The Detour Home - India and Beyond

On October 4 2006 I set out for my big adventure home stopping in places along the way. India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Borneo and the Solomon Islands would add up to one heck of a great adventure. At the time I felt that India drove me absolutely nuts, yet it's the one place that I can't get enough of reading about, talking about and fueling a general fascination about... The following details my adventure home to New Zealand from London.

INDIA

October 5, 2006

And so it was I arrived in Delhi...

Even living in China for a year wouldn't prepare me for the emotions I've gone through today. India is by far the most intense place I've ever spent 12 hours in in my life. Yep, I've been in the country less than 12 hours - have already had a marriage proposal, am constantly being called beautiful lady (just like China! Why can't England be like that???), have had a screaming match with a rickshaw driver over a can of 7-up, and have been the target of soooooooooooo many scammers and people out to make a buck already. And have had a fair bit of fun in the process.

Delhi airport was somewhat interesting. For some stupid reason the blonde in me had always had this picture in her head of "New Delhi" having an airport that was nice and well, new. No siree! It's kinda falling apart and the walls are an off shade of crumbly yellow. I walk through the crowds of "lady! lady! You need taxi! I take you to werry good hotel" and finally found my man - a rickshaw driver by the name of Bobbin sent by the Smyle Inn - "Did you say your name's Goblin?" "No Miss MacGregor, BOBBIN with a Beeeee" - we laughed it off and the next thing I was walking through the dustiest airport carpark I've ever seen with perhaps the skankiest dogs I've come across. The stares were big. Where on earth were the women? Sonya Ghandi Airport appeared not to have a single Sonya anywhere - a few Janes and Barbaras perhaps (older sagging german ladies on their "spiritual journeys") but no ladies anywhere in the crowds.

So I jump in Bobbin's rickshaw and he proceeds to tell me his life story, his father's life story, his grandfathers life story and his son's. Basically they all grew up in Delhi and I was too overtired to hear the rest. "Ah, Miss MacGregor you can marry me, you have husband?" No and No. "You have fiance?" "Yes actually! (had to get Bobbin off my back ok!) He works in a coalmine in New Zealand (what the f%ck, where did that come from?)." "Ah Miss MacGregor, you werry lucky lady to have such hard working man." Bobbin off my back. I proceed to stare out at the traffic. And wow - the traffic.

In the Wizard of Oz it goes "Lions and tigers and bears oh my" "Rickshaws, crowded buses and cows oh my!" Amongst pedestrians who appear to have no self regard or else a sense of "they'll avoid me, I'm wearing a bright sari" - I need to figure out their secret. Along with cows, rickshaws and crowded buses you also get the odd carnation throwing taxi driver - hilarious. Randomly 2 landed on my lap in the shortish dusty drive to where I would stay.

There are cows everywhere in this city. I'm not kidding. Bobbin eventually gets me to my hostel - the Smyle Inn - situated on a street that I am sure I will fail to find again in the morning in the middle of this massive bazaar. It's a typical Asian style guest house. No windows, street noise, cold showers but rather cosy and damned friendly staff. I immediately ask what the deal is with cows - Mr Smyle - the guy on reception goes "Ah, Katherine, I have three." Big Grin from Mr Smyle. um, that's nice, still doesn't answer my question. I'm sure I'll figure it out with good time...

So I check in, have a nice cold shower - I don't think one is going to miss hot water. It's stinking hot in this place! And then go up for breakfast. Immediately I cling onto these Danish girls who let me tag along with them for the day. What nice people. I think I should have gone to Denmark instead! Annetta and Theresa were students having one last minute world trip before getting serious about life. We had a lot in common - including the constant stares at our legs - the people here seem to be obessed with them. Oh well, each to their own.

We headed off to the Bahai Lotus Temple. Amazing place. It's one of the most beautiful temples I've ever seen. Bright white in the shape of a lotus (the Indians compare it to the Sydney opera house but it does look like the flower) - as white as you can get something here anyway. Inside it's the calmest place I've ever been. Complete silence in a room full of the most colourful saris. Stunning. After being forced to pose in some photos with some local miltary guys we left the temple and went on the search for water.

After that we went and had seven up - my bargaining greatly pissed off this cab driver - I'm sorry but I'm not paying 100 rupees for a can of seven-up when I've just seen the guy in front of me pay 10. We went to another amazing place but I fell asleep in the rickshaw as the girls were trying to get there - wouldn't have a clue where we were. But it was amazing - all these old ruins that appear to have been an ancient muslim government judging by the architecture. Will read up on it tonight. It was very cool and suprisingly a great break from the rest of Delhi which can only be described as chaos which works in some oddly organised fashion if you can work it out. There was hardly anyone there - could have easlily stayed there for hours.

Went to the train station to get my onwards tickets for Sunday but after being chatted up by an English lady with a beard not much older than me and being too tired and impatient to wait for a ticket, decided to go back tomorrow. Have just had my first "real meal" in India - a proper vegetarian thali. Awesome.

So that's me for a while! Quite a packed in day. I don't love India yet but I'm not on the verge of hating it either. It's just gonna take a bit of getting used to and I might have to get some lessons on navigating past the cows in narrow alleyways.

Hope you're all well.

Katherine

P.S. Caz - thank you SO MUCH for your hand sanitiser. By far the best leaving gift one could ask for - it's so dirty here!

October 6, 2006

I am having such a cool day today. I had the best sleep ever, woke up, had some cornflakes and found this Canadian guy who's also on his own - a change from my super cool Danish girls yesterday but still great company.

Having a guy with you when you're in markets and stuff is SO MUCH EASIER than being by yourself or with other girls. Compared to yesterday I was mostly left alone. And they charge me less for stuff too. This could be the secret to travelling alone - abduct a male backpacker whenever possible.

We went to this place called the Red Fort which is where the Mughals ruled for years until the Brits came in and demolished/improved (whichever way you look at it) India. Amazing place - sooooooo big. So dusty too - seems to be a common theme here.

After the Fort we went on the search for some lunch. We walked down this crazy busy street and people were openly trying to pickpocket us. It got quite bad at one point but I still have my camera and some of my sanity left. For lunch I had my first Masala Dhosa experience - AMAZING. It was this dirty little cafe which happened to be packed. He had some samosas but I definitely got the better end of the deal. Being left handed I still haven't quite gotten the hang of eating with my right hand. A bit of a challenge and near impossible to resist using my left, or a fork.

Just as we finished eating I saw the biggest rat I have ever seen in my life. Urrggggh. It was big, it was grey and it was fat. Nasty. No signs of Delhi Belly yet though!

After lunch we went to this massive mosque. They made me put on this hideous orange outfit to cover my shoulders and ankles so ugly. And they made us take our shoes off - the ground was SO HOT it wasn't funny and I think I've learned how to walk on hot coals now... But it was impressive and worth the hideous outfit and the burned feet.  

Since the tower we've just taken a rickshaw back here and are in the hostel to chill for a couple of hours away from the afternoon heat which is somewhat overwhelming but I'm just gonna have to get used to it.

October 7, 2006

Oh my god - I hate going out alone in this place! Being a blonde hair blue eyed solo female with the palest skin this side of Scotland is not an easy thing in delhi! Especially at night.

Having an awesome time though. Today I met up with a local couch-surfer and we went to the markets. I'm starting to look like a right proper hippie! Oh dear.

Off to Varanasi tomorrow where I'm hoping it'll be a bit cooler. Delhi is SOOOOO HOT and I feel like I'm constantly showering to escape it.

Octoer 9, 2006

I left Delhi yeterday and felt a massive sense of relief as I jumped into my nice second class air-coned sleeper train. What luxury! Air con! Having been subjected to a barely working fan for the past 3 nights the air con has never been appreciated in my life. I lulled myself into a false sense of security as I had the entire compartment to myself and sat in 18 degree luxury staring out at the world.

The train ride was fantastic for the first few hours. We quickly got out of Delhi and started choo chooing through rural countryside. Along side the railway tracks were lots of little villages and for some reason a lot of cow pats laid out flat to dry. I have a feeling they're used for huts - again, one of those unexplainable India things I think...

Around 8pm a big noisy family got on just as I was about to curl up into my nice comfy train bed. There goes the nice peaceful train ride. They were loud. They ate smelly food and they seemed more than content to use the end of my bed as a dining table. Curried eggs I think it was. Many people know that I have an extreme aversion to the smell of eggs so you can imagine by mood change! Suddenly I'm sat up, corned into the corner, book in one hand, ipod up loud in the other and rather pissed off "Hey don't you get it!" look on face. No response.

They eventually go to bed and just as I've dozed off into happy dream land it's 2am - and they're getting out at some godforsaken village in the middle of nowhere. On gets this really old guy with the most annoying cough and loudest snoring I have ever come across in my life. Not only that - he appeared to know every insomniac on the train so had a host of friends around to view the fake asleep blonde and chatter away as loud as humanly possible.

It was 4am before I drifted off to sleep. I got off my train at 5am.

Varanasi train station at 5am was as intense as New Delhi Railway station. Grumpy morning Kat had the I've had no sleep hat on was not prepared for the hoards of Rickshaw drivers. The moment I jumped off the train (more like hobbled then stumbled) I was accosted by "Lady halllooo where you from you want restaurant? You want hotel? My fren kno a werrry good place." NO THANK YOU MY HOTEL IS WAITING FOR ME must have come out of my mouth a good 40 times. I telephone the Yogi Lodge who say not to move and they'll be there in 20 minutes. 20 more minutes goes by of "Lady you want restaurant? You wan hotel? Lady lady! What your name Lady?" and then a friendly little old man come up to me in a yellow t-shirt, secretly hands me this tiny piece of paper with Yogi Lodge Katherine Jane MacGregor - British" written on it - everything right but the nationality and I have never been so happy in my life to see a little old smiling Indian man. I practically hugged him and said "you've saved me!" He laughs and we get in our rickshaw - cycled and as he explains "Cheaper and much better to environmen".

On the way to the Yogi Lodge we pass through the morning vegetable market - one of the busiest I've ever seen and everyone in Varanasi appeared to be there. Was such a cool atmoshere! We pass through the crowds of kids on their way to school, men hearding their cows, goats, chickens, stray dogs and women wearing ever the colourful saris. We get out eventually and face a 10 minute walk up hill. Was well worth it.

Spartan though it may be - with merely a squat for a loo and a concrete walled shower - the Yogi Lodge is actually really charming. The old dude that picked me up is also a chef who makes the best banana pancakes I've ever had in my life. The guy who runs the place is this extremely friendly proud slightly rotund middle aged man. All is good there.

