The travelers I met in Vientiane the evening before leaving for Vang Viene all summed my next stop as "a very difficult place to leave."
However upon arriving in Vang Viene I was disappointed. No other word sums up the town better than "tacky". It's got a plastic feel about it. The streets are built on a grid system and they are paved with stores, flashy internet cafes, pancake vendors and TV bars all showing Friends re-runs. If you walk down the road you can hear about 3 different episodes of Friends in the background. I wonder what Jennifer Aniston would say about that!
But as you look past the town - which really is very tiny - one main road and 3 off-roads, you are struck by the awesome mountains that surround it. The mountains seem to layer over one another so that those in the distance seem to be a shadow of those upfront. It is truly spectacular.
I was fortunate enough to meet a gang of real Actionados on the VIP bus to Vang Vien. There were 4 in the group - Emma and Claire, the twins both from France living in London and Singapore respectively. And Lola from Italy, and Ben both living in London. They were all a bit older than me but their energetic spirit attracted me to them immediately. And to be honest, they kind of adopted me too which was nice. I had had a recommendation to "cross the bamboo bridge to the other side of the river for accommodation." After seeing the ghastly town we all agreed that we would act upon this advice and seek something which would hopefully make up for the disgrace of the main town.
So we crossed the bridge. My pack now weighing a hefty 18 KGs in the mid-day sun, it was tough. But so, so worth it.
We arrived at Maylyn Guest House. Tucked away amidst corn fields and along the bank of a little stream with the most beautiful tropical garden. It was such a find! The guest house is run by Joseph - an Irish/London/Australian and his wife Won. They have been running it for 7 years. We checked into wooden bungalow-type rooms which were so beautiful, clean and homely.
And then the action was ON!!! Action Gang (i.e me + the group I was with as we will now be known) was ready for a walk in no time. We did a few kilometers to the nearest caves where we where met by a guide who led us inside. Our guide was about 6 years old, and he was the cutest boy I have ever seen. It was not the most impressive cave, but a nice introduction to one of the many we'd see over the next few days and a good lesson to remember to carry a torch at all times.
We then took a walk through the fields, said hello to the cows. The first thing that struck me is just how healthy the cows are compared to the skeletal cows I'd seen in India. Turns out the cows in Laos are a cross breed between the Brahman cows from India and the local Laos cows. They are not as visible as they are in India. Most reside on the plush fields and past their days grazing whereas the cows in India reside on the busy streets and pass their days rummaging for any bits of food they can find in the rubbish piles.
After our time in the fields we decided to go swimming in the Nam Song River that runs through Vang Viene. This is the waterway that separates the town from the "other side" - where we were staying. In the evening the river is packed with locals either taking a bath or collecting the river Algae - which is eaten in a lot of Laos food.
That evening we tucked into a dinner made at the guest house - arguably the best food in Vang Viene. I had their delicious Tom Yum soup. Wow. The food in Laos is definitely the best I have had anywhere in the world. I think it's the most agreeable with me!
The rest of the time in Vang Viene followed pretty much the same course. Action gang was together for day 2 which was super. We spent the morning walking the 6km route to the Ponsavan Cave. This is a cave that holds a Budha statue inside it where monks go to pray. The walk to the cave was easy enough along a dirt road, but the heat was exhausting. When we finally arrived we were so pleased to find the beautiful "Blue Lagoon" - a river that is surrounded by magnificent flora and has crystal blue waters flowing through it. After a refreshing dip, Action Gang decided to brave the cave.
Getting up to the cave is literally an 80 degree mountain climb. There is no help, bar a bamboo rod here and there that you can use to leverage yourself. I of course was wearing a lovely skirt -- I don't do shorts -- but managed, as I had wisely put on some decent climbing shoes (read: trainers - the rest had pro- mountain shoes on!).
The climb is tough but so worth it. When you enter the mouth of the cave you are immediately struck by the enormous hollow created by dripping limestone rock. The cave has a serene air about it that is heightened when you lay your eyes upon the reclining, gold Budha statue. It is so peaceful and calm to be in that presence. We were fortunate enough to bear witness to a few monks dressed in their bright orange robes making an offering to the Budha when we arrived. The offering usually consists of incense sticks and the most intricate flower arrangements. Banana leaves are woven into spikes and then bright orange marigold flowers are pinned onto the spikes. They are really unusual but so beautiful.
Action Gang was keen to climb up and around the limestone formations. I was a little nervous but decided to go along with it. This was also tough, but again, so worth it. I was so pleased to have met up with such a "go for it" group...it was great. We went up and down and through the entire cave. Action Gang - we were up for anything!
After the climb down the mountain - of course I was the last one down, we went for another swim and then Action Gang was ready to head out to Adventure Part II. Tubing.
Tubing down the Nam Song River is the most popular thing to do in Vang Viene. Over the years, the Laos people have cottoned on that the white man loves nothing more than the combination of sun, water and of course beer. So all along the river you are offered "BEER LAOS, BEER LAOS" by young boys who throw the bottles at the backpacker crowed who are keen to get them down. The river also has a few bars along it playing the latest music where some tubers stop to "rest"(read: drink and pull). To be honest, I was not that keen to participate in this activity. I must be getting old....argh! I was actually quite put off by all the lager louts doing their thing in such an otherwise peaceful and beautiful environment. I was particularly irate when I witnessed a few boys throw empty beer bottles into the river. Not good at all.
That said, it was great to go down the river and parts of it are still pretty natural, although I think in years to come it might all be ruined.
After tubing we hit one of the many spas in Vang Viene. I opted for an hour oil massage. Wow. It was pretty hardcore, but good. After a lot of thumping and stretching I left feeling quite exhilarated. Although I was laughing at the end, and managed to get the masseur to laugh too when he was doing the "stomach massage"!
The rest of my time in Laos followed pretty much the same course. The next day I unfortunately had a lot of admin to do which took up most of the morning, but I spent the afternoon cycling out to the next village. I saw:
- lots of satellite dishes alongside bamboo huts
- stalls selling the evening meal of BBQ chicken, fish, pork on bamboo sticks, or soup
- kids cycling home holding umbrellas to shade themselves from the hot sun
- groups of men playing cards
- men weaving baskets
- a beautiful red sunset against a silhouette of a mountain
I spent the next day doing a trek with an organised group of people up to another cave. The group was great -- I met a couple of South African gals -Lyndie, who has been living in Morrocco for 10 years and Libya for 2 and Nicky, who has been in Cape Town. Both were on a world tour for a year! I spent the next couple of days with them which was great. I also met an English guy, Chris in his 30's who was on holiday in Laos and was using the time to have a good think about his future.
It seems a lot of people I have met are taking a break from life. Stepping out of their routine and taking time to think and plan their next move. It's so inspiring to learn what these people are getting from their trip, and to hear about their experiences.
The group trek was probably a highlight. We eventually arrived at a cave which we were lead into for a few meters in a tube! We sat in our tubes and slowly floated into the cave. It was such fun. It felt like you were nearing the center of the earth. We were lead by a really Witty Laos guide called Noam. He told us a tragic tale of a Canadian who had gone into the cave alone, and had never come out. He died as his torch failed on him and he didn't have a spare.
We visited a few caves after that - another beautiful cave with a Budah at its entrance. And then Noam led us on a long walk where we were collected and taken to the river. From the river we kayaked all the way back into town.
I spent my last day in Vang Viene with Lyndie and Nicky. We went back to the Blue Lagoon, although this time we walked there and back. Getting back was tough - I left a little earlier and the walk felt so long. But it was a great opportunity to observe village life and watch people coming back from work or school. Life in Laos is so simple. The people do not have much but they seem so happy. It is so wonderful being in this type of environment where people really take it easy and focus on enjoying what they have. It is inspiring. I also love the way the parents treat the children. They are all so loved and cared for. And the kids are so, so cute....my broodyness is returning!!! That evening we had another meal at Maylyn of BBQ fish. Wow. River fish is delicious. We also spent some time talking to Joseph, the guy that runs the guest house. He was really interesting and shed some light on current Laos politics, and Laos culture.
It was sad to say goodbye to the gals. We had a good time together, and of course it was great that they knew where I came from. I will probably see them again...later.....
I loved Vang Viene in the end. It is a beautiful, peaceful part of the world. A place where you can truly relax and enjoy nature. I really found it difficult to leave.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Friday, February 23, 2007
Kap Jai Lai Lai
I have to start by describing the bus trip from BKK to Vientiane because it was such a far cry from any bus trip I have been on in the last 2 months.
There is no better word than "magical" to describe a Thai bus. They are all spray painted in bright, colours in the theme of "fantasy creatures." There is the Hello Kitty bus, the Star Trek bus, you name it...and they do a good job too. It's pretty weird, but sweet. And the buses are CLEAN. So clean and fresh and comfortable. I was pleased that I would get some sleep...
I sat next to a couple of girls, Marie and Andree-Anne from Quebec who were on a 4 month trip. I was really surprised that they had French accents. I know Quebec is a French colony in Canada but I thought they would be more Canadian than French, but it was the otherway around.
Andree had been planting trees in her uni breaks to get the cash together to travel. It was really fascinating listening to her experience of living in a commune in tents in the middle of forests, moving around Canada's west coast planting thousands of trees and getting paid. She told me that when she first started off she was making minus $15 a day. But by the end of it she managed to plant something like 200-300 trees a day and was making about $250 a day. Hard labour.
The three of us gals got talking to an Israeli guy, Avshalom or Avi. He had finished his army service in Israel and decided to hit the road.
