Tag Archives: photography sam burton

Goodbye – (Elo-Star, – In Telegu language) India

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After a rocky train ride which felt more like travelling on a boat we arrived at Secunderabad Junction at the end of the line, our final Indian destination. The last days in India have been spent in the city and we have celebrated with birthday of Pricilla, it’s her first birthday and they live in the downstairs room of the house we are staying in.

 The birthday girl sleep next to her older brother ‘Mani’.

Mani being fed by his dad

Both grandmothers

After 3 months we have visited 5 states, spoken some of the 4 languages, are now a pros at: using squat toilets, showering out of a bucket, washing clothes – (sometimes unintentionally with rice), sleeping on a tile floor, having no electricity, understanding the Indian voice, broken English and wobble of the head, bartering, crossing an Indian road, eating with your hands, saying ‘no problem’ to every question, driving a motorbike helmetless, driving with no indicators, handbrake or functional gear-stick, and most importantly trimming a moustache.

One of the last cups of tea (chia) being made, indian style.

It is now time to return and catch up with our homelands and enjoy the lovely, January British weather. This has certainly been a home away from home and we have made some lifelong friends, it has changed each one of us, definitely for the better.

 – In a month or so’s time the four of us hope to wrtie something about the whole trip with pictures which sets out clearly what we did I will try to upload this to the website but if this fails if you are intrested I can send you an email with it attached or by post please email me if you are intrested and once it is complete I will send it.

My email is: zummerzet69@yahoo.co.uk

Mumbai – The Gateway To India

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On the train to Mumbai

One of the first things you notice about the city is its constant foggy conditions; you can see a maximum distance of 5 miles before everything disappears into the polluted smog cloud. There is the main highway that takes you into the center of the city, this is the fastest traffic I have seen move in a city – it seems to be a race as we bump along the road with many areas of extensive potholes because everything is moving so fast and so close the breaking for these death trap areas is very hazardous, after a few seconds the smell of brakes and them the cloud of exhaust smoke fills your already damaged nostrils as everyone has to get to their destination fast. It is also the first place where the driver and only the driver, are mainly wearing helmets, most likely because statistically the risk of crashing is much higher. This road gathers traffic from all the a-joining roads as if flows down towards the heart of Mumbai, the gateway of India and famous markets. It took 2 hours from where we were staying to get into the city center and that was on a quiet day! It’s such a sprawl of a city with some of the most concentrated areas of people in the world. The city has around 18.5 million residents – from the full trains with people hanging on, to people sleeping in the central reservation and the sheer amount of traffic bears witness to its overpopulated state along with the flow to the center being clogged.

One boy, about 14, with crutches, was wandering between the cars wearing a Santa hat and looking in each car window for money, with a translator I discovered he had polio and had lost a leg, the lights went green and he was left standing alone in the Centre of the road. We arrived at Crayford Market built in the mid 1800s, this was a busy area and we met a boy about 8 with no arm. He was carrying some rubbish in big bags on his shoulders to make a few rupees. His eyes light up when we talked to him, this is something that we found common; that no-one had taken any interest in people like this little boy. They may have given money but never had much of a conversation.

One of the boys at Crayford market.

DARAVI:

On new year we visited the biggest slums of the East, Dharavi. It is estimated that between 600,000 and  over 1million people live in the 0.67 square mile area it was the biggest slum in Mumbai but now 4 others are bigger.

Man outside the bakery

One of the many streets with one or two cables. 

Morning coffee chat.

Some of the young locals.

Candy shop. 

We explored deep into the heart of the area, we arrived at 8am and many we opening their little recycling shacks, bakery shops, metal workshops, fruit stalls and cafes, it’s a hive of activity! Some of us enjoyed a coffee and some breakfast in the slums. The area is divided by the main road – complete mayhem – a million or so people cross the road everyday with their fruit trollies and stock for their shops. Some of the slums are surrounded with liquid… you would hardly call it water due to all the rubbish and dirt floating around in it. There was a few bridges over the swampy water into the community. Some of the small alleys and houses never see the sunlight and small stairways disappear into the darkness of someone’s house. We had some very nice orange juice and in the evening came back for an evening meal, they certainly know how to cook! Tonight we also saw a baptism, another thing to celebrate for the new year!

Outside at train station in the morning 

One boy at 11pm in Daravhi waits for the new year 

For the night on the 31st we went into the center for the new year by the gateway of India and the Taj Hotel it was sad to see many people sleeping at the side of the road too tired from earning a few rupees to see the new year in. Many were preparing to burn the ‘old man’ which is like a guyfaulks type thing. They say the new year time for the new man, it is time to change and burn the old man.

