Sunday, 14 December 2008
Sunday, 7 December 2008
News from New Delhi
Hi everybody,
It has been a while since we updated the bolg, too much fun and things to do / see to spend time in a internet cafe! We are now in Delhi (and yes Andrew has got Delhi belly!) and have a few days here before we start again on the road to head off to Mombai.
So what have we been up to? Lots, after Darjeeling we went to Gangtok, after a while driving on the truck roof top (awsome feeling) we stopped off for some lunch near a river and started on our noodles, only to realise that it was a popular spot for cremations too!.
Gangtock was good too, best bit were visiting a Budhist temple and be surrounded by lovely monks (lovely), riding a yak (she was beautifull, my Culy wanted to take her home!!) . and having a great group party between our bedroom and the hotel lobby with Phil & Dan playing guitar and making up silly and very funny songs about all of us.
The next 3 days were a nightmare as we could not cross the India / Nepal border were we thought (a dam broke and floaded the entire area!), so we had to drive a long long time to get to a border very late at night to realise that it was the wrong border ..... so off again driving and becoming a bit crazy, camping in something which was proaby a public toilet (stank so much) . We were so happy when we crossed the comedy border (2 guys and a hugh book and a lighter for light where they put the visas entries that nobody will ever look at!).
1st stop in Nepal was Pokhara, hotel was great, shopping too, we went to the peace pakoda and then took boat trip on the lake, our rower was 100 years old scary granny who did not look phased at all when we told her that there was water in the barge, she just handed us a plastic bottle so we could start scooping! Not a great place to be in when you carry with you all your valuables! It was good fun though, shame we did not have enough time there as would have liked to stay longer.
We then arrived in Kathmandu, and this place is something, great temples (went to the Monkey temple, Dabbar square!), nice city, really buzzing with locals / tourists / bars / restaurant were you can have a steak (YESSS). Sam's bar was were we spend some late nights and say goodbye to some of the guys for whom the trip stopped there, very sad. Was planning to shop there but they had political demonstrations and eveywhere shut down (one place we were actually in!), as the shop keepers were worried that brick would damage their stores! Fair enough, had to wait 1/2 to get out the breakfast place!
We then went to Chitwan national park and elephant sanctuary (Cristina, I have more photos of elephant for you!), the best bit about this was bathing with the elephanats, it was so much fun, they were spraying us with their trump and making us fall in the water. Loved this bit so much! We also went on a cannoo trip and I am not kidding I thought it was Pokhara all over again, nobody relaxed in this cannoo for fear of tipping it over! Walked back and saw big fat crocodile (nice and safe not !), and then our guide started to give us the health and safety tips in case we met a rhino ... did not realised we were doing something so dangerous!
Passed the Indian border again (hotel there was gross, could hear something in the room, moving at night, prefered not looking!), and did another couple of national parks. In one of them according to the lonely bloody planet you have 99.99% chance to see a tigger ......well we went on 3 bloody safaris and never saw one, fat luck hey! I was so pissed off arrhhhh - on our 2nd safari the jeep broke down in the middle of the park ... we were waiting for help as the sun went down (it is when you really don't want to meet a tigger!), Andrew actually fixed the car and was so gratefull as when we left the park and talked to the ranger there he told us that he did not know we were stuck there ...
We then drove to Varanassi, stayed in a fab hotel all nice and clean after a few nights of camping, food was great (anything but Indian, bit fed up with Thali and paneer!). We woke up very early to take a boat trip on the gangis (and I dipped my toe in it, what you would not do for a free bottle of gin these days!). I so loved this part, just rowing and watching all these people bathing in the gangis, washing clothes, praying, pooing too (nice you just have to hope that your laundry is being washed before the poo station!). People are crazy, there was some laughing yoga weirdos, just all sorts, got some great pictures. Was weird to see dead people about to or being cremated a real mix just amazing - especially washing in the gangis when you know that the water is actually septic for som much shit being in it!