They were all a lot younger than me- 20 or so, but we had some interesting conversations. We shared travel stories and experiences which was so fascinating to listen to. The 9 hour bus ride wizzed past and we finally arrived at the Thai Laos border at about 9am. Getting the visa was pretty easy. You pay a few dollars and hang around an office for about 10 minutes, and then you're in.
Vientiane is the Capital city of Laos. When I arrived it was dead. I was told that this was because it was Chinese NY, but I get the feeling it is a pretty dead most of the year! It is tiny and you are immediately hit with the s l o w p a c e that runs Laos. People walk slowly, move slowly, no one is rushing anywhere.
It is said that the people from Laos watch rice grow. This is not hard to believe.
I spent that day in Vientiane chatting to the gals. We had a delicious breakfast of cheese and vegetable baguette and fresh Lao coffee. The French managed to leave their mark of baguette, excellent coffee and vin rouge in Laos! I was thrilled by this!
After an afternoon nap, I hired a bicycle and cycled around the tiny city. I went to see the most famous Buddhist temple, the Phat That Luang which is an incredible gold structure. Because it bears many references to Lao architecture and culture, it is now the national symbol for Laos. It is pretty impressive.
That evening we went to the banks of the Mekong river for a Laos dinner. I must say that this has got to be the most delicious food ever! I am so happy - anyone who knows me knows how important good food is, and this is the best.
We had an amazing Laos BBQ where you basically get a fire in a clay pot set on your table. A clay pot of hot water sits ontop of the fire. In here you throw in fresh vegetables, meat, roots, garlic - anything creating a deliciously satisfying soup. So good. We also had the BBQ fish which you wrap up in pieces of lettuce leaves and sprinkle nuts, lemongrass, ginger, tomatoes, spring onions and then dunk the wrap into a delicious sweet plum sauce. IT was heavenly!!!
After dinner and excellent conversation we went to find some good vin rouge. Excellent. After not drinking for so long it was so good to sip on a glass of smooth merlot.
I really got on with Adrienne and Marie. They were good company - really full of life! It was sad to say goodbye the next morning. It was also a little hard as we had spent the rest of the evening at a balcony party with the rest of the guests from the hotel. We were all a little hung over!
Next stop - Vang Vienne.
There is no better word than "magical" to describe a Thai bus. They are all spray painted in bright, colours in the theme of "fantasy creatures." There is the Hello Kitty bus, the Star Trek bus, you name it...and they do a good job too. It's pretty weird, but sweet. And the buses are CLEAN. So clean and fresh and comfortable. I was pleased that I would get some sleep...
I sat next to a couple of girls, Marie and Andree-Anne from Quebec who were on a 4 month trip. I was really surprised that they had French accents. I know Quebec is a French colony in Canada but I thought they would be more Canadian than French, but it was the otherway around.
Andree had been planting trees in her uni breaks to get the cash together to travel. It was really fascinating listening to her experience of living in a commune in tents in the middle of forests, moving around Canada's west coast planting thousands of trees and getting paid. She told me that when she first started off she was making minus $15 a day. But by the end of it she managed to plant something like 200-300 trees a day and was making about $250 a day. Hard labour.
The three of us gals got talking to an Israeli guy, Avshalom or Avi. He had finished his army service in Israel and decided to hit the road.
They were all a lot younger than me- 20 or so, but we had some interesting conversations. We shared travel stories and experiences which was so fascinating to listen to. The 9 hour bus ride wizzed past and we finally arrived at the Thai Laos border at about 9am. Getting the visa was pretty easy. You pay a few dollars and hang around an office for about 10 minutes, and then you're in.
Vientiane is the Capital city of Laos. When I arrived it was dead. I was told that this was because it was Chinese NY, but I get the feeling it is a pretty dead most of the year! It is tiny and you are immediately hit with the s l o w p a c e that runs Laos. People walk slowly, move slowly, no one is rushing anywhere.
It is said that the people from Laos watch rice grow. This is not hard to believe.
I spent that day in Vientiane chatting to the gals. We had a delicious breakfast of cheese and vegetable baguette and fresh Lao coffee. The French managed to leave their mark of baguette, excellent coffee and vin rouge in Laos! I was thrilled by this!
After an afternoon nap, I hired a bicycle and cycled around the tiny city. I went to see the most famous Buddhist temple, the Phat That Luang which is an incredible gold structure. Because it bears many references to Lao architecture and culture, it is now the national symbol for Laos. It is pretty impressive.
That evening we went to the banks of the Mekong river for a Laos dinner. I must say that this has got to be the most delicious food ever! I am so happy - anyone who knows me knows how important good food is, and this is the best.
We had an amazing Laos BBQ where you basically get a fire in a clay pot set on your table. A clay pot of hot water sits ontop of the fire. In here you throw in fresh vegetables, meat, roots, garlic - anything creating a deliciously satisfying soup. So good. We also had the BBQ fish which you wrap up in pieces of lettuce leaves and sprinkle nuts, lemongrass, ginger, tomatoes, spring onions and then dunk the wrap into a delicious sweet plum sauce. IT was heavenly!!!
After dinner and excellent conversation we went to find some good vin rouge. Excellent. After not drinking for so long it was so good to sip on a glass of smooth merlot.
I really got on with Adrienne and Marie. They were good company - really full of life! It was sad to say goodbye the next morning. It was also a little hard as we had spent the rest of the evening at a balcony party with the rest of the guests from the hotel. We were all a little hung over!
Next stop - Vang Vienne.
Sawadee
Arriving in Bangkok from Delhi was an unexpected culture shock. For starters, the new Suvarnabhumi airport is a far cry from what the overcrowded, stuffy old BKK airport was. The new airport building is an elegant structure of steel and glass that shade visitors from the tropical heat. It is absolutely spotless and the systems work smoothly. It was a pleasure arriving.
The drive from the Airport to Kho San Road also had me stunned for most of the way. For starters, the roads are quiet. Drivers only use hooters as a warning. The roads are not overcrowded with motorbikes and cows either. A nice change from the roads of Delhi. There seems to be a road system, or road rules that people follow. And the drive...well it feels like you're in the first class seat of a very smooth ride. No more auto rickshaw backache!
And then you hit the city. The first thing that struck me besides all the neat high rises is the billboard advertising. In India, there are very few billboards. You really get to escape advertising in India. Outdoor advertising is under developed and exists in predominantly in crude wall murals. But in BKK, the billboards are dynamic and feel quite innovative, even compared to the boards I've seen in the EU. They jump out at you, shout at you and you cannot help being drawn to them.
The driver pulled into Khoa San road and my heart started beating fast! It is completely wild - a mix of Asian and Western youth culture jam packed onto a single road. There are markets selling cd's, clothes, dvd's, bars selling cocktails, food vendors selling freshly cut fruit, mini coconut and rice pancakes, phad thai, anything you can think of. There are bright lights everywhere and a continuous buzz. The energy on this street is dynamic. I loved it and was SO PLEASED to be here. In some ways I felt a sense of release and relief.
I spent 2 days in BKK cruising around the city and getting lost. I visited a few of the main temples which are beautiful, had a massage - wow, had a hair cut, had a wax, and had a swim in a crystal clear pool (I treated myself to a nice hotel for day 1). I also managed to get 2kgs of laundry washed and ironed for the sum of 2 squid! It was great to hang out in a city that operates in a way that is familiar in some sense.
After a lot of umming and ahhing, I decided I would skip Thailand. I booked a bus ticket that would take me from BKK to Vientiane, Laos in 9 hours.
I had an excellent feeling about my decision.
The drive from the Airport to Kho San Road also had me stunned for most of the way. For starters, the roads are quiet. Drivers only use hooters as a warning. The roads are not overcrowded with motorbikes and cows either. A nice change from the roads of Delhi. There seems to be a road system, or road rules that people follow. And the drive...well it feels like you're in the first class seat of a very smooth ride. No more auto rickshaw backache!
And then you hit the city. The first thing that struck me besides all the neat high rises is the billboard advertising. In India, there are very few billboards. You really get to escape advertising in India. Outdoor advertising is under developed and exists in predominantly in crude wall murals. But in BKK, the billboards are dynamic and feel quite innovative, even compared to the boards I've seen in the EU. They jump out at you, shout at you and you cannot help being drawn to them.
The driver pulled into Khoa San road and my heart started beating fast! It is completely wild - a mix of Asian and Western youth culture jam packed onto a single road. There are markets selling cd's, clothes, dvd's, bars selling cocktails, food vendors selling freshly cut fruit, mini coconut and rice pancakes, phad thai, anything you can think of. There are bright lights everywhere and a continuous buzz. The energy on this street is dynamic. I loved it and was SO PLEASED to be here. In some ways I felt a sense of release and relief.
I spent 2 days in BKK cruising around the city and getting lost. I visited a few of the main temples which are beautiful, had a massage - wow, had a hair cut, had a wax, and had a swim in a crystal clear pool (I treated myself to a nice hotel for day 1). I also managed to get 2kgs of laundry washed and ironed for the sum of 2 squid! It was great to hang out in a city that operates in a way that is familiar in some sense.
After a lot of umming and ahhing, I decided I would skip Thailand. I booked a bus ticket that would take me from BKK to Vientiane, Laos in 9 hours.
I had an excellent feeling about my decision.
Friday, February 16, 2007
good times and goodbyes
The rest of my time in Jaisalmer was fun. I met up with Martin the next day - he had done a thirteen hour bus trip from Udaipur! We hung out which was great! He is only 24 and seems to have a lot more energy which was good for me. We visited the beautiful lake that is a few kilometers away from the fort and spent some time there. We hired a big blue fiberglass swan paddle boat and took a trip around the lake. I am definitely unfit after almost 2 months of mooching!
