Having written the most devastatingly witty and insightful post the world has ever seen, (on the slowest computers in the world), the whole town of Darjeeling lost power. This happened twice. So, I can't share my trials, tribulations, jubilations, inhalations or the story of the over-friendly elephant just yet.
Suffice to say, I'm in Kalimpong (of The Inheritance of Loss fame), trying to get to Bhutan but coming up against political strikes. I'll be able to write properly within a week. Sorry to everyone to whom I owe emails, but would you rather I shout at a computer, or look at the Himalayas?
Byefernow
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
We Float
As most people seem to find, I had more of a culture shock returning to England than when I first arrived in India. How is it so organised, so clean, so goddam quiet?! Oxford St for post-xmas shopping was almost serene: no cows, no horns, people walking on pavements, giving each other space. And instead of that sweet sweet smell of sewers/diesel/rotting mountains of rubbish (all heated to perfection by the scorching sun), it was just unadulterated exhaust fumes. Where's the fun in that?
It took a week or so to feel like I was in England, and after that it was really nice to have a mid-trip break. Time to process/assimilate/get fired up for the next trip/enjoy the best of the english winter: wine, goose, washing machines, baths etc. Here's some frost for those of you who haven't left the heat:
Christmas was obviously quite sad, but the presence of Flynne - one of the world's coolest toddlers - made a big difference.
Anyway, 2 weeks was long enough. India is addictive... Hope I'm managing to convey some of the reasons in this blog, so I won't put it into a soundbyte now. I didn't give myself the best chance of a smooth return though: having put on my best drunk for a long long time on new year's, the 1st and 2nd were a washout. I managed to extract myself from the haze on the evening of the 2nd to have a quiet goodbye drink with some village people, followed by a bath, some packing and an early night. However, when Joe asked Rory and I to be best men at his wedding(s), things changed somewhat. A valiant attempt to re-enact 2 nights previous ensued & I woke up drunk & confused with a few hours to find/buy/pack all everything for India. Incapable of reading the packing list that Nye & I had complied, I had to remember everything I needed... Probably shouldn't have brought more jumpers than boxers, but apart from that all seems present.
After an uncomfortable night in the air, as we descended through cloudless sky into Mumbai, my MP3 player kindly played me Polly-Jean's "we float," which I haven't listened to in ages and made me very happy.
So, India then.
Less than 24 hours after arriving at my hotel in Mumbai (same room as when I left, adding to my confusion as to whether England had just been a dream), having helped out Stefano - an Italian guy who sat next to me on the plane, whose luggage BA had failed to bring (a great introduction to his first extra-european experience, & a bureaucratic/linguistic challenge too far), I was on a train to Orissa. yes, that was a long sentence.
It would've made more sense for me to fly into Kolkatta, but I booked my ticket in September (when I didn't know where I'd want to be), & it wasn't changeable. Besides, Mumbai-Orissa doesn't look so far on the map, so I was a bit surprised when, as we departed at 3pm on friday, the conductor told me we'd arrive some time on sunday morning! Maybe I should've looked at the railway map and realised its a convoluted route... Still, it was OK: nice people to talk to, some great scenery,
lots to read and listen to, so the daytimes went quickly. It was unfortunate, however, that Indian Railways had scheduled both the snoring world cup AND the mobile ringtone conference in my section...
So, 40 hours, 2000km and 2 hours of sleep later, I arrived in Bubaneswar - capital of Orissa. A 2 hour bus ride later (which was fun - literally bursting as always & an accident-enforced-diversion through some really interesting villages where people very rarely see buses, let alone a white arm hanging out), I arrived in Puri. Hoooooray!!!
Permit me the indulgence of a re-cap: I arrive in Puri having spent 3 of the last 4 nights in transit, the other jetlagged, having been drunk for the 3 previous days. Needless to say, I've been ill!
Puri is great. It's on the bay of Bengal, at one end is a fishing village, at the other one of the biggest temples in India which has the largest kitchen in the world: 400 cooks! In between these ends is a great backpacking area. My hotel is my favourite in India so far. The beach in Puri itself isn't great (mainly because the fishing village use it as their toilet), but a 20 min scooter ride along the coast the beaches are beautiful:
I'll be staying here a few more days - the temple at nearby Konark is reportedly incredible, and there's more fish to be eaten before I head to Kolkatta and then the cold cold mountains. For this leg of my trip, I plan not to set myself too challenging-a-list of "must see" places. I feel I travelled too quickly at times before Xmas. So, if I really like a place, as with Puri, I'll stay longer. Rocket science, huh? Also, I'm equipped with a travel geetar this time, as well as 2 french language methods and a better camera, so I have more to keep me occupied.
