aliceinwtravels

The end of the road in India

2010-07-01T23:00:00.032+01:00

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.

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.

Tamil Nadu

2010-04-11T09:26:00.005+01:00

Photos are here - sorry no videos this time :

India Tamil Nadu - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=182990&id=771224918&l=9421d5bb39

Next destination was Madurai - finding a bus ticket was a bit like a treasure hunt as the bus station in Trivandirum was chaotic (as per usual) but it also had the added addition of being half demolished as well - eventually found the office which was run by old guys who were a bit shocked by my marital status "are you a nun?" said one of them - bit of a personal question when all I wanted was a ticket to Madurai. The ticket they sold me was for the 8 o'clock following day so being good I turned up at 7.45 only to be told by the grouchy ticket inspector that they had been waiting for me - "mmh but it leaves at 8" - no it didn't left the moment I got on it. Ended up going within 20k's of Kanyukumari right at the southern tip before heading north through some really nice mountains but unfortunately I was sat on the wrong side of the bus to get any good photos.

Arriving in Madurai the bus station was one of the ones I hate as it was quite far out of town so had a bit of fun with the rickshaw guys who were having a big laugh with the fares - was totally clueless of where I wanted to stay so I ended up wandering round the area where most hotels were situated. This did attract a lot of attention and I ended up having a few guys following me - a couple started scuffling in the street over me - and what was worse they wanted to take me to the hotel I wanted to go to. Their shenanigans nearly cost me the room as then they wanted commission off the hotel owner - me protesting I was coming here anyway finally won the day but how they glared back at me.

The main reason for visiting Madurai was to see the huge Hindu temples - crowds of men dressed in black dhotis swarmed around the streets near my hotel. It always does amaze that they spend so much on these places of worship when there is so much poverty around - even more strange (well I found it strange) was I wasn't allowed to take my cigarettes in (I always forget these rules) but it seemed okay to sell toy guns in there. I liked Madurai - eating was interesting as I usually ended up at places with no menu, the waiter would babble off a list of stuff and I'd say "whatever" - the "whatever" was pretty good dhal, dosa, and some white stuff that I never sussed out what it was all served on a banana leaf. Shopping though was a bit of nightmare - the shopkeeper in the salwar chemise emporium ended up getting more stressed than me over my indecision - got one in the end that didn't look too fancy dressy and fitted which is usually the big issue with me.

Kodaikanal was the next destination - a hill station about 120k's from Madurai. I was the last person to be picked up by the bus from my hotel and I ended up sat next to a bit of space cadet from Delhi who was travelling with his mum. He spent most of the journey talking to me about about magic mushrooms as Kodai was apparently the only place in India where they grew wild - his mum was totally oblivious to what he was talking about and never noticed the powerful smell of marijuana that wafted into the bus when we stopped for photos at the Silver Falls just outside town. Once more I was a bit clueless to where I was dropped off - the taxis drivers seemed a bit obsessed with taking me to the Greenland Youth Hostel but I just prefer to find a place myself - ended up at the Woodville Manor which sounds more posher that it actually was and was about the cheapest place in town without going too cheap.

The one thing you noticed about Kodai was the cold - it was like going from summer to winter in the space of 4 hours - I was so greatful for the hot water and smelly blankets (you became immune after a while) back at the hotel. Just drifted around going for walks which was nice - lots of guys wanted to be my guide but I'm a bit iffy about disappearing off in to the woods with some random that has approached me in the street - one of the downsides of travelling on your own. I did try walking out to some rocks about 7k out of town but gradually the road got more and more deserted - I was okay till this bunch of guys stopped their car and then a policeman started asking me 20 questions of what I was doing - Indians don't really understand the need to go out for a walk.

It was really nice to get back onto the plains and the warmth in Trichy my next stop. Arrived in the dark and it took a while to get my bearings - but it was really nice no one hassled me as I wandered round looking for a room. Strangely a lot of places were full - not sure whether it was my appearance as my hair never travels well but the question "have you rooms?" is usually a yes or no answer not a five minute conversation with your colleague - found one eventually which was well sorted for a good restaurant, beer shop and bus stand - what more could a girl want!! Ended up staying an extra night in Trichy as I didn't fancy another bus ride - tried yet again to sort out my train ticket to Kolkata - the woman told me I could buy a wait listed ticket (can't get on the train with this one) and then get it changed to Foreign quota ticket ( can get on the train) just across the way - wasted a good half hour on this theory before going back and getting a refund - still I had a bit of fun with the old guys who didn't really understand the concept that I was next in the queue - I don't know they must have thought I enjoyed sitting round random Indian train reservation offices.

For once the bus to Pondicherry was a doddle - sign in English which is one thing that makes bus travel quite taxing when all the signs are in Hindi. Pondicherry was formally a french colony and still had a lot of french influence - road were called rues and the policeman wore french style kepi hats - for a place I had always wanted to visit I didn't get the best out of it - mainly as I felt really rough with cold and my room at the Amala Lodge was really claustro and not that clean. Was going to go out to Auroville (kind of big ashram) but the guys down the tourist office were a bit vague and said I just had to turn up and maybe the trip would run tomorrow, I also was a bit uneasy as I'd heard the people were a bit strange and I would have felt like a sightseer which I know I am but I just decided to leave it.

The bus to Mamalalapuram was one of the craziest I took as it was the express to Chennai - there was so much pushing and shoving that a policeman had to be called over to do crowd control. No seat for me so I ended having to stand with a drunken man at my feet who just about managed to stay on the bus and some guy behind me who started telling me to move down the bus me protesting that I couldn't as we were rammed in and where did he expect me to go "on the bleeding roof". Not the comfiest of rides and arriving in Mamalapuram all the taxi drivers were lined across the street waiting for me (felt like I was in a Clint Eastwood movie) - but they were pussycats really only one bothered me saying it was 2k into town (okay we'll halve that then). Had a real nice time in Mamalalapuram as the guesthouse was great run by a lovely woman called Yvette from Switzerland - it does make a difference if you are staying somewhere nice and she really cared about the place.

The beach wasn't really a sunbathing beach but I liked it - rough and ready with all the fishing boats lined up on the sand - nearly accidently climbed over the fence one day into the Shore temple when I thought I saw a gap. Foreigners had to pay 10 times the Indian rate - maybe I was templed out, it was pretty enough but I wasn't convinced that it was worth the money I paid. More interesting were the caves and big rocks in the village which were similar to Hampi - so had a good old scramble round there. Was sad to leave Mamalapuram - there wasn't a lot to do but it was a nice place to relax for a few days.

It was only a short hop to Chennai and I ended up sat next to a rather strange bloke who I believe proposed marriage at one point in the journey (I couldn't understand much of what he was babbling on about but stuff about marriage tends transcend language difficulties) - all I can say it's a good job I'm not into guys with wobbly eyes and a few teeth - he was quite heartbroken when I got off at Guindy station in the suburbs. For once my guidebook had something useful in it as the bus station was miles out of town it said to get off at Guindy and take the train into the city. Guindy was probably the poorest place I stopped off at - the beggars were the kind of people who really needed the money (not like some of the pros you see at the tourist resorts), luckily for me it was Sunday and quiet as the train was one of the ones you see in pictures with people hanging off the sides so it was quite an easy ride into town.

Tried yet again to sort out my ticket to Kolkata and failed for the third time - ticket office closed as it was Sunday - but it was a nice walk out to the station past this lovely church that wouldn't have looked out of place in England. For a city Chennai was quite easy and not that scary - I'm always a bit edgy going into cities that I don't know - think Delhi has got to be the worst of Indian cities its okay for me now but I can understand how so many people have what they call the "Delhi Experience".

Okay thats all for now - I am finding it hard to keep this up to date (will try to do better) - too much other nice stuff to do and sometimes this all seems so long ago.

Kerala

2010-03-07T09:07:00.012Z

Photos are here - realised now how useful a netbook would be as for the last 3 weeks internet has either been really expensive or non existant...

India Ooty - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=174039&id=771224918&l=9838f957e1

India Kerala - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=174050&id=771224918&l=82374a9259

I did waver a bit about staying in Mysore as I did like the place but in the end I dragged my carcus down to the bus station - naturally the Ooty bus didn't leave from the stand it was supposed to and I did feel sorry for the driver as he was trying to park up people were trying to clamber on and throwing stuff through the windows - totally crazy as I usually managed to get a seat by just waiting till everyone had finished fighting it out. The bus did struggle a bit as it climbed up into the Nilgiri or Blue Mountains - it was a strange countryside full of tea plantations and in parts the countryside looked very English with rolling hills and trees but with Indian shacky houses.

My arrival in Ooty (real name Udhagamandalam - I prefer Ooty much simpler) was quite calm - no touts which was great but I did struggle to find a nice cheap hotel. The first one was really nice but I could only stay one night as they were doing it up - the TTDC guesthouse looked grim and was 600 rupees, when my mouth dropped at that they practically threw me out shouting "go the youth hostel" so I ended up back at the first one which was so lovely with fluffy pillows and a soft mattress. Ooty was strange place a former British hill station which was now full of shops selling home made chocolate (Yes!!!) and tea - apparently there was still a bit of British influence right up until the 1970's but not so much nowadays.

Spent the following morning looking at hotels - some were dire, some were expensive and some I couldn't be arsed to hoof my bag across town - the rickshaw drivers wouldn't haggle which is never a good sign - so I ended up in a dire one which I'm sure looked very nice when some bigwig opened it in 1964 unfortunately they didn't seem to have done much work on the room since then. Spent the afternoon looking round St Stephens church which was a bit like the one at Shimla but smaller and I thought much cuter. I always find the wall plaques so interesting - one guy died of jungle fever and another was for a lady who died aged thirty leaving a husband and seven children "to deplore their irreparable loss". It did feel like being back in England walking through the graveyard and it was nice in a weird way to see that people were still being buried there - though they no longer had such English sounding names. The Botanical Gardens were another bit of England - originally designed by the people from Kew - they were still well maintained with lots of varieties of trees and glasshouses and amazingly for India not a lot of litter about.

I had originally come to Ooty to ride on the Blue Mountain Railway and then completely forgot that a landslide a couple of months previously had knocked out most of the line - part of it was back up running but it looked really complicated and I don't really do complicated if I can help it so it was a case of going down to the bus station to try and find a bus to Coimbatoire. Looked simple enough but nothing is straightforward in India - you stand at the Coimbatoire stand which says bus every 20 minutes - 45 minutes passes and no bus shows so you ask someone at 10 to 5 "how often are the buses?" - "Every half hour", "What time's the next one then?" "Half past five" - mmh that makes a lot of sense!! I sussed it had arrived when everybody hurtled across the concourse and started throwing stuff through the windows - anyway here's a bit of video from the rollercoaster ride down through the plantations:

Bus conductor was ever so nice even moving one lad as I was getting blowback from his spit and vomit through the open door and once in Coimbatoire he offered to take me and the hockey lads from Trichur down to the railway station for 5 rupees which saved me a lot of arguments over what would have been a rip off fare.

Spent the next few days in Varkala where I met up with Richard again who had travelled down there via the backwaters and a really dodgy hotel in Allepney - found a lovely place to stay Sherin Cottage which was run by a great guy Deepak from Nepal. Was a real chill out few days spent mostly on the beach - the body boarding was great - nearly went to see to the Hugging Mama Amma but then she went on her travels and I had heard the westerners there were a bit on the weird side - trying to do outdo each other spiritually and crying a lot. It was a really friendly place - I always think that just having one table where everyone has sit round is better - one of the funniest moments was when Dave from Vermont turned up one morning bleary eyed and T-shirt inside out with tales of skinny dipping on Black Beach with 6 Aussie girls "awesome" he said. Sad day when I had to leave - Richard had already headed back up north to Rajastan it had been really nice to see him again - and I was heading south to see a solar eclipse.

Kerala was the best place in India to see the eclipse - was hoping to go back to Kanyukumari but it was just too complicated with the buses and trains to get there for time when the eclipse was at his height. Ended up staying in Trivandirum at one of strangest hotels I've ever stayed at regarding rules - two pages of them primarily concerned with bed wetting, vomiting and sheet staining - maybe its a hotbed for such goings on in this part of India. I did have the bright idea to try and sort my rail ticket from Chennai to Puri by going down to the station early to avoid the crowds - ha ha you can never do that in India according to the cheese counter ticket system there were 360 people in front of me in the queue - and this was at 8 in the morning - bit of a wait then!!! Finally got to the front of the queue and promptly lost my ticket - you can't put anything down as I found out when some bloke barged past me with said ticket "think that's mine matey" he didn't argue...

Spent the day of the eclipse at Kovalum Beach which you see in all the travel brochures - it was worse than I expected just too many hotels rammed into a small area - in my 1990 edition of the Lonely Planet it sounds like paradise but now has just been ruined. Got scammed for a bit of eclipse glass - bit dissappointed it didn't get totally dark as it was only an annular eclipse but the birds did get confused and I said a lot of wow's when looking through my glass - the next one in this part of the world to be this long will be in 3043 long after I'm gone. Had one of the crappest meals ever of pakoras - I seriously think the guy had just swept the kitchen floor and dumped the scraps on my plate and beer in a mug just doesn't taste the same. Anyway here's a bit of video I did my best with my camera but don't get your hopes up.

Okay that's all for the minute - got good internet connection here in Lake Toba so maybe some more before the weekend - I am just so behind with this.

Coasting down to Mysore

2010-02-28T10:38:00.008Z

Bit of an overlap with the writing and photos but can't be helped!!

Pune -Mysore - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=173495&id=771224918&l=7ea4ff6d14

Only stayed in Palolem a couple of days as after 11 days on buses and trains I was heading towards a knicker crisis so just needed to get some washing done and have a bit of a chill. It's always a bit weird for me going back there as I first went in 1999 and as they say at Glastonbury "I remember when all this was fields" - every available space on the beach front now has huts. Still it's okay for a couple of days and having a beer without being stared at was a nice change though Goa and me don't always mix too well as it usually full of couples, families and the young and the beautiful.

For some strange reason I decided not to take the bus down to Gokarna - sweet talked by the guy at the guesthouse who said he would give me a lift up the train station on his motorbike and I can never turn down a lift on a motorbike - love 'em!! I ended up in second class unreserved which was okay for short journeys and really cheap (18P) - bit snug seat wise and the guys I was sat with just gorped at me as I tried to hoof my rucksack on to the overhead rack despite my ramblings that if they moved their legs a bit I might find it a bit easier and be less of a cabaret performance for the whole carriage. It was whilst on the train I realised why I had originally discounted the train - Gokarna train station is 9k's from the town - guaranteed potential for taking the mick re fares from the rickshaw drivers and I wasn't far wrong. I usually used the bench mark of 10 rupees per kilometre so I did quite well getting the driver down to 100r for the ride into town but I still think he was having a bit of a laugh!

Decided to stay in Gokarna town for one night and then head over to Kutle beach in the morning as I wasn't keen on walking the couple of k's on the cliffs and then finding no room at the inn as it was getting close to Christmas. Couldn't remember the name of the place I stayed at last time I was in town - not that it was a place you would especially search out (damp and a dodgy toilet I did remember) so I ended up at a place by the bus station which wasn't the cleanest and really noisy - woken at 6 in the morning by screaming kids and shouting adults - no appreciation that there were others staying at the hotel who maybe didn't want an early morning call.

It wasn't actually too hard to find a room on Kutle - 150 rupees (2 pound) for a bamboo hut with bed and electric - and it hadn't changed that much in the three years since my last visit. Few more huts and after walking over with my bag in the midday sun (the word crazy was mentioned by the workman I passed on the way) I found there was a road - maybe it was there last time and I never noticed. Still the place hadn't turned into a mini Goa though there was an alarming number of stoner Israeli's there and at times round my hut it felt like downtown Tel Aviv - first night I was kept awake by some really cool music (the plus side) and this really irritating New Zealander (the downside) who thought she was so cool (the word was mentioned quite a lot in conversation). Apparently she believed that in 2012 some great disaster would befall the world and just the "cool" people would survive - I found it a bit like those sandwich board people back home who all predict the end is nigh and that if you repent and you'll be saved, I think I'd rather be wiped out with the herd if the worlds going to be full of people like that - we're all different be a bit bloody boring if we weren't.

It was the problem I had with Kutle - being cool - now I know I've never been cool just done my own thing and sometimes things that I have done have become cool (generally then they are ruined a bit by the cool people - Glastonbury - a classic example). Christmas Day tried to talking to a few people but to be honest I think dog poo on the end of their shoe would have had a better reception - so much for the season of goodwill and I'm not a vindictive person but I hope one day those people end up on their own. The only person I did end up having a beer with was this Austrian guy who in the end only really wanted me to check out his mattress - which did get to me a bit as why do guys automatically assume that when you're on your own that you must be desperate for a shag (bit blunt I know but can't think of a better way of expressing the sentiments!!)

So I decided to leave head inland and visit Jog Falls - wasn't too easy to find info on the buses as the controller down the bus station was one of the rudest men I met in India - seemed like I had a cloak of invisibility on when I was talking to him. Ended up getting the nice guy in the bookshop to ring the bus station in Kumta for me to get the times as all the controller could say to me "there are many buses to Jog" which wasn't really the info I was after. That night how I giggled (okay I am a vindictive person) when the heavens opened and all the cool Israelis came hurtling off the beach at a rapid pace - I happened to be sat in the only dry place in the cafe for a while till even that succumbed to the torrential downpour so ended up in the kitchen and met two nice guys - Richard and Douglas who had just arrived that day. Douglas was from Edinburgh and Richard it turned out was from just up the road from me in Huddersfield and stranger still was 5 days older than me (don't met many people my age travelling). Found out it wasn't personal with the Israeli's - now I knew there was a pack mentality but apparently they elect a leader who then makes all the decisions and once in the pack they don't talk to anybody else - vary strange way to be!! It was a really nice night despite the storm and kinda of made up for the few crap days I'd had beforehand.

I was supposed to leave the next morning but unfortunately I'd left my washing out so not wanting to head off with wet clothes - my towel was borderline at the best of times decided to stay another day. Richard had got the worst of it as he was down in the new corral - it had been round his ankles when he got back - clothes and laptop ruined - the guys in the cafe thought it was funny but as I've found on occasions Indians do seem to laugh at the most inappropriate times - they once did it to me when I fell off my bike - hysterical they seem think it was. So I spent the day chilling and faffing which I am pretty good at before heading off the following day.

I had a bit of hassle getting money as all the ATM's were down so ended up changing 40USD at a silversmiths shop before finding the bus to Kumta. It was in Kumta that my problems started - all the signs were in Hindi so it was a case of asking the drivers where they were going - then the rain started - the controller then kept changing the time the bus to Jog came in, by this point a lot of the people in the station were giggling at me (another example of inappropriate laughter - but hey I suppose I was the cabaret). Some people though did try to help me - one guy kept telling me about this god "well can you say a prayer to him to help my find this bus then?" - didn't help much - another random kept telling me times when the bus would arrive and then these two sweet schoolgirls who tried to talk to the controller on my behalf were told to take me down the chemists shop to buy a ticket - that was the straw that broke the camels back - so I gave up and headed off to find a hotel to have a rethink. All buses to Bangalore were booked for days to come, train station all the trains left at stupid o'clock and I'd have to go unreserved eventually it dawned on me the only option was back to the bus station in the morning once more to do battle.

In the end I just decided to take any bus heading south whether it be Mangalore or Bangalore and luckily the bus pixies were smiling down on me so I ended up going to Mangalore. Wasn't too crowded as well though there was a heavy smell of fish in the air as we headed south - it was a great journey as the sun was just rising above the mountains in the distance as we passed by lush green paddy fields and over wide rivers. Liked Mangalore as it was totally non tourist so no hassle at the bus station and easily found a room at a posh gaffe - it's not often I can afford places where the door is opened for me by a bloke in a turban - but I ended up with a nice room on the fourth floor at the Pooja International for just over a tenner.

Next stop was Mysore - didn't get down the bus station as early as I should have the next day as the bed was so comfy after 10 days of sleeping on crap mattresses - still Mangalore bus station was a piece of cake compared to Kumta. In fact two Mysore buses turned up at the same time so I went for the local one as there wasn't much difference allegedly in the times they arrived. It was once more a lovely ride through the Coorg region (Dervla Murphy wrote about spending some time there in the early 70's with her daughter) - though it was a really slow journey, the bus just crawled up the hills past rubber plantations really disappointed that I didn't see any Coorgi's along the way - they are supposed to be another remnant of Alexander the Greats army very fair skinned and quite different to other people in Southern India.

The roads seemed to get better the nearer we got to Mysore (poss cos it's close to Bangalore) so much so that the driver who I don't think could see too well managed to do a few Dukes of Hazards over speed bumps much to annoyance of the people at the back of the bus - was a bit terrifying at times as by this time it had started to rain. Strange New Years as I spent most of it wandering round Mysore looking for a room - ended up at Mannars Lodge (re my book "decidedly popular with backpackers" which translated means they'll take any old shit) the bloke was a bit stroppy with me when I asked why I had to pay more for the room than it was and then have my photo taken "Do you want to stay here or not?" was his reply. Quick shufty over to beer shop which I was removed from for my own safety by the security guard - ended up shouting through a hole in the wall not realising (or caring) that Mannars had a no alcohol policy. The problem with Indian cities at night is they are just full of drunken Indian men - so ended up watching the New Years festivities on TV - interestingly all the woman reporters were tucked up in night clubs whilst the men were out on the streets surrounded by drunken Indian men saying "hello mum".

Changed hotels in the morning - another photo and paying more for the room (is Mysore a hot bed of Al Qaeda action I wondered?) but it was a far nicer place and just across the road from Manners. The main attraction of Mysore is the market and the Maharajas palace - both of which I managed to get round to seeing. The Maharajas palace looks really impressive from the outside but was a bit of a pantomime re the shoes and camera rules - managed to bribe the ticket man to let me take my camera in for 10r but what about the guys with ones on their phones I thought. It was really well preserved inside with paintings and the most amazing stained glass - the only downside was it was heaving with Indian tourist groups. Bumped into Daniel from the rafting trip in Nepal - he was doing a yoga course in Mysore and I was a bit green when he told me that his room had a cooker and a fridge - it's the not being able to cook your own food that I miss. Found a great dhaba next to the hotel but I was by this time a bit on my craving for Western food once again - there is only so much channa dhal you can take!!

That's it for the mo - more hopefully next week - can't believe I've done that in one session off now for a beer and some noodles ( not alot of choice for me here in Penang - alternate nights veg noodles/veg rice - would kill for a plate of egg and chip at this moment in time!!)

