A week on and Paddy has had his bike stolen. Brad's drinking buddy Des from his local pub in Australia is here and another mate is on the way. A few new characters have developed, Scottish Andrew who has been a part of our crew for the last ten days or so and what a character he is. His Swiss friend Anna who he met in Dharamsala has also become part of the posse. Although as will become clear we keep her at arms length. A lovely couple Hans and Sylvia from Bavaria in Germany are with us a lot and they are so nice. I have copied some of Hans music and shared a few beers with them. although they speak only a little English we still manage to communicate quite well. They are so German which is amusing to watch in India because it is so un Germanic. Having been here for about three weeks I feel part of the furniture already and as I said in my last blog some stories were developing. I'll start with Brad. We just get on really well but try to picture the stereotypical Ozzie, he swears like a trooper is as tough as nails and drinks like a fish even at fifty one. He had to borrow seven thousand Australian dollars because the f*****g police (his words not mine) back home took all his money when they found him guilty of growing marijuana plants in his back yard. A funnier man I have not met. Generous too. Tracy is a lovely woman who can stand up to him and puts him firmly in his place from time to time. I have a lot of time for her and she is great to talk with. Their mate Des who has just come over is a laugh and I instantly liked him, a very affable sort of chap. Yesterday he hired a scooter and was practicing learning to ride. He offered me a lift but I declined. We are all meant to be going to some fort a couple of hours away on Tuesday. I have until then before I need a lift.
A harder story to tell is Andrews. His wife of some twenty years passed away last year and he gave up his teaching job to travel. He comes from the streets of Glasgow and although he is quite small he is wiry, very street wise and tough. I have been getting to know him on our long drinking sessions and he is a good man. He recently saved a child from a pedophile ring and took him back up to the mountains in the north to his family. He got the police involved and they know who the people are and are going to bust the ring. He had to leave yesterday to sort something to do with it out but should be back for New Year. What an amazing thing to do.
Cough,cough, now we come to Anna the Swiss girl who it also happens is a nymphomaniac and rather attractive. I met her and of course started chatting to her and began to think I was doing rather well when my mates saw what was happening they gave me some space and all was going well until Andrew came over and said through the haze "Richard can I have a wee word wi ye ?" Sure I said. "Richard, there is no way to say this nicely but I met Anna in Dharamsala and she was trying to organize a sex party and she had a dildo she was about to use and I had to take it off her and steal the batteries so she couldn't." My face dropped to the floor in amazement and I suddenly lost all interest in perusing the matter any further. For me to say I'm shocked is quite a statement but even the well seasoned Ozzie's blanched at her forwardness. Now she is a friend we are all a bit concerned for her. I have nicknamed her the machine. Of course just yesterday she met her two friends who flew out to be with her so now there are three of them. They seem to eat men alive. Never mind the mosquito's. It will be fun to sit back and watch the ensuing carnage that is bound to follow.
I have a bolt spot about a mile down the beach away from the main town area and the Sporting Hero's and it's madness where I hang out with a Dutch friend Jan and some Israelis. We swapped music and I now have an awesome collection with some of the best from all types. Modern and old. So that's the way things are panning out at the moment.
Yesterday I saw Mark who I met in Vattacanal last year and it has been great to hook up with him again. People ask me if it's hard traveling alone. Does it sound like it from what you have read?
Another day is here to enjoy so I will post this and then I'm off for a swim.
Wednesday 15 December 2010
Friday 3 December 2010
Arambol
A very interesting mix of people are here and that suits me. An Ozzie couple Brad and Tracy are the best laugh. He is about six foot three and looks like a ZZ Top member with a very long gray beard and she is great fun and really nice but quite quiet, well for an Ozzie! We met the other night and when I left they were still going at it. Last night I chatted to a couple of lesbians and they were most entertaining. I have been walked home by an extremely beautiful Russian girl who insisted on seeing me make it safely back to my shack. I still managed somehow to get a nice little cut on my forehead though.
