We were very sad to leave Udaipur last night. It was a lovely little city and we enjoyed our 4 days there quite a lot. I found Udaipur to be much more traditional than Mumbai and Goa, also a cooler climate and a more beautiful, rugged mountaines landscape. Defiantly my favorite of cities we've visited thus far.
While in Udaipur we did quite a variety of things. Aside from the usual palaces and museums our activities ranged from hours back riding through the rurel deserty area outside the city, to taking in a Shakespeare play put on in the city palace. We also took several boat rides around the floating palaces in the lake, and made sure to eat all our meals on roof-top restaurants with different views of the city. We ended up taking more photos in Udaipur than any where else we've been in India so far.
We took the overnight train to Jaipur last night and have spent the day relaxing and getting our barrings around town. Tomorrow we will venture into the red fort that the city is famous for.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
In Panjim
Carmen is reading a book set in India called "Heat and Dust." Not only is this an appropriate name for the book, it also sums up India well in three words. "Heat, Poverty, Dust" would work too, but might not be the best book.
We are currently in Panjim, both the capitol, and our last stop of Goa. Overall I've enjoyed Goa very much. The beaches of Putnam and Palolem were lovely and we had some very relaxing fun days there. Anjuna, the beach we've just come from, was a little more on the sleazy side. Lots of drug users and sleazy hippies. We were glad we went to Anjuna for the sake of going to more places, but if we do this trip again we'll definitely stay the extra days in Palolem. Who knows when the three of us will be back here again though...
Here in Panjim it's necessary to cover up more than other places we've been. I bought a few kurtas to fit in more. Carmen likes to tease me about them, but I get stared at less so it's worth it. I don't understand why the modesty is so important. On Indian music videos and movies and advertisement no one is dressed modestly, and usually media sets the standards for a culture. Not in Panjim I guess.
Carmen has been sick the last two days. Poppy and I have had to explore the city by ourselves. Hopefully she feels well enough tomorrow to get on a plane and fly to Rajestan, because that's where we're off to next!
Thanks for checking in!
We are currently in Panjim, both the capitol, and our last stop of Goa. Overall I've enjoyed Goa very much. The beaches of Putnam and Palolem were lovely and we had some very relaxing fun days there. Anjuna, the beach we've just come from, was a little more on the sleazy side. Lots of drug users and sleazy hippies. We were glad we went to Anjuna for the sake of going to more places, but if we do this trip again we'll definitely stay the extra days in Palolem. Who knows when the three of us will be back here again though...
Here in Panjim it's necessary to cover up more than other places we've been. I bought a few kurtas to fit in more. Carmen likes to tease me about them, but I get stared at less so it's worth it. I don't understand why the modesty is so important. On Indian music videos and movies and advertisement no one is dressed modestly, and usually media sets the standards for a culture. Not in Panjim I guess.
Carmen has been sick the last two days. Poppy and I have had to explore the city by ourselves. Hopefully she feels well enough tomorrow to get on a plane and fly to Rajestan, because that's where we're off to next!
Thanks for checking in!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
In Goa
Mumbai was overwhelming. We were lucky to have a hotel so centrally located because it became necessary to go back to the rooms for naps a few times a day. I'm not sure what made it so exhausting. Partly the crowded streets, maybe the heat, the people grabbing our arms and yelling at us to come into their shops and buy. I guess we were still just adjusting to the new culture and atmosphere.
Nearly everyone I've spoken to has described India as "confronting." I think they mean in terms of the poverty, as if seeing all the beggars makes travellers feel guilty about living in developed countries. I have realized I have very little sympathy for beggars on the streets. I find them rude and annoying. I gave a little girl a piece of candy and she threw id down and pointed at a bag a chips that she wanted instead. I gave a little boy with contorted legs 5 rupees and he said he wanted 10 rupees. I feel bad there there is so much poverty and a cast system in place that grantees the poor stay poor, but I think the beggars that stalk around the tourist haunts are so over the top that they're insincere. I don't know if this makes me a bad person, but I have a feeling it might.
One thing we did in Mumbai that was actually confronting was taking a tour of the Mumbai slums. This wasn't as depressing as it sounds though. In fact by the end of the tour I had a strong scenes of hopefulness and community. The slums were divided into a working area, and a residential area. The work area contained metal, plastic, and cardboard recycling, a bakery, a fabric and material making shop. Recycling seemed to be the main business. There were piles upon piles of plastic bottle and aluminum cans waiting to be melted down and reshaped.
The residential areas were packed! Everything was so crowded! Overall it wasn't as dirty as I thought it would be, given the circumstances. It certainly wasn't hygienic, but things seemed to be organized and tidy. I wish I could have gone twice on the tour because I spent so much time watching the ground to make sure I didn't step in cow dung I didn't get a good chance to take it all in. In fact that's a recurring problem everywhere in India, I can't take it all in at once.
The most "confronting" part of this tour was the bathrooms. There were only six bathroom stales to be shared by the millions of people living in the slums. At my house there a 4 toilets for five people. How unfair is that? Apparently though the most common bathroom in the slums though is the train tracks that run through the middle of it.
