vrijdag 1 april 2011

Oh, what beautiful nature!

Sunday morning 5:20 AM. My alarm goes off and despite the fact I didn't sleep at all last night I jump out of bed and under the shower. NEED to take a shower because it might well be my last for the next week. 5:45 AM I'm out the front door waiting for my trekking buddies. The streets of Thamel are already alive (who knew) and slowly as the streets fill with people, we make our way to the bus stop. 6:15 AM the bus leaves Kathmandu and we are on our way to Sundarijal. That's where we will start walking.
I have no idea what to expect and I feel a little nervous. I never really liked taking 'long walks through nature' and my condition is not that excellent. This trek is my first and could be my last. What if I can't keep up? What if I really hate it? What if I break down and cry? What if...?
We start walking around 8 AM and the first steps are already up, up, up! My God, I feel like my lungs are about to explode and sweat is already dripping down my face although it's still early and fresh. What have I got myself into?! But thanks to my buddies, Greet and Martine, they help me to find my pace. "Bistare bistare" (slowly slowly) I take one step after the other and try to match them with my breathing. I only focus on my steps and my breathing and after a while I find my rhythm. Everybody has his own rhythm. It can be slow or fast, with many stops or no stops, but steady. Mine is a slow rhythm, but I feel myself calming down and I have my breathing under control. After a while I even find myself looking around and enjoying the scenery. This goes on for several hours until we reach a first stop for tea. It's a small village where the women are making the local alcoholic drink, Raksi. This is amazing! It's so peaceful here, the people are so friendly and the air is starting to smell fresh! Waw!
After tea we go again and this time finding my rhythm comes more easy. I'm very lucky that Greet and Martine have a similar rhythm, so we walk together. Joke and Marieke have a much faster rhythm and so they go on ahead until the next stop. This time it's lunch, a noodle-soup, which will be our lunch every day from now on. It's time for a little check up and I take my shoes and socks off. Damned! There they are! Three huge craters in my heels. Only one of them is a little open, but the damage seems to be okay. Compeed, my friend, where art'thou? We cover it all up and then it's time to go again.
Walking is painful, but my 'rhythm' brings me in a state of trance. It's as if your body adapts to the pain and the pain becomes part of the rhythm. The scenery is beautiful and we are already quit high up. We reach the little village where we will spend the night and although our bedroom looks more like a stable or a barn than a room, this is perfect! You're so tired and happy to be there that it really doesn't matter that much. The food tastes excellent and the cold mountain water feels very soothing on my feet. The Compeed seems to hold only on one side, the other side the Compeed melted and my heel is uncovered. Only one solution: MORE Compeed!
At 8 o'clock we are tired and since there really is nothing to do in the mountains after dark, no electricity - no bars - no tv - only barking dogs - pitchblack night, we go to bed. This is the beginning of our new clock. The "clock of nature". Here you go to bed after sunset and you wake up at sunrise. So 6 o'clock the next day we get up, breakfast is at 7 and soon after that we start walking again. The mood is good. Although my feet hurt, we talk and laugh a lot. And I'm really enjoying this. Again we go up, up, up, but everything goes smooth. Except maybe when I'm being confronted with one of my old fears. A little puppy won't leave us alone (that is nothing to be scared of, I know!) and follows us along the trail when all of a sudden we have to pass a farm with a big dog out front. This dog is protecting the farm and so if you don't come too close you're fine. But the dog doesn't like the puppy tagging along and starts growling. Of course the puppy decides to look for protection in between our legs, and that's when I'm almost peeing my pants. If this big dog decides to attack the little puppy, my leg might actually be stuck in the middle. Okay, time to take a deep breath, calm myself down, focus on the road ahead and keep my rhythm.... pfff. I made it! The puppy turned back and the farm is far behind us! After that we bump into a couple of water buffalo's and the farmer makes us hide so they can pass without being scared. Yep, this time it's not me, but the buffalo's who are scared! ;-)
The rest of the day is smooth sailing and at night we reach the next village where we will spend the night. There was a little rain and it's becoming colder, the higher we are. Thank God this little lodge has a fire and after doing the necessary stuff for the night, like making your bed, taking your shoes off, we sit around the fire. There's two elderly French couples who are doing the same route as us and they stay in the same lodge. The men are both 75 years old, one of the women is 71 and the other is about 50. Waw, they are amazing, still trekking! It turns out one of them is a Guide in the Alpes, but still; they are here and they are doing it! Let's hope we can all be there at 75!
Again a good day passed and I go to sleep satisfied. The next day it takes a little longer for my feet to adapt to the pain. It's also still a little damp and cold, so it takes longer for you muscles to warm. But again we find our rhythm and off we go. This time it's more 'Nepali flat', which means it's not that steep anymore. And a few hours later we actually go up AND down, which is a nice change. After lunchtime we reach the lodge which is at 3200 meters. When I remove my shoes, my Compeed comes off and what we see underneath looks a bit scary. It looks worse then it is though, but because we are also at high altitude, we decide to take the rest of the day off and continue tomorrow. There's a fire in the lodge and we spend the rest of the day just sitting around; talking, laughing, drinking tea, an attempt to do yoga (which didn't work at all during the trek), a little walk...  It's weird to be at such high altitude. I never knew what altitude sickness meant and even now we are not really high enough to call it sick. But you do notice that you are tired a bit faster and there is a slight headache. Not really a head - ACHE, but there is a airy feeling in your head.
We wanted to go to Gosainkunde, but because of my feet (sorry), the slight headache with a few of us, and mainly because of bad weather, we decide to skip Gosainkunde and make our way around Helambu back to Kathmandu. It's either 3 short days walk or 2 long ones. We can't decide right now, we will have to see tomorrow how things are going.
Early morning we wrap up my feet in Compeed. At this point one of my ankles has about three of them and the other one and a normal bandage. It's fine. We can't prevent anymore, we can't let it heal (no time), so all we try to do right now is minimize more damage. We start the walk and it goes pretty well. We go downhill today and when we reach the highest point (for us on this trek that was 3600 meters), we decide to continue and it's down hill now! Soon after we leave it starts raining and that really breaks the mood a bit. The first hours we can still talk and laugh, but the trek is taking longer than we expected. Also because of the rain, the path is slippery and all of us, taking turns, hit the ground. Greetje hits it hardest and her back is hurting a bit now. The leaves are falling covering the path, that was already slippery, and so you can't really see where you have to walk. It goes down very steep and we turn to silence. Concentration is needed and sometimes I have to hold my breath when we take the small steps along a ravine. On top of this we have to cross a few bridges. You know those bridges; Indiana Jones - bridges! Small walking bridges over a river miles below? Yep, you know those ones? Swinging left to right when you cross them? And I'm not that keen on heights! But what to do? Nothing, just freeze your brain and keep going. Look straight ahead, put one foot after the other and keep going. Waw, the thrill I feel when I cross is amazing! If you had told me before hand I would have to do this, several times, maybe I wouldn't have come. But I did, I did and after two bridges I even feel confident enough to take a look around me while crossing. And it's beautiful to see the water beneath you splashing through the rocks. Such fresh mountain water, almost blue! And then, a few hours later than expected, we arrive in the next village where we will sleep. The lodge is nice and the son of the house makes us an excellent Dahl Baath. There's not really a restaurant and we sit in their 'sherpa kitchen' to have dinner. It is beautiful and although grandpa is in exile in the barn, they make us feel welcome.
Day 5. Last day of walking for me. Joke and Marieke are still full of energy and they will keep going all the way down. Martine, Greet and me will walk to the nearest village where we can take a bus to Kathmandu. The 'nearest' village, you say? Really? Well, we didn't know that morning that the 'nearest' village was only 7 hours walking. Haha! Thank God I didn't know. Seven hours actually sounds worse than it is! 
The action of the day was that we got to see the French people and their Nepali porters and guides before splitting ways (they kept going when we took the afternoon off). Yep, the Nepali porters didn't speak English but they looked really good. And when they decided to walk with us, at our slow pace, somehow it gave us some extra energy and so we went in the next gear! Haha! After splitting from the French we also had to say goodbye to Joke and Marieke. They were heading the same way as them and we were going to the other side of the valley.
The little path brought us through villages, over mountains, along waterfalls, across the river... the sun was shining today and butterflies everywhere showed us the way. All colors of the rainbow where represented in the butterflies and the flowers and it's hard to describe how little you feel when surrounded by so much beauty and greatness. We take a break eating cookies together with three little girls taking their oxes out on a walk (??), they are so cute and at the end they even start singing. Later that afternoon we stop for lunch. By now we already know that this walk is gonna be longer then expected, but we just have to continue until we get there. There's no point in stopping now. We can't! Can we? Well... just for a little while we feared logistic problems would prevent us from continuing! After lunch we see that the 'path' ends at the next house and the 'road' starts. For years they've been building roads in the mountains and apparently this is how far they have come now. There's a big bulldozer and men working. But where is the path? Gone. Where is the road? Not built yet. So where do we go? Well, Nepali style they tell us to just 'go'! Go where? There's a steep pile of sand that goes straight into the ravine! You want us to just 'go' and cross that pile? My knees start feeling a bit weak, but it seems that there is no other way. A drunk guy and an older man try to show us how it's done and they cross, but even then it looks so terribly dangerous. One wrong step and we just fall into the deep. The Nepali are laughing because for them this is a piece of cake, but after explaining to them that we don't have 'Nepali feet' they understand our problem. A few whistles, the bulldozer turns around, we quickly have to step out of the way, and a path is being made! Yep! You heard it! The bulldozer built a path along the pile for us to cross! They built a road, just for us! Yihaaa! This is Nepal! This is hospitality! My heart is singing and the mood is perfect again! Although it is hour 8, it is raining a little, our knees hurt from going down the whole day... they built a road for us and we see the finish! Silence disappears and the rest of the walk passes in a cheerful way. The lodge where we end up is nice, the food is just excellent, the best we had so far and the family running the place really makes us feel like home.
We made it! And tonight we even celebrate a little bit by sharing a beer between the three of us! And that's enough to get us slightly dizzy and ready for bed!
Friday morning; the bus is early (there might be another one coming, but you never know, so we have to take this one), but they wait until we are ready. The driver looks like he wouldn't be allowed to drive yet in Belgium, and at one point he switches places with a truck driver just for the kick of it, but he brings us back safe in Kathmandu. It took 5 hours, but the drive is beautiful. Along villages, down in the valley, up in the mountains... When we get back to Kathmandu I feel like I'm glowing. I'm tired as hell, and after a shower and removing all the Compeed the craters look bigger than expected, but I feel so satisfied and calm. Happy that I did this and that I made it! I love trekking! It is worth all the suffering to see all that beauty and to experience that relaxing rhythm that completely clears your head from all worries! Wow, this was my first, but not my last! Nepal... I promise I'll be back! x

vrijdag 25 maart 2011

What to do in Kathmandu...