I wake up around nine or ten and go down to the beach passing a few shops just opening. First it's good morning sir "you want taxi?" Then all the motor bikes, hundreds of them and "you want bike sir?" I get to the German bakery ironically full of Israelis and have my chai and a good breakfast with the smell of incense permeating the air as they purify and get ready for the day ahead having first made Shiva happy.
I walk along the beach just past all the beds and go for a swim in the warmest sea I have ever swam in then wander back to my shack where I usually put the fan on and wait out the few hours until about four or five when we all congregate at The Sporting Heroes Bar where we never watch any sport. Drinking is the only sport there but the decor is the best and it's comfortable. I have now got to know and trust the owner and take my laptop which they plug in and play and it's nice to watch the resulting increase in drinking speed and people starting to dance. As well as Sporting heroes I have found another spot on the opposite end of the beach which is very chilled and a whole new crowd are there. Each bar has it's own community of revelers and I have now got to know a few.
I have had some really great food. Tuna steaks, king prawns and tender calamari are my favorite so far. The other night Paddy a sixty year old roadie who has worked with so many bands over the years picked me up on his scooter and took me further down the beach to an Indian restaurant with another crowd I have got to know. The food there was delicious but I nearly didn't live to tell the tale. On the way back he was so pissed he nearly crashed twice. I'm on the back saying "please don't kill me." We made it in one peace and had a good laugh about it. He was only doing about ten miles an hour though. Last night Brad, Tracy, two Germans with very little English and two Israelis and I went out to the Surf club which is owned by an English couple. The live music was excellent and we had a blast and all walked back along the beach stopping off along the way for a few more beers. We ended back at Sporting Heroes. We were back in our corner again and I heard a familiar voice. It was a friend I met in North India last time so we celebrated. Suddenly I turned and saw Brad lift his glasses and confront a guy who I had just been talking about saying what a prat he was. He had been trying it on with Tracy and suddenly I found myself getting really annoyed by this oaf and got up to have a go but Brad beat me to it and saw him off. No fists actually flew but it came very close.
Soon after this a plain clothed policeman came in and I decided to leave and go to bed.
There are a few stories developing with some of the characters but it is still a bit early to write about them as they are just beginning to unfold.
I wake up around nine or ten and go down to the beach passing a few shops just opening. First it's good morning sir "you want taxi?" Then all the motor bikes, hundreds of them and "you want bike sir?" I get to the German bakery ironically full of Israelis and have my chai and a good breakfast with the smell of incense permeating the air as they purify and get ready for the day ahead having first made Shiva happy.
I walk along the beach just past all the beds and go for a swim in the warmest sea I have ever swam in then wander back to my shack where I usually put the fan on and wait out the few hours until about four or five when we all congregate at The Sporting Heroes Bar where we never watch any sport. Drinking is the only sport there but the decor is the best and it's comfortable. I have now got to know and trust the owner and take my laptop which they plug in and play and it's nice to watch the resulting increase in drinking speed and people starting to dance. As well as Sporting heroes I have found another spot on the opposite end of the beach which is very chilled and a whole new crowd are there. Each bar has it's own community of revelers and I have now got to know a few.
I have had some really great food. Tuna steaks, king prawns and tender calamari are my favorite so far. The other night Paddy a sixty year old roadie who has worked with so many bands over the years picked me up on his scooter and took me further down the beach to an Indian restaurant with another crowd I have got to know. The food there was delicious but I nearly didn't live to tell the tale. On the way back he was so pissed he nearly crashed twice. I'm on the back saying "please don't kill me." We made it in one peace and had a good laugh about it. He was only doing about ten miles an hour though. Last night Brad, Tracy, two Germans with very little English and two Israelis and I went out to the Surf club which is owned by an English couple. The live music was excellent and we had a blast and all walked back along the beach stopping off along the way for a few more beers. We ended back at Sporting Heroes. We were back in our corner again and I heard a familiar voice. It was a friend I met in North India last time so we celebrated. Suddenly I turned and saw Brad lift his glasses and confront a guy who I had just been talking about saying what a prat he was. He had been trying it on with Tracy and suddenly I found myself getting really annoyed by this oaf and got up to have a go but Brad beat me to it and saw him off. No fists actually flew but it came very close.