After I showered I set off to wonder the streets. I am actually lost right now as I write this... The streets are one confusing chaotic mess but it only seems to add to the charm. I found myself by the Ganges before in a really quiet part of town and all these kids came up to me begging for their photo to be taken. They are seriously the cutest things I have ever come across in my life. They all want to see themselves on the digital camera, have the biggest grins and are SO photogenic. Keep an eye out for when I next get to a decent computer. I'm rather impressed with these shots!

The people of Varanasi so far seem very pleasant and respectful. I feel quite comfortable walking around alone as a female, much unlike Delhi where I felt like a bit of an object, not really helped by a bit of culture shock. I'm planning to base myself here for a few days. Rachel arrives tonight which will be a welcome relief. Am so looking forward to having a friend to hang out with.

October 11, 2006                       DELHI BELLY. YUCK.

I have a nasty case of Delhi Belly. I don't think I've ever been this sick in my life. Will spare you all of the details! Luckily my hostel has a good internet facility with a fan and a fridge nearby filled with coke. Found myself puking in a rat infested gutter last night with about 30 or 40 locals watching - not pretty!

Anyway! Rachel arrived in Varanasi yesterday. I was soooo glad to see her! She also brought along 2 Israeli guys she met on the bus from Nepal. They've been so good to us. I think I've mentioned earlier that having a guy with you when you're roaming the streets means you mostly get left alone - it's awesome - the guys get badgered non stop but Rachel and I are mostly free to be in our own little worlds. We spent most of the day just hanging out looking at neighbourhoods. Varanasi is one of the oldest cities in the world and it's here that you can see life as it has been in this city for thousands of years. As one of the guys said, not much has really changed except the invention of internet cafes.

Before I met up with Rachel and the boys I went for a walk at 7am. The most random thing happened to me. I just went out to take some pictures and grab some breakfast. Neither happened. Some random old man got talking to me - really sweet little guy that I just couldn't escape from. So I gave him the benefit of the doubt and followed him.

Turns out that yesterday was some festival of women. We ended up following a crowd of ladies dressed in amazing saris and ended up at a small temple where I got blessed and had a massive bunch of flowers put around my neck and a big orange dot painted in between my eyes. I have no idea what they were saying as everything was in Hindi. After that we went up to another temple and watched people worshipping. The next thing I know we're in a flower market drinking chai with his friends.

 We sat there for about 30 minutes. Still had no idea what they were talking about but all of a sudden another bunch of flowers is put around my head! I looked like mother earth! I try to find excuses to leave him as at this point I had no idea why he wanted my company. He tries to lead me up another street but in the end I thanked him and went off on my merry flower covered way back to my hostel.

I had no idea where on earth I was.

Next thing I know I'm in a silk shop and 30 minutes later own a green sari. Not quite sure what to do with it now!

Took me another 45 minutes to find the Yogi Lodge but I finally get back, run into the room where Rach just looks at me and cracks up - I looked RIDICULOUS. This all happened before 9am.

So I spend the rest of the day mooching around Varanasi while Rachel catches up on some well needed sleep having been on a bus for pretty much 24 hours from Nepal. Around 5pm me, her and the Israeli boys decide to go down to the waterfront and get a boat along the Ganges to watch the sunset and people performing rituals. All was fine until we got to the burning ghat - where bodies are burned after they die. Really frightening and I was to have the full experience of it this morning.

We get off the boat and I make a dash back to the hostel while the others stay to watch a puja (a ceremony that priests perform nightly as a gift to Shiva). On the way I'm ill but eventually make it back and a few hours later am asleep.

Funnily enough we actually managed to get up at 5am to go and watch the sunrise over the Ganges. Through this I was to see India at it's most real. Bathing time. It's a community activity where everyone gets up and does their thing in the water which happens to be the dirtiest river on earth. How they get clean I have no idea but they do so every morning. It was fascinating and I was really lucky to experience watching it even though I felt disturbingly unwell. We eventually get off the boat close to another burning Ghat. It was to be my most intense experience in India yet. It was pure hell on earth and probably human life at it's most basic. Made me realise that my charmed little life in the West isn't everything. At the end of the day we all have to fight to survive and make a living. The ghat is attended to by the Untouchables - the poorest chaste in Indian society. The neighbourhood is by far the poorest I've ever seen in my life and the people weren't friendly. This is where they attend to death day in and day out - it's their job. The smell was so bad I can't describe it - yet that's how they live their lives and that's how it has been working for thousands of years.

We eventually made it back to our hostel. Since then I've been in bed feeling like complete utter shit. Rachel managed to convince me to get up, have a shower and come downstairs to do something other than sleep. The whole neighbourhood seems to know that I'm ill and they keep asking her how I am. The people here are so amazing. They just let you into their lifes and accept you for who you are. No questions asked.

I think I've got a love hate relationship with this place. One moment it's the most incredible place on earth, and the next I'd do anything to be back in London drinking a cocktail at the Big Chill. This seems to be travel at its most real however and I'm so glad I've come here.

We're going to leave Varanasi on Friday night. Off to Agra to see the Taj Mahal and then up North to do some yoga and check out where the Dalai Lama lives. Then we're going to visit Rachel's friend Nasib who's family live in Kashmir.

October 19, 2006

I'm back online after ages of being unable to upate this. Several reasons but mostly due to slow Indian computers and the fact that since i last wrote I came down with big time Delhi Belly. I was not a happy person at all for near on a week! 

After being stuck in my hostel for several days Rachel dragged me out to see an Indian movie called Side Effects. Very cheesy and going to the movies in India on it's own is quite an experience! For starters, it's AIR CONDITIONED. Amazing. We could have stayed there for hours... hold on, we did... the movie had intermission which was good at least. Second of all, they have extreme security measures in place to go in. One security guard searched through our bags and pulled out a bag of tampons (a lady) and asked what they were and why we had them... short of doing a demonstration she decided they were some odd thing that westerners smoke  "to smoke???" "Um... yes!"

And then we went to buy popcorn. Rather than you carrying it and eating it before the movie even starts they deliver it to your seat about 10 minutes into it. How novel!

The movie was full on Indian cheese. Lacking a bit in the bollywood dancing but the plot was great... This DJ meets this girl at her wedding. She bails out of the wedding, starts seeing him over a few years, he has committment issues so she dumps him, he's devastated, tries to win her back but fails so goes out with this other girl who simply doesn't compare. She is about to get married to this complete gimp, he gets jealous, wins her back on her wedding day and they ride off into the sunset on a rickshaw... how romantic. It took 4 hours to tell us all of that.

I spent the rest of that day in bed.

On Saturday we get up and decided to go to a place called Sarnath. Sarnath is where the Buddha gave some of his first sermons and is a very important historical site for Buddhists. It's mostly a bunch of ruins - has a great museum and is set in gorgeous quiet surroundings. While Sarnath was lovely the highlight of that day was actually the drive there.

We're convinced by this super friendly rickshaw guy that he should drive us to Sarnath. What a decision to make! We get into his rickshaw. It's not just any rickshaw - it's DISCO RICKSHAW. The inside was vinal sparkly green with patches of flourescent yellow, images of bollywood stars, various Indian gods, a buddha, a big sign saying "LOVE" with a heart and a dagger. A bright pink rimmed mirror, fan, velour curtains and to top it off Varanasi's finest speaker system. We were blasted with Bollywood hits all the way to Sarnath - it was AWESOME and featuring DJ RICKSHAW WALLAH. I will try and put up a video of it sometime soon.

We got back to Varanasi after an hour each way in Disco Rickshaw, had a juice, played cards with our ever friendly Israeli guys who had been escorting Rachel around for the week, and then it was time for the train to Agra.

WHAT A FRIGHT.

The previous train I'd been on had turned out to be a rather flash one with air con. This was anything but. It was filthy. Dirty, smelly, old, decrepid, slow, and to top it off we were 2 of 6 females in our carriage along with a million men, all staring at Rachel and I, and not at our eyes. We were eye candy for a good 16 hours - it was not comfortable at all. We stupidly decided to order meals - I think they might be responsible for Rachel's recent bout of Delhi Belly.

I had the top bunk right by the door and by a light. Didn't sleep at all and I spent most of the time brushing bugs off my face. It was the most unpleasant train ride I've ever had in my life. I stupidly wore a skirt as well so everytime I got down to use the loo or grab my book that kept falling off my bunk the million and one men in my carriage would turn around. It was legs legs legs and eyes eyes eyes and no matter how many evil looks I gave back the more one was stared at.

We eventually arrived in Agra 4 hours late. Rachel had the middle bunk, ear plugs and an eye mask so had slept super well all night long. I was one grumpy post delhi belly snuffly tired irritated blonde. We were relieved to be on terra firma again and checked into a hotel that seemed like a palace. It had a proper loo! It had almost warm water in the shower! And it was only a 20 minute walk from the Taj Mahal.

If there's one thing in life that can change a grumpy post delhi belly snuffly tired irritated blonde it's seeing one of the world's finest buildings. Agra was such a change from Delhi and Varanasi. Rather than constantly dodging cows, stray dogs and the effluent of both we were exposed to wide roads with the nearest animals being camels quietly delivering tourists to the great building. We chose to walk.

The extortionate entry fee (all of US$15) was well worth it. I can't really put it into words except to say that the Taj Mahal blew me away. It's such an incredible wonder of architecture. The light reflects off it to make it seem not quite real and it's massive. I hate to say it but I actually think the Taj impressed me as much as the Great Wall of China. The story behind it is very cool - I won't bore you with the long version but basically this ruler was so bereft at the death of his favourite wife upon having their 14th child that he built the Taj as her resting place. It took 40 years and 20,000 men to build it and nearly broke his empire. He never recovered from her death and was sent to live in Agra Fort as his son took over. It is said that he gazed out at the Taj Mahal all day until he finally died and was buried beside her inside.

There is another story though that says that once he died he turned to a diet of sex and drug, went insane and basically lived like that til his death at 70 something years old. I prefer the first one.

We only had a day in Agra and then it was onto a full day of travel starting at 4am the next morning. We accidentally got in the wrong carriage to Delhi and ended up being fully squished in with daily commuters. Nearly all men staring not at our eyes. Loads were hanging out the side of the carriages and I wouldn't be surprised if many had made it onto the roof. It was tight, it was hot and as usual the train took forever. We eventually arrived in Smelly Delhi and had to wait 6 hours for our next train. I got to show Rachel Delhi. She wasn't impressed. We ate lunch, more fried food, ick. Sat in a cafe and wrote postcards, got stared and hounded at constantly and then it was time to get our next train.