Well, there's plenty to do! I've been here 12 days and I haven't been bored at all. Since I'm going on a trekking on Sunday, I decided to stay in Kathmandu until that day. Well, to be honest... I stayed in Thamel. That's the backpackers area, the busy neighborhood, the place to be for action, the beating heart! I left Thamel a few times because I had no other choice (and it was hard) but I made it back alive! ;-)
My 2 weeks here were all about Balance. Combining the functional and the dysfunctional. Let's start with the functional part. I took Yoga classes every morning and every night. I figured if I want to survive a trekking, my body would need some kind of training. And Yoga is also good for breathing and concentration. Both are things that could save my life up there on the mountains. My teacher in the morning, Mister Bim, is a bit weird. He gives us a very active workout and then pushes us real hard to stretch and hold our poses. He also gave a few comments that were maybe a little inappropriate...  The evening teacher is a lot more relaxed and is in my eyes a proper teacher. He doesn't push us, he wants us to push ourselves and he always, always explains what we are doing and why we are doing it and he corrects our poses. I stopped going in the morning, partly because I wasn't learning anything, and partly... because getting up early has not been my favorite thing here. The good thing about my evening class is that he's gonna give me some small exercises that I can do in the morning and in the evening while on trekking. He says they will give me energy and oxygen! And honestly I feel very good. The first days my body was aching all over, but now I don't even get that stiff anymore. I can stretch a whole lot more than two weeks ago and I feel my muscles slowly building up. I think I'm ready for the trekking!
Other functional activities have been a little bit of sightseeing. Not too much as most of that is outside of Thamel, but just enough to learn some things about Kathmandu. Also we had to prepare for the trekking and since we are not taking a guide (No; we are taking our Greetje!) we needed to get our permits. All of that went very smooth and having the right papers is already half the work. I had to buy a few little things to make the trekking more comfortable, like socks and a water bottle, but other than that I am so glad I can finally use those big boots and warm clothes that I've been carrying around for ages. The past 4,5 months I have cursed the bottom half of my backpack. It contained useless stuff if you're traveling in India. But now I remember again why I took it all! It's all about this, the trekking, the moment has arrived where I can say..."yes, have that, brought that... I'm ready!"
I'm a bit scared about going, but I feel like this is one of those things you just have to do. The main reason why I think I'll enjoy it, even though I might cry a little at tough times, is the people who are joining me. When I arrived 12 days ago I had no plans, but my friend Greetje invited me to join her and 3 other Belgian women on this trek. I've met them all except one and it clicks! I know we will get along and that humor will be just as important to them as it is to me! The trek we are doing is not a very heavy one (THANK GOD), but it's supposed to be a very beautiful area. For those experienced trekkers, we are going to Gosainkunda.
Another very functional part of my stay in Thamel are books. I neglected my reading after leaving India, but now I'm making up. My goal was to read all the books of Paulo Coelho and if I finish the one I'm reading now, I only have 3 more to go. If it wasn't for the 'dysfunctional' part of Thamel, maybe I would have finished them all by now... haha! But I'll keep going and hopefully I will have reached my goal. I still have four weeks to go!
And then we come to the dysfunctional part. Parties! Man, Nepalese people are a lot like Belgians when it comes to going out. They never want to go home and always feel like having 'one last drink'! Bars close around 11:30 pm, but there are ways around that. If your friend from Belgium brings you in touch with her friends, and they know the owner, there's always room for one last drink behind closed doors. Haha! Makes me feel like home! ;-)
I was also very fortunate to be here for the Holi-festival. I celebrated it last year in India and there it was pretty aggressive. I know we spent maybe one hour outside that day. But here in Thamel it was fun. Holi is the first day of spring after the full moon and people celebrate the coming of spring by throwing colored powders at each other making us all look like walking rainbows. Prepare yourself to get colored and wet, but other than that it was a lot of fun this year. We spent the whole day outside walking around, having a few drinks, something to eat. We heard afterward that around a thousand people got arrested that day, but that is also because Kathmandu police were out on the streets in high numbers. Everybody had been warned that this year should be a friendly year and that any kind of violence, dodgy substances for coloring, traffic violations... would be taken very seriously. And it worked, because apart from traffic jams, everything stayed pretty friendly here in Thamel. The weirdest thing for me were the streetkids. There's a whole bunch of them that wander around in Thamel, begging, sniffing glue... but on Holi they were playing along just like all the other kids. Okay, maybe not like other kids, since they did take a little break every now and then to sniff, but still. Just for a few hours you could clearly see that they are 'just kids'!
And continuing on about parties... last night was a big highlight for me. Greet and BJ were invited to a party of one of their friends and me and Martine were also welcome. It was a celebration for their baby who turned six months. This day the baby gets her first rice feeding and everybody gets together to celebrate this. It was amazing! First we got to witness the baby getting fed the rice. This was at their house and you only go there to say hello before going to the party hall, but I guess we were there right in time and I saw it all happen. The women were dressed in their most beautiful saris and the mood was just so relaxed. After the feeding and when most people have arrived, of about 500 guests!!, you take turns to eat. Everybody sits in long rows and then the staff comes and fills your plate. It's Newari style and you get several different dishes on one plate. There were at least 12 different dishes and then desert. Yep, there was plenty of food and the family went all out with chicken, mutton, bone-marrow... and of course 'drinks'! There were several choices; whiskey straight, whiskey cola, whiskey fanta or some kind of rice wine. Well, I went with whiskey cola! As did almost everybody there...In between everybody takes turns to go greet the mother and child and hand over presents and blessings. And this baby was just so calm through all of this. Yep, born in Kathmandu and already used to having noise and people around all the time! :-D
I could tell you more about concerts, bookclubs... but some things are just between me and Thamel (and Greet and Bj and Martine and...)! Haha!

dinsdag 15 maart 2011

A quicky in Bangkok and now taking my time in Kathmandu... ;-)

I left Laos and not a minute too soon. Vientiane is not my city and I was ready to move on. They came to pick me up and when we arrived at the trainstation near Vientiane I immediately started chatting to a Dutch guy and his boyfriend. We have to 'check out' of Laos in this trainstation, but because it's after 4pm the woman behind the desk wants more money... What to do? Well, you pay of course. Because she can keep you passport and make sure you miss the train. It was only 20 eurocents more, but when there is a hundred of you... she's having a good day working after hours! Haha!
Then you take a little train over the bridge to Thailand. This takes about 15 minutes and then you have to 'check in' in Thailand. We had half an hour there to get some money from the ATM, smoke a cigarette and then it was off to Bangkok. Jeroen, his friend and me had beds next to each other, but more importantly... we were next to the train-restaurant-cart. So I go on the train, put my backpack down and find my seat. Right then they are already standing next to me with big 'asking' eyes. "What you do? No sit! We go restaurant NOW!" Okay, so there we go. The train hasn't even left and the first beers are already on the table. I don't even know how many beers passed by that night, but the atmosphere was very laid back. I had so much fun that night and so did the other passangers. It was as if none of us had any worry, we all left them on that platform in Nongkai and all we had to do for the next hours was absolutely nothing.
The morning was of course a little bit less 'funny'. Only a few hours sleep, busy Bangkok, a hangover, it's already 35 degrees at 7 in the morning... I decided not to torture myself more than necessary and so I took a taxi to my hotel. A Czech guy who was also in the 'midnighttrainbar' offered to share the taxi 'cos he was heading in the same direction. Perfect! We arrived, HE payed the taxi and then we said goodbye... hihi.
Luckily my room was ready so I could check in right away and go upstairs to take a nap. After that I walked around a bit, had a swim in the rooftop pool and then... well, then I had to wait... My friends Kristel and Steph were on their way to Bangkok and I was expecting them to arrive at the hotel around 5 pm. 5 pm came and went... so did 6 pm and 7 pm... and I was ready to give up. Did something happen? Did they miss the plane? I had no cell phone so there was no way of reaching them. And taxi after taxi stopped in front of the hotel and every time my heart skipped a beat. You see, I haven't seen them in 4.5 months. I was excited. But excitement became nervousness and just when I was ready to give up and go for dinner... there they were! My God! Tired, pale, dressed far too warm, thirsty and hungry... but it was definitely them, finally!
We had a good time in Bangkok. We did a few visits, had massages, did a little shopping and took our time to eat and drink and talk talk talk. The weekend passed by way too fast and all of a sudden it was Monday morning. Time to part again. They went off to the south of Thailand and for me it was time to go to Nepal. Our planes left at the same time so we shared a taxi, said 'aerport goodbyes' and there I was, on my own again. On my way to the last new country to discover on this trip!
The flight was really nice, except maybe when we landed and we could feel the plane swinging left and right because of the strong wind. Nobody else seemed worried and we made it, so I guess it's just daily business here. When I stepped out of the plane; the first thing that hit me was the smell. That mixture of pollution with the sweet smells of oils and incense. A bit like India and so I felt pretty comfortable. My Visa on arrival went very smooth altough I kind of miscalculated. I was expecting to get a Visa for 60 days, but it's only for 30. I'm staying for 36 days, so I have to fix this. (I already know now that it won't be a problem, but I did NOT know that when I stood there...) I went out, ATM didn't work so all I had was 10 dollars. Taxi drivers and guides and all sorts of young men around me trying to take me to their guest house and in their taxis... this is SOO India. And yet it is SO NOT! People here are friendlier and they laugh more. There is no agression and they keep an appropriate distance. That will be my mission; to "stop comparing India and Nepal". Altough some things are maybe similar, they are even more different! Nepal is relaxed and friendly. I feel comfortable here.
Finally I took a taxi and just went with the oldest man in the pack. Police pointed him out for me and said he was 'good - honest'. The drive took about 40 minutes as traffic was busy. Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal, but don't expect a city like Delhi, Bangkok or Beijing. Kathmandu is smaller, without skyscrapers and flashy boulevards. It's as if Kathmandu has both feeth on the ground and that makes it a very charming city. I'm staying in Thamel, which is the backpackersarea. I have a good guest house and very cheap with tv and everything. Not that that really makes any difference here. You see, electricity is limited to a few hours a day. This week for example there are about 4 hours in the afternoon and about 6 hours in the middle of the night. Not really the times to watch TV or even be in your room. They do have back-up in the hotel. Of course they do. But that's only for the light. Sockets don't work; so no charging, no TV... Heyhey, look at it from the bright side: at least they put in the effort!! :-D
First job was to find a light, since I don't want to be lost somewhere in the dark. I found one of those headlights, since I "lost" my Petzel somewhere in Deurne! ^^ After that I phoned my friend Greetje and arranged to meet her, BJ (her husband) and Mira (their daughter) at six o'clock. It was just perfect! Nice restaurant, good food and seeing them again after three years was the easiest thing. As if we saw each other just last week! And I got the inside information on Thamel and Kathmandu.
More information came this morning when Greetje took me around Thamel and showed me where they have good food, good drinks, where to buy stuff. Yep, this feels like a home away from home! And after having lunch at their house I feel like I already had a little sneakpeak at how life in Kathmandu is! And I can tell you it looks very nice... ;-)
Now, I'm taking my time to get settled and explore this city.... and of course taking a break every now and then for a good cup of coffee and maybe I'll throw in a slice of chocolate cake today (just like yesterday). Who knows?! Haha! ;-)

