 10 minutes before the boys are able to begin. The boys tear into the stick huts ripping apart the palm leafed walls and roof. Several surprises tend to make their way from the house's nook's as we dodged mice, froze in front of monstorous spiders and even fled from snakes! Once the house has been teared down the contractor's are called in to stake out the house's dimensions. After what seems like 10 minutes of arguing amongst them, they finally stake out the dimensions with a piece of string and some wooden picks.

After two hours of solid work from 8.30-10.30 Saravanam, Maharajah and Superemani pay the boys a visit with bottle's of soft drink and cashew biscuits. The trio are greeted with cheers as soft drink is slammed down cup after cup! Once the 15 minute break is over it's back to work for the remaining hour and a half.

After the staking of the house, the digging of the foundation's begins. I can confidently say that this step was most definately the most dreaded stage. A lot of back breaking work is put into digging the trenches with a backward shovel and a handle length of less than a meter. The trenches are dug to about 2 feet in depth before large rocks are thrown in. The rocks are fitted into the trenches in order to strengthen the foundations of the house before building. Once the rocks are in, a mixture of dirt and water is shoveled onto the rocks so that the gaps are filled and the rocks covered. A rather dirty job which left many of us covered in mud!

12.00 pm arrives and we stumble back down the hill's to our comfortable rooms. The shoes are thrown off and everyone lounges around for a good 30 minutes before lunch is ready. From 12.00pm-2.00pm the boys enjoy a good rest before heading off to work again for a the final two hours of the day, 2-4. During the two hours break the boys have been known to perform activities such as: shooting each other with BB Gun's, reading books, blast iPod's and singing along, sun bake, play on the children's playground, sleep, enjoy a game of cards, and even light things on fire!

Work resumes as the building of the level base begins. Such a task involves a lot of Indian relatives and a handful of determined Coolie's boys. Firstly, cement is mixed and poured onto the foundations. Rock's are then carefully placed upon each other in order to form a level base for the bricks to lay on. Once the level base is completed and everything is level and sturdy the bricklaying begins! Arguably the most interesting part of the construction process is the brick laying due to the fact that 3 rather humorous brick layers burst onto the scene. With a lot of laughs and misunderstanding the walls are finally erected and the gaps filled in with cement. By this stage a good friendship has established between the workers and the boys as they have just managed to figure out the family tree of the 30 Indian's before them.

Once the bricklaying is complete the roof is erected with 2 carpenter's being called upon. In quick fashion the roof frame is installed and the tiling begins. The roof tiles are laid with a bit of difficulty and the house is almost finished. Several drink stop's later the roof is on and the construction of the floor begins. A rather quick process including a lot of rock smashing and cement pouring leaves the biceps and triceps aching. At this stage the house is one step away from being finished. In the final hours of construction the walls are painted and the doors attached before the house is finally complete. After a lot of hard work, sweat and tears the boys all took one step back and gazed at the masterpiece they had just built. With a lot of hand shaking and smiling the boys were treated to a large amount of Chai tea and spicey Indian pastry.

The day is over and the boys slowly crawl back to the rooms dirty, sweaty, thirsty, hungry, tired and sore where everyone crashes on their bed's and prepares themselves for a cold 'shower' in a bucket of water.

Group A in Nagapattinam

Group A first went to Nagapattanum.

After leaving the main group on the train our small crew of 7 were welcomed to Trichi by the head brother from La Salle Nagapattanum, Uvari. After a pleasant lunch in a out of the way restaurant in Trichi we all crammed into a small mini bus for a four hour trip to Nagapattanum. The first half hour to our new destination was fun with four of us in the back of the bus, but after realising that there was another three and a half hours to go riding in the back lost its novelty.

Upon arrival we were treated to a small fireworks display and a ceremony to celebrate and welcome us to Nagapattanum. After settling in we were introduced more formally to Brothers Uvari, Doss and Xavier, and a whole hoard of Brothers in training called Junior Brothers. Including the groundskeeper, these Brothers are the only residents of the De La Salle complex, called La Salle Kaldaisai.

After the introductions and dinner we were shown to our rooms. There were two rooms with three of us in each. The beds were simple fold-out ones with some being more uncomfortable than others. Each room had a bathroom fitted with a shower and western toilet which in hindsight is seen as a luxury compared to the eastern toilets and bucket for showers we were to find on arrival at RTU in G Kalliputti. We also had access to a washing machine which on first use was a major let down since many our clothes came out dirtier than they went in. It seems that the whole of Tamil Nadu suffers from spurts on low voltage at least three times a day and this plays havoc with the wash. However, once we learnt about the best times of day in which the house received full electricity, the washing came out clean!

