Kerala - South India

Okay - what I am about to write is an experience I am having right now in India that is actually not all that positive. I have been in absolute la la traveling heaven, loving India to it's fullest with all it's struggles, but now I am faced with a behavior int his country that I had read about and had the least expected to be finding down here in the South, which is said to be the most open of all States. Being hassled by man is something I experienced in the early days of traveling to Italy, the whistling on the side of the road, the approach from the street vendors, etc. All part of it and all pretty harmless, but what I am faced with here in the South is much different. I want to say for the first time in my life I am actually harassed on a daily basis. Fair enough, one says not to travel alone as a woman to India, but I am keeping to all the rules the country sets to at least be left alone on my path. I dress appropriately, even though its so hot and I would rather run around in my strappy dress, I don't approach anyone, I am nice, courteous, follow country formulas of greetings, don't hang around bars on my own - all things one can do to blend in and down under - not a chance. Fair enough - how could I blend in here, I am white!! I stick out like a sore thumb, I am that stereotype of white European looking target, but am I a free for all to be hassled, spoken to, approached all day long, everywhere, insistently in search for a reaction, even touched? At the beach I seeked solitude and found myself surrounded by a group of 20 male viewers, trying to take pictures of me, talking to me and following me at all times as soon as stepping on the side of the road. Thanks to the American/Canadian couple taking me under their wings for the next two days making my stay really pleasant. Then I took off to meet Amma, a 2 hour bus ride away. I ended up in a - lets say far away place from tourism and civilization sort of place. Lonely planet has it still listed but I don't understand why now. I got to see Amma at last and sitting in the tent with thousands of people watching her hugging people tears starting streaming down my face. Partially I was touched by the atmosphere and taken by the chanting and part of me was totally exhausted from the long, hard way getting there to finally see her and I felt so lonely, truly lonely. I caught the attention of two teenage local girls who were dying to speak with this odd looking white girl and wished to practice their English. We spent the rest of the day talking about their dreams of working in IT and becoming a doctor and living in America or England one day. I asked one of the girls Amrita, named after the hugging mother, what she was putting out wishes for when receiving the blessing and she said that she wished for her boyfriend to come back to her. Now we both cried. It was a sweet moment I will never forget. We took a picture of us for memory but then I had to delete the picture because her father was watching us and disapproved. I understood. Of course she was the most beautiful young, sweet hearted Indian girl and I would protect her, too, if I was him. The picture was a genuine meant memory but how could he have know that. I headed back to my hotel, imagine the worst place you ever stayed at and listed as best in Lonely Planet. I hid, waiting for the night and waiting for the morning to get the hell out of this place. Waiting for the rickshaw on the street I was left with one memorable picture of this place I will never forget - in a red sunset light, amongst three lanes of oud hunking cars, dricing around the center of town circle with a large old statue in the middle, there - there was an elephant, walking silently with his master on the back, slowly in pace. With my mouth open, I watched the giant moving off into the distance. I wonder if he knows that with one step he could crush one or many of these noisy, good for nothing, metal things with wheels driving next to him. And as I stare behind this beautiful and forgotten animal I realize where I was - In a far away country, far away from anything I am used to and have experienced in my life, in a country so different from me and so new, in a country that brings me to the outer of my strengh and to the most open of my heart, in a country that I will have to learn to understand slowly.
For now - I am ready to leave and rest some.