woensdag 9 maart 2011

Lazy Laos

I arrived in Laos almost two weeks ago. I tried to figure it out, but I can't. Laos is a country stuck in the middle of the big players; China, Thailand, Vietnam... Apparently Thailand feels some affiliation with Laos, they're both boeddhist, and tried to take them over in the past. At this moment it's more China and Vietnam that are the big allies. Laos is 'communist' or that's what they call it and so they get a lot of support from China and Vietnam. It is a very strategic country geographically and apparently economy is not doing bad here. Because of the geographical importance, connecting South East Asia, trade is growing. What I noticed is that the standard of living is not that bad. At least not in the places I have been to here in the North. Tourism is definitely a big thing here. Transport, touristic tours, guest houses, restaurants... they are everywhere and it's all very well organised. And they are doing well. High season is coming to an end because in April rainy season starts, so March is hot hot hot. But still a lot of guest houses are full by noon. And the last two weeks I saw more 'Whites' than I had been seeing the past 4 months. I like the slow pace and the very laidback attitude. But at the same time this bores me a bit. After the challenge in India and the exploring in China, Laos has not much more to offer than 'relaxation'. I'm not complaining, this came at the right time, but now I'm ready to move on again!
My first stop was Luang Prabang and that is still my favourite. It is a small city next to the river. It's friendly, very safe and it has something to offer for tourists. I went to the caves on a river boat, to the waterfalls, the blue lagoon, the national museum, some temples, Lao Disco (which is really part of local culture, haha), the nightmarket, the little backstreets... it's very charming and beautiful. I had a good time here and ended up staying a whole week. I met some really nice people and thanks to them I had a very filling nightprogram aswell! ;-)
Then it was off to Vang Vieng. Now that is a weird place! It's a small city... more a village that consists of only a few streets, next to the river. And the main attraction is the 'tubing'. This is when you take an inner tire of a truck, blow it up, and float on it going down the river. What makes it even more 'special' is the amount of bars along side the river. So the plan is to stop at as many bars as possible and drink drink drink! You get free shots, and with the boiling sun people get really drunk, really fast. There's swings, diving decks and other 'toys' along the way and it's all about having crazy fun! I did the tubing and had a few drinks, but I didn't get waisted and we arrived at the finish on time. You see, if you're not back before 6PM you have to pay extra. And of course when you're having fun and drinks, you're not in a hurry. So my guess is that this is how they really make their money! There have also been a few accidents in the past, one girl even got killed a few years ago, but nobody seems to care. The locals don't think much of those hurdes of young tourists coming here for the tubing, walking around drunk and half naked, but at the same time they all make their money of them. So there is NO WAY that they will stop the exploitation of the 'tubing'. I hadn't heard of it untill I arrived there, but some people came all the way from Thailand or Cambodia JUST for the tubing! I met a guy who had been there for a week, going tubing EVERY day!
I had a fun day, met 3 girls that came along, but it would have been more fun if I had my own friends around. I don't like loosing control on my own, so I kept it nice and clean... :-D
Apart from the tubing Vang Vieng has more to offer thanks to it's surroundings. The scenery is just amazing; the mountain peaks, the river! You can go climbing, kayaking, swimming in the blue lagoon (which I did of course), biking... But my time is limited and so I only stayed three days and then I came to Vientiane. Vientiane is the capital of Laos and after falling in love with Luang Prabang (the old capital), I was expecting a lot. Well, don't do that! Vientiane is soulless and has absolutely NOTHING to offer. It's full of tourists, a lot of them just passing through or doing a Visa-run in order to stay in Thailand. It has the river but they don't really exploit it so it's not really an attraction. There is a morning market, but it's just like a mall. There is a lot of shopping for fake goods; Burberry, Lacoste... but there is nothing original to find. I actually need a bag and have not been able to find one without a brand on it. It's pretty expensive here in comparison with Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng and there's also more hostility and ripping off. I heard quit a few stories about people getting robbed 'cos they have quit a lot of problems with drugs here. And so my general opinion is that if you have to be here as part of continuing your travels, it's okay, but don't consider this a must-do. There's better places to go!
That said, I have to admit that I had one of my best meals so far. There's a Belgian restaurant and last night I had 'ballekes in tomatesaus met frietjes en mayonnaise'! Mmmm, perfect meal and after that I just went to my room and watched some romantic movie. Just like being at home! Haha!
I like Laos. I hope to come back one day and visit the South which is said to be even more beautiful. But there's no challenge in traveling here. Maybe the challenge would have been to go to the little villages, and that's something I will have to find out next time. This time I'm satisfied with the time off, the relaxing, the 'holiday'. But I'm getting bored now and so it's time to go! Tonight I'm back on a nighttrain... where to? Bangkok for the weekend and then it's off to Nepal!

woensdag 2 maart 2011

From China to Laos...

