benjamin rumble - a weblog

Day 311 (Jun 24) - Europe so far

2009-06-25T00:47:00.002+10:00

I've now been in Europe for 17 days (wow, already?) and I've only seen 3 countries. Hmm... good/bad?

Anyway, I've had a blast.

London
I arrived in London and was almost turned around and sent on the next flight back to Canada as I'd stupidly put the address of the place I was staying in my main luggage, assuming that I'd pick that up before coming through customs. Oh dear. Anyway I just smiled and the woman saw that I wasn't some fool (I was dressed ok, and looked good) and reluctantly let me into the country.

I then made my way to Bayswater to the hostel I'd been told about. It was my first hostel experience so was an eye opener. Ridiculously uncomfortable beds (springs poking into your back) plus putting up with loud breathers and tossers and turners! I'm normally an excellent sleeper but just couldn't at the hostel so decided at 4:30am to go for a run. Headed out and ran in a random direction. Ended up running down Portobello Road in Notting Hill.
Returning to the hostel I made breakfast, checked out and headed off to sight see and to book a bus to Stanstead airport for my 6am flight to Prague the following day.
Walked around all day and checked most of the boxes (Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Southbank, London Eye). Then did Picadilly Circus. MAN IS LONDON EXPENSIVE!!! A coffee costs 3 pound in some places!!
I'd decided to save on accommodation and not book a 2nd night and just head straight to the airport. I headed to Stanstead at around 1am arriving there at 2am, then waited until 5am to check in. Needless to say it was a sleepless night.

Prague
Leila had booked a hostel for herself and had been there 1 night already, so I arrived to find her sitting at a computer. It was great to see her, even if it'd only been a few months since we'd caught up in Canada.
Did lots of walking around, getting lost as I think most people do in Prague their first time. It really is spectacular, especially as an Australian, to see so many old buildings. Everywhere.
I also went for a run, heading south down the Vltava river. It was nice, but I ended up crossing it and headed into a slightly industrial area, and was running along a road breathing car fumes. Turns out I should have headed into the parklands up near/towards the castle.
As we had until the 17th before our Auntie and cousins arrived we decided to hit up Budapest for a few days.

Budapest
Here we stayed at a great small hostel called "Budget Hostel". Leila was happy to hear an Aussie accent on the other side of the intecom when we buzzed it, and we felt immediately at home when we walked in. Only 2 dorms one for 8 people, one for 6. We hadn't booked but were lucky enough to be able to get some beds for the nights we needed.
I woke early the first morning and set out to explore the local area. I found where we were much easier to navigate than Prague, and immediately got my bearings. Heading back to the hostel (at 5:30am) I then saw some other foreigners waiting outside a building for the supermarket to open. I waited with them and headed in. Turns out the building was Központi Vásárcsarnok, or "Great Market Hall". Much like the Queen Victoria Market back home in Melbourne. Being there when it first opened was lovely as there were very few people. After a quick explore I headed downstairs to the super market and picked up some breakfasty things.

Budapest we found to be more beautiful than Prague. I'd less westernised I guess, so felt less familiar, which for me is a positive thing. Again being cheap tourists we roamed around mostly on foot, but caught the odd tram. A bit of caving and partying and an overnight rave on Sziget island.

Prague take 2
Coming back to Prague to meet family was a delight. It's so great to catch up with close family and just settle back in to where we'd left it 2 years ago. After 2 nights in a nice hotel (kindly paid for by my Auntie) the 4 young ones booked an apartment for 4 nights after she left. This turned into a great pad to base ourselves for our 2nd Prague experience. It was the top floor of a building so had a pretty good view (if a little obscured by rooftops, wires, satellite dishes etc.) of the Castle across the river.
A fair bit of hanging out at the apartment was done just to catch up with family.

So now tomorrow we're off to London for the AC/DC concert on Friday night, then hitting Paris to meet Arif again before he returns home. Then Lyon for a gathering of 8 or 9 Aussies, then chasing Le Tour.

That is all.

Day 239 (Apr 13) - Spring in Vancouver

2009-04-14T05:58:00.002+10:00

I've begun to see why Vancouver (and most of BC) is so popular during Spring/Summer. Wow is it beautiful! Just returned from a casual cycle down to UBC and back, along the beach. So many people out (despite it being a Monday). I especially noticed the lovely young ladies out running. Mmmmm!

Every sunny day in Vancouver is relished by all residents. Probably because during winter it's cloudy, and often rainy. The "vibe" is so infectious it's hard not to be caught up in it.

It's made me slightly sad that I'll be missing all of summer here (well most of it).

My plans are closer to being finalised. I'm fairly sure I'll only head to Europe for June/July and return here in August. With the job market so difficult to infiltrate (especially as a foreigner in any country) and the whole "not what you know but who you know" thing, I feel safer earning money here in Vancouver, than in Europe. Plus it's a lovely place to be. Plus I'd love to get more skiing action (only been up for 7 or 8 days this season).

All I need to do now is book a European airfare, and work out where I'll be sleeping when Marcus (the guy who's room I'm currently staying in) returns to reclaim his space in mid-May. I'll have 3 weeks between the time he returns to when I leave the country. Any Vancouverites have a spare couch?

That is all.

Day 196 (Feb 28) - Almost 29 years old

2009-03-01T18:20:00.002+11:00

So, it's been almost 200 days since I left Australia. Really? Wow! More than 6 months.

Here I am in Vancouver, 3 weeks of retail work under my belt, found a place to live, have a bike. I'm really "living" here now.