Agra was the next stop, where we woke up early again (bloody sun rise, why cannotit rise at 10am!) to go and see the Taj Mahal. I felt so priviledge to be there, you see the place in books and hear about it but actually being in front of this beautifull, pure, elegant and amazing building was something else. Built for love hey, the atmosphere around it was calm and peacefull, we arrived early so we took some fab shots and in one I look like the one with princess Diana, just fab place. Would love to get back there again.
Jaipur was a cool city too, and the hotel awsome. It is what I originally thought India would be like, Maharajas, beautifull palaces, lots of bling and fab architecure (yet 3/4 of it is dust, dirt and sad cows!). It is the pink city as some king decided to have it painted pink once and since all is pink there. We visited the great Amber palace, observatory, and city palace, all great but we are staretd to become a bit templed out now and cannot wait to chill in Delhi. The pace of this trip is fast and busy. Went to see a medium there and it was good fun. I am happy I am going to be rich and live a long life according to his prediction .....yet he did not realised I was married and I am supposed to marry again in 2011, oups Andrew your time is up soon! Had some hena done too on my hands and feet looking good with this and my alibaba pants! Could pass as a local - except for the blonde hair and blue eyes!. Loved Jaipur best and really would like to come back again and spend time with Eugine our guide
We arrived in Delhi on the 4th done a bit of sightseeing, finished my Chrsitmas shopping, need to find post office now and pray it arrives safe! W e also said goodbye to our friends from this trip ass we are the only ones carrying on to Mumbai, made me so sad to say goodbye ...
I will post photos later on as run out of time! Let me know if you want to know any more about our travels and feel free to send us some comments and chat with us.
Lots of love
Caroline & Andrew
It has been a while since we updated the bolg, too much fun and things to do / see to spend time in a internet cafe! We are now in Delhi (and yes Andrew has got Delhi belly!) and have a few days here before we start again on the road to head off to Mombai.
So what have we been up to? Lots, after Darjeeling we went to Gangtok, after a while driving on the truck roof top (awsome feeling) we stopped off for some lunch near a river and started on our noodles, only to realise that it was a popular spot for cremations too!.
Gangtock was good too, best bit were visiting a Budhist temple and be surrounded by lovely monks (lovely), riding a yak (she was beautifull, my Culy wanted to take her home!!) . and having a great group party between our bedroom and the hotel lobby with Phil & Dan playing guitar and making up silly and very funny songs about all of us.
The next 3 days were a nightmare as we could not cross the India / Nepal border were we thought (a dam broke and floaded the entire area!), so we had to drive a long long time to get to a border very late at night to realise that it was the wrong border ..... so off again driving and becoming a bit crazy, camping in something which was proaby a public toilet (stank so much) . We were so happy when we crossed the comedy border (2 guys and a hugh book and a lighter for light where they put the visas entries that nobody will ever look at!).
1st stop in Nepal was Pokhara, hotel was great, shopping too, we went to the peace pakoda and then took boat trip on the lake, our rower was 100 years old scary granny who did not look phased at all when we told her that there was water in the barge, she just handed us a plastic bottle so we could start scooping! Not a great place to be in when you carry with you all your valuables! It was good fun though, shame we did not have enough time there as would have liked to stay longer.
We then arrived in Kathmandu, and this place is something, great temples (went to the Monkey temple, Dabbar square!), nice city, really buzzing with locals / tourists / bars / restaurant were you can have a steak (YESSS). Sam's bar was were we spend some late nights and say goodbye to some of the guys for whom the trip stopped there, very sad. Was planning to shop there but they had political demonstrations and eveywhere shut down (one place we were actually in!), as the shop keepers were worried that brick would damage their stores! Fair enough, had to wait 1/2 to get out the breakfast place!
