It is about time that I continued my report....

Mangalore, and points beyond....LOL

Mangalore itself is a mid-sized city, much in line with the area I live - York, PA - in size.

We stayed (mostly) with my friends' sister and brother-in-law in a 'suburb' of the city called Bijal. As with most homes, it was comfortable and very welcoming. Her sister and brother-in-law treated me like a visiting dignitary. Yes, that well!!!! They are lovely people and I enjoyed every minute with them.

Now, there are a few cultural differences that come into play when staying with families....Mainly, some of the 'western' conveniences that we are so used to, and would be provided in most hotels, are not 'standard' in an Indian home. Bring your own toilet paper if you do this! They do not typically use TP, but will wash after using the 'facilities.' I was 'warned' ahead of time, so was prepared for this. Also, most do not have a working shower or bath tub. Bathing is by 'bucket bath' - there are large buckets to fill with water and a smaller 'pitcher' to pour the water over yourself to wet/rinse. It is another thing to get used to, but I had done similar at times growing up, so it wasn't a big deal to me...

When it was time for bed, the gathered family - because there was always more than one family in the home while we were there - would spread out mats and blankets on the floor of the main room and sleep there. Me, being the "honored guest," would always get a 'private' room with a bed to sleep. I actually felt a bit uncomfortable not joining the rest of the family, but they wouldn't have it.

Meals were delicious. Southern Indian foods are NOT 'hot spicy,' but have a lot of different flavors than we are typically used to here. Almost all spices are picked/prepared daily. Most homes have a spice garden right there. Lots of rice, as you would expect, but different types of rice. My favorite was the 'red rice,' which had a larger grain and reminded me of barley for look and consistency. Always vegetables in a sauce - sometimes a curry, sometimes not. I am not a big vegetable eater, but I tried everything and enjoyed myself. Lots of chicken, some fish - didn't care for the curried fish, but that was because it was mackerel and had a strong flavor, but enjoyed other fish and fish dishes. One, special, meal was clams in a sauce that was amazing. I had never eaten clams on the halfshell, but would be hooked if they were always served this way.

Desserts were mainly fresh fruit. Sometimes cooked, but mostly raw. Had fresh guava, mango, papaya, jackfruit (cooked and raw,) bananas - standard and what they refer to as cardamom bananas, which are much smaller and, in my opinion, tastier. Some baked goods, but these were purchased from a nearby market. Snacks were also much different than what we get here. No potato chips or pretzels. LOL One of the snacks I enjoyed most was Murukku, which is a crunchy, deep fried Indian 'churro' of rice and chickpea flour and different spices. (Very good with beer!! LOL)

This is getting a bit long, so I think I will continue in another post....