For some reason I decided that when Sal left Thailand I wanted to go to Laos, so i got the night bus from Bangkok to Vientiane. From buzzing, busy Bangkok to the sleepiest capital city I have been to! It has less than 250,000 people and has a lovely laid-back feel to it. I managed to see most of the sights in the first day!
The first thing I noticed in Laos, is how quiet it is. The traffic is minimal and nobody beeps their horns, and there is very little other noise! They are very calm, unassuming people and don't really seem to talk a lot! The French, who ruled here from the 18th century until 1953, used to say that "The Vietnamese plant rice, the Khmer stand there and watch, and the Laotians listen to it grow". And to me, this sums things up very well! The French influence here is still obvious, especially in the food - you can buy a baguette anywhere (although not always with a desirable filling as I found out, still hairy fried pig skin anyone? Or how about marg and condensed milk?) Lao food was a bit boring to be honest, or too spicy for me. But the coffee made up for it, strong Lao coffee served with sweet condensed milk, yummy.
I went for a wee wander when I got to Vientiane to explore the city and found myself on a wide, very European boulevard with trees down either side and at the end of the street in the distance was a mini Arc De Triomphe! I climbed up to see the view over the city, which doesn't seem to have any tall buildings or skyscrapers, just lots of lovely houses, many with red roofs and plenty of tree lining the wide streets. That evening I ate my dinner at the market and watched the sun go down over the Mekong.
Next day I rented a bicycle and cycled around the city. A bike is the perfect transport in Laos cities I have decided as the traffic is slow and calm, and a bicycle fits in with the pace of life here.
I went to Pha That Luang, which is one of the most important national monuments in Laos. It is a Buddhist stupa painted gold and it looks beautiful in the bright sun with a lovely clear blue sky behind it.
Next day I caught the bus with Ryan (Ozzie) and Sophie (Korean), who i had met in the guesthouse, to Vang Vieng. There's not really much to attract people to this town except for the stunning scenery and the river, but this tiny little town has turned into one of the most famous places in Laos! Backpackers go there to go tubing on the Nam Song River, which basically means floating down the river on an old tractor inner tube and stopping off at bars along the way!
It's a strange place - the town is split into two parts, one where all the guesthouses are and one where all the locals live. The tourist town has only guesthouses, cafes (all showing friends/family guy or the simpsons on full blast), travel agents and bars. There is not really anything Lao about it. We went kayaking down the river which was loads of fun, and we stopped at one of the bars on the way. They have a huge water slide which you shoot off about 10m above the river and create a massive splash! They also have a zip line which people slide along and let go of into the river too. But this being Laos they haven't got any "health and safety" which is good and bad! Drunk tourists and water can be a bad combination! One guy let go of the zip line upside down and missed a kayak below him but 10cm at the most! Another let go when it was sliding back not forward and landed on the kayaks below! He was winded and the bone in his big toe was protruding at a nasty angle, and the only way out of the bar was in a kayak down the river to the town! Oops!
We had a couple of good nights out at the bars on the river where everyone gathers after a hard day floating down the river. But it felt a bit strange to be in the bar. It didn't seem to fit the surroundings. The only reason to go to the town was to party with other westerners. In a beautiful, peaceful country, it seemed a bit sad to spoil the peace. It just didn't seem the right place to party.
So Sophie and I made our way to Luang Prabang - which is a world heritage city and has loads of things to see and do! It's also becoming very touristy and with that a bit pricey too - 70,000 kip for a room (that's about 6 pounds in real money and out of my budget!) so Sophie and I shared!
The town is set around a small hill with Wat Phu Si at the top. I explored the various beautiful Wats (Buddhist temples) around town (there are loads) and went to the Royal Palace Museum where the King used to live. In 1975 the communists took power and the royal family were exiled to the north and imprisoned in caves in Vieng Xai, (where I think they died, but I need to check this fact...) . The Palace was fascinating.
We met some other travellers that evening and decided to rent bikes the next day to cycle around the town. I went to a yoga class in the morning, I was the only student and we did yoga in front of the lily pond! What a lovely start to the day!
Then 6 of us set off on our old rickety bikes, I felt like a kid again, it was so much fun! Only one brake pad fell out, and we only had to repair one bike chain, not bad going!
I left on the local bus to Nong Kiaw the next day and said goodbye to Sophie who was a great travelling companion, we got on really well. The local bus is what they call a sawngthaew (song-tao) which is basically a pic-up with a roof and benches down either side. It was a 4hour journey and for most of it we had about 25 people crammed in, with a few more standing or hanging off the back! Nong Kiaw is a tiny town, and much less touristy. It felt like a chance to see real Laos, and how people live.
The houses are mostly wooden, woven bamboo walls with thatched roof, usually they are up on stilts. The village was so quiet and the roads going through the town were just dirt tracks. The earth is so red and the red dust that flies up from the cars sticks to the trees and the houses and everything below 3 feet is red! Went to the morning market with the rest of the town and then spent the rest of the day on the bus to Luang Nam Ta.
Luang Nam Ta turned out to be my favourite place in Laos, and I was already in love with the country. Again it is just a quiet town with a few tourists around, but the people here were friendly and kind and made me feel so welcome. It is in the forest and feels like the surrounding area is unspoilt. Most of it is protected area to try to stop "slash and burn farming" and the trekking companies are all eco-friendly and trying to ensure the area does not get ruined by too many people not being respectful of the environment and the people who live there.
I went with two Ozzie girls and a lovely Lao guide called Hug on a one day trek into the forest... We climbed up into thick dense forest full of banana trees, bamboo and others I didn't recognise. It was so much fun, at one point there was only Bamboo around and the swishing noise it makes is wonderful, but a bit spooky. The sun was streaming down but it only came through the trees in small bursts at the clearings. We stopped half way for lunch and Hug set out big banana leaves on the forest floor to use as a table and we ate sticky rice, bamboo shoots and some very spicy veggies and bananas. We continued our walk and finally left the forest to see a beautiful small farm growing rice and walked along the stream to the small farm house. After a gentle stroll we arrived back at the road and drove to a small village of the Lanten people. There are only 72 houses and under 400 people here. They live a very simple life and we got to walk around the village. Some women were dying cotton, another was making thatch to make a new roof for her house, some kids were playing in the school playground, others followed us around laughing and staring. There were pot-bellied pigs roaming around, men sitting about smoking, woman washing in the river.
We then climbed up to the Stupa set on top of the hill. At the top is a brand new, shiny gold stupa, and a ruined stone stupa beside it. The old Stupa was bombed by the Americans during the Vietnam war. The Ho Chi Minh Trail came through Laos and between 1964 and 1973 the Americans "secretly" dropped 2 million tonnes of explosives on Laos, more bombs than were dropped on Germany and occupied Europe during WWII. A lot of the north is still covered in UXOs.
