On Wednesday, Tom and I are going to hop on a train that takes us 2590km south to Kerala, a lush tropical part of India and the absolute opposite of what we've been living the last two weeks.
Rather than looking out on a steep hillside covered with cloud, we'll be seeing fishermen on vast waterways casting their nets to catch small fish.
Rather than the Himalayas, there will be coconut trees.
Rather than warm jackets, bikinis will be the order of the day. (Tom included - he loves to wear a bikini!) he hee!
The problem is that we'll take three days and three nights to get there. That is one long bugger of a train ride. Therefore we've sat in an internet cafe most of the afternoon trying to upload movies on to Tom's playstation portable (yes, the new age of travel) so that we wont die of boredom.
And thankfully, we have a set of cards, several computer games, and good books to read. It's still gonna be boring though.
I'm looking forward, now, to some warmer weather (yes, I know I was whingeing two weeks ago about the heat)! For a holiday to be complete, I have to have a tan. A good enough tan to visibly see my bikini strap marks. I know.... not very sun safe of me! But after two weeks of solid cloud around my head, some sun, beers, and cocounut trees will be just what the doctor ordered.
And therefore, another 5 days or so til we post again. Hope you're all happy and well. Love you
Kx
Monday, October 29, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Trek.... mate.
Hey Guys
Well, here we are back in Darjeeling after a gruelling 5 day trek in the Himalayas to a height of 3636m above sea level. Oh my god. My thighs may never forgive me! And that's just been from the downhill part!
So we left Darjeeling at 7am Saturday morning, went to Maneybanjang and got ourselves a guide, who doubled as our porter (for an extra $1.20 a day!) and started out - the trek began at 9am Saturday morning. Straight up. For hours. We ascended 900m that first day and it was hard but worth it when we got to the top and found ourselves in a lovely "hotel" with a fire in our room! Woo hoo! (Photo attached). It was freezing though, so glad we had it!
2nd day, started from 3000m and had a relatively easy day, up and down to 3100m. The second night we slept better, to the sounds of really loud Indian, Bengali and Nepali people celebrating DuSera, a Buddhist festival where everyone gets drunk and sings really loudly! Thank god for Ipods....
3rd day.... eating breakfast with a yak staring in the window at us, we greeted the day. Today, regardless of only walking 6km, it was straight up. To 3636m and our destination, Sandakphu. It was hard. Really really hard. I cried. Seems that the height and the strain made me a bit emotional. But we made it. And only in 3 hrs. Which is great considering we were so high! Clouds completely obscuring our view of the mighty himalayas, but surely in the morning, it'll be clear.
NOPE!
So after 3 days of really hard slog, a view that was only just worth it. THe clouds are always hovering and we only got to see a little of Kanchenjunga, the worlds 3rd most high mountain. But it was beautiful. Tom stayed in bed... he'd had a dreadful nights' sleep. (Photo attached)
That day, we walked 14km, all down steps and a gradient of about 30 degrees.... hard hard hard. This is the reason we now have to explain to stangers on the street why we walk like cripples.... we're in a lot of pain! However, after 14km, we found ourselves in an enchanting village perched on the edge of a thundering river, called Sirikhola.... so pretty. And we had the most amazing night, with our guide, Sanjeep, singing Nepali love songs to us, whilst a round faced little Sikkimese cherub sat on my lap. (see photo - pink & blue jumper)
All in all, it was tough, and i didn't wash or brush my hair for 5 days, but totally lovely and totally something we can say, Yes, We Did That. So for that, I'm happy.
And to tell the truth, the worst part of the trek was the perilous jeep ride back to Darjeeling which took 4 hrs yesterday arvo and left us with spinal injuries and a new respect for people who believe in the allmighty.
Last night, we stayed in a place with running hot water (the bliss!) and a soft soft bed (still 100x harder than any bed in Oz) but so welcome after that hard slog!
So we're safe and well and happy in Darjeeling again.
List of things to do before 30 just got smaller....
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Darjeeling
Oh yeah! This place is LUSH! Darjeeling is everything we'd hoped it would be and we've just finished the BEST cup of tea we've had since we've been in India - and why not? We're at the very heart of tea production in the world!