Ajanta and Ellora Caves

2010-02-06T11:39:00.010Z

Photos are here:

India Ajanta Caves - http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4360222&l=e81d5b35a6&id=771224918

India Ellora Caves - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=173489&id=771224918&l=741ed6b40f

It was back on the trains the next day for the journey down to Ajanta - the first bit of the journey was quite busy with foreigners heading for Agra and the Taj Mahal - some very strange girls sat opposite me cuddling teddy bears (they were in their 20's - each to their own I suppose) and I ended up chatting to a Dutch guy Roy who was gave me some really cool places to visit in Tamil Nadu. Spent the rest of the day drifting after Agra even though I was in the really uncomfy side aisle seat - it's not great for your back - just after tea time this great big domestic started with this family group about the lack of seats - it was quite funny as is India more and more people got involved - not sure how it was resolved but eventually they shut up. The guy next to me then invited me home to meet his wife in remote Mahdra Pradesh and then wanted my phone number - managed to extricate myself from the situation by saying that I'd only known him 20 minutes, it was a bit early in the relationship to be swapping phone numbers - thankfully he left it at that - sometimes you don't know whether to be friendly as men especially can take it the wrong way!!

As it was with an early morning train (they're never late!!) the train pulled into Jalgaon at six in the morning - easily found the hotel I wanted to stay at the Plaza but from the outside it looked like it would be way outside my budget. However I've got to say it was one of the cleanest and cheapest places I stayed in in the whole of India - rooms from 250 rupees (!!) up to 900 which was a bit surprise. I went for the 300 rupee room - the owner was just so helpful (a bit too much) as he insisted on drawing me various maps of the town whilst I just wanted to get to my room as my stomach was making ominous gurgling noises.

Finding the bus to Ajanta wasn't too hard though I never understand why when I say something like "Ajanta" to the bus driver 20 people have to get involved and have an in depth discussion about it - it's a simple yes or no answer! It was a bit of a rickety ride there and instead of dropping me at the entrance to the caves - the bus stopped in the village before and I had no idea which was the way. Got a lot of stares as I headed off down the highway looking for them - mind you I think sometimes I think it's the way I dress straw hat, fancy top and Indian ali baba pants. I was quite lucky as I got to the caves early so avoided the crowds - it was a really amazing place set on a bend in the river - the British discovered the place by chance in 1819 all overgrown having been abandoned by the Buddhists around about the fourth century. The paintings in the first couple of caves were quite jaw dropping and really well preserved and I wasn't hassled too much until I climbed up to the viewpoint overlooking the river where this guy was pretty insistant that I buy an ornamental elephant from him. Bus back to Jalgoan wasn't too good as I had to stand for about 20k's - definately no gentlemen on Indian buses!

The next day was another early start to catch the bus to Aurangabad - pretty uncomfortable ride as some kind soul loaded a hoofing great trunk on to the floor in front of me and then dissappeared off to sit in a comfy seat with leg room at the back - thanks a lot mate!! Had a bit of performance finding a cheap hotel in Aurangabad as they either wouldn't haggle, no longer existed or I just didn't feel safe staying there with the dodgy dudes on reception so eventually ended up at a nameless place near the train station that once I'd paid for the room found out that alcohol was forbidden - not happy with that especially as there was a beer shop opposite - usually its hunt the slipper finding a beer shop.

The trip to Ellora the next day was great and it was just easier to go through the tourist office than to organise it myself. The only down side to this was they packed a lot into a one day trip - the first stop was at Daulatabad Fort which I was really impressed with as it was carved out out of a hill and surrounded by a huge moat and booby traps. The one thing I didn't like was the dark passages we had to walk through which were full of bats - I was very Scooby Doo about that bit of the trip as although I've had the rabies vaccine I couldn't get a booster before I left - Heath Hospital in Cardiff the only place in South Wales where they had some vaccine wouldn't let me have any as they didn't want to release it to people going on "holiday" - I ask you when was the last time there was a mass rabies outbreak in the UK!!

Next stop was Ellora - it is similar to Ajanta and the caves are split into three distinctive periods Buddhist, Hindu and Jain - the Kailash temple in the centre of the complex took over a 100 years to construct and I think is the biggest Hindu temple in India - it really is an amazing place to look at - though we only looked at about four of the caves it was enough. One shrine and shopping emporium later we ended up at the Bibi-ka-Maqbara - it's strange place built as a mini Taj Mahal but not quite getting it right - another 100 rupees for foreigners to get in - personally I would have just stuck my camera over the fence to save time and money. It was a really tiring day (I know there are other things more tiring than being on holiday) but I did meet some nice people on the trip including Anou and Elanka from Israel and Germany who I went out for a meal with in the evening - they were travelling for two months, heading down to Goa and hadn't had the best start to their trip with a rip off hotel in Mumbai and scammed ticketwise on the bus to Auranagabad.

I think the bus pixies were smiling on me the next day as rickshaw up to the station and straight on the bus to Pune - 200 rupees and a nice front seat next to the conductor. Arriving in Pune round about tea time I managed to get the driver to drop me just behind the train station and picked up a rickshaw to the cheapest hotel in my book. Had quite a shock when I got there over 10 pounds for a room and not a great one at that - managed to get the manager who was a real sergeant major down on the price but I don't think the Grand Hotel really lived up to its name - though the cats were cool that hung round in the garden!!

Only stayed a day before heading out on the overnight bus down to Goa - I was on the 8.30 bus (this is India) - twenty to nine pick up showed up at travel agents, we then spent a mad hour driving round Pune picking up people and finally got on the real bus at 10.00 in some random car park on the outskirts of the city. Not a bad nights sleep as the person in front didn't recline their seat though as usual bit of a fitful sleep waking up at one point as we careered down a mountain road - that was a bit on the scarey side!! Only had a tiny reception commitee when the bus pulled up in Margoa - they all thought a taxi was best me - me disagreeing that I thought bus was best. Decided to head for Palolem as it was only a couple of hours down the coast - journey there slightly marred by the little fat man who sat so close to me on the ladies seat it was really uncomfortable (few elbows in his direction and he still wasn't getting the hint). Palolem was quieter than I expected and I had to get a bit Israeli with my haggling for a 200 rupee hut as the tout took me to a 300r one with heavy emphasis on the 400r one with ensuite - got there in the end and ended up at Tony's huts next to some nice overexcitable Israeli's - the only downside being the trog down to the toilet in the middle of the night as it was a bit of a beer heaven....

Back to India

2010-01-26T14:55:00.007Z

Photos are here:

Paragliding - http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4360057&l=fcf6f74334&id=771224918

Back In Pokhara I got in a bit of a mood (like you do!) with the hotel and ending up moving in a mad at ig at 9 o'clock one morning - it was the no hot water again that really did it for me and it wasn't exactly a cheap place - Eimear and Aaron who were staying at there as well and had the same problems so it wasn't as if they didn't know their hot water was a bit on the random side. The new place wasn't too bad but I did have a bit of a do with the guy on the night shift who wouldn't give me another blanket - just so rude, telling me I'd be warm enough - me disagreeing quite strongly with him about it.

The best thing though I did before heading back to India was paragliding - think that's the right word - I was a bit worried I'd make a bit of a fool of myself by screaming and freaking out as I'm not the greatest with heights. But it was just so cool just soaring up following the flight path of the birds through the thermals - though the circling did give me a bit of headache - my tandem partner was Mike from America who was a bit of a dude and he was really patient with me telling me how strong the kitey thing was and that he did have a reserve chute on his back just in case - something I hadn't realised till half an hour in. Anyway here's a bit of video of the whole experience:

The day before I left was a bit strange as I got up to have breakfast and found everywhere was shut - total madness as I was hoping to sort out my bus ticket that day (bit of a last minute person with tickets). Found one cafe that was open and the owner whose brother ran a restaurant in Huddersfield showed me the news - the police and landless people had clashed down on the plains and people had been killed so a banda (strike) had been called across the country. It was really lovely with no cars on the road - only press and army so I decided to hire a bicycle a head over to Devi Falls. I can just imagine what would have happened back home if this had have happened at home - riots at the doors of Tesco's and mad panic buying beforehand - Nepal style in Pokhara it was just lots of families out on the streets, kids playing football and people cycling around - really nice, there was some army about but from what I gathered most of the heavy action was over Kathmandu way. Devi Falls when I eventually found it was closed so I ended up cycling right over to the northern part of the lake where it was a lot quieter and I met a really nice young girl called Poonilli who I chatted to about school and her family before a load of little kids showed up and started a rupee chant.

The next day I walked up to the bus station in protest of the lazy taxi drivers piss taking fares - apparently the 6.30 to Sunauli had morphed into the 7.15 and then the 8.00, by 8.15 it was the local bus from Pokhara - scammed again tourist price for a local bus which stopped every 5 minutes and rammed as many people as possible in. I was sat next to Tim from Scotland who had been coming to Nepal for about 10 years - though he thought this would be his last trip as he just felt the people had become too money orientated. It was sad as I'd had this conversation so many times with other travellers in the weeks I had been in Nepal as it really is a beautiful place landscape wise - it was the petty scams and overcharging that got you down as people didn't see you as person just a walking ATM in a lot of cases. The bus was supposed to arrive at 2 but because of traffic jams, collapsed bridge and a high speed blowout - we were really lucky it happened on a straight bit of road the bus finally ambled into Bhairawa around 6. I ended up at the oddly named Hotel Glasgow which re the Lonely Planet was allegedly the best in town - god help the rest then as my room smelt damp and the hot water non existant though I'll give them that they did have Al Jazeera on the TV.

The following morning I was woken by the worst vomiting and throat clearing of the trip - so bad it was that I nearly joined in in sympathy - why they have to make so much noise I'll never know. Crossing the border was really easy - though one of the guys the other side couldn't understand why I had no Nepali money and some Indian money without going to a scamsville Fex bureau - in reality I had just enough money for my bus fare to Gorakpur where I hoped I'd find an ATM machine. That turned into a bit of a nightmare as the only machine I could find had a queue of about 20 blokes outside - what they find to do in the booths I'll never know but they are just so slow - half an hour later the bank turned up to service the machine - so another wait and it was then that the guys in front of me said I didn't have to queue as women didn't queue - I like this theory I thought. Though I was a bit dubious to try it out in practice but after loads of Churchill nodding dogs saying "yes no queue for you" I went to the front - naturally once the bank guy had finished all the guys started to pile in totally ignoring me at the alleged front of queue - so I got very vocal, very Indian and was in next no arguments but I hadn't really needed the aggravation.

I knew I was pushing it trying to get on a train to Delhi that day but you can but try - the guy at the foreign counter in the reservation office I think had trained with the numpty from Rishikesh as he wouldn't check any trains for me - "all full" I was told. Plan B was the supervisor who was a bit more helpful (which is all I ask) and told me to go to another part of the station where I might be able to get a ticket. I was in luck the very bored woman who ran current reservations managed to get me on to the 3 o'clock train though I did have to go 2nd class air con which was a real treat - curtains blankets and pillows it was just a shame that it wasn't a real long journey. Arriving in Delhi at 4.15 in the morning wasn't the best time to go looking for rooms - couldn't raise the guys at the Lords hotel and some guy was hassling me on the deserted street - ended up at the "not so Bright" Hotel which was one of those hotel rooms that you knew if you had a shower you wouldn't be clean - not quite a world record for checkout when the sun came up but it was getting there.

That's it for now - heading to Kolkata tonight and then back to Thailand - going to be so sad next Wednesday as I'll be leaving India - hopefully some more next week....

Bandipur and rafting on the Kali Gandaki

2010-01-17T14:55:00.012Z

I am officially rubbish at keeping this blog I really wish I didn't get so far behind with it but it's just finding time and when it's so nice outside I don't want to spend my time slaving over this in an internet cafe - think I need a really cheap net book next time.

Photos from the next bit of the journey are here.

Bandipur - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=162467&id=771224918&l=7754b784a7

Kali Gandaki rafting - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=162469&id=771224918&l=2227a2f4d5

Was going to take an interesting route to Bandipur which is halfway between Pokhara and Kathmandu but then apathy set in - I would have had to drag myself up to the bus station, be ripped by a taxi driver along the way so I decided to take the easy option tourist bus back to Pokhara getting off at Dumre. I still ended up getting scammed with that as they would only sell me a ticket to Pokhara but it did have the advantage of leaving from just round the corner from the hotel so saving on the hassle of getting a taxi for a ridiculous rate. Saw one of the saddest sights on the way to find the bus, all the street kids were cwtched (as I prefer to say -*see below for translation) up together under blankets outside the Moroccan consulate - I really felt guilty for not taking some food over to them (too busy trying to find the bus) as they were the kind of kids who really needed help - some you find are just asking you for money just because you are a foreigner.

Eventually found the bus only to find a rather chunky Nepalese woman sat in my seat - I always find it petty arguing about seat numbers so I just sat where there was a space behind a rather excitable Norwegian who was forever checking his altimeter, which was a bit pointless as the Prithvi Highway isn't a spectacular mountain road mostly it follows the Trisuli river along the valley. Bandipur was how I imagined Nepal would be - little wooden houses lit by candlelight when the power went off (this happened everyday just as the sun went down) and no cars - I ended up with a very sweet room behind the bar of Newi Guesthouse - no hot water but there was a lovely patio out the back that overlooked the hills - really peaceful place.

Bandipur was such a change after Kathmandu, the only downside was the excessive throat clearing in the morning. Once more I cursed the Lonely Planet as I tried to follow the map - even in a village I couldn't get to grips with it but even sometimes that turns out well as I ended up on the top of this cliff looking at the most amazing view down the valley - it really took your breath away seeing the immense gap between the valley floor and the tops of mountains. Spent the afternoon walking to a Hindu temple overlooking the village and hanging out with some sweet goats - wildlife that I could cope with before heading back to the guesthouse. Later I chatted to Rana who helped out in the guesthouse and tried to teach me some Nepali - sorted out the word for goodnight and how to write the numbers before being joined by her brother Kishor who was the local school teacher and tried to explain Maoist politics to me - another strike had begun the previous day. The sky was so clear and it was an amazing starry night - you really can't believe how many stars are out there it was like being back in Kashmir which has the most fantastic night skies that I have ever seen.

Sometimes you can't get things right - do you be rude and ignore people or do you speak to them and get shafted. This happened to me the following day when I took the bus back to Pokhara - getting off the jeep back to Dumre (half price on the way down) I was met by a young lad who asked me where I was going, I didn't need his help as I'd sussed out the Pokhara bus left from the opposite side of the road. However he insisted on pointing it out and then following me and showing me where to sit which I was protesting about as I might be a bit dippy at times but I have managed to suss out seat arrangements on buses. He was followed by his mate a rather shifty looking bloke who then demanded 250 rupees as the fare back to Pokhara - I said I'd pay when the bus set off "No you pay now or you get off" he said agressively - I argued with him for about 5 minutes but I knew if I got off he would just follow me and make trouble on every bus I tried to get on so I paid rather reluctantly and as predicted he then gave the money to the conductor less his fee for doing bugger all. When this happens (which isn't very often and 250 rupees is about 2 pounds) I just look at the fact that the money won't bring them happiness as it's tainted and in this case with a bit of luck a thundering great big truck would come down the highway and flatten the little shit if he was crossing the road that often ripping people off.

Back in Pokhara decided not to go back to the Paradise as I was still a bit miffed about the service charge so ended up at a new hotel which was a lot quieter re the screaming kids but the downside was the mythical hot water and the band playing next door - Nepali bands don't seem to have a repertoire that extends past 1975 - so once more endless renditions of "Smoke on the Water" sent me to sleep.

Took a bit of time to sort out the rafting trip as it was a lot quieter than when I first arrived in Pokhara so some companies weren't running the trips but eventually I found one. It was ace and I wish it could have gone on longer but since they built a hydro electric dam what was once a five day trip had now become a three day one. I ended up on the "party boat" with Nigel and Mandy from Cumbria, Eimear and Aaron from Ireland and Dan from America - Nigel and Aaron were like a double act and we spent the whole time laughing which sometimes I don't think Dan got, as he said to Eimear when she asked him if he was enjoying it "Yes it's just don't get as audibly excited as you guys". The first big rapid we came to, the boats were sent down on their own as it was just too dangerous - two of the boats then got stuck on the rocks and all the provisions including the tents got absolutely soaked. The waves were great but I don't think it was as scarey as Rishikesh as it was later in the season - you could see as we floated along how high the river level had risen after the monsoon. First night we dried off the tents the best we could but they were still a bit damp and smelly - evening was spent playing cards and drinking the rum punch that Eimear and Aaron had got the lads to make though it was a little on the light side rum wise - think the guys had helped themselves to quite a bit of it.

The other boat was a lot quieter but I suspect that was down to the mixture of languages - Birger and Karsten from Germany, Jean from Canada and Daniel from Sheffield - it was a bit strange that out of the twelve of us, three of us came from Yorkshire - maybe we travel more as I hardly ever meet anyone from Wales (5 in 7 years). Jean was a quiet lad with a sense of humour, liked Thailand and had been travelling for 10 months - he had Nigel totally convinced that he was from Israel so much so that Nigel asked him about his time in the army much to Jean's amusement.

The second night we had a camp fire which was a really cool - a little old lady came down from the village with her lovely dog Bangay and sold some rather cheap alcohol at a price. The Nepali guys did a song and then Dan offered to do a 18th century German madrigal on the bucket - that has got to be strangest thing anybody has ever offered to play when I've been sat round a campfire! The final day there were a few rapids, Eimear got well soaked nearly falling out of the boat at one point, then Dan took over as guide (he was raft guide in the US) - I think he found us a bit hard to control as we were laughing so much. Back in Pokhara we all went out for a meal but were a bit let down by the guides as only one showed up (they had suggested it) - the one who showed up was the one we all didn't like as he was a right cocky sod - on the first day he had said to me "how old are you, 40?" so we weren't really happy giving him the tip that we had originally agreed on. Sad saying goodbye to everyone as I was the only one staying on in Pokhara and it had been a great trip.

Okay that's it for the minute - hopefully some more next week - now in Trichy in Tamil Nadu in the far south - lovely and warm - only two weeks left on my visa I am so going to miss this place when I leave.

* Cwtch - welsh word for a cuddle or a hug. Pronounced 'Cutch'.

Chitwan and Kathmandu

2010-01-07T07:00:00.011Z

Photos are here:

Chitwan - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=162463&id=771224918&l=886835e63f

Kathmandu - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=162465&id=771224918&l=9db64ec28d

The Nepalese I found didn't really understand the concept of a lie in - usually it was a combination of throat clearing, vomiting and screaming child in the early hours that woke me up - the day I left Pokhara it started with roaring motorbikes, tooting horns escalating into yabbering French tourists under my window all before six in the morning. No silliness over the room bill this time - the bus to Chitwan was local bus billed as a tourist bus (ie tourist pays twice as much as the local) and I had the back seat which would have been great for a sleep if the road hadn't been so bumpy and the seats covered in nylon and built for the little people so I kept sliding off into the seat of the woman in front. The weather changed the further east we went with the mist descending - I realised I had been a bit ruined with good weather as it was the first cloudy day since Ladakh. Arriving in Chitwan the bus dropped me at a completely different place to what I expected so I ended up a bit at the mercy of the jeep drivers (knew I would) - fixed price to the village which would have been okay if they had taken me there, instead we ended up at some fancy hotel "Come sit down and have a drink" - the driver was obviously going no further. Ended up walking the rest of the way into the village after giving the driver a bit of mouthful and managed to find a fairly cheap hotel without being hassled by touts.

I didn't really like Chitwan - I shouldn't go to animal related stuff as this always happens, seems like a good idea at the time but then I end up hating the place as the animals are not really wild and running free - just there to make money. Opinions differ on this some people say the elephant bathing which happened every morning was the most beautiful experience they've ever had (quote from a Geordie girl) but I found it to be a circus. I know I live in cloud cuckoo land sometimes but I thought it would be soaping and cuddles instead it was a mahoot stood on the elephants back prodding it with a stick to make it soak the tourist - not much washing was going on at all apart from that of the tourist. I then couldn't decide between the other trips offered - I was put off the jeep safari by this American woman who said all she saw in five hours was grass, more grass, bit of rhino poo and a squirrel - the jungle walk and the elephant safari I was sure the few animals that were around must have got really hacked off with being invaded every morning by hoards of camera carrying tourists - so in the end I decided to do nothing.

I did meet up again with the Irish guy John who I had last seen in Lumbini who felt the same way as me about the place. He was a real interesting guy who had previously been a journalist in Bosnia and South Africa, had gone into magazine publishing and then written and starred in a comedy on Irish TV which hadn't gone down too well - the students liked it. He'd taken off travelling after that and had spent the last 11 months in India and Sri Lanka and had to now start writing his autobiography, which he wasn't too keen on doing. So I spent most of my time in Chitwan chatting to John, cycling round the countryside and getting really irritated with safari clad two weekers who were causing the prices to be hiked up. One night in the internet cafe an Israeli girl wafted in complaining bitterly about the charges, I sort of agreed with her (20 rupees non tourist place, five times that in Chitwan) then "safari man" in the corner butted in and told the owner that he thought it was tremendous value for money as when he was on the Annapurna Circuit it was really expensive and slow (never!) to which I said if I'd have been on Annapurna Circuit I wouldn't have been titting around looking for an internet cafe - he still maintained that it was "top hole" when he left and told the guy to "keep up the good work and ignore the pesky kids complaining". To me Chitwan was all about getting the most money out of the tourist - even when I went down to one of the local villages the kids just surrounded me demanding rupees so I just left taking no photos as the experience just wasn't the same - you weren't a person just a rupee dispenser.

Was going to go to Bandipur a small village between Kathmandu and Pokhara with John but he got a bit stressed about this book he had to write so once he had sorted out a laptop and had started to write I decided to head off to Kathmandu - was nice meeting him as I don't often meet people my age and we had a bit of laugh talking about everything from James Bond movies, to how Van Morrison should never have worn that cerise cat suit in the Last Waltz!

Arriving in Kathmandu I realised I had read far too many hippy trail books from the 1970's - I was imagining bars in little wooden houses with candles full of bearded climbers, drinking beer and talking about their exploits on Everest (I know over active imagination) - maybe 20 years ago now it was just a city with what I call plastic restaurants and where I stayed in Thamel loads of shops selling the same hippy dippy stuff that you see all over India and Nepal. I did try down Freak Street the happening place in the sixties but that was practically deserted - no Jimi and Janis blaring out of the cafes - so I ended up at the Hotel Nana just above the Tom and Jerry pub which was cheap and central and the staff were really nice.

