<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1" ?>
<feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">

	<title>Malabar Drive - Your journey in south India</title>
	<id>http://www.malabardrive.com/en</id>
	<description>Your journey in south India</description>
	<updated></updated>



  <entry>
	<title>kerala video</title> 
	<link href="http://www.malabardrive.com/en?7-kerala-video" /> 
	<update>2008-09-11T22:06:55+00:00</update>
	<summary><![CDATA[
		

	]]></summary> 
  </entry>
  <entry>
	<title>Things to know</title> 
	<link href="http://www.malabardrive.com/en?6-trucs" /> 
	<update>2008-09-08T07:24:46+00:00</update>
	<summary><![CDATA[
		Things to know, which travelers guide never mention



Food : You should eat vegetarian (“pure veg”). You’ll find meat easily in hotels and restaurants, but Hindus have no idea how to prepare it since they won’t eat it ! Don’t worry : vegetarian dishes are delicious, and you’ll survive all right.  As a start, try to memorize the following : aloo (potatoes), dal (lentils), gobi nay (cauliflower), paneer (cheese).


English : Indians have quite the same problems as many non native English people uttering “th”, so your accent may be extremely useful to make yourself understood. Don’t hesitate to overdo !


Creatures and bugs : There are so many human beings that you have to seek them in order to find them, however mosquitoes are quite affectionate at certain periods of the year. They love european repellent pharmaceuticals, especially bio products which leave a fresh scent on your skin. Unless you are an eco-friendly integrist, buy “odomos” from a local shop and be grateful for chemistry. Leeches may also come around the corner in mountain areas, but are not harmful since they do not host any diseases.  Some tobacco powder will get them down. You will also find the extremely rare king cobra in the western part of India, which may reach 4 meters long and stand up at a man’s height in order to attack. Don’t harm it, this is a protected species.


Beer : The local Kingfisher is good and appealing, but may entail gastric disorders. Don’t drink more beer than you would at home.


Brahmins : Priests  heading ceremonies, called “pujas” here, which means not only offering something to the gods but also to themselves. They are hardly satisfied with the amount you’ll leave, so don’t give too much !
 

Coffee : An increasingly fashionable beverage. Drink tea instead !


Water : Never drink water straight from the tap, always drink mineral water (preferably Aquafina) and be careful that the bottle is properly sealed. Also use mineral water in order to brush teeth.


Pink water : Many restaurants will serve pink water in jugs, due to a powder made from a tree bark. This looks strange but is healthy, and smells a bit like camphor cream we use when we have a cold.


Money : Cash dispensers may be found everywhere, at least in cities. Rate is better than changing travelers checks in hotels (+ 10%). If you need to change, go to a bank.


Crouching man : A man crouching in front of a wall is peeing, so  don’t get closer to see what he is looking at. If this happens on a beach, he is most likely doing his big job. If you don’t see anybody, never forget that someone may have come here a little earlier for that purpose, and watch out where you step !


Health : Wash all the time, as Indians do. Especially the hands.


Lassi : Delicious fermented milk.  Several options available : salted, sweet, geera (with cumin), massala (spiced).


Bargaining : Let’s be serious, never bargain with a poor fellow just for a couple of sweet limes on a market. In fact, don’t bargain bellow 150 Rs. In emporiums, let yourself go : ask a 90% price reduction, they will refuse and this will deter you from buying something useless. Go to villages small shops. Generally speaking, don’t buy something just because it seems to be a bargain.

Medicines : Needless to overload you with them, India is world’s n° 1 generic medicines producer. You’ll find them everywhere, for 10% of the price you pay at home. Just be cautious to know the name of the generic or the molecule (use the BIAM data base or your average shop owner before leaving).

No : Means something quite similar to “yes”. When Indians nod the head from right to left, this means yes.

Yes : Means something quite similar to “no”. If you really want to do something silly, nobody will deter you from it. India is the land for individual responsibility.

Pen : A mostly priced gift for kids. If you have less pen that kids, run !

Pictures : People love being photographed. If you note down their address, they’ll be delighted to get a print. You’re likely to be photographed too, especially if you wear something nice hat.

Price : As any publicist knows, price relates only to the one who buys and not to the object itself. In order to get a reference, you should take the western price and divide by 7 (for example, a 30 Euros meal will cost 4 Euros in India). However, rich people will make it a point of honour to pay more for the same thing. If you find this stupid, just ponder about the production cost of your HugoBoss useless accessory.

Restaurants : You may  eat without any risk in “family restaurants” along the roads or in towns. Generally speaking, follow the locals, as in the West. Indians’ resistance to alimentary intoxication is absolutely not greater than ours, so you’d better go to the places they choose : where they are numerous, food is most likely to be good !