Soon after this a plain clothed policeman came in and I decided to leave and go to bed.
There are a few stories developing with some of the characters but it is still a bit early to write about them as they are just beginning to unfold.
Sunday 28 November 2010
Mumbai/Goa
So the last couple of days in Mumbai seemed to revolve around avoiding the intense heat and humidity by finding an air conditioned watering hole as soon as possible while trying to delude ourselves we were just going for a walk. Meeting people was as easy as saying, "going out". "Anyone coming?"
A week in Mumbai and I was ready to leave as although I liked it there was nowhere to really relax. Smuggling girls and booze into our room was a little exhilarating but we ran the risk of being thrown out of the "Christian hostel" which I am quite surprised I wasn't. The manager came into the room as an impromptu party in the room was in full swing and I had a bottle of vodka which we had put into coke bottles right in front of where he came and stood. He was more concerned there were girls in the room. Off we went and ended up with a guitar and our booze singing by the gate of India. What a night!
My last day was a repeat of the last few but I managed to get my stuff together and left for the station sweat pouting off me at nine pm. I arrived at Victoria station, quite an amazing building and went into the chaos. I found the information office and was told the train left from platform sixteen. I wandered down the platform and found a group of westerners, Welshmen actually and sat next to them. They had arrived that day and were going to sleep on the station until seven the next morning. Too hardcore for me. As the time came closer for me to depart I wondered why there was no train so I asked an Indian and he told me I was on the wrong platform. No Sixteen sir. Number eighteen. You sure? Yes sir so I ran across and boarded the train with about five minutes to spare.
On the train safely I found my bunk next to a westerner who I started talking to immediately. I was so happy to be in the cool second class carriage with air conditioning and felt that I would not faint as I had almost done the night before. I found out that Ian was planning to DJ in Goa and he had some nice music equipment. He said he would get hold of me as he only wanted small parties of fifty to a hundred people. He offered me a sleeping pill and I soon drifted off to a fairly peaceful sleep. I woke up the next morning feeling really good and well rested and decided to ask where my stop was which is just as well because it was the next one. I was ready and saying good bye to Ian I jumped off to be met by the usual barrage of rickshaw drivers. Having an idea of the price I asked and was quoted the right amount three hundred rupees and as it was a fair way I felt it reasonable.
As we approached Arombol I liked it straight away. Surrounded by palm trees and hills it is exactly what I was hoping for. The taxi driver took me to one place but the rent was too high so we went further along and I bargained the owner down to two hundred and seventy five rupees per night and as season is coming up and the prices will sky rocket I took it and have paid up to the third of Jan. The room is big I have a double bed, electricity, a fan, a balcony,a table and a chair. The outside loo is very clean and I even have a hot shower which I have to switch off to make it cold enough. It is a two minute walk from the beach. I like!
I have been meeting people easily. The weirdest was meeting Ian as he got off at another station but is also in Arombol. I bumped into him in the street. Then the day before yesterday I met a yoga teacher that I met way up north in Ladak last year. While chatting to him a very nice girl joined us and I was invited back to her place. We had a few drinks and then I left. She is going to an Ashram for a week but will be back so I hope I see her when she returns all bliss-ed out from seeing her Guru....I dunno these old hippies hey.
Yesterday I was having my breakfast and started to chat with a lovely German girl we ended up spending the whole day together but she was leaving in the evening. Dam! Oh well at least they are talking to me. There is still hope. So that pretty much brings things into the present again. I think I'll go for breakfast.....
A week in Mumbai and I was ready to leave as although I liked it there was nowhere to really relax. Smuggling girls and booze into our room was a little exhilarating but we ran the risk of being thrown out of the "Christian hostel" which I am quite surprised I wasn't. The manager came into the room as an impromptu party in the room was in full swing and I had a bottle of vodka which we had put into coke bottles right in front of where he came and stood. He was more concerned there were girls in the room. Off we went and ended up with a guitar and our booze singing by the gate of India. What a night!
