pics

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Mumbai, India

Here I am ;) Apparently I was gone for a little while, but I hardly noticed because I was busy having the time of my life....I am still in Mumbai and am trying to think of some things that have been going on that I can share. Last Sunday I ventured on my own to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, which is one of the main train stations right in the tourist district of Mumbai, called Colaba. This train station was actually one of the targets of last year's terrorist attack here in Mumbai and one of the men involved is on trial right now, which is covered daily in the English-language newspaper. I really had no specific plan on where to go, so I just bought a day pass that would get me out to the "suburbs" and then boarded one of the trains that was about to leave. There is a "ladies coach", which is kind of nice- several of the train cars are designated for the ladies only and at one point when some old man got in our car a funny old lady took off her sandals and started beating him with them. She was half joking, but was hitting him pretty hard until he finally got off at the next stop. I guess just boarding a random train and heading to nowhere specific isn't a top tourist thing to do because I was the only whitey on board and got quite a bit of attention. The city seems to last forever and the further out it goes, the poorer it seems to get. Along the tracks is just piles of trash and huge concrete buildings with laundry strung up outside the apartment windows. There are some nice apartment buildings out in the suburbs and these are fascinating because they are like 20 stories tall and just HUGE and several of them will be standing in a row- I can't even begin to guess how many people live in one building. I think I probably rode the train for about an hour and had fun taking pictures of people that were coming and going. We passed some slums along the way- just a sea of shacks made of whatever material can create a wall or roof. Mostly that corrugated metal sheeting I have mentioned, some tarps, a slab of plywood. I noticed that when I finally did get off the train there were way more women wearing burqas than in the city. I was getting lots of stares from kids and I even made a couple babies cry. Seriously. One dad came over to me while I was waiting for the train and asked if he could let his toddler touch my skin. On the train heading back, a young boy was so fascinated by me that I don't think he took his eyes off of me for an hour, which was pretty amusing to his mom and she was trying to get him to wave to me and come over and sit by me, but I think he was too scared. Sundays in Mumbai are all about cricket- everyone is out in the streets with a ball and paddle, or whatever you call the thing they use like a baseball bat. Most shops are closed and the city is actually kind of peaceful. Traffic here is still awe inspiring with all of the taxi cabs and auto rickshaws and buses and the past couple days have been awful with everyone out and about trying to get somewhere for the holiday break. I still love it though- it is just different. I was able to go to a photography exhibition at an art gallery in Colaba last week with friends which was a treat. My friend's friend, Sanjiv is a photographer and what we attended was his first showing ever, so it was an honor to be a part of it and see some of the other work on display. Enjoyed some wine and then had a late dinner with a group of people afterwards. I am still crazy about the food and have not had any stomach issues yet, knock on wood. Nothing here has been too spicy either, I am kind of surprised about that. In fact, I can handle the spicy stuff better than some of the Indians! This past week I went on a side trip to Matheran, which is an old hill station not far from the city. We took the local train to Neral, about an hour away and then took a taxi waaaay up a mountain to the village- population 6,000 and NO motorized vehicles are allowed in the town, everything is done by horse. The elevation of Matheran is 800m, so it was such a relief from the city heat and smog and the surrounding forest was beautiful. It was a very relaxing few days, but Matheran is popular with Indians, so when we left on Christmas Day, it was getting very busy with everyone coming into town. The toy train was full, so it was a bit of a walk down to where the taxis wait, but I enjoyed the rest of the day in good company back in Mumbai. Everyday there are new observations and things that I see that are so different from home- yesterday I was waiting in a rickshaw at a stop light when a girl who looked to be no more than 8 years old came up to ask for money and I just was shocked to see her holding a baby that I would guess was 4 months old, and she was just wandering through the traffic begging as the baby slept in a sling wrapped around her shoulders. All I could think about was taking them home and giving them a bath- these street kids are just filthy and their poor hair is so matted and tangled. But to be honest, there really hasn't been that many beggars on the street. I got my 4th and final rabies shot yesterday, so that is all over with. I think I will stay here through the new year and then begin traveling north. I would have never expected to stay in the city for so long, but I have just been so lucky to have met the most amazing people and have them share their lives with me for the past couple weeks. I really could not have asked for a better experience... I am so far removed from "home" right now and it is a feeling that I just can't even describe. I will update soon...I hope everyone had a happy Christmas and you better be enjoying the snow! I will beat you all to 2010 :)

