Terror in the Bathroom

I am not going to India for the Commonwealth Games and I was a bit annoyed when I discovered they were on at the same time as I was going to be there. It wasnt the threat of terrorism that annoyed me, just the prospect of there being additional crowding, difficulties with finding acomodation and bookings on trains and things that concerned me. But in the end I decided that probably as India is already very crowded a few extra tourists attending the games wouldnt be noticed. I shall see. 

As for terrorism, I read somewhere that in the last 40 years more Americans have been killed by peanuts, and by drowning in their own bathtubs than have been killed by terrorists. I also read that the  majority of terrorist attacks do not result in deaths and less than 1% cause more than 15 deaths - or in other words one would have to be incredibly unlucky to be in the wrong place and the wrong time to be caught up in such an attack.  I think the issues are a bit different for the Athletes, who are going to be assembled together in one place and perhaps thereby become a potential target. But I am planing to be well away from Delhi when the Games are on and for me I think the risk is tiny- as is the risk of the aeroplane crashing, a fatal car crash, being attacked by a maniac with a knife , falling under a train, or any of  a multitude of calamities that can befall any person who wants to step out the front door..So I shall be careful - and stay out of the bath.

Holy Cow

I am not in India yet. I am in New Zealand and yesterday drove up to the Bay of Islands to check up on my yacht, Sapphire. Everything was OK but there was a lot of mould on various surfaces so I spent a while cleaning that off and then had my tea in the dark and a good sleep. This morning daylight saving had arrived in NZ and a light breeze sprang up so I shook the sails out and went for a short sail, turning back off Paihia when the wind died.

On my way back to Whangarei I took a detour  along the Ruapekapeka Road, an unsealed back country road through farms that goes past Ruapekapeka Pa, the site of a famous incident between the british Army and local maori back in 1845. A Pa is a fortified enclosure, usually on a hilltoop or headland into which the local tribe could retreat in times of war. This one was purpose built by a warrior chief named Kawiti - and it was different from all other Pa because firstly it wasnt built anywhere near a maori communitty or travel routes or tribal borders but was specifically built inland on a commanding hill to lure british troops across difficult terrain and away from the security of their ships and coastal strongholds. It had a double pallisade with trenches tunnels and underground rooms which were all reinforced and almost immune to british cannon which ordinarily would easily destroy traditional pa where most of the dwellings were above ground. After two weeks the british finally breached the perimeter and on entering found it deserted. British had sustained significant losses and Kawiti had made a strategic withdrawal with his mana intact. Shortly after a peace treaty was signed. All that remains now are the trenches and mounds. Its hard to imagine as you walk around them that here once were warriors. And warfare.

But driving through these wonderfully green hills I couldnt help but notice  fat cows sitting in groups in the afternoon sun, looking very content and picturesque, especially the black and white ones. I wondered if in a weeks time , when I am in India I would be seeing such lucky cows, settled in deep crisp green grass, inhaling the cleanest of air, undisturbed and rested. 

I have since read about the holy cows in India. They are revered by Hindus but Muslims are not vegetarian and happily slaughter and eat them. It appears this difference has made the Cow a political issue in India, the right leaning BJP appealing to the Hindu vote by passing  laws with increasingly severe penalties for their illegal slaughter. Muslims are angered by these laws saying they are directed at them, and the members of their community whose livelihood depends on the meat trade.The left leaning Congress party declared  "We are not an enemy of the animal, but we do not use the cow to woo voters. Religion and politics should not be combined," 

The Tricolour

I thought only the French called their Flag the Tricolour but apparently that is also what Indians call their flag.And some say the three colours represent the religions of India - Saffron for Hindu, Green for Islam and White for the others, but it is also said saffron stands for courage, sacrifice and the spirit of renunciation; the white, for purity and truth; and the green for faith and fertility. Everyone agrees the round thing in the middle is the Dharma Chakra (or "Wheel of Law") It is an ancient Buddhist symbol, with 24 spokes and it represents the continuing progress of the nation and the importance of justice in life. Earlier versions had a simplified drawing of a spinning wheel in the centre, the one Gandhi used and believed that if widely adopted would help to transform India by reducing her dependence on British produce. Despite replacing the spinning wheel with the Chakra, Indian law requires that even today the official Flag has to be made from the material made popular by Gandhi, hand-spun cloth of cotton or silk.

Popular Demand

I only decided  to write a Blog about my visit to India after my friends asked me. I think they had enjoyed reading  my other Blog  ( http://www.mysailingadventures.blogspot.com/  ) So I told both of them I would give it a go....The big difference of course is that what I am doing this time is walking down the well worn hippie trail rather than attempting something less often done. I have five weeks and plan to explore Rajasthan, and visit the Holy City of Varanassi on the Ganges as well as Delhi and of course Agra and the Taj Mahal.