Pune

Pune is the most cosmopolitan city I have stayed in, in India. There is a distinct lack of livestock on the roads, no camel carts, no rickshaws, and hardly any bicycles. In all other towns, the ladies almost always wear saris or Indian dress, but here many are in tops and jeans, even some of the older women. Most men and boys wear western dress in the other towns I’ve seen, though I saw more in lunghis and other traditional garb in Hyderabad and Trivandrum. Here, hardly one to be seen, and a number of men are in shorts.

The houses in Pune are a mixture of the modern concrete, and old colonial; the latter being terribly run down to the point of dereliction. It seems a shame. Funny how, even though I have seen wonderful and ancient buildings, I feel a deep-down 'British' pang when I look at the old colonials. Perhaps it's my ancestors talking to me.

There is a park close to the hotel. It opens early in the morning and again in the evening. I had wandered in on Sunday during the day, only to have a whistle blown at me by the security guard. Apparently the gate had been left open and I was not allowed to be there. I was ushered out. I walked in it again on Monday evening after my meal. Alas it closed at 8.30 – a whistle was blown at me and I was ushered out again. By Tuesday I had the measure of it; early breakfast and a walk in the park. It is quite a formal affair with clipped hedges, elephant statues, a pond and a temple. There are flower beds too, some with deep-red leaved oxalis and arum, but mostly the flowers are not out. At the far end, enclosed within a low clipped hedge, there is a tank – a military tank that is – captured from the Pakistanis in 1971, and presented to the people of Pune.

Next to the hotel is an ‘unlimited thali’ restaurant. ‘All you can eat’ is a nice idea at the time, but I just cannot eat like an Indian – I never even reach the rice stage. These tiny ladies on the adjacent table seem to tuck it all away somewhere. I’ve been three times and it will be a bad idea for me to go again I think. Still it’s very popular, and was busy all day Sunday. The clients were targeted by a drum beating lady accompanied by a man and a boy with large whips. They demand money, and if you don’t give, they crack the whips over their backs. Its probably just noise, I don’t think they hurt themselves. Whatever – I’m not giving. I can withstand your pain, chaps.

My mattress seems very hard – like sleeping on a board. On the first night I got up to investigate. I am sleeping on a board, and the mattress is only just 3 inches thick. Outside the hotel, people are sleeping on the pavement without so much as a blanket under them. I’ll bear with the situation; a few days and I’ll be in my own bed, and they will still be on the pavement.