Did a bit of sightseeing - Durbar Square which is the main tourist attraction I found really hassly. Firstly you had to pay to enter - the Nepalis do this quite a lot, there is one town that if you are a foreigner you actually have to pay 10 dollars just to enter the town - and then you couldn't sit for five minutes without someone coming up to you selling jewellery or offering their services as a guide. One guy got seriously mardy with me as I told him I didn't want a guide (I admit there might have been a tiny bit of tension in my voice (gets that way sometimes when you've repeated yourself 5 times) but I wasn't nasty) suddenly he started shouting at me "Nepal is my country you don't get angry in my country" - he wasn't really helping his case as he had the appearance of a shonky tigel balm/hash seller from Thamel so I just said "the only one who seems to be getting their knickers in a knot here mate is you" and left. This was in the house of the Kumari - a young girl who is worshipped as a god till she reaches puberty - I felt really sorry for her as I was expecting a palace but the house was really small and full of pidgeons flapping around.

The other place I went to was Pashupatinath - the most important Hindu temple in Nepal - followed the Lonely Planet map out there which wasn't the easiest to follow - they just put too much information on them. The price had doubled to nearly 5 pounds for foreigners to get in and for that hefty price you got to see bugger all - the temple was closed for non Hindus. The only other thing to do was to wander up the hillside looking at these strange temply things and watch the cremations on the Bagmati river - which was as full of rubbish. You were allowed to take photos but I was surprised just how insensitive tourists with cameras can be - one guy stood next me and took a photo of this old man on the funeral pyre after he had he just been lit - not nice I wouldn't like it if it was one of my relatives reduced to a holiday snap.

In the end I just started to feel claustro with the city - the rafting trip I had wanted to go on, the last one had left for the season and at nearly 250 pounds for 8 days it was a bit out of my budget and I thought at like price is it going to be people I would get on with. The other one I looked at the Bhote Khosi the guys in the travel agents said "oh that's for young people" - thanks a lot guys you've really made me feel a whole lot better about myself. So I decided to head back to Pokhara as there was a three day trip down the Kali Ghandaki which sounded really cool and despite it being touristy there was plenty of things to do - swimming, beauty parlour, cycling...

Okay that's it for the moment - I know I come across as a bit negative on this post about the places I visited but that's just me - animal stuff and cities I've realised are not my kind of places. For all my grumbles I still think the mountains and scenery of Nepal are stunning and amazingly I would go back but maybe just to do a one off trek (either Annapurna and Everest) - just feel at my happiest when I'm in the mountains.

Trekking in Annapurna

2009-12-19T13:31:00.009Z

Photos are here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=156445&id=771224918&l=822fe44563

You would think doing your laundry would be easy, but this was Pokhara - first place I went to the guy I think had graduated from the University of stating the obvious - me stood there with there with a bag of washing "you want laundry?" "No I'm just taking it out to see the mountains, it's been hassling me all morning" - he weighed it and then said it was 1.5kg but wanted to charge me for 2, mmh not quite the answer I was looking for. The next place said I had 2kg "but it's only 1.5 down the road" - I finally found a place that charged by the item - much simpler - but how I wished for the little old lady in Bangkok who had proper scales and didn't charge the earth for the 3 hour.

I then set out trying to find a trek but there didn't seem to be any organised groups and there was nothing like Ladakh where you used to find outside every agency notices saying "looking for 1/2/3 people to join trek to ...". In the end I booked a guide through an agency for 5 days to do the Tatapani Loop (part of the Annapurna circuit) and would pay for my own accommodation and food along the way. In the meantime I learned to bite my tongue over the 10% service charge on every meal - well I found a couple of places that had opted out which was great as then they got a nice tip off me but I did find Lakeside very touristy - worst named place had to be "Billy Bunters Kebab Corner". Visited the mountaineering museum which was cool apart from the stuffed leopard and a bit of a sod to find as I was following a Lonely Planet map - me and those never go together well. The other place I went to was the Gurkha museum right across town and next the most amazing fairy dell - the River Seti just gushed through this narrow gap fifty feet below this bridge - such an unusual sight for the middle of a a city. The museum was really interesting as I didn't know that much about how the Gurkhas came to be part of the British army - though no section as of yet on Joanna Lumley though she is quite well known now in Nepal.

The day of the trek I got well annoyed with my hotel - service charge on a room rate (!!)- now I wouldn't have minded if my sheets had been changed, bin emptied, tea making facilities and toilet roll provided - but for five namastes and fetching me a glass I thought it was a bit much. Was chuntering a bit when I turned up at the travel agents but another traveller in there said the same had happened to them - it is so stupid as usually when I check out I leave something for the people who clean my room and if they hadn't overcharged me I would have probably bought my coach ticket from them.

My guide was Kiran and if he had been guiding for more than 15 years (all the agencies had said that this was how long their guides had been in the job) he must have started at primary school - most impressed with his Beatles t-shirt though lots of people in Nepal seemed to wear them so I'm not totally convinced they knew who they were - Kiran was a bit vague on his favourite album. Taxi up to the bus station for a rip off rate and then on to Naya Pul where we were to start the trek - not so much a vomit comet as I had been led to believe. The first day's walk to Tikhedhunder (sp) was quite difficult as I was carrying my own bag (weighted down by a minus 10 (I don't think so) sleeping bag) and it was uphill on steps. There seemed to be lots of groups all kitted out in Berghaus and North Face gear - me by comparison looked a bit on the eccentric side in my baggy trousers, straw hat and Indian blouse.

I was in a bit of a state when I arrived at the guesthouse - my room wasn't on the prettiest side of the building and resembled the inside of a packing case and I think previously it had been one room that had been divided into two - but it was cheap which was a bit unusual for anything on the trekking route. Next day was an early start and it had been the day I had been dreading 3200 steps climbing over 1200m - it was real killer and it made me feel a bit small when I realised the kids did this trip twice a day to go school. I got into a bit of a pickle with the water as I thought the guy said it was 18 rupees - turned out it was 80 - I was really shocked as this was about 6 times the price back in Pokhara - I know there were transportation costs but it really seemed that they were out to get the most out of tourists. This part of the trek was really busy and full of people who were on a bigger budget than me - people who had flown in for two weeks and doing a whistle stop tour of Nepal. Luckily Kiran had offered to carry my bag so I wasn't in so much a state as the previous day when I polled up at the Sunny Guesthouse in Ghorepani. It was a lovely place with a panoramic view of Annapurna - the rooms were strangely all named after sports stars - I was in the Andrew Flintoff suite, the Carl Fogarty was opposite and the Steven Gerrard on the end. Quick shower which thankfully today was piping hot before spending the rest of afternoon round a lovely fire in the centre of the restaurant.

Another early start - up at 4.15 along with everyone else in Ghorepani to see sunrise up on Poon Hill. It was like Picadilly Circus at the top - one lad had camped up there which must have been magical until he was invaded at 5 in the morning with a sea of North Face, Berghaus, tripods and walking sticks. Sunrise was beautiful and the light on Annapurna amazing. I didn't find the climb too hard but just about everyone passed me scampering up and down like gazelles - I came to the conclusion I was the Duracell bunny of trekkers - I may be slow but I keep going.

The first bit of the trek to Tatopani wasn't too bad and I was followed for a way by a lovely dog. I was amazed at how much stuff people brought - the poor porters - I decided if I did this again I would bring exactly the same stuff - maybe some more Tesco trousers, Vaseline (for my toes - improvised with lip balm), washing powder and sticks. Most of the two weekers turned right at Ghorepani - no pacing myself with Japanese pensioners today - so the route was pretty quiet. It was after lunch that I started having problems the weight of bag was pushing me down the hill quicker than I wanted to go on an uneven surface and then the steps started. I could barely walk when I arrived in Tatapani and was so shattered that I didn't have the energy to argue with the guesthouse owner who was saying the two single beds were a double bed - mmh don't think so in my world.

I was straight down to the hot springs and I'm not sure how clean they were but it was gorgeous not to feel any pain though there was a bit of an audience of Nepali men. There were loads of hard core trekkers staying at the guesthouse who had done the Annapurna - a couple were in their 70's - and there's me crippled after three days as I said in the cafe later "I am a disgrace to the trekking fraternity" - but then maybe they had trained Susan and Rachel a couple of girls I met in Ghorepani had climbed Snowdon to prepare.

The next day I could barely make it to the bathroom and thought how can I walk for 5 and half hours when I can barely make three paces across the room without being in agony. As I hobbled off other trekkers scampered past me and this little girl tried to sell me oranges and when that didn't work it was down to "one pen". As the day wore on it did get easier just so long as I kept up the momentum and I was helped by this lovely old lady who gave me a stick a long the way and didn't want any money for it - there are some good people around. I finally limped into Galeshor about five and a bit hours later which to say my legs were in bits wasn't too bad (5 hours the recommended time).

I was still in pain the following morning not help by the big step into the bathroom but I took comfort in the fact it was only an hours walk down the valley to Beni from where we could pick up the bus to Pokhara. I was a bit worried that I would make a bit of spectacle of myself getting on the bus - steps were very painful - but the worst thing that happened was an oof over the seat numbers "just sit in my seat" I said to this Nepali lady but no she insisted she had to have the correst number - pain in the neck sometimes are people like that. Back in Pokhara it was rip off time again with the taxi - even Kiran was shocked - got him down a third but came to the conclusion that Nepali taxi drivers are essentially very lazy - they would rather rest and do a few rip off rides a day than do a proper days work.

The rest of my stay in Pokhara I spent trying to sort out my legs - swimming down at the posh hotel down the road and a couple of visits to the massage parlour. One time I was in there yelping away as my legs were pummelled I overheard a convo between this French woman and the owner - she was wittering on about this hair regrowth cream that she was going to buy as a present from Nepal (!!) for her follicly challenged brother - nearly forty pounds he was asking for it - one born every minute as I was pretty sure it wasn't going to make that much difference. That was the problem with Pokhara - it's setting is stunningly beautiful, set round the Fewa Tal lake in the shadow of the most amazing mountains - but the people are only really interested in getting the most cash out of your wallet - they don't want backpackers on a budget, its the two weekers who fly in with mucho spending money they want - I just think there should be a place for both of us but the Nepalis I think have gone past that stage now - no longer the Shangri La it once was!

On the road to Annapurna

2009-12-05T07:57:00.009Z

Photos from Lumbini to Pokhara are here

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=153830&id=771224918&l=8edae97a7c

The journey up to the border wasn't too bad - lots of staring at Varanasi station and a bit of abuse of a beggar because I had no change but another one was really chuffed with the packet of biccies I gave him. I had a really good nights sleep on the train the only iffy bit was waking up and finding a bloke sat at the end of my bunk - the problem is that they don't just sit there, eventually they start to loll and before you know it they have half your bunk - a hard Paddington bear stare and he was gone. Like I said great nights sleep so good in fact that I was still in bed when we pulled into Gorakhpur station - the train being a bit on the weird side in that it was on time - just rammed my stuff in my bag and then had a rearrangement on the platform by which time all touts hanging around had buggered off with the hoards.

Bit of trouble finding the bus to the border - should have really gone for the one with all the rucksacks on but I thought it was a private bus so headed up to the bus station - no joy there and asking on the other buses parked up I got the impression if I had have said Timboukto they would have said "yes" they were going there. So I ended up on the one with all the rucksacks - bit of a argument with the conductor who wanted me to sit in a mythical seat at the back - me saying wouldn't it be better if one of the people stood at the back sat in said seat - I didn't mind standing, once stood for 7 hours at a Rolling Stones concert with no adverse side effects but the guy was adamant the back of the bus I had to go. Arriving at the border town of Sonauli the rickshaw drivers circled like vultures with claims that it was 1.5 kilometres to the actual border - well if it was I did a personal best and possible world record for the 1500m with rucksack.

Crossing over was easy, visa bought (40$ for one month - the nepalis have certainly cottoned on to tourists its only slightly more than this for six months in India) and then found a bus to take me up to Bharawa and then onto Lumbini - again conductor issues when he got a bit vocal with me as I insisted on tying my bag on the roof. The next day hired a bike in Lumbini and then cycled out to the birthplace of the Buddha - it was set in a really nice garden but the pavilion they had built on his actual birthplace was bit shed like (reminded me of a council toilet block). On parkland surrounding the garden different countries had built various temples - some were great like the Chinese one but I think they were having money problems as both the Korean and Vietnamese ones were still work in progress (Vietnam according to the Lonely Planet should have opened in 2006). I was a bit starved as there were no food stalls in the complex which I found really strange for a tourist attraction and the bike had been built to inflict pain so headed back to the guesthouse. Met another couple of travellers there Sarah from Canada and John from Ireland who both thought Lumbini was a strange place - to be honest apart from the lack of food I hadn't really noticed the strange attitude of the people - suppose I can be a in a bit of a dreamworld at times and the lack of hassle after India was quite nice.

Up early next day and easily found the bus to Bharawa but it was so slow I swear the conductor went home to change his shirt at one point - one and a half hours to do 20k's was a bit much. another bus to Butwal and then a quick scoot round the bus station found the right bus which would take me to Tansen - a small Newari village about halfway between Butwal and Pokhara. It didn't start off too bad as not many people got on and there was a very cute goat tethered along the aisle but Nepali buses never go half full, about 100m after leaving the bus station we stopped and loaded up. I was sat next to a sweet old lady who had a strong smell of goat - in fact the whole bus smelt of goat and was so jammed people were hanging off the sides. It was a lovely journey through a stunning river gorge and tropical lowlands, should have only taken two hours re Lonely Planet - three and a half hours later we pulled into Tansen. The village was really steep set on a ridge overlooking the valley - I ended staggering up a street that could have come out of the Hovis ad to find a hotel.

The hotel was nice but well over priced and it took a lot of hard bargaining before the owner came down to a sensible rate. Wasn't very happy in the morning when there was no electric (for what they were charging they should have had a generator) so my hair was in a right state but I thought no hassles it's only 4 hours to Pokhara. Down at the bus station the ticket man wouldn't sell tickets until the bus arrived - this was really annoying this Spanish bloke who had been waiting for over two hours and then the guy said "well you could get this other bus and then another to Pokhara - they're every half hour" - the Spanish guy lost it a bit after that "why didn't you say that two hours ago?". The bus when it showed was full so ended up on the roof - it wasn't too bad at first as I had a bit of wood to sit on but as the hours went by it did become a little painful. Joints were being passed round - you know you're getting old old when you're ignored in the crash (not that I would but it's nice to be asked). Seven hours I spent on the roof altogether looking a right state, halfway there realised I had dhal down my shirt, all the other girls looked so tidy and neat. Despite the pain after the woodman took his piece of wood (then it was down to shawl and hat) it was a lovely ride on winding roads and ever now and again you got a glimpse of Annapurna in the distance but you ready for Pokhara when it came.

The bus naturally didn't go to the bus station and was met by touts, I'd no idea where we were so ended up hitching a ride to the Paradise Guesthouse where I was promised a family atmosphere - the reality of this was a screaming child next door - still it was a nice room with soft fluffy pillows which I love. Was a bit shocked at how touristy Lakeside in Pokhara was, it was a bit like Blackpool - wall to wall tourist restaurants and souvenir shops and as I inevitably found out they had really cottoned on to tourists with such weird things as service charges and tax - an alien concept to me.

Okay that's it for the minute - travelling for the next few days so not sure about internet connection etc but hopefully some more next week.

Carry on down the Ganges

2009-11-21T06:13:00.011Z

Photos from Rishikesh and Varanasi are here:

Rishikesh - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=153551&id=771224918&l=abda451fd7
Varanasi - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=153822&id=771224918&l=ca41489c53

Its amazing how a bit of sunny weather can lighten your mood about a place - the last time I was in Delhi was back in August and it rained, couldn't wait to get out of the place. This time it was lovely and sunny so I decided to head down to the Indira Gandhi museum. I'd sorted out my train ticket to Haridwar the previous day which hadn't been without hassles - the Foreigners bureau in the main railway station had been full of Indians buying multiple tickets for folk who couldn't be arsed to walk down there. Over an hour I queued keeping an eye out for potential pushers in, some people took an age then inviting their mates up for a chat, me just over a minute at the counter naturally to get sorted - no availability on the train the following day but I could go Wednesday.

The Gandhi museum was really interesting but it looked like they were doing some renovations to the house so only the exhibition about Rajiv Gandhi was open. A couple of rooms were on display Indira's bedroom and her study which were like time capsules and in the garden where she was assassinated a glass walkway had been constructed. Then it was off to the Craft museum taking my life in my hands crossing six lanes of traffic to get to India Gate for a chill and an ice cream. Decided I'd risked enough crossing the road the last time so took a rickshaw the rest of the way - agreed a price and then the driver took me to the wrong place swearing blind it had changed it's name. I don't fall for that one and pointed out where he should have taken me - not a happy bunny when he realised he would have to go round India Gate again for no extra money. The museum part of the complex was interesting showing all the different arts and crafts of the regions which were all distinct but it was a bit of a labrynth. In the artisans area, there was a small market but it was really hassly and I thought they could have done some maintenance on the village houses outside which looked really run down.

I was up early the next day to catch the 10 to 7 train to Haridwar one of the shorter journeys on the trip taking just over 4 hours. I was sat next to a Swami who wasted no time in showing me and the Israeli guy sat the other side of him a glossy brochure about the various enlightenment courses he ran. Maybe I'm a bit of a cynic but the Swami business seemed to me to be doing very well as the guy had a top of the range mobile phone, laptop and Ipod. Chatted as well to an interesting French guy who had worked in logistics for Medecin Sans Frontiere in Niger, he said there were loads of jobs that were non medical which is something I've always fancied doing working abroad for a charity so may look into that when I get back.

Compared to most places in India Rishikesh was a doddle, nobody followed me when I got off the bus and I was able to get a rickshaw really easy which dropped me a few k's up the road at Swarg Ashram. It was a bit of a walk to the hotel as no rickshaws were allowed over the suspension bridge - the first room they showed me had a cracking view of what appeared to be an underground car park, the next one had a lovely view of the hills marred slightly the great big electric pole outside my window. I could see why Ringo Starr had compared the place to Butlins, the ashrams of which there were many in this part of town did have a certain holiday camp look about them.

I wasn't really into the guru meditation stuff - some of the gurus looked a bit shifty in my opinion, usually sporting a hair style and beard that had gone out of fashion somewhere in the early seventies - it was just a bit too big business for me and a little on the heavy side. That said I do have a soft spot for having my palm read - I knew the guy's main business was selling gems but what he said about my past was so freakily accurate there must be something in it. Anyway the good news was that I had a long life ahead of me (no fear of Indian buses on mountain roads now) and that I would continue to live a simple life and would eventually meet the man of my dreams - so I bought a lovely Jupiter stone necklace from him which he told me would help me in the future with its postive vibes.

Moved hotels pretty quickly to a cheaper place up in Lashman Jullah - lovely view over the Ganges the only downside being the taxi stand opposite my room - still it was good alarm clock. Went rafting one day which was brilliant - the people on the trip were real good fun 9 Spaniards, 2 Germans, 2 Indians and me. The Spanish were all expats working in Delhi for the Spanish Trade Council and and a bit on the crazy side - a couple of the rapids were a bit on the scary side but we just screamed like loons as it climbed the mountainous waves and at one part of the river we could jump out of the boat and just float downstream which was lovely if a little cold.

I'd had a lot of trouble getting a ticket to Varanasi - two trips up to the station dealing with one bloke who was a right grumpy arse and another in charge of the carbon paper department who had graduated from the University of stating the obvious - "all full because its Diwali" - " really I would never have guessed and you know the availability of every train in India without even looking at a computer-wow!!" In the end I ended up going to a travel agents who with a bit of local knowledge took 5 minutes to sort out what the station hadn't managed to achieve in two days. Had to take the local train down to Haridwar and saw my best bit of mispelt grafitti so far on this trip - "Only foals fall in love and I am one of them" - total madness in the station as I was in unreserved, stood in the doorway waiting to get off and the train had barely stopped before people were trying to barge past me - I did say to the waiting throng that they would probably find it easier to get on if I was on the platform but nobody listened so in the end I just took to a bit of barging and shoving back.

The train to Varanasi took an age - nearly 22 hours - not a bad nights sleep to say we had a few snorers and a baby who was managing to outscream Yoko Ono on my MP3 player. The toilets though were another world - a pungent aroma of bloke wee and dirty protests as I've no idea how poo could get into some of the places where it was - so it was a case of sit on your leg time after lunchtime. As I was staying in the old town near the river I'd arranged a pick up from the hotel as I knew I would have been hassled at the station, got lost in the lanes and ended up losing my temper as my sense of direction on arriving isn't the greatest - but as the train was nearly 3 hours late there was no one there to meet me - real frustrating time trying to contact the hotel as the phone number was wrong in my guide book and I couldn't hear them when I did get through but thanks to the guy in the Tourist Information place eventually one of the guys from the hotel showed up - there's no way I would have found the place otherwise.

The hotel was pretty cool overlooking the river Ganges but I thought it was pricey for what it was and noisy - the first night I was awoken by some mad man ringing a bell and shouting randomly at 4 in the morning and on my last night there was some religious festival down on the ghat - started about 3am with fireworks and by 5 they were still singing and dancing, only stopping when it was time for me to get and check out of my room, which I was a little on the grumpy side about!

I think Varanasi has got to be one the dirtiest places I've visited - the constant smell of bloke wee and rubbish and cow shit - the Ganges itself was filthy and I was reading that the water quality is so bad that it is considered septic but because it is a holy river people continue to bathe and wash their clothes in it. That said I did like the place especially the old town where you wander for hours getting lost in the lanes and I found the cremation ghats quite moving though the way they dipped the bodies in the Ganges beforehand was a bit iffy usually laying the body on a pile of rubbish before throwing some Ganges water over the copse. So I spent my days wandering the lanes and ghats - was a bit museumed/forted out by this point - did get a bit of hassle usually from blokes wanting improve their English (ha ha heard that one before!!), sell me drugs or take me out in a boat but at least it wasn't the usual "what country" which really gets on my nerves.

Right that's it for the moment - next stop Nepal....

Jalsaimer - the Golden City

2009-11-13T06:48:00.011Z

Photos from Jaisalmer -

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=153545&id=771224918&l=abf51779e4

Well I've had some welcoming committees in my time but Jaisalmer really took the biscuit!! I'd started out on the local bus from Jodhpur - bit of hassle from the beggars in the bus station who were not at all impressed when I gave them food instead of money - you just can't please some people! The bus itself was a bit of a shed, holes in the floor in front of me but it was a really nice ride through scrubby desert, past windfarms and in Pokhran I was best friends for life with the little boy I bought water off.

The problem started just as we arrived in Jaisalmer and three blokes got on outside the railway station and started harassing me about hotels - one was even there because the guy at the hotel in Jodhpur had rung him up to tell him I would be arriving that afternoon - not a very happy bunny I can tell you. Arriving at the bus station it was complete pandamonium - there more than twenty of them all clutching their hotel cards which I think it was a bit excessive for one tourist - just got of the bus and ignored them. Then they all started to follow me - one claiming to be from the bus company and I should get in this white car "okay mate where's your badge then!" - got half way down the ring road before I realised I was walking in the wrong direction. I still had three of them tailing me at this point - in the end I gave up and went with the guy whose mate had rung from Jodhpur only because he was offering rooms at 100 rupees and it was allegedly near the fort - though I thought he was hedging on me taking a camel safari to claw back the money on the cheap room - little did he know...