That evening we bumped into Jan and Mike from Udaipur. We spent a lovely afternoon with them chatting about everything - life, love, work, marriage, kids, travel, Thai Culture, Western Culture vs. Eastern Culture...it was good!
We went out for dinner with them to an "Australian Cafe" in the fort - one of the establishments that has definitely tainted the old feel of the fort. But they served vegie burgers, and the rest of the gang was over Indian and wanted to jump at this opportunity! The guy that runs the Cafe apparently lives in Aus for 6 months of the year. To prove this to us he threw in the word "bloody" into every sentence. He also offered us "bloody G'nT's", and any alcohol we desired and told us that "if we didn't bloody like the bloody veggie burgers then we didn't have to bloody pay". I personally thought the veg burgers were disgusting - I don't even like burger. But everyone else seemed pleased!
It was a good day and night. Both Martin and I were so pleased and honoured to be invited to Jan and Mike's wedding in Bangkok. I am so excited for Graeme to meet these guys, they are so lovely it feels like we've been friends for forever!
Martin and I also managed to book a 6am bus to Bikaner. The plan was to do a Camel Safari in Bikaner...
On the first night in Bikaner, Martin and I managed to get in touch with some Swedish people who wanted to join on the camel safari. I was still not that excited about the prospect of a day and nite on a stinky camel but agreed on the basis that this would be an unusual experience.
The morning of the Camel Safari arrived and I had managed to psych myself up. I was so excited. But then the clouds blew over and the 2mm of rain that pours over the dessert a year came down in buckets. I opted out of the safari - I didn't have any waterproof clothing. The rest went. I was a little, okay very, disappointed but I made up for it.
The hotel owner felt sorry for me so took me on a bike ride to the cinema. It was pretty hair raising but a good adrenaline rush. I was pleased because Salaame Ishq was showing. A film I had wanted to see since arriving in India and hearing the popular song everywhere. As with all Bollywood films this one was 3 hours long. I planned to spend an hour and a half watching. At the cinema I kind of latched onto 3 helpful Indian girls who showed me inside and let me sit with them. And then the film started.
I was hooked. It's a soppy romcom, but so so lovely! I really got into the music and the dancing - so did the rest of the audience who were in full participation whistling and howling! I cried and laughed and cried some more. It was fab.
Spent that evening reading and having some me-time. I also found the best restaurant in India called Hotel Laxi Niwas. The "kitchen" is set up on the side of the road and is made of make-shift fires and massive silver pots that bubble and brew with numerous varieties of masala and veg. Adjacent to this is a massive clay pot that has a fire burning in it. This pot is used to cook chappatti on the side of the walls. And it is definitely the best chappati in India. Wow. I spent a lot of time just watching all the man make about 5 chappatti a minute. And when they come out they are warm and so fresh...hmmm.
The rest of the time in Bikaner was spent playing a card game called "shithead" with Martin and the Swedes. We had a good time. We also did a day trip to a one horse, or in the case of India one camel town called Kolayat. It was nothing to write home about so we used it as an opportunity to play more card games along the man made lake.
My train back to Delhi that night was cancelled by 12 hours which meant only getting to Delhi a day late. ARGH! I was rather annoyed but you just have to let this sort of thing slide in India.
When I finally got onto the train the trip was not that bad. I slept a lot and also spent some time with an interesting couple from the US/Czech Rep. The guy had had cancer and he was telling me how he helped overcome it through his diet and changing his approach to life. His story was a really positive one. They were really nice and fed me heaps of Milk Cakes along the way and kept me entertained.
Won't detail the last day in Delhi because it was full of admin that didn't really happen. I was meant to change plane tickets and do all sorts of stuff but landed up spending most of the day figuring out how to send home a 10KG parcel of OLD clothes (I ask myself why!?) and a sleeping bag...hmmm. Raj, Nick's "houseboy" was very kind and came with me in the end. He was so helpful and in his broken English helped me get through the parcel ordeal. I was very grateful to him.
Saying Goodbye.
I left India in true India style. I rushed to the airport at 5.30am in a taxi. I arrived with a sore back from the bumpy road. And my flight was delayed. By SIX hours.
Delhi airport is not what you would expect an international airport to be. It is dead. It has about 2 shops, both which sell the same rubbish and a Subway. I tried to blag the BA lounge with my Silver card, but they don't have a BA lounge! I was horrified!
I had met a lovely Dutch girl in the queue for passport control, so we headed straight for Subway. The sandwhich I ate upset my stomach. I should have known not to trust any branded "veg delite!"
I spent most of the time listening to the Dutch girl, Yanneka's sad love story. She had met a Kashmiri guy on her last day in India a year ago and had come back to India to spend 3 months with him. She was really upset as she had to go back to Holland - she is only 21. I just listened to her talk and tried to give her some advice (!? what do you say!?). This seemed to kill time.
I am going to miss India.
I love India. It is beautiful and has so much to offer.
I love that it is so unpredictable and bears no reference to anything I am familliar with.
I love the way things work out when you least expect them to. I love the way your plans always change.
I love the way the people have such big hearts and look out for you. And I will miss their sense of brotherhood with one another. How they look out for one another.
I have learnt to be grateful for everything I have.
I have learnt not to judge. People are a lot more that you expect them to be. It doesn't matter what they have, it's who they are that is important.
I have learnt that love is about giving and not receiving.
I have learnt to give in and trust and to let it work out.
That evening we bumped into Jan and Mike from Udaipur. We spent a lovely afternoon with them chatting about everything - life, love, work, marriage, kids, travel, Thai Culture, Western Culture vs. Eastern Culture...it was good!
We went out for dinner with them to an "Australian Cafe" in the fort - one of the establishments that has definitely tainted the old feel of the fort. But they served vegie burgers, and the rest of the gang was over Indian and wanted to jump at this opportunity! The guy that runs the Cafe apparently lives in Aus for 6 months of the year. To prove this to us he threw in the word "bloody" into every sentence. He also offered us "bloody G'nT's", and any alcohol we desired and told us that "if we didn't bloody like the bloody veggie burgers then we didn't have to bloody pay". I personally thought the veg burgers were disgusting - I don't even like burger. But everyone else seemed pleased!
It was a good day and night. Both Martin and I were so pleased and honoured to be invited to Jan and Mike's wedding in Bangkok. I am so excited for Graeme to meet these guys, they are so lovely it feels like we've been friends for forever!
Martin and I also managed to book a 6am bus to Bikaner. The plan was to do a Camel Safari in Bikaner...
On the first night in Bikaner, Martin and I managed to get in touch with some Swedish people who wanted to join on the camel safari. I was still not that excited about the prospect of a day and nite on a stinky camel but agreed on the basis that this would be an unusual experience.
The morning of the Camel Safari arrived and I had managed to psych myself up. I was so excited. But then the clouds blew over and the 2mm of rain that pours over the dessert a year came down in buckets. I opted out of the safari - I didn't have any waterproof clothing. The rest went. I was a little, okay very, disappointed but I made up for it.
The hotel owner felt sorry for me so took me on a bike ride to the cinema. It was pretty hair raising but a good adrenaline rush. I was pleased because Salaame Ishq was showing. A film I had wanted to see since arriving in India and hearing the popular song everywhere. As with all Bollywood films this one was 3 hours long. I planned to spend an hour and a half watching. At the cinema I kind of latched onto 3 helpful Indian girls who showed me inside and let me sit with them. And then the film started.
I was hooked. It's a soppy romcom, but so so lovely! I really got into the music and the dancing - so did the rest of the audience who were in full participation whistling and howling! I cried and laughed and cried some more. It was fab.
Spent that evening reading and having some me-time. I also found the best restaurant in India called Hotel Laxi Niwas. The "kitchen" is set up on the side of the road and is made of make-shift fires and massive silver pots that bubble and brew with numerous varieties of masala and veg. Adjacent to this is a massive clay pot that has a fire burning in it. This pot is used to cook chappatti on the side of the walls. And it is definitely the best chappati in India. Wow. I spent a lot of time just watching all the man make about 5 chappatti a minute. And when they come out they are warm and so fresh...hmmm.
The rest of the time in Bikaner was spent playing a card game called "shithead" with Martin and the Swedes. We had a good time. We also did a day trip to a one horse, or in the case of India one camel town called Kolayat. It was nothing to write home about so we used it as an opportunity to play more card games along the man made lake.
My train back to Delhi that night was cancelled by 12 hours which meant only getting to Delhi a day late. ARGH! I was rather annoyed but you just have to let this sort of thing slide in India.
When I finally got onto the train the trip was not that bad. I slept a lot and also spent some time with an interesting couple from the US/Czech Rep. The guy had had cancer and he was telling me how he helped overcome it through his diet and changing his approach to life. His story was a really positive one. They were really nice and fed me heaps of Milk Cakes along the way and kept me entertained.
Won't detail the last day in Delhi because it was full of admin that didn't really happen. I was meant to change plane tickets and do all sorts of stuff but landed up spending most of the day figuring out how to send home a 10KG parcel of OLD clothes (I ask myself why!?) and a sleeping bag...hmmm. Raj, Nick's "houseboy" was very kind and came with me in the end. He was so helpful and in his broken English helped me get through the parcel ordeal. I was very grateful to him.
Saying Goodbye.
I left India in true India style. I rushed to the airport at 5.30am in a taxi. I arrived with a sore back from the bumpy road. And my flight was delayed. By SIX hours.
Delhi airport is not what you would expect an international airport to be. It is dead. It has about 2 shops, both which sell the same rubbish and a Subway. I tried to blag the BA lounge with my Silver card, but they don't have a BA lounge! I was horrified!
I had met a lovely Dutch girl in the queue for passport control, so we headed straight for Subway. The sandwhich I ate upset my stomach. I should have known not to trust any branded "veg delite!"