Vancouver is a great town, though after being through India and a little bit of Asia, it's no-where near as exciting (though skiing here is amazing!). It's just so... "western". I guess being a westerner means it's so much like home that it's not mind blowing. Still the people are ridiculously friendly, and I've met many of them. So much like friends back home that home sickness seems like it's never going to come. Dad and my sister are coming on the 8th of March for 10 days. Maybe after they leave it'll kick in. Maybe.

So, it's 2 weeks until I'm 29. Oh no! Almost 30. I'm not really as concerned as I thought I'd be. Perhaps being on "holiday" helps. Hmmm. Anyway, nothing too exciting to report, so.

That is all

Day 165 (Jan 29) - Canada

2009-01-30T05:23:00.002+11:00

Well, I've passed through Taiwan, and am now in Canada, hunting for jobs.

Passing through Taiwan after Thailand I arrived at Vancouver International Airpot, and headed straight to Whistler, staying with a friend of a friend.
After 3 nights there I soon discovered that my dream of living/working up at Whistler would be near to impossible (no jobs, and next to no accommodation available).

So, I shifted down to Vancouver.

I've been job hunting from the day I arrived. I've even applied for 2 retail job (I've NEVER done retail in my life!) but the job market is hard with this world economic crisis and all. Finding a "proper" job (i.e. software geekiness) is difficult. I've been told that Canada (and most other countries I'm guessing) is only hiring locals. I've sent off more than 10 applications, and have only had a few responses. I unfortunately turned one short term job down, before I realised how hard it would be. Oh well.

I've been hired for one of the retail positions, which is a relief, as I at least have some (low!) income.

I've also found a place to stay, in a great area of Vancouver (Kitsilano, or Kits as it's known locally) with a fun bunch of people. It's near to where I'll be working initially too, which is obviously handy

Right now, I'm spending 10 or so days in Saskatchewan between Regina and Saskatoon visiting family (3 of whom I haven't seen in 11 years). It's fantastic to see blood relatives for the first time in 5 months (since I left Australia). It's said often, but it's amazing how you can just slot right in with family, helping in the kitchen, helping cousins with homework etc.

That is all

Day 128 (Dec 24) - Bangkok vs. Bombay

2008-12-24T17:45:00.006+11:00

So here I am in Bangkok, 5 days after arriving. I'd intended to get out of the big smoke as soon as possible, but a couple of friends are here, and I was convinced by one friend (Sally) to visit an inmate in Bangkwang prison on Tuesday (yesterday) morning so I stuck around for that, and here I am, still wandering the streets.
On arrival in Bangkok I suddenly thought "wow, look at how organised this place is!". Meeting a number of tourists here and them saying the opposite ("the traffic is so crazy!") I find myself having to hold back from saying "this is nothing compared to India". The truth is it really is nothing compared to India.
India feels like absolute chaos. The crowded trains (both metro and long distance trains). The roads (lanes are completely irrelevant). The people physically pushing their way past you, with their hands on your shoulder or back.
Sure, in Bangkok there are a lot of people but they organise themselves so much better. Cars tend to stick to their lanes for the most part. People aren't touching each other, even in crowded places.

The best example of the Bombay (or India really) vs. Bangkok contrast is the metro trains.
India: getting on a train here is like playing a contact sport. You literally have to force your way on, as there will be 50 or 60 people trying to get into that same door. You have to use all of your strength to get through, otherwise you'll be left on the platform. Because of the number of people trying to get on, you can't wait for people to get off he carriage as nobody else waits, so it's a matter of throwing yourself into the throng with all your might.
Bangkok: the trains (well the BTS Skytrain anyway) arrive at the platform with the doors always at the same spot. That spot is marked with arrows. Two arrows in the centre point away from the door and there are two sets of diagonal arrows pointing towards the door on either side of the centre two pointing towards the door. People on the platform stand out of the way of the door, leaving space on the centre arrows for the passengers to disembark. After everyone's off, then they calmly embark, in an extremely organised fashion.

Hence I've had to hold my tounge often when meeting tourists here and them saying "This place is so crazy!".
I think I've also bored Sally, Steve, Matt and Nathan with my comments starting with the sentence "When I was in India...". I'm sure those 5 words have left my mouth a dozen or more times a day!

After a few days in Bangkok I've gotten over my "This place is nothing on India" and have started to see it for it's own charms. And besides, in many ways it actually has a lot that reminds me on Bombay. A big bussling city with a large contrast in what you can do. The Zen department store in Bangkok is more upmarket (and expensive) than anything in Australia that I've ever seen. There's another shopping complex where there's a Lamborghini dealership on one of the floors, with 6 or 7 cars inside. But at the same time you can get incredibly delicious and cheap food on the side of the road outside of these areas. In this way Bombay and Bangkok are remarkably similar, and it's part of the charm that attracts me to both cities with that variety.

I'm off tomorrow to a beach (Koh Samet perhaps) then back to Bangkok to hitchhike to Koh Phangan for New Years Eve. That should be interesting!

That is all.

