Saturday 10 December 2011

Hirsuit in India ....

HELP! I HAVE RUN OUT OF HAIR GEL!!!!
As I think back to just over 5 weeks ago, whilst I was packing my back pack for my adventure out here in India, I remember my sister Sara pulling out my spare can of hair mousse and putting it in the 'confiscated pile'! I begged and pleaded with her to allow me to take it, but she simply smiled at me and said: "Rosalie, do you think India is some kind of backward country? Don't worry you will be able to buy hair gel/mousse out there and all the lovely herbal smelling shampoos and conditioners you need. Just take small travel sizes for now.'
Well I have to say, this may not be a backward country, but it is a country filled with people who generally have DEAD STRAIGHT, GREASY BLACK HAIR and who also seemed to be obsessed with HAIR LOSS AND DANDRUFF!!!!! I, on the other hand have thick, dry and extremely curly ginger hair!! As for hair loss, mine is so thick that I once lost a pair of earrings in it!! And I certainly don't need to be massaging coconut oil into it after washing, that ain't gonna give me a 'controlled curl'!!! I am at a loss, after trudging around various shops in many towns, I finally found a conditioner to use but absolutely NO hair gel, mousse or serum ANYWHERE SARA!!!
You may all think that I am over re-acting. But my untamed curl has become so thick and wild that Claudine has started calling me 'Sadhu'! And for those of you that don't know, Sadhu are Hindu Monks who have left behind all material and sexual attachments and live in caves, forests and temples all over India and Nepal. They don't wash or cut/shave their hair, hence the thick dread locks!! Some are feared for the curses they may place on people, whilst others are respected for their holiness.
I, on the other hand bathe regularly, do not walk around in saffron robes nor do I have any intention of giving up any of my material possessions, particularly my car, my TV or my mobile phone!
Not only that, but I still haven't found a beauty salon and am therefore walking around with hairy legs, bikini line and underarms!! All I can say is it is a good job the monkeys out here aren't Orangutans or else I could easily be mistaken and carted off to the zoo!!!
Anyway, yesterday we arrived in Periyar (also known as Thekkady), luckily the riots have calmed down for now, so all we had to contend with was the cab and rickshaw driver who tried to rip us off.
The homestay is lovely, as is the owner Suresh. Who after helping us deal with the Rickshaw driver sat and chatted with us for a while. He asked the usual question about whether we were married or not, or as he put it 'Independent women'. When I informed him we were the later and that we had both recently split up with our boyfriends, he smiled and shook our hands. Most people have asked us if we are sisters, (because we both have curly hair!) and when we respond with 'No, just friends' we get stared at. Finally whilst at Devalakolam, Joss actually said: 'Oh so you are not Lesbians then?'.
Today we went on a three hour hike through the Nature reserve and yet again survived! It was amazing walking through all the trees and bushes, seeing the monkeys swinging up high and the various birds tweeting down at us, whilst avoiding leeches in the swampy grass. Claudine was commenting on how she had trouble sleeping that night due to be so hot and sweaty. When I asked her why she didn't take the two blankets off that were over her sheet, she said she didn't want to touch them as they looked a bit grubby, but would have done if she had bought her latex gloves out with her. Then she looked down and screamed 'a leech' as a little furry caterpillar crawled up her trouser leg.
Tomorrow we are hopefully on our way to Madurai, which is in the next state - Tamil Nadu. However, due to the problems we are only able to get as far as the border where a car will meet us on the other side. I feel like I am a spy about to be smuggled through border control, it's going to be just like an episode of Spooks!!
Until then .... over and out!

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