I spent most of the time listening to the Dutch girl, Yanneka's sad love story. She had met a Kashmiri guy on her last day in India a year ago and had come back to India to spend 3 months with him. She was really upset as she had to go back to Holland - she is only 21. I just listened to her talk and tried to give her some advice (!? what do you say!?). This seemed to kill time.
I am going to miss India.
I love India. It is beautiful and has so much to offer.
I love that it is so unpredictable and bears no reference to anything I am familliar with.
I love the way things work out when you least expect them to. I love the way your plans always change.
I love the way the people have such big hearts and look out for you. And I will miss their sense of brotherhood with one another. How they look out for one another.
I have learnt to be grateful for everything I have.
I have learnt not to judge. People are a lot more that you expect them to be. It doesn't matter what they have, it's who they are that is important.
I have learnt that love is about giving and not receiving.
I have learnt to give in and trust and to let it work out.
Omprakesh
Walking back to hotel Swastika on that balmy night in Jaisalmer I turned around when I heard someone called out "Medem, good music lounge, come and see, and check internet."
I hadn't updated my blog and wanted to do so, so I turned around to a young man who had called to me.
Omprakesh is 23 years old, although his papers tell us that he is 20 years old. He has a lean, strong build and is tall. His open face is surrounded by a scraggly haircut. His eyes are wide, giving away his positive energy. He points me to a computer and a chair "Take this one, its the fastest one medem."
I sit down and start rattling away.
I suddenly find I am humming away to a familiar tune. One great song follows another. I turn around "where did you get all this good music from? I like it"
"Oh medem I download a lot, a lot of music. Come looking"
He shows me files of music on not one, but on two of his computers. And his list is impressive. He has a music collection that would make you turn green. It is tasteful and eclectic.
We get chatting. He asks me "your country, your job" and gets really excited when I say I live in London.
"Oh medem, this is my BIG DREAM." I want to go to London so I can go to all the concerts. I love music. It is my passion and I want to travel so badly medem. I also love travel. But I want to see the bands live. I hear from a lot of tourists how amazing it is that side. And all the festivals... I want to go there. I really want to get out of India"
I am not sure how to respond to this. A lot of young people you talk to in India want to get out and travel. The reality is they can't. It is too expensive and only India's elite have the means.
We continue chatting and he tells me how he ran away from home.
"My parents wanted me to arrange marriage. I am not wanting that. So I came here to Jaisalmer to work Camel Safari. But I am not making enough money and now my parents want me to go home to get married. But all I want is to go travel. I want to see live music. There is no live music in Jaisalmer"
Omprakesh spends his days working the Jazz Lounge Internet cafe which has 3 very S L O W computers. It is painful going online and most tourists walk out after the first 10 minutes. However a lot of them stay. Omprakesh has an incredible energy about him that draws you in. You want to sit and talk to him. And he is constantly entertaining with new music.When he is not at the cafe, he takes up to 18 people on an overnight Camel Safari into the Thar dessert -- a very popular trip to do. He has done loads of these and really enjoys the opportunity to talk to foreigners.
Eventually I ask, "So Omprakesh, what's your plan?"
"Actually I need to ask you a favour. I want to become a tour group leader but I need to fill out the form -- you help me?"
Suspiciously I ask more "What do you mean?"
"I want to become a tour leader for Intrepid travel. I know a man who does this and he gets 250Rps a day and he gets to travel. A lot of money medem. And for me, travel is my other passion. I want to travel and I can get money . I would be good medem, at this - I work a lot with tourists and I could share what I am knowing of India with the people. And they would be very happy"
I agree to help him fill out his form.
Omprakesh's English is not fluent. But he tries to communicate.
When we log onto www.intrepidtravel.com, he cannot find the form because he cannot read. I eventually managed to sift through the site under "jobs" for the application form.
I tell him that I will not write his answers for him. He will dictate and I will type it out. He agrees.
The form starts with a few basic questions on health status, location, passport, ages. It then asks "If you are selected can you afford to pay the 250AUS$ fee?" Omprakesh says no. For him, this means 17,000 Rupees. A sum of money which he does not have access to.
We cannot fill out the rest of the form. He is denied.
"Okay, okay, we start again. I must find that money. But 17,000Rps...that is a lot of money. But let's just fill it in"
I spent the rest of the night - about 4 hours- helping him fill out the form. Explaining the questions and then listening to his answers. His answers are not fluent but they are good.And I make sense of them when I type them out onto this form. He manages to demonstrate a good understanding of what is required of a tour operator. There are however some basic questions that he doesn't understand. It is heartbreaking trying to explain them to him. All I can think of is "This kid has talent, he deserves a chance. But who is going to give it to him?"
Filling out that form most exhausting and draining task I have had to undertake since I arrived in India. He was so excited once we had finished the form. He was very grateful and kept inviting me for dinner. I declined. I was emotionally drained.
I left Omprakesh that evening with a knot in my stomach and a lump in my throat. The advantages and disadvantages between the two of us were as clear as day. I felt guilty for everything that has been handed to me on a silver platter - my education at top schools and university, money when I needed it, the support and love of my parents and friends and plenty of opportunity to travel. I felt guilty for everything I have ever complained about. Here was a young guy so eager and excited about the prospect of a simple job. So keen to start his life and to make something of it. This is a job he could undertake but would probably never have the opportunity to do so because of the barriers of circumstance.
This kid has talent.
He deserves a chance.
But who is going to give it to him?
I hadn't updated my blog and wanted to do so, so I turned around to a young man who had called to me.
Omprakesh is 23 years old, although his papers tell us that he is 20 years old. He has a lean, strong build and is tall. His open face is surrounded by a scraggly haircut. His eyes are wide, giving away his positive energy. He points me to a computer and a chair "Take this one, its the fastest one medem."
I sit down and start rattling away.
I suddenly find I am humming away to a familiar tune. One great song follows another. I turn around "where did you get all this good music from? I like it"
"Oh medem I download a lot, a lot of music. Come looking"
He shows me files of music on not one, but on two of his computers. And his list is impressive. He has a music collection that would make you turn green. It is tasteful and eclectic.
We get chatting. He asks me "your country, your job" and gets really excited when I say I live in London.
"Oh medem, this is my BIG DREAM." I want to go to London so I can go to all the concerts. I love music. It is my passion and I want to travel so badly medem. I also love travel. But I want to see the bands live. I hear from a lot of tourists how amazing it is that side. And all the festivals... I want to go there. I really want to get out of India"
I am not sure how to respond to this. A lot of young people you talk to in India want to get out and travel. The reality is they can't. It is too expensive and only India's elite have the means.
We continue chatting and he tells me how he ran away from home.
"My parents wanted me to arrange marriage. I am not wanting that. So I came here to Jaisalmer to work Camel Safari. But I am not making enough money and now my parents want me to go home to get married. But all I want is to go travel. I want to see live music. There is no live music in Jaisalmer"
Omprakesh spends his days working the Jazz Lounge Internet cafe which has 3 very S L O W computers. It is painful going online and most tourists walk out after the first 10 minutes. However a lot of them stay. Omprakesh has an incredible energy about him that draws you in. You want to sit and talk to him. And he is constantly entertaining with new music.When he is not at the cafe, he takes up to 18 people on an overnight Camel Safari into the Thar dessert -- a very popular trip to do. He has done loads of these and really enjoys the opportunity to talk to foreigners.
Eventually I ask, "So Omprakesh, what's your plan?"
"Actually I need to ask you a favour. I want to become a tour group leader but I need to fill out the form -- you help me?"
Suspiciously I ask more "What do you mean?"
"I want to become a tour leader for Intrepid travel. I know a man who does this and he gets 250Rps a day and he gets to travel. A lot of money medem. And for me, travel is my other passion. I want to travel and I can get money . I would be good medem, at this - I work a lot with tourists and I could share what I am knowing of India with the people. And they would be very happy"
I agree to help him fill out his form.
Omprakesh's English is not fluent. But he tries to communicate.
When we log onto www.intrepidtravel.com, he cannot find the form because he cannot read. I eventually managed to sift through the site under "jobs" for the application form.
I tell him that I will not write his answers for him. He will dictate and I will type it out. He agrees.
The form starts with a few basic questions on health status, location, passport, ages. It then asks "If you are selected can you afford to pay the 250AUS$ fee?" Omprakesh says no. For him, this means 17,000 Rupees. A sum of money which he does not have access to.
We cannot fill out the rest of the form. He is denied.
"Okay, okay, we start again. I must find that money. But 17,000Rps...that is a lot of money. But let's just fill it in"
I spent the rest of the night - about 4 hours- helping him fill out the form. Explaining the questions and then listening to his answers. His answers are not fluent but they are good.And I make sense of them when I type them out onto this form. He manages to demonstrate a good understanding of what is required of a tour operator. There are however some basic questions that he doesn't understand. It is heartbreaking trying to explain them to him. All I can think of is "This kid has talent, he deserves a chance. But who is going to give it to him?"
Filling out that form most exhausting and draining task I have had to undertake since I arrived in India. He was so excited once we had finished the form. He was very grateful and kept inviting me for dinner. I declined. I was emotionally drained.
I left Omprakesh that evening with a knot in my stomach and a lump in my throat. The advantages and disadvantages between the two of us were as clear as day. I felt guilty for everything that has been handed to me on a silver platter - my education at top schools and university, money when I needed it, the support and love of my parents and friends and plenty of opportunity to travel. I felt guilty for everything I have ever complained about. Here was a young guy so eager and excited about the prospect of a simple job. So keen to start his life and to make something of it. This is a job he could undertake but would probably never have the opportunity to do so because of the barriers of circumstance.