Day 124 (19 Dec) - thoughts on India

2008-12-19T20:06:00.002+11:00

Wow, so I finally left India. My last stop was Hampi, after a truely incredible time in Mumbai after having found my ancestors' homes in Tarsai, Gujarat. Mumbai was never on the plan, but after meeting Shirley (in Pushkar) and Satish (in the middle of the desert in Rajasthan) both from Mumbai, I was convinced. I spent 3 days/nights there absorbing the atmosphere. It was a place I can honestly see myself living. What a town!
Lots of Mumbai stories, and how I met Satish, and how he and Shirley knew each other, even if they didn't know that they did (before I introduced them).
After Mumbai was Hampi. Beautiful scenery etc. but I did get a little bored there in my 3 days.
From Hampi it was a 10 hour train ride, a 3 hour bus, then 7 hours at the airport in Chennai (I had my big bag with me so sightseeing Chennai for a 2nd time didn't appeal) all to catch a 3 hour plane to Bangkok!
More on India: It's such an incredible country. As Austin mentioned numerous times "anything is possible". It really is. I'm thinking of getting the Indian Tourism board to modify their slogan slightly. from "!ncredible India" to "Fucking !ncredible India".
The amount to see, the food, the people. And the cost, don't forget the cost. I was there for 4 months, and I spent $6,000 (Australian dollars). I can't think of too many places that you can stay that long, and spend so little. And I didn't even see half of the country!
The lifestyle of the middle class in India is, I think, beyond par anywhere in the world. Your milk is delivered each morning. You have a maid to clean your house, EVERY day. Going out (auto-rickshaws/taxis/food) is crazy cheap. Holidays within India are stupidly cheap (Rs 300 for a sleeper class train ride halfway across the country, then Rs 300 or less per night for a hotel!). And you have all this on your doorstep to explore. I'd love to live there for a while at some stage in my life. India, you'll be seeing this little Aussie again, that's for sure.
As you may have read on Twitter I was having such an incredible time. I was seriously contemplating changing all my plans for a 3rd time to stick around but I do need to start earning some money at some stage, and the ski season is almost over, so here I am on my way to Canada, via Thailand and Taiwan.
I met up with an old friend (Dom for those that know him) when I arrived this morning at 6am, and crashed on his bed after 2 nights of very little sleep. Tonight I'm seeing Sally, one of Leila's school friends, who's living here. I think Bangkok needs to be seen with a local, being a big city an all. And the area Dom and I are staying is SOOOO touristy it's kind of suffocating. Will be nice to have someone local(ish) to take me somewhere. Tomorrow is a Flickr meetup, so I'll tag onto that.
Hope you're all having a fun holiday season, where ever in the world you may be.
That is all.

Day 111 (Dec 7) - catchup

2008-12-07T15:40:00.004+11:00

Forgive me Blog, for I have sinned. It's been 31 days since my last post.
(get it? pretending to give confession? no? ok, forget about it...)
So in the past month what has happened? If you've been following on Twitter you'll have some idea of what I've done/where I've been.

* arrived in Pushkar to meet 70 other couchsurfers from India and abroad, including Jaiprakash (JP) who I'd met in Kolkata 2 months earlier, and who'd invited me to come to Pushkar, and Rajasthan with him.
* participated in the Inaugural International Pushkar Fair Kabaddi match (as captain too!)
* interviewed on Rajasthani television after the match, and my photo appeared in two local newspapers
* travelled to Jaisalmer with JP and Austin (from Canada) on a bus with no windscreen, and almost misplaced a fellow passenger on route (unrelated to the missing windscreen)
* did a camel safari in Jaisalmer
* was spotted by an Australian friend who happened to be in Jaisalmer at the same time (neither of us knew each other would be in India)
* Jodhpur (saw the palace and a few other things)
* an overnight sleeper bus to Uidaipur on the bumpiest bus ride of my life. The window opposite us didn't close so Austin and I had to huddle together for warmth.
* Ahmedabad with Austin. Took in two ICL World Series matches (World vs. Bangaladesh, and India vs. Pakistan), and did an Auto-rickshaw tour. See my upcoming photos for more information
* Couchsurfed with Austin in Bhavnagar, and took in Alang, the ship destroying town. This was pretty incredible, as there are shops as you head towards the ocean, selling anything/everything from the ships. CD players, telephones, life jackets, glass, wood, generators, furniture, you-name-it.
* Palitana for the famous Jain temples on the hilltop. On the hike up (2 hours) met a couple from Delhi, who informed us of the Mumbai attack. Austin and I had tickets for the Live Earth concert on the 7th December, so we were planning to head there on the 3rd or 4th
* Palitana to Rapar/Lilpur to couchsurf again, and see Dholavira (a 4500 year old city)
* drunk "apple juice" (Austin's pseudonym for whiskey) in the dry (i.e. no alcohol) state of Gujarat on the highway passing through the salt plans of the Rann of Kutch.
* Headed to Bhuj (again) with Austin to do some family research (find my great grandfather's home)
* To Porbandar (where the Mumbai attackers boarded the fishing boat) which is 50km from Tarsai, my great-grandfather's village.
* took a taxi to Tarsai, and found (after much trouble finding an English speaker, and many phone calls to Janak in Bhavnagar to translate!) the homes of Tayob (my great-grandfather) and his brothers too.

Now I'm off to Mumbai for a brief 12 hour stopover before making my way to Hampi, then to Chennai on the 18th for my flight out of this terror prone country, to Thailand, another country in turmoil! I've picked them well!

That is all

Day 80 (Nov 6) - off to Pushkar

2008-11-06T15:10:00.004+11:00

It's been 3 weeks since my last post, and as you may have guessed, much has happened.