Mumbai, India

Still alive and well in Mumbai...I have been been so fortunate in having a friend here in the city to spend time with and and I could not be happier that the experiences I am having are not like any that a tourist would have here. To be able to go into people's homes and see how they live and eat a home-cooked Indian meal, to meet the friends of my friend and sit around drinking beers, listening to what they talk about and to have an intimate peek into their lives is so different from just walking around looking at touristy sights that lonely planet tells me to see. Hanging out with locals away from the tourist district has been interesting because there is always staring, even more so than when I am alone. I thought I would have gotten used to the staring after two weeks in Burma last year, but I don't think it is something I will ever get used to and unfortunately the only way I can handle it is to look down all the time. Just imagine walking into a crowded restaurant and having every pair of eyes look up at you, not just for a second, but for a long time. And it is not just that I am the only white-skinned blonde, it seems that I am usually the only female in any restaurant or drinking establishment in the evening. Locals crane their necks on the sidewalk, peek into the cab that I am riding in, follow me for a few blocks while I walk around, so much staring- sometimes I just laugh and sometimes I am just uncomfortable, sometimes I stare back. People here love my camera too. I rarely walk around with it around my neck, but when I do everyone wants me to take a picture of them, which isn't a bad thing. Sometimes they are doing it because they want money, but mostly they just like seeing the image of themselves after I take the picture. The tables turned on me yesterday though, when I was at the Gateway to India, which is just a big stone arch-like structure that is more of an attraction for Indians than foreigners. I was snapping a few shots and then some brave teen-aged boys asked to take my picture with their cell phones, which turned into a 10 minute photo shoot as they all started taking turns posing with me in front of the monument.
I got my third rabies shot yesterday, I think I have one more to go. This time I actually went to a hospital to get the shot. This hospital was nothing fancy or pristine and certainly not very sterile looking, but having to get these shots has been fun because it gives me something new to experience and see. First we inquired at the help desk and she sent us to the pharmacy. The pharmacy said I needed a prescription which was frustrating because I have never needed one before, so we went and talked to a nurse around the corner who just wrote down the dates I got my previous shots and then we took that back to the pharmacy. The pharmacy took my age and name and then printed out a kind of bill or invoice and I had to take that across the hall to the "bank" where I paid my bill. With the receipt, I went back to the pharmacy and got the vaccine and then walked over to the emergency room area- nothing like back home, mind you- and my friend asked one of the nurses if one of them could give me the injection. So a nurse who wasn't busy had me follow her to a room just up the hallway- hospital bed with a filthy cover, old curtain, bars on the window, rusty sink, no one wears medical gloves....All the nurses wear a white hat, white dresses, white stockings and white shoes. She at least disinfected the area of my arm where she gave me the shot and then she stabbed me and that was that. No actual charge for the injection- just the medicine. Anyway, I plan on being in Mumbai for a bit longer and look forward to spending my time as though I live here. I do plan to take a ride on the train that bisects the city just for some pictures and people watching, peeking at some of the slums along the way. I keep forgetting that it is December with the hot weather and since I never know what day it is, I am afraid I will completely forget about Christmas what with the lack of ANY Christmas decorations here. very different.

Mumbai (Bombay), India

This post might have to be quick because the keyboard is missing some buttons and the ones that work aren't working very well. My last day in Goa was just like the other days- relaxing, simple and beautiful. I was able to see a bit more of the area and different villages along the coast from the back of a motorcycle, which is by far the best way to do it. One more sunset framed by palm trees and then off to Mumbai by sleeper bus. Not a bad ride, but whatever sleep I was able to get really didn't count and I was so tired yesterday. Mumbai is a huge city and the first thing that I noticed and still can't get over is the smog here. It is bad. The city is right on the coast of the Arabian Sea, and when I was looking out from the 13th story of a building I couldn't see very far- the visibility is like a mile or something. There are shabby parts of town with rows and rows of gray concrete apartment buildings with people's laundry hanging out to dry on the balconies. But there are also contemporary parts of town with hip clubs and trendy restaurants. This is the home of glitzy Bollywood, after all, so try not to think that everything you saw in Slumdog Millionaire is what Mumbai/India is all about. That was JUST a movie. Traffic is a little crazy, but there are millions of taxis- old school Fiat style- and the cab fares are cheap. Hotels not so cheap, and despite the huge number of guesthouses in this city, it was really hard to get a room last night. It is hot out today, I think 90F or so but I am armed with some water and have just been walking around, taking in the sights. I have to stop now- this keyboard is driving me crazy.....