OK, that's enough. Byebye
It took a week or so to feel like I was in England, and after that it was really nice to have a mid-trip break. Time to process/assimilate/get fired up for the next trip/enjoy the best of the english winter: wine, goose, washing machines, baths etc. Here's some frost for those of you who haven't left the heat:
Christmas was obviously quite sad, but the presence of Flynne - one of the world's coolest toddlers - made a big difference.
Anyway, 2 weeks was long enough. India is addictive... Hope I'm managing to convey some of the reasons in this blog, so I won't put it into a soundbyte now. I didn't give myself the best chance of a smooth return though: having put on my best drunk for a long long time on new year's, the 1st and 2nd were a washout. I managed to extract myself from the haze on the evening of the 2nd to have a quiet goodbye drink with some village people, followed by a bath, some packing and an early night. However, when Joe asked Rory and I to be best men at his wedding(s), things changed somewhat. A valiant attempt to re-enact 2 nights previous ensued & I woke up drunk & confused with a few hours to find/buy/pack all everything for India. Incapable of reading the packing list that Nye & I had complied, I had to remember everything I needed... Probably shouldn't have brought more jumpers than boxers, but apart from that all seems present.
After an uncomfortable night in the air, as we descended through cloudless sky into Mumbai, my MP3 player kindly played me Polly-Jean's "we float," which I haven't listened to in ages and made me very happy.
So, India then.
Less than 24 hours after arriving at my hotel in Mumbai (same room as when I left, adding to my confusion as to whether England had just been a dream), having helped out Stefano - an Italian guy who sat next to me on the plane, whose luggage BA had failed to bring (a great introduction to his first extra-european experience, & a bureaucratic/linguistic challenge too far), I was on a train to Orissa. yes, that was a long sentence.
It would've made more sense for me to fly into Kolkatta, but I booked my ticket in September (when I didn't know where I'd want to be), & it wasn't changeable. Besides, Mumbai-Orissa doesn't look so far on the map, so I was a bit surprised when, as we departed at 3pm on friday, the conductor told me we'd arrive some time on sunday morning! Maybe I should've looked at the railway map and realised its a convoluted route... Still, it was OK: nice people to talk to, some great scenery,
lots to read and listen to, so the daytimes went quickly. It was unfortunate, however, that Indian Railways had scheduled both the snoring world cup AND the mobile ringtone conference in my section...
So, 40 hours, 2000km and 2 hours of sleep later, I arrived in Bubaneswar - capital of Orissa. A 2 hour bus ride later (which was fun - literally bursting as always & an accident-enforced-diversion through some really interesting villages where people very rarely see buses, let alone a white arm hanging out), I arrived in Puri. Hoooooray!!!
Permit me the indulgence of a re-cap: I arrive in Puri having spent 3 of the last 4 nights in transit, the other jetlagged, having been drunk for the 3 previous days. Needless to say, I've been ill!
Puri is great. It's on the bay of Bengal, at one end is a fishing village, at the other one of the biggest temples in India which has the largest kitchen in the world: 400 cooks! In between these ends is a great backpacking area. My hotel is my favourite in India so far. The beach in Puri itself isn't great (mainly because the fishing village use it as their toilet), but a 20 min scooter ride along the coast the beaches are beautiful:
I'll be staying here a few more days - the temple at nearby Konark is reportedly incredible, and there's more fish to be eaten before I head to Kolkatta and then the cold cold mountains. For this leg of my trip, I plan not to set myself too challenging-a-list of "must see" places. I feel I travelled too quickly at times before Xmas. So, if I really like a place, as with Puri, I'll stay longer. Rocket science, huh? Also, I'm equipped with a travel geetar this time, as well as 2 french language methods and a better camera, so I have more to keep me occupied.
OK, that's enough. Byebye
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Back to Bom!
Sang the brass monkey... And I must say, Midnight's Children is one of the best books I've read in a long long time. Although, it probably helps to read it in India.
I'm writing this from the comfort of my own home, having gained a virus and lost most of my tan (in the bath)... Ah, good old blighty. It's that surreal stage of being back in body but not much else. Still...
So, I went from Mysore to Spangalore. This was actually one of the nicer Indian cities I've been to. Partly, I think, because the British legacy is positive in this case: its very spacious, wide streets, lots of greenery, relatively clean etc. Although, I didn't see much of the city and focused on the westernised area (because, in my understanding, its the unique part of bangalore), so I may not have a well-rounded impression.
Here's a picture of the roundabout at the end of one of the main arterial roads, called "Anil Kumble circle" - which is a bit like marble arch being re-named "freddy flintoff arch." Although, maybe a couple of years ago that was on the cards... NOT NOW!
(You can see the F1-inspired traffic lights, with flashing countdown, at the top of the picture... i imagine they make the commute more fun).