We had arrived on a Saturday and work did not start until Monday. That Sunday we were treated to a Rockstar reception at a festival for the local children. Every child from all the nearby villages came out to welcome us as guests of honour. This made us feel a little uncomfortable as, although we may think we are rockstars, the adulation seemed a little too much. It was nice to get greeted with a traditional Indian head dot thingy and decorative necklaces as we entered. The whole ceremony was conducted in Tamil and since only Dave Colmanet can speak any of it, many of us found it hard to understand. We did get treated to many dances, a teacher drama and presentations. We even managed to get up on stage ourselves and perform the Hymn to St John Baptist (Thanks for teaching us this in Year 7!) and finished with the De La Oom Pa.

On Monday, when we finally began to work, we found that the hours seemed to be easy enough. We were organised to work for two hours in the morning, from 9am to 11am, and one and a half in the afternoon, 3pm to 4.30pm. Sounds easy? We found that the work was very demanding and constant. It ended up taking its toll on us and we finished each shift completely exhausted. The treats at morning tea, which included breakfast cereals like Chocos and Mango flavoured Corn Flakes, hit the spot and replenished our energy reserves. Apparently a bowl of Chocos is nutritionally equivalent to 2 Chappattis.

The routine continued for the first couple of days and on Wed afternoon Monsoon rains halted our work and forced us to stay in doors and relax. We have never been so happy to see rain, but it did leave our worksite under a foot of water and mud. The next work day was going to be some fun.

After working the morning on Thursday, we were escorted by Laksmi, a La Salle staff member, to a variety of nearby sites which included tsunami affected coastal villages and a church dedicated to the appearance of Our Lady to some fisherman just off the coast. Beside the church was a museum that housed all the offering that people had sent to the church as prayers of thanks or desperation for things they needed. We finished off the day by visiting the Tsunami Memorial Site built to remember the lives lost on that Boxing Day. Apparently the height of the memorial matched the height of the wave that hit the shores, and it was one high memorial.

Friday night was movie night, and not the type of movie that you might be thinking. All of us, that is Brothers Doss and Xavier, 13 Junior Brothers and 7 De La Coolies headed into Nagapattinam to see the latest Kollywood (not Bollywood around these Southern Parts) blockbuster. The entire film was in Tamil and again, only David could understand what was going on, but the rest of us did pick up the fact that there were twins, separated early in life and then brought back together later. Of course they were from very different parts of society and of course the moral of the story was good. Included was planet of dancing, action, comedy and romance; as well as the occasional subliminal advertising. And the heroine was too bad looking either... Two highlights of the night were deep fried eggs in batter (a speciality that Brucey should consider for the future) and a fight scene that saw a man thrown through the front and back windscreens of a car. Nice.

Early sat we were up and caught the 8am bus to Pondicherry. We took a local bus up the coast and arrived 5 hours later. Pondicherry is a French influenced town that sits on the Bay of Bengal. It has a lovely seaside promenade and the whole of the city comes out to walk along it at some point in the day. For 150Rs a night ($5Aus) we were able to stay at the Hotel Qualithe. It really was a shame that the name had absolutely nothing to do with the standard of the room. Still we all got a bed and a lovely balcony overlooking central “park”. While in Pondicherry we spent our time enjoying the western luxuries that the town offered. We had steaks, chips, beer, pasta and delicious crème caramel or chocolate pancakes; and that was all by lunch on the first day. We also did some shopping in the local markets and enjoyed the beach. That night we took a wander through the towns watering holes before enjoying another extensive 3 course meal for dinner. After an early buffet breakfast (200Rs at a five star resort if you don’t mind) we hit the streets and looked at the Indian side of Pondicherry. This included a visit to a crowded fish, fruit and flower market, which left some boys a little worse for wear. Not too worry because another 5 hour dodgy local bus ride was to await us and the good news is, that it only took 7 of us, asking about 50 people, 400 different questions, to find the right bus home. In case you are every in Pondicherry and need to get back to Nagapattinam, its the 222 from the central terminal that leaves at 2.30pm. Don’t miss it because its no fun getting back any other way...

Back at our temporary home, we had one more working day to go. We used this day to build some paths around the complex so that we could walk above the level of water that was consistently lying around the site from the weeks rain. It may be 35 degrees every day, but that water sure does evaporate very, very slowly. That night, the Brothers put on a special farewell dinner which we smashed in due course.

Tuesday was a day of travel. We left Naga at 8am and by 8pm we were at RTU in G Kallupatti. This day of travel consisted of a cramped 3 hour 4WD ride to Trichy for Lunch and swap over and a cramped 4 hour 4WD ride to RTU. What happens at RTU? Thats for the next blog. Stay tuned...