Mumbai is a 24hour city amd there are often traffic jams in the early morning, even at 3am. There is never a moment when the city sleeps.

The gateway of India and the Taj Hotel 

The last day we were in Mumbai we visited Elephanta Island. This is famous for its caves and statues, the largest is pictured below:

The last night I stayed in a slum area and had a meal, the only mistake was drinking the water! There was also no toilet but I survived!

Ballon sellers infront of the gateway of India 

It was time to say goodbye to Ryan, he’d been a quarter of the team/family for 3months and it was the first part of the return leg for us so it was a sad goodbye! We had all experiences some unbelievable things and now we were all breaking off to our separate placed.

 

The short Mumbai experience was well worth it, and we also met some very kind people and saw some of the poorest and most needy parts of India here.

The Sunsets over the centre of Mumbai 

I  was in Mumbai from Dec 27 to Jan 3. I then travelled by train by train to Secunderabad arriving on Jan 4. 

 

A sad goodbye.

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There is much to catch up on…

We took all the children out for a meal on Christmas eve – all the children were very excited about this adventure. 2 busses were due to come but one had a puncture so we ended up using one and did 2 round trips. The restaurant was awoken when the food was served by all the children giving thanks to God for their food in their normal fashion of one child standing to say the prayer and the rest of the orphans repeating bit by pit. Once the meal was finished we crammed all 70 children onto the one bus designed for 30 and returned back for them to get changed out of their smart dress and then off for the park.

Christmas day, well, it will be the only Christmas day I will be awoken at 6.30am by someone dropping off a family of 4 goats in an old ambassador car! Christmas dinner was chicken biryani, eaten in true Indian style with my hands sitting cross-legged on the floor with all the children! We were able to give some Christmas gifts to the children which included footwear for all the children, a head torch and bible for the older boys, a new school bag for the younger boys, goodie bags for the girls and we got a few gifts in return from the children, it was the last day for us and it was full of mixed emotions we each had to give a goodbye speech and Joseph who does the day to day running was very effected from us being there and living exactly like they do.

On the full bus! 

We had to leave Early morning on 26th and it was all a bit of a rush after 2 months it was good bye to the children we had been fathers, mothers and friends to and now it was time to leave. The little and big children had tears in their eyes as they hugged goodbye. Each one of us had far from dry eyes too. We zoomed off to the busy railway station and only just got there in time as we had to walk miles to get to our coach – each train is about 25 coaches long. Two of the orphans came with us on our visit to Mumbai and one came to wave us goodbye at the station, it was a final goodbye to Joseph and the orphan ‘SMS’ as I jumped on the moving train you could just see two arms waving above the crowds of people at the station before the train was on it’s way to Mumbai.

A photo from before on the dogem cars 

One child packs away his new gifts into his suitcase.

Christmas day, christmas and leaving gifts and christmas hats!

Goodbye from the christmas day goat. 

A final goodbye.

Typed on 26.12.12

 

2 Days till Christmas!

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They were all sat outside the main building illuminated only by a few Christmas stars, their faces shining with happiness as they saw some visitors, it was a long way from the main road and overlooked by some local mountains. This leprousy centre cares for 40 families affected by the disease here and they have been provided houses by the government but now receive little help…only 1,000 rupees a month which is around £13. It is a good set up though as the families are able to look after their family member affected by this illness. Over half of the people were Christians and we talked about the meaning of Christmas and sang a few songs beneath a tin roof and illuminated coloured stars. We asked if there was anything they needed and they asked if it was okay if we bought them some food toward their Christmas meal which we did along with soap and oil.

It is now drawing near to Christmas and there has been much excitement in the orphanage as a kind sponsor bought clothes and presents for all the children. We have also attended a few functions, one was at a five star hotel in Coimbatore, the children took it in turns to dance, sing and be entertained by the hotel and we treated to a luxurious meal of chicken biryiani and ice-cream. Tomorrow all the children have leave and we are hiring a bus to take them all out to a famous place in the city for a nice meal, this is to be followed to a trip the park or swimming pool, yet to be decided. It will be a typically Indian last minute decision!

The children’s faces were in great fear as the stairs moved towards the sky in the shopping Centre, they had never seen moving stairs and it was one great leap for an Indian child to board this magic staircase. We had to give some of the 7 orphans we took on this trip a friendly nudge onto the escalator, it took a little while before they realized that the steps appeared too as they walked into the steps to start with by the fifth floor they were pros! It was very funny to witness their first escalator experience! KFC was the next stop and lastly dodgems which proved hilarious so with shining faces they returned sleepy and satisfied. We also went to bed happy after a successful mini trip with 7 of the orphans.