Arambol, India

Hot,Hot,Hot! Doing a nice job not getting sunburned, but boy is it warm during the day. The breezes are nice and cool though, and as soon as the sun sets each night, it is a very pleasant 70F, maybe 75. I wish I had all kinds of fun stuff to report, but I have to say- life here is slow and simple and very relaxing. My only missions yesterday were to find dental floss and get a bus or train ticket to Mumbai. I failed at mission floss, but I was able to book a bus ticket, which is for this evening- an overnight trip. I made a friend yesterday and we spent half the day at an open air restaurant on the beach just talking and drinking coffee and then we spent the other half of the day a few minutes down the beach at a quiet restaurant with an open, tiled patio with hammocks and chair swings. Motorcycle ride, sunset from the beach, curry and rice dinner, tasty beers that are only brewed in Goa...And to fall asleep in my little beach hut with the sound of waves hitting the shore- that is a good day. But, I remember waking up at 4am and I was in such a panic because I couldn't remember where I was. Kind of like the first night you sleep in a new house.. I was sooooo confused and I think I must have been dreaming that I was sleeping ON the beach, because I practically am with this beach hut, and it took a minute to realize I was in bed and all my stuff was where it should be....My friend is from Mumbai, so we are taking the bus together up north to the city and I am thankful to have a personal guide while I am there for a few days. Just enjoying the rest of the day in Arambol- almost time for lunch or maybe just some dessert since there are so many cute little bakeries here. I just had my holey dog bite pants repaired by one of the millions of tailors sitting in their stalls making bags and scarves here in Arambol. He used an ancient looking sewing machine to put a nice little canvas patch on the hole- now I have fancy pants. I should go trade them out for my shorts and spare all of these tourists and locals from my retina-burning, fluorescent white legs.

Anjuna and Arambol, India

Well, apparently those bed bugs from a couple days ago had more of a feast during that one hour nap in Panjim than I first thought. I guess it takes a day or two for the bites to become inflamed, and oh it is not lovely. I had bed bugs once before in Costa Rica, so I remember the bites- they are tiny red bumps, way too many to even count so it looks more like a rash and the itch is sooooo unbelievably awful I can't even explain. No luck finding hydrocortisone yesterday either. The bites run on the backside of my arms all the way from my shoulders to my wrists and then a huge patch of itchies on my stomach and hip. So basically, I have a dog bite, holey pants, bed bug rashes, and a big bruise on my arm...(from the 2nd rabies shot the other day cause I forgot to have him inject the other arm, and I SWEAR that needle is 6 inches long) I'm lookin' real good. real good. But at least I am having an amazing time so far and that is all that matters. From Candolim, I took a local bus (they run all the time and you just wave it down) up the beach road to Calangute where I then haggled for a few minutes for a rickshaw and took that the rest of the way to Anjuna. I really liked Anjuna, I probably could have stayed there for a week rather than just a night, but I had to move on and see what else was up the road. It was just quiet and kind of spread out, so there was the main paved road lined with hawkers selling their bags and skirts and jewelry and then that road dead ended at the sea, which was a rocky cliff lined with cool open-air eateries and more handicraft shops. Anjuna had thicker vegetation, more of a palm tree forest, than just sporadic stands of palms, so it was nice and shady. I had dinner at a table under a thatched roof restaurant right on the edge of the cliff and watched the sun go down from there. When it is dark you can see all of the lights from the cargo ships, tankers and fishing boats on the horizon. Dinner was prawns curry with rice and it was oh so delicious. You want to know something funny? I have started sweating spices!!! I was smelling my shirts the other day to see if they needed washing and they smelled like Indian food. No, it wasn't because I spilled my meal on my clothes like I do almost every time I eat, it seriously smelled like spices in the armpits of the shirts. hahahahah. I find that very amusing. Spicy sweat. Anyway, I bought a book the other day in Candolim to give me something to do (A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini)and I already finished it! That was a good read. I already exchanged it and now have the Time Traveler's Wife to keep me occupied since I will be beachin' it up for a couple more days. I went to bed early last night since the electricity kept cutting out...there just wasn't a whole lot to do once I was back at the guesthouse and sitting in the dark. This morning I gathered my gear and caught the local bus to Arambol, which would have been a 20 minute trip directly in a cab for 300 rupees. But we all know how thrifty I am- only TEN rupees on the bus. And 2 whole hours of frequent stopping and people watching and wondering when I should get off the bus- way more fun than a stupid cab. Plus, when I actually do figure out where to get off the bus without anyone telling me, I feel very proud of myself. And then I cuss 'cause it means I have to start hoofin' it with my bags. After the bus ride, I walked in a group of several school children toward Arambol, about 20 minutes down a paved road. The girls wear blue gingham dresses for school and the boys wear blue gingham shirts and navy blue slacks. Arambol is a little busier than Anjuna and apparently the meeting place for Russian and German tourists and hippies from around the world. Everyone is wearing those bright poofy linen pants- maybe you have no idea what kind of pants I'm talking about, but I got used to seeing them in Thailand last year. I mean I am seriously the only one without orange parachute pants, dreadlocks and some kind of beaded bag or scarf wrapped around my head. I'm such an outcast. There is a main paved path here with lots of fun shops and eateries and then branching off of that path are tons of little dirt trails leading to the beach or more shops and coffee huts or yoga studios. I found a nice little thatched hut right on the beach- beach shacks are popular here- so for the next couple nights I will have a sunset view right from my room. Need to rest up now, because I think the next stop is Mumbai...population 16.5 MILLION.