My last day was a repeat of the last few but I managed to get my stuff together and left for the station sweat pouting off me at nine pm. I arrived at Victoria station, quite an amazing building and went into the chaos. I found the information office and was told the train left from platform sixteen. I wandered down the platform and found a group of westerners, Welshmen actually and sat next to them. They had arrived that day and were going to sleep on the station until seven the next morning. Too hardcore for me. As the time came closer for me to depart I wondered why there was no train so I asked an Indian and he told me I was on the wrong platform. No Sixteen sir. Number eighteen. You sure? Yes sir so I ran across and boarded the train with about five minutes to spare.
On the train safely I found my bunk next to a westerner who I started talking to immediately. I was so happy to be in the cool second class carriage with air conditioning and felt that I would not faint as I had almost done the night before. I found out that Ian was planning to DJ in Goa and he had some nice music equipment. He said he would get hold of me as he only wanted small parties of fifty to a hundred people. He offered me a sleeping pill and I soon drifted off to a fairly peaceful sleep. I woke up the next morning feeling really good and well rested and decided to ask where my stop was which is just as well because it was the next one. I was ready and saying good bye to Ian I jumped off to be met by the usual barrage of rickshaw drivers. Having an idea of the price I asked and was quoted the right amount three hundred rupees and as it was a fair way I felt it reasonable.
As we approached Arombol I liked it straight away. Surrounded by palm trees and hills it is exactly what I was hoping for. The taxi driver took me to one place but the rent was too high so we went further along and I bargained the owner down to two hundred and seventy five rupees per night and as season is coming up and the prices will sky rocket I took it and have paid up to the third of Jan. The room is big I have a double bed, electricity, a fan, a balcony,a table and a chair. The outside loo is very clean and I even have a hot shower which I have to switch off to make it cold enough. It is a two minute walk from the beach. I like!
I have been meeting people easily. The weirdest was meeting Ian as he got off at another station but is also in Arombol. I bumped into him in the street. Then the day before yesterday I met a yoga teacher that I met way up north in Ladak last year. While chatting to him a very nice girl joined us and I was invited back to her place. We had a few drinks and then I left. She is going to an Ashram for a week but will be back so I hope I see her when she returns all bliss-ed out from seeing her Guru....I dunno these old hippies hey.
Yesterday I was having my breakfast and started to chat with a lovely German girl we ended up spending the whole day together but she was leaving in the evening. Dam! Oh well at least they are talking to me. There is still hope. So that pretty much brings things into the present again. I think I'll go for breakfast.....
Saturday 20 November 2010
Mumbai
Having been given a great send off at Sam and Stu's with a roast leg of lamb and two very nice bottles of Claret I went contentedly off to bed.
Four fifteen and I sprang up and showered, as I was dressing I was unable to wear the shorts I had dug out and put ready as my girth had become a bit more ample than the last time I wore them. Undaunted I rummaged deeper into my rucksack and found another pair of older more worn shorts and these fitted comfortably. Oh well I thought, it won't be long I suspect before the weight falls off me in rapid fashion.
I was ready just as the taxi arrived and whispered good bye, closed the door and left.
Heathrow terminal three, Quatar Airways via Doha. A very decent flight except that I had an isle seat and was bumped into continually. I watched Dinner for Schmucks, lighthearted rubbish perfect for a long flight. The stopover was fine and just not too long. The second leg was also pleasant enough and I watched Get low with Robert Duvall and had a few brandy and cokes.
The flight arrived on time but became delayed on landing as they were doing construction work on the airport so we sat on the plane in a queue for a while before disembarking. My bag as always was just about the last off but all intact. I had arranged to be met at the airport and driven to the hotel. As I came into the hall and looked for my name I could not find it and a mild panic crept over me. I began to look again and saw the hotel sign of where I was staying with three names on it, one being a Mr Richard Schwartz. The chap grinned at me and waggled his head and said "Welcome in Mumbai, yes you come with me to taxi". OK this must be the right one so off we went. It was now five am and we waited for the taxi. After about fifteen to twenty minutes I began to get a bit fed up and he said "traffic big problem, I phone". Anyway soon after the taxi arrived and took me to the hotel.
A quick shower and I collapsed on the bed which of course is about six inches too short. I woke up at midday and had a delicious dahl and rice for lunch. I am happy here although writing this at two thirteen in the morning shows I am not adjusted to the time difference yet.