But, before I go into that, I have to tell you guys what an absolute nightmare we had getting here. Lucky it's worth it!
We left Varanasi on Sunday, heading to the Mughal Sarai train station, 12km from Varanasi city, in a autorickshaw. As the city of Varanasi fell behind us, we thought for sure that we were going to be taken out to the middle of nowhere and robbed, but he delivered us to the station no problems. Although by that time, we were sweaty, covered in dust and car fumes, and felt dreadful to start a 17 hour train trip to New Jaipalguri, the station closest to Darjeeling. The train was 2 hrs and 15 minutes late (we're getting used to that) so didn't leave til after 11pm at night. And when it DID arrive, we found a carriage full to the brim of Indian people, obviously without tickets, and several of them laying in our berths. After much confusion, shouting, and general rowdiness, a kind Indian man spoke to us in English, and told the offending members to get off our damn beds. The trip that followed didn't get much better. It was roasting hot, the windows were open wide to all sorts of insects and dust and grime, and the lights stayed on all night.
I slept. Tom didn't.
Waking at 7am, after not the best sleep ever, but at least some, I stayed in bed, pretending to sleep for another hour or so before nature called (i was so hoping it wouldn't - if you can imagine a carriage with over 200 people in it all using the same loo, you can imagine what the filth!)
Tom finally dropped off at about 6am and slept til 11am, so i read my book, looked out the window at the amazing wetlands for hours on end, and spoke to a lovely Nepalese man returning to his family after 9 mths having not seen him.
Tom woke when the train had emptied quite a lot, so we were both a lot more calm.
Anyway, we made it to NJP station, 4 hours late, and had to find a jeep going to Darjeeling. A local man helped us and we heaved our backpacks on to the roof and we got in. Opposite, a drunk man with a massive knife handle sticking out of his backpack, tried to converse with us in Hindi, and regardless of the fact that we repeatedly told him Australian/English, he continued babbling. The jeep, a normal sized jeep mind you, had 11 people in it. We were jammed in like sardines. Uncomfortable to say the least.
It was dark by the time we started climbing the hill to Darjeeling, and a massive thunderstorm broke, during which our driver pulled the car over at a tea stall, we all piled out, and had a cup of tea. TOm and I were smirking to each other over the weirdness of the situation, and we tried to avoid drunken knife man at all costs.
The storm subsided, we all piled back in, and further up the mountain we went. By this time I was glad it was dark, because, although I glimpsed the danger of the jeep driving over what seemed to be landslides, I pretended I couldn't see anything.
We made it, at 9.30pm we finally got here, and found everything shut. The rest of India doesn't even eat dinner til 10pm, and here we were, starving, exhausted, and so keen to find our hotel, and we couldn't find a soul to tell us where the hell it was. Finally a kindly soul was found, pointed the way, and we made it!
HOTEL FULL.
No f%#$ing way. I made a BOOKING for this one!
So I knocked, a room was found and it was lovely and exactly what we needed after 24 hours of travelling.
And now we're here. We love Darjeeling. It's our favourite place so far.
And in two days, we're heading on a trek to the Himalayan foothills to see some snow capped mountains. SHould be fun.... No updates for a while - maybe mid next week.
But, before I go into that, I have to tell you guys what an absolute nightmare we had getting here. Lucky it's worth it!
We left Varanasi on Sunday, heading to the Mughal Sarai train station, 12km from Varanasi city, in a autorickshaw. As the city of Varanasi fell behind us, we thought for sure that we were going to be taken out to the middle of nowhere and robbed, but he delivered us to the station no problems. Although by that time, we were sweaty, covered in dust and car fumes, and felt dreadful to start a 17 hour train trip to New Jaipalguri, the station closest to Darjeeling. The train was 2 hrs and 15 minutes late (we're getting used to that) so didn't leave til after 11pm at night. And when it DID arrive, we found a carriage full to the brim of Indian people, obviously without tickets, and several of them laying in our berths. After much confusion, shouting, and general rowdiness, a kind Indian man spoke to us in English, and told the offending members to get off our damn beds. The trip that followed didn't get much better. It was roasting hot, the windows were open wide to all sorts of insects and dust and grime, and the lights stayed on all night.