Day in the life of an orphan

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Everyday between 5.30 and 6am everyone is woken up, either of their own accord or by an elder boy. Following the awakening is morning prayer which is done a little away from the orphanage under the tree on the road. There is a short bible reading by one of the older children, next is some study time in the main hall where the boys all sleep. Before breakfast all the jobs need to be completed. This includes sweeping, washing the dishes, and washing the floors, then a quick body wash and all clean and dressed for a nice breakfast. A speedy cleaning of the plate follows and they get ready for school. The youngest children have to walk across a main road and then across the main railway line and after 30mins they arrive at school. They sing the national anthem and a prayer before they commence school. Once they return from school they wash, change, play, study and then at 7.30 is a prayer meeting or reading followed by a meal, powercut, then more studying and finally at around 10pm sleep. Some of the older orphans however persist with studying until the early hours of the morning; such is the life of an Indian orphan. For most education is their only ticket to a new life.

A trip to the zoo

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The bus speeds along the dust road towards the orphanage building leaving a dust cloud behind it. All the children with beaming faces run to get the best seat next to the diver which ends up not just being one seat but 5 seats as they squish into the front. This was a small trip we organized for 30 of the smaller children many of the older children have exams at this time of year so on the 15th we took them to the local zoo, gardens and park. Ice cream was also a highlight of the day, but for one boy who ate his ice cream and then went round on the roundabout so fast that his stomach must have been still rotating when the ice cream reappeared over the fence!

We also had a day trip to the most southern point of India this past week we took the eldest orphan with us who is 19, he had never seen the sea before so it was amazing to see him experience his first sight of the ocean. Where we were in Kanyakamuri the Indian Ocean, Arabic Ocean and Bay of Bengal all meet so it’s not a bad spot to see your first bit of sea! We then went to take a ferry ride to some historic temple…it’s always a bit disconcerting when you board a ferry and have to wear your life jacket ‘just in case’!

Work on the orphanage is progressing well the beams now connecting the pillars are now built and the store building is completed. Each pillar is now being added to with more metal. Most of the expenses are being supported by generous people from the West. Some of the materials has also been kindly sponsored by local companies who wish to help with the construction.

As it is the lead up to Christmas if the children have any families then they are visiting them now. We met one child’s mother while she was working in a supermarket and we had to promise to bring her 2 daughters next time. We obtained permission and took her two daughters, when she saw us she left the checkout and bought enough biscuits to fill a whale for them to take back. She spent some time with them and as we left there were tear streaming down her face, this lady has to work 6 days a week from 9am to 9pm to live in a women hostel and cant support her children.

One recent event was some carol singers, they had contacted the orphanage to say that they would arrive at 10am to sing to the children, finally at 1am in the morning they arrive all the children forced themselves awake to get only a few carols and a prayer before they made an exit. I sometimes wonder how the children are so awake/can function as many of the older ones study until the early hours of the morning before getting up at 5 or 6am. 3 hours sleep per night seems to be the price you pay in India for a good education and an escape from poverty.

These photos were taken at a school we recently went to.

Coasting West – Kerala – INDIA

Gallery

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This gallery contains 22 photos.

We arrive at the station a few seconds after what must have been the only on time train that day had left. The next train was in 30mins this turned out to be an hour! It was packed with people … Continue reading →

Ooty

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Train to take us back to Ooty 

Ooty is a town right up in the mountains and is famous for it’s tea and also is known as ‘Second England’ because at night the temperature plummets and the air is the freshest we have breathed for weeks. We took one of the oldest orphans on this trip. He had the nickname of SMS and has an appearance of an intelligent terrorist. The plan was to catch the steam train at 8am in the morning to Ooty, however we had an untimely coffee break and discovered in the café that there was one at 7.10 and another at 8 we hurriedly drank the boiling tea and ran to the station asking for directions on the way. Our quick walk took us across the main road past fruit and vegetable stalls, though a small dark alley; there were around 4 shops here all selling flowers and the smell was overpowering, we broke through this deep scented aroma into a mini bus station. Here we asked some OAPs who were on a tea break where the station was. They must have twigged from our exhausted expressions that we needed to catch the train. They raised their head and in a Tamil tongue said ‘sorry lad you missed it, gone at 7’. We then proceeded to chase it by car to the next station, but again missed it.

We then, somewhat disheartened, drove up the death trap of a road to Ooty Hills, overtaking on blind corners, more hairpin bends that there was monkeys and often no crash barriers down the vertical cliff.