This one was so much nicer. It had fans, wasn't over crowded and managed to get to our next point "Haridwar" - where we were hounded with offers of rickshaw rides to Rhishikesh. We took the bus. It took an hour. We got there and made our way to the Ved Niketam Ashram. It was really dark and after crossing over a wobbly bridge over the Ganges and walked down a dark narrow street for what seemed like hours we eventually made it - and crawled straight into bed.

We woke up to the sounds of the Ganges floating by. Looked out the windows and it's amazing. It's actually clean in this part of the country. Even runs blue - completely different to the same river in Varanasi which is more of a pooey brown littered with dead bodies and all sorts of matter. Rhishikesh is the most peaceful place I've been in months. We're staying in a yoga ashram and it's lovely. Rishikesh is also cold though and so is the shower - we came here to get spiritual but with the showers and somewhat rather hard beds I'm hardly feeling it! However, this place is gorgeous set in the foothills of the Himilayas. So far I've done yoga twice - both times the yoga teacher trying his hardest not to laugh at my terrible lack of co-ordination with basic stretches... One is determined to contort oneself into odd positions - I will persevere! Rachel seems to have gotten the spirituality of this place. I am convinced that I'm a cold hearted western brat too obsessed with her nice products and am perfectly content with that.

Tomorrow morning it's up for 7am meditation (he he...) then yoga at 8am for 2 hours and then... We're going to Kashmir! We'll be staying with a friend of Rachel and her family for Diwali - the Indian version of Christmas. Keep posted for the next update!

Katherine

October 25, 2006 - DIWALI, Jammu, Dharamasala and Free Tibet Protests

So much has happened since I wrote last week so excuse me if this sounds a bit like it's coming straight out of my journal... a lot of it is!

After yogaing out in Rishikesh and Rachel having strict rules imposed on her by the yoga teacher - i.e. don't eat bananas today because it's cold - needless to say our favourite feisty red head rebelled... we left beautiful Rishikesh on another second class sleeper train complete with the dirt, bugs and hard beds with rucksacks for pillows, to go to Jammu, Kashmir.

Somehow our train managed to pull into Jammu over an hour early. It was 5am - we were stuck. There was no way we wanted to call Nasib at that hour! So we waited and the wait was actually quite an experience. Rather than the station being a hub of activity it was filled with bleary eyed travellers much like ourselves and as much in shock as we were about arriving so early.

We waited until around 6am before calling Nasib and in that time people watched. The majority of the people were doing one of the following or a combination of all: cleaning their teeth, hocking and spitting up phlegm from the night before, peeing beside the train or whereever there was a semi private space, doing their hair, eating, or just waiting around like Rachel and I in a sleep induced haze, all as close to the train tracks as possible. 6am finally came and after waiting in loo lines of 15 minutes or more and checking out the heightened security prescence as a result of being in Kashmir (i.e. men with BIG GUNS everywhere), Nasib and her uncle picked us up in remarkably perky moods for that time of day.

The 10 minute drive in the flashest car I'd seen in India so far took Rach and I to the home of Nasib's MASSIVE family. I still have yet to figure out just how many there were! The house (mansion?) was an enormous hub of activity. I think I'd put the number that live there around 12, a staff of 7-10 and visiting relatives at any given time at least another 10. They're amazing - so much love in the extended family. They all hang out together all the time.

Rachel and I had a brief nap and woke up to be introduced to the clan. First Nasib's Dad, then her Mum, then her brothers, then uncles (3 I think?),Aunts, great aunts, great uncles, cousins and last but not least, Nan, one of the cutest old people I've ever met - one tooth and a smile to light a thousand faces. Once we'd showered and changed we were introduced to the staff - 2 drivers, a dishes girl, a cook and 2 washing ladies - those are who I counted. The washing ladies stared at Rachel and I in disbelief and then one of them exclaims "Barbie Girls!" - Barbie is one of fe western faces they've seen in their lives.

After the formalities it was time to eat. We were fed toast with the best butter I've ever had (India does remarkably good dairy) and then the sweets started and didn't stop coming until we left Jammu. Oh my god, I LOVE INDIAN SWEETS. They will be the death of my waistline (and my teeth!), mark my words. After breakfast we set off on a girls day to Jammu. Nasib, Rachel, myself, 3 of the cousins and one driver. First stop was a park that we walked through to get to a temple where we offered food to the gods and dodged rather frightening monkeys. From there we had pizza then got caught in the biggest traffic jam EVER. We managed to get out of that and then it was time for Mhandi - henna paintings in incredibly intricate patterns on our hands. They were amazing and only took 20 minutes to do per hand, if that. Walking through Jammu with all our ams in the air trying to dry our hands was hilarious - had we been further South it might have been a perfect time for the local men to have a damned good look, but in Kashmir they're lovely - no one is sleazy and the stares are more inquisitive than anything - much like we experienced in China.

We got back to the manion a little worried that we were late, but we weren't. Ate some more and then it was time to really celebrate Diwali, the festival of light and the start of the New Year for most Indians. First stop: MODERN GUN WORKS - the family gun factory and the business that has managed to provide an amazing education for the entire clan. At Modern Gun Works we said a prayer to bless the factory for the coming year and then lit candles everywhere. It was beautiful but what put goosebumps on everyone was the rooftop where we had lit candles all over. It looked so beautiful. The view around was amazing. And then the fire works started lighting up the sky for miles. There we were on top of a gun factory with the nicest people we've ever met lighting fireworks to put to shame my local guy fawkes celebrations back home. After spending close to an hour setting off fire works - even the 4 year old was doing so - that would make a heath and safety inspector have a hernia and me a near heart attack at the age of 25 - we set off back downstairs where it was time to play with guns!

They were big wooden shot guns the size that would put many a grin on the faces of most of the boys I know. The men all had a go, they tried insisting that Rachel and I learn how to shoot a gun but we happily settled on holding one and taking cheesy photos - in fear of it all going wrong I didn't want to spend my last days in a cockroach infested Indian jail...

After Modern Gun Works we went and checked out the old family home, ate more, visited more cousins, ate again, and then it was time for home. Where we had dinner again. This time it was curried veggies on bread with tomato and lime - really really tasty! I have never spent a day where I was constantly stuffed full to the brim. I was worried I was about to turn into an Indian Sweet so politely excused myself and went to bed in the knowledge that I'd had one of the most amazing days of my travels yet.

The next day, still full from the day before, I got up relatively early and started teaching the 4 year old how to yell out "RISE AND SHINE SLEEPYHEAD" - Rachel's mood for the rest of the day with me was not something I want to be on the other side of for a while again! Everyone got up, we had another awesome meal, and were told to get ready for the mountains. After visiting and picking up more of the family the 3 vans took off to this beautiful place in the mountains. It was set on a lake with a small park beside it. The ride there was one of the bumpiest rides I've ever had but it was stunning and the sun was setting so it made it look even prettier. We got there, fed the world's ugliest fish - thousands of them - and they were huge - and then sat down for dinner. There we were at dusk sitting with this massive Shiek family in traditional dress - 2 white as western girls - eating curry and just having a good old gossip with everyone while the boys played cricket and we ate. It was crazy and awesome.

One visitor to the lake asked if I was married - at the ripe old age of 25 I really should be. So I said - I have a fiance. Reply "Well where is your ring then?" - ummmmmmm.... "Oh, I don't carrry it around with me as it's a very special diamond so I prefer not to wear one." Nod of approval. "Where is your fiance?" "He's in New Zealand digging coal mines." I then walked away.

After a wicked time at this place we started the drive back. It was kind of scary but I was relieved that I couldn't see out the window and the cliffs below. The lastest punjabi hits played on the stereo and it was all in all a good drive back.

We got back, made a few calls home and then it was time for a good old family get together Punjabi style - the music was loud and everyone was dancing - including nan and the great aunts and uncles. It was soooo cool - they were dancing like they do in the movies! After a few hours of dancing the women all got together with the musical instruments and started singing shiek hymns - I've never heard music like it - it was beautiful. It went on well into the night. 3am came and I went to bed sad in the knowledge that Rachel and I would have to leave the following morning.

We got up Monday morning to a massive breakfast of curry - paneer and chickpea and tons of fab chapati - we were full to the brim. And then it was time to say goodbye to this incredible family who let us in for their version of Christmas and New Year.

 Rachel and Nasib's awesome family

The journey to Pathankot and onwards to McLeoud Ganj was surprisingly really good! Having shocking memories of Chinese buses I wasn't so keen but we got on and had a blast getting there. It took close to 10 hours on 2 different buses and then a taxi but it was mostly comfortable if not rather crowded but efficient. The first bus played the most disturbing wailing music ever but it was entertaining and took my mind off the kid in front of me who looked like he could power chuck any second... luckily he didn't and we got to the first stop all in tact if not somewhat deaf with ears ringing of very old Hindi music. The bus to Dharmasala was cramped as. Rachel used her rucksack for a seat in the aisle where most people chose to stand, and while I was lucky enough to get a seat I had to sit for several hours with mine on my lap - never realised just how heavy my pack is!

Circulation virtually cut off we eventually made it to Dharmasala, spent close to an hour haggling with a taxi driver and eventually shared a cab with a crazy Turkish girl who came across as quite frustrated like the world was against her. I put it down to culture shock having only had a spaz at Rachel less than an hour before complaining about the cold and how everyone seems to want to rip us off or just look not at our faces.

It's lovely here. It's where the Tibetan Community live in exile and is set in some stunning himilayan foothill scenery. The story of the Free Tibet Protests however will have to wait til tomorrow. I'm tired. And there's a rat crawling around this internet cafe!

Dharamsala and Tibet

We arrived in McLeoud Ganj a bit weary and cranky. Had hot showers for the first time since arriving in India (just as well cause it's freezing here) and went to sleep in uber comfy beds that the Kunga Guest House put us in. We were happy and were asleep within minutes of hitting the pillows.

We woke up yesterday morning to the sounds of one very lively street - taxis beeping their horns, dogs barking and tourists haggling for goods outside. I let Rachel sleep for a while longer and went into the small cafe next door run by a Tibetan lady and her crazy Indian friend Sam who was well into offering us lots of chai - detox thrown right out the window at that point. I read the paper and on the front page it said that OJ Simpson has hypothetically admitted he's guility in a book - duh...  Once Rachel joined me we debated what to do with our day and decided that a visit to the Dalai Lama's house and the Tibetan Museum was in order. We found the Dalai Lama's residence - nice and modest - we also discovered that he'd given a public audience only the day before and we'd managed to miss it. grr.