Candolim, India

Oh, what a great dinner last night. I totally splurged by India standards- FIVE whole dollars! That included a very large beer (Kingfisher), 7 huge tiger prawns fresh from the ocean, chips (french fries) and a salad. All of the nice young men working at the restaurant would take turns coming over to my table to talk to me. Their English was not too shabby, and I think they know what I am saying most of the time as long as I speak slowly and don't use slang or other American terms. A typical conversation revolves around my age and where I am from, why am I not married and how do I like Goa? After dinner I wandered up the street a bit, past more restaurants and found a small shop where I bought some soap and gum, and another Kingfisher to go. Spent some quality time digging the dirt out from underneath my toenails then had unlimited hot water for my shower-super bonus. Did some bucket laundry too...everything squeaky clean. This morning- avocado omelet and toast at the beach hut restaurant, oh and can't forget about the banana lassi, which is a yogurt based shake. I'm not much of a beach bum, especially without a book and my ipod isn't charged, so I just walked along the shores of the Arabian Sea with camera in hand. Local boys would come down to the shore every few minutes asking if I wanted a beach chair in their area. They always shake my hand and ask me my name. Some of the conversations are so funny...teenaged boy: "You are white like milk!" me: "why, thank you. You are brown like chocolate." boy with huge grin: "oh! thanks!" boy's friend laughing: "You guys are chocolate milk!!" And then there was laughter like it was the funniest thing anyone has ever said. so cute and amusing :) Candolim is popular with package tourists from England, so it was a different crowd for sure. No girl should ever have to witness as many old men in speedos and thongs as I have witnessed today. blech. The coolest thing about Candolim beach is the HUGE tanker that ran aground in the late 90s and still sits here today. Got some great pics, but am heading back down in a bit because once the tide goes out, it is possible to walk right up to the ship and I guess I can even get on it. I did get my second rabies shot today- it was a very easy process, just bought the kit at the pharmacy and only had to walk a couple minutes to the doctor who gave me the injection. You would laugh if you saw the doctor's office...kind of like the last place, old and musty with a hand written sign outside, a table full of ancient looking vials of medicine, grubby tiled floor...But what a cool guy, he liked talking about Obama, although I had a hard time understanding most of what he had to say. Anyway, next shot is DEC 17th, help me remember. ta-ta for now.

Panjim, India

Killed the day yesterday being lazy in Hampi and then shared a rickshaw with a French guy for the 30 km trip south to Hospet, where the main bus station is. We had Indian food and banana splits in Hospet before out departure times. yummmm! nice to know banana splits can be found in every corner of the planet...or at least the corners I have visited so far. The sleeper bus wasn't so bad- it was just a bunch of us touristas, all about the same age, all with gigantic backpacks trying to figure it all out. I have to say though, there was very little sleeping on the sleeper bus. It was dark out, but I didn't need to see the road to know how bad it must have looked. I was flying all over the place with each turn and pothole and swerve. That was by far the longest, bumpiest ride I have ever been on. I think it may have bruised my guts. Got into Panjim at about 8am and found a guesthouse pretty quickly. Not much in the way of quality accommodations in this town, but I did the best I could. Panjim is the capital of the state of Goa and is has a nice river running right through the middle of it. I could almost forget I am in India, because this part of the country was ruled by the Portuguese once and the architecture here is colonial. There are whitewashed Catholic churches, bright red colonial school houses, and little villas with terra cotta tiled roofs. Many of the buildings are old and falling apart, but with the colonial architecture, they look really creepy. I wandered around Panjim for a bit, which has a few cute districts of narrow roads and lots of tailor shops, but it was getting hot out, so I went back to the room to just lay down for a bit and wait for the weather to cool down. Well, I must have fallen asleep, but when I woke up, I noticed a bug biting my arm and then when I got off the bed I noticed lots of bugs. no bueno!!!!! There were two types of bugs, one was the size of a tick, but the other was teeeny tiny. definitely bed bugs. The bigger, darker one was an adult and the little, opaque ones were babies. You know, I am all about rolling with the punches when it comes to the different levels of comfort offered in countries like India that are so poor, but I draw the line when it comes to bed bugs. A couple of the babies must have already gotten to me cause they were bright, blood red. gross. Ok, pack up my stuff and now to plan B. I didn't bother saying anything to the guesthouse manager, I will just accept it as a 350 rupee loss and move on. So, took a cab about 15km up the coast to the lovely beach side community of Candolim and found a gorgeous place to stay right on the ocean. This place is 3x the cost of the bedbug place, but I will sleep much better tonight and the beach is a 2 minute walk away. The room is tiled and CLEAN and has a balcony, and let me tell you a little about luxury...this room comes with toilet paper AND a towel! living the sweet life now. And I am in dire need of a beer. The whole Hampi area with all the temples and such was too sacred of a site, so there was no alcohol sold for hundreds of miles. Time for a liquid dinner. later!