I slept. Tom didn't.
Waking at 7am, after not the best sleep ever, but at least some, I stayed in bed, pretending to sleep for another hour or so before nature called (i was so hoping it wouldn't - if you can imagine a carriage with over 200 people in it all using the same loo, you can imagine what the filth!)
Tom finally dropped off at about 6am and slept til 11am, so i read my book, looked out the window at the amazing wetlands for hours on end, and spoke to a lovely Nepalese man returning to his family after 9 mths having not seen him.
Tom woke when the train had emptied quite a lot, so we were both a lot more calm.
Anyway, we made it to NJP station, 4 hours late, and had to find a jeep going to Darjeeling. A local man helped us and we heaved our backpacks on to the roof and we got in. Opposite, a drunk man with a massive knife handle sticking out of his backpack, tried to converse with us in Hindi, and regardless of the fact that we repeatedly told him Australian/English, he continued babbling. The jeep, a normal sized jeep mind you, had 11 people in it. We were jammed in like sardines. Uncomfortable to say the least.
It was dark by the time we started climbing the hill to Darjeeling, and a massive thunderstorm broke, during which our driver pulled the car over at a tea stall, we all piled out, and had a cup of tea. TOm and I were smirking to each other over the weirdness of the situation, and we tried to avoid drunken knife man at all costs.
The storm subsided, we all piled back in, and further up the mountain we went. By this time I was glad it was dark, because, although I glimpsed the danger of the jeep driving over what seemed to be landslides, I pretended I couldn't see anything.
We made it, at 9.30pm we finally got here, and found everything shut. The rest of India doesn't even eat dinner til 10pm, and here we were, starving, exhausted, and so keen to find our hotel, and we couldn't find a soul to tell us where the hell it was. Finally a kindly soul was found, pointed the way, and we made it!
HOTEL FULL.
No f%#$ing way. I made a BOOKING for this one!
So I knocked, a room was found and it was lovely and exactly what we needed after 24 hours of travelling.
And now we're here. We love Darjeeling. It's our favourite place so far.
And in two days, we're heading on a trek to the Himalayan foothills to see some snow capped mountains. SHould be fun.... No updates for a while - maybe mid next week.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
The Holy City of Varanasi
Twice I have written this post and twice have been foiled so quick one. Here in Varanasi now and tomorrow heading to Darjeeling. Will be great to get to the cooler hills in the Himalayan foothills so we're both looking forward to it.
Varanasi, for such a holy city, is a pig sty. But it's an interesting pigsty. They burn people on the platforms by the river to ensure that their souls go straight to heaven, and people bath in the Holy Ganges River morning and night to cleanse themselves. Personally I think they may leave dirtier than they entered.
Photos still eluding me - this computer has no CD Drive so soon - soon. I've got some really cracking photos too, so realy want to upload some but it's just not happening. Sorry guys.
Anyway, hope you're all well and happy. We're still loving travel and loving life and enjoying this eye-opening and enriching experience. Which is what it was all about really....
Varanasi, for such a holy city, is a pig sty. But it's an interesting pigsty. They burn people on the platforms by the river to ensure that their souls go straight to heaven, and people bath in the Holy Ganges River morning and night to cleanse themselves. Personally I think they may leave dirtier than they entered.
Photos still eluding me - this computer has no CD Drive so soon - soon. I've got some really cracking photos too, so realy want to upload some but it's just not happening. Sorry guys.
Anyway, hope you're all well and happy. We're still loving travel and loving life and enjoying this eye-opening and enriching experience. Which is what it was all about really....
Monday, October 8, 2007
Post by "the other half"...
Ok, so I'm a proper lazy shirker of blogging duties lay about and I know it. So tonight is my first ever post on our blog. Thanks soooo much to my darling Karen for all the updates over the past few months and here goes.