I'll keep this short(ish)

After a week in Bangalore (which was the most expensive week of my trip, with food/auto-rickshaws etc. being pretty expensive), and an awesome party at the house I was staying in, I headed for Kochi (Cochin) in Kerala. It was an overnight bus (14hrs I think), but wasn't as bad as I anticipated. Before hitting Kochi the bus came to Calicut in on the Arabian sea in northern Kerala (about 5am). From here I was expecting to pass through a few other towns on the way down south to Kochi, but there were no towns as such, just constant built up areas, the whole way from Calicut to Kochi. No way to tell where one town ends, and another begins. Just 100 or more kms of shops, factories, homes etc. I guess it's a sign of the population.

On arrival in Kochi (19th October), I popped into an internet cafe near the ferry station on Fort Kochi (an island off the mainland reached by ferry). Airconditioning! After 15 mins I left the cafe, to find my glasses completely fogged. Oh dear. Humidity. Not something I'm too fond of.

Checked into a hotel, run by two Aussie brothers from Melbourne (of Indian heritage, but have lived in Australia for 10 years, and are now Australian citizens). They work in finance for banks in Melbourne for 9 months of the year, and work at this hotel in Kochi for 3 months. What a life!

Kochi was dissapointing however. Not what I expected from my first visit to the state (Kerala) known as "God's own country". Really, really touristy (inflated prices, touts everywhere etc.). And not much to see. This made me re-evaluate my Kerala visit, plus with time constraints (needing to be in Pushkar by the 8th of November) I planned to leave Kerala to head to towards Rajasthan. First stop, Mysore, then Tamil Nadu to catch Jen before she left the country.

On my train trip on the 8th of October from Pune to Bangalore I met a group of guys returning from a 4 day end of Ramadan holiday in Pune. They lived in towns nearby to Mysore, and said when I come that way I must contact them. Not having an Indian SIM card I kept in contact for the few weeks by SMS only. On my way to Mysore I informed Khalid (one of the guys who said I should come and visit him) that I was on my way. He said once I got off the bus I should phone him from a public phone. I did this, and he said come to Kirgavalu, his town.
On my way on the bus (1 hr) I met two locals who were perplexed to see a foreigner on their bus. I even signed an "autograph" for a school girl on the bus!
I messaged Khalid when I was 20 mins away from the stop, and when I got off, there was a 5 person welcoming committee on motorbikes, including Khalid and Zia who I'd also met on the train. They took me to Khalid's house, which was a mansion! Especially considering this was a small town. It was easily the largest house in the whole town!
I met Khalid's father, uncle, aunt, and his two children. His wife was unwell, and was staying in Mysore, so I didn't have a chance to meet her.
I stayed here for 2 nights, (I think it's the best accommodation I've had in India! Clean, big, bright!) All meals were included kindly cooked by his Aunty. Unfortunately only Khalid spoke English, the rest of the household speaking only Urdu, so communication was an issue. I would have loved to have had chats with the other members.
I spent 2 days just chilling, swimming in the lake, getting my haircut (to the amusement of about a dozen local kids!). Apparently I'm the only tourist to have ever visited the town (there's nothing of historical interest, so is well off the tourist map). It was a lovely experience though, even though I drew a lot of attention, it wasn't like in the touristy places where people are trying to sell you things. It was more curiosity, and people wanting to know about me. I was more than willing to chat to everyone (at the chai shops etc.). I even bought myself a lungi.
After two days I headed to Mysore, and caught up with Suhel (whome I'd also met on the train from Pune) , Shujath, Said and 2 other of Suhel's friends for a boys day in Mysore. First stop was the bird sanctuary. I was smuggled in under the guise of being Kashmiri, so I could pay the Indian price (many places in India charge 5 to 20 times more for foreigners). The guys loved the challenge!
Next was the Srirangapatna museum, then Mysore palace (it's lit up at night spectacularly). Then to the Mysore Exhibition which was on at the time. Exhibition is a fair, with rides, games, fairy floss and all that you'd expect at a fair anywhere in the world. It was a fantastic display of colour, and of families out for a good time. It had the largest concentration of females of anywhere else I've seen in India, which was a refreshing change.
The next day (Monday) I was on my own again, as the boys had to work, so I made a plan to go to Chamundi Hill, and to the Palace (a daytime visit inside the buildings). Boarding the local bus to Chamundi Hill, I asked some other passengers if it was the correct bus, to confirm, and struck up a converstation with these two lads from Bangalore (Deepak and Somjit). They were also tourists in Mysore for the day, so we hooked up and saw Chamundi hill, the Mysore Zoo and the Palace all together.
From Mysore I caught a train to Chennai, then a bus to Mamamallapuram to meet Jen, and catch up on everything.
We discussed what we'd done/seen blah blah blah. And about what an arsehole I'd been over the previous month (the whole no contact thing.). Surprisingly Jen was understanding(?) and forgiving(!?!?!). We decided to call it all off.
Despite all this we spent 3 days in Mamallapuram gorging on seafood (bought at the local market, and cooked at a restaurant. The cheapest way for a seafood feast!)
Then two nights in Chennai (clubbing and watching the final F1 race at a F1 bar nearby our hotel!). Go Lewis!
Now I'm in Hyderabad, leaving on 26hr train trip to Jaipur in Rajasthan at 2am on Friday morning (tonight) then a bus to Ajmer then another to Pushkar! Can't wait!

Ok, that was way too long. I really promise to blog more often, and keep them shorter.
That is all

Day 59 (Oct 15) - changing flights

2008-10-15T19:06:00.002+11:00

So, I've just changed my flights (well my Chennai - Bangkok and Bangkok to Taipei. My Taipei to Vancouver is still booked for before I'm arriving in Taipei! I'll have to sort that out!)
I'm now leaving India on Nov 19.