pics

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Hampi, India

Guess who didn't brush her teeth last night because she didn't need a foamy-mouth-visual??? That's right, ME!
I am laying low in Hampi today...catching an overnight bus to Goa, which is a small state on the western coast, about 10 hours from here. BEACHES here I come!!!! Sorry, Denver. I heard it was a little chilly out there, so I will think of all of you as I bask on the white sand next to the Arabian Sea. Oh yeah, I watched a cow rip apart and eat an entire cardboard box last night. That was funny.

Hampi, India

Um, ok. Interesting day...not what I was hoping for since I have only been here less than a week, but here goes.....

Hampi is a very beautiful area with all the rock outcroppings that I mentioned yesterday, banana plantations here and there, temples popping up all over the place and stands of palm trees. I had a nice breakfast on the rooftop of the guesthouse today and then set out to walk around and check out some of the more prominent temples in the area. People don't get up too early around here, so it was nice and quiet along the sandy path that I followed along the river just a few kilometers outside of the village. I made it to Vittala temple after just an hour and then decided to just keep following the road and see where it would take me. The whole area is mapped out in my lonely planet book, and even if it wasn't it is impossible to get lost. I walked for another hour or so and any locals that happened to be on the road, whether riding a bike stacked with fire wood, or walking to the next village, ALWAYS walked alongside me for awhile and asked me my name and where I am from. I walked with 2 young men for about a half hour and they got a kick out of my age and the fact that I am not married. We stopped at a little hut for some chai- which is served boiling hot in tin cups the size of a shot glass. Another half hour up the road I came to a fork and a nice old man pointed me to the right toward Hampi, so I decided to cross over and walk where there was more room and all of the sudden this dog about 10 feet away growled at me and the next thing I know it lunged at my leg and bit me. Insert numerous, very bad expletives here. I was in such shock I still don't know what to say. I was in shock because there was absolutely nothing I did that would make a dog do that! Let me explain that all of the third world countries I have visited have dogs running around- Peru by far had the most dogs of any country, I would say 10 times what I have seen so far in India. I know it would seem like these dogs would be aggressive because they are trying to survive, but I have NEVER seen one act aggressively toward a human or another dog. They hardly even bark, they just lay in the sun and dig through trash and usually cower from people and animals. Regardless, it happened and I was so stunned that I just kept walking and my heart was racing and I was afraid to look. Some local on a bike must have seen what happened because he rode up behind me and pointed to my pants, so now I couldn't help it, I looked down and saw a big shredded hole in my favorite stretchy travel pants. dammit. but still afraid to see if there was an owie. There wasn't pain and I knew there wasn't blood. I walked for another 45 minutes before I stopped to take a look- not bad, but I could see the faintest scratch, which still means skin was broken and that can't be good. Insert more expletives here. So, I finally make it back to the guesthouse in Hampi where I spent the next 45 minutes scouring the internet about info on rabies and dogs and India. I got a Hep A and typhoid vaccination before the trip, but the travel consultant at Denver Health really didn't mention a whole lot about rabies. I found a statistic online that said that the chances of me actually getting rabies is only 20%. Then I read a statistic that said 70% of the world's rabies infections come from India. And of course, let's not forget that if left untreated, rabies is fatal. I was just in a huge city yesterday that would have a hospital or pharmacy! and I have a bus ticket to go to a city with a hospital TOMORROW, but based on all the other info I read, a rabies vaccination has to happen right away. And by the looks of Hampi, there isn't much in the way of medical services. But before I started switching my bus ticket to find the closest city with medical facilities, I decided to just ask around really fast to see if there was a doctor nearby. Turns out there was a doctor 4 km away in Kamalapurm, a village I had just walked through on my way back to Hampi after getting bit. I took a rickshaw back that way, and for some reason he dumped me off a couple kilometers shy of the town, so here I am walking again in the hot sun all nervous and wondering if I am making too big a deal, but I know I'm not, cause it is my health. The town is filthy and dusty and not listed in my guidebook, so i just start asking around for the doctor, hospital, pharmacy, any words that click. A very nice boy on a bike pointed me down the street and then led me all the way to one of the nicer buildings in town and I can tell by a sign painted on the wall that it is some type of business. The door was slightly open, so I peeked inside and it was just an old tiled room with a curtain, antique metal hospital bed, rusty sink, and a table with a bunch of vials and medicine bottles. Well, I found the doctor, but it was break time according to the sign (all businesses take a 2 hour break each day, kind of like a siesta), so I just waited outside on the wooden bench for about a half hour. Finally a plump woman probably in her mid-40s came from next door and I told her what happened. She washed the area with an antiseptic and then went and got the vaccination. WHEW. My guidebook says that rabies vaccinations are hard to come by in India, but the internet said that the vaccinations are quite readily available -and if I can get it in this crappy town, I'm sure it is available all over the country. Everything looked legit- the packaging was fine, the expiration date wasn't until next year, she kept it in the fridge, which is where it has to be kept according to the info I got online. She gave me the shot in my arm and now I have to get three more doses over the course of the next two weeks. That shouldn't be a problem based on the size of the towns I am visiting next. I think all in all, I am good to go. I washed the area right away with soap and water, and I got the shot within hours of the bite- there really is nothing else to do. Even if I had gotten vaccinated prior to the bite, it is still necessary to receive post-exposure vaccinations, the only difference is that you only need 2, not 3 shots. And my shot today was only $6. Good deal. AND, I did read that the severity of the bite has a lot to do with how many shots are necessary. I barely had a scratch- no puncture wound, no blood. I will even post a picture tomorrow so that any of you with vivid imaginations will know that I did not get mauled. All I can say is that I am now afraid of all animals in India and even as I was walking to dinner tonight I was sure that the water buffalo on the path was going to stab me in the face with his horns. And I swear if any monkeys get within 100 feet of me, I am going to cry. Ok. That is all for now. Mom and Dad, quit worrying.