This was the best day I had in Laos. I absolutely loved it. I read a quote in the book I'm reading "Laos is not a place; it is a state of mind". And this is true.
And the next day I left for Thailand. And here I am once more, and it is still the most fun place to arrive to after being without luxuries for a few weeks, it is just the easiest place to be a traveller! I just had a hair cut for 2 pounds! Awesome!
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
Friday, 5 December 2008
Global truths!
I have realised that there are certain things which are the same everywhere in the world (or at least everywhere in the world i have been so far!)
You can buy a coca cola anywhere - even in the deepest darkest depths of the smallest remotest country sell coke.
You have to buy your petrol from shell, esso or BP - local petrol stations are being taken over and cannot compete.
And that as soon as there is a McDonalds in the area it has lost the appeal and the charm that made the tourists want to go there in the first place.
And if Starbucks is there then it means there is money to be made by big corporations. Starbucks only goes to places they can seriously overcharge you for bad coffee.
A smile will always help any situation (and help you get a discount!)
And people who live in big cities are the same everywhere! In a hurry, less smiley and more concerned with their outward appearance.
And that when western tourists start to flock, things change quickly, local culture gets trampled and the thing everyone originally came to see gets lost in all the commotion surrounding it.
Like Ko Phi Phi in Thailand, this probably once was a beautiful peaceful island with amazing beaches and kind friendly locals. But now it is just an island - and international Ibiza - for tourists to party and sunbathe on. The Thais who live there all work in the tourist industry and very little seems to exist in what would have been the local way of life before the west came to visit. There are still some quiet secluded islands and beaches in thailand I'm told...
Saying that, Sal and I still managed to have a lovely time in Thailand for two weeks! We went to Phi Phi for a few days but managed to escape to a lovely little beach back on the mainland where we stayed in a little wooden hut just off the beach. We also went to Khao Sok national park where we went canoeing and elephant trekking!!! Lots of fun.
I was so overly excited when i first arrived in Thailand! They have proper paved roads!(which I now know extend to all over the country!)! And clean sheets on the guest house beds! And good coffee! And you can walk around the city!! Yes, that's right, you can walk, because they have pavements and traffic that obeys some sort of road rules and there aren't people everywhere and there aren't stalls along every road selling stuff!! It's amazing! And also, they have Ko San Road in Bangkok, which after 2 months of India seems amazing but gets ''same same'' very quickly. It is just built for tourists and caters for tourists in every way - it even has a starbucks!
And they smile at you! Wow!
I think India should be everyone's first stop when they go travelling because after India you can deal with anything. A toilet that doesn't reak is fab - and if it flushes too, well that's a bit of a luxury really! And when buses have seats that recline - wowee! And when they drive along roads which have been tarmaced and the journey seems smooth and comfortable... I can't describe how happy these things can make a girl.
You can buy a coca cola anywhere - even in the deepest darkest depths of the smallest remotest country sell coke.
You have to buy your petrol from shell, esso or BP - local petrol stations are being taken over and cannot compete.
And that as soon as there is a McDonalds in the area it has lost the appeal and the charm that made the tourists want to go there in the first place.
And if Starbucks is there then it means there is money to be made by big corporations. Starbucks only goes to places they can seriously overcharge you for bad coffee.
A smile will always help any situation (and help you get a discount!)
And people who live in big cities are the same everywhere! In a hurry, less smiley and more concerned with their outward appearance.
And that when western tourists start to flock, things change quickly, local culture gets trampled and the thing everyone originally came to see gets lost in all the commotion surrounding it.
Like Ko Phi Phi in Thailand, this probably once was a beautiful peaceful island with amazing beaches and kind friendly locals. But now it is just an island - and international Ibiza - for tourists to party and sunbathe on. The Thais who live there all work in the tourist industry and very little seems to exist in what would have been the local way of life before the west came to visit. There are still some quiet secluded islands and beaches in thailand I'm told...
Saying that, Sal and I still managed to have a lovely time in Thailand for two weeks! We went to Phi Phi for a few days but managed to escape to a lovely little beach back on the mainland where we stayed in a little wooden hut just off the beach. We also went to Khao Sok national park where we went canoeing and elephant trekking!!! Lots of fun.
I was so overly excited when i first arrived in Thailand! They have proper paved roads!(which I now know extend to all over the country!)! And clean sheets on the guest house beds! And good coffee! And you can walk around the city!! Yes, that's right, you can walk, because they have pavements and traffic that obeys some sort of road rules and there aren't people everywhere and there aren't stalls along every road selling stuff!! It's amazing! And also, they have Ko San Road in Bangkok, which after 2 months of India seems amazing but gets ''same same'' very quickly. It is just built for tourists and caters for tourists in every way - it even has a starbucks!
And they smile at you! Wow!
I think India should be everyone's first stop when they go travelling because after India you can deal with anything. A toilet that doesn't reak is fab - and if it flushes too, well that's a bit of a luxury really! And when buses have seats that recline - wowee! And when they drive along roads which have been tarmaced and the journey seems smooth and comfortable... I can't describe how happy these things can make a girl.
Friday, 14 November 2008
Bye bye india!
So i have said good bye to India, and i cant say i am sad to go!
Frida, Lucy and I left the meditation centre, Tushita, after the end of our two day meditation course on Sat. We stayed in McLeod Ganj for 2 more nights then Frida and I said goodbye to Lucy and headed to Amritsar in the Punjab to see the Golden Temple. We got the local bus there for the bargain price of 140rupees (less than 2 pounds) and it took about 6 hours. The moment we entered the Punjab we knew it! The roads were properly tarmacked and straight! More and more men wore turbans and many people are built like westerners ie. our height and not mega petite and skinny, some are even obese!
We arrived at about 11am and checked into a hotel just around the corner from the golden temple, dumped our stuff and headed straight there - and straight to the kitchen! All Sikh temples, Gurdwaras, have free accommodation and food for all who wish to visit and the golden temple feeds more than 50,000 a day!! It is a massive operation. Wait til i put up the photo with the size of the pots they use to cook the food - massive! There is continuously a line of people filling into and out of the dining room. As you go up the stairs you are handed a plate, a cup and a spoon, you enter the dining hall and sit on the mats on the floor which in rows about 30 people long. Then men walk up and down the lines of people ladelling out dahl, pickle, channa (chick peas) and chippattis. And there is no mindful eating here - everyone scoffs their food and is out the doors asap! Frida and i were the only ones left sitting in our row with some young Sikh boys staring at us in amazement! Of course they then asked for a snap! An Indians must have souvenir from any major tourist attraction - a picture of themselves, or their wife and child, with the silly looking westerners!