We couldn't find the museum and instead decided to follow the sounds of a massive demonstration making it's way from McLeoud Ganj down the hill to Dharmasala - a good 7-9kms. We kept following the sounds which at times got quieter and then super loud so we'd think we'd almost caught up. We were virtually running at one point but were still no closer to the action. We eventually ran into an American girl typical of the hippy type traveller that you see all over India who said she'd just been with them but if we were to ever catch up we'd have to either run big time or hitch a ride - so we took the latter and jumped in a goods carrier. We drove for 3-4kms and STILL hadn't caught up with them - he dropped us off, we walked for another 10-15 minutes and then... we were there. In amongst the protest filled with many a Tibetan student and the odd foreigner hoping to get in on the action. I of course had my camera on me and briefly felt like my photography is so much better than it is... I had images of me becoming a photo journalist getting in on all the action - was later brought back down to earth when I realised I am merely a traveller just documenting what I see on my cheap digital camera.

The demonstration had half of the Tibetans that live in this area in attendance. It was massive and it was passionate. These people have been persecuted in ways that the world just doesn't know about and they really have a cause to fight for. What they were protesting about was the shootings by the Chinese Government of a group of 70 Tibetan Refugees trying to escape over the border into India. 2 people including a nun were killed and 9 children have been captured by the Chinese government - no one knowsof their whereabouts. The demonstration was about this and to reaffirm the Tibetan Struggle as well as to encourage the Tibetan Community not to let up in their fight to free Tibet. It was loud, it was powerful and peaceful. It was followed up by a candlelight vigil that evening up in McLeoud Ganj - another really peaceful and beautiful experience. See the pictures of the protest under Dharamasala.

Today we got up and went to seek out the Tibetan Institute of Astrology as well as the Government in Exile - really cool grounds! We didn't end up getting our charts done as it would cost US$50 and would take a couple of months to send to us as the waiting list is so long. Gutted we moved on - the Tibetan Government in Exile Buildigns are simple but also set in some of the freshest scenery ever. We eventually got to the Tibetan Museum which documents the Tibetan Struggle as well as the stories of those who fled to Dharamasala, including the Dalai Lama - really moving and very interesting.

Tomorrow we're off to check out a Buddist nunnery set up by an English woman and will hopefully move on to Amritsar and Pushkar for the camel fair by the end of the week.

October 26, 2006 - Linen Packages, The Dalai Lama's Shower Curtain and Chai Making Monks

After waking up several times throughout the night due to this dog HOWLING outside my window all night long and some dodgy hindi/british mix pop playing nearby Rachel and I got out of bed early this morning. Today we were going to do some proper site seeing other than getting up, having breakfast and going for a walk. First stop after the world's largest apple pancakes and big time Tibetan Bread we shifted our full stomaches to the post office where I would spend close to an hour simply trying to post 1 tiny package to mr man in the UK. You would think posting a cheesy souvenir t-shirt would be one of the most simple things in the world - no.

First stage in trying to post this damned thing was last week in Rishikesh. I brought a t-shirt, decided that I'd post it. Nothing flash just a t-shirt. I just assumed I could go to a post office armed with an address, buy an envelope and some stamps and pop it in the post. However, this is India. I get to the post office and they turn me around and tell me to go and get it wrapped. I ask where and they say up the road... Up the road could mean anything here. So I walk along the street asking where to get a parcel wrapped and they all keep pointing different directions until I'm told "across the river" - screw that - I'll just carry it on me til I get to Malaysia where things are simple and I can just pop it in an envelope and put a stamp on...

So I put it in my bag for a week but as the week goes on the green silk sari I was conned into buying in Varanasi and the elephant wall hanging I brought on impulse in Rishikesh start weighing down my bag and I vow to empty it and send whatever I can do without home. So I figure, why not go all out and buy Christmas presents now and just send them home at the same time! So I devote 2 mornings to Indian postage whilst in Dharamsala - where things seem easier, cause they're Tibetan here.

The drama re-starts yesterday. I notice a parcel packing place opposite my guesthouse. It's a small shack with a tailor selling yak wool shawls - I'm nearly tempted but later in the day think to myself "When and where on earth am I going to need a stripey white and pink yak wool shawl???" - impluse buy avoided and I get to to the point "Um, hi, Namaste or whatever you say in Tibetan, do you wrap stuff to post?" "Yes madam I do! How many packages?" "Three please." I sit there thinking it'll take 5 minutes - how hard can it be to wrap a t-shirt, a sari, wall hanging and a few small presents? Next thing out comes the plastic - that's fine. Everything is sealed up and I assume all he needs to do now is put a sticker on...

But no - that was stage one!

Out comes the cream linen - what??? So he cuts it up very carefully and wraps package one - a cotton t-shirt size large and letter to go with it. Sticks pins on both sides and then... it's sewing time! Very diligently each side and corner is sewn up with thick cotton thread - he then puts it aside. Does the same for the other 2 and I start writing addresses on them. Next thing I'm asked for them back. ok... Out comes the red wax! It's sealing time. He lights a candle and starts melting a tiny stick of the stuff. There are now big red blobs all over the package. It could only have been made better had I got out the red lipstick and made him seal it with a kiss.

All this just to send a t-shirt. He then repeats with the other 2 packages, I pay him 100 rupees and set off on my merry way. He chases me down the street. "Madam! Today the post office shut. It's Eid, the end of Ramadan so all post offices and banks close." right... So I vow to get to the post office the next morning - today that is.

We get up this morning vowing to see some stuff. First stop was a massive breakfast as I mentioned earlier and then we made our merry and rather full way to the post office.

I watied for 45 minutes before getting served. There was one lady at the counter, 3 people ahead of me, 15 behind. It was cramped and she couldn't have cared less. Serves one person, does a bunch of other irrelevant stuff, looks at the next person, keeps doing other stuff, looks at the next person, does their thing, scowls at me, does a bunch of other stuff. Finally she decides to serve me after I roll my eyes and sigh "for crying out loud" - scowls at me, takes the parcels. Types down their addresses twice into this computer, eventually puts a sticker on, charges me 500rupees (6 pounds) and then finally lets me go.

WHAT A MISSION!

Finally we move on and head to the Norbulinka Institute - it's on the other side of Dharmasala so we had to take 2 buses there. It's the worst sign posted place on earth. It took 2 hours of walking around a strange village to find it. In the end, after asking a zillion people and hitching a lift we made it. It's lovely. It's a Tibetan Arts and Crafts Institute where they practice tibetan arts such as these amazing intricate paintings, statue making, very detailed carvings and other stuff. It was impressive and the grounds were set like a Japanese garden with a big Tibetan Temple in the middle. While having a rest this really friendly monk comes up to us and asks if we want to go to a monastry where 500 monks live. Ok we say! So we join him and two Canadians who have been teaching English in Korea and walk and walk and walk for miles. First stop however is the back of the Institute where it is said the Dalai Lama sometimes sleep. I look a photo in the Dalai Lama's bathroom! So I've touched the same ground that his holiness walks on and can safely assure you that he has a Western loo, brightly coloured shower curtain with random stripes on it, and a spiral staircase. Everyone here loves him and I can see why. He must be the only world leader who always looks happy, has a good laugh and who people just want to hug. I'm dying to meet the guy so will definitely be making a visit back sometime soon.

 THE shower cutain.

When we got to the Monastry after walking for miles and miles stopping along the way at a waterfall and to get some sweets it was great. There were definitely 500 monks living there, the grounds were huge and they were all just hanging out and playing Volleyball. Very cool. We decide to move on and catch the 2 buses back to McLeoud Ganj. He invites us back to his house for chai and we accept. He lives in this tiny little box of a place, but it's enough. He has a small stove, a bed, a dirt floor and a big picture of the Dalai Lama and loads and loads of books. So we sit there sipping away on chai and then he offers us Tibetan Yak Butter Tea. 3 of us politely decline but he insists Mike the Canadian has some. He accepts and somehow manages to gulp it down - I looked on in awe.

We really loved hanging out with him so have agreed to go into the moutains with him tomorrow to do some trekking. It's beautiful here so it should be really cool.

More tomorrow. Then it's off to Amritsar to the Golden Temple before heading South to Pushkar for the Camel Fair. Hope you're all behaving!

October 27, 2006 - The World's Fastest Monk

Today Rachel and I climbed a mountain with Thuten, the Tibetan Monk we met yesterday who showed us the Dalai Lama's shower. In short - we walked up hill for 4 hours, got to the top of the mountain completely frozen but with a view of Dhamamasala's version of the Matterhorn. We were cold, so cold, and we had no warm clothes. Luckily the chai shop at the top had big massive blankets and potato chips and the best chai in the world.

Thuten walks SO FAST. Rachel will never talk about how fast I walk ever again! When we got to the top not only were we frozen but we were completely buggered. We also met a circus performer and a beatboxer from Shoreditch in London there! But we were too exhausted to care...

We climbed back down - what was only 2 hours felt like 5 in the rain, wind and hail but we made it, had a wicked meal of lasagne and now both want to die. Bed is around the corner and that is where I shall go now. All that mad running everyday before leaving London has not made me as fit as I thought I was!

We're getting up at 4am to catch a bus to Amritsar tomorrow - home of the Golden Temple where we are hoping to sleep for free.

November 2, 2006 - Amritsar, Hippies who feel from the Heart, a desperate Rickshaw Driver, a Stamp Collector, finally a bit of pampering and an old friend.

One or two people have sarcastically complained to Rachel that I haven't updated this in a week! Oh my god! Could it be that Kat of the Orient has a fan or is it just one particular Bucker with nothing to do? he he... you know who you are!

Rachel and I have been trekking our merry way down from the Mountain to the Golden Temple in Amritsar where we got stroked by hippies, to dirty dusty Jaipur and to going completely off the beaten track ending up in some village where the last foreigner was seen 12 years ago to being the victims of looking through one mans giant stamp collection to practically falling off a camel in what could possibly be the weirdest fair on earth.

We'll start with Amritsar!

We braved a 6 hour bus ride at 4am on which we managed to lose our breakfast to a stray dog (my fault as I picked up the bag upside down in my usual morning state) and arrived sometime before mid-day. We were back in the real India, back to the annoying men and their stares and the rickshaw drivers who seemed to want to rip us off constantly. Amritsar isn't India's most shining example of a city but the Sikh's holiest place, the Golden Temple could well be. We walked in and didn't want to leave - what, no sleazy stares? no one wanting to rip us off? Dinner and a place to stay for FREE? We were happy and never leaving!