Bangalore to Hampi, India

I looooove eating with my hands. That is how they do it in India and it is messy and greasy, but it sure beats having to use a fork and spoon. Utensils are SO overrated! I have all kinds of little observations that I think I will just spew out in no particular order. Indians are obsessed with cricket. If there is a TV on a channel here, it will be on a cricket game 9 times out of 10. This place is the most colorful country I have ever visited. The women wear saris made of every color in the rainbow, fuchsia scarves with a lime green skirt, reds, mustard yellow, turquoise and bright purples. Even the buildings are colorful- just walking down one street I can count 7 different colored guesthouses or food stalls. I just had a massage- not as nice as the Thai massage, but much needed. Ayurveda is the practice of ancient Indian herbal medicine and holistic healing, so there are lots of little clinics and parlours all over the place that offer treatments and classes. And obviously yoga is widely practiced here as well. Yesterday I spent several hours at the train station and just sat outside at the entrance and people watched the whole time. I made friends with a family that fed me some type of sweet donut thing and little rice crackers and then they all took turns taking pictures with me. One old man talked to me for awhile and was the first person so far who mentioned Obama when I said that I was from the US. It was so funny too, he wanted to know if I went to college because I spoke such great English. The bad news is that I have 20 mosquito bites on my legs. The good news is that I found a mosquito repellent that actually seems to work. The bad news is that it smells like Old Spice. The train last night was an hour late, so I didn't board until about 1130pm and I was so tired, I was barely hanging on. The only other sleeper train I have been on was in Vietnam, and that was actually a pretty comfortable cushion with bedding. This sleeper train kind of looked like a prison with open compartments and body-sized "platforms" running along the wall, stacked 3 high. No bedding. Thank GOD I have my sleeping bag with me. I shoved my gear at the head of my cozy board covered in vinyl and actually slept pretty well. in the bed under me was an older German guy- hippie to the max and has lived in India for the past 14 years. He was a little different, but talking with him was an adventure and getting to know so many people from all walks of life is what traveling is all about. We shared a rickshaw from the train station in Hospet to Hampi, about 14 km down the road. He wears Indian clothing and has bright blonde hair that probably hasn't been brushed in years. Really nice guy though- he is the type of person who comes to India seeking a guru and and spends time living in an ashram. He said back in '95, he lived with a bunch of other Germans in a cave for a year here in India. And I can totally picture it. We got some coffee after arriving in Hampi and then parted ways. Hampi is a small village, so it has been an interesting day taking in rural India and realizing that it actually CAN get even poorer the further I get away from the cities. Hampi is a World Heritage site and a major pit-stop for travelers, so I am beginning to see more tourists and they are all a bunch of hippies just like the German guy :) It is definitely a laid back place and I can see myself chilling out here for a few days. The landscape here is pretty surreal- for you Colorado folk, it looks just like the Lost Creek Wilderness area over by Bailey, kind of where the Hayman Fire was. Huge reddish-colored boulders just stacked all over the place, really round and oval-shaped rocks. Except the difference here is that there are cool temples built on and in between all of the rock outcroppings. And there is one temple right in the middle of the village- Virupaksha Temple, 50 meters high and built in 1442. There are monkeys and goats and cows and even one elephant inside of the temple compound. There is just one main road running through Hampi and on each side of the street are food stalls and people selling jewelry and crafts. Beyond the main road is a maze of narrow dirt paths all lined with guest houses and more huts with people selling textiles and snacks. The buildings are all a mishmash of concrete with random staircases leading here and an extra room added on there, dingy rooftop cafes overlooking a small sea of corrugated tin roofs and thatched huts. My guesthouse is painted bright purple and by golly, today I took my very first hot shower since I left Denver. I also took a 4 hour nap, but I think I may have needed it and I am hoping tonight is going to be a normal night of 7 or 8 hours of sleep and I will be back in business. I had thali for dinner which is a plate of rice and several sides like dahl- lentil mush, or paneer. Thali just refers to the plate that the food is served on, which is usually stainless steel with several different compartments, like a TV dinner tray. i did hike around after my nap though and checked out some of the temples that are laid out on the rocks. I had some great views from the top of the hill at sunset, but it was kind of smoky from all the dinner-time cook fires beyond the village. More hiking and temple exploring tomorrow. poyittu varukiren! Hindi for goodbye.