Kunming is beautiful and I had a wonderful time there. I walked around all day, every day just visiting some sights, but mainly I was 'people-watching'. Oh yes, my favourite thing to do! Chinese come in all sizes and shapes and they decorate themselves in the most crazy outfits. The park is generally the best place to go and in Kunming it was no different. Chinese go to the park to dance and sing and play music, and the atmosphere is just so nice. Of course they asked me a few times to join in, but I'm a big enough attraction as it is that I have no desire to hit the spotlight even more. But they're so sweet about it and they all let me take pictures, amazing!
I ended up staying in Kunming a little longer than I planned, because I had some bank-trouble. But after two days it was all sorted and I was ready to go. Not before saying goodbye to my 'posse' though. Hahaa! Despite the large number of young people in my Hostel I spent all my time hanging out with these 3 older gentlemen. All between 47 and 60 and all VERY experienced travelers. I had such a good time and the stories they had to tell... mindblowing! And I felt pretty honoured that they enjoyed my company just as much as I enjoyed theirs! And who knows... one day our paths might cross again!
And then finally it was time to go to Laos. Against some people's advice I booked a nightbus going straight from Kunming to Luang Prabang, the largest city in the north. They told me it would take 24 hours but it was a 'good bus'. Sleeper, which means I would have a bed. So I arrived in the busstation and of course had no idea where to go. Everything was in two languages, but it was Chinese and Laon. Have you tried reading Laon? That's even harder! So where to go? Fortunately the police, yes again the police, was so friendly and they sat me down, asked information all over the place and finally braught me to the right bus. Most people were already waiting and it was a nice crowd of older Chinese men and women, smoking their cigarettes and metal pipes, eating (of course, Chinese are always eating) and they were so friendly. I bought food for the long busride, but no drinks. So they sent me back to a shop outside the station. They talked to a security officer so he would let me back in by skipping a second security-check. They made it so easy for me. Haha! :-D And then off we went. I got up really early that morning so I would be able to sleep on the bus and so I did. We left at 6:30 pm and after the first stop around 8:00 pm I fell asleep. A stop at midnight gave me the chance to go to the bathroom... well, bathroom... I wouldn't exactly call it that. Let's say 'gave me the chance to pee'.
;-)
And then I didn't wake up anymore till 7:30 am when we were right before the border. A last 'clean-up-stop', changing some money, getting your passports out and off we went. It all went very smooth. The Chinese side is just a stamp and there were no difficulties. And then in Laos, I was a bit scared that my application might take up a lot of time and that the others might have to wait for me. Well, no! My Visa was issued in 10 minutes, I got my stamp even before some of the other passangers and since I had nothing to declare, I was ready to go. But not the bus! Because apparently some people were bringing in stuff to sell and 'gifts' for family, so customs took their time to get it all sorted. About 3 to 4 hours to be exact! And there I was, in the burning sun, after already 14 hours on a bus, waiting, not knowing why! Luckily I was not the only foreigner on the bus, a Canadian guy had joined us too and so at least I had someone to talk to. Finally it was time and we went back on the bus, for about 10 minutes. Because the driver had to eat and so we all had to wait again. So was it NOW time to go? Yes, the bus continued for about... 20 minutes?! And then the bus stopped along the road, in the middle of nowhere, and the drivers... well, they were nowhere to be seen. What? It was so hot at this time, mid-day, that I was just not able to stay in the bus. And so everybody was standing on one side of the bus, the shady side to get a bit of freshness. After 1 hour and 20 minutes we decided to walk a bit further down the road to check out if we could buy some cool drinks and of course right at that time, the drivers came back. Quickly we bought something and hopped back on the bus, this time for the finish!
The roads in Laos are not bad for Asia, but they're pretty wobbely and we were driving through the mountains, so that means a lot of 'up and down', 'right to left'... and then all of a sudden a big bang! What?! The bus stopped immediately and some people went outside to check what happened. We first thought it was a flat tire, but after 5 minutes everybody got back on the bus and we just started driving again. Nothing special then, hey? Haha! Well, this is Asia. Three hours later we arrived in Odoumxai and after stopping at the busstation, they went straight to a garage. Yes, we DID have a flat tire. It was the inner back tire. Apparently the bus can hold it without this tire (then why does it have it?), but now they stopped to fix it. Again... waiting!
In the end the busride took 28,5 hours and we arrived in Luang Prabang at 10 pm. The Canadian had nothing booked and neither did I, so we shared a tuktuk to the centre. A lot of places were full and so we ended up walking a fair bit up and down, with our backpacks, and unlike in China it is REALLY hot here in Laos. Finally we bargained a room for 15 euro and when we entered, we couldn't believe it. It is beautiful! A wooden house, wooden floors, aircon, tv, a super-kingsize bed and a large single bed. Matthew was a real gentleman and offered me the big bed! Wow, this was well worth the money!
Now I'm still in Luang Prabang. Matthew moved on, but I'm still fully enjoying my super-kingsize bed and my super hot shower... It's so beautiful here and so relaxed that I can't seem to be bothered moving! I do the sights, one every day ( temples, caves, museums)... and then I do... "nothing", for the rest of the day. I go swimming in the lagoon or go to the pool of this really fancy hotel (that only costs me 2 euro), go for a massage or sit around in some cafe-backyard reading a book... In fact, I'm already late for meeting the 'girls'! Yep, there's three Australian women in my Guest House, all my age and all enjoying the slow pace of Luang Prabang just as much as me. So I have to go, we're meeting for drinks!  ;-)) 

zondag 20 februari 2011

Did I really make it to Kunming? ;-)

My last day in Sanya was a beatiful one. 30 degrees and the sun was shining. So I went to the beach, a Chinese beach. And that means when the Chinese make something their own, they add tons of kitsch. Yep, floating tyres, airmatrasses, floating bubbles, pedalboats, parasailing, hawaiian outfits... it was all there. I for one have never seen a beach turned into an adult playground like the one in Sanya. It was hilarious. Except maybe the big telelens camera's pointing in my direction... that was more uncomfortable than hilarious. But in the end it was worth it. At night we had a little birthday celebration for one of the other guests at my hostel and we ended up going to the beach at midnight watching the fireworks! A perfect ending to my sunny day!
Friday was the day I was gonna get off the Island. I got that busticket out from Haikou and so all I had to do was go to the East busstation at 6pm where my bus would leave at 7pm. Easy! Or so I tought.
You see, getting to Hainan was very easy. I took a nighttrain in Guangzhou and when we got to the sea, they loaded the whole train on a ferry bringing us across to the Island. Yeah, it was a bit stormy that day, but in the end I didn't have to do anything except stay in bed and get off in Haikou trainstation. I figured that once I get on that bus, it would be smooth sailing like that again. Little did I know! ;-)
Noon in Sanya I decided to already catch a train to Haikou. Way to early, but something told me it's better to be early than late. When I got to the trainstation there were hundreds of people waiting at the ticket office. I see a short line, not sure why nobody is taking that one, but I go. The military agents waiting in that same line just smile at me and one even allows me to go first. I don't know if I'm actually allowed to be in that line, but it saves me a whole lot of waiting! Haha! And when soldiers are okay with it... who will dare to say something! ;-)
It turns out all the trains are full and the one at 4:15 pm is the earliest one I can take. That means I won't get to Haikou till 5:40 pm. That's close, but I figure if I take a taxi everything will be okay. When I arrive in Haikou I'm first out the train, I run downstairs to the taxistand and nope... nobody wants to take me. What is wrong? I can't ask anyone, they can't explain it to me, so there is only one solution: keep trying. I wave my ticket around and taxi after taxi signals me 'no' untill finally one stops and he will take me for 40 yuan. A rip-off, but I have to get there... now! It's 6 pm, so no time to waste. But how do you explain that you are already late when you don't speak a common language. The bastard picks up two more people and drops them off first. I see 6:30 pm on the clock and all kinds of disaster scenarios start popping up in my head. I will be stuck here till tuesday, I'm gonna have to pay hundreds of euros for a planeticket... pfff, just hurry! Hurry? The driver asks to see my ticket again because he's not quit sure where he has to take me. Are you kidding me? I think my heart just skipped a beat... Finally at 6:48 pm he drops me off at a place that could be a busstation. I run to the entrance and see at least 100 people in front of me in a line. No, I'm not gonna make it. A chinese man looks at my ticket and starts talking to me pointing in a different direction and he finally brings me to a policeofficer that points towards a bus parking lot. They both actually look more nervous than me now, yelling and pointing in that direction. So I rush there and start making my way in between the busses. It's like a videogame. The busses are parked so close to each other that sometimes I have to go back 'cos my backpack can't get through. I ask drivers the way showing my ticket and they all point to the front of the busstand. What? All I can come up with is that my bus left and is somewhere in this lot, so I have to look for it, and how do you do that not reading Chinese?! Finally the driver of the first bus points at a small building on the right that has 2 busses parked in front of it. Hallelujah! I think...
No, it's not my bus. So where is my bus? I don't know because they keep explaining me in Chinese, and all I can understand is that I have to wait there. It's 7:05 pm... wait for what? The next bus, tomorrow? There's nothing else to do but to just stay there now, at least so I can calm down a bit and think of a solution. But finally at 7:20 pm they all start laughing and pointing... my bus has arrived! Time to go! Time to go? Really, that easy? Pff, think again!
I meet my 'group'; 6 giggling girls, 12 giggling boys, 2 women, 6 men and me, the tourist! Yep, they all have to laugh and have a closer look at me before we can proceed. Ha! We get a ticket and in group we have to leave the bus. It turns out this is not a busstation, but the ferry terminal. And so I skipped all checkpoints and stuff, but everything is okay, I can join them now. At least now I know why they were all laughing when I finally arrived! They tought I got lost because I didn't get on where they got on. Silly tourist! ;-)
We have to board the ferry on foot and then on the mainland the bus will pick us up again. Okay, let's go then. And we're off to the ferry... passport check first... me holding up the line because I'm the only one with a 'weird' passport, and then we reach the waiting room. Yep, the biggest waiting room I've ever seen in my life. I'm not kidding, there is sitting space for at least 1200 people and the people standing must be at least the same amount. WHAT??? They all go first and then we go, they tell us that we might have to wait an hour or two, but it turns into 4,5 hours. It isn't till midnight that we can go!
It's just crazy. Nobody seems to be bothered by this, they are extremely patient and every time a ferry leaves, the passengers have to stand in 2 straight lines. Like in the playground in school, and everybody does it. Talk about obedience!! Unbelieveable!
Me, I've got 3 guardian Angels. 3 men in their fourties are watching out for me. They call me when it's time to move, they point me to a seat on the ferry, they show me where I can smoke... no, we don't 'speak but there's a whole lot of 'communication' going on!
2 am we reach the other side and my eyes are heavy. We wait for the bus and of course ours is the one that gets stuck with the bottom on the boat... it's too close to the ground and they have to use extra boards to elevate it. There's a crowd looking at the dent, but I can't be bothered. Please, let me get on the bus and go go go!!! I sleep the whole way through and at 9 am we reach Nanning.
Cold, raining, even less English signs than before... what to do?! Well, first of all I'm getting my ticket to Kunming, leaving as soon as possible. I get a taxi and this time they are so sweet. I always show my destination in Chinese in the Lonely Planet and here it takes 3 of them to tell each other where to go, even the police gets involved! Well, it's not every day that you can get up close to a Westerner here! :-D
And then the trainstation. I wait in line, only 45 minutes and when I ask 'today' 'kunming'... she tells me '100 yuan' 'standing'... WHAT? That's 12 hours of standing! I want to get to Kunming, but standing up for 12 hours? No way, so I start waving and somehow she gets my point and says I can still go 'first class'. For 288 yuan! Oh yeah, give me that ticket!
My God, only 6 more hours and I'll be on that train to Kunming. I spend the day walking around in Nanning, finally buying a warm jacket. The eskimo-look is in fashion right now and when I bump into a real bargain, only 10 euro, I finally look just like them. Or well, a bit more like them. Nanning is sweet. Twice people come up to me to "Welcome in China! Hope you have nice time!" And no, they are not selling anything or want something from me. They could be spies for the Party... who knows, letting me know they are following me?! Ha! I don't care. How many countries have you been to where the people in the street come up to you to welcome you in their country?! How many?! No, none!! Only in China! And while I'm waiting for the train this familly starts feeding me mandarins and dried meat, which I decline, but they are so sweet. When I put on my backpack grandma is the first one to help me. She's 1.5 meter, bent from working too hard, at least 75 years old... but she helps me with my backpack! Adorable! ;-)
The trainride is smooth and earlier than expected I arrive in Kunming. It's 5 in the morning and all I have to do is go to the hostel. Eeeuh, it's dark and cold and early. So I have something to eat first and when it's 6:15 am I finally take a taxi to the hostel. Or at least, I was really close. The taxi dropped me off in the street but no hostel in sight. I start asking to the nightguards and in a fancy hotel, but no one seems to know this hostel. Goddamned! It's cold, I'm tired, this is a bit creepy. So I decide to rest in a breakfast restaurant and wait for the sun to rise. Finally at 8 o'clock I find it. I was so close all morning, but that little corner is the one I didn't turn... Well, I'm here, finally and... they're full?! Pfff, I just can't be bothered right now. First breakfast and coffee! When I ask them to call another hostel, they find me a bed! Now, I can relax! I have arrived in Kunming! I'm not hurt, not robbed, I'm still alive... a bit tired and full of stories, but I feel very good! Once again I made it without Chinese and the Chinese did nothing less than show me respect, take care of me and help me in any way they can!!

donderdag 17 februari 2011

Everything seems to change, except the food...