After being well fed and handing our dishes into the massive washing up area and about 50 people who are constantly busy we headed on through to see the golden temple... And it is beautiful! Much smaller than i imagined it to be but it is very picturesque, sitting in the middle of a large pool. It is totally gold and glimmers in the sunlight, set off against the beautiful white marble square of buildings around it. It was really lovely.
That evening we went to the other tourist attraction in Amritsar - the closing ceremony for the closing of the border gates between Pakistan and India. This ceremony is totally hyped up and totally ridiculous. Dad you would have been beside yourself with hysterics! There are big official gates between the two countries and on either side each country has built stadiums for the crowd to sit and jeer at each other! There we more Indians the day we went but the Pakistanis definitely made their voices heard! On the Indian side before the ceremony officially begins they pump Bollywood tunes through the load speaker and the women run down onto the road to dance! They were having a fab time! Then the man in charge takes the microphone and starts shouting Hindustan! and the crowd shout something in Hindi back and then he shouts and they all shout - and meantime on the Pakistani side exactly the same thing happens but they shout Pakistan! and then exactly the same thing as the Indians!! Then each side tries to cheer the other one out!! This happens a few times before the guy puts the mike in front of one of the soldiers mouth and he has to shout something for as long as his breath will let him and at the same time one of the Pakistani soldiers is doing the same - both sides with their crowds egging them on! Hilarious! But it gets better! Oh no you say! Oh yes it does. Then the soldiers who has big silly headdresses on, as if wearing a bit silly headdress wasn't enough, start to do a John Cleese ministry of silly walks walk along the road as fast as they can towards the gate, where one soldier from either side marches off against the other one! They look as though they are having a competition to see who can get their legs highest in the air! Then they closes the gates. I'm not sure what happens next because this competition happens a few times and the gates open again only to be shut again twice more.
The crowd seem to love it but Frida and I could not understand it at all! In no way do I mean my comments about the ceremony to be laughing at the ceremony - just that to an outsider it was pretty funny to be a part of!
We left Amritsar the next day, and i was happy to leave as it was a bit too hectic for me after the peace of the hills. And off we went to Chandigarh and I swear we left India! This is a planned city and it shows! It does not feel like an Indian city at all! It is only 50 years old and was built after the partition as the Punjab lost its capital, Lahore, to Pakistan. So, designers built the city on a grid system with lovely wide streets and lots of trees along the pavements and big green parks and gardens. It is so strange! We walked around with our jaws on the floor, everything is so organised! People drive on the correct side of the road, they stop at traffic lights, there are pavements, there are not stalls along the side of every street making the street so narrow cars can hardly pass each other! But, of course you pay for this organisation and everything in Chandigarh is twice the price of the same elsewhere in India.
The main attraction there is the rock garden, which was created by a man called Nek Chand, who, as i understand it, started collecting rubbish from the towns which were deserted to make room for building the new city. He took the rubbish back to his house and made sculptures and all sorts with it. When it was discovered the collection covered many acres and he was given support for his work and now has a team of artists working with him in the garden! And he is now 80 and still hard at work. The garden is pretty cool - a bit of Gaudi and Dali in there for sure. You have to go through little doorways into each new part of the garden and it's like stepping into a magic kingdom, or falling down the rabbit hole like Alice! We had great fun wandering round and I'll try and put pics on facebook soon...
The next day Frida and i parted ways, after being pretty much on the same track for a month... I headed back to Delhi and she has another 3 weeks to tour Rajastan.
So one last day in Delhi which i spent just reading my book and chilling out and then getting the plane to Bangkok! And I am so excited and happy to be here!
I am happy to leave India but also happy I was there. It has opened my eyes and heart and for that i am glad. But I will not miss the busy-ness, the constant noise, not being able to walk 3 steps without being bothered by someone! It is a unique place! It is like nowhere else I have been.
Bye bye India - at least for now! xx
Frida, Lucy and I left the meditation centre, Tushita, after the end of our two day meditation course on Sat. We stayed in McLeod Ganj for 2 more nights then Frida and I said goodbye to Lucy and headed to Amritsar in the Punjab to see the Golden Temple. We got the local bus there for the bargain price of 140rupees (less than 2 pounds) and it took about 6 hours. The moment we entered the Punjab we knew it! The roads were properly tarmacked and straight! More and more men wore turbans and many people are built like westerners ie. our height and not mega petite and skinny, some are even obese!
We arrived at about 11am and checked into a hotel just around the corner from the golden temple, dumped our stuff and headed straight there - and straight to the kitchen! All Sikh temples, Gurdwaras, have free accommodation and food for all who wish to visit and the golden temple feeds more than 50,000 a day!! It is a massive operation. Wait til i put up the photo with the size of the pots they use to cook the food - massive! There is continuously a line of people filling into and out of the dining room. As you go up the stairs you are handed a plate, a cup and a spoon, you enter the dining hall and sit on the mats on the floor which in rows about 30 people long. Then men walk up and down the lines of people ladelling out dahl, pickle, channa (chick peas) and chippattis. And there is no mindful eating here - everyone scoffs their food and is out the doors asap! Frida and i were the only ones left sitting in our row with some young Sikh boys staring at us in amazement! Of course they then asked for a snap! An Indians must have souvenir from any major tourist attraction - a picture of themselves, or their wife and child, with the silly looking westerners!
After being well fed and handing our dishes into the massive washing up area and about 50 people who are constantly busy we headed on through to see the golden temple... And it is beautiful! Much smaller than i imagined it to be but it is very picturesque, sitting in the middle of a large pool. It is totally gold and glimmers in the sunlight, set off against the beautiful white marble square of buildings around it. It was really lovely.
That evening we went to the other tourist attraction in Amritsar - the closing ceremony for the closing of the border gates between Pakistan and India. This ceremony is totally hyped up and totally ridiculous. Dad you would have been beside yourself with hysterics! There are big official gates between the two countries and on either side each country has built stadiums for the crowd to sit and jeer at each other! There we more Indians the day we went but the Pakistanis definitely made their voices heard! On the Indian side before the ceremony officially begins they pump Bollywood tunes through the load speaker and the women run down onto the road to dance! They were having a fab time! Then the man in charge takes the microphone and starts shouting Hindustan! and the crowd shout something in Hindi back and then he shouts and they all shout - and meantime on the Pakistani side exactly the same thing happens but they shout Pakistan! and then exactly the same thing as the Indians!! Then each side tries to cheer the other one out!! This happens a few times before the guy puts the mike in front of one of the soldiers mouth and he has to shout something for as long as his breath will let him and at the same time one of the Pakistani soldiers is doing the same - both sides with their crowds egging them on! Hilarious! But it gets better! Oh no you say! Oh yes it does. Then the soldiers who has big silly headdresses on, as if wearing a bit silly headdress wasn't enough, start to do a John Cleese ministry of silly walks walk along the road as fast as they can towards the gate, where one soldier from either side marches off against the other one! They look as though they are having a competition to see who can get their legs highest in the air! Then they closes the gates. I'm not sure what happens next because this competition happens a few times and the gates open again only to be shut again twice more.