The Sikhs have a tradition of looking after everyone in the community, including two lost strawberry blondes who seemed to be stared at no matter what they wore. By this time we were actually wearing shawls over our heads and ran into the temple just trying to escape. We checked into a foreigners dorm there, for free, and then went on the search for lunch. After braving the stares for too long outside we went back into our humble little abode that we shared with 30 foreingers and about 1000 Sikhs and waited until 4pm when we were supposed to get a taxi to see the Changing of the Guards on the border of Pakistan about an hour away.

Did we get there? Yes. Did we see the changing of the guards? No. There were too many people. We were crushed in the crowd, couldn't cope, couldn't see a thing so settled for signing autographs for school children down the road. Rachel has bought a cheap DVD of the changing of the guards so we didn't quite miss out! ooooh! And we discovered a new food - burgers but with a potato inside instead of meat! Brilliant - and with chilli sauce. so all was not lost... especially when accomanied with a warm and flat coke.

We waited for an hour for our cab driver who must have somehow pushed through the crowds to see it and took the hour long drive back to Amritsar. We decided we could eat in the Golden Temple for free! Yipee! It was a most brilliant meal and all served up by men for once. Again, not complaining. All you can eat chickpea curry with chapati - what more could a girl ask for.

The Golden Temple was absolutely stunning in the moonlight. Rachel preferred it to the Taj Mahal but my heart is still with the good old Taj - who can beat that for a love story! It was a really nice atmosphere and we felt really chilled out being there. So chilled out that we were finally prepared to brave the hippies back in the dorm.

We were sharing a room with perhaps the most meditated out hippie traveller I have ever come across and who I pray I NEVER TURN INTO. This guy has either spent too much time meditating in the far corners of the Himilayas or has just taken way too many drugs in his lifetime. I couldn't figure it out. Rach and I did our best to look intrigued as he lectured us on how important it is to think just with the heart and not the mind and that you must learn to separate them and learn to control your mind. I stupidly told him that I'm quite happy with my mind... and he said it must be because I have learned to think from the heart and blah blah blah. bullshit. I drifted off to sleep petrified of bed bugs and with the sound of "ooooooohhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmm" beside me - he was meditating his heart out, or was it his mind?

I woke up the next morning to Mr Hippie stroking my back. ARRRGH! I'm being attacked by hippies! Morning Kat scowls, gets up and goes to wash. He's gone by the time I come back (I told you Mum and former flatmates that there's a reason for my ridiculously long showers!) but not without having woken Rachel up first by meditating "oooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmm" and then giving her a good pat and stroke on the back too!

After talking for what seemed like hours to another hippie who ran a dating site in South Africa and had smoked too much weed up North we left the lovely Golden Temple and it's non-staring sikhs who offered us free food and accommodation (we left a donation) and jumped on a long train journey to Jaipur. The train ride was fairly uneventful. We both managed to sleep and avoid the stares by just not looking up. We arrived the following morning to be picked up by the world's friendliest Rickshaw Driver - Ali.

Ali made Jaipur. Jaipur is a fairly dull place, very dirty, very dusty and rather touristy. The sites themselves aren't so interesting however, I'm sure had we taken up one of the hundreds of guys offers to be our guides we would have found it fascinating... What we did find fascinating was Ali's quest to find a girlfriend and giving him advice. Ali is 20 and a tour guide. We told him he just needs to have confidence and we're sure he'll do well - afterall, he is exceptionally handsome and charming and had we not both been taken (we both now sport fake wedding rings along with scarves over our heads to fend off the men here) we probably would have considered him... As per usual when you hire a rickshaw driver for the day we got taken to his "uncle's" carpet and silk factory. I got conned into buying a 50pound silk bed spread... But it is stunning, worth about NZ$300, and I kind of figured I'll need one when I eventually return to New Zealand. So it's now in the post and I am still in fact homeless. I can now not afford to eat for the rest of this trip.

Luckily the next day we were to move on to Kekiri, a small place a bit off the beaten track where we were to stay for 2 nights with Ram, a couch surfer, and very avid stamp collector!

Ram, oh, where do I start with the couple of days we spent with him?

Ok, so we get to his town, nothing much exciting except a ton of locals wondering why on earth would two strawberry blondes from the other side of the world jump off a bus in this godforsaken place... We were wondering the same. Ram gets on the bus and saves us, puts us in his jeep and takes us to his house, less than 100 metres from the bus stand, we could have walked.

We get to his house, put our bags down and are met by who we thought was his servant. We were quickly put right and she's introduced as his wife. We don't see them socialise the entire time as she's either cooking, sweeping, mopping, making us endless cups of chai, mopping, cooking or making chapatis. Ram sits us down and starts talking at us. Ram has had 150 pen pals over the years and has kept every single letter he's recieved as well as copies of those he's written to them. Couch surfing was a way for him to advance this hobby as only 2 of his penpals have ever visited. We were his second set of couch-surfers, the previous ones who we could never match up to in a million years. He made them sound like the gods of couch-surfing, until Rachel asked to see his stamp collection that he so excitedly talks about!

I looked at Rachel completely aghast that the following question would come out of her mouth "Excuse me Ram, may we please see your collection of stamps?" and try desperately not to laugh as this massive look of delight comes over Rams face.

We sat there for 3 hours looking at Ram's stamp collection. Oh my god, I'm sitting there wishing I was talking to the hippie from 2 nights before who thinks from his heart while making as many impressed "ooh" and "ahh" sounds... He managed to explain it all, in particular his most impressive of nude stamps collected from all over the world. After stamps it was time for letters explaining his culture (actually really interesting) all in the meantime having many a people from his work and the neighbourhood come to look at the two white girls who had turned up in the place.

After stamp and letters time it was time for dinner served up by Rams wife. In proper Rajastani style we ate on potato sacks on the kitchen floor. It was a magnificent meal and some of the best and spiciest dhal I've ever had. We were impressed. She wasn't. Ram told us that his family don't like having couch-surfers therefore confirming our suspicions that we were there to further his hobby. We didn't see her smile once, though we were told that she had the flu. Oh my god, that poor woman, having the flu and having to serve these people that she clearly didn't want in her house and who she'd been forced to give up the master bedroom for and sleep in the lounge. In true Rajastani practice she also eats after everyone else, always the left overs and always on the floor. This is India.

After dinner we were told all about the local practice of Child Marriage, particularly in the village where Ram grew up. We were hooked - it was absolutely fascinating. Ram and his wife were married at the age of 15 and 16, very old for that village. The average marriage age used to be between the ages of 2 and 12. We were actually shown pictures of a 2 year old getting married to a 4 year old. Oh my god, we were sooooo over the hill for this place! We knew then that we were off the beaten track.

We finally got to bed after chatting to Ram for ages about India's Caste system, child marriages, stamp collecting, as well as meeting most of Kekiri who kept dropping in to see the white ones. Oh, and in that time we also got to try on saris - lots of fun and I'm sure the pictures will eventually emerge.

It was 8am when we got up the next day. We sat around talking to Ram and were shown more pictures in particular of Jain Saints who all walk around in the nude in an effort not to harm any living being. At 11am his driver turned up and off we went to the PUSHKAR CAMEL FAIR. What an adventure!

The journey there took 2 hours, we got there, walked around the market and then went into the thick of it. There were camels literally everywhere. All different types, big ones, small ones, girls, boys, some with big camel toes, some with small camel toes, some with crazy patterns shaved or painted on and even some with big dangly fluffy bits attached as well as many a nose piercing. I don't really know how to explain the fair - I expected a lot from it but by the end left a bit jaded. It was amazing to see so many camels in the desert but I got sooo sick of being seen just as a money giver. Every beggar seemed to be in town and pretty much every picture I took was followed by someone wanting money for it. 4 hours and a bad mood later we left the Camel Fair - it was an anti India day in my eyes, particularly when the next bout of Delhi Belly kicked in a few hours on!

 Ram's cool family

On the way home from the camel fair however we had quite an experience. Ram took us to the village where he grew up (home of the child brides) and we met his Mum and most of the villagers. They were awesome. They were all so little! We also got to meet some real life child bride and grooms who shyly ran away and were then offered dinner by some lady who cooked in a tiny hut. After asking Ram if that was ok we accepted thinking his wife would be delighted that she wouldn't have to cook for us later on. We ate, the entire village watched us eat at the doorway, and then followed us down to the jeep where we would say our goodbyes - they were really funny and it was a great end to a day that had been rather mixed in my mind.

We got home, Ram asked us if we wanted to eat again and we said to him "only if that's ok" and he said "Yes, of course ok" so we just sat and talked away to him as more people popped in to check out the white girls. Then his wife comes in, eats dinner after him on the floor but scowls at us the whole time. What had we done wrong!? So we ask if she's ok and he goes to us "She cooked you a special meal and you didn't want it." Rachel: "But Ram, we asked you if that was ok and you said yes." but he wouldn't let it go. We eventually drop it by apologising but everynow and then he seems to bring it up... I started to feel ill. Uh oh, I'd known these pains before...

I use it as an excuse to go to bed, and so does Rachel, but he says to her "I'm going to be up for several more hours, please stay up and talk to me." The look on Rachel's face, knowing she's used up all her small talk reserves over the past two days, was pure utter classic.

I'm up ALLLLLLL NIGHT. I had every India travellers worst nightmare, up with Delhi Belly KNOWING I'd have to go on a 2 hour local bus ride plus a 24 hour train ride the following morning. Rachel eventually wakes up at 6am and gives me all the antibiotics she's got and we shove them in plus any immodium we can find. By 7am I'm feeling vaguely ok and we get on the bus. We get to the train fine, sweat non-stop on the train where the fans didn't work, are confronted by a trillion stares and pictures of my family and boyfriend being passed all around the train after showing some old lady who got super duper excited by it all (he he, you're now all famous in India!) hear "New Zealand" "England" non stop followed by blurbs of Hindi then laughter, and finally arrive at my friend Sonya's house in Mumbai.

I love it here and never want to leave. Sonya's apartment is amazing. Her Mum owns a salon so we were both treated to pedicures. (FINALLY WE GET PAMPERED! YAY!). They've made us such yummy food and we've had the best showers either of us have had in months. Also, the look on the faces of the taxi drivers as they were trying to rip us off by charging us hundreds of rupees when Sonya's Dad appeared was brilliant - muahaha TAKE THAT! We are instructed by him to only give them 150 rupees, walk in the door and leave them. That'll teach them.

