India

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Sunday the 19th of September

We are in India our final country on the trip. Delhi was our first stop and we spent about 4 nights there. We found it ok; there was extreme poverty with an enormous amount of people living on the streets. While we were there we visited the Red Fort with enclosed museums and old palaces, which was really nice. People were staring at us loads which felt a bit odd. Ruairi has since bought a turban and looks quite good in it. He did promise me not to say anything though but I could not resist! Only kidding!

Well we escaped Delhi with its heat, pollution and chaos and now in the hills at Shimla, which is loads cooler and more relaxing. Well it would be if it wasn't for the menacing presence of monkeys everywhere. Windows have to be kept closed and no food should be brought up to the temple, which is where they hang out as they would try and steal it and devour any vegetable products that you may have. I have kept my bananas safely in the room and a watchful eye out for the cheeky bleeders.
That’s all for now. Lou x

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Sunday the 19th of September

I know Lou has already filled you in so just a few thoughts on Delhi from me.

What can I say about Delhi, what a crazy city. So far I have to say that Delhi is the filthiest place I have ever been, everybody and I mean everybody looks like they need a good wash. I have been wearing the same pair of jeans for the last 11 months and I still look the smartest one here! Also everybody seems to chew some kind of strange red coloured chewing tobacco, which results in them spitting out this red gob everywhere. This means that the walls, pavements and bins are completely covered in horrible dried red spittle. When we got the train out of Delhi the other day, all along the sides of the track were blokes having their morning bowel movements, then we were served curry for breakfast. So it is 7.40am and I am meant to eat curry for breakfast while watching people sh*t, as you could imagine I did not have much of an appetite.

Also Delhi also has to take the top prize for the worst drivers and this is really saying something, as the drivers in South America, Cambodia and Vietnam were not that hot. There does not appear to be any kind of system or road rules here. It has nothing to do with how you us it, in Delhi it is all about the size! Regardless of junctions, stop signs (ok I made that one up as there is no such thing as a stop sign in Delhi,) crossroads or turnings, busses have the right of way. If there are no buses around then lorries have the right of way, no lorries vans etc etc. Riding a bike in Delhi has got to rate up there with lion taming as one of the most dangerous activities a human can undertake.

The day before we left Delhi we wanted to get a tuk tuk back to our hotel. So there we were haggling with a driver over the money, him wanting 120 rupees and me wanting to pay closer to 80 (the fare for a local would have been about 15.) Then suddenly another driver sticks his head in and say’s he will take us for 80 rupees, so obviously we hop in his tuk tuk and we set off. Only once we have started driving does he bother to actually ask us where we want to go, then to our surprise he say’s he does not want to take us there and he will take us back to the first driver. Which he does but not before crashing into another tuk tuk at the roundabout. After we get dropped back both Lou and I decide we don’t want to go with the first driver and hop into a third tuk tuk, the driver of this tuk tuk then drives us in the wrong direction for five minutes before then saying that he does not have enough petrol and telling us to get in another tuk tuk. Just to top things off the driver of the forth tuk tuk is drunk and decides to tell us that he thinks of us as his ver own children. Only in Delhi could a 2-mile journey involve four vehicles, one drunk driver who thinks he’s our father and a crash and all for the equivalent of one pound. Fantastic!

For all the craziness (and dirt,) I do really like what I have seen of India so far. Now we are out of Delhi things are a bit calmer and you can appreciate just how much of an amazing and beautiful country this is and with two months I am looking forward to seeing as much of it as possible.

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Thursday the 23rd of September

My oh my what a big country India is. Obviously I was aware of this before I arrived but only when you start travelling around do you really get the feel for just how big it is. We are currently in a place called McLeod Ganj, which although was a mere centimeters away from Shimla on the map, was in fact a bum numbing 10 hour bus journey away. Not only a 10-hour bus journey but a 10-hour bus journey on a rickety public bus. This meant that from time to time I would have somebody’s butt shoved in my face as the driver decided to try and break the record for the number of people on a bus.

We have been in McLeod Ganj for 2 day’s now and the plan is to move on tomorrow. McLeod Ganj is famous for being the home of the exiled Tibetan government and also the 14th Dalai Lama, who fled here from Tibet in 1959. This was due to the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1949, which has meant over the last 55 years over 1.2 million Tibetans have died at the hands of the Chinese People’s Army. Couple this was the destruction of over 90% of Tibet’s religious institutions and then you will get some idea of the total misery and destruction 55 years of Chinese occupation has had on the country and people of Tibet.