This is my second trip in China and I'm happy I came back. A lot has changed since that time and it's almost like you can "see" changes happening, that's how fast it is all going. China is gradually opening up its borders and their economy is booming. It's unbelieveable to see how rich some Chinese people are. If you wander around in the malls, the prices are the same as Europe, but more customers are spending! Also tourism is growing, and right now China focusses primarely on Chinese tourism. They have money to spend and where better to do that than in China, their own country. Who needs the rest of the world?! ;-)
So the rich are getting richer in China just like in the rest of the world, but the poor are starting to benefit too. Although they have to fight for it! The worker is becoming rare in China and therefor more powerful; the population is very old and for every 3 people that retire, there is only 1 to take it's place. So if three factories want you, you'll go to the one paying the most. And that is where China is right now. Workers are becoming rare and so they get to pick the factory where they want to work. So the wages are going up and there is some kind of competition going on between the factories. Another issue for the industry is finding 'skilled' people. Apparently China doesn't really give any importance to the quality of what they manufacture, it just has to be cheap. But because of various situations in the past, giving China a bad reputation (the poisonous plastic for children's toys, bad milk...) the factory owners are becoming more carefull, especially when it comes to export. You see, the party doens't order them to produce better quality, but everybody knows what happens if you damage their reputation abroad! Now, to do that, they need skilled people and they have to pay for that. So working class is slowly becoming what we would consider the middle class. It's early days yet, but changes can't be stopped!
I know China has problems with Human Rights, but I have to admit that it is not the communist Island where all the peasants walk around in their Mao-uniform. Those days are over and the government is acknowledging this. If there is one advantage they have over most other countries, it's that they have long term vision. And of course the ability to stay in power long enough to change that vision into reality. I think China is exactly where it is supposed to be and exactly where the government wants it to be. It seems like an impossible task to manage a country of 1.3 billion people, but they are doing it in China and many Chinese think they are doing a good job. I almost feel guilty for saying something good about the Chinese government, but I can not deny that the situation is not as black and white as international media and politics proclaim.  
Western tourism is growing a bit too, but most Westerns come here to study or teach or do business. The 'pure' tourist like me is rather rare. One obvious reason for that is the lack of English, still. Chinese just don't speak it. Even when they are able to read and write and they learn it in school or at the university... they have a big problem speaking it. But there are ways to cope with that. It's amazing how creative you become in finding other ways to interact. I always prepare myself and have stuff written down in Chinese by others or I show people the Chinese in the Lonely Planet, I use my hands, face and body a lot, I even use mimicking sounds... everything that helps, and I get by! I really do. Most other Westerns don't really understand how I can cope without Chinese. Untill they tag along with me for a day and then they see how well I can 'interact' with them. I guess it is a lot easier with a bit of Chinese, but it's not impossible without! ;-)
I do have to admit that in Haikou I was very, VERY happy that 2 Chinese-speaking guys accompanied me in my search for a way off this island. When I arrived in Haikou someone trying to leave, found out that EVERY ferry is fully booked untill the 24th. The Chinese New Year is coming to an end and so everybody is keen on getting back home to work or to go to school. So that would mean, you can not get off this Island untill the 24th. Except flying. Now, I don't like flying and it became so expensive over the past few days, that I wanted to go and search for another 'way out'! We went to a trainticket office and there they told us everything was full. Even flight tickets were no longer available for the days that I wanted to leave. Finally we found a small busticket office and there she told me everything was full, for thursday. But here comes the typical Chinese part... Chinese people have not learnt to think for themselves. They lack creativity and flexibility. So if you ask if you can buy a busticket off the Island... they will not tell you what your possibilities are. They will ask you 'where' you want to go, 'when' you want to go, 'how' you want to go... and if you ask them a very concrete question, they will be able to answer with 'yes' or 'no'. So I asked first if I could go on Thursday... No. Maybe Wednesday... No. Friday... Hallelujah, we have a winner! Yes. I could buy a ticket for Friday! Now all of this takes a lot of talking and thank God I had friends to do that for me. If I had been alone, maybe I would have managed, but it would have taken me more than just one hour.
 
Right now I'm still in Hainan, but in the Southern part. I was up North first, but it was very cold and rainy there. I got sick there, coughing and fever, because I didn't really have any warm and dry clothes. Now in Sanya it's at least hot, 27 degrees. The sun is playing hide and seek, but it's so warm that you spend all your time outside anyway.
Tonight is the last night of the New Year. It ends with the first full moon and apparently that is tonight. There will be BBQ's everywhere and here in the hostel they are getting ready for some party. I' ve got my earpluggs ready, because there is gonna be some heavy fireworks all through the night! ;-)
And talk about BBQ, if there is one thing the Chinese are not giving up, it's their food. They seem to be nibbeling on something ALL the time. Their mouths chew even when they are talking or sleeping. Wether it's a piece of meat or fruit or beans... they always have something in their hand or pocket. They've got some really weird stuff to eat here and despite the disapproval from the international community, they still have dog, turtle, monkey and other animals on their menu. It's been their menu for ages and they are not giving it up. I still haven't tried any dog, but some crazy girl from Shanghai took us out to dinner in Guangzhou and she fed me all kinds of intestines, stomach, liver... I was the only one who was willing to try and the Chinese loved it! And I have to admit some things tasted pretty good. I'm looking forward to seeing what the BBQ has to offer tonight! :-D

vrijdag 11 februari 2011

Delhi - Hong Kong - China

I left India two weeks ago and as expected that didn't go without ups and downs, extreme pleasure mixed with extreme anger... but I'll save you the details. Let's just say I left Delhi the way you're supposed to leave it, the way India is! Haha!
On Saturday morning I arrived in Hong Kong; bright lights, big city! But what struck me the most was just how clean everything was there! Waw! Not even any cigarette butts on the street. Well, you would have to be crazy to throw it on the street because the fine is 150 euro. But it seems to work!
Also I got to experience the friendliness of the people within the first hour after arriving. My plane landed at 6 in the morning and I knew I had to take a bus to Tsim Sha Tsui, the neightbourhood where the hotel is. But typically me, I forgot to write down the address or a description of the route. So what to do at 7 in the morning? I finally found an internet shop and when I entered it was packed with teenagers who apparently had been playing online games since the night before. Yep, it was a special friday-night-deal. You play 12 hours for only 30 HKdollar. Some of them were sleeping behind the computer, others were still going strong! The manager asked me WHY I would want to use a computer that early and when I explained I had to find my hotel, he looked up everything for me, wrote it down, pointed it out on a map and told me where to go. I spent a few more minutes talking to him and when I left, I didn't have to pay him at all. He was happy to help! Wow, this definitely is NOT India any more! ;-D
I stayed a week in Hong Kong and it was the perfect "break"! After 3 months of traveling on my own (except the times I really got to know people), I got a visitor! Yep, my friend Niema came to visit me from Belgium. Seeing a familiar face was amazing and just for a week, it made me feel a little bit more like home. And though we didn't do that much, for me it was the perfect mixture of pleasure, culture and lazyness. A real holiday! Yep, I didn't even have to talk to new people, I talked to Niema every now and then so he wouldn't get bored, but there was no pressure... haha! ;-) 
Yes, maybe I should explain myself.... we TRIED to do a lot, but stuff got in the way with our plans every now and then. It was Chinese New Year and so everybody has time off to spend with their families. And Chinese love doing all the stuff tourists do, so the crowds were huge everywhere we went. We skipped the Buddha on Lantau Island and went to the beach instead. We skipped Macau because ferries were overbooked. But in the end, I had fun and enjoyed every minute of my "break"!
 