Whilst in Bangalore, I finally tracked down a british newspaper (1st time in India after much searching), in the British library. It was the Observer, and it was a really nice surprise to find a review of Sufjan Stevens' Xmas album, written by none other than AP Carnwath esq.
Anyway, whilst I liked Bangalore, its not a great city to be alone in: one of its highlights is the nightlife, and its not the friendliest place so i missed out somewhat.
On to Hyderabad - capital of Andra Pradesh, and one of the most disappointing places I've seen so far! Mainly because I was expecting a relaxed, hassle-free city with lots of beautiful sights and friendly people, but found pretty much the opposite! Which is fine, and when I say I had expectations, I have learned that its not wise to expect too much! Here's a highway:
Then to Aurangabad, Maharashtra, to see some caves, from which I expected a great deal... And I wasn't disappointed. There are 2 major sets of cave temples: Ellora and Ajanta.
Went to Ellora first and was blown away by this Hindu temple, cut from the hill in the 8th century! Its mind-blowing to think how they produced something so intricate and so massive by chipping away at a rock. Ellora has lots of other Hindu, a few Jain, and 12 Buddhist temples, but this was definitely the highlight.
Ajanta was very different: Only Buddhist, older than Ellora (earliest caves from 200BC), and better preserved (mainly because it was only discovered in the 19th century).
Its so well-preserved that many of the original wall-paintings are still in tact, so its easier to imagine how things would have been back in the day...
Anyway, that was great. I then took my 4th night train of the week, back to Mumbai. Last time I was here was very brief, so I was glad to see a bit more of the city this time.
Its a great city, but is probably the place I've been where the contrast between India's wealth and poverty is most starkly obvious. For example, my hotel was next to the Taj Palace (one of India's premier hotels, where a drink will cost you about 10 times as much as an average meal). Yet across the road is a brothel, and lots of women and children live on the pavement. Of course the wealthier / more touristy areas attract more beggars, but its still shocking to see such poverty on your doorstep. You become hardened to it, but sometimes a scene can be very poignant. One of the most frequently discussed topics in amongst backpackers seems to be policies on giving money to beggars. Its a bit of a minefield and I really can't be bothered to rant about it now, but I reserve the right to do so!
So, that was India. Its nice to have a break, but I'm really looking forward to going back (3rd of Jan)!
Happy Xmas, here's a Bombay sunset:
I'm writing this from the comfort of my own home, having gained a virus and lost most of my tan (in the bath)... Ah, good old blighty. It's that surreal stage of being back in body but not much else. Still...
So, I went from Mysore to Spangalore. This was actually one of the nicer Indian cities I've been to. Partly, I think, because the British legacy is positive in this case: its very spacious, wide streets, lots of greenery, relatively clean etc. Although, I didn't see much of the city and focused on the westernised area (because, in my understanding, its the unique part of bangalore), so I may not have a well-rounded impression. Here's a picture of the roundabout at the end of one of the main arterial roads, called "Anil Kumble circle" - which is a bit like marble arch being re-named "freddy flintoff arch." Although, maybe a couple of years ago that was on the cards... NOT NOW!
(You can see the F1-inspired traffic lights, with flashing countdown, at the top of the picture... i imagine they make the commute more fun).
Whilst in Bangalore, I finally tracked down a british newspaper (1st time in India after much searching), in the British library. It was the Observer, and it was a really nice surprise to find a review of Sufjan Stevens' Xmas album, written by none other than AP Carnwath esq.
Anyway, whilst I liked Bangalore, its not a great city to be alone in: one of its highlights is the nightlife, and its not the friendliest place so i missed out somewhat.
On to Hyderabad - capital of Andra Pradesh, and one of the most disappointing places I've seen so far! Mainly because I was expecting a relaxed, hassle-free city with lots of beautiful sights and friendly people, but found pretty much the opposite! Which is fine, and when I say I had expectations, I have learned that its not wise to expect too much! Here's a highway:
Then to Aurangabad, Maharashtra, to see some caves, from which I expected a great deal... And I wasn't disappointed. There are 2 major sets of cave temples: Ellora and Ajanta.
Went to Ellora first and was blown away by this Hindu temple, cut from the hill in the 8th century! Its mind-blowing to think how they produced something so intricate and so massive by chipping away at a rock. Ellora has lots of other Hindu, a few Jain, and 12 Buddhist temples, but this was definitely the highlight.
Ajanta was very different: Only Buddhist, older than Ellora (earliest caves from 200BC), and better preserved (mainly because it was only discovered in the 19th century).
Its so well-preserved that many of the original wall-paintings are still in tact, so its easier to imagine how things would have been back in the day...
