Nepal Update Update

Given all the strife currently in Nepal, it was no big suprise to me that the guys I was going to do my trek with have cancelled it. Having come to terms with that, I realised I didn't really want to stay in India. So, having nowhere else particular to go, and having a pretty strong inducement to want to head back to England, that's what I'm doing.

And now I've got a flight organised for Friday, and realise that I'm really going back, it's hit me that I'm not sure I'm really ready to stop travelling yet.

Still, got a couple of days left, and we'll be having a fairly major leaving party tonight, and then it's the Indian railways experience for me, travelling overnight from Varenasi to Delhi, a day round Delhi and then home.

See you all soon.

I Love / Hate India

Still can't really get my head around India. It is just so alien to everywhere else I have ever been. And even though we're travelling in a truck, that sanitises us from the real flavour of the streets, it's still an awesome experience to travel through the country.

And that's what we've been doing. Travelling. Lots. It's been a mad dash from fort to temple to palace, and then back to another fort and another temple. We're about templed/forted/palaced out now, which is lucky, cos this is the end of the trip. However, one building stood out. Of course, the Taj Mahal. Had the same sort of feeling seeing that for the first time as I did when I saw the Grand Canyon for the first time. I'd seen all the pics and films before, but they just don't do it justice. We went at dawn to catch the pink glow of the rising sun (didn't happen, too smoggy) and again in the evening to catch the golden rays of the setting sun (didn't happen, too cloudy, and got caught up in beach cricket anyway).

So now it's just about time to say goodbye to another bunch of new and good friends that I made on this trip. I hate this part; it sucks bigtime.

Nepal Update

For those of you (few I know) who may be concerned about me going to Nepal in a fortnight given the strife going on there at the mo, here's the SP.

If the FCO advice stays as it is, I won't be going. Dragoman, who I'm travelling with, won't go even if the FCO advice changes and they still feel it would be dicey. In this case, I may head home a bit early and do something in the UK; Scotland for instance.

If the situation radically improves, woo! yay! Off I go treking. However, things look a bit bleak at the moment, so I am doubtful to say the least that this will happen.

Suffice to say I'm keeping tabs on the situation, and won't do anything too stupid.

Namaste

Driving update: familiarity certainly doesn't breed contempt. Tried a few more driving modes apart from taxi and truck. These include auto rickshaw, bycycle rickshaw and sitting on top of a jeep. All of these apear to be extremely perilous, and, in fact, they are. Still, only seen about 100 accidents so far, so probably all will be well.

In Delhi at the moment, and yes, I was here when the bomb went off at the mosque, and no, I was nowhere near, and yes, I'm fine. I much prefer being out in the sticks compared to being in a city. All the days have been good so far, but the best have been when we've been invited back to a couple of our local guides houses for dinner.

The first time was when I was on top of a jeep. After bush camping (which involves finding a flat bit of land and camping there, paying the farmer a few rups if he turns up to find out what's going on), we took a trip to Rafiq's (our guides) house. I was on top of the jeep, but that's only because there were 14 people inside or hanging on the outside. Oh, and there was another 5 people up top with me.

We were fed and watered well, and the whole village came out to view us eating. Ricky, our driver, got his guitar out and there was a bit of a sing-song, many of us had our hands and arms henna'd up, and a great time was had by all.

Had a couple of impromptu cricket matches as well, and hope to get a few more in. I'm itching to play a proper match.

Mad!

That's what India is. Mad.

Got into Mumbai airport at around 9pm, and got a taxi from the airport to the hotel, drive of about 3/4 of an hour. I've seen some crazy driving in my time (stand and take a bow Iran, for instance), but this beats them all to hell. It's a long time since I've been in a car that was made before I was born, but that was no big deal. What is a big deal is the rules of the road. To a good first approximation, there are none. And there are cows. Lots of them. In the middle of the road.

Oh well, I always figured it would be a bit different. The people I'm now travelling with are all a good bunch, and we've bonded well over the last few days bush camping. This has mainly involved playing games on the truck, drinking, eating together, drinking, playing cricket, drinking ...well, you get the idea. We're now in Udaipur, home of lots of palaces and suchlike, and it's good to be back in a town after being on the road for a week.

Long Time No Speak

But I've been doing heaps. I knew India would be a bit frenetic, so thought it would be a great idea to chill out for a week or so in and around Perth. Fortunately, Steve, friend from Leicester, had relocated himself there last year, so I was able to crash with him for the duration, and also he proved to be an extremely useful new local guide. Did most of the tourist sights that were there to be done in the vicinity: Rottnest Island, Art Galary, Zoo, The Pinicles, Freemantle Maritime Museum, Sunday Session and so forth. All good.

Then it was a brief stopover in Hong Kong on the way to India. Did my best to be a proper tourist, but didn't really have enough time to do anything too wild. Still, a trip on the Star Ferry is alwasy worth the money.

And then, India ...