McLeod Ganj is a busy little town with a strange mix of people. Obviously you have your native Indian’s and your exiled Tibetan’s but also you have your western Buddhists who come here to seek enlightenment (or whatever they do!) As well as these you also have one of my least favorite groups of people, hippie backpackers. Why they are here I am not sure but I would guess at it being the fact that it is called McLeod “Ganj” and as such the soap dodgers thought there would be copious amounts of weed here. Either that or they just came here to hang around the Buddhists temples saying twatish things like “peace out.”

Yesterday we headed out and visited a few Buddhists Temples, which although I am sure are very interesting for Buddhists, were not so much for us. The reason for this is that they were built post 1959 and as such were just basic concrete buildings with corrugated iron roofs etc. So compared to the ancient Buddhist temples we have seen in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, these definitely were the poor relations. We also headed out to see the Tibetan Medical & Astrological Institute, which Lou found very interesting but I just found it a bit odd. Some of there treatments seemed a bit off to me, like giving somebody lead as a cure for poisoning, as if they weren’t poisoned before they will be after a mouthful of heavy metal.

I am not sure where we are off to next but it will either be back to Delhi (yippee) or to Manali which is about 100 miles east of McLeod Ganj. At Manali you can spend a week skiing for about 100 pound but it all depends on whether there is snow there at the moment. I might even have a go at snowboarding as if Adam can do it how hard can it be?

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Saturday the 2nd of October

Hello everybody, lots to fill you in on today so instead of my usual inane ramblings I will just cut to the chase.

Well we left McLeod Ganj about a week ago now and ended up going to Manali, which was a great place. Although when we first arrived I was not the happiest man on the planet. The reason we wanted to go to Manali was to have a go at skiing or paragliding, so on our first day there when we were told that it was not possible to do either of these activities I was a bit peeved. In the end we still had lots of fun in Manali ended up white water rafting. I was a bit unsure about the white water rafting as well, quite frankly, I am a really crap swimmer. I use the word swimmer lightly, as what I do could only be loosely descried as swimming and I look more like I am having some sort of seizure than a leisurely swim. Anyway we decided to give it a go and I decided to try not to fall out of the raft and drowned in the rapids. It started off at quite a leisurely pace but about half way down the Beas River met up with the Parvati River and then things got a bit more interesting. I am happy to report that neither of us ended up in the drink, although we did end up completely soaked. We also went on a 8 mile trek in Manali which entailed trekking through a few villages and among various giant weed plants. Manali lies in a valley famous for hash and weed plants and on the trek not only did we see hundreds of giant wed plants growing everywhere but also villages turning the weed plants into hash. I have always wondered how this is done and incase you have always wondered I will tell you. All they do is just roll the buds of the plant in between their hands and as they do this the resin sticks to there hands. After doing this for a few hours their hands are covered in sticky black resin which is then scraped off and there you have your hash. I even had a go myself and managed to make a small amount, although I did not inhale! Manali is a very relaxing place and seems to be mainly frequented by potheads and Israeli's who go there to unwind after their service in the IDF. I never realised it was such tiring work, stealing land, building walls and bulldozing peoples houses!

After Manali we decided to head down to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, this meant that we would have to pass through Delhi but as neither Lou nor I fancied having to spend the night there we decided to stop off at Chandigarh on the way and spend the night there instead. From Chandigarh the plan was to get an early train to Delhi and then get a connecting train straight to Agra. This plan worked like a treat until we got to Delhi as from Delhi the only train to Agra we could get was more like a cattle truck and we ended up having to get a taxi instead. Now India rail is one massive operation and also the largest single employer in the world (1.6million employees,) which is all very impressive but I have to say it is also the worst rail service I have ever been on. Even buying a ticket is a joke, first we had to queue up to get a piece of paper to fill in (why they do not just have these left out I do not know.) Then once we had queued up and filled in the form we then joined a second queue to buy our tickets. Although as the train we wanted was due to leave within 4 hours we were told we had to go down to a special ticket office on the ground floor, as reservations for trains leaving within 4 hours was not possible. Once at this ticket office we were then told that we had to go to another ticket office etc etc . Finally after 5 queues and 5 counters we had our ticket in hand and headed to the platform, where apon seeing the state of the train we turned straight around and headed to the taxi stand. British Rail is not the greatest rail network in the world but at least you are not expected to sit on the roof or on somebody else's lap.