I plan to not give money to beggars, but instead donate a sum at the end of the trip to Reality Tours, the group that took us through the slums. 80% of their received donations go toward funding the recycling factories and schools and worthy causes like that.
On our last day in Mumbai Poppy and I were stopped on the side walk and asked if we wanted to work for Bollywood tomorrow. We both shrieked YES! but then realized we were already booked to go on the overnight train to Goa that night and wouldn't be in town. Our chance at Stardom shattered!
We did manage to see a Bollywood film while we were there. It was all in Hindi, but overacted enough that it was easy to understand what was going on. Except for all the random song and dance sense, those seemed to come out of no where but were always a hit with the clapping Indian audience around us.
We're now in Goa, on a beach called Paloma. The overnight train down was pleasant. We met a lovely young Russian man who had been double booked. The ticket tackers threatened to put in in the third class standing only car for the 14 hour trip, so we pulled him into our carriage. Poppy and Carmen, both quite small shared a bunk so he could have a safe and sound sleep. He got off at a different stop then us, but we're planning on meeting up here in Paloma in a few days.
Nearly everyone I've spoken to has described India as "confronting." I think they mean in terms of the poverty, as if seeing all the beggars makes travellers feel guilty about living in developed countries. I have realized I have very little sympathy for beggars on the streets. I find them rude and annoying. I gave a little girl a piece of candy and she threw id down and pointed at a bag a chips that she wanted instead. I gave a little boy with contorted legs 5 rupees and he said he wanted 10 rupees. I feel bad there there is so much poverty and a cast system in place that grantees the poor stay poor, but I think the beggars that stalk around the tourist haunts are so over the top that they're insincere. I don't know if this makes me a bad person, but I have a feeling it might.
One thing we did in Mumbai that was actually confronting was taking a tour of the Mumbai slums. This wasn't as depressing as it sounds though. In fact by the end of the tour I had a strong scenes of hopefulness and community. The slums were divided into a working area, and a residential area. The work area contained metal, plastic, and cardboard recycling, a bakery, a fabric and material making shop. Recycling seemed to be the main business. There were piles upon piles of plastic bottle and aluminum cans waiting to be melted down and reshaped.
The residential areas were packed! Everything was so crowded! Overall it wasn't as dirty as I thought it would be, given the circumstances. It certainly wasn't hygienic, but things seemed to be organized and tidy. I wish I could have gone twice on the tour because I spent so much time watching the ground to make sure I didn't step in cow dung I didn't get a good chance to take it all in. In fact that's a recurring problem everywhere in India, I can't take it all in at once.
The most "confronting" part of this tour was the bathrooms. There were only six bathroom stales to be shared by the millions of people living in the slums. At my house there a 4 toilets for five people. How unfair is that? Apparently though the most common bathroom in the slums though is the train tracks that run through the middle of it.
I plan to not give money to beggars, but instead donate a sum at the end of the trip to Reality Tours, the group that took us through the slums. 80% of their received donations go toward funding the recycling factories and schools and worthy causes like that.
On our last day in Mumbai Poppy and I were stopped on the side walk and asked if we wanted to work for Bollywood tomorrow. We both shrieked YES! but then realized we were already booked to go on the overnight train to Goa that night and wouldn't be in town. Our chance at Stardom shattered!
We did manage to see a Bollywood film while we were there. It was all in Hindi, but overacted enough that it was easy to understand what was going on. Except for all the random song and dance sense, those seemed to come out of no where but were always a hit with the clapping Indian audience around us.
We're now in Goa, on a beach called Paloma. The overnight train down was pleasant. We met a lovely young Russian man who had been double booked. The ticket tackers threatened to put in in the third class standing only car for the 14 hour trip, so we pulled him into our carriage. Poppy and Carmen, both quite small shared a bunk so he could have a safe and sound sleep. He got off at a different stop then us, but we're planning on meeting up here in Paloma in a few days.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Amy only was only along for the Thailand part of the trip. Here are a few of the photos she's posted now that she's back home.
In the airport
Kho San Road by day
Bringing in the new year!
We dance on the beach until the sun came up and then some
Knitting scarves for Pops and Carmen, Rajestan is going to be cold
Inland hike view
Pretty lights!
Hard life on Kho Pangyang
In the airport
Kho San Road by day
Bringing in the new year!
We dance on the beach until the sun came up and then some
Knitting scarves for Pops and Carmen, Rajestan is going to be cold
Inland hike view
Pretty lights!
Hard life on Kho Pangyang
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Welcome to India!
We have arrived safely in Mumbai. It was a relief to see a sign at the airport that said "Bentley's Hotel. Miss Carmen Chan" and have a trustworthy driver from the hotel there to greet us.