Since my last posting I've done the following:

* relaxed in Diu (spectactularly relaxing town. Munching seafood everyday, swimming each morning on 4km long deserted beaches).
* ridden a 150cc Suzuki at 100km/h wearing just thongs, boardshorts, t-shirt and aviators (i.e. no helmet)
* Bhuj in Kutch: My ancestors are from somewhere in Gujarat so I thought I should pop by. Bhuj is a smallish town of 150,000 people. In the earthquake of 2001 up to 15,000 people dies. 10% of the population. The town still has evidence of the damage. Many building still lay as rubble. The people though are incredibly upbeat. Really honestly friendly. I received many phone numbers there of people offering to help/give advice during my travels.
* 22 hours in Pune near Mumbai: Arrived at 4am, left at 2 am! Went to a some beautiful gardens (Osho Teerth) near a mediation retreat, then went shopping and saw the Commonwealth Youth Games parade. Then to a few bars, before returning to the station for my train
* Bangalore for the cricket: The Indian fans are nuts! Honestly. Elsewhere we cheer when runs are scored, or a wicket is taken. Here, people cheer when a player (either team) comes to the boundary. And really cheer. The whole side of the ground where the player is stands if the player so much as stretches! Was a fantastic experience.
I'm couch surfing here, and experienced some incredible generosity. The host was away for 3 nights, so left the key with the security guard for me to let myself into his apartment! 3 nights alone in the apartment! Wow!
Now off to Mysore, Ooty, and Kerala before making my way back north to go to the Pushkar Camel Fair in early November.

I'm even thinking I may extend my stay into December. We'll see.
Oh, and track my more frequent updates here: http://www.twitter.com/therumbler

That is all.

Day 44 (Sep 30) - Bodhgaya to Diu, and all between

2008-10-01T00:20:00.003+10:00

Ok, a brief posting this time.

Since Bodhgaya I've done the following:
* been sick (vomited in sink on train, and in a moving autorickshaw)
* seen more temples even after temple-overload in Bodhgaya.
* been to Orchha, Khajuraho, Vadodara, and now I'm in Diu in Gujarat.
* re-routed my trip to make it to Bangalore for the India vs. Australia cricket test

Diu is a fantastic little island. I'm just chilling, after being sick for 3 days, and a reasonable amount of sight seeing in that time, plus a hell of a lot of travelling, I'm a little worn out, so some rest and respite in this village is really welcome.
I met a cricket team on the bus from Vadodara to Diu, who are playing a 3 day match here. I'll check that out tomorrow after an ocean swim and some breakfast. Oh, it's a tough life!

I've hired a 150cc bike, so am scooting around the 13km long island on that.

Oh, and I've not been caught up in any of the flooding (Orissa and Bihar), or bombings (Delhi, Gujarat) or the stampede (Rajasthan) . So I'm safe and well incase you were wondering.

And I'm also considering extending my India stay (I'm scheduled to be leaving on 19 October, but may extend another month).

More pics: http://snipurl.com/bigtripphotos

That it all.

Day 34 (Sep 20) - What a day!