Sorry for not getting any pictures on the India page yet, unfortunately most of the PC's seem to be windows 98 here so I can't plug the camera in. I tried to get the pictures on CD so I could then put them on but the guy who did it was a complete cretin and only managed to delete the last weeks worth of pictures off the camera. So even when I do get them put on don't expect much. Anyway I am off as the heat in here is stifling and I think I am having a nervous breakdown.

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Friday the 8th of October

Hello avid readers. I hope you are well. We are in Nepal at the moment as the plains of Northern India were very much too hot, dusty and stressful for us. With Nepal not being too far away, a change of scene seemed like a good idea.

We did however see the Taj Mahal in the end and I thought it was pretty special. It was built in the memory of some rich fellows beloved wife who sadly died in child birth. What an amazing structure it was, made with marble. Such a shame that the rest of Agra was a pit! Well after that we headed on our first night train in India to Varanassi where the famous Ganges river runs. On a very early boat trip we witnessed hundreds of locals bathing, cleaning their clothes and brushing their teeth. Not to forget the cremations that take place on the side. We half expected to see corpes floating down the river as the guide books prepared you for. We didn't luckally but we did see some funerals taking place and how different they are from our standard affairs. People wear white and the bodies are cremated in an open fire and put into the river in pieces with wooden tongs. We did however have the displeasure of seeing a whole dog floting on by. The reason people want to eventually end up in the Ganges is they believe it frees them from the cycle of rebirth and delivers them to heaven. Don't quote me on that but it is something along those lines. This trip was very interesting indeed but a bit odd as there were lots of other tourists and it felt like we were invading on peoples privacy and spiritual cleansing experience. Never the less a good good morning was had.

Our next step was to travel up to Nepal, which involved two bus journeys and a stop over night at the border. We were so glad to eventually reach our destination after many check points on the roads. We are staying near Chitwan National Park which is famous for rhinos, tigers and bird life. Our plan is to ride on top of an elephant in search for rhinos. We did not infact have to do much searching as there is a rhino which freely moves around the village or the grounds of our hotel. Its so bizarre. Ruairi fears that when the rhino becomes full size they may have to kill it but we are not sure. It is nice and relaxing here and very beautiful and hopefully a good antidote to the stresses of India.

Our plan is to stay in Nepal for a couple of weeks before heading down to South India before we come back home! Which I tell you we are both looking foward to. Not least to go to M&S, Sainsburys and eat some food that we miss. Horray! See you all soon. Lou x

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Saturday the 30th of October

With the time ticking before home calls, the urgency to have a perfect couple of weeks relaxing on the beach is in our mindset. So although we are in the rather nice Indian city of Bangalore in which there are the usual city sights and activities, such as museums, and galleries and palaces, we are both just dreaming of the beach. I think this feeling is made even more as we are both in the process of finding employment, and so thinking of the reality of work has meant we want to just chill out a bit before heading home. We wanted to just stay in Bangalore for a couple of nights but when we tried to book a train to Kerala today we were told that all seats were booked until Monday so it looks like our beach appointment will have to be put on hold. I think we both forgot just how many people live in India. Also this coupled with the weekend, honeymoon season and better weather, means our planning will next time definitely have to be in advance of our actual departure date.

This blip will give us enough time to explore the city and possibly even take in a Bollywood film at the local cinema. This is something I think I may have to persuade Ruairi to do, as I don’t think he is too keen but I am interested to see what all they are all about.

I had a dream the other day that I was flying and then a monkey swooped beside me mid fight and started attacking me. This holiday has defiantly infected my unconscious. In a good way though.
Am I rambling? Thought so, better go.
Lou x

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Friday the 5th of November

Lots to report and not much time (just about to catch a train, which we will be stuck on for the next 18 hours) so let me get straight to it.

Well Lou and I left Bangalore as planed and caught a night train but not until after Lou forced me into a cinema to see a Bollywood movie. I expected it to be full of people dancing and singing in fountains and well, it was full of people dancing and singing in fountains. All the way through I kept on telling Lou how much I wished the lead couple would get together, which made Lou think I was really into it, however the truth was I just figured the quicker they got together the quicker it would all end! In all seriousness, it was not that bad and quite an amusing way to spend a few hours.

On leaving Bangalore the plan was to head to Kochi but we ended up 150 miles further south, at a little beach location called Varkala. I would love to tell you the change of plan was due to us discussing it and deciding to go there but that would be a lie. The reason we ended up there is because we missed the stop for Kochi. Although it really was not our fault (yeah I know I would say that but it’s true,) as the train was due to arrive at Kochi at 11.00am. So when Lou and I awake at 10.00am, we were slightly miffed to be told that we had passed Kochi an hour ago. Anyway such is life and it all worked out ok in the end, as Varkala is a great place to relax for a few days.