The crowd seem to love it but Frida and I could not understand it at all! In no way do I mean my comments about the ceremony to be laughing at the ceremony - just that to an outsider it was pretty funny to be a part of!
We left Amritsar the next day, and i was happy to leave as it was a bit too hectic for me after the peace of the hills. And off we went to Chandigarh and I swear we left India! This is a planned city and it shows! It does not feel like an Indian city at all! It is only 50 years old and was built after the partition as the Punjab lost its capital, Lahore, to Pakistan. So, designers built the city on a grid system with lovely wide streets and lots of trees along the pavements and big green parks and gardens. It is so strange! We walked around with our jaws on the floor, everything is so organised! People drive on the correct side of the road, they stop at traffic lights, there are pavements, there are not stalls along the side of every street making the street so narrow cars can hardly pass each other! But, of course you pay for this organisation and everything in Chandigarh is twice the price of the same elsewhere in India.
The main attraction there is the rock garden, which was created by a man called Nek Chand, who, as i understand it, started collecting rubbish from the towns which were deserted to make room for building the new city. He took the rubbish back to his house and made sculptures and all sorts with it. When it was discovered the collection covered many acres and he was given support for his work and now has a team of artists working with him in the garden! And he is now 80 and still hard at work. The garden is pretty cool - a bit of Gaudi and Dali in there for sure. You have to go through little doorways into each new part of the garden and it's like stepping into a magic kingdom, or falling down the rabbit hole like Alice! We had great fun wandering round and I'll try and put pics on facebook soon...
The next day Frida and i parted ways, after being pretty much on the same track for a month... I headed back to Delhi and she has another 3 weeks to tour Rajastan.
So one last day in Delhi which i spent just reading my book and chilling out and then getting the plane to Bangkok! And I am so excited and happy to be here!
I am happy to leave India but also happy I was there. It has opened my eyes and heart and for that i am glad. But I will not miss the busy-ness, the constant noise, not being able to walk 3 steps without being bothered by someone! It is a unique place! It is like nowhere else I have been.
Bye bye India - at least for now! xx
Monday, 3 November 2008
Tushita
After 10 days of silence it is very strange to be in the internet cafe writing this and surrounded by noise and people!!
The retreat was fab - an eye-opening experience! The centre is in a clearing in the woods, and it is lovely and sunny during the day but quite cold at night. It is really nice to be in silence for 10days, surrounded by strangers who are all going through the same experience as you. And at the end of it we were all friends, even though we had never spoken, but we still felt that we knew so much about each other!
I still don't quite know how to describe everything i learnt and went through on the course but it has felt like an important journey and i am so glad i found this place.
At the end of the retreat I didn't want to have to leave and go into the town and be surrounded by all the noise so I volunteered with a couple of other girls to help out at the centre for a few days. And so they put us to work tidying and cleaning rooms for the next group of people who arrive on wed for a different retreat. We also helped clear out one of the Gompa's (meditation rooms) because it is having a new floor put down.
And now I'm going to stay on until Sat and do another 2 day meditation course! They'll never get rid of me!!
The retreat was fab - an eye-opening experience! The centre is in a clearing in the woods, and it is lovely and sunny during the day but quite cold at night. It is really nice to be in silence for 10days, surrounded by strangers who are all going through the same experience as you. And at the end of it we were all friends, even though we had never spoken, but we still felt that we knew so much about each other!
I still don't quite know how to describe everything i learnt and went through on the course but it has felt like an important journey and i am so glad i found this place.
At the end of the retreat I didn't want to have to leave and go into the town and be surrounded by all the noise so I volunteered with a couple of other girls to help out at the centre for a few days. And so they put us to work tidying and cleaning rooms for the next group of people who arrive on wed for a different retreat. We also helped clear out one of the Gompa's (meditation rooms) because it is having a new floor put down.
And now I'm going to stay on until Sat and do another 2 day meditation course! They'll never get rid of me!!
Monday, 20 October 2008
Little Lhasa
I feel so lucky to be here. This is a really special town.
The Dalai Lama has been in Delhi for hospital treatment and word got around today that he would be arriving back home today at 4ish. So at 2.30 people started lining the streets, Tibetans holding burning sticks of incense and white scarves and flying Tibetan flags, and tourists interested in what was going on, and whole schools of children brought along by their teachers. And at just after 4pm the crowd grow silent and a convoy of cars go by and in the second car is the Dalai Lama, in the passenger seat, smiling and waving to the crowd who have gathered to welcome him home. It was absolutely magical. After he had gone past people just returned to their lives.
I have signed up to a 10 day residential "Intro to Buddhism" course at a place called Tushita. This is just out of the town along a quiet path in the woods and a very peaceful place. It will be a lovely place to be for 10 days. I was lucky enough to meet someone who invited me to Tushita's annual picnic for the staff and volunteers so i went along with a friend, Lucy - who is also doing the course - and we had a lovely time. There were Tibetans, Indians and westerners there and the atmosphere was very relaxed and warm and friendly. And the food was amazing!!
We took a walk up to a Stupa (a shrine to a monk) in the woods after the picnic and as we approached the Stupa there are Buddhist prayer flags everywhere, fluttering in the wind with the sun shining through them. At the Stupa it is very peaceful and monks and Buddhists visit all the time.
It was such a lovely day - i can't believe how fortunate i am to be in this place, to have met such nice people, and to have been accepted onto this course in a few days time. I feel very happy.
The Dalai Lama has been in Delhi for hospital treatment and word got around today that he would be arriving back home today at 4ish. So at 2.30 people started lining the streets, Tibetans holding burning sticks of incense and white scarves and flying Tibetan flags, and tourists interested in what was going on, and whole schools of children brought along by their teachers. And at just after 4pm the crowd grow silent and a convoy of cars go by and in the second car is the Dalai Lama, in the passenger seat, smiling and waving to the crowd who have gathered to welcome him home. It was absolutely magical. After he had gone past people just returned to their lives.
I have signed up to a 10 day residential "Intro to Buddhism" course at a place called Tushita. This is just out of the town along a quiet path in the woods and a very peaceful place. It will be a lovely place to be for 10 days. I was lucky enough to meet someone who invited me to Tushita's annual picnic for the staff and volunteers so i went along with a friend, Lucy - who is also doing the course - and we had a lovely time. There were Tibetans, Indians and westerners there and the atmosphere was very relaxed and warm and friendly. And the food was amazing!!
