Going mad in Madurai

On the final leg of the India trip towards Madras(Chennai)I decided to go to Madurai on of the best decisions. Met up with two lovely ladies who became my travel companions for the next few days. Madurai is famous for its spectacular Meenakshi temple built over a period of 600 years its a mix of various influences but I think (from my now nearly expert temple knowledge) mostly Hindu. Its a wonderful place and making the effort to go at sunrise (yes again!) reduced the crowds and touts. Acres of temple and artifacts in a gallery that most UK museums would have wet dreams over !
we stumbled upon a massive market where I decided to have some clothes made by a great little tailor (one of thousands in the city) to replace my trusty linen trousers that rippd on a rickshaw !oh and a shirt and skirt and matching bag just because... The market sold everything from pots and pans to beautiful silk scarves and silver jewllery...it was heather heaven ! When not parting with cash at the market just watching the city be with a cold beer from the rooftop bars was wonderful.

Three oceans meet

Again further south i decided that i needed a 'beach' break so via Kollam I did a little detour to a place called Varkala a little cliff top town and a wee bit of a tourist bubble sheltered from 'real India' with hot buttered toast and jam and tetley tea needless to say there were lots of English and European people around which was nice ...forgot i could speak English and not just mime... I spent two days chatting, reading and sunning myself. The seafood was out of this world ...check out the size of my prawns !Feeling recharged and ready for the 'real India' again I made my way to Thiruvananthapuram (city of Kerela) and into Tamil Nadu to Kanyakumari or Cape Comorin the most southerly point of India. This is a very spiritual place where lots of Indian tourists go to have spiritual holidays. Its where the bay of Bengal meets the Indian ocean and Arabian sea so geographically I really wanted to visit here after the long journey through south India... however it is full of 5 rupee shops and shell sellers it has no spiritual vibe at all and the accommodation is all over priced and terrible. I was however pleased that I made the effort to watch sunrise at the temple right on the tip of India it was spectacular even if i did have to vie for a position ! Yes thats the fourth time I have been up before 6am in one month...even I am impressed with myself !

Pics show yummy prawns and sunrise at 'lands end'

The Backwaters

Sorry for the lack of images...having problems finding computers that will down load them ! Please believe me I am still in India and not at home on my laptop making up travel stories from afar !

Well still travelling south in India, I went by bus to Kottyam where I stayed for a night in the persistent monsoon rain. I had began to see the qualities of the monsoon...it seems to send people a bit crazy. Suddenly you can see a range of hats made from plastic bags being worn about town, the animals go a bit wild in the street and people seem generally very excited. The streets are a lot cleaner and people have easy access to lots of water. There were not enough people to run the boat trips from Kottayam so i went to Alappuzha where I chartered a little boat for the day all to myself with a driver. We pottered about the 'backwaters' seeing lots of wildlife (kingfishers mainly, bird not the beer !) but it was the observations of daily life on the backwaters that I loved. People clean, cook, wash, swim, play games, get married and rear animals on the water and the tiny grass verges that sit along side. Its fascinating ! People were really happy to see me and invited us to stop for a brew in the village's we even dropped into a wedding party. I did not find Alappuzha as a town all that interesting but it was laid back and does have a nice beach. I stayed with an Indian Family in their guest house which is defiantly my preference to the hotels for the price.

A nice cuppa chai

A dramatic 5 hour bus journey into the mountains of Munnar...we broke down and had an accident ! no one on the bus got hurt or really bothered that much so it was quite funny. Munnar is a little hill town and has the worlds highest growing tea estate. It was nice to get away from the city and have some cool mountain air full of nice tea and spice smells. I managed to do some nice hikes when it was not raining. The scenery was breath taking. If fort cochin was the Venice of india then Munnar is the Lake Districet of India. I stayed for three lovely days sipping a variety of the best tasting teas I have ever had (Masalla, mint, cardamon, vanilla...) all fresh and fantastic.