So here we are in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. Having been around Rajasthan for the past week and a halfish we're just about to head back to Delhi and then onwards to Varanassi, Darjeeling etc. Our travels so far have been as I'm sure you are all aware, amazing. From the madness of Delhi, to the nuclear heat of Jaisalmer and now the ennormity of the Taj Mahal. I am looking forward to some cooler weather in the Himalayan foot hills, not to mention the tea!
Right now I am very full of gorgeous, cheap curry (again) and will shortly have to retire to our room to no doubt play more games of cards with Karen and drink more Bagpiper (India's national whiskey).
Life here, wherever that is as "here" changes about every 2/3 days is great. Loving the travel scene and exploring India has so far been a brilliant experience.
Onward! Ok folks, that's about it for my first post, hope I didn't bore you all too much and if I did, tough shite as I can't exactly undo you reading it now can I?!
Loads of love to you all,
Tom x
So here we are in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. Having been around Rajasthan for the past week and a halfish we're just about to head back to Delhi and then onwards to Varanassi, Darjeeling etc. Our travels so far have been as I'm sure you are all aware, amazing. From the madness of Delhi, to the nuclear heat of Jaisalmer and now the ennormity of the Taj Mahal. I am looking forward to some cooler weather in the Himalayan foot hills, not to mention the tea!
Right now I am very full of gorgeous, cheap curry (again) and will shortly have to retire to our room to no doubt play more games of cards with Karen and drink more Bagpiper (India's national whiskey).
Life here, wherever that is as "here" changes about every 2/3 days is great. Loving the travel scene and exploring India has so far been a brilliant experience.
Onward! Ok folks, that's about it for my first post, hope I didn't bore you all too much and if I did, tough shite as I can't exactly undo you reading it now can I?!
Loads of love to you all,
Tom x
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Agra & The Taj Mahal
Hey all
Well, we're here in Agra, the home of the Taj Mahal and a wonderful city. After being in Jaipur, a hectic and dirty place, it's nice to see a city where they are so proud of their monument.
We are staying in a hotel with an INCREDIBLE view of the Taj. From the rooftop, you can see it in all its splendour. It's really an amazing building.
Things are good with us travelling together too. Having travelled with a boyfriend before and not having had similar travel styles, it's nice to be able to relax and take it easy with Tom. The most stressful thing we've done together is trying to locate our nearest Beer and Wine Shop (this is what the Bottle-O's or Off-Licences are called here!)
Tonight, feeling sleepy and not up to doing anything, we had a quick dinner on the roof terrace and then slipped into our room for a game of Pontoon (or 21) on our bed, a hipflask of whisky to share between us. The only reason I'm on the internet again is because Tom is talking to his mama in England. THere's been some big news from his family - their childhood home has been sold and Tom and his sister Jess are very sad about it (and his mum and step dad), understandably. I don't know whether all of you readers have a childhood home, but I'm sure when it comes to my ma and pa selling our house, I'm going to be very sad indeed. It is a good move, though, I'm sure, for TOm's folks, who are embarking on a whole new phase of life and will no doubt lead to wonderful things for them. I'm sure you've done the right thing.
Things here are good. We leave Agra on Tuesday to go back to Anil and Renu's place in Delhi for some relaxation before heading to Varanasi on Thursday. We are looking forward to some cooler weather in Darjeeling early next week.
The things i find most weird about India are:
1. The men all chew tobacco and therefore spend most of their time hacking up big globules of phlem which they spit indescriminately into the street. You spend a lot of time avoiding slipping in these small puddles.
2. The women all walk behind the men, at least 2 metres, I assume because women are still considered the lesser sex. Fortunately, Tom walks behind me on busy streets so that he can keep an eye on me.
3. Standards of cleanliness are just not even close to those in the West. Rubbish bins are impossible to find and it's hard to reconcile that holding on to your rubbish for the half hour it takes to find one will make any difference at all in this mess.
4. "Nature" is a different term here. Nature here means any patch of grass.
5. I've seen countless men taking a piss on the streets against a wall but have never seen a woman trying to find a loo. WHere do they go??? (I just hold on....)