I found Jaisalmer quite expensive and very hassly - it was all "madam you buy this" "what country" every thirty seconds - the coke cans had the correct price felt tipped over and even the beer shop tried to rip me off wanting 100 rupees for a bottle marked 60 - that's the beauty of India prices stamped on the items and most people will charge tourists the rate shown. Sorted out my train ticket to Delhi but not without having an altercation with this goofy looking guy who shoved in front of me - me protesting that if he had been in the queue he would have been facing the counter not to the side - I just wished my Hindi was better as they just looked at me like I was some mad old woman. Moved hotels pretty quickly as well much to the disgust of mi laddo from the bus station mainly because I couldn't remember the hotel name, where it was (nowhere near the fort) and there was rather a bit to much massage conversation to my liking when I was having dinner.

That said I did go for a bit of reflexology - you would think you would be safe with your feet but Dr Vyas "Master of Massage" as proudly proclaimed on his business card I think had other ideas. First off he had to check my ayuvedic category for no extra cost, this involved pressing various pressure points and from that he concluded I was having really problems in the stomach department - "a western tourist in India having stomach problems that's a bit unusual "I thought (though I kinda buck the trend - it's a genetic thing). Amazingly he said to sort out this anomaly he needed me to take off my blouse, err I think we'll leave my stomach problems as they are, thank you very much I told him. He wasn't best pleased and then continued on to the reflexology bit - I've had this a couple of times in the past and usually had whale music playing and soft bed with fluffy pillows to chill on - this time it was a bench, oil was slavered on my feet and with his builder like hands Dr Vyas pressed my toes a few times and told me I was depressed and couldn't sleep. Naturally he could sort this if I came back and gave him 100 rupees, he would then press his finger on my forehead and chant mantras over me - I'd need to do this three times and then I would sorted and bouncing around like a little bunny. I said I'd think about his offer to unburden me of a further 300 rupees.

My new hotel was really nice and the staff didn't hassle too much about camel safaris, it was where I had originally wanted to stay - the room was lovely with Rajastani paintings on the wall and the most amazing view over the desert from the tiny balcony. As I'm not into riding on animals I decided instead of a safari to just take a drive out in to the desert for sunset as I do love a good sunset. Ended up travelling with two Japanese girls in beat up Tata (the Indian Fiat Panda) which had seen a lot of action on the passenger door so I belted up for once. I thought the dunes would stretch to the horizon and there would loads of camels wandering about by the roadside but it wasn't like that at all - bit harsh but it reminded me of Southport with sun and the only camel I saw was one looked after by these "one pen" kids that one of the Japanese girls rode. Out in the dunes there were a couple of safari camps but it did strike me there wasn't a lot to do once you had got off your camel - drink beer, do handstands and dance a round like a loon which seemed to be what one Israeli guy was doing. Sunset wasn't the greatest I know I'm a harsh critic but there were no fiery reds and oranges as the sun dropped below the horizon. Bit of a hair raising drive back to town - 90 mph all the way and I had to stop myself from saying "mind the cyclist" as the driver sped along the unlit roads. As a place to look at Jaisalmer is really lovely but it was the people that got me down, I even said if you didn't hassle people so much maybe more people would come, but I don't think they'll take any notice.

The next day I left for Delhi - cool price to the station by rickshaw, but when I got to my carriage I thought "oh shit" as it was full of soldiers smoking and drinking and sitting in the dark. I immediately started opening all the windows to let a bit of air into the place and then the older soldier Mr Kumar started talking to me - usual crap "not married and not looking either" kind of stuff. He then wanted his photo taken with me - it gives me the creeps what they do with them (when I worked at Pontins we used to have a dartboard of dodginess photos) so I said no and then he started becoming a pain about it - "why" "because I don't like having my photo taken with creepy soldiers, thats why" I did want to say. He left me alone after that spec when I told his mate to go and buy his own water after he asked to drink mine - a young family moved into their seats and they were none too enamoured by their presence either. The next morning we were still chugging towards Delhi and the carriage got really busy - 10 people squeezed into the space for 6 and going to the toilet was a bit of an ordeal as sometimes the guys just pressed against you on purpose as you squeezed past - saw it with one other traveller big grins on their faces as she tried to get past - I was a bit unfortunate as I didn't know which groin to knee when it was done to me.

Made a bit of a mistake with the station as I thought we were stopping at New Delhi - so it was lucky I met three other travellers Sara, Brian and Halyat(sp) who knew we were going to Old Delhi. I wouldn't really recommend the Delhi metro with a rucksack as it was so rammed, arriving at the next station down the line we were all bundled back on to the platform through sheer weight of numbers pushing behind us but as Brian said they don't use their heads plenty of space at the back but everybody was crowded round the door. This time I decided on the Lords Hotel - as it had looked clean when I looked round it in August - the others despite my warnings went for the Vivek - "its grim but at least the sheets are clean" were Brians words - with me it was "never again".

Okay that's it the moment - maybe a bit more later on this week as I'm now in Kathmandu and have found a real cheapy internet cafe.

Rajasthan RIFF festival

2009-11-08T13:42:00.010Z

Photos from Jodhpur are here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=147058&id=771224918&l=fcc63b18bb

The journey from Jammu was a long one taking nearly 24 hours - I was never totally convinced I was on the right platform let alone the right train as all the signs were in Hindi - luckily I ended up sharing a berth with some really nice lads from Ahmedabad who assured me that "yes it was the Jodhpur train". The thing with sleeper class is that although only 6 of you have the berths for the night - during the day more and more people will cram on the seats - not the most comfy ride as a very lardy arsed man got on at Jadlander city and spread his legs - personally I think they should have a bottom measurer and any larger than a certain size they have to buy two tickets - I just get fed up of being squashed into a corner!

The guys were really nice even going out to buy me water (wouldn't taken any money as well) and putting my bunk up for me to make me a bit more comfortable. I did wake up at one point to find a small Sikh child feet were in my face - you just can't leave any space on your bed or someone will jump in it - luckily they got out half way through the night. The train was two hours late arriving in Jodhpur and the heat just hit you - bit problematic as I lost my map last time I was there so just avoided the rickshaws guys at the station (anywhere for 10 rupees - okay Jaisalmer...New Delhi...didn't think so!) and walked up the road till I found someone to take me to a 300 rupee hotel in the old town for a proper rate. The were a bit stupid at the hotel as first they showed me a 600 rupee room - what bit of 300r don't you get - though fair does to the place the room I eventually got was a bargain for the size of it and really nice.

Finding out about the Riff Festival wasn't too easy as I went to the Tourist Office and they knew nothing - more interested in their own Marwar festival. It is probably the only time I've ever been tempted to cross the line into a Macdonalds as I was so hot walking back - lovely piccy of ice cold Coke on the window - but I resisted and ended up flaking out a bit on the floor of the beer shop as the bloke poured me a glass of water. Finally found out about the festival the following day up at the fort - then I couldn't decide who I wanted to see - decision, decisions - in the end went to free concert in the evening at Jaswant Thanda. It was really beautiful as the musicians played to a backdrop of the fort and sunset - the only downside being the big cameras - I just wish that would sit down and listen to the music instead of wafting about in front of me to take photos that no one will ever see.

Next day I awoke to the mad sounds of camels and music coming past the front door of the hotel - it was the start of the Marwar festival - people danced on floats and musicians played. Decided to head along to the stadium for the afternoons festivities but made the mistake of calling by the tourist office again to ask where it was - I honestly don't think the guy could read his own crappy map as he marked the wrong place so ended up on a real frustrating walk through a park and the back streets of Jodhpur - only found the place by accident after a couple of guys had directed me onto a building site opposite. Immediately bumped into Spice Boy (a guy who had been hassling me for a couple of days to go into his spice shop for a cup of tea after he found me a chocolate shop) and I did find preceedings a bit hard to follow as it was all Hindi - not a criticism though because it was rather nice as free tea and biccies were being handed out. Stayed for the turban tying, best moustache and best dressed Rajastani which turned into into a bit of a Miss World competition "world peace etc" questions - well I am guessing the last bit.

Evening time it was up to the fort to see Ustad Sultan Khan - the worlds foremost sarangi player - maybe I had seen him before not sure - he wasn't very well and had to be helped on stage (it turned out later that he had cancelled all his performances apart from this one due to ill health). The surroundings were really atmospheric in a courtyard at the back of the fort with the bright full moon rising above. I was really impressed with the singer not sure of his name but I did enjoy the concert - though some people next to me were taking it a little too seriously wittering on about how the didn't like the combination of the two styles - classical and folk. The second half was musicians from the Langa community who were great especially the young boys who sang - I sat at the back by the walls which was a bit less heavy with the music critique but what I didn't realise was that I was sat next to the VIP area - no idea who were they were but folk were coming up and asking for photos.

Last act of the night were a strange group - school teachers from Chicago called Mr Chicago Folk - secretly I was hoping we might have had a set from Micky J (patron) but it was not to be. The acoustics weren't great in the small courtyard where they played - but where the sound lacked they made up for in energy and soon had everybody up jumping around dancing to songs like Pinball Wizard, Twist and Shout and Minnie the Moucher - brilliant night and bless the rickshaw driver didn't rip me off too much for the ride back.

It was a real shame every morning I was too knackered to get up to see Sunrise Morning Blues at 5.45am which sounded great. Evening time it was Flamenco night with Antonio Rey and Ferruco - the sand whirled around the courtyard and Antonio did struggle a bit with his hair but his guitar playing was amazing - it was only marred by these muppets next to me (posh English) who sat drinking wine, chatting whilst he played and then overdoing the wooing when he finished - a classic sign of paying bugger all attention to the music. Well flamenco had certainly changed - I was expecting frilly dresses and a black hat a la Benidorm 1978 (yes I know I'm a bit stupid at times) - Ferrucco was dressed moodily in jeans and black shirt and was good but I'm not real a tap person (all those years of watching Roy Castle on Record Breakers put me off) - what I didn't realise that flamenco originated in Rajastan hence the strong links that Spain had with the festival.

Last act of the night was a percussionist Sivamani who was brill and managed to get everybody up and dancing and played an amazing array of instruments including a suitcase and a water bottle - still he seemed to get a good sound out of them. I managed to get down to the front with my crap camera excuse - it was a great atmosphere and I was really sorry when it all had to end. The only thing I didn't like was all the filming on camera phones, some people are so obsessed with taking photos etc that they are not really listening to the music - just find it a bit intrusive at times.

I really love Jodhpur - maybe its the fort overlooking the city - when I was little I had a jigsaw of India with that on, to me it always looked so mysterious and romantic overlooking the desert - I never ever imagined one day I would go there not once but twice now. Or maybe its the people in the old town I always had a laugh and joke with the guys in the water and coke shop about the fact I didn't want to look at their carpets - just water,coke and chocolate that's all I'm interested in. Whatever it is Jodhpur remains one of my favourite places in India and I was really sorry to leave the following day in to the desert for Jaisalmer - The Golden City.

The road through Kashmir

2009-10-18T13:36:00.009+01:00

Photos from Kashmir are here - not so many as I have taken loads in the past and there are only so many pics of mountains and lakes in my mind that you need - bit like pictures of tents at Glastonbury:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=147054&id=771224918&l=a72efa9c2d

One of the few things that gets me seriously mardy when travelling is being told horseshit at some travel/bus/train station - and this happened the day I went out looking for a bus to Srinagar. Tried to get the local bus but the guys were all on strike - nobody seemed to know what it was all about and when they would be back at work so I ended up having to trail round the agencies. All the jeeps were leaving at the same time but allegedly they could arrive anytime between 4 and 10 in the morning - I knew this was rubbish so went for the one who gave me what I thought was the right answer - though he was a little unwilling to write "jeep to Srinagar" on my receipt till I persisted as I didn't want them thinking I'd given a donation to the travel agents Christmas party.

The trip was amazing - if Robert Plant had actually been going to Kashmir when he wrote the words to the song he would have been on the Leh/Srinagar Road. Though it wasn't the most comfortable of rides as I was squeezed in the back next to a chunky policeman from Bangalore who should have either have had his legs tapped together or coughed up some more mullah for a front seat - he wasn't too fragrant either! The other downside was that it was a night drive but it was kinda made up for with the stars which were really amazing - millions of them - we stopped at a small village for chai and you could could tell we were heading west by the pictures of Ayatollahs on the cafe walls as the Muslims in this part of J & K were all Shia rather than Sunni like the rest of Kashmir.

I didn't get much sleep as chunky kept falling on me, maybe I was a bit awful but it's probably the only time I'll get away with shoving a policeman and not getting arrested. I was pretty sure that Zoji La pass was shut at night or only allowed one way traffic as the road was so narrow so at half two in the morning we pulled up in Drass (second coldest inhabited place on earth!!) to join the queue to make the crossing. I managed to extricate myself from the back seat and went for tea in a local cafe with Jessica and Milo who were in the same jeep - it was so cold even in the slight warmth of cafe. The Zoji La pass which marks the border between Ladakh and Kashmir was amazing - once you reach the top, the road winds its way down a cliff face - no photos as I was on the wrong side of the jeep and was drifting in and out of consciousness only waking up when my head cracked against the window - but it was one of those sights that I'll never forget and is described in the Lonely Planet as "not for the faint hearted).

Big welcoming committee at the tourist reception centre in Srinagar which we managed to shake off by going across the road to relative safety of the info centre - we'd been hustled coming into the city by some guys telling lies about where we would be dropped - they shut up when I pointed I knew exactly where we going to be dropped off. I headed to my old haunt Dal View as I wasn't too keen on the houseboat the others were staying on and then spent a frustrating couple of days trying to sort out my rail ticket from Jammu. No railway station in Srinagar I was told - that's funny its marked on Google earth (don't ask me how I know but its deffo there) - but the guy was insistent in the tourist office I had to go to the DC office (nothing to do with David Coulthard) - there then followed a long list of complicated instructions as the guy couldn't read a map, the only problem being I couldn't do left/right - took a bit of time and patience till we came to a compromise. I was thoroughly frisked at the DC office and had numerous items taken off me - amazing what they consider a threat to security with items such as malaria tablets, tampons, inhaler, mp3 player being held onto and others like my lighter and mobile phone being okay - after all that palaver the computer was down with no idea when things would be up and running.

Giving the train ticket up as a lost cause I headed off to Aru back to see the guys at the Rohella Guesthouse along with the essential 5 bottles of beer carefully stowed in my rucksack to last me the week - local price in the jeeps all the way. I was bemused in Pahalgam bus station - to be given a hotel recommendation all in Hebrew - "I'm English" - turned out the guy had been living in Bolton the previous year and thought it was beautiful - not the two words I would have thought would have gone together in the same sentence. It was really nice to see everyone back in Aru - Bisma the little girl I remember the most had really grown and was now 7 years old and Rafi was thinking of heading abroad for work maybe Dubai as it wasn't easy to find a job in Kashmir.

Unfortunately I fell ill whilst I was there - really bad cough and fever - in between my bouts of being bedridden went for a couple of short walks, played endless games of Caram and cards and ate far too much pasta. One day a Bengali family turned up - the Bengalis do like to travel - they were a little disappointed that there were no TV's at the guesthouse and two of the family never left their room after checking in - the little girl with them Shibamgini was really surprised that I didn't have a swimming pool at my house back in England and 17 cars in the garage like her. She was really sweet and wanted to be a fashion designer when she grew up - I said I wanted to be an astronaut - but I did feel a little sorry for her as she said her parents were away and to make up for that they had bought her an i-phone - her dad didn't seem to bad as he took her for a pony ride but the others did seem to leave her alone a lot - just shouting random stuff from upstairs every now and again.

Eid and the end of Ramadan happened whilst I was there as well - coincidence that I was last in Aru at Eid two years ago - this time a French lady called Lydia came over with her son Takrick (sp) to celebrate the festival. She was living in Laripura just up the road but she said that she found it hard living there as the locals weren't as accepting as when you were travelling through. We all had lunch up at the big house before heading off to the Betab valley - this was when I started to feel ill and I'm sure it wasn't helped by the drive there - bouncing along the road and facing backwards. It was real shame that I was so bad as two Israelis turned up raring to go trekking and as I could barely walk to the end of the garden there was no way that I could go.

As the RIFF festival was starting on the Thursday, I left Aru on the Monday so I would get there in time - I still didn't have my ticket from Jammu to Jodhpur so I wasn't sure I would make it for the start. Rafi came with as far as Anantnag on the way we stopped off for tea in Ringo Starr's cafe in the bus station - it was strange place with pride of place going to the TV in a very fancy flashing light cabinet, Ringo seemed happy enough in his new life so I didn't bother him for an autograph. Rafi was great he sorted out my jeep to Jammu and I felt like I was handed over into the care of the old man driving - he was really nice encouraging me to eat though I'm not sure how good his eyesight was as he managed to puncture the tyre by driving over a dead monkey. It was lucky we weren't going too fast - wheel changed on the side of the mountain as the trucks hurtled past at breakneck speed before we pulled into Jammu a couple of hours late. The old man I think took his responsibility seriously and took me to a nice hotel only problem it was well over my budget and they wouldn't haggle - one of the porters then took me to a cheaper one round the corner but I still had to do a lot of hard bargaining and even though I was a bit on stroppy side one of the guys went off to find me a beer.

Finally got my train ticket sorted out the following day - went to the wrong place on three occasions before I eventually found the rail reservation counter - the other customers didn't think twice about barging in front of me in the queue even though I was stood waiting patiently with my rucksack on my back and a booking slip in hand. In the end I took to a bit of barging and shouting and eventually got my ticket.

Sorting out a hotel was a bit more problematic - I needed to be nearer the railway station so headed to the tourist office to see if they had any ideas. The guy in the know suggested either a Hindu Hostel for pilgrims or his hotel but then he blotted his copybook a bit by starting a massage conversation - okay hindu hostel it is!! Big mistake - firstly right palaver checking for contraband and they were rubbish at that and then they only had dormitories. I thought they would be single sex and about 6 bunk beds to a room - dream on - they were mixed and the beds a centimetre apart - memories of the Amsterdam Sleep-In came flooding back when I woke up in the middle of the night with this random blokes arm round me - I can't stay here. Luckily I met a guy called Omar once more at the tourist centre who was really nice and found a cool but extremely expensive hotel which looked a lot safer place to stay and he wouldn't take any money off me for finding the place.

I know people go on about Kashmir being dodgy but I felt really well looked after all the way down the valley - even walking down Lal Chowk in Srinagar people didn't hassle me - they stared which I understand but none of the rubbish like "you buy this","which country" - which does get on your nerves if you hear it twenty times a day. I was really sorry next day when the train chugged over the bridge into the Punjab and I left Kashmir behind - just for now!!

Leh-zy days in Ladakh

2009-10-11T06:01:00.010+01:00

Slapped wrists as I have left it so long!!

Next set of photos from Ladakh - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=141573&id=771224918&l=eeea14905d

Ladakh was so lovely - the people friendly but not in a hassly way everywhere you went people said "Jullay" and the guesthouse Lakrook was a real nice place to stay - always one of the other guests to talk to at breakfast and a gorgeous organic garden. The only downside was it was a bit far out of town so the second week I moved to downtown Leh to save on the taxi fares. The Ladakhi's were really into environmental stuff as well - water bottles were refilled at the laundry and your washing done out of town so as not to pollute the water - there was a lack of blokes peeing on the the street (though one side of the Bank of India did have the whiff that you smell in the rest of India - my money was all the soldiers who used to clog up the ATM queue with the 77 cards they each had). The strangest thing were the compost toilets - just a hole in the ground that you shovelled earth down when you were done - I thought they were great as they didn't smell though one American tourist was quite horrified when he went to the one at "La Terrasse" in shock a bit when he got back to his mates.

One of the places I really wanted to visit before I went to India was the Nubra Valley - it's about as far north in India as a foreigner that you can go due to it's proximity to China. I was supposed to go on the local bus over highest alledged road pass in the world but the night before I was due to leave I had some dodgy soup and then spent most of the night up with really bad stomach pains - the fact I had only taken a few mouthfuls of the stuff before decided it was inedible didn't seem to matter. As the bus only went twice a week I ended up having to take to a shared jeep which wasn't too bad as there were six of us - a middle class family from Delhi and two architectural students from Berlin Hannah and Nicole - and I had the front seat so plenty of leg room and a great view. Though the family from Delhi seemed to think that "Dogey" was their own personal driver - me, Hannah and Nicole were only there to make up the numbers which as the trip went on did irritate me.

The road up to Khardung La (18380 feet) was I thought not as great as the Manali to Leh one but it was still an impressive ride as we wound our way up the mountainsides - on reaching the summit we were met by a collection of huts one claiming to be the highest cafe in the world, another the highest souvenir shop and one which I'm sure they forgot to put the sign on the worlds highest VIP toilet. One over the top it backdown the other side passing no doubt the worlds highest roadworks before we hit the valley of the River Shyok - it was an amazing valley with a bright blue river trickling across a wide plain with the road hugging the side. Quick stop at Diskit to see the gompa - think I was a bit gompad out by this point and to be honest it was so full of clutter it looked like a church jumble sale inside.

We were staying in Hundar about 7k's up the road - got a bit mardy when I was herded into this guesthouse - the Indian family got first pick of the rooms - so I said I'd go find something else. Dogey insisted on coming with me with his mate who looked real shonky with his greasy permed mullet - they took me to another run by this old woman in the middle of a building site. Not happy so I got my bag, told them to scoot (being polite here) "I'll find my own" - which I did within 5 minutes - had a gorgeous garden and the softest pillows I've come across in India. The owner I was warned by some posh English people was supposed to be a bit stroppy but I found him to be a bit of pussycat - even made him show me that the hot water wasn't a figment of his imagination - then it was festival time.

There had been quite a few things happening in Leh over the previous week - cham dancing, polo matches, roadshow (thankfully Bruno Brookes and Gary Davies didn't show up!) to mark the Ladakhi festival but I was lucky in that for that day events had switched to Hundar. Met the Indian family there no doubt driven by their Dogey as Indians don't walk (mummy had stayed in the car at Diskit Gompa) - it was the camels that made it for me - a herd of Bacterian ones leftover from the days when Hundar was on the old Silk Road. They were so placid and chilled sitting on the white dunes - I wanted to take one home - none of bad temper you see in other camels at tourist attractions. Saw a bit of dancing before there was a break to await the arrival of the governor of J & K - I think he had over egged his importance by calling in at Diskit on the way as most people had gone by the time I think I saw his car swerving down the track to the site.