After a week it was time for me to 'hit the road' again and so after saying goodbye to Niema (sniff), I was on my way! I crossed the border to China on Saturday night and my first stop was Shenzhen. A bit sad to be on my own again, I soon found new company when I arrived at the Youth Hostel. And after a beer I fell asleep like a baby!
Shenzhen was worth while. It's a strange city. In just 30 years the number of inhabitants went from 800.000 to 14 million today! So this is one of those 'new cities'. It's a mixture of modern architecture, capitalist surroundings and worker neighbourhoods. Most people move to Shenzhen because of work and they live in big skyscrapers, all piled up together. The stretch of land between Shenzhen and Guangzhou is about 200 kilometres of factory after factory. It is one of the most industrialised areas in China. My next stop was Guangzhou, so on the train there I got to see that street of factories. A bit weird to think a government can just move people around, but on the other hand the people themselves don't seem to mind. At least, that's what they tell me...They all seem to be very, very proud of China as a nation. Maybe you can't critisize the government, but apart from that they consider China one of the most free countries in the world. And for them the most important thing is that everybody is equal! Well, I haven't made up my mind yet about China. For that I have a lot more traveling to do, but it is very refreshing to be treated equal again as a woman! After India that is for me the biggest change here in China. People smile at me and talk to me and invite me... I feel good here!
I'm now still in Guangzhou which is surprisingly a very interesting city. I had to pass through herre to go to my next destination, Hainan. But I decided a few days and I'm glad I did. Maybe because of the Asian Games that were held here a little while ago, but this city is clean and friendly and the architecture is super! There are old parts with the typical hutongs (little Chinese houses), there is a European area with beautiful, old, colonial buildings and you have the new modern buildings and lightshows... at night I took a river cruise and you don't even have enough eyes to see everything that is going on on the banks! Apart from that I visited White Cloud Mountain and that little bit of exercise did me good! I went to the biggest, Buddhist temple here, an old familly-village and the tea market. There is soo much to see and to do, and only so many hours in a day. I feel like there is more to explore, but tonight I'm taking the nighttrain. The weather turned really cold again here in Guangzhou and so I'm really happy that by tomorrow morning I'll be in Hainan. The most tropical part of China and with the freshest air! Finally!

dinsdag 25 januari 2011

Chennai - New Delhi

Sunday night, my last night in Mamallapuram. I had to go to the ATM and Mukesh (from the coffee house) offered to take me on the motorbike. Well, Indians are born on a motorbike so I don't need to explain to you how they drive. But Mukesh promised to take it slow and so I figured 'What the heck!'. It was nice, sunset, a cool breeze and he ended up taking me to all the sights. I hadn't done any visits because I felt too short on energy, but he insisted on showing me everything before I left. Finally he also took me to a nearby fishermen's village where he grew up. It was sunset and everybody was helping to prepare the nets. The streets were covered in them. What a unique, peaceful sight! And thank God I got to see Mamallapuram!
Monday morning like a thief in the night I got up at 4 AM. My taxi, an old Ambassador, was waiting and took me to Chennai Railwaystation. The drive was nice, morning was coming and the city was slowly waking up. My train was on time and at 6:40 AM we left for Delhi. I had to share a compartiment with 2 Indian men and an Indian woman, all traveling alone. Mind you, her and me, we were the only women in our compartiment so I was happy to have her there. And then... 28 hours. What to do? Well, I had breakfast, took a nap, had lunch, took a nap, had tea, read my book, had dinner, read my book, tried to sleep, got up, had a sneaky cigarette through the open door together with my neighbour (for you, Devika!), and finally fell asleep, got up at 6, had breakfast, read my book... and at 11AM we finally arrived! This wasn't all that bad. A bit boring, but the sleeping part, I had no problem with that! ;-) Mind you, right now I'm sitting on this chair but my head feels like it's still on the train, wiggeling a bit...
And here I am, back in Delhi, Pajar Ganj, Main Bazaar, Rak Hotel, room 102! It's still the same and it feels a bit like 'coming home'. The smell... a mixture of fumes, incense, dirt and a hint of fresh air in the distance. The sound of cars, horns, constructionworkers... and just for me, they added the noise of generators because again there was a black out. Oh yeah, I'm back in Pajar Ganj! A dirty, little, backpack ghetto! I arrived here the first time in Februari 2010 and I almost cried. I wanted to go back home. But today it's the place that symbolises my 'discovery of India'. It's where I set my first steps and where I first found out that 'India is yellow', and it still is to me! I feel safe here, it's familiar. I know exactly what things cost, I know exactly how to bargain, I know exactly where the best places are for lassi's, I know exactly where to go for Himalaya-products, I even know exactly where to go for the cheapest alcohol... Haha! Yep, I WANTED to come back here before leaving, because I have to say goodbye! And just to add to my melancholic feeling, the hotel gave me the same room I was in the first time I came, a year ago... haha! As if they knew!
I came back at a very convenient time. Once again I managed to find myself in the middle of some festivities. Tomorrow it's Republic Day. India celebrates the beginning of the Republic of India. The security meassurements are huge! Militaries have put up posts on every corner, with sandbags they made little holes and they park inside with their automatic guns. Some streets are already completely blocked and kept empty and others are vehicle-free. It's like being at war! A bit strange, but then again India doesn't easily surprise me anymore... ;-) There will be a parade tomorrow and maybe I'll go and have a look. I'm not sure if it's such a good idea to go stand in the masses here, but I'll see. It sure would be a unique experience! Haha!
And all through my trip I've been guided by Good Karma. It's surprising to realize afterwards just how lucky I have been.
*First of all I am privileged already just to be able to be here for that long.
*Second, every place I wanted to go, I visited. Even though it was very busy and trains and busses were sold out, we managed to get wherever! I guess that must be Good Karma, seeing the amount of people who didn't get to go anywhere.
*Third, I haven't really been sick. Yeah, I had two days of cramps and those bacteria. But that's not sick! Sick is when you have a fever, and pain, and you have to stay in bed... I wasn't sick!
*Next, I came here on my own, but was NEVER without company! And on top of that, I made some real friends!! Westerns AND Indians! That is Good Karma! It's hard enough back home, but here that is just luck!
*I've had amazing weather, only 1 day of rain in Delhi and one day in Ooty. All the other days were sunny and hot, even now in Delhi. It's colder, but the sun is out and on the terrace of the hotel it's pretty hot!
*I saw some pretty amazing things; a waterbuffalo being born in Hampi, a dolphin before the coast of Candolim, the sunset AND full moonrise at the same time, that fishermen's village no tourist ever comes...
* I laughed like a kid with "the buy 1, get 1 free at the Opinion Shack!", Advocado milkshakes, Pilgrims on the train, "Biscuits...Chai..."...
*And last but not least, I stayed safe!! I had a taxidriver in Goa that fell asleep, but I managed to wake him up in time before we crashed. The busdriver between Pondycherry and Mamallapuram was obviously on drugs driving like a madman, but I got to my destination without even pissing my pants! ;-)
Yeah, it's been a hell of a ride here in India! And I don't know when or how, but I do know one thing for sure... I'll be back!!! ;-))

vrijdag 21 januari 2011

Pondycherry - Mamallapuram - Animal Farm

I stayed 4 nights in Pondycherry and all I did was walk and talk, walk and talk. Because there is a big French community, there are a lot of Western activities. Galleries, art exhibits, films at the Alliance Francais... lots of fun things to do and so I was never bored. After 2 days, all the solo-women had found each other and we were 5 all together, spending our days just walking, eating and talking.
On Sunday it was "Pongal" which is like a Tamil (or Indian) New Year. It's a time to celebrate the farmers and their harvests. In the rural areas they organise bullfights, cowriding and all sorts of other "fun" farmgames. Now, as you know I'm not that fond of cows and bulls, so I stayed in Pondycherry, together with about a million Indian visitors. It was amazing. I was there already 2 days and it was very relaxing to walk around. But the last day of Pongal everybody came to the city and it was mayhem! The mood was good and everything went by fine. My 'landlord' had told me to be careful because many Indians drink a lot and then they become a bit less nice, but I think it wasn't all that bad. People were really friendly and tried to engage us in their festivities.
I have to say that of all the states I visited so far Tamil Nadu has been the friendliest one. Even the people from the Guest houses and shops are so nice. Their mind is not only on the money. Maybe it's because they have more of it? Because this looks like a richer area. I don't know what it is, but I like it!!
I visited the Sri Aubindao Ashram. It's famous for the yoga and lots of tourists and residents come here because of it. Honestly, it was a bit weird. We went in for a visit that took us five minutes through the courtyard and then through the shop and that was it. All other areas are for residents only. But one thing that caught my attention was the notice board that had a note repeating the 'dress-code'. It started with: "Lately we have noticed that some people neglect their outfit, therefor we call upon you to..." followed by 10 or 12 Rules. Strict rules! Apart from that we also found out that many Guest houses in Pondycherry are managed by the Ashram, but to stay there they evaluate you. Lina stayed in one of those Guest houses and first they told her it was full, then they told her she could stay one night, then three and in the end I think she stayed 5 or 6 nights. But it's like they scan you first to see if you are an appropriate guest. It all feels a bit elite. Hey, they do what they want, but I think it's a complete turnoff! So no Sri Aubindao Ashram for me...
The last day I went to visit Auroville and the MantriMandir. Auroville is a... well... what is it? Is it a village, a city, a neighbourhood, a commune, a sekt... I have no Idea. Let's say it is a "place" right outside Pondycherry where people tried to create a new world. Today you have around 40 communities spread out in that 'place' and they all have their own activities. Some are agricultural entreprises, some manufacture clothes, others food... all of this is for sale in the Auroville shops. You can come and visit Auroville just for the day. It's nice to walk around here, very green and quiet. But you can also come and stay in Auroville. To do that you have to make an appointment for an interview and then they decide whether you can stay or not. Depending on what you would like to do; you stay in one of the communities and you engage yourself in their daily activities. For example, you can stay in one of the 'gardens' and help with the maintenance and the harvest. Some communities ask that you stay a minimum amount of time, going from 2 weeks up to 3 months. Also here, just like in the Ashram, it feels a bit elite. Some communities are quit expensive to stay, others are more for the budget traveller, but they all evaluate you. I guess I can understand if you have a sort of utopia, you want to protect it and you want active, engaged people. Not bums who are trying to find cheap accommodations (and there are plenty of those in India too, unfortunately). Somehow I can understand Auroville and if it wasn't for time, I would want to stay here. Maybe next time...
The main focus for visitors is the Matrimandir, which is the central point, the meditation centre. They refer to it as the Golden Golfball. And it really is... a golden golfball. An amazing building and I would have loved to see the inside. But because of Pongal it was closed and getting an appointment would have taken two more days... I didn't have two more days. I had other places to go to. It's a shame, but at least now I found a perfectly 'sane' reason to come back to India, no?! ;-)
Finally my last night in Pondycherry I had steak, which I was punished for immediately. On my way home there was a blackout (happens all the time) and the bridge I had to cross was dark and blocked by a huge waterbuffalo. Have you seen them? They are HUGE and black and they look like they can crush you in a second. Well, there it was... staring at me...refusing to move aside...maybe it smelled the meat I had? Thank God a little grandma passed. She was only 1m50, but she saved my ass from that beast. She formed a buffer and guided me across the bridge. Seriously, there I am; a strong young woman about 1m72 and I had to be rescued by the tinniest, oldest grandma in India. Haha!
Anyway, the cow didn't have to punish me because I never finished the steak. For a few weeks now I've been feeling a bit low on energy. And when I'm hungry, I eat, but after half a meal I'm full and then I feel sick. Two hours later my meal comes out the other way in a not so healthy consistancy. So sometimes I would skip a meal just because I didn't feel like feeling sick again. I talked about this with an English guy who lives in India (yes, 'shit' is a daily topic among travellers, especially here in India) and he told me to go visit a doctor. Even though I'm not really sick, I have no pain, no fever, no real traveller's diarrhea... but I feel low on energy, don't eat a lot and I'm losing weight (which I have absolutely no problem with because till now I gained a bit). I figured it was the travelling, but after I arrived in Mamallapuram I decided it would be better to go see a doctor and as it turns out it's bacteria. More than one and I could have been carrying them around for weeks now, there's no way of telling. It's not dangerous, but if untreated they absorb all the nutritions and that's when you start feeling tired and low on energy. So I'm on some kind of cure now that consists of 6 different pills, in total 33 pills over 5 days to kill those little bastards!! Yep, I'm killing that animalfarm!! Taking back my energy!
I don't consider myself sick, but yet if I would be sick; Mamallapuram is the place to be then. It's a tinny village just by the sea near Chennai. The tourist area consists of 3 roads and it's full of Guest houses, restaurants and shops. But like I said before, people are so nice here. I spend my days just talking to the guys from the coffee house, the boy who works at one of the shops, the internetman, other tourists... no hassle, no tension! It is the perfect place to rest and regain my energy! Today I spend the afternoon by the pool and that will be my program for the next three days! No more!
On Tuesday I take my last train in India, from Chennai back to Delhi. The end of this first chapter is near and it makes me feel a bit sad. Although I hated India at times, it's been my home these last three months and it's always difficult to leave a place you called 'home'. I know, I still have a 28 hour trainride ahead of me, which is kind of a farewell gift to myself. I want to experience India one more time and there is no better way to do that then torment yourself with a extra long trainride... haha! I'm sure I will enjoy every second of it! And it will bring me back to my lovely Delhi, the place where it all started. The place I arrived at February last year and that made me cry! Yep, I've grown fond of it... bizar, but then again this is 'INCREDIBLE INDIA'!! :-D

