The end of the road in India

Okay back on this again if anybody is still reading - been a bit bad not keeping this up to date but it was quite difficult as I ain't one who travels with a net book - usually I ended up in caf's full of kids playing fighting games, noisy and I couldn't get my head round writing or I was trying to suss out the next part of my trip. That was quite fun as I never planned too far in advance and sometimes I met people who told me about a place and I thought - Why not!! - I deffo ain't Miss Lonely Planet with colour co-ordinated tags in my book - go with the flow and see what happens. Bit of a ramble I know but I am going to try and finish this from my notes may take some time but we'll see how it goes....

Photos from the next part of the trip - I did have some video but unfortunately it didn't make it home - cracked disc the only bit I lost totally.

Puri http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=182996&id=771224918&l=b2a38bd1be

Kolkata http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.354514994918.187400.771224918&type=3&l=1152a6e2de

I liked Chennai but then again the whole of the south of India I found really easy as apart from Madurai it was really hassle free but maybe I was just so used to it, it was like home.

Rickshaw down to the station and easily found the train to Puri - slightly put off at first by the bloke opposite me in the carriage who just stared at me as I sorted through my gear, mmh 20 hours of buggerlugs staring at me is really going to be great, I thought. The thing about Indian trains no matter how many carriages - all foreigners seem to be put together so as well as buggerlugs or Sleeping Beauty as I later dubbed him I ended up sharing the carriage with Colin and Sez from Wales and David a paraglider from Italy who was afraid of heights. Colin and Sez had been at Kutle the same time as me and they remembered the guy I called Jimmy Savile who used to float up the beach in his white thong - Sez's words "quite distressing when he bent over!" - luckily I only got the long distance shot.

They were both going to Puri like me - though I had to go up to Bhuneswar and buy my ticket - half four in the morning and the ticket office was banging when I eventually found it - 34r lighter jumped back on the train and met back up with Sez and Colin in Khurda Road - though why I didn't get off a Khurda Road and buy my tik there not sure poss thought office would not be open. Arriving in Puri at seven in the morning it was quite funny as all the rickshaw wallahs ignored me and Sez and concentrated their efforts on Colin who was non too happy with their over enthusiasm - bliss for me though!

We did end up going on a bit of a magical mystery tour round the hotels and as you've probably gathered me and looking at hotels don't really mix specially in the early hours of the morning. I ended up at the Trisarti in a 200r room with a bit of an ant problem (no hassles), Colin and Sez as they weren't travelling as long as me went for the nicer option but as I've always said it's just a bed to me - fairly clean, cheap and no vermin is usually the benchmark.

Puri isn't really on the backpacker trail, it's a place for Indian tourists especially for religious reasons because of the Jagannath temple - link back there for anyone interested. Sez wasn't feeling too good so I ended up going to the temple with Colin and a better guide I couldn't have. Jagannath is quite big in Tepee Valley in Wales - so to him it was like coming home (he was a bit annoyed he couldn't go in as we were non Hindus) so eventually after a lot of asking we found the library roof to look over on what was going down. So peaceful sat up there watching the world go by until a French tourist came up with her guidebook mumbling "aah another temple" and then we were invaded by a bunch of Russian Hare Krishnas who starting playing instruments, chanting and dancing around. Each to their own my view so we made our excuses and left as they used to say in the News of World - a bit of a giggle and the word "madness" may have passed our lips - ;).

Another reason for going to Puri is the beach - bit rough and ready but it's the Indian Ocean - though it was a bit of a wake up call. I'd never really given a thought to aggressive dogs - walking down Puri beach one day towards the fishing village, I seriously didn't have a problem with the blokes squatting down to have a poo as the tide came in - needs must I thought but I've got to confess I didn't know which way to look, but then the "hound of hell" starting snarling at me (the problems with the poo boys drifted away). I quickly realised that this dog thought I was strange and I was going into his territory - not going to argue with that but it wouldn't let up - circling me, snarling and trying to bite me - so I put my bear theory into practice (thanks to Bill Bryson) no eye contact just walk backwards and desperately looking for stick - though I wasn't too sure Indian dogs ran for sticks - at the end of the day I didn't blame the dog once I was out of his territory he trotted off.

What I couldn't believe was that were the westerners actually sunbathing on the beach - it was like a rubbish tip in places. My feet and legs by this point were seriously bitten and had open wounds - I never really noticed till someone pointed out to me - though I did realise crossing the muddy river was not necessary a good idea. Bit gutted I didn't take the plunge as I never got to see the fading grandeur of Puri seafront.  Bit of video from  a wedding party on the last night -

I'd finally managed to sort out me ticket to Kolkata and all too soon it was time to head north - it was nice meeting Colin and Sez as they were both on my wavelength and they were looking to head back down south. Got a bit annoyed with the guys at the hotel as they didn't stick to the agreement about the room rate, didn't get into protracted arguments about it but I so wished people were more bit more honest with me at times.