2008-09-20T18:48:00.003+10:00

Here I am in Bodhgaya, having had the most incredible day yesterday (Friday 19th).I should start with a brief description of Kolkata. Arriving there after 8 blissful days in
Darjeeling I was anxious that it'd be hot and horrible. The temperature when we arrived (at 7am)
was not too bad, so that bode well. The first few days were spent wandering around, but on the 3rd day we caught up with a couch-
surfer, who appeared very keen to catch up. His name is Jaiprakesh. We went to his home to meet
him, his two children (boy and girl, 7 and 12 years old) and his wife. Spent many hours there
chatting, flying kites on his rooftop (tall apartment building) and watching the fireworks (it
was a kite festival that day). We eventually made it back to our hotel after 10pm! It was
fantastic to have spent some time with a local, and such a welcoming one too. He invited us to
come over the next day to take a ferry ride across the river (weather permitting, as it was
raining quite frequently). We took up his invitation, and took our luggage (we were leaving that
night) to his place. It was raining when we arrived (early afternoon) so we spent a couple of
hours playing games with his kids. Jen and I became quite competative! Now to Bodhgaya:I arrived at 7am, a 13km autorickshaw ride from Gaya. I hadn't organised accomodation as
everywhere I'd phoned said "just turn up" (it's off-season here in India). Sat down for a bite to
eat, and was immediately accosted by a young boy (13 years old maybe). He sat with me at my
table, while I was eating, so I chatted. Knowing that he'd eventually want something from me
(money or to take me to his dad's shop, or something like that as I've experienced elsewhere in
India all-too-often) I was a little off hand. I was then joined by a second boy who was also keen
to chat. I ate slowly and chatted a little with them, still being guarded. I warned them that if
they asked me for something after I'd finished that it'd be bad Karma (I'd established that they
were both Hindu) to avoid any issue. Eventually I got rid of them and searched for hotel (8am by
this stage). I arrived at one I'd heard of, but with my two passports (one invalid damaged one
with my Indian visa, and another valid new one without a visa) I wasn't allowed to stay. It was
too strange for the person at reception. I walked out, pissed off, in search of somewhere else. Walking towards a monastery I was again
accosted by 2 young lads, who were very keen to help me. They suggested some places, and I
politely declined, as places often pay commission to locals for bringing them to their hotel (and
then charging the guest extra to cover the commission). At least this is what I learned in the
Lonely Planet. I mentioned a place I'd heard of already, and these boys showed me the way (it was
a little out-of-the-way. I checked in successfully, while the boys waited downstairs. I came back
down, and was convinced by them that they were happy to take me around on their motorbike. They
offered to take me 18km out of town to some caves (Durgeshwari Temple)where it's said that Buddha
spent some time if I'd pay for the petrol (one litre). This would cost me only 60Rs (less than
$AUD2!). Autorickshaws would cost 200Rs or more for the round trip (again, according to the
Lonely Planet), so it seemed a great deal. I agreed, saying a needed a few hours to shower/rest
etc. so for them to come back at 10:30.Sure enough, at 10:30 there they were (Anup the one who's bike it was, and who spoke the
best English). I'd put on some shoes (rather than thongs) as I was slightly cautious, seriously
thinking they may rob me or something, so I wanted something to be able to run in!Anyway, true to their word, they took me (3 of us, un-helmeted on the one bike) there, and Anup
even explained the details of the place, having told me earlier he wasn't a guide! It turns Anup
spent 6 years at a Buddhist Monastery, so knew his fair share of Buddhist history etc.! As we were riding back, I mentioned to them that I'd like to hire a scooter. Nowhere in Bodhgaya
hires scooters, and it'd be more than I was willing to pay for a motorbike (600Rs) but Anup
kindly offered to loan his bike to me while he was at school. This is after only knowing him for
3 hours! I could hardly believe it.So, arriving nearby their school (both of them studied at the same monastery) Anup had me test
ride his bike, so he was sure that I could ride. I hopped on, started and rode around tentatively
shifting into 2rd and 3rd gears to check that the clutch and gears were fine. And they were (it
was only 2 years old). So, Anup was happy, and went to his class, and left me, alone with his
bike.I rode back along the road, about 3km to a village market I'd spotted on the way back from the
caves. Pulling over I was the talk of the market. Apparently not many tourists visit, so I had a
group of 20 kids following behind me ("Hello!", "Namaste!", "How are you!"). I was thirsty by
this stage, as I hadn't had much to drink since breakfast, so wandered the market in search of
water, and some food. No bottled water here I was told by the one person I found that could speak
English, so I stuck to my 1/2 full bottle. Purchasing some Chaat (a hot snack of a broken samosa with marsala and other sauces poured on
top), I sat on the ground to eat. Immediately after I sat, I had 30 children standing around
peering at me curiously. Probably thinking "what's this strange white man doing?". Maybe I was
sitting with my legs crossed the wrong way, or ate in a strange way, but they all seemed
incredibly interested. An old lady who I'd sat near started talking to me in Hindi, of which I
understand precisely nothing, and I answered here in English, which she understood as much as I
understood her Hindi. We had a 2 minute conversation, while being looked down from above by the
standing children. After my food, I opened by bag, at which time the children came in closer, to
get my hot tea from my flask. They laughed as I poured it into my cup, and drunk. I snapped a few shots of the kids, then thought I'd love to be in one of the shots, so attempted
to explain to a 9 year old kid, how to use my SLR and to take a shot of me with everyone else.
One shot managed to be made before my batteries died!
Wow. Heading back to my bike, while being followed by not only kids, but Autorickshaw wallahs
(drivers) asking in the only English they knew, if I needed a ride, not expecting me to pull out
my Honda Hero key, hop on, and take off. Riding on India roads is an adventure, even in and around small towns. People don't exactly stick
to their side of the rode, but overtake at almost any opportunity, while blasting their horns to
let people know they're there. I got the hang of the horn blasting, but overtaking a wide truck
on a bike I'd only been riding for 2 hours, on roads with barely enough space for 2 cars to pass,
was a little too much, so I ended up breathing in truck fumes while auto rickshaws and other
motorbikes wizzed by me on my right. I attempted to overtake a few times but chickened out when
something started approaching.
Back in town (Bodhgaya) I attempted to find the meeting spot where I'd arranged to pick the guys
back up, but couldn't! I was absolutely lost. It's a very small town, but I hadn't done my usual
aimless wonder yet to orient myself. I'd just been a passenger then rode directly out of town
without enough regard of how to get back to that exact spot! I asked for directions to the Post
Office (I'd spotted it when I entered town, and it was near enough from where I was supposed to
meet Anoop and his friend) but after 15 minutes and many people directing me, arriving outside a
small post office, discovered that there were 2 post offices in town! It was now 10 minutes
before I was supposed to meet Anup! I was truly lost. I'd even ridden all the way through town,
and out the other side at one point!30 mins after I was supposed to meet them I pulled up alongside a woman, and asked her. She
turned out to not speak any English, and I was starting to get very concerned that Anup might
think I'd had an accident, or maybe even tried to steal his bike!As I was turning by bike around in front of the woman, I heard someone from a window in a house
shouting. He came out, and was a young guy, who spoke very good English. He said "Is this Anoop's
bike?". Anup? He knew Anup? It turns out that many people know Anup. This lad introduced
himself as Julian, and said he'd help me get back to where I was supposed to meet Anup, if I'd
give him a ride. Give him a ride? Of COURSE! 2 mins later, I was at the meeting point, but 40
mins late! Anup was no-where to be seen. We crossed a bridge heading towards the school, when we
passed Anup's brother, asked him if he knew where he was. No. Tried calling him. Phone was off.
We went to the local markets. No sign of him. I felt so bad, hat I'd have made Anup panic, and
even that he'd be spending time searching for me. But about 30 mins later we found him, and he
was blase about the whole thing. "Don't worry! It's fine" he assured me!We chatted some more, while he showed me around all of the temples in town, and I got to know
him. He was just a honest young guy, who had setup a school for under-privalged children, and
loved meeting foreigners. After many hours of temples, we headed for dinner, which I shouted him
(obviously!) went to watch the 2nd half of a soccer match, then back to the hotel at 8pm.
I sat down in the room, hardly able to comprehend what I'd just done. I want more experiences
like that!
Today we caught up again, and I was shown some temples out of town, that I'd imagine not many
tourists would make it to. I even rode with the 2 guys on the back for a while, across some
pretty hairy roads!
What an experience. I don't imagine I'll be able to have a similar experience anywhere else in
India, but I sincerely hope so.Off to Gwalior tomorrow to make my way to Khajaraho and Orchha. Just surviving the heat now! Wow is it hot!
That is all.