Pics show views of Munnar and my wonderful Munnar chariot

Beautiful Kerala - Cochin

Arriving In Cochin at 8am after a really good night sleep on the train (i think it was the theraputic rocking motion and the big padlock on my bag that helped) I found a decent place to stay and took in some of the city. So far its my favourite city in India. kerala is on the South West coast it has a huge coast line and lots of ports and industry. Cochin (Kochi) has a huge mix of cultures its a centre for spice and essential oil perfume exports the smells and activity of industry are a wonderful assault on the senses. The city itself is made up of 7 or so islands and you get to them by bridges or ferries. The experience of crossing to the islands through the cranes, ships and industry seriously reminded me of the Tyne and all of a sudden I felt at home at least for an unconscious moment anyway. You can get to beaches or amazing countryside in 15 minutes also just like Newcastle ! I arrived in Kerala at the start of Onam (harvest festival) the biggest festival in Keralas calendar so it was buzzing with families shopping for fine clothes and a really happy atmosphere. One evening after a few beers I was returning to the guest house to find a version of an Indian rave ...set up in the middle of the duel carriage way ! shops are open until 2am and some of the worlds largest Sari warehouses and stores are here which are breathtaking.
I was lucky to meet and talk at length to Arundhati Roy Booker prize winner author of the book 'God of small things' whilst we ate in the same restaurant she is an inspirational and genuine lady.
I took in some more 'culture' by visiting a traditional performance of Kathakili dance/ play. This is a testement to unbeliabble dedication on the part of the men who study the art form. The art is linked strongly to the Hindu religion and to train in this takes some 10 years. Sometimes the performances last all night in the temples. Luckily my was an hour and a half (a taster session !) as any more and I would have been in some kind of odd migrine induced coma trance brought on by a drumming and symbols...in fact i think the musicians and dancers were a bit unconcious, that said it was great to witness the precision of these men applying thier stage make up and costumes ! Just incase you thought this performance took place in a large theatre with lots of others there was me and about 5 others in what was the equivalent of a small dance studio above someones garage (actually an 'art school') it was slightly intimidating.

...then the rains came...

Well what can you expect when visiting and travelling in India during the monsoon !? Luckily the rains did come or I may have stayed on the beach in Goa for the whole month! I packed up my little sack and got a train to Mangalore, a 9 hour journey through fascinating fishing and farming scenery. The journey passed really quickly. I travelled normal class and met some really fantastic people two professors in fisheries from mangalore university, a lovely family and some great kids who were fascinated by my skin and eyes. We spent a few hours learning English and Hindi together which was lots of fun. It is amazing how a little community forms on those train journeys people start to care about each other sharing picnics and snacks, blankets and stories to pass the time...there is nothing quite like it. On arrival in Mangalore it was still raining...in the morning it was raining more than ever so I decided to don the pac a mac and go on a long wet walk. mangalore is karnataka state the culture is very different as is the language...i really struggled to order food in the local cafes and get around. I visited the government museum...this was so amazing it had to be seen to be believed. There was no electricity which meant you could see practically nothing what exhibits could be seen through the cracked glass cases had dust and flies on them they ranged from a rhinos foot made into an ash tray to a toy aeroplane from a kindersurprise egg !I was the only visitor that day. The next day having exhausted the delights of mangalore in torrential rain I booked a sleeper train to Cochin in Kerela a 11 hour overnight journey.

Goa...Just Chilling !

After the beauty of Rajasthan and then the Madness of India's Independence day on the 15th August i decided i desperately needed to leave Delhi. Independence day started off well. I took a walk in old Delhi everyone was happy (a national holiday) and the skies were full of colourful Indian kites being flown from the roof tops. By mid afternoon most people seemed merrier having had a few beers...by dusk it was a riot ..not in a good way...firecrackers being thrown around, shouting fighting and over excited men...It was time to move on. I felt the need for a slower pace after running around so headed for Goa. According the guide books the beaches of North Goa are less about package holidays and more laid back, simple and unspoilt. Having passed by the built up beaches in the South I headed for Colva in the North. I really hated it it was very run down and not at all laid back. That said the beach and sunset were amazing it just was not the paradise I was looking for. I hoped it existed somewhere in Goa so the next day I took a 2 hour bus ride to a place called Palolem Beach. Its perfect and just what i needed to relax. I am staying in a small guest house for about 2 quid a night its amongst palm trees and 2 mins from the big beach I plan to stay here for the next 4 days at least ...

pics show nice beach, day bed and sandy beach feet !

Jaipur the "Pink City"

Into Rajasthan - A long but fascinating 7 hour journey from Agra to Jaipur. This drive was one of the best I have ever experienced. The beautiful colour of the Saris people wear whilst just building roads, the little villages and farming life that you get to see in close detail left me very pleased that I did not get the train here. Water buffalo's wallow in muddy pools, cheeky goats block the road whilst families of shepherds try to round them up and curious monkeys even came to sit on the car for a ride. The pace of life is slower and all about day to day living very simple yet all consuming. The people are very happy everywhere you go and so friendly. The feel of jaipur as a city is alive and buzzing the constant stream of people haggling is more laid back and a couple of stern "No's!" seems to do the job unlike Agra ! The jewellery and precious stone market was fabulous...i could have shopped and blown my whole budget in this one place !

The fabulous Amber fort was a joy up in the breezy hills over looking the pink city (which is actually painted pink as a colour of welcome !) the fort has not been robbed of its treasures unlike the forts and palaces around Delhi so is quite intact and interesting in comparison. I made my way up on an elephant called Dupa, she was 22 years old and full of character. Jaigrarah Fort was also worth a visit although you need a car or bike to get up its high in the hills and the roads are not great but its worth it for the views and the cool air ti also houses what claims to be the worlds biggest cannon ! it takes 4 elephants to move it so in a fast paced war i am notnsure it would be much use !