The next day I was up early as had to be at the other guesthouse for 7.30 - consequently I got shafted a bit with the breakfast as no time to argue that hadn't ordered omelette. Only 5 mins late only to find mummy hadn't emerged that morning - half an hour later she swept out jabbering into her mobile followed by a young lad with two big bags - no wonder we had struggled getting our day packs in the car the previous day. No apology was made - "sorry guys" would have been nice - and then we ended up at an army camp waiting for their mate who they going to have tea with - the thing is neither me, Hannah or Nicole would have minded if they had just said something - I do think though Daddy got the message that we weren't happy when we left them to their social engagement for a little drive up the valley on our own.

I know I sound bitchy but I met others who rolled their eyes when I mentioned middle class Indians - I just think if you are sharing a car you should think about your other passengers. All too soon we back in Leh - Dogey misunderstood we would have liked to have been dropped off at the top of the hill so we could walk down through the palace (how I cursed him the next day as I sweated up the steep hill!) concentrating all his attention on the fat tip he was hoping to get from mummy and daddy.

The other trip I did took me out to Patgong Lake - had to get another permit as my previous one had run out - as part of the lake is in Tibet and the Chinese have been a bit naughty flying their helicopters over sensitive areas, there is a chance they may close the area off to foreigners once more. There were only 5 of us this time - Patrick and Alison from Dubai and Canada and Pascale and Louise from Belgium - the driver this time was a bit more chirpy with us. It was lovely ride this time over the third highest pass but by far the most sociable with the Indian army providing free cups of chai at the top.

The lake was lovely and you could see the sun shining in the distance in Tibet - unfortunately once you had looked at the lake there wasn't an awful lot else to do. The Indian army who were stationed there were having a party on the shore - beer, spirits, cocktail sausages on sticks all whilst playing a game of croquet - very civilised. We were supposed to stay the night there and some guy from the town we had passed through was being a right pain about his hotel - wittering on about ensuites and saying it cost 1500 rupees to stay in Spagmik the village we were heading to ("What they've opened a branch of the Hilton down there?" was my response). I don't think the driver picked the best homestay in the village to show us - I was half and half as the toilet was a hole in the ground outside and my stomach was rumbling so in the end we headed back to Leh - bit of a scarey ride towards the end as it was dark as we hurtled down the mountain and back into town - one of the problems being that cows don't have headlights!

Right that's it for the moment - Kashmir next - hopefully there won't be such a big gap in postings as I'm heading back up north (train to Delhi in an hour - no not Delhi again - unfortunately it can't be avoided - though a night at the Vivek will be!!) and where hopefully the electricity and heat won't be such a problem.

Welcome to Shangri-La!

2009-09-13T10:35:00.007+01:00

I always get behind with this and being in Leh doesn't help - sometimes there is no electricity, sometimes no connection and sometimes there is both - but I still love it here - For those only interested in the photos I've put them on facebook this time as it doesn't take as long to download - the link is here and hope it works:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=138288&id=771224918&l=13ed9cf2a6

Anyway back to where I left off - Delhi airport was so easy this time - no hassles from touts who I think were all off attending the annual tout convention and straight into a taxi that actually took me to the hotel I asked for - all for the going rate!! The only downside was the hotel (Vivek) I don't think they had cleaned the hotel since I last visited two and a half years ago - same bloodstains on the wall - while I'm sure their 1000 rupee rooms are very nice, the standard and economy were a disgrace - and the smell lingered with my clothes all the way to Manali.

Marmite sorted and I was out of Delhi as soon as I could - now I may skimp a bit with my hotel rooms but with a bus into the mountains I always think its worth paying a bit more - so I took the Volvo was which was great apart from the girl in front who decided to recline her chair the full stretch - thus jamming me in for most of the night - she was told

Manali was lovely and chilled after Delhi - but it was straight out looking for a bus to Leh in Ladakh as the road is only open till the 15th September and what an amazing road it is. The people on the van with me were all lovely and friendly - Al and Cynthia from Scotland, Ricki from Australia, Jen from Alaska, Ken from Singapore and Severine and Cedrie from France - which made a change from the bus rides in Thailand. The trip took two days going over some amazing mountain passes - the driver was a bit too quick for my liking (I had the front seat) and I thought at one point coming down the Rohtang Pass he was practising for a Grand Prix the way he careered around the hairpin bends - still after a night camped at 4200m he got us to Leh in one piece (we were bit convinced he had a date lined up in Leh as he practically threw our bags off the van before haring off into the sunset).

So I've been here in Leh now for two weeks - highlights of my first week were the Ladakhi Confluence Festival and a homestay in the mountains.

The Festival was the equivalent of Ladakh's Glastonbury - unfortunately the day we turned up (me, Jen, Ricki, Severine and Cedrie) it chose to tip down with rain and it doesn't rain that often here - something about it having as much rain as the Sahara, which I'm sceptical about. So as the stages were mainly open air it threw the whole thing into a bit of chaos - so chaotic that we ended up painting rocks as there were no kids there and getting over excited when a storyteller turned up - even that went a bit awry when the translators started arguing about the gist of the story which everyone had lost within the first five minutes.

If you have ever seen Woodstock the movie - the stage announcements were a bit like that "keep cool, keep dry, we're bussing in warm clothes, always bit of heaven in a disaster area" - okay made the last one up but to say they got any music on was a real miracle as they had to practically rebuild the only usuable stage - tents were built in the audience and fires lit though it is only the only festival have been to where the bouncers at the front were soldiers with machine guns (and the fence made from bed sheets). The music that we did get to see came from a guy called Suchet Malhotra and an Austrian beat box group called Bauchklang - it was a real good atmosphere with everybody up dancing that it was a shame it had to end - if only it hadn't rained though it did make for it being like a festival back home apart from the fact I spent the whole day drinking tea.

Couple of days later me, Jen and Ken set off our trek - we didn't have a guide just a map and vouchers to stay in the homes of various families in the valley - it was quite an easy route to follow and luckily for us Jen hit it off with the monk from Kaya village who said he would show us the way to the first village. This meant crossing the river Zanskar on a metal box attached to a wire pulley system - I was just glad it wasn't too high as some of the ones in Kinnaur I saw a couple of years back - so it wasn't as scarey as it looked - the main problem I found for the whole four days was walking uphill due to the altitude. The first night we spent in Kaya village - mostly playing cards with Jingme the monk who was a little besotted with Jen - the family were really nice but communication was a problem only knowing one word of Ladkhi "Jullay" (a very useful word which means hello, goodbye, please and thank you).

The second day was pretty hard as it rained and was all uphill - I think I must have been pretty comatosed at one point as I failed to smell or see the rotting pony on the track - good job as well (not sure if my breakfast wouldn't have made a guest appearance) and I was so glad to see the small hamlet of Shingo - two houses - where beds were waiting for us. The weather had closed in and the house we were staying in was full of Germans in the most up to date trekking gear who were waiting for their ponies - now I have a good pair of boots but we as a group were a little underprepared for the elements - we even had to put our wet clothes on to dry them so we decided we ain't that stupid to attempt the pass the following day if the weather was the same.

Luckily it was a fine sunny day we went set off the following morning for Ganda La (4900m) - Jen and Ken with with masking tape on their feet, me dressed in my nightie, pyjamas, jeans, two T-shirts and 3 pairs of socks - to say I struggled would be an understatement - sometimes I could only walk 40 paces without stopping for a breather - Ken and Jen coped so much better - in the end I stuck my music on and thanks go to Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd and David Bowie for getting me up to the top - I was a strange sight singing "Shine on you crazy diamond" as I plodded along. After that it was downhill all the way - one night stop over in Yurutse in a freezing cold house - before deciding the following day as the walk was only an hour to head back to Leh - it was such a beautiful valley that we walked through before the taxi pixies sprinkled a bit of their magic dust and a guy called Nazeer gave us a lift back to Leh, fed us Ladakhi apples and didn't ask the earth pricewise.

Okay that's it for the moment - hopefully I'll have time Wednesday to update this week - bit curious as to who is reading this as since my last post I seem to have had 8000 hits - checked my google account no great shakes on where I am listed - though it did make me laugh that apparently I was number 2 in google.com for a search of "German shepherd and a baby goat" last month - the mind boggles. Even when I search the title nothing strikes me - so maybe the counter as gone a bit weird - anyway off to get my laundry now before the electric kicks off yet again....

No hippies left in Thailand

2009-08-23T13:12:00.010+01:00

The thing with S E Asia they make the travelling too easy - India you have to do it on your own mainly and so this is why I found myself being herded through Banglampu the other Friday night to catch the bus to Koh Phan Ngam. I felt like a little baby elephant waddling through the streets as Thai fishermen trousers plus moneybelt and rucksack were not a fetching combo - we had all been colour coded with sticky labels but the guys in charge kept changing their minds where the buses were going (in reality we were all going to the same place -Touristland) so confusion and madness abounded at the bus stop.

I ended up sat next to Leo and his mates - party boys on tour from the north of England - to say they were all at Uni they weren't the brightest bunnies - "Is this the River Kwai?" one of them boomed as we left Bangkok and from what I'd gathered (and I did gather a lot- too much info in a lot of cases) they had spent most of their time here carousing with the ladies down Khao San Road. Six hours later we pulled into a roadside cafe - you knew it would be a rip off so I went for Macdonalds view - toilets and bins are all they are good for - the guys couldn't understand why we didn't stop at the supermarket up the road - mate (and I use that in the loose sense) it doesn't work that way when you are on one of these tourist buses.

Five o'clock in the morning we arrived at Touristland, everyone was off loaded and told it was 3 hour wait for the boat - brilliant another ripoffsville (everything was double the price of 7-11 supermarket). Though it was quite funny there was a guy touting for this hotel and he was just like Michael Palin (voice thing) as the guy handing out the crosses in the Life of Brian - "Where you going, where you staying, crucifixion and rip off hotel this way?"(maybe I am being a bit harsh only earning a living) - he could tell from my branding where I was going "hotel" is where I'm staying - he left me alone after that - I know I'm a grumpy arse but I can't do with prattle about hotels at 5 in the morning.

Lovely boat ride over to the islands - 4 plastic seats to myself plus lumpy bag and I was in la la land as luck has it I can sleep in the most awkward of places. I couldn't be bothered trawling through the guide book at hotels so just asked the taxi driver to drop me off in Had Yao up on the western coast of Ko Phan Ngam and just walked into the first place I came to. Ended up with a lovely hut with hammock and ensuite plus a swimming pool for under a tenner a night. Nice place but it was busy so I tended to find the waiters ignored me - came to the conclusion that if you're on your own its lost income to them - they'de rather half two/four people at a table who will usually tip handsomely as well.

So spent a couple of nights in Had Yao - every night there was a wicked storm out to sea - and one day I got caught out in a mad storm - there aren't many occasions that you turn up at a restaurant to get out of the rain and say "I'll take my trousers off" - my hat was smelling a la afghan coat (never mentioned that when I bought it on Newport market) and I got every such funny looks off these French group who naturally weren't in such a dishevelled state as me.

Back to being dishevelled again the next day when I hiked over to Had Salad with my rucksack - I'd seen quite a few taxis pootling along the road in the previous few days, naturally no one passed me that morning and offered me a lift until I got over the hoofing big hill - "I've done the donkey work now mate" - so I ended up polling up to reception looking a bit like the wild women of Borneo - much to the horror of this immaculately turned out French women (they always are!) in reception. Got a nice hut just off the beach - it was ever so sweet and like a little pixie house - don't think the lass who showed me the room got many comments like that and it reminded me of the time I got a tad bit carried away about the greatness of the showerheads in a Delhi hotel.

Anyway mainly chilled and walked for the few days I was there - Had Salad was nicer as it wasn't so busy but the days of my friend Melanie's great parties and a few shacks are long gone - it's posh gaffs, plunge pools and people with a bit of money nowadays - but hey the waiters didn't ignore me!!

Wednesday hired a scooter - the guy at the shop gave me a 30 second run down on the bike and luckily an English guy gave me a bit of advice as well. He was staying opposite with his family - reminded me of Del out of Fools and Horses with his Timmy Mallett sunglasses and passion for cocktails - and its amazing how many people out here seem to be wearing 80's Timmy glasses in garish colours - must be fashion thing that's past me by.

Well I was no "Easy Rider" but I managed to avoid getting a Ko Phan Ngam tattoo - automatics are harder to control (little wheels) and with my bad left/right co-ordination it was a bit scarey at times - the hills were the worst as the Thais don't believe in zig zagging if it's a little steep - it's straight up with them - ended up bouncing into one town as the paved bit finished abruptly and I was going too fast - it was like a cartoon as I was trying to stay on the bike and then my raincoat flew off and landed in the only big puddle within a 20 mile radius - stopped the bike to go and find it much to the hilarity of these guys in cafe and then couldn't start the thing up again - nightmare so one of them did come out and give me a hand - though he was bit confused as well as to how you started it up. No idea where I was as riding and navigating at the same time was a bit hard so stopped at this roadside cafe - where the two ladies amid much sign language as it wasn't a tourist gaffe let me know I was 4k's outside Had Rin (full moon party central) on the south east coast of the island. How I ended up there I'll never know - and that's why I prefer the slower pace of a bicycle - it was hairy ride over the hills back to Had Salad - but I think in one way I'm better riding pillion though I did enjoy it. Lad in the shop was a bit over zealous checking for scrapes when I returned it but the only time it fell over and it had to happen was when I parked it outside the shop - and that personally I blame on the vibrations from the bloke who parked behind me.

Thursday hiked over to the next bay which was full of Italians and French in skimpy bikinis - not as nice as Had Salad but the huts were on the beach - on the way back met an Irish lad mountain biking - said the scooters frightened the life out of him - though when I got back to the hotel the young girl just laughed at me when I said I wanted to hire a push bike - no one does it in Had Salad though I was sure I had seen some bikes nearer to Thong Sala the capital - its just easier and nicer I find.

I think Koh Phan Ngam is great if you are with somebody and its your one holiday of the year but if you are on your own on a budget - it can be a bit frustrating. Trying to get a ticket back to Bangkok they were all quoting double what I paid to get there - I just don't do fancy catamarans, I do cattle class cheap as chips - so it was bit lucky I managed to get a cool priced tik back to Bangkok without having to hike into the capital - and then the guys in the hotel and it was a bit like talking to two Churchill nodding dogs said the taxi would be 100 baht (2 pound) - please could I have that in writing as the woman up the road wants 3 times as much - "Yes" amid much nodding and no effort to pick up a pen...

I was amazed when it did turn up and cost 100 baht - thank you - as usually it's never that easy but I had been shoe horned in with a French family off to Samui. Down at the port I let out an almighty "oh no" as Leo (still wearing the same bright yellow T-shirt as last week) turned up with his posse - thankfully they were labelled silver (dumped over the side at the earliest opportunity I took that to mean) as after that I never clapped eyes on them again.

I was gold which meant ended up back at Touristland - no Mikey P to entertain me - wasn't a bad bus but I wasn't totally convinced the drivers could drive it as the gear changes were a bit on the painful side. It was really weird as they roped off half of it - first off I thought the driver couldn't be arsed to clean all the bus if it was only half full but then common sense prevailed they would never send a half full bus back to Bangkok - and I was right picked up a load who had been on the fancy catamaran - bit of scramble for seats but I managed to keep my two seats - mainly due to the fact this Thai woman at the front was telling the newcomers they had to sit in that bit that was roped off - though I wasn't so awful and did tell folk that was space next to me as once I had an argument on a bus back from Heathrow with this woman who wouldn't shift her bag till I pointed out the bag hadn't bought a ticket and I had!

Bus arrived early like they always do when you don't want them to - so five this morning landed back here in Bangkok to a gaggle of over excited taxi drivers - "where you going" "to get my bag and have a ciggie" - madness I knew the hotel would never let me check in so early so had to hang around in reception for a couple of hours - before someone checked out early - the room fairies were definately smiling this morning.

Chilled out day today as eventhough I slept most of the way, it was interrupted by a stop at rip offsville again - the whole bus was chilled and sleeping till the bloke who ran the place came on shouting "last stop, no more stops...." repeatedly - I would have happily punched his lights outs if I had been a person prone to violence so had to settle for a "f*** off" - and when I begrudgingly got off was greeted by the sight of this woman dressed in an 80's hot pant suit and Chinese hat doing Tai Chi on the hard shoulder - I think she was a bit tipsy as she got back on our bus at one point before realising she didn't really want to go back to Bangkok.

Fly to India tomorrow - booked a room at the Vivek though no doubt in Delhi airport I'll be told by the taxi driver it's burnt down or full - just off out for a beer now though I have to avoid going near the book shop - sold a copy there this aft of Holy Cow and did feel bad about it but it had a page missing - can't get shot of my Rough Guide - they'll only buy Lonely Planets because thats what everyone wants which I think is a bit of the mad side as you all end going to same hotel and the maps are crap as well.

So its bye bye Thailand - not sure I'd come again even though I've enjoyed it - its just a bit too touristy for me now - looking forward to the madness of India where the waiters don't ignore me and where no doubt I'll have lost my temper with someone within 48 hours....

Postscript

2009-08-15T13:51:00.002+01:00

I should have said I am bit convinced that I am going to get a six foot sprawling....English party boy who will spend most of the journey guffawing with his mates about sex, vomit, poo and non uniform days at school - I did though content myself with a little smile when I saw Leo and his mates at the port tucked up in a taxi taking them to the opposite end of the island - a future captain of industry there no doubt!!

Back In Bangkok

2009-08-14T09:01:00.005+01:00

Well its nearly two years since I was last off travelling but you do forget stuff - the frog women of Bangkok, blokes who like to sprawl and that all airlines seem to think that vegetarians love ratatouille (sp).

Although the leg room and food weren't great on the flight here, the staff from Ethihad were - usually you find they sod off never to be seen again after the meal in the loose sense of the word has been served - they even managed to find me an aisle seat as I had been put right in the middle.

So hot in Bangkok - the main thing I had to sort out was my Indian visa - thanks to a guy on India Mike who gave real idiot proof instructions on how to get there - finding the office which issued them was a doddle. Though I had to resist the temptation to say "so that's for the bubbly at the shareholders meeting" when informed of the service fee for taking a week to process my application - didn't want my card marked stroppy. That sorted it was time to sort out a beach - went for Ko Samet as it was only a three hour drive from Bangkok.

It was a bit of a crazy ride there - the guy driving I think had passed his test on the old Pole Position arcade game, few Duke's of Hazards over the bridges before I think we took the scenic route to pick up his mam. Got a bit narked at the ferry port as the women at the travel agency practically demanded I buy a return ticket - bit disorientated due to sleep deprevation so complied but really I should have told her to shove it - lesson learnt. The boat over was a bit of a nightmare - I was sat next to a girl with an icky stomach - I knew she would be the moment she sat down being as she was Thai - they don't travel well from experience. They just seemed to ram so many people on that it didn't really equate to the number of lifejackets as well but we made it across in one piece.

Anyway relaxing few days on Ko Samet - cool bungalow which didn't cost an arm and a leg just off the beach. The thing I noticed you never saw anyone on their own - young kids in packs, families and the inevitable over 30's bloke with his Thai girlfriend - never saw a guy on his own (not that I was specifically looking) and to be honest and I ain't being bitchy some had obviously gone for the cheaper deal. Anyway that said I don't so much mind my own company - felt very Shirley Valentine - and the beaches were stunning and the sun shone what more could you ask for - Mr Tok's beach party was a bit of a damp squib though - I went just for a look expecting balloon and drinking games and was greeted with the sight of a rather drunken Swedish girl trying to do YMCA - had one beer and then made my excuses and left - avoided the "Boogie Night" the day after. Finally found all the single people on my last night - they were either watching TV "Only Fools and Horses" repeats or sat under darkened umbrellas at the quiet end of the beach - very scarey!!

Getting back to Bangkok took an age - bit of a barny at the ferry port with this bloke in a blue T-shirt who had an unhealthy interest in my boat ticket - I have a general rule that my ticket only gets given to someone behind a desk or to a person wearing badge - he got real agressive when I asked "Who are you?" but eventually he left me alone. Back at Ban Phe - I knew the van outside the travel agency wouldn't be for us going back to Bangkok - too nice with reclining leather seats what I call a "photo purposes" van. Though I was really surprised when the one for us turned up - it was really nice - began sniffing a rat though when we turned left instead of right at the end of the street and headed off towards the Cambodian border only to be off loaded 30k's up the road onto another bus heading to Bangkok - there's always a catch when something seems to good to be true!!!

Back in Bangkok the streets were full of women dressed in blue as it was the Queens birthday and Mothers Day - the traffic was choatic and it took nearly two hours to crawl through it back to Banglampu where I was staying. Getting the visa sorted involved quite a few taxi rides across the city - convinced the first one was taking me on a bit of magical mystery tour till I said Siam Square's up that road mate - the last one was really nice said I wasn't fat though I think he trying to sweet talk me into visitng a shopping emporium of his choice.

Which brings me back up to date - bit of a freak out this morning - when I rang my bank to get my balance and was told it was zero - Brian from fraud who in my opinion needs to brush up on his customer care skills was a bit on the brusque side sorted it - I'd like to see how would have reacted if he'd just been told there was nothing in his bank account. Then a chill at a cafe to calm down - there were these horrible posh English kids at the next table - you know the kind who camp in filth at a festival and then leave their tent - well I really don't think me and the rest of the cafe needed to know that Rupert (my name - as there's usually a Rupey among them) had been in his words been "jacked off by the massoose last night" - makes you wonder what all that expensive education is for!!!

Couple of hours I head off to Koh Phangan - overnight bus I am a bit convinced I am going to get a 6 foot sprawler next to me so not counting on too much sleep tonight. Right thats me finished I will try and do this once a week as I found it doing it more has taken over on my other trips and you really don't need or want to know what I had for my breakfast,dinner and tea - off for a chill now and for a game of spot the English - very easy they're usually the ones carrying a hoofing great rucksack down Khao San Road dressed in jeans and a fleece - I should I know I was one of them last week though I did in my defense ditch the fleece at the airport.

Time for a change

2009-02-14T19:48:00.010Z

I'd just like to say haven't abandoned this blog - spent so much time on here the last 2 years just wanted a break.

The big news is that I am attempting to sell my house in the "current climate" - just got thinking that we put so much money into places we live in and then to put it bluntly we either die or the government makes us sell them to pay for some dodgy care in a OAP home - it's a bit diff if you have kids or someone - been here nearly 14 years in this house, in total 20 years on this estate so I need a change and I have always had the "wanderlust" - had a few people come round and an offer not that far off the asking price but then they couldn't get the finance - which is a bit frustrating - but I'd really like to go over to the continental way of living renting and moving on - it was the livestyle that I was born to...

Still running but it's embarassing - had so many coughs and colds this winter that I've not been able to train - the last good race I had was at Magor last July with a 55 for a 10k - today in the cross country I wasn't last but I finished like an "asthmatic pit pony" (to quote Auf Wiedersehen Pet - my fave prog ever) and was still suffering when we landed back in Cardiff.