Auto Rickshaws : Small taxi vehicules equipped with 3 wheels, which are extremely useful. However, be aware that the driver is unlikely to know your residence name, unlike your travel agent. Just ask the reception what you should tell the drivers in order to be in a position to get back (owner’s name, secret code, mantra…).

How to behave : Be inconspicuous, don’t do to others what you would not want them do to you ( for example, have a camera close to your face while getting married). Nobody will ever make any remark, but this is no reason for behaving like a boor.


Safety : You may walk almost everywhere with your money and your grandma’s jewels, without any problem. Indians do the same. However, you’re likely to lose them while looking for your guide book or your lip stick, so you’d better leave them in your hotel.


Monkeys : Quite good fellows in South India, but in Northern India, some have a soft spot for bartering : they will rob your glasses so as to get a banana in exchange (this being called “monkey problem” business). You should keep an eye, they represent most of India’s delinquency.


Smile : You may go for a nitwit tourist smile in any circumstances, especially when you don’t want to understand something (such as being requested to buy postcards, necklaces or any other bullshit close to temples). When asked “where do you come from ?”, needless to reply “from Sweden” since you’ll be rewarded with a “Hur mår du ?”. So you’d better just say “from France”, and get a “comment allez-vous ?” back. Nevertheless, “from Iceland” usually stops shopkeepers. Never forget that your weight load being limited to 20 kg,  you should avoid buying unnecessary items, even more when they are ugly, just to get rid of a pipe’s seller.

Tea : If you order tea without further explanation, this will be sweat with milk. The magic sentence is “black tea without milk nor sugar”.


Tip : This will never be requested, but this is no reason why it should be forgotten. Allow for 10% of the bill, 10 Rs per head for luggage, and 300 to 600 Rs per day for drivers.


Turistas / TD: If you have read this guide all right, you are no chance to get it. But if it does, symptoms may be ranked according to the runs Richter’s scale : level 1 (light uncomfort) : treatment = 6 bananas ; level 2 (uncomfort which is no longer light) : treatment = bananas + salted lassi ; level 3 (lavatory has become your friend) : treatment = antibiotics (ofloxacine) ; level 4 (you don’t recognize yourself any more) : treatment = rehydrating solution (electrol).


Indian tourists : Recently enriched are developing in big towns, most of them behave like brats and you will have to stand them in certain kinds of hotels (main features : fat kids with mp3 devices, ?). Medium class people are generally adorable, poor ones even more.
	]]></summary> 
  </entry>
  <entry>
	<title>HOME</title> 
	<link href="http://www.malabardrive.com/en?5-accueil" /> 
	<update>2008-09-08T07:17:09+00:00</update>
	<summary><![CDATA[
		

MALABAR
DRIVE www.malabardrive.com

&nbsp;

The key to India: having a car. Without a car, no access to small roads, villages, no off-road experience, just, and this is not enough, monuments and tourist spots.
In 2008, a Euro-Indian partnership has been setup to propose high quality transportation in a prestigious and so Indian car: The Ambassador (“The Amby”), a brand new Oxford Morris 1954, operated by an experienced and skilled driver.
Sailing in three states of south India (Kerala and its nature, Karnataka and its climate, Tamil Nadu and its temples), you’ll discover in perfect condition of comfort and safety the delicious smells of south India, food, and also people.
 





Massage, well being, become an happy vegetarian!

 Follow MalabarDrive on Facebook



Pondicherry, Madras, Tanjore, Madurai, Mahé, Téllichéry, Calicut, Cochin, Hampi, Goa, Kollam, Trivandrum…Sur les traces de Marco Polo ou de Vasco de Gama.

&nbsp;



Car with driver weekly rental&nbsp;: contact@malabardrive.com Send SMS to the driver 








Car



	]]></summary> 
  </entry>
  <entry>
	<title>The Car</title> 
	<link href="http://www.malabardrive.com/en?2-essai" /> 
	<update>2008-09-07T11:38:53+00:00</update>
	<summary><![CDATA[
		 The Hindustan Ambassador is a model of car manufactured by Hindustan Motors of India. It has been in production since 1957 and is based on the Morris Oxford model first made by the Morris Motor Company at Cowley, Oxford in the United Kingdom.

Despite its British origins, the Ambassador is considered the definitive Indian car. This car made by Hindustan Motors at its Uttarpara plant  near Kolkata (Calcutta) was once considered India's national car as it was perceived to be best suited to the harsh Indian terrain. It used to be the preferred means of conveyance of India's political leadership before they moved onto SUVs and luxury cars.

An Ambassador used to be the Prime Minister's vehicle until 2002. The then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee exchanged it for a BMW sedan (which has continued since).





Car



	]]></summary> 
  </entry>
</feed>