I stayed in a fab local guest house called Umaid Bhawan an old raj palace lovingly restored and full of character it was very homely, clean and big only 5 quid a night !

Jaipur is defiantly the place for SHOPPING !!! A package will be arriving back home soon !

The "Goldon Triangle"

From Delhi I travelled North into Uttar Pradesh to Agra famous for leather shoes and the Taj Mahal. I hired a driver who was fantastic and took me to all the places i wanted to see in the north this was highly advisable as it would have taken probably three weeks to negotiate trains and buses ! Agra its self was not really that interesting or impressive as a city itself, most people just stopping on route to the Taj. I stayed in an average guest house, most of the locals work on in the tourist industry as tour touts who are a real pain in the bum and harassed me to death to pay them for a tour which i did not want but they spoil the ambiance somewhat when they don't leave you to enjoy the sun set or rise at the taj mahal (madam tour please take tour you need tour! arrrrrgggghhh !!!) Luckily my driver told them where to go in no uncertain terms !!!

Delhi Days ...

I decided after hiding in my hotel for the morning that I must face Delhi front on so armed with guide book and rupees headed for the nearest autorickshaw, a curious contraption that looks like it has been converted from a motercycle into a 3 wheeler open car and no it does not feel safe espeially when coupled with thousands of crazy drivers ! Anway once i got used to it and accepted that I might die at any moment it was all good!

I decided to go get some "Culture" so the first stop was a visit to the very impressive Humayuns Tomb the 2nd Moghul emporer built in mid 1500s its a peaceful place with fantastic architecture and best of all loads of Chipmonks which I spent time chasing around the grounds trying to take pics much to the amusment of the loacals. The tomb is significant because this tomb preempted the taj mahal and they refined lots of the features from this building to build the taj mahal.

I will not bore you with all the historical sites, architecture and museums I visited over the next 2 days as I dont think you would enjoy reading...but the other highlights included the India gate built after the WW2 by the British it contains the name of every Indian life lost and is really moving. Qutab is a really peaceful place away from the city a world heritage site and very impressive with its massive tower, the red fort nice for a wander, The national museum has interesting things in it but is like a museum from the 1950s infact thats when it was build and there have seemingly been no changes since the interpretation is awful. The parliment buildings with thier rows of white ambassador cars and presidents house and grounds was nice for a wander. The Jama Masjid is apparently the largest mosque in India and has some interesting Muslim architecture although taking my shoes of in the heat and walking on scorching sandstone was not good but gave the men praying in the mosque something the laugh about ! The Bahai temple was a favourite of mine anyone is welcome its faith free and it looks live a version of the Sydney opera house. However be warned ... it seems to be a place for men to pull single woman as I was approached three times by men asking for my number ! could be useful if you are interested in finding a man all you single girls out there...although they were all very dodgy looking !

Some things started to bug me after day 2 ... all national monuments and heritage sites charge for entry only about 20p if you are an indian national but about 2.50 if not ...this is the cost of a bed for the night in India, the other thing was an additional charge of 2.00 pounds to take photos which really annoyed me. For example you can take photos inside the mosque if you have a 'photo ticket' many muslims would find this highly unethical and has obviously infringed on thier cultural beliefs I asked one of the men in the mosque about this and he was vocally pissed off and annoyed with westerners coming in and taking phots whilst they prayed.

Pics show Humayuns Tomb, chipmonk making a nest and a crazy street junction as taken from the autorickshaw as we were about to charge into the oncoming traffic.

Manchester to Delhi 8/8/07

After a relatively stress free journey only a short 2 hour delay circling Delhi apparently due to "traffic issues" I arrived safe to the madness that is Delhi ! thankfully after all the arrangement my biggest worry of being stranded at the airport was alleviated as peter the hotel manager it the Grand Godwin met me in arrivals, thank god! (spot the pun !)My hotel is in the old part of Delhi i share the street with cows and chickens, cars, bikes, auto and bike rickshaws...it never sleeps and the horns are starting to get to me but better get used to it. Its 37 degrees so its a good thing the ac works really well. There are lots of little food stalls teeming with nice smelling things that i can not identify i have tried some tandoori rotis (bread) which was delicious. The power gets cut every few hours not surprising when you see the over head cables ! The hotel next door is called Hotel gaylord !

The Journey - a poem that sums it all up !

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
thier bad advice-
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
'mend my life!'
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough,and a wild nigh
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behand
the stars began to burn through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowley recognised as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do -
determined to save
the only life you could save.

Mary Oliver

Leaving work and PARTY !!!

Well time has flown by soooo fast and this time next week I will be in India....a very scary thought indeed ! I have been trying to pack bits and bobs with little success other than getting stressed about the lack of space in my backpack !!!

Friday night was good fun and great to see so many friends before i leave. Attached photo shows Me (as India) with a possie from Tonga, Vietnam, Cambodia and Australia !!! Good fun had by all and some mean hangovers i am sure !!!