zaterdag 15 januari 2011

Goa - Mangalore - Chennai - Pondycherry

My last days in Goa were a bit weird. I met so many wonderful people and made some real friends. But it was time to say goodbye. The road was calling me! First there was Devika, that was the hardest part. We were traveling together for a month and we were "a damn fine team"! She left in the afternoon and our goodbye went pretty fast so we wouldn't get all emotional. I guess we're both the 'hard' type! Haha! ;-) But I'm sure we'll meet again!
The next day I went to visit Annemie and Patrick in Candolim. One last dinner together and what a dinner that was! They had mozzarella as a starter and then big prawns with garlic on the BBQ. They had been bragging before about their terrace, but now I knew what it was all about. A super night in good company and amazing food! Thanks again guys!
My last day I had lunch with Matthias and the Manali-crew. They're a crazy bunch, but I had fun with them and it made staying in Manali Guest House a very interesting and relaxing time! They all left together to go to Hampi, but I was there before so I had to go my own way. I do think about them and how they are over there in Hampi, but I'm pretty sure they're having a good time!
And last but not least I said goodbye to Chris, Indian style over tea, massala chai! Haha! Well, saying goodbye to him was not that hard because I know he'll come to Belgium this summer. He's not convinced yet, but I know! Haha! Chris, you're reading this? Yeah? Well, stop, NOW you know!!! :-D
And then I was off! Off to Chennai. The direct train only runs once a week on Friday and since I wanted to leave on Monday the travel agent managed to find me an 'alternative route'. Yep, that's what they call it. I call it 'the hard way'. So I had to take a train from Goa to Mangalore. It was gonna leave at 10:30 PM and arrive at 6:30 AM. That's what I was told. The reality was a bit different. The train was late and didn't come until midnight. There I was in the station in the ladies waiting room. I went outside for a minute to smoke a cigarette and when I came back the police were removing a male figure from that waiting room. Apparently he had been doing some 'animal like' things to himself... or something. Anyway, I'm glad I missed that and so I stayed out on the platform. All of a sudden I turn around and this dude comes sneaking up behind me and says 'hi' only 10 centimeters away from my face! Well, I don't like it when they invade my privacy so I yelled "GO AWAY". And that was that, or so I thought. When the train finally arrived I make my way to my coach and when I get on there is a group of 'monkeys' fighting each other to get on the train. In the crowd I loose my shoe and so I yell to calm down, get back... I need my shoe! The group is all sitting down in my compartment. What is going on here? It's time to be tough and so I ask them to calm down and shut up, and who has a ticket and who is not supposed to be there? Thank god, one of them is really friendly and he explains that they are on the waiting list and the conductor made them wait here, but if I want to go to sleep, they will go and sit somewhere else. I'm happy with that and I don't mind them sitting there, but I will go to sleep soon. And then I turn right and there he is... the dude who invaded my privacy on the platform. He points at my backpack and wants me to remove it so he can sit down. Here? Right next to me? Are you kidding? " NO, YOU don't get to sit next to me! Go away!!" And this time he does... forever, because I didn't see him again! After 15 minutes I'm up in my bed and I set my alarm for 6 o'clock, Thank God I overhear a conversation saying we will be arriving at 4:30 AM. What? Only 4 hours for sleeping... pfff, short night! On top of that my stomach is finally upset. After 2 months of nothing, it decides to get all hostile on me right now! Worst timing.
At 4:40AM we arrive in Mangalore. Well, outside Mangalore because no one told me there are 3 railway stations in Mangalore. I'm tired, my stomach hurts, it's dark... so I decide to stay in the station until it gets light. If I go to town now, everything will be closed, so the safest place at this hour is in the station in front of the station manager's office. There were drunks, dogs, a 15-minute blackout, but I managed to sleep a bit wrapped in my blanket on my backpack. When I wake up it's light and the sun is rising! A man just dropped of his family and offers to share a rickshaw into town. He negotiates the price and even insists on paying. I did pay half, but it was a nice man without any other motive than to be nice! I find myself a room for the day and after sleeping and a shower I head into town. It's so clean here and everybody is nice! Really, people are just friendly and they don't want anything from you. Rickshaws use their meter without you having to ask them. The travel agent gave me the correct information without charging me anything. This is an amazing place! If I had more time I would have stayed, but unfortunately I have another night train ahead. This one leaves at 9:30 PM and will arrive in Chennai at 3:30 PM. Only 18 hours... piece of cake!
I get there on time and the train leaves on time. This time I'm in the women's compartment and the Indian railway take that very serious! There is a police officer right next to it. And twice someone tried to sleep on the one empty bed in our compartment, the conductor and the police were there in an instant to remove them. Amazing! Yep, I closed my eyes and slept. Except from running to the toilet every 2-3 hours the ride was smooth and at 4PM we arrive in Chennai. I check in my hotel and even though it looks like a cell, 2 by 3 meters with white tiles all around, it has a TV and that is all I need now. A banana, water (my stomach) and Television!! "Moulin Rouge"! Oooh, I made it! Haha. :-D
I get outside the next day but my stomach is still upset and Chennai is such a big city, that I decide to spend the day in a shopping mall. First time in India, but today I need it. A clean, cool place. It only takes me 2 rickshaws and one fight to get there, no I'm not in Mangalore anymore, but I really enjoyed that! And again I make it an early night in front of my TV... haha, it's the little things that make you happy sometimes! ;-)
Okay, my stomach is better and today is the day that I leave Chennai to go to Pondycherry. First I have to make it to the bus station. Rickshaw drivers are yelling at me to go with them, they tell me it's 20 kilometers out of town, blablabla... finally a shopkeeper comes outside and tells me that I can take a bus too. That I don't have to use a rickshaw drivers, because I will pay too much. Right in front of them he tells me all of this! Amazing! Honest, in your face! Haha! Well, the bus it is. Number 27B. 27B must be the busiest freaking bus in Chennai! And I get on with my backpack. It's hell. I'm standing in the middle, nothing to hold on to, and I'm being pushed from one side to the other. You know those metal balls in those plastic games? Kids have to get the ball in the middle? Well, that's what I was! A metal ball! Jezus! And all you can do, is let go! Just let go and try not to fall! Finally a man has to get off and offers me his seat. So I get down with my backpack, but the space it too narrow for me AND the backpack. So I try to get back up to remove my backpack, but everybody insists on me staying put... they do it out of friendliness. They want me to sit down, but damned, they don't realize that being squashed like this is hardly comfortable... Now that they are being friendly and caring, their timing is a bit wrong. But I stay put and manage to find a way to make it work.
Next is the bus to Pondycherry. It only takes me half an hour to find it. Chennai bus station is huge and you see signs everywhere. I knew where the Police was, and the Pharmacy, and the bookshop... but no signs telling you where to go for Pondycherry. Finally I ask the Police, because I know how to find THEM and they are our 'best friend, always happy to help'. Haha, this one is friendly and shows me the way. He should change jobs... too nice to be a police officer and too intelligent. ;-)
The bus is packed, as usual. And they manage to put me next to two fat mamas and a fat baby. I had half a seat and people stepping on my toes on the other side. But I'm experienced now, so all I need is my music and I disconnect with my body for 4 hours. And here I am, in Pondycherry and it is beautiful!!! It used to be a French settlement. So the Architecture is amazing! I didn't find a guest house yesterday, everything was full. But thanks to an older French man I now have an apartment for only 500 roepies. It's beautiful, if this was in Belgium I would buy it! And the food... well, this is one thing the French left behind here, Thank God. The food is amazing! I had baguette for breakfast, real baguette! Wow! And in fact, I have to go now, because they're waiting for me and I'm pretty sure tonight is gonna be 'steak night'!! Joehoe!
Bon appetit!!

maandag 10 januari 2011

Indian reality; what is NOT in the brochure...