6. The first question any person will ask you in INdia is "What is your country?" to which i reply, Australia, then they all say "Ricky Ponting"! he he! They LOVE cricket here.
Anyway, that all sounds a bit like I'm rubbishing India, and that's by no means what I'm tryng to do. People are happy - most sing as they work or ride their bikes, and they all want to know how much we like their country. And we do, very much.
Hoping you're all well, happy and safe.
Kaz xxx
PS - Tom promised to post soon. Keep an eye out!
Well, we're here in Agra, the home of the Taj Mahal and a wonderful city. After being in Jaipur, a hectic and dirty place, it's nice to see a city where they are so proud of their monument.
We are staying in a hotel with an INCREDIBLE view of the Taj. From the rooftop, you can see it in all its splendour. It's really an amazing building.
Things are good with us travelling together too. Having travelled with a boyfriend before and not having had similar travel styles, it's nice to be able to relax and take it easy with Tom. The most stressful thing we've done together is trying to locate our nearest Beer and Wine Shop (this is what the Bottle-O's or Off-Licences are called here!)
Tonight, feeling sleepy and not up to doing anything, we had a quick dinner on the roof terrace and then slipped into our room for a game of Pontoon (or 21) on our bed, a hipflask of whisky to share between us. The only reason I'm on the internet again is because Tom is talking to his mama in England. THere's been some big news from his family - their childhood home has been sold and Tom and his sister Jess are very sad about it (and his mum and step dad), understandably. I don't know whether all of you readers have a childhood home, but I'm sure when it comes to my ma and pa selling our house, I'm going to be very sad indeed. It is a good move, though, I'm sure, for TOm's folks, who are embarking on a whole new phase of life and will no doubt lead to wonderful things for them. I'm sure you've done the right thing.
Things here are good. We leave Agra on Tuesday to go back to Anil and Renu's place in Delhi for some relaxation before heading to Varanasi on Thursday. We are looking forward to some cooler weather in Darjeeling early next week.
The things i find most weird about India are:
1. The men all chew tobacco and therefore spend most of their time hacking up big globules of phlem which they spit indescriminately into the street. You spend a lot of time avoiding slipping in these small puddles.
2. The women all walk behind the men, at least 2 metres, I assume because women are still considered the lesser sex. Fortunately, Tom walks behind me on busy streets so that he can keep an eye on me.
3. Standards of cleanliness are just not even close to those in the West. Rubbish bins are impossible to find and it's hard to reconcile that holding on to your rubbish for the half hour it takes to find one will make any difference at all in this mess.
4. "Nature" is a different term here. Nature here means any patch of grass.
5. I've seen countless men taking a piss on the streets against a wall but have never seen a woman trying to find a loo. WHere do they go??? (I just hold on....)
6. The first question any person will ask you in INdia is "What is your country?" to which i reply, Australia, then they all say "Ricky Ponting"! he he! They LOVE cricket here.
Anyway, that all sounds a bit like I'm rubbishing India, and that's by no means what I'm tryng to do. People are happy - most sing as they work or ride their bikes, and they all want to know how much we like their country. And we do, very much.
Hoping you're all well, happy and safe.
Kaz xxx
PS - Tom promised to post soon. Keep an eye out!
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
OH MY GOD!
I CANNOT UPLOAD PHOTOS AND ITS ANNOYING ME!!!
I'm really really trying blog readers but the holy grail is eluding me. Will keep trying whilst i write.
Things here couldn't be better. Tom and I have just had a wonderful day exploring the buzzing metropolis of Jodhpur in Rajasthan and have had a marvellous day. I don't know what's come over me but since we've been in india, i can't seem to wake up early, so when we woke (at 11am) after a beautiful, cool nights sleep, we ventured out into the midday sun (scorching) to catch a breakky of samosas in a local street cart before exploring the old city and seeing the sights around there. Cashless, we decided to find an ATM to get some rupees, but found that, after visiting 5 and finding no money in ANY of them, that Jodhpur seems to be running on smiles rather than dollars. We finally found one and visited the fort soaring 175m above the city, where we were baked in the sun whilst trying to get a perfect pic of the Blue City, which Jodhpur is famous for. It really is enchanting.