Tonight we're going to see this movie called Don. I've been hanging out to see it since our last one. Don is meant to be about some India Mafia guy who goes around stealing his enemies wives and has lots of action plus song and dances in. Can't wait.

November 10, 2006

I am in heaven. Arambol in Goa has to be the nicest place I've been in India. All we've done since we've been here is eat, go for a swim, sunbathe, go for another swim, eat more, shower, sunbathe, eat, go to bed and do the same the next day. I've decided to skip the rest of India and stay here til I fly to Sri Lanka in 12 days.

After we saw Don we basically chilled out in Mumbai and didn't really do a huge amount - just relaxed at Sonya's house during the day and went out in the evenings. DON ROCKED. It was your classic Bollywood Film and had everything in it: Action, flirting (no kissing allowed!), death, deception (lonnnnng story), SONG AND DANCE, and a brilliant twist at the end (which Rachel and I didn't understand due to not being able to speak Hindi...). It was legendary and I can't wait to get it on dvd. 

We managed to go clubbing there! Sonya took us to this nice little place where we both had alcohol for the first time since arriving in India! Was fantastic. There were tons of Westerners there and we really didn't feel like we were in India at all! However, the clubs shut at 1:30am in Mumbai so we didn't get to pull any fantastic dumb blonde and feisty red head all nighters.

 All clean and looking lovely - Dumb Blonde, Feisty Red and Sonya live it up in Mumbai

On the Sunday we went and saw an English movie "The Departed" - great film! And then on Monday we FINALLY got off our asses and went site seeing. Basically we just went to Colaba, saw the Gateway of India where the last of the British troops left from and is now just a place with a big archway and a trillion people trying to sell you stuff (we ran away screaming, probably much like the last of the Raj!). For those of you who have read the book Shantaram - we ate at Leopolds! Was not how I pictured it to be at all. I expected it to be like a dingy Irish pub but actually it's a French Style Cafe with slightly overpriced tourist food - still good though! Then we just strolled around Colaba's shops and had a trillion people trying to sell us stuff. We gave up and hid in the Taj Hotel for an hour or so. People actually thought we were guests there - it rocked. I had a brief glimpse into the world I could have afforded if only I'd picked the right industry to work in... we ignored the "resident's only" sign and put on posh accents for a bit and had a good old laugh walking around the pool and past Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Moschino again, looking at stuff we can't have, and then left, taking the air con bus back to Sonya's. That night Sonya and her friend took us out to this AMAZING Italian Restaurant where we had some of the best fish in our lives, good quality New Zealand Savignon Blanc and the best Tirimisu I've ever had. It was heaven and we were dreading leaving Sonya's bubble to go back into travelling the rest of India the following day!

However, a 12 hour train ride to Goa was well worth it. We spent our first night in Baga. Don't ever go there - it's full of British Package Holiday tourists who are whiter and fatter and louder than us. We vowed to get outa there asap. So a 90 minute local bus ride on two different buses took us to Arambol - a fishing town where the hippies came in the 60's, set up their whole food cafes and neer left. Full scale development isn't allowed so it's basically a bunch of beach huts, a few guest houses and some nice restaurants on the beach serving excellent sea food. We are so happy here and if it wasn't for some Indian guy flashing us the other day it would be almost perfect!

Unfortunately the sun god has made me pay for my sins and I'm now sitting here a little on the chargrilled side - I look like a lobster, only a patchy one as I'm only burned in places I missed the sunblock... ouch! I'm lucky though, my friend Rach the Feisty Red Head is in the same boat... so I have someone to whinge with who understands! The trillions of tanned Israeli backpackers in this place don't have the pleasure of turning red like us!

November 16, 2006

Sadly leaving the red head tonight! Rachel - it's been wicked. I couldn't have asked for more laughs over the last 6 weeks. You rock girl.

Haven't done a huge amount over the past week except swim, eat, swim, eat, sleep, swim, eat, swim, eat and swim and eat.

It's been fantastic.

Will update this properly when I've got a chance. Off to Sri Lanka on Tuesday but leaving for Kerala tonight.

November 23, 2006 - I'm in SRI LANKA!

So I didn't actually end up leaving Rachel the other day! The thought of taking a 24 hour train alone and with an ipod that keeps crapping out on me (therefore nothing to do once the lights go out!) wasn't cool so I changed my mind an hour before and booked a flight for a few days later. Part of this decision was that it meant I'd also get to see my cow theiving most favourite Scott in the world SHARON, an old flatmate from China. HI SHARON by the way!

So I was still on that beach and still having a most excellent time. Rachel and I got to hold on for 2 more days and sadly I said goodbye to her on the Saturday. Rachel, those two extra days of doing absolutely nothing with you were fab. ;-) I'm never gonna forget our time in Arambol even if it did mean that we missed 2 quality weeks of travel time in the South... oh well, I'll be back! Rachel - gotta say, that SPF30 sunblock that "even lightens the skin" was absolutely brilliant. I can't beleive it actually worked - I didn't think either of us could get any whiter!

Sharon's 25th birthday was on the Saturday. Rachel left that morning, I managed to order a big huge (if slightly stale) cake with Happy Birthday Sharon written on it and we partied the night away in Arambol. Well, til 11pm when all the lights go off anyway. We had an awesome meal of pizza and cake - the waiter was awesome and with a mouth full of braces was super excited to actually get a piece of cake too. My friend Dave, the Canadian who saved me from my own insanity in Delhi also turned up as well as Sharon's Mum. HI Sharon's Mum! From what I believe, Sharon and her Mum have taken quite a liking to 6'5 Dave and he's now tagging along with them for a while. The 4 of us had a lovely evening and it completely took my mind off the fact that everyone's favouite Feisty Red Head was no longer with me...

Woke up the next day to do guess what... Absolutley nothing again! It was to be my last day (day 12) in Arambol. I put on the world's most unreliable ipod ever and went for a massive walk - all 5 kms of Arambol beach. For some reason though I haven't been able to get Queen's Fat Bottomed Girls out of my head ever since. Will be on a bit of a diet between now and Christmas! I ate way too much in Goa (the curries are the best India has on offer) and did absolutely nothing and it's starting to show!

"Ooooooooh wont you take me home tonight? Ohhhhhhh down beside your red firelight. Oooohhhhhhh and you give it all you got, Fat bottomed girls you make the rockin world go round!Fat bottomed girls you make the rockin world go round!" And again! I kind of figured if I get that into someone elses head it'll leave mine!

That night was to be my last in Arambol (about time!). Didn't do a huge amount except have drinks on the beach, a final meal of Goa's fish and a few cocktails. I sat and reflected on what I'd done in India over the past 6 1/2 weeks. Wow - what an adventure it was! I'm never going to forget it. I loved it and I hated it, usually within the same 10 minutes but it did have quite an impact on me. At first when I planned the trip it would become kind of spiritual - but those who know me would know that it wouldn't turn out to be the case! I'm still not yogaing, I'm still not meditating, I haven't become a Hari Krishna (told you I wouldn't Mum!), nor have I joined a cult like some thought I would. I'm not a veggie, and I'm still not a hippie! I've at last got some sort of tan (though the patchiest tan ever...). I now own a silk bedspread (probably the only domestic thing I've ever bought that's not second hand from my student days!), I have dined with a stamp collector, shot fireworks off a gun factory, had 2 nasty cases of Delhi Belly, seen funeral pyres in Varanasi, spent too much time on a beach in Goa and had the most magificient adventure. I think India opened my eyes to a lot of issues however - the intense poverty confronts you every moment of the day, child labour is rife, women are clearly not equal in their society, and I also learned a lot about Tibet which made me rethink my views on China. It's been amazing and I don't think I'll ever forget the place even if I try!

Leaving India turned out to be quite the mission! My plane out of Goa was 2 hours late and I was inches away from missing my connecting flight for which I had to check in again for. You should have seen the look on my face when security wanted to go through my bag. I look at them with the biggest look of fright ever and in high pitched voice go "ALL THERE IS IN THERE IS CLOTHES, SHAMPOO, TOO MUCH LOO PAPER AND A SLEEPING BAG! I'M ABOUT TO MISS MY GOD DAMNED FLIGHT!!!". I was the last on the plane. My last night was spent in Trivandrum, a rather unremarkable place but with damned good curry and a thunderstorm that night to boot. I found an EXCELLENT vegetarian restauant that does a great paneer masala opposite the bus station, and in true Indian form the following day my flight to Sri Lanka was delayed by another hour after I'd gotten my ass out of bed at 6am. 

So far I like Sri Lanka. A lot. The people are nice, they do wicked food, there are very few cows blocking the road and there's hardly a stray dog in sight! Ok, well, that's an exaggeration on the stray dogs - they're actually everywhere but seem to keep to themselves.

And the men don't stare at my boobs every 2 seconds, well, not as much as in India anyway and people are exceptionally polite. "Good evening madam, and how are you today?" "Madam hello, where are you from?" "Oh, New Zealand, good cricket madam!" I got told off though - was dying to go to the loo and couldn't find one so I walked into this posh hotel and asked the guard if I could use their loo. He gives me a rather disdainful look, points to the corner and on my way out goes "Madam, this is NOT a public toilet. Goodbye." Perhaps the politest telling off I've ever had. But hey, you gotta go, you gotta go and there was NOWHERE in this town to go!

They do the most amazing breakfasts here. I have had so much good mango, something I'd strugged to find in India. It comes with about 10 pieces of toast and brilliant Sri Lankan tea and eggs if I want them. They look at me in horror when I state that I don't want eggs or milk - must be a British Colony thing to have them all the time as people at home always thought I was weird for not liking milk too.

Today has definitely been the highlight of Sri Lanka and I have a feeling it's going to be hard to beat it for most of this trip. I woke up super early to have my tuk tuk driver waiting for me at 6:30am. We drove for 90 minutes to the Pinewala Elephant Orphanage. Oh my god, they are the most amazing and cutest creatures I have ever seen in my life. There's around 75 elephants kept there, most rescued from the wild after losing their mothers (usually to poachers), there's also a massive old blind elephant and one injured by a landmine several years ago. They're absolutley beautiful. We got there for feeding time - they eat a lot, and they poo a lot. I was also lucky to see a baby elephant born there only 2 weeks ago. It was adorable. It still couldn't quite walk properly so was stumbling around having the time of its life. There were 2 other babies being fed - formula out of a bottle in fact!