This kid has talent.
He deserves a chance.
But who is going to give it to him?
Sunday, February 11, 2007
The Golden City
Another bus trip. But this one was particularly hellish. Again, it was meant to be 5 hours and yes, it took about 8 hours. And unfortunately I needed to pee so bad. We stopped once.
I was relieved until I was told that the toilet was a "natural one" - i.e find a bush and squat. It would have been alright if I had had some company or someone to be the look out. But I was alone on this ride and when I got to the "natural toilet" - an area designated for peeing - there were no more than two scraggly scrubs. Furthermore, the "natural toilet" was adjacent to a pad of, let's just call it shit, where pigs were merrily noshing. It was rather disgusting, and I was not really comfortable with flashing my white ass to the group of male onlookers. No siree.
So I held it in.
This would have been OK had the road not been a typical bumpy one, and had the bus timings been accurate. I passed out from the pain, and was occasionally awoken by mean odours coming from the villagers who had piled onto the bus. They pile on with about 10 bags each - I am not joking. A question that I will leave India with - "Why do most Indians seem to have so much baggage? What are they carrying?"
Anyway. I got there in the end and I was OK. I checked into the cleanest hotel in India - the Swastika, just outside the fort of Jaisalmer. It was so nice to have somewhere to unpack!
Jaisalmer is famous for it's medieval mud fortress and walled township. It is magnificent and it gives you the sense that you have stepped back in time. The fort is the main attraction of this town. Entering the gate is really an experience. The walls are large and overpowering. To get to the main entrance one zigzags through a series of corridors. This was to prevent large elephants gaining steam to break down any doors. And then you are inside. Wow. Parts of the fort give you the feeling that nothing has changed, that life continues just the way it would have all those thousands of years ago. There are cows walking around through the narrow passages - of course you are constantly avoiding their holy cow poop, there are people gathered on the lanes chatting, washing, cleaning children. In the center of the maze of corridors are some beautiful Jain temples. Intricately carved out of marble, these are a main place of worship within the fort walls. You can spend hours just wondering around getting lost in this magical place.
After my little bit of exploration of the fort I decided to take a walk through the new town. This too has a wonderful atmosphere to it. It bustles away as most Indian towns do with people cooking on the street, and selling their wares.
I was really pleased that I came to Jaisalmer. Another place I definitely want to go back to.
I was relieved until I was told that the toilet was a "natural one" - i.e find a bush and squat. It would have been alright if I had had some company or someone to be the look out. But I was alone on this ride and when I got to the "natural toilet" - an area designated for peeing - there were no more than two scraggly scrubs. Furthermore, the "natural toilet" was adjacent to a pad of, let's just call it shit, where pigs were merrily noshing. It was rather disgusting, and I was not really comfortable with flashing my white ass to the group of male onlookers. No siree.
So I held it in.
This would have been OK had the road not been a typical bumpy one, and had the bus timings been accurate. I passed out from the pain, and was occasionally awoken by mean odours coming from the villagers who had piled onto the bus. They pile on with about 10 bags each - I am not joking. A question that I will leave India with - "Why do most Indians seem to have so much baggage? What are they carrying?"
Anyway. I got there in the end and I was OK. I checked into the cleanest hotel in India - the Swastika, just outside the fort of Jaisalmer. It was so nice to have somewhere to unpack!
Jaisalmer is famous for it's medieval mud fortress and walled township. It is magnificent and it gives you the sense that you have stepped back in time. The fort is the main attraction of this town. Entering the gate is really an experience. The walls are large and overpowering. To get to the main entrance one zigzags through a series of corridors. This was to prevent large elephants gaining steam to break down any doors. And then you are inside. Wow. Parts of the fort give you the feeling that nothing has changed, that life continues just the way it would have all those thousands of years ago. There are cows walking around through the narrow passages - of course you are constantly avoiding their holy cow poop, there are people gathered on the lanes chatting, washing, cleaning children. In the center of the maze of corridors are some beautiful Jain temples. Intricately carved out of marble, these are a main place of worship within the fort walls. You can spend hours just wondering around getting lost in this magical place.
After my little bit of exploration of the fort I decided to take a walk through the new town. This too has a wonderful atmosphere to it. It bustles away as most Indian towns do with people cooking on the street, and selling their wares.
I was really pleased that I came to Jaisalmer. Another place I definitely want to go back to.
The Blue City
From the City of Lakes, Udaipur, I took a bus to the Jodphur, the Blue City.
It was really sad saying goodbye to Ross and Angie. They were heading South and I was heading North.
The bus ride from Udaipur to Jodphur was meant to take 5 hours but took about 7.5. The bus, even though it is sold to you as a direct bus, stops at every village along the way to pick up and drop off locals. The driver charges them a minimal amount and probably pockets this. It is very frustrating as locals are literally crammed into every nook and cranny available. They sit in aisles and 3 to a seat. And of course this makes the journey drag.
The scenery on this trip was magnificent. I had taken the afternoon bus which runs into sunset and then evening. And the sunset is beautiful. It drops slowly behind the dessert landscape. For most part the great Thar desert is speckled with shrubs but there are instances where you can see pure sand dunes. It is so beautiful.
Upon arrival in Jodphur I was greated with the usual touting, except this was particularly bad. The auto-rickshaws literally surround you so you cannot escape! Luckily I was with a couple from the Netherlands and the guy was really TALL! The three of us crossed the road and tried to get away, but the drivers just followed us. Eventually we had to give up and get into a rickshaw because the Dutch guy, Jelle was being held down by kids who were hanging on his leg asking for "10Rps or school pen", I didn't have long sleeves and the kids were jumping up onto me and pinching my arms! We managed to get a rickshaw. I stayed at the Blue House hotel in Moti Chowk which was rather nice. It had a good atmosphere and a view of the fort. I passed out that night after some food and planned to get around Jodphur in a day and out the next.
I woke up early the next morning and walked through to the Clock Tower, which is surrounded by a market. Jodphur is particularly well known for its textiles. Around the Clock Tower are textile stores as well as fruit and veg stalls which line the road. You spend a lot of time dodging the soggy cow pats around the market!
There is a great atmosphere here. In the distance you can see the Mehrangarh Fort. A large, impressive fort which towers over the city. This fort literally seems to rise from the desert.
Jodphur is referred to as the Blue City due to the indigo washed houses around the fort. It is belived that this colour is a deterance to insects.
The visit to the fort was really enjoyable. There was an excellent audio tour which I decided to take. The fort museum houses an exquisite collection of palanquins, howdahs, royal cradles, miniatures, musical instruments, costumes and furniture. The ramparts of the fort provide not only excellently preserved cannons but also a breath-taking view of the city. And it is here that you really get an understanding of why this city is called The Blue City.
I managed to get the shawls that I have been holding out for in Jodphur. Some lovely stripey cotton scarves for friends too!
Next stop, Jaisalmer
It was really sad saying goodbye to Ross and Angie. They were heading South and I was heading North.
The bus ride from Udaipur to Jodphur was meant to take 5 hours but took about 7.5. The bus, even though it is sold to you as a direct bus, stops at every village along the way to pick up and drop off locals. The driver charges them a minimal amount and probably pockets this. It is very frustrating as locals are literally crammed into every nook and cranny available. They sit in aisles and 3 to a seat. And of course this makes the journey drag.
The scenery on this trip was magnificent. I had taken the afternoon bus which runs into sunset and then evening. And the sunset is beautiful. It drops slowly behind the dessert landscape. For most part the great Thar desert is speckled with shrubs but there are instances where you can see pure sand dunes. It is so beautiful.
Upon arrival in Jodphur I was greated with the usual touting, except this was particularly bad. The auto-rickshaws literally surround you so you cannot escape! Luckily I was with a couple from the Netherlands and the guy was really TALL! The three of us crossed the road and tried to get away, but the drivers just followed us. Eventually we had to give up and get into a rickshaw because the Dutch guy, Jelle was being held down by kids who were hanging on his leg asking for "10Rps or school pen", I didn't have long sleeves and the kids were jumping up onto me and pinching my arms! We managed to get a rickshaw. I stayed at the Blue House hotel in Moti Chowk which was rather nice. It had a good atmosphere and a view of the fort. I passed out that night after some food and planned to get around Jodphur in a day and out the next.
I woke up early the next morning and walked through to the Clock Tower, which is surrounded by a market. Jodphur is particularly well known for its textiles. Around the Clock Tower are textile stores as well as fruit and veg stalls which line the road. You spend a lot of time dodging the soggy cow pats around the market!
There is a great atmosphere here. In the distance you can see the Mehrangarh Fort. A large, impressive fort which towers over the city. This fort literally seems to rise from the desert.
Jodphur is referred to as the Blue City due to the indigo washed houses around the fort. It is belived that this colour is a deterance to insects.
The visit to the fort was really enjoyable. There was an excellent audio tour which I decided to take. The fort museum houses an exquisite collection of palanquins, howdahs, royal cradles, miniatures, musical instruments, costumes and furniture. The ramparts of the fort provide not only excellently preserved cannons but also a breath-taking view of the city. And it is here that you really get an understanding of why this city is called The Blue City.
I managed to get the shawls that I have been holding out for in Jodphur. Some lovely stripey cotton scarves for friends too!
Next stop, Jaisalmer
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
The City of Lakes
Udaipur is magnificent , and probably one of the best cities I have visited in India. It has a magical feeling about it created by the surrounding mountains and lakes. It is often referred to as the Venice of the East, and it is easy to see why.
I was eager to get up and explore on my first morning of feeling close to 100%. I met with Ross and Angy for breakfast and then we decided to take a walk around Swaroop Sagar a lake in Udaipur that has two islands on it.