We took a walk up to a Stupa (a shrine to a monk) in the woods after the picnic and as we approached the Stupa there are Buddhist prayer flags everywhere, fluttering in the wind with the sun shining through them. At the Stupa it is very peaceful and monks and Buddhists visit all the time.
It was such a lovely day - i can't believe how fortunate i am to be in this place, to have met such nice people, and to have been accepted onto this course in a few days time. I feel very happy.
Friday, 17 October 2008
McLeod Ganj
Woohoo! I have left crazy busy India and entered Tibet! Well, not really but it feels a million miles from the madness of India, and since India has made me so sick, I'm going to think of my new location as being in Tibet.
I've arrived in McLeod Ganj - home of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Gov. in exile. It is full of Tibetans! I arrived at 6am, just as it was starting to get light, and took the first room i could find - i was absolutely exhausted after travelling all night. Shiva guest house is in Dharamkot, a small town 15min walk up a step hill through woods along small paths. The house has only 5 rooms and a small outhouse with a squat toilet and a semi-hot shower.
I slept til midday then walked down to the village, which has two main streets, temple road (which leads to the Dalai Lamas residence) and the street parallel to it. It's full of Tibetan restaurants and shops selling blankets, clothes and all sorts of stuff. I love it! There aren't many cars to make loads of noise and the people don't shout at you to buy stuff! It's like they've actually seen foreigners before!!
So tomorrow I've signed up for a Tibetan cooking course and I'm gonna learn how to make momo's. And on Monday I've volunteered to help out at the Tibetan refugee association by joining the conversational English class and talking to Tibetans to help to improve their English.
And i found the place that I'm doing my "Introduction to Buddhism" course and it is lovely. I've taken some books out the library and have started reading 7years in Tibet.
Things are looking up!
I've arrived in McLeod Ganj - home of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Gov. in exile. It is full of Tibetans! I arrived at 6am, just as it was starting to get light, and took the first room i could find - i was absolutely exhausted after travelling all night. Shiva guest house is in Dharamkot, a small town 15min walk up a step hill through woods along small paths. The house has only 5 rooms and a small outhouse with a squat toilet and a semi-hot shower.
I slept til midday then walked down to the village, which has two main streets, temple road (which leads to the Dalai Lamas residence) and the street parallel to it. It's full of Tibetan restaurants and shops selling blankets, clothes and all sorts of stuff. I love it! There aren't many cars to make loads of noise and the people don't shout at you to buy stuff! It's like they've actually seen foreigners before!!
So tomorrow I've signed up for a Tibetan cooking course and I'm gonna learn how to make momo's. And on Monday I've volunteered to help out at the Tibetan refugee association by joining the conversational English class and talking to Tibetans to help to improve their English.
And i found the place that I'm doing my "Introduction to Buddhism" course and it is lovely. I've taken some books out the library and have started reading 7years in Tibet.
Things are looking up!
Friday, 10 October 2008
Trekking
I don't know where to start!
We went trekking to the valley of flowers in the north of the state. Me, Freida (Swedish girl who lives in cork and has a strong Irish accent!), Johnathan (French-Canadian) and Ofir (Israeli).
Took the 12hour local bus to Govind Ghat which is the town at the bottom of the trek. Here we meet hundreds of Sikhs who are all going to Hemkund, which is a Sikh temple high in the mountains where the Sikh Guru is supposed to have meditated. We stay in a cheap hotel for the night then we get up early and start the walk to Gangoria - 1200m up over 12km. It is a lovely walk - really beautiful. We follow the river up the valley high into the hills. The path is well used and in good condition mostly. We chatted to lots of very friendly Punjabi's who are all visiting the temple on a pilgrimage the next day. Most walk, some in flip flops, women in saris with trainers and a walking stick, some old who have to rest frequently, some young kids. Many go by mule and some get carried by the Sherpas who are the smallest but strongest people i have ever seen! They often carry children (but sometimes big chunky women too!) in a big wicker chair basket which they carry on their back with a strap over their forehead taking the weight! There are lots of dhabas (food stalls) selling coca cola and chapatti along the way. Jonathon wasn't feeling great and hadn't been well for a few days before hand so we walked slowly while Frieda and Ofir went up ahead. It was tough going in the hot sun and at 2km before the village John and i got fed up carrying our bags up the steep final section so we found a lovely man with a mule and we loaded our bags onto the mule and what a fab feeling to be without my bag - it was so much easier and my shoulders didn't ache! An finally we see the village tucked into the forest! It has taken us about 5.5hours!
It is a tiny place - made up only of hotels with attached restaurants. The hotels are cheap but definitely not cheerful! Grey concrete half finished buildings with dirty cold rooms and hot water in a bucket at half an hours notice. It does the job and the four of us stay in one room for only 150 rupees a night (about 2pounds)! The restaurants are the same and it becomes obvious very quickly that this is the end of the season and we ask for eggs and get told this is "impossible" as is toast, and potato's are "impossible" too! So we settle for fried rice, chapatti and horrible mint tea!
It gets very cold at night and there is only electricity between 6-8pm so at 8ish we go to bed layered up against the cold!
The next day we head for Hemkund - the Sikh temple which is 1300m above us at 4300m. This is the last day it will be open before shutting for winter so we set off after breakfast. It is a steep ascent, up all the way with no easier flatter sections at all. It is soon obvious that i am struggling. My heart is racing and breathing is hard work and after getting about 450m up i am having to stop at every other corner of the windey path to rest and slow my heart and get my breath back. And at half way i know i cannot make it - it is too steep and my legs and lungs simply won't take me! So John, who is still not feeling great but coping with the height better than me decide to get mules the rest of the way up!!! It was great fun! Sitting on top of the mule being taken up the mountain. It is lovely at the top - there are prayers going on in the temple and in the next building the Sikhs provide hot chai and biscuits and a full lunch if you want it.
I manage to look around the temple and take some pictures but all i want to do is fall asleep! So i lie down on some rocks and fall asleep immediately. When i wake up my head is splitting, i feel disorientated and lethargic and i know that i have to get down from the mountain! So off i go to find a mule and leave the others to climb down!
As i get lower i feel better, my head isn't so sore and i start to realise my tummy is not right!! I went straight to bed when i got back to the hotel and later on I get diarrhea!! I didn't get out of bed for 24hours except to go to the toilet!! Stuck, 5hours walk from nowhere, feeling like crap in a freezing cold hotel with no hot water and having to use a torch to find my way to the toilet. "I hate India and I'm leaving as soon as possible, I'm going to Nepal, I'm going to bring forward my flight to Thailand, anything so i can get out of this dirty place that makes me feel so ill!!!"