Anyway couple of photos from Liverpool - Matthew Street Festival last August:

The Lambanana Photos - Sergeant Pepper and Chorley on the ears!!

And a couple Jimmy Cliff videos from Glastonbury - just wish I had not drunk so much red but then again I wouldn't have been such a cheeky monkey and got to the front...

Not the greatest - and that's weeding out a lot of floor but they are Hollywood masterpieces compared to what I saw on you tube - and I think the wooing you hear is me - big smile - was a good night............

Time for a ramble - WOMAD and other stuff......

2008-09-27T22:24:00.039+01:00

Been a while but the last month or so I've been knee deep in DIY and running - the first I hate but its a means to an end as if want to rent this house its gotta be done - so now I've severely sore battered hands from scraping carpet tiles off the floor and painting but I'm getting there - the plan is to rent this place or sell - then head off again - it's time and as I always think we only have one live so you have to go for it.

Running wise not as quick as I used to be - but I still don't do so bad and I'm hoping to do a half marathon this month mainly cos its part of the East Wales champs and currently I'm lying in 4th place in the 40-45 category - it's only due to attendance but I had a good run in a 10k back in July and narrowly missed out on a medal - I am a bit of a Paula Radcliffe regarding medals so many 4th places........

Festival season - WOMAD was as ever brilliant - so much camping space, new bands that I'd not heard of that were so ace and 4 days of sunshine which made a change - anyway my favs were Dengue Fever, Space Caravan (edit seven months later its Speed Caravan-my weird name dyslexia does kick in sometimes) and Rachid Taha and what is so great about WOMAD is that you are able to get down to the front, get autographs and if you go to the workshops ask questions - anyway few photos ........

The crew - Holly, me, Simon and Martin (part of the crew from Glasto 87 with his Santana T-shirt that we defaced with autographs of the tribute band at Cropedy-not a happy bunny with that)

Liz (Holly's mum), Holly and Martin

The famous WOMAD flags
Peter Gabriel - it was really strange last year when he did a set I was expecting someone looking a bit like this to make appearance -

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=hqyc37aOqT0

Confusion did abound but then you don't realise sometimes how the years go by - 1986 - just like yesterday to me - but I have to say he could have stayed a bit longer for autographs - there wern't that many of us!

Childrens Parade - which is so great as it's a festival that kids are involved - there have been times when I've been really edging to go to the Tibetan flag making session but then realised I needed a small child to take along - I'm sure there is a market out there for adult crafty stuff!

Two photos of the band Dengue Fever - their music is based on Cambodian sixties music with a Calfornian psychedelic influence - cosmic and they were really cool - the top photo is Zac Holtzman with Chhom Nimol (vocalist) - this is their my space bit of the internet - check it out:

http://www.myspace.com/denguefevermusic

and my fav song - Chhom comes from Battambang where I nearly went once (check out Magic moment on the Tonle Sap from 2005-06) -just ran out of time sadly.. .Tiger Phone Card

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=h1oFAD-uu5M

Simon with Justin Adams - North African music.

Anyway more of Mr Adams (whose name I constantly get wrong - weird form of dyslexia in that I constantly refer to him as Adrian James!) - t'was a cool way to spend a Sunday afternoon chilling:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=YTFAK3eCAug

Me and Mr Jah Wobble.

The Red Arrows fly past.

Digeridoo players

More of the kids parade

Rachid Taha - last night of his tour doing one of my fav's "Rock the Casbah" - bit of camera shake on this.

Very sad moment -taking down the camp on the Monday morning - it's an awful feeling "post traumatic festival disorder" as I call it - with me it can last a few weeks especially if its a great one like this years's Womad was.

Few more videos - bit more camera shake on them:

Dengue Fever

Speed Caravan

my space page -

http://www.myspace.com/speedcaravan

Shane Macgowan

Right that's it for the moment - hoping to go through some of my Glastonbury stuff though I have to say WOMAD is so much better for seeing the bands - apart from Jimmy Cliff this year I never got a sniff of getting close to the stage - just too many people and does take so long getting between the stages.

Photos Aharbal - Delhi

2008-08-04T18:55:00.025+01:00

Saffron fields - Pampore
Waterfall at Aharbal

River Vishav - Aharbal

Aharbal village

Villages on the road to Aharbal

On the bus to Kulgam

On the road to Kulgam

Pir Panjal mountains

Kashmir Valley on the way to the Jawahar Tunnel

Lorries crossing Panthal

Jamu Masjid Mosque - Old Delhi

View from the minaret of the Jamu Masjid mosque - with Red Fort in the background.Old Delhi

India Gate

Me by India Gate

Okay that's the last of the India photos - finally I can't believe after over 18 months I've finally finished - (three times as long as I was there!!) I'm still hoping to go back later in the year but in the meantime hopefully I'll have some postings over the next few months about my running and the festivals I've been to.........

Happy Solstice

2008-06-21T13:31:00.006+01:00

Just a quick message to wish everyone happy Solstice - didn't go to Stonehenge this year as it was a bit cloudy last night (I know lightweight) but I didn't think it could better the gorgeous sunrise that I saw back in 2005.

Bit of bad news re my computer as it has now gone to computer heaven - the lads at work in IT who were most impressed with my computer talk about silver hedgehogs falling off mother boards said it isn't something straightforward so I could end up shelling out a lot of money to try and locate the fault. Hoping to splash out on a new laptop next month so the photos will have to wait till then as a) the library (where I am now) have disabled all the cd drives b) work blocks this site and c) the photos were on my comp and I hadn't done a back up for ages - lesson learnt there - thankfully I still have them on my camera - sometimes there are benefits to not being organised.

Off to Glastonbury this week - and the weather's not looking too bad there were a few suns on the Metcheck forecast for next weekend (not the most reliable site in the world) - so I'll reserve judgement till I've seen Countryfile tomorrow. Running wise I've been training quite a bit - but amazingly not lost a pound you would think running 20+ miles a week would make some impact - getting a bit quicker but still not back to the glory days of 2005 and finished 13th in a ladies race last night (and there wasn't just 13 runners!!!!). It was quite surreal and I did get a bit panicky after almost a mile downhill that I was in 8th place - I've never been that well up a field before unfortunately I did drop back a bit when we had to climb back up the hill but I'm still pleased with result - so I think I would be probably have a chance of glory and accolades if I could find a totally downhill Ladies race which for some strange reason seem a bit thin on the ground.

Right off for a mooch round Milletts at frying pans - exciting I know - but some girls like going clothes shopping with me it's camping shops - which means I end up with clothing older than some of my work colleagues and a shed full of camping equipment.

See yah.......

Homeward Bound..........

2008-05-30T22:59:00.013+01:00

Nearly done!!!

The next few days were spent chilling in Srinagar - I don't know maybe I was tired but I always end up in Kashmir at the wrong time of year - all I can say there are some beautiful gardens and its just nice to see big family groups enjoying them - picnicking and chilling. Took a shikara over to Nishat Bagh one day and it was completely diff to when I was last there in March - the flowers were so pretty and vibrant - had my hands painted by one of the young girls that do accost you but I am well up for that - got a bit told off by this Hindi lady who said I was washing it off too quickly but it's quite difficult walking around with baking henna hands - the urge to pick is quite strong!

Nishat Bagh - this time with flowers!

The old shikara man who took us across the lake certainly earned his money - bit of haggling to get it down to price I thought was fair but in the end I paid him what he wanted in the first place - bargaining to me it's something you have to do and as I once said to one shopkeeper "it's India - you expect it, I expect it - so we've got to make some kinda of effort" - (though it should be noted that this line of thought doesn't tend to go down too well in some random charity shop in Yorkshire - in my defence their copies of Nat Geo were well overpriced and I was buying 3 - so I tried!) - as long as you don't get into extreme bargaining it's cool. One thing you do notice in Srinagar is that in places it is like time has stood still - it could be still 1969 spec on Dal Lake - a houseboat named after the first man on the moon Neil Armstrong and there were others that had quaint names that harked back to an earlier time.

Left Srinagar on the Wednesday as I wanted to visit the waterfall at Aharbal - the only downside to this plan was that involved a couple of nights back at the Hotel Sub in Anantnag. Happy was there to greet us (joking!!) and I was shown an even more rubbish room than before - the penthouse with the TV was already occupied - never mind bit more prepared in the beer department this time which Happy must have had a sixth sense about as he turned with a glass - personally I would have told him to shove off but Nazir said it was better to give him some as he could if he felt like it pop over the road to the police station - I'm not sure if alcohol is illegal but it's not something that is advisable to be caught with!!

On the road to Anantnag - passing through the saffron fields at Pampore

The journey to Aharbal was great - this was right out in the sticks at the foot of Pir Panjal mountain range. We changed taxis in Kulgam and the taxi guys were well into me taking my own cab for a handsome price - now there could be one train of thought that I'm tight - but it did use to frustate me in S E Asia when they used to herd all foreigners into the same van much prefered getting the odd local bus - so they were a bit perplexed when I got into a taxi with the locals. Arriving in Aharbal you could see they were gearing themselves up for when the tourists do come back to Kashmir - a new cafe and toilet block were being built (for the moment the nearest big bush had to make do) and a new government resthouse had opened last year. It really is a lovely place as its where the mountains start - lots of pine trees(?) and a big waterfall - which from what I gathered was a bit of death trap and to be honest I'm not surprised the path down to it was fairly ropey and me not being blessed with the greatest balance in the world was not a great combination.

Nice chill out at the cafe in town (in the loose sense of the word) - everyone came and sat round our table as we waited for the bus back to Kulgam - as usual I couldn't understand most of what was said though you usually found at some point the conversation always got round to mobile phones. The only complaint I had with the bus was the amount of decoration the smiling driver had hung across the window - everytime we hit a bump I got a face full of tassles and flowers - but apart from that and a minor bump with a lorry it was great ride through the small villages and orchards of this beautiful corner of Kashmir. Back in Anantnag a most sorted tea at the cafe in Wasir Bagh Park was had before finishing off the last of beer - thankfully no sign of Happy with his glass!

It was bitterly cold the next day as we stood waiting for the jeep to Jammu to fill up - I was feeling pretty rotten as I'd caught a real bad cold - it had been threatening for a couple of days but chose today to hit. Lovely sunny day as we headed off down the valley - I did my cute act at the checkpoint (yes - no guide and no contribution to the Chrissy party was asked for). One thing I did notice on the way back down was the number of bus crashes - one really bad one with the remains of peoples possesions strewn along the side of the road - not nice but I have to say I am lot more calmer as a passenger on Indian roads than I am back home eventhough I'm sure it's more dangerous - really weird!!

Lorries crossing Panthal - J & K Highway

Dusk was falling when we arrived in Jammu - and it was a bit of a nighmare finding a hotel that was reasonable and with C forms so just decided to book an overnight bus to Delhi. This was quite sorted apart from the one toilet stop we made about two hours north of Delhi in the early hours of the morning - got off the bus to greeted with the sight of a hundred blokes all having a pee by the side of the road - lovely - I was supposed to traipse across a field with all eyes on me to go behind some hut - twas a bit crabby about that because a) I never like to go too far from the bus on a pit stop and b) I wouldn't have known where to look on my return journey!!

Arriving in Delhi (rather desperate for the toilet!) we were greeted by a gaggle of overexcited rickshaw drivers all anxious to take us to Paharganj - took something of a mammoth effort to get someone to take us to Jama Masjid which you could see from where the bus dropped us off - would have walked but I don't think my bladder would have held out so I put up with the overcharging!! I'm curious why more foreigners don't stay in this area of the city because I thought it was great - totally sorted immaculately clean hotel for not much more than Paharganj (Bombay Orient- just by Entrance 1 Jamu Masjid if anyone is interested) and really lively streets with great food - the downside was it was a bit of a hike to the beer shop up on Chandni Chowk (I know me and my beer shops).

So it was a cool two day stopover in Delhi before my flight - managed to get down to India Gate - one very kind auto rickshaw driver stopped and offered us a lift there for 5r from the metro station - too cheap and my instincts were right "did I want to go on a tour of Delhi (with compulsory visit to shopping emporium of my choice)" - exit left one not very happy driver still he does hold the record of giving me the cheapest lift in India which I'm sure he was dead chuffed about. The other place we went to was Jamu Masjid - the largest mosque in India I think - managed to get in without paying for my camera (only foreigners have to pay which I do find bad - not everyone is the same) the guy in charge of admissions wasn't totally convinced I was telling the truth and followed me in - but I just thank my baggy trousers and in truth I was running short of the readies by then. The courtyard was huge - apparently it's large enough to accommodate 25,000 worshippers at a time - and from the minaret you are allowed to climb you could see great views over Old Delhi and it's maze of streets - but what did strike me was the clothing the other western tourists were wearing - okay it wasn't Ibiza but I thought mosques were a bit more stricter re bare arms etc whilst me like a plank was sweating away under my yak shawl - just found that strange.

I never know how to finish my trips bit difficult - it was hard saying goodbye to Nazir as we had become good friends and he had shown me so much of the people and countryside of Kashmir and up in Spiti and Kinnaur earlier on in the trip something that I know on my earlier trips to S E Asia was missing. I think that is why I love India so much (well I have spent most of my adult life with an obsession about going there) - okay it frustrates you believe me - but you travel with the people who live there and not in some cocooned 4 by 4 with other foreigners - if you want a bus/train ticket you sort it - in S E Asia its too easy to let the hotel do it. The saddest and hardest things I had to deal with would be the scarecrow children and the disabled people which in some cases you knew if they had been born in the western world something could have been done for them - I do think though after a time you do become immune to certain extent to the filth and poverty which I know must seem uncaring but when you are faced with it everyday it just becomes the norm - India is changing but I'm not sure the changes will reach everyone.

On that note I'll sign off - next posting my final photos and maybe some idea of what I'm doing next - once I've made my mind up that is!

Gulmarg and Wular Lake photos

2008-05-10T17:51:00.022+01:00

The gondola ski lift at Gulmarg - you'll have to imagine the snow.

Afarwat hills in the background - Gulmarg

Meadow at Gulmarg

St Mary's Church

On the road to Gulmarg

Sunset on Dal Lake - Srinagar

Road to the Shrine of Hazrat Baba Shakur-Ud-Din Wali near Sopore

Small village on the banks of Wular Lake

Top of the world again!!

Wular Lake

Not sure why I was wearing a woolly hat at the time - it was baking!!!

Fishermen on Wular Lake

"Going up the country"

2008-04-20T22:17:00.008+01:00

Well I looked when I last posted - 4th of March so much for my one post a week - been in the wars a bit since then - celebrated my 30 several birthday with a curry and I have noticed it doesn't taste quite the same as before I went to India - getting picky I know. Running wise I took a tumble a couple of weeks back - quite spectacular as I was going down hill at the time and as the pavement headed towards me "this is gonna hurt" crossed my mind - landed on my wrist and have a lovely scabby knee which are still giving me probs. Anyway good news wise after weeks of saying I'm not going to Glastonbury cos of blah de blah - madness it didn't sell out which to me is a good thing bit of a return to the old days of strolling in to HMV the week before - I bought a ticket - not bothered about the headliners just hoping there will be a reduction in the camping chairs that I quite often nearly break my neck on (where did all the blanket people go!!) and nutters who complain that I'm blocking their view of the stage - I'm only 5' 5" and a bit - jeeps the number of pine trees I've been stood behind in my time at concerts and just thought that's life - crazy!!

Anyway back to India and where I left off in Srinagar last October - not much more left to go - but plenty of photos.....

Thursday 25th October

As much as the hotel was great - the price wasn't too hot and cos I'm "a bed is a bed" kinda girl (though the hotel Sub Standard in Anantnag was pushing this theory) ended up checking in back at the Dal View where I stayed back in March - it was really nice as the guys remembered me and made me feel real welcome. Best place to stay on the Boulevard as most places were charging twice as much for a room with a balcony overlooking the lake and you had the added advantage of being just upstairs the local branch of the J & K bank.

Afternoon was postcard time as I was well behind in my postcard sending duties - which sounds easy enough but trying to find some wasn't that easy. And don't get me on the stamps - accidently ended up in this room at some immigration place - masses of security before I was told wrong building - easy mistake to make as the actual post office wasn't much different with barbed wire and bunkers.

More fireworks on the lake in the evening which was really pretty and the most sorted meal of paranthas and Shimla mirch at the Punjabi dhaba next door - totally sorted.

Friday 26th October

Up early today to catch a jeep to Gulmarg - India's famous ski resort and home to the highest and longest cable car ride in Asia - bit gutted on the bus when the guy next to me told me the Gondola was closed for maintenance as it takes you up nearly 13000 feet on the shoulder of Afarwat Peak - from where you can I think you can see over in to Pakistan as Gulmarg is quite close to the Line of Control.

Never mind - next time though I'm not too sure how I would be on a cable car as I can be severly iffy heightwise - as my sis has said on a few occasions I have a tendancy to "show myself up" if heights are involved. Saying that I've coped with the dodgy roads and it was quite a climb up from the valley to Gulmarg through some really beautiful woods.

Arriving in town the pony guys got very over excited when they spotted me - chasing the jeep down the road - they did get the message in the end that I don't do horses after following me round the town on my hunt for a Coca Cola fix. Although I've never been skiing in my life this would be the kind of place I would want to come to learn - more laid back and none of the posing that I assume goes in these fancy resorts back in the west. That said in the summer Gulmarg is a lovely meadow to stroll in (or trot on a pony through) though I think they are missing a trick - there is this huge golf course (another one claiming to be the highest in the world) , pitch and put but no CRAZY golf - well I think it would go down a storm!!!

As it was Friday you could hear the muezzin calling for Friday prayers echoing across the valley but what was really nice in this small place was the most gorgeous Christian church that wouldn't have been out of place in the English countryside as well as a Hindu place of worship. Three religions co-existing in this small place and seeming to get along side by side - I know it is a simplistic view but that's what I felt was going on here.

Saturday 27th October

Today there was a strike in Srinagar - not sure who was striking but there were demonstrations planned for Lal Chowk so it was another day going up the country. Nazir had told me this old story about the River Jhelum disappearing into a hole and coming out in Pakistan the last time I was here - I tried googling it when I came home but the only thing I could find was a confusing story about a snake who drained a lake and a gorge near Barramulla so I wasn't totally convinced we'd find this mysterious hole that went to Pakistan.

Another bus ride out to Batmaloo and then a jeep ride to take us to Sopore near to Wular Lake where the Jhelum flows through - talking to some guys in town they seemed to think the hole was something to do with a hydro electric project near Uri - but as a foreigner I couldn't go to Uri as it was right on the border and in a very sensitive area. To be honest I had no great wish to go and see hydro electric holes - seen more than enough in the Kinnaur valley thank you very much - but it did dawn on me then about the tourist map that I had puzzled over the previous day - all the roads seemed to stop at one point and then start again with a big gap in between. Not some weird road building project but rather when you ask for a map of Kashmir in either India and Pakistan they don't mark the border because even after 60 years of independance they still can't agree on it so you get the whole of Kashmir!

Anyway change a plan we decided to head out to Wular Lake one of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia - really nice ride out of town through apple orchards but lots of soldiers by the side of the road. Because of my map confusion I wasn't really sure how far we were from the Line of Control so it did make me a bit on the nervy at times. Walking up to the shrine of Hazrat Baba Shakur-ud-Din Wali which is about half way between Sophore and Bandipura I did get a bit alarmed at the number of chickens that were being carried up the hill - just hoped there wasn't some big sacrifice going on at the top of the hill. From the top really amazing views of the whole of the Lake and thankfully no mass chicken sacrificing - got to admit I did get a bit crabby with the washing as there were no bathrooms and I ended up having to use a tap on the side of this building which meant my feet ended up being dirtier that before I started - still the thought was there!!!

I don't think the people saw many foreigners as I did gets lots of curious looks - and I ended up leaving the prayer room as I totally distracted all the women deep in prayer. One thing I do remember was a family group who had brought their young baby along for its first haircut - it was a real big occasion with sweets being scattered around - from what I can gather in real simple terms is that it brings good luck to the child if his first hair cut is at a shrine.

Headed off down the lake and a long the way managed to rip my trousers real badly - took a tumble down the hill on the loose rocks - good job I had my yak shawl with me as I adapted in into a skirt but it didn't half look a bit daft as witnessed on this video. Anyway here's me doing my best Judith Chambers impression by the lake which was an amazing place as it just felt totally untouched by the modern world:

We were going head on to Baramulla and stay the night there but arriving back in Sopore all the shops were shut - so no chance of me buying some more trousers. Quick tea and toast in the local hotel and twenty questions off this bloke about my marital status - it does get to me from time to time so I started to tell him what questions he should be asking - I know poss they don't get to meet many foreigners but opening questions of how old are you and are you married don't tend to get people off on the right foot with me.

Back in Srinagar it was quite eerie on Lal Chowk - the main shopping street - there had been demonstrations earlier on in the day so the only people around were the soldiers and a dodgy group of men who kept staring at me so it was a case of hot footing back to the lake by rickshaw where things seemed a bit more calmer.

Right hoping to get some more photos on in couple of days - thanks to people who've left me comments - it is nice to know people are reading this and its not just me jabbering like an idiot to myself.

Photos - Aru to Srinagar

2008-03-04T22:23:00.025Z

Me on the River Lidder - I think I was in the midst of laundry crisis at the time most of the rest of these photos were taken but then again I'm probably just a scruff!

Balancing precariously on the bridge - don't do heights very well

Group photo in the garden of the Rohilla Guesthouse

Ido and Rafi

Me on the Baisaran meadow high above Pahalgam

Baisaran meadow - before the troubles it was a favourite set for shooting Hindi movies

Small village which I think was called Dublin(sp) - well that's how it sounded to me

The Kashmir Valley

View from the Mosque at Aishmuqam

Mosque at Aishmuqam

Anantnag Bus Station

View from my window at the Hotel ... Standard - Anantnag

Babas house Dialgam - l-r the lady who had big problems, Baba's wife, me and the Baba's daughter

Two village ladies who were real happy to have their photo taken

The next few are Dialgam village

Source of the River Jhelum - Verinag

Moghul Gardens - Verinag

Sunset on the way to Srinagar

Can't get rid of the space above the title of that last photo - sometimes computers frustrate me!! Anyway good news re my race Sunday - 26mins 29 secs for a 5k - there is talk that it was short - but what I didn't realise it was the Welsh 5k Road Championships (well something like that) what guts me a little (rather than the short issue) the lady who won the over 35's age group was 5 seconds in front of me (and well done to her) - 5 years running in that age group apart from winning a road race series back in 2006 (which believe me was quite difficult as I had been sat on hill in Lancashire watching the sun come up on Solstice day and had to make a mad drive back to Cardiff to take part in one of the races) never a sniff of such an accolade - anyway think I was roughly 7th in my age group - its the one after the over 35's - not that I believe I am 7th best in Wales but I doesn't half sound good as long as no one asks how many were in the race..........