So, I've been in India a little over two months now and you would think that I'm not that easily surprised anymore. You know, been there....done that! But the truth is that everything that shocked me 2 months ago... well, that doesn't shock me anymore, but it annoys me. The best way to deal with it, to make it bearable, is just to laugh about it. Unfortunately I loose my patience every now and then and then I get really angry. I have little respect left for Indians and that shows sometimes in my behavior. But it's really hard to have respect for a population that doesn't even know the meaning of the word 'respect'. So I'm what they call "toughened up". Yep, toughened up Emma... I don't think I like her that much and I hope me being here so long doesn't inflict any permanent damage. 
Some examples of daily life in India and how this world works;
PEE
The little girl in my guest house is not wearing diapers and so every now and then she pees her pants and leaves a puddle of pee on the floor of the inner courtyard. Now, do you think that there is anyone in this family that bothers to clean that up? Of course not, it's only pee! Seriously, it's only a very smelly puddle of pee right next to their garden swing where they sit down to eat. No big deal! And the guests? Well, we only walk barefoot around the courtyard so it's not like we have to touch it with our hands, only with our feet. No big deal! 
TRASH
So I'm walking down the street, being all relaxed and all of a sudden... a pile of dirt is flying through the air. Some household is cleaning up and they just throw their filth out on the street. It's like the middle ages! 
But the worst I've seen so far was yesterday. Just outside the city of Mapusa I saw a stream, a little stream of water that is officially NOT a sewer, but it looked like one anyway. Next to it a young woman was kneeling down, bringing her cup in the water and... she was drinking it! She was drinking water from a stream that looked and smelled like a sewer! Now I know there's a lot of pollution and I know there's a lot of poverty... but now I also know how the two are connected! Indian Government is polluting the country in the hope that poor people will get contaminated and sick and they will die and then there will be no more poverty?!
BUS
I took a bus from Anjuna to Mapusa and that takes about 25 minutes. We were all packed up in there like sardines in a tin. Now imagine; it's 35 degrees, the sun is shining, people are sweating, smelling and they yell at each other in order to get on the bus. Standing passengers allowed is 11, but I think we were close to 20. Now all of a sudden there was a strange burning smell so the conductor had to open the front hatch from the inside of the bus while the bus was still driving... As soon as he opened the hatch smoke came out and obviously the engine was overheated. Do you think this bus pulled over? Of course not! The smoke might be bothering the sardines in the back but that doesn't bother the driver, so he just kept going.  And the conductor pored water over the engine. The first cups of water he pored literally vaporised instantly, so he kept that water coming and did so the whole way till we arrived in Mapusa. I've seen it so many times that behind the driver's seat there is a bucket of water. But until yesterday I had no idea what it was for. Now I know, it's the special 'engine-cooldown-bucket', a great and very important tool to have in India!
TAXI
So for the first week I was in Goa I always used the same taxi-driver. His name is Sudha and he lives close to the flat I was staying in. He was not cheap, but not as expensive as some of the others so I told him that he was charging me 'very good price' for him, but that I would pay because I knew I could count on him. First mistake; NEVER count on anyone here!! But he seemed really nice and pretty open. Every time we would have little talks and he even invited me to his house to meet his sister who does Mehndi (henna-tattoos). Second mistake; if they offer you something personal... it's not because they want to be friendly, it's because they can make money! Anyway, I liked Sudha and I KNOW I payed him well!
So we went to Palolim for 2 days and when we were on our way to the bus to come back to Anjuna, there was Sudha. He had just dropped off some people and he was now heading back. It's a two hour drive and off course it's not good to go back empty. BUT I also know they charge that 'coming back empty' to the client. So he offered to bring us back for 500 as to what I immediately replied; "250?". He said yes, nodded and didn't even try to bargain with me. I went to get the others and when I got back 10 minutes later, he was driving away with two other tourists in the back, and without stopping he pointed at me and yelled : "YOU GO BY BUS!!" That asshole! We had a deal, and he bailed on me. And for what? For a few roepies more. I understand that he wants to make money, but he didn't have to talk to me like that! He could have bargained with me. He could have told me that he would be looking for other better paying customers. I don't know... but this was uncalled for! And not to mention the business he is loosing because of it! The flat we are in is pretty far from everything so having a reliable 'taxi man' is a big asset. This way they always know who to call and Sudha would have regular work, even outside season. Now after my story they're not gonna use him anymore. I was his reference, but he stuffed up! Well, this is a fine example of what could have been a 'win-win' situation, but turned into a 'loose-loose' situation. And Sudha will never know!
FOOD
The last couple of days I've seen a few living corpses walking around. Stomach problems are very common here and I've seen what it does. People are sweating, feverish, in pain, drying out... it's not good. They heal after antibiotics, so it's not like they will die, but it's suffering! Now, we all know that when you come to India you have to be prepared. People get sick here. It's common knowledge. But I don't understand why a restaurant would prepare food that has not been kept properly... when they KNOW that it will make us sick. This is Goa, tourists have been coming here for decades, EVERYBODY knows that our stomaches are not that tough! Yet, they keep feeding it us. And why? To make money. Well, it's not only wrong, it's also extremely disrespectful!
MEN
I've taken about 10 buses that last week and what annoys me is to see how women and children are standing up, getting squashed while young strong men sit down on the seats. There really is no respect for women when in reality they are the ones who make India. THEY build the roads, literally road workers in India are most times women! THEY decorate India and make it the colorful place that attracts so many tourists. THEY give birth to the children and ensure a future. THEY feed the men in India so they can keep doing absolutely nothing. Anyway, women are the heart of India but they get no respect for that! Sometimes I just want to kick to little punks'butts and tell them to fuck off. They contribute NOTHING to this society, unless you count lying, being lazy, poisoning westerns, sitting on their asses, getting drunk... a contribution?! 
But on top of having to stand... they all get grabbed. There's always some sexually frustrated one that thinks he can touch butts and tits. And they don't try so much with me because they know I would slap them! But I see them do it also with Indian women. Disgusting, they should castrate them! 

Thank you for listening to me 'wining'! I'm having this love-hate affair with India and today the 'hate-part' is wining the match. Anyway, from today on it's only 18 more days and I'm leaving India. But you want to know the worst part? As much as I hate India and I get angry about everything written above and more... I am gonna be sad to go! How fucked up is that?! ;-)) 

maandag 3 januari 2011

Goa? Yeah, Goa!!

I'm still here in Goa. I didn't really want to come back here, but now I am starting to enjoy it. I know my way around, have some friends here and there... so Goa is like little India to me now. We are cruising around in a 50's Fiat Convertible from Devika's parents and except for the times our Betty refuses to start, it's heaven.
Yeah, Betty broke down on the road this afternoon. We thought she was hungry ans so we gave her some petrol but still she refused to go. We thought she was thirsty and so we gave her some water but still nothing. Finally we had to push her to get a little burp and there she went again! Thank God! Me and two Indian guys pushed her over a hill and I can assure you; at lunchtime in the blazing sun... that's not very healthy. But Betty rewarded us and hasn't stopped working since then! Yihaa! ;-)
New Year was 'special', to say the least. Last week we were sleeping a lot ever since we arrived in Goa. A few days ago when we got up Devika had this lump in her neck and after a visit to the doctor it turned out she had a throat infection. Me, I didn't have an infection like that... yet. But 'sleep' was the only thing on our minds. And boy, did we sleep! If it hadn't been for the sun stinging my eyes during sunset (yeah, I can see the sunset from my bed...) we might even have slept through New Year. But we got up at 6PM, kept ourselves awake till midnight and after looking at the fireworks in the distance... we went straight back to bed. On top of the tiredness and soar throat I also had stomach cramps and diarrhea (or is that too much information) so I didn't even have dinner on New Years Eve...Yep, we wanted to do something 'different' for New Years and that's exactly what we got: 'different'! Haha! Don't worry, we had fun and laughed the whole 6 hours! :-D
Now we're better and spend our time meeting up with friends. It's funny how a lot of people we met along the way turn up here in Goa. Some of them we haven't seen for 3 or 4 weeks and here they are. And now that Goa is becoming Goa again it's fun hanging out together.
Yeah, for a day or 3 (of which we slept 2, thank god) Goa was a bit too much. Rich Indian men come here to spend New Year and they are disgusting. They drink a lot even tough they can't handle their liquor and start talking dirty, there were fights... but all of a sudden they've all disappeared! And Goa is free of them again. The roads are emptier again, the bars are decent again... yep, Goa is getting back to it's normal rhythm and that's good. I'm used to that rhythm now. I learned to block out the Russians. So I like that rhythm now... It's slow and easy so I don't really have that much to tell you, except that I'm in a really good place and I'm loving the New Year.
So Happy New Year everybody!!
xxx