Day 23 (Sep 9) - Darjeeling

2008-09-09T12:55:00.002+10:00

Now almost a month into my trip. Am settling very well into India. Took about a week to get used to the place, but now I'm just going with the flow.
Please bear with me with this post. It's extra long.

What have I been up to since my last post?
Missing my train
I missed my train from Delhi to Agra. My train was scheduled for 5:40 pm. At 5:15 pm the sign at my platform had my train listed as the next train at the platform. So I sat and waited for an announcement for us to start boarding. Each announcement comes first in Hindi, then in English. Many announcements for other trains on other platforms, but none for mine. Then the sign at my platform went blank. When the sign came back on, my train was no longer listed. I waited for an announcement for my train number. But nothing (in English anyway). 5 minutes before my train was supposed to leave I was concerned. No announcement, no sign. Nothing.
I asked some people on the platform whether the train sitting there was the Agra train, and they said yes. So I waited further.
At 6:00 pm I was very concerned, so rushed to the booking office to ask someone official. There are long queues at the booking office. 10 to 15 people long each. I pushed into the front of one of the lines, and asked the assistant what platform my train was on. He said it had left already! My guess was that a Hindi announcement was made but not an English one.
I needed to book a new train! I had to leave the queue, fill in a new booking form, line up again, and pay for another trip. The next train to Agra (7:30pm) was full, so I had to wait for one leaving at 9pm (arriving in Agra at 1am). Anyway I arrived in Agra, and learned a few lessons (*see below).

Agra
Agra was really nice. A combination of a great rooftop restaurant at the place we were staying, and me getting used to the country accounted for my having a good time. In the 4 days at Agra we did 3 things. Visited some local monument (the "Taj Mahal", or something like that), visited Agra Fort, and read books on the rooftop. Quite relaxing.

Varanasi
After Agra was one of the holiest places in India. We stayed 2 nights in an un-air conditioned room at a hotel right on the river (Ganges). But Jen and I were rather unwell. Jen especially. So we thought we'd get an AC (air conditioned) room. The rates at our hotel were unnecessarily high, especially for an AC room, so I headed out one morning, early, to search for other places. Found a new hotel place and negotiated a good price for an AC room for our remaining 3 nights in town. Jen stayed in most of the time while I explored (mornings before 10am, and afternoons after 4pm. 10am-4pm was spent reading/snoozing in the room). Didn't do too much in Varanasi. 2 boat rides, and some wondering around the Ghats. Just trying to relax/recover as much as I could.

Darjeeling
Getting to Darjeeling was a fair effort. Our train on Saturday from Varanasi was 90 minutes - 5:15pm instead of 3:45pm- from Varanasi, and arrived 6 hours late in New Jalpaiguri (a train station 3 hours drive from Darjeeling) - 2pm instead of 7am. Then waiting at the shared taxi stand for a taxi to fill up to start the drive to Darjeeling. We arrived at 8pm in Darjeeling after having boarded our train more than 24 hours earlier in Varanasi.
What a place! 22 degrees today. No longer sweating! Can wear a top two days in a row without washing it! It's really stunning up here too. Spectacular scenery and views.
The place we're staying (Guest House Andy's) is really beautiful. The best place we've stayed so far in our trip. The room is clean, nice bathroom (which is a welcome change) and a lovely helpful lady who runs the place. Am glad we're spending 7 nights here.

Today is my first day of fasting for Ramadan, as I have no more medication to take, and the climate is cooler (no sweating to dehydrate me!). I'll keep it up at least for the remainder of my stay in Darjeeling (until 14 September). I'm hoping the week recovering here in Darjeeling will refresh me, so I can tackle the heat again when I get to Kolkata (September 15).

* 4 Lessons I've learned so far in India
1. Ignore strangers approaching you or lie to them.
Strange male: "Hey Mister! Where you from?"
Me: "Delhi"
Strange male: *looks me up and down* "you don't look like you're from Delhi"
Me: "I work there. Been there for 3 years"
Stranger male: "Oh" *walks away*

If you say where you're really from, they'll say "Oh, very nice country" and continue walking alongside while chatting to you, trying to get you to go into their store. Very annoying! Even if you say you're not interested 10 times, they'll persist. Saying you're local(ish) tends to keep them at bay.

2. Never ask an Indian a leading question.
They'll always tell you something, and would rather lie than say they don't know.

3. Numbers from one to ten in Hindi.
So I can listen to the announcements in Hindi about train numbers (each train has a three or four digit number), platforms and departure times.

4. Expect the power to go out at anytime
I've discovered that electricity in India (all the towns I've visited so far) isn't to be taken for granted. Varanasi had regular scheduled blackouts, and all too often unscheduled ones. Here in Darjeeling it's not too bad, but am told to be prepared.

Phew! I promise I'll try to keep further posts shorter! I feel like I'm kind of rambling sometimes!