We then walked down the mountain (along a steep, slippery path) and were invited into a fellows house, and cajoled into gettnig our hands hennaed (that lovely orange stain that Indian women get put on their hands before getting married). We were promised that, once completed and our hands put together palm to palm, that our lives together would be blessed with happiness, a good home, a wonderful career, many babies, and a long life. Not bad for less than $10!
We ventured back to the old city and tried (in vain) to get another couple of indian tops for me, as i feel fairly exposed in my western gear. No luck, unfortunately. And they probably don't deserve my trade actually, because when they see me, they immediately cry "Big size for you madam!". F-ers.
One bad experience today, whilst surrounded by loevly, squealing indian children, wanting a piece of the westerner with blond hair, a man in their midst groped my bum. I certainly put him in his place by shouting at the TOP of my voice, "DO NOT TOUCH ME, DO NOT EVER TOUCH ME". He claimed he didn't but I saw his hand leaving my buttocks so have fairly good evidence. He skulked away quick smart. Not too bad though. Ready for the next bad man who thinks he can have a piece of me.
Have had a lovely veg curry tonight (have only eaten meat once or twice the entire trip) and sat on the rooftop watching the fort fade in the sunset. The lights aren't working to illuminate it, but it was amazing nonetheless.
A big happy birthday to Aunty Pam also. Hope she had a lovely day.
Tomorrow, Jaipur, the Rajasthani capital. 2.3 million indians and some lovely sights to see. Can't wait.
Kisses and hugs to everyone. Kris, what's happening?
Love you
kx
PS - I think I've got some photos working - in no order here they are:
Me with a bindi blessing after attending a Hindu temple with MC in Bikaner
Tom and MC in Bikaner
Tom on the roof of our hotel in Jaisalmer
TOm with Renu and Anil at the very fancy golf club in Delhi
The rat temple, Kani Mata
Monday, October 1, 2007
Photos
Had an incredible day yesterday. We met an old man on the train from Delh to Bikaner called MC Mohta, who is a retired doctor and was a lovely warm man. Invited us to his house, so we called him up and then went over. He has three houses in Bikaner - two very new ones and one built in the 70s. All very lovely and big and mod-cons etc. His whole family was there to meet us, and we were treated to a tour around bikaner, to his other two houses (very grand) and to his temple. They took us to their son's house (Also a doctor) and his lovely wife, a physician, gave me some hairclips and a sari!!! It's lovely and very colourful! We went with them into the temple and they blessed us and we tied some saffron and red string around a column to ensure our wishes come true. We then went back to MC's house and he fed us before asking his son, Anil, to take us to the train station. Such warm welcoming people. We've invited MC to our wedding and hope that he'll come. A truly incredible and inclusive experience - felt like royalty!
Speaking of which, we almost are.... when we got to the train station, a man with a small daughter came up to us and offered us a Namaste (peace be with you) and held his daughters hand out to us to shake! Perhaps she'd never seen white people before!
We are now in Jaisalmer - a beautiful sandstone city in the middle of the thar desert. We're staying in a lovely hotel with views over to the fort which was built in the 10th century. It's really an amazing place.
By the way, I noticed a typo in the former blog entry - 250 rs is less that $10 (NOT $100 - we can't afford those types of hotels!)
Sorry no phtoos again guys. Just can't get a fast enough computer. Soon soon....
Speaking of which, we almost are.... when we got to the train station, a man with a small daughter came up to us and offered us a Namaste (peace be with you) and held his daughters hand out to us to shake! Perhaps she'd never seen white people before!
We are now in Jaisalmer - a beautiful sandstone city in the middle of the thar desert. We're staying in a lovely hotel with views over to the fort which was built in the 10th century. It's really an amazing place.
By the way, I noticed a typo in the former blog entry - 250 rs is less that $10 (NOT $100 - we can't afford those types of hotels!)
Sorry no phtoos again guys. Just can't get a fast enough computer. Soon soon....
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