Sweet Dreams and Babas

2008-02-29T00:24:00.005Z

Wednesday 24th October

Now I don't sleep well - bad dreams though thankfully the ones about thermo nuclear war have subsided and I don't want to sound like my grandma who always used to say "off and on" when asked how the night had gone sleepwise - I always suspected that was down to the fact that in between having coffee mornings with ladies who lunched and playing golf she could could usually be found crashed out in her rocking chair for most of the morning whilst Jimmy Young wafted out of the radio in the background.

Anyway Nazir the last time I was in Kashmir had mentioned that he knew this Baba who could sort out all my problems re my dreams - now some people may think all this is hocus pocus but me I've an open mind - so after some seriously sorted buttered toast - think Happy had got the hang of making by now I found myself on a bus making my way to the little village of Dialgam just outside Anantnag.

It's very strange as when I'm home I'm quite anonymous but getting on a local bus in Kashmir - the only thing I can equate it to is being famous in Britain - the people were really friendly and just interested in what I was doing but sometimes it felt a little overwhelming when the whole bus was just looking at me.

The Baba and his family were really nice - made us tea before I was ushered into this room where I was given this blank piece of paper and told to hold it up to the window and look into it and "say what I saw" (copyright:Roy Walker) - to be honest I couldn't really see anything apart from a face that looked suspiciously like Osama Bin Laden and I didn't think he had anything to do with my bad dreams. There was another lady in the room with me who had problems as well - she was seeing a Hollywood epic in her bit of paper - I could have made something up but that's not me . Despite my rubbish attempts with the paper - the Baba gave me some writing that I had to put in a bottle of water and drink once a day as well some writing to put in a locket round my neck - it is really strange as since I've been wearing the necklace (it's the one I fiddle with a lot) the dreams have calmed down alot only had one seriously bad one (and I'd forgotten to put the necklace on) - they're usual of the genre now of last night's - me staying in a hotel where they were filming an episode of Coronation Street, I was an extra wearing my pheren and Anita Dobson and Brian May had a cameo role - that I can cope with and no need for hot chocolate at five in the morning in the garden.

What was really nice about the village - it was untouched by the tourist malarky - now I know I am a tourist and part of the problem that has spoiled other places. Just seeing people go about their daily life and really happy to see me - cool about having their photo taken without the word money being mentioned - it was like going back 25 odd years ago when you took peoples addresses and promised to send them a photo and they were happy - and we did try and send them back then though I did have a guilt trip about one I took in Turkey of this man with his two kids who was so happy - chopped his head off (in the photo sense) - so never ever trust a 14 year old who doesn't know what she's doing with a fancy Pentax camera. Leaving the village the Baba's wife gave me a special stone to bring me luck and said I was always welcome to come back and stay with them - really nice.

It's a good job I'm not a pine tree height wise - Rafi had probs I remembered from the bus back from Mattan - as it was standing room only on the bus to Verinag (source of the River Jhelum) - my head was touching the ceiling before I got a seat next to a woman clad in a burka. As you may know I'm not a fan of the burkha and I did find it hard to have a conversation - it's a face, expression thing maybe that's why I struggle on phones as I can't see a person's expressions - but her English was really good though I think the word rupee was mentioned on a couple more occasions that I felt necessary so I went into my Inge from Iceland mode - "no understand!".

Verinag was a really pretty place - the toilets in the Moghal Gardens would have put most British bus/train stations to shame (know I shouldn't have mentioned that first but sometimes you do enter in trepidation of what you might find) - and the gardens themselves really beautiful culminating with the most amazing blue pool from where the Jhelum starts. There was a large army camp next door but from what I gathered they were moving out - as I sat on the grass chilling out guys were transporting fish out of the base to a lower pond - a sign I thought that times might be changing we'd heard that in the last few days they were going to be taking down the barricades in Srinagar - another sign that once more Kashmir may be returning to the "paradise " that it was before the troubles.

It was a very speedy ride back to Anantnag - Nazir went and grabbed the bags whilst I went and sorted out the jeep - front seat and I know the local rate matey - big smile - bless they were really good and quite amused by me. I was a bit concerned that we'd hit Srinagar after the beer shop shut - wasn't helped by the truck that had overturned on the main road - it was total madness four lanes of traffic on the two lane road weaving - breakdowns, crowds lining the road and when we eventually reached the front of the queue the soldiers stopped the traffic totally - the breakdown truck was in the offing - but after a while people got impatient nothing was happening so we all jumped back in the jeep and wayhay we were through spotting the breakdown truck about a mile down the road - people were though shifting for him.

Srinagar was busy as we headed along the Boulevard - the Bengalis apparently are great travellers and it was the height of their holiday season - so it wasn't easy finding a hotel so we dropped the bags off at one to mind whilst we headed out - really weird in that some hotels in Kashmir won't let Kashmiris stay in them but in the end after a quick sortee to the beer shop which was still open (yes!!) found a sorted place further down the road - bit of luxury for a change which after the Hotel (sub) Standard in Anantnag felt like I was in a palace - well I didn't have to stick the boiler on for a shower so it was a palace to me!!!

Right that's it for tonight photos hopefully later on this week - off to run in a St David's Day race tomorrow - 5k in Cardiff - today was cross country knocked 10 mins off the time I did the last time at ran at Blaise Castle in Bristol (my hoodoo course) but I severely suspect it was shorter but it was hell of a lot nicer we even had entertainment from a posh girl ranting on a horse that they had dared to hold an event on where her and Dobbin went for a canter - honestly one day a year for a few hours - its give and take the countryside is for everyone!!

On the road again!!!

2008-01-29T23:24:00.005Z

Okay I admit I've been really lazy with this (slapped wrists big time) personally I blame my computer chair not the most comfy thing in the world but I have noticed people looking at this so I'll endure the pain - not sure who you are but that's cool - so here goes in trying to finish my ramblings - number 237.

The day after we got back from Lidderwat was mostly spent chilling out (for a change!) - I didn't honestly feel too bad just sore feet so me and Nazir did go for wander off down the river behind the army camp - no more beer was to be had as we made a bit of a mistake on going to the wrong side of the camp on the hunt - blank looks abounded when we asked!! Last night of the card school with the Israeli guys Ido and Oren - they were off to Delhi next day whilst me and Nazir were heading to Srinagar - many fond farewells in the morning when we all jumped on the roof of the bus to ride into town - best way to travel just remember to duck when heading under the overhanging trees - little bit of video anyway from the journey:

It is quite funny as when you reach the outskirts of Pahalgam you have cram inside the bus - it's a police thing - but they must know it goes on unless they think we're trying to break one of those pointless records how many people can you cram into a mini/phone box etc......

Group photo - Pahalgam Bus station

Checked in at the Grand View - the place I'd booked last March - the guys even though they remembered me wouldn't honour the deposit I'd left - but I forgave them as the room I was in had the most sorted shower in India and a real nice view from the balcony over the valley. In the afternoon walked up to the Baisaran - a beautiful meadow high up in the hills above Pahalgam with great views down the Kashmir Valley. There were lots of Indian tourists about and predictably they made the trek up there by horse - I don't get it but they don't get me walking - but sometimes especially the young boys aren't very nice to the horses which got me really mad and I'm not surprised the horses got narked at times.

In the evening we headed up the road to one of those restaurants where you order and they haven't got it, you order something else they haven't got it so then you try a different tact and say what have you got - it turns up and it's crap - I'm not too discerning but this was pretty inedible so much so I could comfortably say it was the worst meal I had in India - should have stuck with the rough and ready place opposite where we went for a late night chai and got chatting to some really friendly guys from Uttar Pradesh.

Tuesday 23rd October

Another gorgeous day in Kashmir - bus ride down the valley to a place called Aishmuqam - the site of the muslim shrine of Zain-ud-din. The shrine itself is a cave - a very small cave - and after the usual pantomime finding the bathroom to do what is known as the wadhu (washing) I found it quite intense - I'm not religious but I do find myself drawn to go places to reflect and think - one lady was crying I'm not sure why but I thought maybe it was just the intensity of the place or maybe something bad had happened - later on some the guys who worked there tried to explain the history of the place but I just got confused and to explain what I was asking is just far too complicated for here.

On the way down we met a real nice couple - the guy we later met in downtown Anantnag and he offered to write me a history of the mosque, gave me his address but said he was a bit tied up for the next couple of months as he was heading off to Saudi Arabia for the Hadj. Anantnag where we headed next it can be said is not on a tourist map - but it's still an interesting place - it's real and the hotel we ended up staying the night in I did do them an injustice saying in my "message from Anantnag" posting saying they were called the Hotel Splendid - because I'm so rubbish at remembering hotel names it was Standard (though in my mind should had the word sub inserted before - all I ask is for a mop, bucket, bit of Flash to have been used in this century - not fussy) - and I did have the best room in the house with colour TV (BBC World as well - gets a half a brownie point for that - would have a got full one for Al Jazeera and Nat Geographic) and a dead sorted view of life outside in the bus station - but still no beer!!

We heard a rumour of a guy out of town who did whisky on the sly - but I'm not a whiskey kinda girl - lots of stares or looking as we wandered round town and harassment from a couple of kids for food - I'm never ever sure but this time it was a case of okay you want food so here's a loaf of bread - felt better than giving them money.

Dinner for me wasn't great - being a veggie in a muslim town one word - not easy - so in the end "Happy" front of house at the Standard - okay not an original name but he wasn't exactly Mr Smiley - did me some buttered toast and he did struggle slightly with that whilst we settled down in the deserted reaturant to watch the news from ABC - local TV network which I couldn't understand a word of - the entertainment for me was provided by the presenters jumper (!!) as it gave the impression that he had a parachute strapped to his back - someone should have said something before he went on air - well it kept me amused!!!!!!

Right that's it for tonight - tomorrow morning I shall be out running up a very steep hill just north of Cardiff for fun - running club race and last year in this series of races (we do eight a year-six to count) I came second in the championship - so I'll be trying to defend my second place as I am periennal 2nd/3rd in this - more stuff on here hopefully this week not sure about photos might have to put up with another ramble from me before I have some more to post - 17/02/08

Trekking photos

2007-12-15T22:44:00.000Z

Leaving Aru

On the way to Lidderwat

Beer Time - big smile!!!!!!!

Nazir and Gulam

Lidderwat

Nazir on the bridge to Lidderwat

Me at Lidderwat

By the campfire - Nazir, Ido and Oren

Campfire by night

Gulam, Nazir, me, Ido and Oren

View from Lidderwat down the valley towards Kolahoi

On the way to Kolahoi

Horse with no name

Houses where the shepherds live in the summer

Kolahoi Glacier

Ido and Nazir

Me on the Glacier

In the ice cave

On the way back to camp

This is my bear shot - told you it was bad!!

Breakfast time

The metal thing in the centre was the open air toilet

Inside the guesthouse - in the rough sense of the word

On the way back to Aru

Trekking to the Kolahoi Glacier

2007-12-01T15:02:00.000Z

I know its been a while since I last wrote - been back nearly 5 weeks now and still missing India - but I am going to finish this one day as its been nearly a year since I started it - managed to sort my photos which was a bit of a pantomime as one of my disks was cracked - anyway here's my memories from trekking to Kolahoi.

Thursday 18th October

Lovely sunny day today and thankfully not an early start. The previous evening we had all sat down to negotiate the price for the trek - it was quite funny all week Gulam had been cagey about the price - kind of spanish manana when he would discuss it - I knew Ido and Oren were on quite tight budgets so I just kinda went a long with the flow and after a bit of tooing and frooing we got a fair deal for the trek.

I was really surprised at the amount of gear we were taking - all spread out in the garden of the guesthouse - cooking stoves, mountains of blankets, sleeping bags, food and 4 horses to carry it all - best news of all was when the Indian army turned up and said did we want some beer - whoa after 9 days of sobriety - does a beer sh*t in the woods and this is quite pertinent to the story and makes me sound like an alcofrolic - but just nothing can beat a cold beer as the sun goes down when you're camping.

It was a bit of a hike out of the village - Oren who I gathered by this time was not a natural trekker, had come out of the guesthouse muttering "I can't believe I'm doing this!" rode one of the horses whilst I just took my time at the back - bit like when I'm running in races. Gulam had said I needed a horse as well but I just don't do horses - the last time I sat on one was when I was 14 in Egypt and that was a bit of a nightmare as I was wearing a floaty dress - never ever wear a gypsy dress on a horse - spent most of the time trying to stop the dress blowing up over my head as the young lad leading me was trying to get it to gallop round the pyramids - been etched in my memory ever since so that's why I don't do horses!

It was on the hill outside the village that I first noticed the signs with pictures of bears - big bears!! - went into a bit of Judy Garland mode "Lions and tigers and bears, oh my...." - but it was the stunning scenery that kinda calmed my nerves and took my breath away and it was a real nice walk through the woods and down into the valley - once the beer man turned up it was time to crack open a celebratory bottle of Kingfisher as we just sat on rocks listening to music on Nazir's mobile - really chilled.

On the way to Lidderwat

I was a bit confused about how far the Kolahoi glacier actually was - Lidderwat where we were camping for the night was only a 8k stroll away - situated by the confluence of two streams. Way back when people used to go to Kashmir Lidderwat was quite a happening place - back in 1985 Gulam used to run two guesthouses there and you had no problem getting a beer - fast forward twenty years the guesthouses were in ruins and there was just us which did make it kinda magical. There was a semi derilict graffittied rest house where we set up camp for the night - the guys did a great job making it home - tacking up blankets against the open windows and cooking an amazing meal of dhal, salad and pudding.

Afterwards we all just sat outside by the campfire, chatting, sharing a beer and looking up at the stars which as always were really amazing - just millions and millions of them twinkling in the jet black night sky.

Friday 19th October

Up really early today as I now realised that the Kolahoi glacier wasn't just round the corner - 16k's there and 16k's back - earlier on in the week back at the guesthouse we had met a German couple who had come up to Lidderwat on their own - they had said it was about a 5 hour hike and by about 2.oo the cloud had started to come in obscuring the views so we really wanted to get there before that happened. There was also the problem in that we were out of season (aren't I always when I come to Kashmir) - during the summer months the shepherds lived in the mountains with their dogs which scared off the wild animals who tended to be shy and kept to the higher reaches - because we were the only people about it couldn't be guaranteed that we wouldn't bump into Mr and Mrs Bear and family out for an afternoon stroll.

Map of the trek - not sure how well this comes out but according to this the top of the glacier is 4200m

The walk wasn't too bad - nothing like the hills I had gone up in Kinanur and Spiti - we just followed the river up the valley which was really stunning and so nice in one way to be the only ones there. Oren took the horse whilst I mosied on at the back with my stick that I'd rescued out of the fire - whilst Nazir and Ido were a bit like mountain goats at the front.

View down the valley up towards Kolahoi - apologies for the heavy breathing soundtrack but I always sound worse than I actually am.

We were so lucky with the weather - bright blue skies and sunshine and when we finally reached the glacier the clouds stayed away. I'd never been on one before so it was quite a weird sensation to be one minute to be stumbling over rocks and the next a sharp drop in temperature as you slid on to ice on the glacier - we hung around for about an hour scampering up the ice or in my case being dragged up - balance has never been one of my strongest points - and then heading into the huge ice cave which was freezing. Anyway here's a couple of videos from the glacier - Nazir doing a very good Judith Charmers impression (mine was rubbish- so you'll not be seeing that-well not unless I find a very nice man in a photo shop to put it on a DVD and I turn up at your house over Christmas) and one from the ice cave.

All too soon it was time to head back - we met up with the horseman who had come with us but had stayed down at the bottom of the climb as the horse with no name couldn't make it up there and ate a really nice lunch of Kashmiri bread and tasty yellow stuff - bit alarmed when he said whilst chilling out he had seen bears on the opposite side of the river!!!

By now it was about 3.30 - it got dark at 6.30 so we had 3 hours to make it back - to say I got a bit of a shifty on is a bit of an understatement - don't get me wrong I like wildlife preferably on the other side of the river first and TV second but definately not in the path in front of me. Ido had the worst when he walked round a rock and there was Mummy and Baby bear just stood there - one of the advantages of being slow by the time I poled up they were scampering up the hillside. Clare's maybe semi useless fact but handy if you are walking in bear country - bears can run uphill but not down (it's a claw thing or so I was told) - so I did kinda relax a bit when we were walking by the river.

By now dusk was setting in - it wasn't far to the camp but suddenly the horse with no name threw a wobbler and chucked Oren off his back - another reason I don't do horses - you could see he was in a lot of pain (Oren that is not the horse) - but bless he wasn't a natural trekker he tried to walk till we came upon the real "big bear" - now I've no real photos of this as animal photography and my camera don't really mix - but to give you an idea of what it was like this is from the Daily Mirror - re bears in Kashmir.

Ido got some video as even his great camera couldn't catch it - but it was a bear like the photo scrabbling for food in the rocks - not that far in front of us on the path - was I scared - yep but what could I do - just wait for Mr Bear to move away and we weren't like the guys in the photos - and I think Mr Bear realised this because he knew we were there but he just did his business and then scampered up the hill - yes.......

Back at the camp the guys had been working hard - they'd tacked up metal from the abandoned
guesthouses against the windows to keep out the cold - for people who would come up in the future. I've got to say my running back in Wales did help as yes my feet were a tiny bit sore but nothing that a good meal and the last couple of bottles of beer didn't sort out.

Saturday 20th October

Today was Shabbat - now because I'm a bit of the old lady of travelling younger guys don't tend to bother with me as I'm not part of the "young and beautiful" set (well I never was when I was younger-too much of a ladette even before the word was invented) so it was really interesting to learn about Jewish beliefs from Ido. On Saturday you can't use electricity - it is a total day of rest when you don't do any thing - even what you eat is not straightforward. I didn't know any of this so it was an education.

Anyway it was a chill out walk back to Aru - though got to say I was more nervey than on my way up due to the amount of bears I had seen the previous day - more "Lions and tigers and Bears Oh my..." - spec when I was going through the woods. So it was a great relief when we reached the top of the hill and saw Aru nestling down in the valley.

Downsides no beer - plus sides hot shower, amazing pasta and more endless card games of Yanniff and shithead in the most sorted place I've maybe ever stayed in - did feel like home to me.

Got to admit I've been lazy with this - its just sometimes I'm inspired to write and sometimes I ain't - as I wasn't as great at keeping my diary as I usually I am so it's all in my head it is a little harder this time . So from now on will try to do a post a week - slapped wrists if I don't...........

And as it's supposed to be a bit about my running as well - good news from today I ran for East Wales (county vest!!!!- at my age) in the Welsh Masters Championships for cross country - pretty grim mudwise but I am use to that after the summer festivals (unorthodox training I know!) and there was a forecast of 80 mile an hour winds - not quite as bad weather as predicted and best of all I wasn't last - as I had been as nervous as when I stood on the start line in 1983 at Calderdale Schools Sports Day and did come last - big smile here.........

Photos Tattapani-Aru

2007-11-21T20:22:00.001Z

Walk from Shimla to Tattapani

Me and Amritty by the river

In and around Tattapani

White water rafting on the Sutlej

Katra - the higher white line is the path I climbed up last March in the rain

Patnitop

River Chenab near Ramban

Lorries on the Jammu to Srinagar road

Panthal - with the hill I had to climb over last time when the road was blocked

New road cut into the roack at Panthal

Pahalgam

In and around Aru

Cows in the fields - Aru

Iteeka and Mahabba

Oren and Ido on the bus roof on the way to Pahalgam

River Lidder

Photos Tabo to Manali

2007-11-08T19:44:00.000Z

View from Guesthouse roof - Tabo
Spiti River - Tabo
Tabo Monastery

Spiti River on the way to Kaza

Snowfall on the mountains
Pin and Spiti valleys meet at Dhankar
Dhankar monastery

Road to Dhankar

Dhankar village

Dhankar Monastery

Spiti River

Kaza - biggest town in the valley

Me by the highest petrol pump in the world

Kaza town

Ki monastery

On the way to Kibber

Kibber village - highest in the world with a road and electricity

Me Hans Jaap and Rana in the hills behind Kibber

Kibber by night

Last view of the Spiti Valley

Kumzum Pass

On top of the world - wrapped up warm

Me Hans Jaap and Rani - top of the Kumzum Pass

Kumzum Pass into the Lahaul valley

Lahaul valley - road to Manali

Traffic jam on the Manali road

Rohtang Pass down to Manali

Sunset in Manali

Videos Spiti Valley

2007-11-07T15:01:00.000Z

Road in the Spiti valley

Cows in the streets of Nako

Up in the hills behind Nako near the Tibetan border

Whiskey party near Kibber

Kunjum Pass between Lahaul and Spiti - 4551metres (14,932 feet)

Message from Anantnag

2007-10-23T12:53:00.000+01:00

Just a quick message to let you know I'm fine and haven't been eaten by bears - currently in the slowest internet cafe in the world which took us an hour to find up some steps down an alleyway. The guy behind the counter just offered to download some songs for my mobile which currently isn't working as I'm still in Kashmir - I did ask for a Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones..... which got a laugh the best he could offer was Ricky Martin and Shakira - currently he is playing George Michael's Careless Whisper! Anyway had a great time the last few days - I'll write some more when I get a better internet connection - right got to go back as its getting dark to the Hotel Splendid which is anything but - and tomorrow its off to Srinagar and Gulmarg where there will be a beer shop and hopefully I'll be able to download some photos.

See yah

Message from Mattan

2007-10-17T07:38:00.000+01:00

Sorry no photos on this posting - I'm now in a community hall in a place called Mattan which is just outside Anantnag in Kashmir - its an 80k round trip to use the computer and its really really slow but something is better than nothing.

Arrived here last Thursday after a 24 hour journey from Shimla via Chandigarh and Jammu - a lot quicker than the last time I came up this way when it took me four days to do the same journey. It was really interesting seeing the route in a different season - on the way to Katra there were lots of people walking and cycling on the roads with flags who were doing the pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi. The river Tawi which is a bright orange in my earlier pictures was just a trickle with large boulders strewn down the valley, Patnitop was bathed in beautiful sunshine and the new road had been cut at Panthal so no mad climbs over the mountains - the worst part of the journey had to be the toilets in Jammu bus station mainly due to the fact that the men were using the ladies - not very pleasant I can tell you.

So for the last week I have been in Aru - where I got marooned for a week last time I came here. It was really nice to see everyone again and I have been made to feel really welcome. Sunday was Eid the end of Ramadan (it could have been Saturday but the tale I got told was that some imans had to go up in a plane in Pakistan and look at the moon and depending on how the moon looked it would be Saturday or Sunday) - so we (there are two Israelis Ido and Oren staying at the guesthouse as well) all went up to the family house and basically ate far too much food, watched cricket and played cards. So its been pretty relaxing - the only downside is that there is no beer to be had within a 80k radius of Aru - but that said haven't really missed it just ended up drinking far too much Coca cola.