The others go to the valley of Flowers the next day but i don't want to be too far from a toilet so i didn't go but they had a fab time and took some amazing photos.
The next day we walk back to Govind Ghat, the walk is deserted, all the Sikhs left after going to Hemkund and all the dhabas are closed, all the hotels are empty - literally! Everything is being brought back down the mountain to Joshimath which is the nearest biggish town.
But now that i am back in Rishikesh i spoke to a Californian guy who is studying homeopathy and he has given me some medication and i feel fine again!! So I'm going to stay in India! It all seems better now that we have proper food again and hot water and electricity (most of the time)!
We went trekking to the valley of flowers in the north of the state. Me, Freida (Swedish girl who lives in cork and has a strong Irish accent!), Johnathan (French-Canadian) and Ofir (Israeli).
Took the 12hour local bus to Govind Ghat which is the town at the bottom of the trek. Here we meet hundreds of Sikhs who are all going to Hemkund, which is a Sikh temple high in the mountains where the Sikh Guru is supposed to have meditated. We stay in a cheap hotel for the night then we get up early and start the walk to Gangoria - 1200m up over 12km. It is a lovely walk - really beautiful. We follow the river up the valley high into the hills. The path is well used and in good condition mostly. We chatted to lots of very friendly Punjabi's who are all visiting the temple on a pilgrimage the next day. Most walk, some in flip flops, women in saris with trainers and a walking stick, some old who have to rest frequently, some young kids. Many go by mule and some get carried by the Sherpas who are the smallest but strongest people i have ever seen! They often carry children (but sometimes big chunky women too!) in a big wicker chair basket which they carry on their back with a strap over their forehead taking the weight! There are lots of dhabas (food stalls) selling coca cola and chapatti along the way. Jonathon wasn't feeling great and hadn't been well for a few days before hand so we walked slowly while Frieda and Ofir went up ahead. It was tough going in the hot sun and at 2km before the village John and i got fed up carrying our bags up the steep final section so we found a lovely man with a mule and we loaded our bags onto the mule and what a fab feeling to be without my bag - it was so much easier and my shoulders didn't ache! An finally we see the village tucked into the forest! It has taken us about 5.5hours!
It is a tiny place - made up only of hotels with attached restaurants. The hotels are cheap but definitely not cheerful! Grey concrete half finished buildings with dirty cold rooms and hot water in a bucket at half an hours notice. It does the job and the four of us stay in one room for only 150 rupees a night (about 2pounds)! The restaurants are the same and it becomes obvious very quickly that this is the end of the season and we ask for eggs and get told this is "impossible" as is toast, and potato's are "impossible" too! So we settle for fried rice, chapatti and horrible mint tea!
It gets very cold at night and there is only electricity between 6-8pm so at 8ish we go to bed layered up against the cold!
The next day we head for Hemkund - the Sikh temple which is 1300m above us at 4300m. This is the last day it will be open before shutting for winter so we set off after breakfast. It is a steep ascent, up all the way with no easier flatter sections at all. It is soon obvious that i am struggling. My heart is racing and breathing is hard work and after getting about 450m up i am having to stop at every other corner of the windey path to rest and slow my heart and get my breath back. And at half way i know i cannot make it - it is too steep and my legs and lungs simply won't take me! So John, who is still not feeling great but coping with the height better than me decide to get mules the rest of the way up!!! It was great fun! Sitting on top of the mule being taken up the mountain. It is lovely at the top - there are prayers going on in the temple and in the next building the Sikhs provide hot chai and biscuits and a full lunch if you want it.
I manage to look around the temple and take some pictures but all i want to do is fall asleep! So i lie down on some rocks and fall asleep immediately. When i wake up my head is splitting, i feel disorientated and lethargic and i know that i have to get down from the mountain! So off i go to find a mule and leave the others to climb down!
As i get lower i feel better, my head isn't so sore and i start to realise my tummy is not right!! I went straight to bed when i got back to the hotel and later on I get diarrhea!! I didn't get out of bed for 24hours except to go to the toilet!! Stuck, 5hours walk from nowhere, feeling like crap in a freezing cold hotel with no hot water and having to use a torch to find my way to the toilet. "I hate India and I'm leaving as soon as possible, I'm going to Nepal, I'm going to bring forward my flight to Thailand, anything so i can get out of this dirty place that makes me feel so ill!!!"
The others go to the valley of Flowers the next day but i don't want to be too far from a toilet so i didn't go but they had a fab time and took some amazing photos.
The next day we walk back to Govind Ghat, the walk is deserted, all the Sikhs left after going to Hemkund and all the dhabas are closed, all the hotels are empty - literally! Everything is being brought back down the mountain to Joshimath which is the nearest biggish town.
But now that i am back in Rishikesh i spoke to a Californian guy who is studying homeopathy and he has given me some medication and i feel fine again!! So I'm going to stay in India! It all seems better now that we have proper food again and hot water and electricity (most of the time)!
Saturday, 27 September 2008
Food Poisoning - Welcome to India
So the dreaded Delhi Belly has got me. It was not pleasant. In fact it was rotten, but I've survived to tell the tale - although i will spare you the details! I felt awful after dinner and went to my room and then i was sick and unwell all night. My German friends, Sabina and Christina, came to check on me after yoga in the morning and saw that i wasn't in good shape. But they had to leave to go back to Delhi at 1pm that day so before they went they told Johnathan, A French-Canadian guy who is staying at the cottage, and Victor, a Guatemalan guy who I met at one of the coffee shops in town and who gave me a lift home on his motorbike, and they both looked after me so well all day! John told me he would stay around the cottage that day and make sure i was ok and call the Doc if nec. They came to see I was ok every few hours, and they brought me water! It was so nice to have people to look after me - I was so miserable.
I guess it is easy to make friends travelling, and when something goes wrong everyone helps each other.
After 2 days in bed i felt much better - not 100% but a vast improvement! The boys decided they wanted to go on a bike trip up into the mountains. So John and Nati, an Israeli guy, hired a motorbike for the day and I got a lift with Victor and off we went up to Kunjapuri Temple at the top of one of the mountains.
It's over 1000m above Rishikesh and at the top of the highest mountain around. We drove for about an hour along pretty good roads, through thick dark green forests getting higher all the time and making sure not to run over the people who have decided to go for a nap in the middle of the road... It was amazing! It was a hot sunny day but when we got into the shade on the other side of the mountain it was freezing. We had to leave the bikes just below the temple and walk up the 308 steps to the temple. And the views were great. We arrived at about 3pm so the smog and mist had started to settle in but we could still see for miles, we were on top of the world! Or at least the tallest thing we could see! And if you looked to the north and squinted a bit you could just about make out the snow-capped mountain tops of the Himalayas! Amazing!