Feeling energetic we set off and started our walk. Halfway through we decided to turn back and try to find the Shilpa culture farm. About 6kms later, after walking in the baking sun we found it, and decided to have lunch and walk back! The scenery is so beautiful. You can actually take mountain hikes which I would have loved to do had I had more energy! It was a great walk and we got into some deep conversations about family, work, life.
We were staying in main tourist hub where most of the little haveli hotels are placed. This area has a wonderful, lively atmosphere about it. It is quite hilly and for some reason reminded me of San Franscisco!
It was great to hang out again with Ross and Ange. They are a great couple and we all got on so well. Ross made me laugh hysterically for most of the day, and Angy is just lovely. I did my own thing that night, but we met for dinner later in the evening. An Israeli couple joined us, and it was interesting to listen to their take on the war, and their experiences in the compulsory army service. They view the Israeli army as the "people's army". Because Israel has such a small population its citizens have to serve at least 2-3 years. During their service they get paid about $200. On completion a lot of these young people either head off to India for a year or go directly to University.
Ross, Angy and I had breakfast the next morning where we met with an English guy - who has a strong American accent - called Martin. It was good to meet up with him as they were leaving that evening. Martin has just finished studying and is on a 6 month break before he starts as a graduate placement at a big London accounting firm. It's refreshing to be around someone who has yet to experience the real working world. He is ambitious and excited!
Martin and I hung out that day. I also had some alone time and got caught up in having a beautiful dress made for me! I wandered off from the main tourist drag into the town and came across the textile street. Thousands of little shops selling the most exquisite mixture of colourful saris and fabrics. Here you can buy absolutely anything. I really enjoyed walking through this street just feeling the fabrics and observing the salesmen selling their finest cloths. I found an old style sari - yes, there is a fashion involved in Indian Sari's. The print is really beautiful so I decided to take the material up to a tailor who made it into a dress for me. Not sure how long the dress will last for as the fabric is a thin silk, but it is beautiful!
On my way back to the tailor, I was passing numerous stalls when one of the guys called me inside. I usually ignore any salesman who says, "medem inside- looking is free!", but this guy seemed pretty calm. I scanned lazily over his jewels and then as I was turning around to leave I looked into his eyes.
"You have incredible eyes," I said.
And they were. A piercing green with a dark hazel rim around the pupil.
He looked at me and pulled me to sit down. For some reason I was calm.
He looked into my eyes, and then closed his. Looked into my eyes, closed his.
"You have a good aura about you but something is not right. It is not right here" - and he pushed his finger right into my stomach!
"YES! I have been ill for the past couple of days right there"
He repeated. Looked into my eyes, closed his.
"You are feeling pressure. Why are you so worried all the time? All the time worrying? What are you worried about?"
This was a little too personal. He had managed to push a button, and I just started crying. He let my tears roll down my face and said to me "You need to be calm. You need to take time and relax. Not worrying about nothing you hear. Relaxing is good for mind."
"Thank you" I felt a little embarrassed at my outburst.
I left feeling a bit weird. But a good wired. He was a nice man, obviously very intuitive. I walked away promising to make "relax time".
That evening Martin and I met up for a traditional Rajesthan dance and music show one evening which was incredible. I love the music! A drummer beats rhythmically on a long drum whilst a man who plays a weird instrument called a Suarngi and sings - almost like wailing, but it is beautiful. Women in bright saris twirl around and move their hands graciously. Each hand movement means something. In one of the dances, two women are adorned with brass bells. They sit on the floor and using strings with iron balls attached at they end, they work through each of the bells attached to their body, not missing a single one. It is fascinating. The grand finale begins and a women dances with 9 matkas carefully balanced on her head. These are large water pots. Water is a scarce resource in Rajhestan so the dance is dedicated to saving water. It is incredible.
After the show Martin and I met up with Mike and Jan - a couple from California. They are getting married in Thailand in March - she is Thai - they have invited me to their wedding which I will definitely attend!
I am really enjoying meeting so many interesting people from all over. Everyone has a different story to tell and comes from a different place. We all share one thing though - a passion for exploring and adventure, and the urge to learn more about this fascinating country, India.
On my last day in Udaipur I visited the City Palace. This was awesome! The palace is really grand and a part of it is still occupied by the current maharaja. You walk through narrow corridors and each leads to either a magnificent, ornate room decorated in glass enamel, coloured paintings. The corridors also lead onto serene court yards. I loved this experience. The most exciting are the views of the lake from the palace. These are framed by the Islamic style stone window frames. It is too beautiful. Apparently Liz Hurley will wed in Udaipur at the Palace this year in March!
I was sad to leave Udaipur. It is really a special part of India, and I hope to be back one day!
Next stop - Jodphur
I was eager to get up and explore on my first morning of feeling close to 100%. I met with Ross and Angy for breakfast and then we decided to take a walk around Swaroop Sagar a lake in Udaipur that has two islands on it.
Feeling energetic we set off and started our walk. Halfway through we decided to turn back and try to find the Shilpa culture farm. About 6kms later, after walking in the baking sun we found it, and decided to have lunch and walk back! The scenery is so beautiful. You can actually take mountain hikes which I would have loved to do had I had more energy! It was a great walk and we got into some deep conversations about family, work, life.
We were staying in main tourist hub where most of the little haveli hotels are placed. This area has a wonderful, lively atmosphere about it. It is quite hilly and for some reason reminded me of San Franscisco!
It was great to hang out again with Ross and Ange. They are a great couple and we all got on so well. Ross made me laugh hysterically for most of the day, and Angy is just lovely. I did my own thing that night, but we met for dinner later in the evening. An Israeli couple joined us, and it was interesting to listen to their take on the war, and their experiences in the compulsory army service. They view the Israeli army as the "people's army". Because Israel has such a small population its citizens have to serve at least 2-3 years. During their service they get paid about $200. On completion a lot of these young people either head off to India for a year or go directly to University.
Ross, Angy and I had breakfast the next morning where we met with an English guy - who has a strong American accent - called Martin. It was good to meet up with him as they were leaving that evening. Martin has just finished studying and is on a 6 month break before he starts as a graduate placement at a big London accounting firm. It's refreshing to be around someone who has yet to experience the real working world. He is ambitious and excited!
Martin and I hung out that day. I also had some alone time and got caught up in having a beautiful dress made for me! I wandered off from the main tourist drag into the town and came across the textile street. Thousands of little shops selling the most exquisite mixture of colourful saris and fabrics. Here you can buy absolutely anything. I really enjoyed walking through this street just feeling the fabrics and observing the salesmen selling their finest cloths. I found an old style sari - yes, there is a fashion involved in Indian Sari's. The print is really beautiful so I decided to take the material up to a tailor who made it into a dress for me. Not sure how long the dress will last for as the fabric is a thin silk, but it is beautiful!
On my way back to the tailor, I was passing numerous stalls when one of the guys called me inside. I usually ignore any salesman who says, "medem inside- looking is free!", but this guy seemed pretty calm. I scanned lazily over his jewels and then as I was turning around to leave I looked into his eyes.
"You have incredible eyes," I said.
And they were. A piercing green with a dark hazel rim around the pupil.
He looked at me and pulled me to sit down. For some reason I was calm.
He looked into my eyes, and then closed his. Looked into my eyes, closed his.
"You have a good aura about you but something is not right. It is not right here" - and he pushed his finger right into my stomach!
"YES! I have been ill for the past couple of days right there"
He repeated. Looked into my eyes, closed his.
"You are feeling pressure. Why are you so worried all the time? All the time worrying? What are you worried about?"
This was a little too personal. He had managed to push a button, and I just started crying. He let my tears roll down my face and said to me "You need to be calm. You need to take time and relax. Not worrying about nothing you hear. Relaxing is good for mind."
"Thank you" I felt a little embarrassed at my outburst.
I left feeling a bit weird. But a good wired. He was a nice man, obviously very intuitive. I walked away promising to make "relax time".
That evening Martin and I met up for a traditional Rajesthan dance and music show one evening which was incredible. I love the music! A drummer beats rhythmically on a long drum whilst a man who plays a weird instrument called a Suarngi and sings - almost like wailing, but it is beautiful. Women in bright saris twirl around and move their hands graciously. Each hand movement means something. In one of the dances, two women are adorned with brass bells. They sit on the floor and using strings with iron balls attached at they end, they work through each of the bells attached to their body, not missing a single one. It is fascinating. The grand finale begins and a women dances with 9 matkas carefully balanced on her head. These are large water pots. Water is a scarce resource in Rajhestan so the dance is dedicated to saving water. It is incredible.
After the show Martin and I met up with Mike and Jan - a couple from California. They are getting married in Thailand in March - she is Thai - they have invited me to their wedding which I will definitely attend!
I am really enjoying meeting so many interesting people from all over. Everyone has a different story to tell and comes from a different place. We all share one thing though - a passion for exploring and adventure, and the urge to learn more about this fascinating country, India.
On my last day in Udaipur I visited the City Palace. This was awesome! The palace is really grand and a part of it is still occupied by the current maharaja. You walk through narrow corridors and each leads to either a magnificent, ornate room decorated in glass enamel, coloured paintings. The corridors also lead onto serene court yards. I loved this experience. The most exciting are the views of the lake from the palace. These are framed by the Islamic style stone window frames. It is too beautiful. Apparently Liz Hurley will wed in Udaipur at the Palace this year in March!
I was sad to leave Udaipur. It is really a special part of India, and I hope to be back one day!
Next stop - Jodphur
The road to recovery
My first day in Udaipur was spent running between the bed and the loo; and desperately trying to get my temperature down. My entire body was on fire. I was worried I had malaria!