That is all

Day 18 (Sep 4) sick in Varanassi

2008-09-04T14:09:00.002+10:00

What's been happening?
Jen and I are a little sick. (Minor?) Bacterial infections. Just coughing lost. Jen feels unwell, while I just have the cough (feel fine). Jen visited a doctor in Agra, and was given antibiotics, but that didn't work, so we went yesterday to the private hospital here in Varanassi (yesterday). What an ordeal!!
At the public hospital in Agra, we went straight to a doctor and he inspected Jen and diagnosed it as a bacterial infection, so proscribed antibiotics, and some relief medication (paracetamol, vitamins etc.) He just gave the medications to Jen for no charge. No charge for the consultation either. Quite an experience, having expected to have to pay something.
Anyway, Jen is still unwell 4 days later, after finishing the antibiotics. So to the private hospital in Varanassi. I thought I'd get checked out too, as I've had a cough for 2 weeks.
We arrived at 4:30pm and were both inspected. When the doctor listened to my chest he advised an X-Ray, so we did that. Then to a specialist (chest/respiritory)! The specialist wanted to hospitalise me! for 2 nights! At this point I was thinking they've spotted a "rich" foreigner and wanted to squeeze me for all they could!
I politely refused, explaining that back at home I'd be prescribed some medication for my asthma, and I'd go home. He insisted on staying 1 night, I then lied, saying I was leaving in the morning. He then gave in and said I must be admitted for 4 hours (it was 6:30pm by this stage). It was 2000 rupees for the 4 hour stay, and Rs 2000 more administration charge. This is on top of the Rs 1000 for the Xray and Rs 630 for the consultation. Note that we're paying about Rs 400 - 500 per night for accomodation. So the Rs 5630 is 10 nights accomodation! I said, thanks but no thanks, just prescribe me some medications, and I'll be out of here. They noted that I refused hospitalisation (on my assessment) and prescribed me Rs 1700 worth of drugs! Finally I was out of there at 7:30. Jen was given Rs 500 worth of drugs.
I'm certain that it's the rich foreigner thing.
That's the last time I visit a private hospital in India!
Please ignore any typos above. I'm typing quickly as there's a power outage in 2 mins.
that is all.

Day 12 -(Aug 28) - First update

2008-08-28T17:59:00.002+10:00

well. here it is. My first post since I left.
What have I been up to?
* 3 luxurious days in Bangkok.
* Getting to Delhi airport without hotel booking document and the hotel not turning up to pick us up as organised. Delhi International is the most unorganised airport I've ever been to. Including Harare airport 15 years ago! We eventually worked out where the pre-paid taxi terminal was, and I managed to push my way through to the front of the line and pay a fee to get a taxi.
* our $US35 a night room in Old Delhi was a bit of a shock. Cockroach pellets sitting on all the drains. Shower and toilet all in same room, with water from shower flowing directly onto the ground. And $35 is a lot by Indian standards!
* Saw some mosques, temples, miscellaneous historial buildings. Check my flickr account for photos.
* Got hassled by most Indian males on the street trying to scam us/sell us something! Very annoying

* After 3 days in Delhi we finally got out, and arrived in Jaipur, the "Pink (orange?) City". This was heaven compared to Delhi, but that's not saying much. Lots of wild animals in the street (cows, pigs, stray dogs/cats, donkeys, goats...). And animal shit all over the place, to go with all the rubbish strewn everywhere too. Luckily I had my scarf to mask the smell when required. Jen used my handkerchief.
* Met a guy from the US (who's been living in Johannesburg for 2 years), Ben, who we shared a 3 hour car ride from Jaipur to Pushkar with for one day. Ben, Ben and Jen in a car (with Omouk, the driver). Pushkar was lovely. No pollution. Not too many hassling locals. Cheap good food. Was my highlight of India so far.
* After one more day in Jaipur Jen and I split up so I could come back to Delhi to sort out a replacement passport (mine's already damaged, after only 10 or so days!). I'm here for 11 hours (6am - 5pm) just to visit the Australian Consulate, apply for the passport, and get-the-hell-out-of-here! Heading to Agra, where there's a little mosque called the Taj Mahal, or something like that. After Agra we're on to Varanassi (on that famous India river) and then to Darjeeling for some respite from the 35+ degree heat we've experienced everywhere else! We'll hang in Darjeeling for a week or so, before heading south again.

that is all,
Benji

All packed

2008-08-13T22:03:00.002+10:00

3 days until I leave. I've thrown all that I need into the day pack from my big backpack.

Here's what I've packed:

Antibiotics (for when, not if, I get sick)

Malaria tablets (for when I'm in the centre of India)

Imodium (for when, not if, I have diarrhea!)

Ventolin (asthma medication)

3 pairs undies

2 t-shirts

1 wife beater

1 pair thongs

1 pair shorts

MacGyver knife (grandfather's Suisse army knife)

two silk sleeping bag liners (to avoid bed-bugs!)

1 small travel towel

1 lucky horse shoe charm (my other grandfather's)

itinery/e-tickets etc.

Wearing:

1 pair shorts

1 pair undies

1 button-up shirt

1 pair black socks

1 pair skater shoes

1 camera around neck

1 portable music player

1 airline headphone adapter

1 pair headphones

1 money belt for passport/cash/traveler's cheques etc.

I think that's it.

This is all I need for 3 months (Bangkok, India and Taiwan)

Counting down now

6 days to go

2008-08-10T22:43:00.000+10:00

as above. That is all