We came down slowly on the bikes, stopping for masala chai at a small town along the way. I always thought people who ride motorbikes were crazy but I can see why they love it, it feels very free and exciting being on a bike.
It was a fab day - hopefully many more like it to come...
Pics on Facebook
I guess it is easy to make friends travelling, and when something goes wrong everyone helps each other.
After 2 days in bed i felt much better - not 100% but a vast improvement! The boys decided they wanted to go on a bike trip up into the mountains. So John and Nati, an Israeli guy, hired a motorbike for the day and I got a lift with Victor and off we went up to Kunjapuri Temple at the top of one of the mountains.
It's over 1000m above Rishikesh and at the top of the highest mountain around. We drove for about an hour along pretty good roads, through thick dark green forests getting higher all the time and making sure not to run over the people who have decided to go for a nap in the middle of the road... It was amazing! It was a hot sunny day but when we got into the shade on the other side of the mountain it was freezing. We had to leave the bikes just below the temple and walk up the 308 steps to the temple. And the views were great. We arrived at about 3pm so the smog and mist had started to settle in but we could still see for miles, we were on top of the world! Or at least the tallest thing we could see! And if you looked to the north and squinted a bit you could just about make out the snow-capped mountain tops of the Himalayas! Amazing!
We came down slowly on the bikes, stopping for masala chai at a small town along the way. I always thought people who ride motorbikes were crazy but I can see why they love it, it feels very free and exciting being on a bike.
It was a fab day - hopefully many more like it to come...
Pics on Facebook
Sunday, 21 September 2008
India
So I've been thinking about what India is like, and really it cannot be described. However much of a shock you think it will be it is a different shock to what you expected.
It is smelly and unbelievably dirty - every few paces and you are hit by a new smell (which sometimes makes you think you might choke!) curry, spices, cow shit, urine, and smells of i don't know what. You can't walk along the street without looking at where you are putting your feet - or you can if you want to step in cow dung or break your ankle falling into the biggest pothole ever.
Streets are for pedestrians, motorbikes, cars, tuk tuks, monkeys, trucks, bikes, cows and any other moving object! All cars blast the horn as they go by, just in case you hadn't noticed they were coming and nobody moves out of the way and no vehicle slows down, they just somehow glide past each other... The roads don't have lanes but a general of biggest one wins seems to apply. It's mad, but all the Indians seem to understand how it works and get on with it.
When it rains the roads are covered with mud but it clears the humidity and brings a lovely cool evening. It has rained nearly everyday since i arrived and my new rain jacket is turning out to be a fab investment, but today it was sunny! Yippee!
People all talk about how spiritual it is here but i think you have to look for that!
But in Rishikesh it's much nicer than where Sal and i went in March to Rajestan. It's green and lush, we're in a valley with the Ganges flowing down the middle with beautiful green tree covered hills on either side. It is lovely. It's perfect for travellers and they all seem to come trough here, for a day or two - to try some yoga or ganga but some seem to stay for months. There are ashrams where you can go and stay and they provide your food, bed and you attend two yoga/meditation classes a day. Some call themselves Ashrams but they are really just guest houses where as others are the real thing and you can go there to meditate and "find yourself".
What people call Rishikesh is really about 4 little villages that merge into one. There are two lovely suspension bridges that go over the Ganges and have to be walked over - or if you want to ride over on your motorbike and beep everyone out the way that's OK too. There is a cafe called devraj's which is overlooking one of the bridges and is a fab place to while away a few hours and chat to other travellers.
I'm going to a fab yoga class, it's on morning and evening but most days i only make it to one class. It's proper Hatha yoga and the teacher is really good.
You can't even imagine how cheap it is here - I am struggling to spend more than a tenner each day, and that includes my accommodation, food and yoga classes. The bus from Delhi took 7 hours and cost less than 2pounds!
There is lots to do from here, trekking, rafting, yoga, Hindi classes, dance classes, music classes, massages... I'm gonna go rafting later in the week! There has been so much rain that the river is running really high and fast just now but if it stays dry then is should get a bit slower.
Went for a walk with some German girls who are staying at my guest house, to some waterfalls today which were lovely.
I've finally worked out a plan for my travels! Think I'm gonna stay a few more days then hit the road to mussourie, then up to a village i can't remember the name of, but from there i can get the toy train to Shimla! From Shimla I will take a terrifying bus journey to Manali, terrifying because the roads are narrow and along steep cliffs with sheer drops and apparently there is hardly room for buses going the other way to pass... Argh, many others seem to have made the trip successfully though so hopefully i can too! From there I want to go to Macleod Ganj and Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama lives, it's supposed to be lovely and very different to the rest of India due to all the Tibetans living there. I met a girl called Leila, from London, and i hope we can meet up in Amritsar and maybe head to Nepal together! Wasn't sure whether i would make it to Nepal or not but since I'm so close I might try and go if I have time...
So that's the plans, and it's looking quite exciting!
It is smelly and unbelievably dirty - every few paces and you are hit by a new smell (which sometimes makes you think you might choke!) curry, spices, cow shit, urine, and smells of i don't know what. You can't walk along the street without looking at where you are putting your feet - or you can if you want to step in cow dung or break your ankle falling into the biggest pothole ever.
Streets are for pedestrians, motorbikes, cars, tuk tuks, monkeys, trucks, bikes, cows and any other moving object! All cars blast the horn as they go by, just in case you hadn't noticed they were coming and nobody moves out of the way and no vehicle slows down, they just somehow glide past each other... The roads don't have lanes but a general of biggest one wins seems to apply. It's mad, but all the Indians seem to understand how it works and get on with it.
When it rains the roads are covered with mud but it clears the humidity and brings a lovely cool evening. It has rained nearly everyday since i arrived and my new rain jacket is turning out to be a fab investment, but today it was sunny! Yippee!
People all talk about how spiritual it is here but i think you have to look for that!
But in Rishikesh it's much nicer than where Sal and i went in March to Rajestan. It's green and lush, we're in a valley with the Ganges flowing down the middle with beautiful green tree covered hills on either side. It is lovely. It's perfect for travellers and they all seem to come trough here, for a day or two - to try some yoga or ganga but some seem to stay for months. There are ashrams where you can go and stay and they provide your food, bed and you attend two yoga/meditation classes a day. Some call themselves Ashrams but they are really just guest houses where as others are the real thing and you can go there to meditate and "find yourself".
What people call Rishikesh is really about 4 little villages that merge into one. There are two lovely suspension bridges that go over the Ganges and have to be walked over - or if you want to ride over on your motorbike and beep everyone out the way that's OK too. There is a cafe called devraj's which is overlooking one of the bridges and is a fab place to while away a few hours and chat to other travellers.
