I rather enjoyed re-visiting India via my blog the other week. So I went and dug out the diary I faithfully kept. The events it describes have never yet seen the light of day. For the first ten days I was with the group of people my ex-brother-in-law had put together, to explore aspects of rural Indian life, focussing on small producers working in traditional and organic ways. We had no internet access during that period.
I’ve decided to share my diary with you. This will take several Fridays. I’m pleased that I kept such a detailed record of a piece of personal history, and of a country I’d never visited. I wonder how dated this account would seem to the current traveller?
Kracadawna
Sunday 18th February
But at 5.00 a.m. there was a great hammering at the door anyway. I lay in bed for 20 minutes, then thought I’d get up for a walk.I wandered down to reception, and found the jungle lot still waiting. So I joined them.
Much bounding around in the jeep off-road, but we saw a young elephant delicately feeding from young leaves, two mongooses haring across the road, a herd of bison, warthogs, and so many spotted deer we became quite blasé.
The main point of the day was to visit Kracadawna organic farm. What a place! The couple, Julie (Indo-American) and Vivek met at university, and decided, against parental opposition, to realise their dream and to farm. They’ve built it up with their two sons and daughter (home educated), and now farm a rich variety of crops, from fruit and veg. to spices and cotton. They are virtually self-supporting: what they sell is not fresh produce, but manufactured in some way. Julie makes wonderful jams, chutneys and preserves. She’s researched traditional plant dyes. They produce their own cotton, hand-dye it and with a small team of local women, produce quality organic garments. Sadly, I couldn’t find anything I wanted – they have little left so late in the season.
They farm biodynamically, and after all their scepticism are thoroughly convinced of the results.
A completely stunning lunch – bright crisp salads, greenish hummus, a great red rice dish, lots of chutneys and veg. dishes and a milky red-tail millet pudding.
Then a hairy – and I mean hairy – drive into Mysore and the Green Hotel, and a room each. Quiet evening, and to bed …
My featured photo shows the family cat we saw that day. Unusual, eh?
From Pyrenees to Pennines 
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