By the afternoon I was exhausted and weak. I eventually broke down and took the anti-biotics that Carmen and Patrick had passed onto me when I started getting a fever in Pushkar. And they worked. Fast.
By evening time, I was bored of being caged within the 4 walls of my room so I popped a couple of Immodium and decided to join Angy and Ross. Sunil - the Indian Scotsman had offered to take us to the cinema for a Bollywood experience.
It was good to get out of that room and walk around a bit. And all the pills I had taken seemed to be working so I wasn't that worried anymore.
We walked through a windy road which lead onto a main road. This was lined with little stalls selling general supplies. Some stalls were preparing evening snacks. Here men stand over huge pans of boiling oil. Into his oil they either pipe in a mixture of soft dough, which on contact with the hot oil, forms what I can only compare to a South African Koeksister. These are then dipped into honey. In other hot oil pans, men throw in balls of mixed veg and chilli which have been dipped into batter. These form a crips snack called a Pakora. You can usually buy a couple of handfuls of these wrapped in newspaper for about 20Rps (10 pence). They are delicious. Although this time, I was staying far away from any food.
We got to the cinema which was a rickety old building along the main road. You could tell it was a cinema by the distinctive Bollywood posters that had been pasted and layered onto the walls. The posters are quite dramatic in nature. They usually depict the lead character with either a pained expression on his/her face or a couple in love, looking at eachother with flirting eyes. It depends on the nature of the movie. They are brightly coloured and bold. Unfortunately the love story we had planned to see was not showing for another couple of hours. I couldn't actually wait as I was too exhausted and needed to sit.
So we walked to another cinema - even more dilapidated than the last.
Sunil managed to buy 4 tickets, at Indian price in the "first class gallery" at 34Rps (40p) each to see an action movie called "Risk".
Going to the cinema in India is a big deal that only men have the pleasure of experiencing. It is very rare except in the cosmopolitan cities of Delhi and Mumbai that women visit the cinema. Angie and I were gawked at whilst we stood in the line to get in. Men were coming up to Ross and Sunil, asking how we were related to them - "Is this your wife/girlfriend?" They looked horrified to find out that I was just a friend and neither a wife nor girlfriend to either one of the guys.
We walked into cinema hall. This was large and very old. None of the plush seating we are used to in the Western World. In fact, the hall reminded me of a school hall, with hard school seats. And of course it was pretty filthy.
The film comes on and the boys and men start whistling. In the background you can hear the crackle of the film reel. It's great.
The film was all in Hindi. But easy to understand. Like most action packed films it had a Hero, the Baddies and of course a beautiful woman who is in love with the Hero, but cannot have him until he has completed his mission to defeat the baddies. One violent scene runs into the next and the audience participates and gets revved up whistling and clapping.
Next minute, the Hero's lady comes onto screen and breaks into a full on dance and song scene a la Bollywood. It's quite a contrast! In the scene - which is similar to a music video, there are a few white women - extras - who are practically naked (for Indian standards - read: bikini) shaking their booty. The men are now wild and they cheer!
In Mumbai - the Bollywood capital - tourists are often recruited to take part as extras in films. They are not paid but are given the opportunity and experience for their 15 minutes of fame. Unfortunately I wasn't approached in Bollywood!
The film continues - more action, shooting, blood and violence. A guy next to us start talking to Ross. He want's to know more about America - where Ross comes from. He is having a fat chat, and is oblivious to the audience around him. I know now that this is typical in India - to interrupt those around you is not really seen as rude. Another guy lights a cigarette inspite of the neon "No Smoking" sign up ahead. And someone's phone rings and they answer it and have a conversation in Hindi. All, apparently, normal cinema etiquette!
Intermission comes up. We leave. I am getting tired and suddenly feel famished. I need food. I have not eaten for 30 hours!
We head to a restaurant which lines the beautiful lake. I order rice pulao - not too spicy, and it goes down well. I feel a lot better, my stomach is still messed up, but my fever has gone and I feel more alive.
I look forward to exploring Udaipur tomorrow, which seems to have a calm atmosphere.
By the afternoon I was exhausted and weak. I eventually broke down and took the anti-biotics that Carmen and Patrick had passed onto me when I started getting a fever in Pushkar. And they worked. Fast.
By evening time, I was bored of being caged within the 4 walls of my room so I popped a couple of Immodium and decided to join Angy and Ross. Sunil - the Indian Scotsman had offered to take us to the cinema for a Bollywood experience.
It was good to get out of that room and walk around a bit. And all the pills I had taken seemed to be working so I wasn't that worried anymore.
We walked through a windy road which lead onto a main road. This was lined with little stalls selling general supplies. Some stalls were preparing evening snacks. Here men stand over huge pans of boiling oil. Into his oil they either pipe in a mixture of soft dough, which on contact with the hot oil, forms what I can only compare to a South African Koeksister. These are then dipped into honey. In other hot oil pans, men throw in balls of mixed veg and chilli which have been dipped into batter. These form a crips snack called a Pakora. You can usually buy a couple of handfuls of these wrapped in newspaper for about 20Rps (10 pence). They are delicious. Although this time, I was staying far away from any food.
We got to the cinema which was a rickety old building along the main road. You could tell it was a cinema by the distinctive Bollywood posters that had been pasted and layered onto the walls. The posters are quite dramatic in nature. They usually depict the lead character with either a pained expression on his/her face or a couple in love, looking at eachother with flirting eyes. It depends on the nature of the movie. They are brightly coloured and bold. Unfortunately the love story we had planned to see was not showing for another couple of hours. I couldn't actually wait as I was too exhausted and needed to sit.
So we walked to another cinema - even more dilapidated than the last.
Sunil managed to buy 4 tickets, at Indian price in the "first class gallery" at 34Rps (40p) each to see an action movie called "Risk".
Going to the cinema in India is a big deal that only men have the pleasure of experiencing. It is very rare except in the cosmopolitan cities of Delhi and Mumbai that women visit the cinema. Angie and I were gawked at whilst we stood in the line to get in. Men were coming up to Ross and Sunil, asking how we were related to them - "Is this your wife/girlfriend?" They looked horrified to find out that I was just a friend and neither a wife nor girlfriend to either one of the guys.
We walked into cinema hall. This was large and very old. None of the plush seating we are used to in the Western World. In fact, the hall reminded me of a school hall, with hard school seats. And of course it was pretty filthy.
The film comes on and the boys and men start whistling. In the background you can hear the crackle of the film reel. It's great.
The film was all in Hindi. But easy to understand. Like most action packed films it had a Hero, the Baddies and of course a beautiful woman who is in love with the Hero, but cannot have him until he has completed his mission to defeat the baddies. One violent scene runs into the next and the audience participates and gets revved up whistling and clapping.
Next minute, the Hero's lady comes onto screen and breaks into a full on dance and song scene a la Bollywood. It's quite a contrast! In the scene - which is similar to a music video, there are a few white women - extras - who are practically naked (for Indian standards - read: bikini) shaking their booty. The men are now wild and they cheer!
In Mumbai - the Bollywood capital - tourists are often recruited to take part as extras in films. They are not paid but are given the opportunity and experience for their 15 minutes of fame. Unfortunately I wasn't approached in Bollywood!
The film continues - more action, shooting, blood and violence. A guy next to us start talking to Ross. He want's to know more about America - where Ross comes from. He is having a fat chat, and is oblivious to the audience around him. I know now that this is typical in India - to interrupt those around you is not really seen as rude. Another guy lights a cigarette inspite of the neon "No Smoking" sign up ahead. And someone's phone rings and they answer it and have a conversation in Hindi. All, apparently, normal cinema etiquette!
Intermission comes up. We leave. I am getting tired and suddenly feel famished. I need food. I have not eaten for 30 hours!
We head to a restaurant which lines the beautiful lake. I order rice pulao - not too spicy, and it goes down well. I feel a lot better, my stomach is still messed up, but my fever has gone and I feel more alive.
I look forward to exploring Udaipur tomorrow, which seems to have a calm atmosphere.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Into the dust
A few simple,but important intangible factors gave the bus trip from Jaipur to Pushkar the potential to be a good one (in India, that is). The cleansing, hot, pouring, fresh shower that Keith and Dion - the aussie couple - let me have in their hotel room (as mine had no hot water), and bumping into Carmen and Patrick who kindly escorted me to the bus stand (what a treat). I was also in the front row -- i.e nowhere near the wheels, which means a smoother journey sans backache. Ross and Angie - the lovely American couple - were on the same trip, and I also met a very friendly Aussie gal called Glenda who would spend the next couple of days as my travel mate.
Things were really looking up!
The drive from Jaipur to Pushkar has a similar landscape to that of the Karoo in South Africa. Dry, mountainous and speckled with shrubs and small trees. This comes to life as you pass women in luminous yellow, pink and green saris carrying matkas, clay water vessels or bunches of wood on their heads. Men and women work in the field and camels are guided slowly along the dusty road.
The bus screams up a mountain, swerving as oncoming traffic approaches and then it descends, chugging into Pushkar, a holy town built around the Pushkar Lake. It is in this lake or ghats where people from all over India make a pilgrimage to cleanse themselves in the holy water.
A labyrinth of winding narrow roads lead out from the lake. These are lined with a mixture of beautiful, blue washed old haveli style houses. Some have been painted so at times you feel like you are walking through an outdoor art gallery. The town also has the only Hindi temple dedicated to the Lord Brahma and is famous for it's annual Camel Fair which attracts thousands of visitors from abroad and all over India.