Yesterday we left Varkala and caught an early commuter train to Alappuzha. As this was the morning rush hour train, it was quite full and although Lou had a seat I opted to hang out the door instead. So although I have not managed to ride on the roof of any trains, at least I have dangled off the side, in true Indian fashion. The reason we are in Alappuzha, is this the gateway for the backwater cruises in Kerala and as such that is what we have been doing for the last 24 hours. The boat we rented was a former cargo boat that had been beautifully converted into a houseboat with kitchen, living room area and two bedrooms. So there was Lou and I cruising along the river in a massive boat with us being the only guests on board and with our own waiter and cook to wait on us (plus the captain to drive the thing.) I can honestly say it was one of the best 24 hours of the trip, the scenery was amazing, the food on the boat fabulous and also the staff were a friendly bunch and we shared a beer and played cards. If I had known in advance how great it was, I think I would have booked three nights instead of one.

Alas I did not and as such I must leave you as I have a train to catch, next stop Goa, or maybe we will sleep through and end up back at Delhi?

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Monday the 15th of November

Today is our last day of the trip (boo hoo) and we have been quite occupied recently lying on the beach in Goa and sipping cocktails in the beach side bars. You know how it is. We first went to a beautiful long sandy beach called Palolem, which was really nice and relaxing but completely lined with beach shacks made of bamboo. Luckily the palm trees were left undisturbed and were used as supports for the shacks. This beach was nice, don’t get me wrong, but like much of Goa, is developing fast. This did not bother me too much when just after sunrise I would jog up and down the beach. My ankles are now however not thanking me too much, as the sand cushion obviously was no match for a good old fashion pair of trainers.

Our next stop was the so-called party place of Vagator, this was also nice but the henna ladies on the beach were even more persistent than the vendors on Palolem, so it was not that relaxing. Still we sampled a club and danced to the sound of Goan trance and crashing waves. We then made our way to Bombay on with a very bad bus company called Paulo, which I do not recommend. First the air con was turned off at night so it was very sweaty and hot, with none of the windows operable. Secondly the bus staff and some taxi drivers were in collaboration to scam gullible tourists out of their money, to achieve this we were dropped well outside of Bombay in the middle of the slum areas and told that this was our stop, we did argue our case but they told us to get off the bus, only to be then informed by the taxi that is would cost loads to get to the centre. Well we were not too pleased at all but still we found a nice hotel in the end and have been mainly passing the time in Bombay doing some shopping and wondering around checking out the city which incidentally is much more pleasant than Delhi in my opinion. Well that is about all from me. Thanks for keeping up with our trip and hope you have enjoyed the site. Lou x

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Monday the 15th of November

Hello everybody and welcome to my last entry on lou-ruairi.com, oh the joy, oh the pain! Well today is our very last day in India and as such the very last day of our trip, this time tomorrow I will be back in London.

I am very much full of mixed emotions at present, I am glad to be going home but equally sad to be finishing the journey. Even writing this is quite sad, as although I have sometimes regretted ever starting the website it has been one of the few constants of the trip and after I finish this entry, that will be it. Some things I will definitely be glad to turn my back on, such as night buses, the Delhi belly (which I seem to have had for about a third of the trip), mosquitos, the heat making me sweat like Barry White running a marathon and groups of small dirty children and men with no more than 3 limbs, who have seemed to follow me around like I am the Pied Piper (Pie Eating Piper more like!) On the flip side there are hundreds of things that I will miss incredibly, so many in fact that I wouldn’t know where to start, so I won’t!

In regards to my favourite countries, I would have to say that the South American countries stand out. Whether that has anything to do with them being on the start of the trip when things were new and exciting, who knows? If I had to pick a favourite country out of them all I would have to opt for Brazil and I will definitely return there at some stage in the future.

Well this is truly it, the end. For all those people who have come across the site while searching for travel tips, I hope we have been helpful. Although probably not, as most of the hits seem to be for things like “lady boys Thailand” or “naked women beach Brazil.” I am not sure why these type of searches end up bringing people to our website but it always makes me laugh when I think of some perv in his bedroom looking for pictures of naked Brazilian women, only to be confronted with a picture of my grinning sunburned face. As for all the friends and family who have been following us on our adventure all I can say is I hope you have had 10% of the fun reading about our antics, as we have had doing them.

I feel it only natural that I should leave you with something deep, profound and philosophical, so in the words of Jerry Springer, be good to yourselves and each other!

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