I'm going to a fab yoga class, it's on morning and evening but most days i only make it to one class. It's proper Hatha yoga and the teacher is really good.
You can't even imagine how cheap it is here - I am struggling to spend more than a tenner each day, and that includes my accommodation, food and yoga classes. The bus from Delhi took 7 hours and cost less than 2pounds!
There is lots to do from here, trekking, rafting, yoga, Hindi classes, dance classes, music classes, massages... I'm gonna go rafting later in the week! There has been so much rain that the river is running really high and fast just now but if it stays dry then is should get a bit slower.
Went for a walk with some German girls who are staying at my guest house, to some waterfalls today which were lovely.
I've finally worked out a plan for my travels! Think I'm gonna stay a few more days then hit the road to mussourie, then up to a village i can't remember the name of, but from there i can get the toy train to Shimla! From Shimla I will take a terrifying bus journey to Manali, terrifying because the roads are narrow and along steep cliffs with sheer drops and apparently there is hardly room for buses going the other way to pass... Argh, many others seem to have made the trip successfully though so hopefully i can too! From there I want to go to Macleod Ganj and Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama lives, it's supposed to be lovely and very different to the rest of India due to all the Tibetans living there. I met a girl called Leila, from London, and i hope we can meet up in Amritsar and maybe head to Nepal together! Wasn't sure whether i would make it to Nepal or not but since I'm so close I might try and go if I have time...
So that's the plans, and it's looking quite exciting!
Thursday, 18 September 2008
Rishikesh
So I survived the bus journey to Rishikesh, 7hours on the bus, which was like a 1940's bus which I'm sure was meant only to be used for towns, not long distances... I was the only non-Indian person on the bus but a nice guy sitting next to me worked at one of the guest houses in R and helped me find a room when we got here.
I am staying at Swiss cottage which is lovely! I have the most beautiful view from my room across the town and the Ganges, i will post a photo next time. Went to a yoga class once i arrived, it is upstairs in this old cottage further up the hill from my guest house, the doors and windows are all open and it is very peaceful, a perfect place to do yoga! I went again today and the rain was so loud on the roof i could hardly hear the teacher! The mozzies got in this time and attacked me so tomorrow i will be covered in repellent before i go!
We've had thunder storms and rain both evenings which is actually really refreshing as the days are so hot and sticky.
Met a Londoner called Leila who I'm going for a walk with tomorrow morning to a temple 10km away. We're cheating and getting the bus half way there so that we can arrive by 7am because after that it gets cloudy and the views aren't so good.
So I had better go and get my beauty sleep...
I am staying at Swiss cottage which is lovely! I have the most beautiful view from my room across the town and the Ganges, i will post a photo next time. Went to a yoga class once i arrived, it is upstairs in this old cottage further up the hill from my guest house, the doors and windows are all open and it is very peaceful, a perfect place to do yoga! I went again today and the rain was so loud on the roof i could hardly hear the teacher! The mozzies got in this time and attacked me so tomorrow i will be covered in repellent before i go!
We've had thunder storms and rain both evenings which is actually really refreshing as the days are so hot and sticky.
Met a Londoner called Leila who I'm going for a walk with tomorrow morning to a temple 10km away. We're cheating and getting the bus half way there so that we can arrive by 7am because after that it gets cloudy and the views aren't so good.
So I had better go and get my beauty sleep...
Tuesday, 16 September 2008
Delhi
So I have made it to Delhi! It is sticky and hot, about 35C. I was tired and miserable when i arrived and my hotel room just made that worse! It is horrible - it is a very small room with a hard single bed and a chair and a mirror. The bathroom has a western toilet (Hooray) and a shower but it's so small the shower covers the whole bathroom in water. At least I only have one more night there.
Delhi is just as i remember, busy, hot, smelly. Everyone wants to take me to a tourist office and put me on a tour round kashmir!!! Gee, that does sound like fun.
Everyone is talking about the bombs that have gone off in Delhi over the past few days. I've been so busy that I haven't heard any news over the past week so I had no idea when i arrived that this had happened. They've been set of in busy public places but nobody here seems worried, they just think it's just one of those things.
Anyhoo, tomorrow I'm off to face the busiest of places - the bus station - to get a bus out of crazy Delhi to Rishikesh in the hills...
xxx
Delhi is just as i remember, busy, hot, smelly. Everyone wants to take me to a tourist office and put me on a tour round kashmir!!! Gee, that does sound like fun.
Everyone is talking about the bombs that have gone off in Delhi over the past few days. I've been so busy that I haven't heard any news over the past week so I had no idea when i arrived that this had happened. They've been set of in busy public places but nobody here seems worried, they just think it's just one of those things.
Anyhoo, tomorrow I'm off to face the busiest of places - the bus station - to get a bus out of crazy Delhi to Rishikesh in the hills...
xxx
Monday, 8 September 2008
One week to go...
Packing is not fun. So much so, that I am writing this to avoid having to finish packing the rest of my stuff. I do seem to have a lot of stuff!
xx
xx
Thursday, 21 August 2008
Going travelling
Hello everyone and welcome to my fab new blog!
This is where i hope to keep a record of everywhere i go on my trip and so you guys will know where i am and what I'm up to, (not everything of course, some omissions might be made...)
To prewarn you, i expect to use a lot of exclamation marks (e.g. !!!! will occur frequently in the posts) and there will also be uncorrected spelling and grammer (yes mum, that's right!!)
So, this is my first post on my trip around the world, and right now I'm still in wet, dark London so i don't have much to report on except that i got a jab today and my right arm hurts.
Jamies bag is sitting waiting to be packed full of goodies and i have a heap of stuff to send back to M+D.
I have emailed/facebooked everyone about this blog but please don't feel obliged to read it but please keep in touch while I'm away, I'm not great at keeping in touch but i love to know how everyone is and what's happening...
First stop, India...
xx
This is where i hope to keep a record of everywhere i go on my trip and so you guys will know where i am and what I'm up to, (not everything of course, some omissions might be made...)
To prewarn you, i expect to use a lot of exclamation marks (e.g. !!!! will occur frequently in the posts) and there will also be uncorrected spelling and grammer (yes mum, that's right!!)
So, this is my first post on my trip around the world, and right now I'm still in wet, dark London so i don't have much to report on except that i got a jab today and my right arm hurts.
Jamies bag is sitting waiting to be packed full of goodies and i have a heap of stuff to send back to M+D.
I have emailed/facebooked everyone about this blog but please don't feel obliged to read it but please keep in touch while I'm away, I'm not great at keeping in touch but i love to know how everyone is and what's happening...
First stop, India...
xx
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