The drive to Bentley's was terrifying. All rules on Mumbai streets seems to be settled over who can honk the most/loudest. In fact honking replaces all other car signals, and allowes the honker to go through red lights, cut people off and double the speed limit. It's very exciting. I sang the 50 states in rhyme in my head to calm myself down. I chose that because I know it pretty well, but not perfectly, so it forces me to think of something besides the ride
India already seems a lot dirtier and dingier than Thailand. It was only a few minuets into the drive before I saw my first herd of cows in the road. We went past miles and miles of slums on the ride. According to Lonely Planet, (LP) %55 of Mumbai lives in poverty stricken slums where the buildings look to be made up unsymmetrical, crumbling cement blocks as much as they are made up of billboards and corrugated tin. I treid to catch glimpses through the bared windows as we whizzed past. All I could really see of living conditions was that everything was very VERY crowded.
Poppy and Carmen seem to be a little shell-shocked, a little distressed. Carmen was saying this morning how glad she was she wasn't on her own, with a tone of "What the hell have I gotten myself into?" I'm secretly already in love with the place. Being here, somewhere I've never been before finally feels like a real adventure.
Thanks for checking in on me!!
The drive to Bentley's was terrifying. All rules on Mumbai streets seems to be settled over who can honk the most/loudest. In fact honking replaces all other car signals, and allowes the honker to go through red lights, cut people off and double the speed limit. It's very exciting. I sang the 50 states in rhyme in my head to calm myself down. I chose that because I know it pretty well, but not perfectly, so it forces me to think of something besides the ride
India already seems a lot dirtier and dingier than Thailand. It was only a few minuets into the drive before I saw my first herd of cows in the road. We went past miles and miles of slums on the ride. According to Lonely Planet, (LP) %55 of Mumbai lives in poverty stricken slums where the buildings look to be made up unsymmetrical, crumbling cement blocks as much as they are made up of billboards and corrugated tin. I treid to catch glimpses through the bared windows as we whizzed past. All I could really see of living conditions was that everything was very VERY crowded.
Poppy and Carmen seem to be a little shell-shocked, a little distressed. Carmen was saying this morning how glad she was she wasn't on her own, with a tone of "What the hell have I gotten myself into?" I'm secretly already in love with the place. Being here, somewhere I've never been before finally feels like a real adventure.
Thanks for checking in on me!!
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Ready for India!
We're back from the South. Our group has become 4 girls, including myself, and will diminish to 3 tomorrow night when Amy flies back to Sydney. Carmen and Poppy and I will fly to Mumbai about an hour after Amy leaves.
It's refreshing to be back in Bangkok. Koh PangYang has a very developed anti-culture. That little island could be anywhere in the world, it has nothing to do with Thailand. It's like a theme park set up for tourists to spend a lot of money on cheap drugs and alcohol. Even the Thai people there are different. No one plays the national anthem. (It's broadcast across the rest of the country twice a day and everyone stands still to listen to it.) No one finishes their sentences with "Pom" after "Ka" or "Kup," just not as polite. I have fond memories of Kho PangYang from years ago, but the last week has been a good reality check for me. I think I'm over it. I don't want to be like the people who just live for those full moon parties and are pushing thirty. I think that was my last trip to Kho PangYang.
So tomorrow Poppy and Carmen and I will begin a new leg of our adventure in India. I'm so excited! I'm really looking forward to being in a new place and being a tourist, trying new things, and reading my Lonely Planet cover to cover. My current mission is to take a BollyWood dance class and try to get a part as an extra in a BollyWood film. Carmen and I are also toying with the idea of visiting Veranessie (sp?) and taking a swim in the Ganjis. This wasn't on our origonal itenerary, but I we'd like to try to squeeze it in.
Thanks for checking in on me! I'll post again soon!
(ps, my camera isn't working and I can't connect Carmen's or Poppy's with my adapter. Sorry this blog is laking pictures, I'll put them up at the end of the trip when I can get photos from other people.)
It's refreshing to be back in Bangkok. Koh PangYang has a very developed anti-culture. That little island could be anywhere in the world, it has nothing to do with Thailand. It's like a theme park set up for tourists to spend a lot of money on cheap drugs and alcohol. Even the Thai people there are different. No one plays the national anthem. (It's broadcast across the rest of the country twice a day and everyone stands still to listen to it.) No one finishes their sentences with "Pom" after "Ka" or "Kup," just not as polite. I have fond memories of Kho PangYang from years ago, but the last week has been a good reality check for me. I think I'm over it. I don't want to be like the people who just live for those full moon parties and are pushing thirty. I think that was my last trip to Kho PangYang.
So tomorrow Poppy and Carmen and I will begin a new leg of our adventure in India. I'm so excited! I'm really looking forward to being in a new place and being a tourist, trying new things, and reading my Lonely Planet cover to cover. My current mission is to take a BollyWood dance class and try to get a part as an extra in a BollyWood film. Carmen and I are also toying with the idea of visiting Veranessie (sp?) and taking a swim in the Ganjis. This wasn't on our origonal itenerary, but I we'd like to try to squeeze it in.
Thanks for checking in on me! I'll post again soon!
(ps, my camera isn't working and I can't connect Carmen's or Poppy's with my adapter. Sorry this blog is laking pictures, I'll put them up at the end of the trip when I can get photos from other people.)
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