The weather has been great this time though we did have a little bit of snow yesterday on the tops of the mountains - tomorrow we are off trekking to the Lidderwat glacier which will take us three days there and back so we'll be camping out for two nights. The only thing I'm slightly concerned about is that there are bears in the forests - so if anyone has read Bill Brysons account of walking the Appalachian way I'm going to be a bit like him with my bear and tiger phobia - can't get a right tale about whether there are tigers as well but reading my guidebook there are only supposed to be 2000 in the whole of India so I would a little unlucky if one came visiting my tent in the middle of the night - so I am trying not to think about it.

Right got to go - we're off to look at a hindu temple and some springs in a minute before getting a mad jeep ride back to Pahalgam.

Tabo to Today

2007-10-09T14:55:00.000+01:00

Tuesday morning dawned cold and misty - quick look round the Tabo monastery which was built over a 1000 years ago from mud and had the most amazing paintings inside before following the river down the valley to the Dhankar Gompa. This was at a height of 3890m and 8.5 k's up a twisty winding road - we passed a couple of travellers heading up the hill with rucksacks on their backs - it must take something to do that as it was quite a steep climb and the weather not the greatest. Dhankar was perched on a hill and was constructed from mud but is crumbling - once more more beautiful murals inside but the best room where they held the pooja's I wasn't allowed in as no women allowed. The monks once more didn't live actually in the monastery but in a very nice building across the way. Next stop was Kaza which is the biggest town in the Spiti valley - a really cold wind was blowing through the town and no one seemed to be in at the two rather nice guesthouses so we ended up at the guesthouse at the Little Ittly (their spelling) restaurant on the strenth that they served pizza. I rather foolishly ordered the pasta - which predictably wasn't like pasta back home and wasn't much warmer than the restaurant we were sat in. Bit of a chill out afternoon spent buying socks and catching up on the internet before heading over to the hotel beginning with the letter Z for dinner and cards.

Wednesday - not quite as cold as yesterday but what I'd been waiting for since Shimla a chance to be photographed next to the highest petrol pump in the world - way hey!!! - then a walk which I found really hard up the hill behind the town - I was by now finding it quite hard to breathe at times when walking - sat down I was fine and thankfully had none of the other signs of acute mountain sickness. Nazir and Rana picked us up in the jeep at the bottom of the hill accompanied by the bloke from the guesthouse who was trying to get Hans and Jaap to cough up for a toilet roll that he had replaced as he dropped theirs down the toilet - a bit of a heated argument then ensued till it was pointed out that we could have made a fuss about his crap Italian food so he should count himself lucky we hadn't refused to pay for that. Finally we set off to visit the Ki monastery which was only a short drive down the valley - it was really picturesque and set upon a hill and is the largest monastery in the Spiti valley. One of the lama's showed us round and gave us some Tibetan tea - he and Nazir had a rather in depth conversation about yak's which did seem to go on a bit - apparently the lama was saying that he only ate male yak as there were no females - which was a bit strange as I thought Buddhist were vegetarians not counting there being no female yak's. Then it was on to the highest village in the world (lot's of highest today) with a motorable road and electricity - which could be disputed - Kibber is at about 13900 feet and had a real remote feel to it with donkeys milling round, white houses, and laundry being done on the village green. Unfortunately a group of French women who we had been seeing since Kalpa had bagged all the best rooms so I ended up with a rather cute room with debris that fell from the ceiling and a shared bathroom.

As it was so cold we had bought some whisky in Kaza - for purely medicinal purposes - ended up driving to just under 16000 feet to have the highest party in the world - it was trying to snow, Rana put on some loud Punjabi music and we got a rather bemused looks from two women bikers who rode past. If you looked one way you could imagine you were on the moors in Yorks/Lancs but looking the other way just huge mountains that you could no other place than the Himalayas.

Thursday we were up incredibly early with no time for breakfast but it was a gorgeous day with clear blue sky as we wound our way down to the valley bottom. The road was really great till we reached the village of Losar where we stopped for breakfast of parantas and chai - from then on the road was an endless stream of stones and bumps for about the next 80 or 90k. I started to drift as we wound our way up the Kumzun pass which is about 15000 feet - felt quite ill when I went to the natural toilet in some ways it was worse than the festival ones I've been to. Once over the pass we were in the Lahaul valley in which the Chandra river flows through - which I had last seen in Ramban in Kashmir where it is known as the Chenab - there were not many villages along the way so we took dinner in a tent along the way - always amazes me what people can cook up with limited facilities. Then back to more climbing up winding roads to the Rohtang Pass (3978m) - the road did get a lot better when we reached Gramphoo but it was here that we started to encounter lots of mad tanker drivers on their way to Leh before the road shut for the winter. The top of the pass was shrouded in mist but that hadn't stopped hoards of Indian day trippers from making their way up there from Manali - lots of pony rides and shabby tea shops were strung along the road. Then it was a 42 k climb down the other side before we hit rush hour sheep and goat style on the way into Manali - I was convinced we would have lamb chop all over the road. All day I had been dreaming of fluffy towels and a hot bath in a nice hotel - well I got a bath tub but no plug which got me a bit ratty especially when the guy went up the market and came back with one the wrong size which I had predicted he would. But that was nothing to the palaver that Hans and Jaap had over a pizza - they had been dreaming of Dominos pizza all day - but no Dominos in Manali - so two small ones from the local pizza restaurant turned up which they sent back which then returned cold half an hour later - four more were ordered which took three hours to arrive - the guy from the hotel then brought a spoon and a fork for them to eat with - the spoons were sent back and a knife requested - two more forks then turned up which were sent back before finally a bread knife arrived - kinda gave up after that and settled down to drink some beer and play cards.

Pretty chilled out the next day - Hans and Jaap were catching the 5.30 bus to Delhi so we all went for a meal in the afternoon at a really nice restaurant before waving them off at the bus station. Rana then drove me and Nazir up to Hadimba temple which was set in some woods - strangely there were a few women stood around with huge fluffy Angora rabbits - couldn't really figure oput what they were doing. The temple itself had huge rocks in it on which I found out later goats and buffaloes were sacrificed on - not too nice and I don't think I would have gone in if I had known beforehand. I did like Manali as for one thing it was fairly flat to walk around the centre and the riverside was really nice.

Right nearly up to date now - the last week after a back breaking 10 hour ride in the bus cab back to Shimla - 14 of us in there at one point - has been pretty busy. Did a 34k walk from Shimla to Tattapani with a French journalist called Arnoux(sp) and went swimming and white water rafting which was ace - was a bit nervous as I am usually the candidate most likely to fall in but the waves weren't too scary. It was also nice to see Omesh and his family again and they did remember me from my last visit - Amritty the dog was looking really well and came out on a walk with us - couldn't quite get the story about what happened to her last puppy - but I do know she was being well cared for and had been to the vets so she couldn't have any more puppies.

Bit of a rush this as I have had a bit of a do finding an internet connection this morn - as I am off to catch a bus in about an hour - I'm off to Aru in Kashmir and this time hopefully I'll be able to trek out to the Lidderwat glacier. It's not going to easy to find the internet so I'm not sure when I'll be able to post next but I'll do my best.

See you soon.

Clare

Photos Chitkul to Tabo

2007-10-08T09:46:00.000+01:00

Kinner Kailash mountain range from Kalpa

Kalpa's Beachy Head

Wood and stone temple near Kalpa

Spiti Valley

River crossing near the Chinese border

Lorry strugging on the road between Kalpa and Nako

The zig zag line is the road up to Nako

Place where the Dalai Lama stayed

View of the Spiti valley

Dalai Lama's bedroom in Nako

Nako village by night

View from the hotel in Nako

Nako village

Nako lake and the village

Me on top of the world

View from the hills behind Nako

Me on the hills behind Nako

Spiti river

Tabo village

Chitkul to Tabo

2007-10-04T10:23:00.000+01:00

Saturday morning in Chitkul turned out lovely and sunny so we took breakfast on the roof - I grabbed a rather cold shower in the guys room and then we headed out to walk to the last outpost of India before Tibet. It was really beautiful with all the trees a gorgeous orange and green - had a chill by the river and met an Indian couple from Chandigarh who reminded Nazir about a waterfall problem on the road. On the way back to Sangla you could see where the floods had cascaded down the valley and washed away bridges and campsites. Quick lunch in Sangla where Hans and Jaap were really pleased to get chicken for once - me not so pleased as there seemed to be no Coca Cola in the whole town and then we walked up to the 900 year old fort. You couldn't actually go in as there were many expensive statues inside which have been known to wander off - but it was an interesting place as it was like a lot of buildings in the area constructed with wood and stone. Then it was back along the winding road to Rekong Peo - there was less industry now which made it a lot prettier - quick stop to buy some beers and then a 9k ride up to the village of Kalpa where we staying the night. Our guesthouse the Shivalik had an amazing terrace which looked out across to the Kinner Kailash mountain range - unfortunately the mist had come down so we were unable to see the highest peak Jorkaden which is 6473m (21360feet) but it was still pretty special.

Sunday we had a bit of a late start before driving to look at Kalpa's equivalent to Beachy Head - made me quite ill looking at it!!! Then back down to Reckong Peo where we all bought Kinnauri hats and picked up two ladies who wanted a lift to Pooh - yep there really is such a place not sure if Winnie lived there though. After Pooh the scenery got a lot wilder as we criss crossed the river on high bridges. As the road was running really close to Tibet now we had to have our Inner Line Permits checked - a rather bolshy hippy (was how she described herself but not the bolshy bit that's me thinking) started to give Jaap a hard time about how much he paid for the tour at the checkpoint - personally it's nobodies business but your own what you pay for things. The road was now getting a lot worse in places just stones and sand. Nako where we heading was up yes you've guessed another winding road but by now I was getting quite used to the heights and Rana was a real good driver. We'd just missed the Dalai Lama who had been there to visit the monastery two weeks previously - but we did get to see where he stayed - got to say it was very very nice with really expensive settees and carpets (which for me after some of the guesthouses I've stayed in is a luxury). Nako village itself was like going back a thousand years with sheep, goats and children running up the narrow alleyways which had prayer wheels at nearly every corner as we were now heading towards Spiti which is a predominantly Buddhist area of Himachal. Lots of middle aged guys on Enfields were staying in the village who were a bit more sorted with the beer situation than us - no beer shops in Nako - still it was a good night playing cards, sorted thali before the electric went for the night.

Monday - another early start today as we were off to climb some of the hills behind Nako - I was a bit nervous about this as we were just under 3000m and I could feel myself getting breathless a little as I climbed up the desert like path. Even though we were so close to China you couldn't see it - the mountains were just too high - but from the top we could see how the scenery was changing more to desert from the green and oranges of the Kinnaur valley - it did feel like you were on top of the world as we were now finally seeing the snowy peaks of huge mountains in the distance. Set off towards Tabo after dinner - first we had to go through a really dangerous piece of road - just after the village of Malling is a real unstable mountain so much so the road keeps dissappearing under landslides - a new road has been constructed but its still a bit iffy - Nazir had to keep an eye on the rocks as we drove through - and it wasn't helped by the idiot in the jeep in front who decided to let his passenger out to take photos!!! The thing I noticed that made me smile as we drove along were the signs you saw on the side of the road like "ooh aaah ooch - sorry for the inconvenience" after a bumpy bit and "please be gentle with my curves" after a winding bit. After the village of Sumdo we said goodbye to the River Sutlej as it headed towards China and said hello to the river Spiti - the road now ran a lot lower along the valley and by now the scenery was totally desertlike with no trees. In Tabo we ended up at the Tashi Khangsar Guesthouse down by the river - which pleased Hans and Jaap as they loved the water and were always rushing off to sit by a river. I thought something was bit up when Hans came back on his own looking a little dusty - Jaap had got stuck and couldn't get back up the banking - so Nazir grabbed some rope and then it seemed half the village came rushing out plus the big biker group who were staying up the road - they managed to get him back up to more stable ground eventually. Tonight was the final of the 20/20 cricket India versus Pakistan - we were actually looking forward to watching the match but had a bit of a problem in no TV and no electric - I had been teaching Hans and Jaap the rules as it isn't that big in Holland - but we didn't get to see it Rana and Nazir got to see the last couple of overs and we could tell by the blaring music from Rana's jeep when they returned that India had won - but only just!!! Few games of cards with a nice cold beer only slightly marred by an ensuing argument between Nazir and rather drunken Indian cricket fan over Nazir's support of the Pakistan cricket team - in the end I had enough and told them "it's only a bleeding game for god's sake!!!" - kinda calmed down a bit after that and the guy was all smiles and waving in the morning - was whisky talk which you do find quite a lot of here.

Videos from Kinnaur Valley

2007-10-03T14:55:00.000+01:00

Crazy Indian roads

Driving through the Kinnaur valley

Baspa Dam

River crossing at Chitkul

Shimla to Chitkul photos

2007-10-01T12:52:00.000+01:00

River Sutlej
Bhimarkel Temple Sarahan

River Sutlej on the way to Sangla

Welcome to Kinnaur

Waterfall near Sangla

Hans, Nazir and Jaap

Cable transport for goods across the valley

Baspa dam near Sangla

Nazir and Rana change the wheel as it got dark

Baspa valley - Kinner Kailash mountain range to the left

Village on the way to Chitkul

Kinner Kailash mountains

On a rock by the River Baspa

River Baspa

Kinner Kailash mountain range

Harvest time in Rakcham

Chitkul village in the distance- last village in India before Chinese border

Indian army border patrol in the distance

River Baspa

Postcard from Kaza - the trip so far

2007-09-25T12:17:00.000+01:00

In my first internet cafe in a week in a town called Kaza - if you look at a map and head north in India near Tibet you might find it - anyway it's in the Spiti valley which is amazing desert like place full of Buddhist monasteries and high mountains - it is quite cold today as the town is at about 12000 feet above sea level and its main claim to fame is that it has the highest petrol pump in the world and its a positive metropolis in comparaison to the other places we have stayed in during the last week.

Set off last Wednesday from a very misty Shimla (bank problems sorted out - thankfully) - the two guys I am travelling with on this tour are Hans and Jaap who added to the complication are identical twins - so I 've only just sussed out which one is which - any way they are from Holland but speak really good English so I don't have to rely on my four words of Dutch - Nazir is our guide and Rani from the Woodland Hotel our driver. For the first day we had three mad Italians sharing the ride with us whose bus fare payed for our beers on our first night in Sarahan. Like a lot of Himachal the road to Sarahan was very twisty and turny and followed the course of the Sutlej river where you could see lots of hydro electric projects being constructed - Sarahan was perched high up on a hillside and was home to the very beautiful Bhimakali temple a Hindu temple constructed from wood and stone which was about a thousand years old.

The following day we headed off walking up the big hill behind the town - I found it real hard going basically as it involved total uphill - still I wasn't that far behind the guys and did it about 2 hours - lots of wild flowers at the top and stunning views into the next valley - on the way down it was really noticeable the amont of wild marijuana that was growing by the paths!!! Headed off around dinnertime to Sangla which was our next stop. The road climbed high above the Sutlej river and quite often it was just cut into the rock - but I wasn't that nervous as Rani was a real good driver and I did have the real scary side that looked down the mountain. There was a lot of industry mainly hydro electric projects which kind of did spoil the start of the Kinnaur valley which we were travelling through. At one point the water just gushes out of the hillside from a huge dam about 10k's up the road - it was here we turned off the main road and headed up the Baspa valley on a road that just zig zagged up the mountain - it was here that the van got a puncture right at the highest point - Rani and Nazir had a bit of trouble getting the wheel off to change the tyre but managed it eventually. No cable TV in the first hotel which really important as the 20/20 world cup cricket was going on at the time and both India and Pakistan were doing really well at the time - the one we ended up at was very new in fact I don't think they were used to having guests as they struggled to cope serving the food - but it was real nice place with apple trees in the garden and we drank some beer after a long day and watched Pakistan beat Bangladesh so Nazir was real happy.

Sangla is surrounded by a huge mountian range called the Kinner Kailash which rise up to about 6000m (round about 20000 feet) - really amazing to see. Friday we did a 14k walk along the banks of the River Baspa towards Chitkul which is the last village in India before the Chinese border. We stopped off for a picnic along the way at a huge waterfall that came tumbling down the valley and ate apples from the garden of an old man we had met in the previous village. The village was known as the modern village and had a really nice temple and it made me smile to see signs on the path that indicated we were on the village ring road. The walk ended at a place called Rakcham where people were harvesting in the fields and the village was real unusual in that almost all the houses were new as most of the older ones had burnt down in huge electrical fire not so long ago. We took the jeep from Rakcham the rest of the way to Chitkul on a real bumpy road which crossed waterfalls - you could start to see the Tibetan features on the people by now - Chitkul was quite busy so it was hard to find a room and I ended up with one with no bathroom - the shared facilities were not quite as bad as the Shah Palace in Ramban but it was getting there. Had a real crap dinner as the chef just decided to cook what he wanted to cook regardless of what you ordered - one Indian guy kinda of insulted me by saying was I Hans and Jaaps mum!!!! - but it was quite cosy in the communal area of the guesthouse sharing beers and playing cards as the wind howled outside - felt like you were at the end of the world.

Right thats all for today - off to find some beer and get warm as its freezing in this internet cafe - who said India was warm!!!! Next post will be from Manali (you might be be to find that on a map) which hopefully if this real high pass is open we'll reach there the day after tomorrow - hopefully be able to download some photos there as well.

See yah

Quick message for today

2007-09-18T14:26:00.000+01:00

Just a quick post - I was to write more tonight but currently have a stress with my bank - one of them does it everytime puts a stop on my bank card so I can't get money out - doesn't matter if I ring them beforehand to tell them I'll be in India - bang first time I use it it goes on stop.

Anyway enough of that - having a great time - definately off to the mountains tomorrow a nine day trip up through the Kinnaur and Spiti valleys to Manali - had to go and get permission today from the magistrate as the road goes very near to the Tibetan border - highlights of the trip will include visiting the highest petrol pump in the world and going to the highest village in the world at 4205m think thats about 14000 feet.

Met quite a few other travellers including a French girl Sophie a nurse who I hung around with last week - she had a pretty bad time in Delhi with non existant hotels and shonky taxi drivers - we went out on a few walks round the area and thankfully my legs are starting to get used to the hills at long last - was in agony the first couple of days here. The monkeys are the biggest problem for me here in Shimla - they all seem to inhabit the alley way I have to walk down back to my hotel - had two of them start to chase me earlier on today after I had patiently waited for them to finish lounging around and one yesterday managed to knock some water over in my room - so now the window is tied shut!!!

Hopefully I'll be able to post some more photos along the way - if not it'll have to wait to Manali - thanks to all who have left comments - it is nice to know someone is looking at this.

Right got to go - stage two of my battle with the bank and a nice cold beer when I get back to the hotel.

Some video from Delhi to Shimla

2007-09-15T12:51:00.000+01:00

Train Journey from Delhi to Shimla

San Jolie town from the Buddhist temple

View from my hotel in Shimla

Winding road up to the Hindu temple just outside Shimla

Some photos Delhi to Shimla

2007-09-14T13:30:00.001+01:00

View from my hotel window in Paharganj Delhi

Train journey up to Shimla - this part of the track at Kota was washed away about 3 weeks ago in a massive cloudbust - about 60 people died in the storms in the area

View from the train on the way to Shimla

San Jolie town from the Buddhist temple

Three little girls who followed me around and didn't want money for having their photos taken

Mist closing in on the Hindu temple

Spooky moon above the Hindu temple

San Jolie town - climbing up the hillside
Shimla by night
Viceroy mansion Shimla this time with flowers

On top of the world - looking a bit rough hairwise but my hair never travels well!!

Postcard from Shimla again!!!

2007-09-09T08:00:00.000+01:00

Well I'm back again - this time writing in real time - I know I finished my last trip in Srinagar - there wasn't really much to add after that just that I got a flight from Srinagar to Delhi over some amazing mountains - what had taken me four days to travel previously now took only an hour and a half. Delhi was the same madness as before and it was so weird to see so many Westerners after three weeks of seeing no one. Anyway one thing I knew was that I wanted to come back and see the places that it had been too cold to visit before - so that's why five and a half months later I found myself back in a steaming Delhi.

The monsoon had just about finished - but it was just like hitting a blast furnace when I got off the plane at half past five in the morning last Wednesday. I don't know whether I have a fairy godmother looking over me or its because I am a bit of a stroppy mare at times but had no problems in the airport finding a taxi to take me to Paharganj - okay I did have to say "out sunshine" when some guy tried to get in the taxi with me but apart from that after reading horror stories of other peoples "delhi experience" I seem to get off lightly.

No problems finding a room - this time at the Shelton as the Vivek was full - but it was an okay room and managed to get 100 rupees off the price he was asking. It was pretty hard doing anything as it was just so hot - I knew I needed to get out pretty quick so headed down the station and managed to get the last seat on the train to Shimla for Thursday - amazingly no hassle in the station either just outside in the street when I got accosted by a gang of mothers with babies demanding money from me.

Due to confusion with a closed bridge and a platform change only just caught the train the following morning - even though it was six in the morning the sweat was dripping off me as I fell into my seat. Kinda drifted all the way to Shimla though I did get the seat with the cool views so managed to get some video of the ride up here. So many more backpackers than when I was here last - think there was only three of us on the train last time - chatted to an English couple who were 10 months into a world trip and had had a bit of nightmare getting here via Bangladesh. Nazir was waiting for me at the station - I'd rung him from Delhi to let him know I was coming back up - hoping he could sort me out a trip up to Kinnaur and Spiti. He's now got his own office instead of hanging round of the Mall and hopefully the company Silver Dreams will be in the Rough Guide next year.

So the last few days have been spent acclimatising - it does come as a bit of shock coming back - it's the staring you have to get used to again and ended up having to be quite firm with another guest at the hotel who was a bit of a pestilence wanting to come in my room to discuss the TV reception when I was in the shower!!!! Just about come round know from all the travelling this last week - in fact been out today with Nazir to the town of San Jolie (sp) just up the road to look at a Buddhist temple. Was a bit of a hike up there - can really feel the hills in my legs now - was a little bit of a plank as I didn't realise the first temple was Hindu till I was in there - it was really cool with musicians playing instruments and people clapping - it only dawned on me when I saw the Hindu gods in their shrine - the Buddhist temple was on the next hill which involved climbing down through a building site and followed by three small children.

Anyway it's getting late - there's food to eat and beer to drink back at my hotel so I'll sign off just for now - not got any photos at the moment to post but hopefully some next week as it was really nice up at the temple today with the mist coming in and the moon in shadow.