All in all, it was most impressive. There's not too much to say except there were tons of them and they were absolutely amazing. I spent the rest of the day mooching around Kandy - I'm a bit bored now. Everything here shuts kind of early. I'm about to try and find the most popular restaurant in this place and hopefully make some friends. Travelling alone is great but boy, I really miss Rachel! I haven't met any other travellers yet as the place is so quiet - people are staying away at the moment. Everyone I've talked to has said that usually at this time of year it's super busy but because of the war people aren't coming. In my first guesthouse I was one of 3 people staying when they have 20 rooms, and I'm the only person at the one I'm in right now - which has 16 rooms. They're really nice places and due to the lack of people it seems I'm being waited on hand and foot - it's nice but a bit overwhelming when you actually are the centre of attention for the entire time you're staying in a place. I hope it picks up soon for them as it's quite sad - they really depend on tourism here. Prices have gone up big time - I'm spending at least double what I was in India - just have to take it as it comes though.

Tomorrow I'm off to Nuwara Ellia - the tea making district and then the next day to Ella - a traditional English Village set high in the hills. Next week it's too the beach but this time only for the planned 2-3 days!

November 27, 2006

Nurwara Ellia was one of the most depressing towns I've ever been! I got there, saw a tea estate which took less than an hour (but very interesting) and then... I HAD NOTHING TO DO. I'd checked out the central market which was the size of an alleyway with some fish for sale, I saw the decrepid looking race course which made Thame's one look amazing, I passed the town hall and then I was freaking out big time that there I was at 2pm with literally not a thing to do in the sleepiest town on earth. And then - I saw young people. What! Young people!? No way! I felt like an alien seeing human beings for the first time. It was the first time I'd seen people my age in nearly a week.

So I bounded up to them, begged me to let me hang out with them, and tea adn cake turned into beer and street food. Thanks Katie, Patrick and Dan! You guys rock. Around 11pm I went back to my guesthouse which reminded me remarkably of Fawlty Towers, had a crazy butler, creepy rooms and everything. All through the night I was kept awake by this awful mozzie. biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrzzzzzzzzzzzzz......... I woke up with big red bumps on my face, I'm not sure if they were bites of marks of me smacking myself trying to get rid of it. Evil creatures.

The next morning it was off to Ella. I got to the train station in fine form, actually an hour early. Finally jumped on, sat there feeling all smooth and like such an intrepid traveller cause I was travelling 3rd class on a rural train hanging with the locals. I had finally made it as a proper traveller. Until the cops came on and checked my ticket.

I HAD GONE THE WRONG WAY.

F%CK. I'd been on this thing for over an hour!

I consoled myself by thinking that the next one going the other way wasn't far away.

4 hours later my ipod batteries were dead, I had finished my book, written 3 letters and tried desperately to find out when the next train was. No one spoke English. At hour 4.5 I met a lady named Grace and her son - she spoke English! Yay! New friends! An hour after meeting her our train finally came and I went back in the other direction. 4 hours later I arrived in Ella. I should have arrived at 12pm, not 8pm.

Ella was wonderful. High up in the hill country the views are spectacular. I spent my one day there hiking around its hills, waterfalls and tea plantations until the monsoon rain came. 2pm I was stuck inside. Luckily there were 2 more young people in my guesthouse - Maria and Pat from London - great people and volunteer teachers in Sri Lanka. Very interesting and very cool. I spent the rest of the day hanging out with them and eating the famous garlic curry that Rawana Guest House provides.

This morning it was time to leave Ella and make my way South to Unawatuna. It took FOREVER to get here. 2 buses and I didn't get a seat the entire time. I was disturbed at just how many people can fit in a Sri Lankan bus. Every part of me was touching someone I swear. It was hot, it was cramped, sticky and very uncomfortable and I had to stand like this for close to 7 hours.

However, I've made it. Unawatuna is gorgeous and I'll probably stay here until I leave the country on Saturday. Next stop is Malaysia for a few days and then it's off to the Philippines.

Hope you're all behaving. Oh crap, the monsoon rain has come in... Maybe no swim for me now!

 Beautiful Unawatuna

December 15, 2006 The Philippines

It's just occurred to me that I haven't updated this in ages. Since then I've been having a wicked time.

Unawatuna was fabulous. Great beach, incredible food and just cool people in general. The beach was like a swimming pool. In short my time there was much like Goa - Wake Up, Swim, shower, eat, swim, sunbathe, swim, eat, shower, walk around, eat, bed. I spent a day checking out the stilt fishermen who make their livelihoods standing on stilts in the middle of the sea spear fishing. Very cool. Photos turned out kinda crap but they were really interesting.

I left Sri Lanka 4 days later. I really liked it there but am not feeling the pull back there. It was lovely and gorgeous but didn't blow me away like other place have on this trip. Spent the weekend shopping in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia (FINALLY decent flip flops and a new top other than the green thing I wear everywhere) and hanging out in air conditioning staying with some family friends. Hi the Tais!

And then I arrived in the Philippines! Most of my time here has been taken up with diving. I got my Padi Open Water license last week. Diving is my new obsession - it's amazing. Just this morning I was diving around a coral reef which then drops off 50-100 metres into the ocean - the life on it is mind blowing. Everytime you dive you also see something different. Very very very cool. I'm hoping to dive as much as possible over the next 6 weeks.

Philippines rocks. I'm definitely feeling the spark here. The people are so lovely and I've never come across an entire country of smiling faces - they're wicked.

I stayed with Pet for the last week. He's a couch surfer and kindly let me stay 7 days with his family - all of whom are awesome. I've put on so much weight though! The Philippinos love to eat and they know how to cook. One just can't resist. On one night we had crab, prawns, bbq pork, escargos (not a fan!), banana cake and sea weed. How can one say no!?

I'm now in a place called Bohol. It's lovely here. I'm kind of enjoying being on my own again. Met a Welsh guy last night who resembles Tom Jones - HI WILL! He's my diving buddy for today. Actually, since I've been on my own I've met some very cool people. Still miss my favourite Feisty Red Head but am coping!

December 21, 2006

So I left Bohol after checking out the world's coolest and most bizarre looking creatures, the Tarziers, spent a night in a place called Nuts Huts in the middle of the jungle, then set off for Vigan.

It was the longest day ever. First a flight, then 7 hours in Manila and then an overnight freezing cold bus to Vigan. Got met by my friend Shawi and her sister Date and just had a very chilled out weekend with them. As with Filipino custom we ate, and ate, ate a bit more, had a nap, and ate. I loved it there. That family is awesome. On the Sunday we went to this secluded beach, relaxed and ate, explored Vigan and then it was time for another super long bus ride.

I left Vigan on a freezing cold air con bus at 11:30pm, woke up in a random town at 3am to catch another bus. Waited in an internet cafe and then McDonalds til 6am, caught a local bus with no suspension at 7:30am and arrived in Sagada somtime around 2pm. It was a loooonnnnnnnng day. And surprisingly it was freezing cold there. So I walked around, checked out the hanging coffins with a guide called Life and had a super early night mostly in the name of keeping warm.

The next day it was off to Banaue to check out the famous rice terraces with 2 tall German guys and a taller English bloke. The rice terraces in Banaue itself would have been great had they not been imersed in fog so we put our hopes on seeing them properly by booking a trek for the next day.

I am still paying for that trek. My legs are killing me!

It was gorgeous and the 8 hour trek around the 2000 year old rice terraces was well worth the steep climbs and the painful old lady like results. They're absolutely stunning - my pictures don't do them justice.

And after the trek was yet another freezing cold air con overnight bus followed by a 2 hour wait in Manila aroud 4am and a 2 hour ride to Clark where I'm staying the night to fly out tomorrow. Clark is the seediest town I've ever been - it's full of fat western men and filipina prostitutes. It's nasty - fat men by the pool in speedos - not a pretty site at all. And I'm tired...

I fly out tomorow to spend xmas in Malaysia and hang out with my family for the first time in 3 years. Scary stuff. At least they're safe in the knowledge that I'm off to the jungles of Borneo 4 days later!

Merry Christmas everyone and Happy New Year!

January 4th 2007 -  A jungle heaven in Borneo and to Singapore - finally somewhere easy, clean, mozzy free (?) and a bed bug free hostel...

Happy New Year everyone! 

Since I last wrote I left the Philippines, spent a Christmas shopping in Kuala Lumpur (bought the world’s sexiest shoes!) and then flew to Borneo for a week of wildlife. 

Borneo is one place everyone should come to once in their lives. It really opens your eyes to what else is happening on the planet. This place is so rich in wildlife it’s incredible.  

I started by flying into Sandakan. Stayed at the world’s crappiest bed and breakfast (bed bugs, barely working loo and dirty shower, GROSS! Breakfast???) and made a dash out of there first thing in the morning. Next stop? Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. Absolutely mind blowing – those ginger hairy creatures and gorgeous and I must say, had quite the resemblance to Rachel, my favourite feisty red head so it left me really homesick for the girl! Ha ha. But they were really beautiful and have so much personality it’s ridiculous. 

Next stop was Uncle Tan’s Wild Life Camp – up the Kinibatang River in the middle of the jungle. It takes an hour by mini bus and then another hour or so by speedboat to get there. When we got to the jetty we then had to walk for about half an hour through the thickest mud ever. My shoes (not the new sexy ones!) were not equipped for this and after slipping over in my backpack for the 5^th  time and getting stuck more than once I decided to walk barefoot the rest of the way.  

It was that night I saw scorpions, lizards, snakes, nasty spiders and the worlds meanest mosquitoes. Though walking barefoot may have seemed like the best option that the time in hindsight I was complete idiot! I probably also walked through elephant and orangutan poo. Uncle Tans website states that it is not the Hilton – quite rightly so too... No running water, mattresses on the floor (with mozzy nets and free bed bugs), river water to bathe in, squat loos but possibly the best location to see wildlife in all of Borneo and some of the best cooks in Malaysia. We ate well and I was to have an absolutely magic time there.

I spent the next 2-3 days being guided through the rainforest by Remy, a 22 year old who had virtually grown up at Uncle Tans and knew everything there is to know about the surrounding area. He could hear the smallest tree frog from 20 metres away, could locate giant scorpions deep in trees, could communicate with a mother orangutan and her baby and spot sleeping kingfishers deep in the night. Because of him I saw so much wildlife it was insane. Most interesting were the proboscis monkeys (known for their huge old man like noses) which are only found in Borneo as well as a Borneo Blue tarantula – a species only discovered 6 months ago and scarily enormous (about the size of Sly Stallone's head). The most exciting part of the 3 days at Uncle Tans was seeing 2 orangutans in the wild – an amazing and quite rare site considering it was a mother and her 3 week old baby. We got in very close and it was such a special moment. They move so gently and have the most amazing faces.  And then they started doing what orangutans do, so we kind of backed off. It brought to mind a scene from Madagascar where the chimps, suddenly caught in the spotlights whisper "If you have any poo, fling it now."