Bangalore, India

So, I haven't seen another foreigner in awhile, like as in a couple days. I like it, but not sure what that means. I think these cities I am in right now just aren't really popular places to go, which is why I am trying to get out of here quickly. I have an overnight sleeper train reservation for tonight at 1030, heading north to Hampi, where there are some temples and ruins- right up my alley. I wandered around a little last night and had another dosa for dinner. They are kind of greasy, but very good. In the afternoon, I had fun taking pictures of a group of little kids who loooooved posing- they would hold really still and then all run over to me to see the image on my camera. Some of the kids speak no English and then another group just up the street spoke great English and I was actually able to talk with them for quite some time about school and such. I haven't gotten much attention other than stares from people, and I am sure that is partly because I am in a big city. So far, Indians have been really friendly and helpful. They have been more than willing to stop and give directions or recommend a tasty restaurant. Today, I was up by 5am, but that is an improvement of 2 hours from yesterday, so my sleep schedule is slowly adjusting. Is it Saturday? I think so. The city was very quiet when I was walking around this morning and I figured out that not a whole lot opens before noon on a weekend. I wandered to a very different part of the city from where I am staying and it is much more "fancy" over here. The sidewalks are usable, there are stop lights and some cross walks and I even ran into my first McDonald's of the trip. This part of town is still nothing cosmopolitan, but not bad by India standards. I mean seriously, there was a huge cow laying in a pile of garbage just outside of the Pizza Hut. Anyway, just going to kill a little more time before I work my way toward the train station. I am hoping for some accommodations tomorrow night in Hampi that don't come with cockroaches. They are not my friends. Oh, yeah and I accidentally discovered a new travel tip last night. So, I have been wearing the same t-shirt since Denver and noticed it was getting a little smelly last night, so I thought I would use it as my pillow case cover cause the one in the room was nasty and then I would just retire it this morning. Well, I washed my hair last night and went to bed with my hair wet and yummy smelling and guess what? My t-shirt was yummy smelling this morning. and now I can probably squeeze a whole 2 more days out of it. sweeeeet.