One of sights of India I knew I wouldn't miss greeted me at Puri station - whole row of guys peeing out of the train opposite, the lad next to me then started hoovering out the contents of his nose and then wiped it on his jeans - Lovely! Should have worn more socks, as feet were so cold though thankfully they had calmed down with the itching and we finally chugged into Kolkata a couple of hours late.

You could tell we had arrived at Howrah station as it lies in the shadow of the huge cantilever bridge over the Hooghly - a very impressive site peeping over the roof of the station. No hassles with the prepaid taxi, which I was thankful for, as I do get a bit nervous at times arriving in large cities - yep even me. The city had more of shabby air - amazing buildings that were looking a bit tired and there did seem more beggars than Delhi. Ended up at the Modern Lodge "the ideal place for foreigners" i.e. it's a bit rubbish and it was anything but modern. To be fair it was a big hangout in the 60's and my room wasn't too bad (bit pixey like) it was just the bathroom that was a bit on the dire side - just knew I would never get sorted in there.

Sudder Street, which is the main traveller hangout in Kolkata, was a lot less frenetic than Paharganj in Delhi - not so much hippy tat and a sorted place for buying second hand books. It was a bit strange seeing the guy’s hand pulling the rickshaws and Kolkata is the only place in India that still has a tram system. I ended up moving hotels to the more pleasanter but infinitely noisier Hotel Diplomat the following day - okay it may have had a towel over the hole in the wall pretending to be a window but the toilet flushed, bathroom was tiled in the rough sense of the word and it had Nat Geo on the TV in English.

Now shopping does my head in at the best of times so I usually leave it to last day and then get totally stressed out. Simple enough tiffin tins, new bag and a wall hanging and I easily found the New market, which was just behind the hotel. The only problem was it was a bit of a labyrinth and I was immediately followed "madam what do you want?" "to be left alone would be nice, I'm mooching" - but mooching by foreigners is not allowed so I lasted about 5 minutes in there before heading up to BB Bagh along Chowradhee St. It reminded me of Hanoi as certain places were dedicated to one item - mobiles, bicycles, cheap clothes and dodgy toys were much in abundance but no tiffin tins were to be had.

Needed a bit of a calm down so headed over to the river as water always has a calming effect on me - nice bit of chill in Millennium Park before the food sellers got a bit over excited at my presence before heading down to Eden Gardens to see the cricket stadium and catching a few overs on the Maidan the largest park in Kolkata. Bit upset when I got back to hotel, as all I'd managed to buy was a 5 rupee pen though it was up to my usual standard of forays into the world of shopping.

Deep breath and realised the only option was going back to the market - employing the services this time of a little old man to take me round (they just weren't going to let me go round on my own). Half an hour later I was sorted with tiffin tins, wall hanging, new bag, iffy tea and indecipherable spices - job done - comprehensively ripped off in the tailors getting my parcel stitched, I know I pay more as foreigner but this guy was being a little bit naughty.

Last full day in India was a bit of a sad one - the dreaded trip to the post office to post my parcel, wasn't as bad as the time in Udaipur a few years back which ended up as a bit of an endurance test. Luckily the bloke who took an interest in me got distracted by a Dutch tourist who wanted her parcel stitched (for a lot less than I paid) and I had a rough idea what to do so it was a pretty painless experience. Not so the usual pantomime down the salwar chemise shop - stuff was piling up on the counter, me getting stressed, them getting stressed before eventually I found something that fitted much to everyone’s relief. Felt so much better once the shopping hassles were over that I headed down to the Victoria Memorial - not so impressed with the museum but the building was really pretty though crossing the roads on the way there was a bit hair-raising - never knew how long the little green man was going to be there for and the cars didn't seem to be too bothered if you were half way across!

It was very strange leaving after over five months in India and Nepal - very melancholy - tried to have brekkie at my favourite cafe which was a very unusual place in that the waiters all wore hairnets and disposable gloves - good food but I wasn't too sure what to put in the visitors book they plonked down in front of me - but it was sadly shut so ended up heading out to the airport by taxi (bit of a treat). Not much to Kolkata airport (just one shop and all prices in dollars) and then I realised I had two items I shouldn't have in my hand luggage (nothing too iffy but rules are rules) - so I did my usual vague waft through customs - just the usual lighter confiscated and once more I was on my way back to Bangkok.

Thats it for now - going to do a separate post on my thoughts on India (it deserves it) need to go back on re read some of my notes - note the bit about Jimmy Savile was written before he died last year.