We then went to Chitwan national park and elephant sanctuary (Cristina, I have more photos of elephant for you!), the best bit about this was bathing with the elephanats, it was so much fun, they were spraying us with their trump and making us fall in the water. Loved this bit so much! We also went on a cannoo trip and I am not kidding I thought it was Pokhara all over again, nobody relaxed in this cannoo for fear of tipping it over! Walked back and saw big fat crocodile (nice and safe not !), and then our guide started to give us the health and safety tips in case we met a rhino ... did not realised we were doing something so dangerous!
Passed the Indian border again (hotel there was gross, could hear something in the room, moving at night, prefered not looking!), and did another couple of national parks. In one of them according to the lonely bloody planet you have 99.99% chance to see a tigger ......well we went on 3 bloody safaris and never saw one, fat luck hey! I was so pissed off arrhhhh - on our 2nd safari the jeep broke down in the middle of the park ... we were waiting for help as the sun went down (it is when you really don't want to meet a tigger!), Andrew actually fixed the car and was so gratefull as when we left the park and talked to the ranger there he told us that he did not know we were stuck there ...
We then drove to Varanassi, stayed in a fab hotel all nice and clean after a few nights of camping, food was great (anything but Indian, bit fed up with Thali and paneer!). We woke up very early to take a boat trip on the gangis (and I dipped my toe in it, what you would not do for a free bottle of gin these days!). I so loved this part, just rowing and watching all these people bathing in the gangis, washing clothes, praying, pooing too (nice you just have to hope that your laundry is being washed before the poo station!). People are crazy, there was some laughing yoga weirdos, just all sorts, got some great pictures. Was weird to see dead people about to or being cremated a real mix just amazing - especially washing in the gangis when you know that the water is actually septic for som much shit being in it!
Agra was the next stop, where we woke up early again (bloody sun rise, why cannotit rise at 10am!) to go and see the Taj Mahal. I felt so priviledge to be there, you see the place in books and hear about it but actually being in front of this beautifull, pure, elegant and amazing building was something else. Built for love hey, the atmosphere around it was calm and peacefull, we arrived early so we took some fab shots and in one I look like the one with princess Diana, just fab place. Would love to get back there again.
Jaipur was a cool city too, and the hotel awsome. It is what I originally thought India would be like, Maharajas, beautifull palaces, lots of bling and fab architecure (yet 3/4 of it is dust, dirt and sad cows!). It is the pink city as some king decided to have it painted pink once and since all is pink there. We visited the great Amber palace, observatory, and city palace, all great but we are staretd to become a bit templed out now and cannot wait to chill in Delhi. The pace of this trip is fast and busy. Went to see a medium there and it was good fun. I am happy I am going to be rich and live a long life according to his prediction .....yet he did not realised I was married and I am supposed to marry again in 2011, oups Andrew your time is up soon! Had some hena done too on my hands and feet looking good with this and my alibaba pants! Could pass as a local - except for the blonde hair and blue eyes!. Loved Jaipur best and really would like to come back again and spend time with Eugine our guide
We arrived in Delhi on the 4th done a bit of sightseeing, finished my Chrsitmas shopping, need to find post office now and pray it arrives safe! W e also said goodbye to our friends from this trip ass we are the only ones carrying on to Mumbai, made me so sad to say goodbye ...
I will post photos later on as run out of time! Let me know if you want to know any more about our travels and feel free to send us some comments and chat with us.
Lots of love
Caroline & Andrew
Monday, 10 November 2008
From Calcutta to Darjeeling
Hello everybody,
Nearly a week since I last wrote on the blog, and what a week.
We left Puri and arrived in Calcutta on the 3rd Nov. We got there by train which was an experience, not only because it took 8h to get there but also because of all the stuff going on in the train, never a dull moment!Between people coming all the time to sell food, chai, coffee, the number of people on the train, the smells (poo poo go straight on the train track!), and the bugs! We got there safe though and checked in our weird hotel, to find out a later when we went to the bar that it was a brothel! Nice, we did not realised that we were staying in the red light district! Still we had a good laugh about it and got very amused watching the women dancing and singing on stage whilst being handed out cash!