Nine thirty and I was up and ready for action. A young Chinese girl was debating where to go and we started chatting and decided to wander about together. She was going to Colaba which is where I am having my teeth done on Tuesday and I wanted to check out because of a cheap hostel. Only two hundred and twenty five rupees and free bed bugs at no extra charge. We went out and haggled a tuck tuck driver down from one hundred to twenty rupees and set off to the station. Buying the ticket was easy enough and the train ride of forty five minutes was quite fun.
Colaba was a breath of fresh air with nice gardens, super Victorian buildings and a vibe that I liked instantly.
I found that the hostel was ideally situated near to everything and asked if I could get a bunk bed tomorrow which seems to be no problem. We then went to Leopold's cafe made famous first in the Shantaram novel and more recently by the Mumbai terrorist attacks. I quite liked it and no doubt will return in a more determined fashion later this week. After being refreshed by a banana lassie and fruit salad we went down to look at the Taj Mahal hotel and the gateway to India. Ellie the Chinese girl suggested we take a boat trip to an island with some carvings in some caves so off we went. The journey was hardly worth it as the caves were pitch black and we only had an hour to see them before the last boat back.
I now fast forward a few days and have had my teeth done and I am happy with the result. The hostel was overrun with about fifty kids in a military academy so every morning I have to shout over the wall to shut them up which they do and a constant stream of apologies follow. Sorry Mr. Have nice day etc, etc.
I have gone out a couple of nights now and had a blast meeting some cool people. One random thing happened on the first day as I was unpacking a voice said "I know you" and a chap also called Richard who I met in Morocco and traveled with for a few days was here. Small world I guess.
Anyway what to say about Mumbai? It's hot and humid and a complete mixture of everything imaginable. Old next to new. People in a hurry or just hanging around. Crooks and saints. I love the old taxis. It is the anniversary of the Mumbai attacks today so there are police EVERYWHERE. I am avoiding the midday heat and will go out for a last night on the town. I will write a bit more when I have settled in Goa. At the moment the plan is Arambol. If I don't like it there then I will move to a quieter beach nearby.
Four fifteen and I sprang up and showered, as I was dressing I was unable to wear the shorts I had dug out and put ready as my girth had become a bit more ample than the last time I wore them. Undaunted I rummaged deeper into my rucksack and found another pair of older more worn shorts and these fitted comfortably. Oh well I thought, it won't be long I suspect before the weight falls off me in rapid fashion.
I was ready just as the taxi arrived and whispered good bye, closed the door and left.
Heathrow terminal three, Quatar Airways via Doha. A very decent flight except that I had an isle seat and was bumped into continually. I watched Dinner for Schmucks, lighthearted rubbish perfect for a long flight. The stopover was fine and just not too long. The second leg was also pleasant enough and I watched Get low with Robert Duvall and had a few brandy and cokes.
The flight arrived on time but became delayed on landing as they were doing construction work on the airport so we sat on the plane in a queue for a while before disembarking. My bag as always was just about the last off but all intact. I had arranged to be met at the airport and driven to the hotel. As I came into the hall and looked for my name I could not find it and a mild panic crept over me. I began to look again and saw the hotel sign of where I was staying with three names on it, one being a Mr Richard Schwartz. The chap grinned at me and waggled his head and said "Welcome in Mumbai, yes you come with me to taxi". OK this must be the right one so off we went. It was now five am and we waited for the taxi. After about fifteen to twenty minutes I began to get a bit fed up and he said "traffic big problem, I phone". Anyway soon after the taxi arrived and took me to the hotel.
A quick shower and I collapsed on the bed which of course is about six inches too short. I woke up at midday and had a delicious dahl and rice for lunch. I am happy here although writing this at two thirteen in the morning shows I am not adjusted to the time difference yet.
Nine thirty and I was up and ready for action. A young Chinese girl was debating where to go and we started chatting and decided to wander about together. She was going to Colaba which is where I am having my teeth done on Tuesday and I wanted to check out because of a cheap hostel. Only two hundred and twenty five rupees and free bed bugs at no extra charge. We went out and haggled a tuck tuck driver down from one hundred to twenty rupees and set off to the station. Buying the ticket was easy enough and the train ride of forty five minutes was quite fun.