I left Uncle Tans covered in mosquito bites and these horrible bites all over me from what I’m not sure were bed bugs or tiny ants – either way – I was in pain! But I’d had an absolutely unforgettable time. Wow.

So I took the hours boat ride back down the Kinibatan River and then jumped in 2 mini buses. I arrived in Semporna 4 hours later and headed to Scuba Junkies – a backpacker mecca in a shitty town on the seaside but with access to one of the worlds best diving sites – Sipidan.  

Some of you may know Sipidan for what happened there a couple of years ago – a bunch of tourists were kidnapped by a terrorist group, taken to the Philippines and shot. Now it’s patrolled heavily by the Malaysian army and no one is allowed to stay on the island, which has led it to be relatively unpolluted. I would make it there to go diving on New Years day but first of all was the last day of 2006. 

I couldn’t have asked to spend it in a more idyllic place. Sibuan Island is a tiny island with a small local fishing population and a couple of military patrol guys in their army gear kitted out with massive machine guns - I stayed well clear. The island is ringed in white sand, surrounded by crystal blue water and catches the sun perfectly. I spent my day there relaxing, working on my tan and doing a bit of snorkeling (unfortunately not for long as my fear of jellyfish took over when I found myself surrounded by the evil pointless creatures). Surprisingly I left there brown and not lobster red and feeling verrrry chilled out. 

New Years Eve was spent in Scuba Junkies bar hanging out with a bunch of people I’d met that day and avoiding 3 German guys who in my head I had named “The Speedo Boys” due to their ridiculously small swimming attire and their complete lack of willingness to say hello. Was an ok New Year but would have been way cooler to spend it with people I know! Instead I got completely hammered on whiskey (ouch) and woke up with one heck of a hangover to go diving on New Years Day.

Sipidan was fantastic. The hangover and monsoon rain didn’t make it as great as it could be but it was still pretty amazing. The island is gorgeous (bar it's scary history) but that’s nothing compared to the reef that surrounds it. There’s a 600 metre drop off and it is LOADED with marine life. In my 3 dives I saw about 20 massive turtles, tons of sharks (surprisingly not scary when you’re diving with them), had a massive school of jackfish swim around me, saw loads of barracudas and the highlight of all was a group of 7 Hammerhead sharks – apparently a very rare site so we were quite privileged to get a glimpse of them. I dived with a nice group - a Scottish girl who lives in Wellington (HI NIKKI!), a lovely Swiss chap, a Swedish couple who were taking photos of EVERY sea creature, an odd oldish English man, and... the Speedo Boys. Turned out to be good guys in the end.   

After 3 dives I was completely exhausted so spent my last night at Scuba Junkies stuffing myself with pizza and watching Borat – oh my god, how funny is that movie! Got back to the dorm room and Speedo Boys had stolen the remote to the aircon and left it on 27 degrees - way too hot for a crowded dorm room, and I had a restless night of trying to sleep while staying as cool as possible. Grrr. Woke up the next morning to catch an “air con” bus back to Sandakan and sweated the whole way - (again, speedo boys were there!) spent the night watching dvds in my hotel room, woke up and made the journey to Singapore. I had a legendary time in Borneo. It’s such a unique place and the pictures I’ve taken really don’t do it any justice. Everyone should go there once in their lives.

Randomly on a brief stop-over in KL I bumped into Speedo Boys again. Turns out they're actually really lovely. Never found out their names but I'm sure I'll bump into them again sometime, thanks guys for making an otherwise kinda dull New Years at least funny!  

I arrived in Singapore to monsoon rain - it's bucketing down here and I'm without umbrella. But it's fantastic to be here. I've always had a nice connection with this place as I spent my first 3.5 years here, remember nothing of those times but have been back a couple of times since, always with happy memories of cool zoos, bird parks, excellent shopping, great food, spotless streets and lets not forget that all important AIR CON everywhere. In a way it feels like I've arrived home. I've done the hardcore Asia stuff, have made it through with a nasty case of Delhi Belly, a few other nasty tropical bugs that I won't mention (feisty red, I finally have one more story that could possibly beat your own grossness!!!), massive arguments with taxi/tuk tuk drivers (are they the world's most hated profession?), dirty feet all the time, never quite clean clothes, incredible food and one amazing journey.

I've got today and tomorrow in Singapore which I plan to spend eating, shopping and checking out some museums and galleries and then… it’s the Solomon Islands for 2 weeks of being stuck in a third world crocodile infested small island paradise with my mother...

Wednesday 17 January 2007

Last I wrote I was in Singapore. I did spend my time eating, shopping and checking out museums. It was excellent and I loved it. Singapore has to be the world's easiest place to get around. People are so friendly and the food is out of this world. And the shopping... oh the shopping. If I had no money before... well.

I had a great time in Singapore. Jumped on a plane at the end of my second day, had McDonalds at the airport (why does it only ever taste good in airports?), ran my ass off through Brisbane customs as I had a mere 1 hour and 30 minutes to catch my flight to Honiara, and arrived in the Solomons 4 hours later.

On first impressions I hated this place. I thought it was a backwater pacific hell hole. That impression changed on day 2. Mum started picking me up everyday for lunch and we wined and dined the place. We also started going to markets where Mum does her weekly big shop as well as buying fresh fish once or twice a week. The locals in the markets are some of the loveliest people I've ever come across. In fact, I was to find over my two weeks here that EVERYONE here is lovely. Huge smiles, genuine hellos and a calm, laidback outlook on life possibly only found in the Pacific to the extent that it is. We in the "West" could learn a lot from that attitude. The people here are super chilled out and I was to really enjoy my time here. People work to "Solomon time" here which means things will get done when they get done, no stress involved. I like it.

I spent most of my mornings here looking for work back in New Zealand. (oh my god, I haven't worked in 4 months - it's dawned on me that it's gonna take a while to get used to again!). There seems to be plenty of work going in Wellington however so I'm not too concerned on that front. My afternoons were spent lunching with the parents, having a nap and then being taken out for a meal or else staying at home with Mum making her famous mango malibu smoothies, or the one I prefer - pineapple and midori. Their life seems to be an endless social outing. In the first week we did the following: Honiara Hotel 3 times, Rotary Club, posh meals at "Pamelas", an evening at the Yacht Club, and a cocktail party. We ate at home twice. 

In a moment of boredom I ventured out down the road to chat with the neighbours. They have at least 7 kids. All addicted to beetlenut (it's more addictive than heroin). Unfotunately it doesn't take much to scratch below the surface in this place. A few years ago they had awful ethnic tensions, meaning that regional militaries are quite a strong prescence here. Their economy has gone down the tubes and bids to regenerate it have generally ended up rather unsuccessful. I've been told it's going to take generations to get this place back up to the life they once led. Beetlenut addictions are very common place here, and there seems to be a lack of motivation to do something with their abundance of natural resources, hence you see a large amount of squatters here in Honiara. This is such a beautiful place, and the people are good people, so hopefully sooner than later they'll sort out their problems.

On the weekend we drove about 60kms West of Honiara to drop off some books to a village. The scenery is stunning once you get out of Honiara. Perfect beaches and incredibly lush green countryside. We drove through heaps of villages and the entire time children were coming out of seemingly nowhere to yell "Hello!".

Then on Monday and Tuesday I got to go diving with "Divemaster Johnny". Talk about 4 awesome dives. All were wreck dives that you swim to from the shore. The first two were old World War 2 Japanese war ships sunk by the Americans - both awesome. One even had a tv still attached to it! I saw heaps of stingrays and at the end got to play with a seahorse and his two babies (for once the man is responsible for them, seahorses have got it right) at the end - so cute! Johnny was the coolest dive master. We'd pick up ball shaped shells and play football under the sea. He was great fun. Tuesdays dives were incredible. The first one was an anti-aircraft ship - mostly buried under the sea but still huge. The highlight had to be diving on a B17 American Bomber. We even sat in the pilot seats and pretended to drive the thing... cheeseball. It was incredible.

I'll stop boring you all with dive stories!

So now I come to the end of this epic trip. I leave here tomorrow afternoon to fly to Brisbane for a day and then... Saturday morning it's back to New Zealand. I've been gone for 3 years. In many ways I'm looking forward to going back. Short term it'll be good to get back into a routine again, get back into running(!!), have a regular diet, money coming in rather than out (hopefully!), paying off my student loan and just sorting myself out in general. I can't wait to have my own room again (in London I shared a room with 2 others for 18 months) and being able to put up all my souvenirs I've bought along the way and get all my photos into albums at last. Most importantly, I can't wait to see all my friends again! Long term, who knows how long I'll be back.

It has been an incredible 3 and a half months. I have thrown myself into the world's seemingly most chaotic country, loved and hated India in the same minute, seen the Taj Mahal, survived a week of Delhi Belly, spent an incredible weekend with a gun factory owning family in Kashmir, been to golden temples and watched people bathe in the dirtiest holy waters on earth, found myself sick in rat infested gutters (whoa, I'm so hard!), eaten some intensely good (and some rather bad) curries, hung out at a camel fair in the Thar Desert with a stamp collector, worn a sari, been dragged around the back streets of Varanasi at 7am by an old man and returned covered in flowers, spent time with old buddies I've met along the way (Hi Sharon and Sonya!), met some of the strangest hippies ever, had one magic time seeing the world and braving long train rides complete with many stares with a Feisty Red Head, been to Sri Lanka and seen baby elephants, have sunbathed on some of the most gorgeous beaches on earth, have trekked around rice terraces in the Philippines, dived with Hammerhead sharks and photographed orangutans in Borneo's jungle, pretended to live an expat life and do some of the worlds best diving in the Solomons, and had one heck of an incredible trip. Thanks to everyone I met along the way - you've all helped make this trip awesome.

It's also the end of 3 years travelling the world. I never thought I'd be away from New Zealand for this long. I started in China thinking I'd be back in NZ within a year. During the time I've seen a fair amount of the world (28 countries is my count at the moment) and been to some phenomenal places. Watch out for me in a different place soon. Who knows where it'll be next.

Take care all.

Katherine