Anyway, that was great. I then took my 4th night train of the week, back to Mumbai. Last time I was here was very brief, so I was glad to see a bit more of the city this time.
Its a great city, but is probably the place I've been where the contrast between India's wealth and poverty is most starkly obvious. For example, my hotel was next to the Taj Palace (one of India's premier hotels, where a drink will cost you about 10 times as much as an average meal). Yet across the road is a brothel, and lots of women and children live on the pavement. Of course the wealthier / more touristy areas attract more beggars, but its still shocking to see such poverty on your doorstep. You become hardened to it, but sometimes a scene can be very poignant. One of the most frequently discussed topics in amongst backpackers seems to be policies on giving money to beggars. Its a bit of a minefield and I really can't be bothered to rant about it now, but I reserve the right to do so!
So, that was India. Its nice to have a break, but I'm really looking forward to going back (3rd of Jan)!
Happy Xmas, here's a Bombay sunset:
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
My Sore Arm
Things didn't quite go according to plan... which is no bad thing necessarily (see detour on route map).
Despite standard bus station shenanigans - every (official) person giving completely different information about bus timings, which bus stop, journey length etc - I somehow managed to get on the right bus to Karaikal, which took 2 hours longer than the longest estimate!
On arriving, I 'phoned the tsunami-relief organistion (as arranged), but their 'phone wasn't working. No biggie, its late, find a hotel, go to a canteen, chat with some locals, get a lift home on the back of a motorbike, crash, lose a load of skin, and put manual labour (was going to help build a school) completely out of the question. So. Didn't do my bit for mankind. A picture (totally out of sequence):
I decided to make my way to a city with a major train station, as long distance buses were sapping my will to travel. Of course, I had to take one last bus to reach Trichy (aforementioned city), which was absurdly over-crowded and involved having my freshly-skinned toes trodden on repeatedly for 5 hours by a very large lady.
Despite standard bus station shenanigans - every (official) person giving completely different information about bus timings, which bus stop, journey length etc - I somehow managed to get on the right bus to Karaikal, which took 2 hours longer than the longest estimate!
On arriving, I 'phoned the tsunami-relief organistion (as arranged), but their 'phone wasn't working. No biggie, its late, find a hotel, go to a canteen, chat with some locals, get a lift home on the back of a motorbike, crash, lose a load of skin, and put manual labour (was going to help build a school) completely out of the question. So. Didn't do my bit for mankind. A picture (totally out of sequence):
I decided to make my way to a city with a major train station, as long distance buses were sapping my will to travel. Of course, I had to take one last bus to reach Trichy (aforementioned city), which was absurdly over-crowded and involved having my freshly-skinned toes trodden on repeatedly for 5 hours by a very large lady. I really liked Trichy though: a fairly typical Tamil Nadu city, meaning lots of culture, very few (western) tourists (so no scams/hassles, but enough that I wasn't constantly an object of curiosity... except for my bandaging), good value, mahousive mosquitos etc. Here's a temple on a big rock:
But, of course, whilst physically impaired I couldn't miss the opportunity to get ill. It never rains... Still, no bad thing to be forced to stay in my room & recover my sense of reason, not to mention my body, whilst the Ashes were on TV. Oh yes, and when you're in such a state, the middle of the night is a great time to be visited by the mother of all flying cockroaches who, with her lazer-beam eyes I'm sure, managed to collapse my mosquito net on me. An epic, and possibly somewhat comical battle ensued... and eventually I won!
I left Trichy, & Tamil Nadu, after a few days & made my way to Mysore in Karnataka. The train was very interesting, and showed me a side of India that I hadn't seen so far. It was the fastest sunday night train from the south to Bangalore and, as such, lots of city workers who've been home for the weekend catch it (Bangalore is the centre of India's silicone valley). Everyone speaking in English, most of it technical, over-my-head, but standard office-type stuff, all wearing western clothes, playing with snazzy gadgets etc. The people I spoke to were interesting, articulate, intelligent etc, but I couldn't help feeling that if this is the future of India (from a global perspective), and these are the people who are turning the country into an economic super-power, its sad that it seems to be happening at the expense of Indian culture. I'm going to Bangalore tomorrow, so may be in a better position to comment, but first impressions are intriguing...
Mysore is a firm fixture on the tourist trail, & made me appreciate Tamil Nadu even more! The maharajah's palace here is pretty special, and the place does have a nice feel, but its hard to keep perspective when suddenly thrust back into a world where every other person earns their living from tourism, & more than a handful have no qualms about ripping you off. I have been angry. But its all good.
Feeling slightly worn out. I guess I've been moving quite fast for a while, and I am nearing the end of this part of my trip, so its not surprising. Its not that travelling in India, at least the parts I've visited so far, is very challenging, its just... never mind.
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