Having arrived from 3 big cities in a row Pushkar's holiness is even apparent to an exhausted traveler. It is a blessing. There are few touts (you are hassled when you step out of the bus for hotels) and you are not hassled by the auto-rickshaw maniacs that are characteristic of any large Indian city. There are no auto-rickshaws in Pushkar!
It seems that over the years travelers have cottoned onto the blessing that is Pushkar. The main bazaar is full of tourists. Half are and just chilling out, watching the days pass by drinking Bhang Lassie (Bhang is dried up marijuana). The other half are shop-shop-shopping in the many small shops that cater to Western-Hippie taste. This is definitely a place to unwind.
I checked into one hotel, and checked out and paid the full fee a few hours later. I had found a wonderful guest house - the room was big, clean, cute and had warm water. It was also cheap. 150Rps per night (2GBP).
The guest house was run by an old couple who had watched Pushkar grow from a dusty one-street road into a small boom-town. They took pleasure in showing me old photographs of their building - the now converted hotel, and the once tiny town. They were so welcoming and warm. I spent an afternoon sitting on their balcony sipping sweet, milky Indian chai and listening to them tell me about their lives. The husband owns a school in Ajmer - not so far from Pushkar. He said he would love me to come live there for 6 months to teach - all expenses paid! A very tempting offer which I might have considered had I not had a job to go back to!
I spent most of my time in Pushkar with friends - Glenda the first couple of days - she mainly wanted to shop, so I let her do that alone. But we did a hike up to the Swavati temple (one of Brahma's wives) one morning to watch the sunrise. In fact the guy who offered to take up -- Ashok -- is famous in Pushkar. He has won the camel fair decorating competition 4 years in row. He showed us the pictures and those camels are adorned in the most magnificent fabrics, jewels -- art-work. It's fascinating.
We also spent an evening at the Sai Baba restaurant where they had a buffet and traditional Rhajestani singers and dancers. The music was beautiful and quite moving. The dancing was so interesting. The women are graceful and move so rhythmically.
I met a pair of sisters who were traveling - Suria and Alexandra - they were great. Suria - originally Deppy - has lived in India for 10 years to be close to her Guru. It was interesting to hear her speak of the life change and reasons she came to live here. Alexandra is an artist who spends half the year in Africa observing wild life and the other half year painting wild life and teaching gym in Byron Bay, Australia.
The time I spent alone, I wandered around the town just observing life. I had an interesting experience where I was sitting down for a juice, next to an Indian man. He was deaf and dumb but somehow we managed a little conversation through hand movement and expressions. The gist of the conversation was around how crazy people (tourists) in the town are, drinking bhang lassies and causing distribution to an otherwise sleepy town! It was great! I walked away smiling.
I eventually met up with Ross and Angie on the day that Carmen and Pat were arriving -- we had lost eachother in the initial hotel-haggling-chaos. The five of us spent the next couple of days and nights hanging out - mainly at Seventh Heaven - a very chi-chi, boutique hotel in Pushkar. I wish they had had a room!!! The food is good, so we met up for breakfast and dinner a few times and just chatted about our lives, traveling, living abroad, and just general stuff. It is so refreshing to have long dinners and conversations with people with no alcohol. Pushkar is so holy you cannot get alcohol, meat, eggs in the town. Everything bar salt and sugar is grown locally. It is great. Actually, I realised the other day it's been a month since I had any alcohol or meat. I feel awesome!!!
Pushkar was so wonderful, but unfortunately on the last night in Pushkar I started feeling feverish. My body was on fire and my stomach was churning. I was really worried, but luckily I had Pat and Carmen around who gave me loads of drugs preparing me for the 8 hour bus trip the next day to Udaipur.
The bus trip was OK. I had dosed up on Immodium but still had a fever. Pat and Carmen had handed me into the good care of Angie and Ross, so at least I was not alone. I was passed out most of the way to Udaipur and was really out of it when we arrived. I was not at all prepared for the hordes of people lining the tiny roads in Udaipur. We had arrived slap bang in the middle of a Muslim fest. The streets were wild! We managed to bump into a friend of Angie and Ross's - Sunil - an Indian Scotsman travelling India. He took us to a hotel for refuge until the streets calmed down. By this point I was exhausted and the fever had kicked in. My stomach was rumbling and I was just finished. We had some dinner whilst we waited for the calm. I had one chappati and felt a little better. Eventually we could get to our hotel...the Royal Palace Hotel. I passed out that night feeling like hell.
Things were really looking up!
The drive from Jaipur to Pushkar has a similar landscape to that of the Karoo in South Africa. Dry, mountainous and speckled with shrubs and small trees. This comes to life as you pass women in luminous yellow, pink and green saris carrying matkas, clay water vessels or bunches of wood on their heads. Men and women work in the field and camels are guided slowly along the dusty road.
The bus screams up a mountain, swerving as oncoming traffic approaches and then it descends, chugging into Pushkar, a holy town built around the Pushkar Lake. It is in this lake or ghats where people from all over India make a pilgrimage to cleanse themselves in the holy water.
A labyrinth of winding narrow roads lead out from the lake. These are lined with a mixture of beautiful, blue washed old haveli style houses. Some have been painted so at times you feel like you are walking through an outdoor art gallery. The town also has the only Hindi temple dedicated to the Lord Brahma and is famous for it's annual Camel Fair which attracts thousands of visitors from abroad and all over India.
Having arrived from 3 big cities in a row Pushkar's holiness is even apparent to an exhausted traveler. It is a blessing. There are few touts (you are hassled when you step out of the bus for hotels) and you are not hassled by the auto-rickshaw maniacs that are characteristic of any large Indian city. There are no auto-rickshaws in Pushkar!
It seems that over the years travelers have cottoned onto the blessing that is Pushkar. The main bazaar is full of tourists. Half are and just chilling out, watching the days pass by drinking Bhang Lassie (Bhang is dried up marijuana). The other half are shop-shop-shopping in the many small shops that cater to Western-Hippie taste. This is definitely a place to unwind.
I checked into one hotel, and checked out and paid the full fee a few hours later. I had found a wonderful guest house - the room was big, clean, cute and had warm water. It was also cheap. 150Rps per night (2GBP).
The guest house was run by an old couple who had watched Pushkar grow from a dusty one-street road into a small boom-town. They took pleasure in showing me old photographs of their building - the now converted hotel, and the once tiny town. They were so welcoming and warm. I spent an afternoon sitting on their balcony sipping sweet, milky Indian chai and listening to them tell me about their lives. The husband owns a school in Ajmer - not so far from Pushkar. He said he would love me to come live there for 6 months to teach - all expenses paid! A very tempting offer which I might have considered had I not had a job to go back to!
I spent most of my time in Pushkar with friends - Glenda the first couple of days - she mainly wanted to shop, so I let her do that alone. But we did a hike up to the Swavati temple (one of Brahma's wives) one morning to watch the sunrise. In fact the guy who offered to take up -- Ashok -- is famous in Pushkar. He has won the camel fair decorating competition 4 years in row. He showed us the pictures and those camels are adorned in the most magnificent fabrics, jewels -- art-work. It's fascinating.
We also spent an evening at the Sai Baba restaurant where they had a buffet and traditional Rhajestani singers and dancers. The music was beautiful and quite moving. The dancing was so interesting. The women are graceful and move so rhythmically.
I met a pair of sisters who were traveling - Suria and Alexandra - they were great. Suria - originally Deppy - has lived in India for 10 years to be close to her Guru. It was interesting to hear her speak of the life change and reasons she came to live here. Alexandra is an artist who spends half the year in Africa observing wild life and the other half year painting wild life and teaching gym in Byron Bay, Australia.
The time I spent alone, I wandered around the town just observing life. I had an interesting experience where I was sitting down for a juice, next to an Indian man. He was deaf and dumb but somehow we managed a little conversation through hand movement and expressions. The gist of the conversation was around how crazy people (tourists) in the town are, drinking bhang lassies and causing distribution to an otherwise sleepy town! It was great! I walked away smiling.
I eventually met up with Ross and Angie on the day that Carmen and Pat were arriving -- we had lost eachother in the initial hotel-haggling-chaos. The five of us spent the next couple of days and nights hanging out - mainly at Seventh Heaven - a very chi-chi, boutique hotel in Pushkar. I wish they had had a room!!! The food is good, so we met up for breakfast and dinner a few times and just chatted about our lives, traveling, living abroad, and just general stuff. It is so refreshing to have long dinners and conversations with people with no alcohol. Pushkar is so holy you cannot get alcohol, meat, eggs in the town. Everything bar salt and sugar is grown locally. It is great. Actually, I realised the other day it's been a month since I had any alcohol or meat. I feel awesome!!!
Pushkar was so wonderful, but unfortunately on the last night in Pushkar I started feeling feverish. My body was on fire and my stomach was churning. I was really worried, but luckily I had Pat and Carmen around who gave me loads of drugs preparing me for the 8 hour bus trip the next day to Udaipur.
The bus trip was OK. I had dosed up on Immodium but still had a fever. Pat and Carmen had handed me into the good care of Angie and Ross, so at least I was not alone. I was passed out most of the way to Udaipur and was really out of it when we arrived. I was not at all prepared for the hordes of people lining the tiny roads in Udaipur. We had arrived slap bang in the middle of a Muslim fest. The streets were wild! We managed to bump into a friend of Angie and Ross's - Sunil - an Indian Scotsman travelling India. He took us to a hotel for refuge until the streets calmed down. By this point I was exhausted and the fever had kicked in. My stomach was rumbling and I was just finished. We had some dinner whilst we waited for the calm. I had one chappati and felt a little better. Eventually we could get to our hotel...the Royal Palace Hotel. I passed out that night feeling like hell.
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