 Elephant food making

The first stop was to go for a proposed elephant ride which involved a drive though Ooty and around 50km journey down the other side of the mountain, this road was even worse. Single track, tighter corners, no crash barriers and distracting words of wisdom at each corner to help to look at the road one wisely said ‘Look at the road’ and another says ‘Buckle up before you buckle down’. We drove through 2 wildlife reserves and saw plenty of monkeys and a wild elephant. We then passed briefly into the next state before reaching our destination. “No elephant rides the man says , it’s not the season.” We could hardly believe our ears. We settled for the slight compensation of observing the elephants dinner being made which looked like they just recycle what come out of the elephant in 10KG balls.. I am sure this is an incorrect observation! We did manage to get a photo with a baby elephant and it’s mother; they seemed fine with us wandering up and patting their sandpaper skin.

The following day we found out that the train in the morning that we had missed had been hit by some falling rocks and several passengers were injured and one was in critical condition. When we travelled back down the mountain by train it was obvious to see how unsafe it could be with overhanging rock bridges that you look straight down at the forest below and wonder if there is anything holding you up. In the end we arrive safely back home.

SMS with his horse

A farmer near Ooty weeding in a carrot field.The train on the decent from Ooty towards Coimbatore, Nilgiri Mountain Railway

A short trip in an Indian car…

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The dinner wash-up

An engineer who is helping with the construction winds down the window of his small orange car and the bristles of his moustache mimics a Mexican wave as he smiles (as all true Indians do). The three workmen in the back lean forward with their red Hindu forehead spots shining away. He says ‘Sam can you come with us we have some checking up to do on a few sites’. So we travelled along the road and as it always does it seems that you must be going along the motorway at 70mph but it is probably only 25mph, there are no speed limit signs and no markings on the speed bumps and many holes in the road. Sometimes it may be that someone has taken the drain cover off for a little bit of maintenance or as a souvenir and there is no warning; it’s just left as a speed trap or sleep trap.

We arrive close to our first destination which is a school. The sign points left down a narrow road which had a steep drop into the turn there was a bit of a bump! We move slowly forward and then a bit more forward then stop… no power… Odd…we try the reverse, again no power. As I look out the window I can see that the tyre seems to have decided that it is going to go askew horizontally. It seems to have also dented the car somewhat and it was detached from the wheel turning lever things. So the rest of the way was to be on foot. We waited here until a mechanic arrived.

Swathi – One of the youngest girls waits for her meal on the steps of the orphanage.

The rest of the time has been spent helping continue building the orphanage. I have been taught how to cement and lay bricks and making sure it’s not all wonky. Also learnt how to carry bricks and get a wee bit sun burnt. The mosquitos here are a murderous bunch; they just seem to never have enough blood to satisfy them. Sometimes outside you just look up and there are swarms of the buzzing, blood sucking creatures. Last night was a teaching night, we taught them a songs like heads, shoulders, knees and toes. We are currently trying to organize a few trips of a few of the children and then a trip for everyone to a waterfall and a zoo so hopefully this will all work out.

So with an Indian smile and a slowly growing moustache I must dash; serving dinner time.

Two children pose while walking to school in their small tribal village on a trip to Ooty.

A foundation completed

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The foundation of the new orphanage has now been completed. We have helped fill in the holes with rocks and filling in the sides of the water tank with sand. It has been great to see all the smiling children again and how they all do their little bit to help out.

We have taken two of the children to a small water park they were beaming from ear to ear and really enjoyed it. We have also seen the celebrations of Diwali which is like November 5th but a lot more explosive and dangerous as half the rockets take off and half explode on the ground. They have ground fireworks called bombs which are exactly what it sounds like. If you put a tin cup on top the cup is fired up into the air and about 5 seconds later it returns to earth from its small trip into orbit. One of the orphan’s relatives took us to their coconut farm and we were given 3 coconuts to drink straight away. It is fascinating to seem them climb what seems to be a smooth trunked tree.

This week has been mainly spent in some rural villages about 60km out of Coimbatore. We’ve met a lot of Hindu people and have had many Gospel preachings throughout the different villages. Some congregations were half Hindu and half Christian which was interesting. We have also been looking around large companies to try and find jobs for the children when they leave the orphanage to support themselves. We have successfully taught the children some songs and some English and today we are continuing to help build the orphanage and attempting to wash clothes in a bucket of water, this turned into more of a water fight with the young children as they found it very funny to jump on your back when you were washing and to spray you with as much water as possible. This is a brief account and due to a lack of internet connection updates maybe few and far between!