Chennai, India

Wow. What did I see yesterday? Maybe I should say, what didn't I see. After taking a short nap and visiting the internet room, Jon (who is from CO as well) and I headed out to wander around the city and find some food. Chennai is a big city, but outside of the main center, it is just a maze of narrow dirt roads and crumbling sidewalks. There are chai tea stalls every block, so we hit up a few of those. They just serve the tea in little dixie cups, so it isn't much, but it is the real deal chai- super yummy. It rained a little overnight and drizzled a couple of times during the day, which made the streets nasty with huge puddles to jump over. Had my chacos on, so my feet got so disgusting yesterday, but it is a heck of a lot easier washing my feet than my hiking shoes. There are cows lounging around on the sidewalks and roads, goats and chickens everywhere, scooters and rickshaws all over the street, the women are in colorful saris, of course, and the men are either in pants or skirts. The first thing that turned my head was a wiener-dog-sized rat getting eaten alive by 4 birds. They just kept pecking and pecking, it was so gross, but I couldn't stop watching cause I have never really seen a rat that big. Let alone one getting pecked to death. There haven't been many beggars so far, but as I was looking down at a map yesterday, this old man tapped me on the shoulder wanting some money and when I looked up I just saw big huge bloody holes where his eyes should have been. yikes. Anyway, we had a great lunch at Ratna Cafe- ohhhhh hahaha I just realized that it was called Ratna, I guess I didn't make that connection after seeing the rat yesterday. Anyway, I had a masala dosa, which is kind of like a crepe stuffed with a delicious potato mixture with lots of spices and different dipping sauces. After that, we hopped in a rickshaw- just like a tuktuk- and went to a bookstore where I was able to get a new lonely planet guidebook. No bargain though, so I had to suck it up and spend the $25. We also boarded a city bus just for the fun of it. The buses are so old and worn down it is hilarious- but you cant beat the fare...2 cents!!! India is sooooo cheap. About 50 rupees = one US dollar. A decent meal is about 75 cents to 2 bucks. The hotel room was about 5 dollars. I like it! Had some beers with dinner last night and sat on a great rooftop patio with a view of the city. There was a mosque next to the restaurant, so at sunset we heard the evening prayer, which is broadcast over loudspeakers and sounds like a chant and song all at the same time. Back at the hotel, I took a cold shower with a massive cockroach perched on the shower head, but it was still one of the best showers ever. Humidity makes me gross. Bed by 9pm, up by 3am- not by choice- my body is still adjusting and I just couldn't sleep anymore. Jon and I went separate ways today. It was nice to have him around for the first day- he is just one of many, many people I will be fortunate enough to meet on this trip. But I gotta say, he walked too fast and talked too much, so I am glad to be on my own today considering the sensory overload. Too much chit chat hurts my brain, especially when I am trying to take all this craziness in. I took a 5 hour train from Chennai to Bangalore today. The train station was very user friendly and the ride was pleasant- rode past mostly jungle type landscape, flat, palm trees, green fields. The train is definitely nothing fancy and the people-watching was fun. Vendors would walk up and down the aisle selling chai and coffee, samosas, dosas and soft drinks. Then blind people would get on and beg for money. And then, I have no idea what this was about, but some transvestites got on the train and walked down the aisle doing some kind of magic trick for money. I was trying so hard to figure it all out, but all I know for sure is that is was definitely men dressed in saris and Indian jewelry. After they left, I looked back out the window just in time to see a guy going poo on the train tracks. nice. So, now I am in Bangalore and was planning on heading north to Hampi tonight, but train tickets have to be purchased a day in advance, so I found a hotel and here I am. Less humidity, in fact the weather is perfect here:)

Denver, CO to Chennai, India

I am so delirious right now, I hope this post makes sense and isn't just a bunch of mumbo jumbo words strung together. The Denver to JFK leg was 3 hours and then I sat in the airport for 3 hours...from JFK the flight made a stop in London, which wasn't even listed on my printed e-ticket/itinerary and that was a 6 hour flight. The London to Kuwait flight was about 6 hours and then Kuwait to Chennai was another 5 hours. I have no idea what day it is or what time it is! I remember sitting next to a French lady on the last flight and she spoke English, but her accent was so thick I had no idea what she was saying. And to think we chatted for like 2 hours. hmmm. I was fortunate to have met another foreigner who was heading to Chennai, so we banded together and figured out the airport and shared a taxi into the city to find a place to crash this morning. OH! and I almost forgot to mention- whoever stole my India guidebook on the plane has got some bad karma coming back to him! or her. whatever. Seriously, I haven't even been anywhere yet and stuff is missing. I don't even have a plan, but that never matters if you have a guidebook with you. Jonathan, who I met on the plane has one, so I have been taking a peek at that, but I guess today's mission is to find a new book somewhere. Anyway, we found rooms early this morning- I am already so far removed from any comfort and "normalcy" that I had just 2 days ago and I love it. The room is dank, the bed and pillow are hard as rocks, the shared bathroom is disgusting, the view from the window is of dilapidated buildings and yet I noticed as I was sitting on the window sill that I had a huge smile on my face. It is warm and humid out--my hair was stick straight on the plane, and the minute I left the Chennai airport it was instant fro and now in a pony tail where it will probably be for the next several months. I am at an internet cafe, but not using my computer. I am already questioning the decision to bring it as it weighs like 2.5 pounds, which isn't much, but it is making the lumbar pack heavy. My main backpack ended up being 20 lbs, which is 5 more than I was hoping for, but not bad. Jonathan and I are going to go get some food- my first AUTHENTIC India grub, and I am excited about that. I will be here for a night and then probably move on sometime tomorrow. later gators!

yep, it is time to go....again!

I gots some ants in my pants---heading back to Asia on DEC 1st. I am leaving Denver on Tuesday morning with a quick layover in New York, then boarding a flight on Kuwait Airlines (ummm, not sure about THAT) with a short layover in Kuwait, go figure, and landing in Chennai, India on DEC 3rd bright and early. I have no plans or itinerary other than seeing India, Bangladesh, Nepal (Himalaya trekking!), Tibet, China, and Mongolia. There is a lot of ground to cover, so I am anticipating the trip to last about 4 or 5 months, but I bought a one-way ticket for this journey, which means I am not tied down to a specific return date---free as a little birdie. At this blog site you can leave comments if you like and you can check out the map at the bottom of the page, which I will try and update periodically to show where I am located.

Last winter I traveled to SE Asia and visited Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), Malaysia, and Singapore and if you want you can revisit that blog at

http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?action=showdiaryarchive&go=emilytracy