Colaba was a breath of fresh air with nice gardens, super Victorian buildings and a vibe that I liked instantly.
I found that the hostel was ideally situated near to everything and asked if I could get a bunk bed tomorrow which seems to be no problem. We then went to Leopold's cafe made famous first in the Shantaram novel and more recently by the Mumbai terrorist attacks. I quite liked it and no doubt will return in a more determined fashion later this week. After being refreshed by a banana lassie and fruit salad we went down to look at the Taj Mahal hotel and the gateway to India. Ellie the Chinese girl suggested we take a boat trip to an island with some carvings in some caves so off we went. The journey was hardly worth it as the caves were pitch black and we only had an hour to see them before the last boat back.
I now fast forward a few days and have had my teeth done and I am happy with the result. The hostel was overrun with about fifty kids in a military academy so every morning I have to shout over the wall to shut them up which they do and a constant stream of apologies follow. Sorry Mr. Have nice day etc, etc.
I have gone out a couple of nights now and had a blast meeting some cool people. One random thing happened on the first day as I was unpacking a voice said "I know you" and a chap also called Richard who I met in Morocco and traveled with for a few days was here. Small world I guess.
Anyway what to say about Mumbai? It's hot and humid and a complete mixture of everything imaginable. Old next to new. People in a hurry or just hanging around. Crooks and saints. I love the old taxis. It is the anniversary of the Mumbai attacks today so there are police EVERYWHERE. I am avoiding the midday heat and will go out for a last night on the town. I will write a bit more when I have settled in Goa. At the moment the plan is Arambol. If I don't like it there then I will move to a quieter beach nearby.
Tuesday 26 October 2010
Nearly there
OK, so here I am with three weeks to go before I finally pack my bags and head off to India again. I want the time to fly by until then and then stop as opposed to the other way around. Five months away to most people is a long time but to me it's short as I remember last time it took me two weeks just to strike up a conversation with anyone other than waiters and hotel staff. India is big in every sense and I am trying to make sure I am mentally prepared as it will be in some parts both manic and stressful. I have about a week or two planned in Mumbai where I will be getting my teeth cleaned and whitened. I am not a fan of cities in general so I will make my way as soon as I can down to Goa to spend Christmas on one of it's beaches. I hope to avoid the Russian Mafia, package tourists and 'Brits on the piss' in equal measure. I guess I will have to put up with the young, rich, middle class gap year students as this will undoubtedly make up most of the other travellers I will encounter. The rest of the time is pretty flexible. I hope to meet up with a few of the people I met last time if at all possible. In March I plan to go to Nepal where I will do a three week hike of the Annapurna circuit.
The other day I bought a new camera and It's great. I spent £200 on it but reasoned that It would be a waste to be in such an amazing place and not to be able to record the things I will see around me.
This morning I carefully bought my travel insurance. I say carefully as last time I unwittingly only had three months cover on a five month trip. At least this time I am covered for the whole time I'll be away.
I have no interest in being here in the U.K during the winter so I am living in a sort of limbo waiting for those jet engines to blast me to India's warmer climes.
Although I confess I am not much of a writer and my grammar is bad I am determined to write this blog as a kind of diary. I'd love some input from you all and suggestions of things to see and do from those of you who have been to India before.
Wish me luck.
The other day I bought a new camera and It's great. I spent £200 on it but reasoned that It would be a waste to be in such an amazing place and not to be able to record the things I will see around me.
This morning I carefully bought my travel insurance. I say carefully as last time I unwittingly only had three months cover on a five month trip. At least this time I am covered for the whole time I'll be away.
I have no interest in being here in the U.K during the winter so I am living in a sort of limbo waiting for those jet engines to blast me to India's warmer climes.
Although I confess I am not much of a writer and my grammar is bad I am determined to write this blog as a kind of diary. I'd love some input from you all and suggestions of things to see and do from those of you who have been to India before.
Wish me luck.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)