We visited Calcutta over the next 2 days, an amazing city, with a lot of poverty (so many people living on the streets, children and disable people begging), but also with a lot going on (city never seem to sleep), lots of energy, and resilience. There are 17m of people living there, with lots of poor people coming from Bangladesh, crazy hey! We saw the flower market, walked through Ghandi Road, took the tram to the Victoria memorial, Andrew plaid cricket with some Indian kids which was very cool! It was chaos, so much traffic (which changes direction at 2pm every day, nightmare, the tram was going against the traffic most of the time, bit scary!), so many people yet we always feel very safe!
We were in Calcutta went Obama won the US presidential election, all the US guys from the trip are very pleased with this result. We visited Mother Theresa house (were Andrew and I bought each other a copper ring on the market as we have left our wedding bands in the UK, very romantic, we both now have a green finger too!), Kali temple, took the metro (so busy again! people were like litle crazy and busy ants!) to the marble palace which I loved reminded me of the film Great Expectation, amazing and amazing art collection inside.
Its weird the English made Calcutta look like London (there is Saint Paul Cathedral, and the building look just like London!), but now everything has faded, is dirty it is a bit sad really.
After Calcutta we visited a kids school from the Bangali Service Society, very humbling as thanks to this place 200 kids get educated and fed, so please check it out on internet and give them a little money it make a big difference. Loved it there we played a lot with the kids and had a great time.
After a long and painfull drive and another 2 bush camps (1 in a graveyard...) we arrived in Darjeling and this is the best place ever, I so love it and want to live here.
Its beatifull, people are so friendly and smiley, the views on the Himalayas are breath taking, warm weather, clean and pure air. Our hotel is amazing - well with our new standards (!) it is called the Bellevue hotel, (Twinings guys should check it out), and we are in the old part of the hotel which has a lot of character, hot water (1st time since we left Bahrain!), it is located right at the top of Darjeleling with the best view ever. We found a shop and God I could have kissed the guy, we found crisps, chocolate, wine, it was like Christmas had arrive early, we were all so excited about it! Makes you think that you should go on this kind of trip every so often to really appreciate things and how fun life can be even with hardly anything, quite humbling experience so far.
We got up yesterday at 3am to go and watch the sun rise on the Himalayas on Tiger Hill, it was amazing, beatifull (bit crowded though, popular spot!) loved it so much, we even could see a bit of Everest but will get a better view when we gate to Katmandu. Rest of the day was spent chilling, walking round the city (very hilly, my legs do hurt this am!), visiting some botanical gardens. We had a big party last night for Missy's birthday, drank a bit, and laughed so much, I had not laughed so much for ages (makes you realise that I had become a bit too serious, caught up in work / life routine). The group is really getting togeter, we all get on great and I am having the time of my life!
Off to the toy train in an hour or so, and we leave tomorrow am. Will be sad, as this place is just awsome, but I am so happy I have seen it that it is all that matters.
I hope you are all well and I speak to you all soon to keep you updated on our adventures.
The roses xxx
Sunday, 2 November 2008
Puri, India - few photos
We are leaving Puri tomorrow to take the train to Calcutta (I am very excited about the train journey!!), but apparently it's hell there, or so people we have met said, should be fun!So far I loved Puri, lovely and relaxed, if anyone wants to go on holiday there I can give you some tips!! We got up at 5am today and went to the beach to watch the sun rises amazing as the fisherman were getting out to the sea to do some fishing (whatelse hey!) which they will sell on the market later (nice and smelly!). Went back to bed afterwards though!Loving it. We are getting our bearings here and discovering all sorts of things (including a ganja shop! Governement authorised apparently! Took a picture of it, very funny!), taylors who make everything you want and amend stuff, guy from the corner shop is our new friend!! People are so friendly here (and always trying to sell you something or rip you off, haggling is a must!). We are starting to get travel savy which is great and make us both feel good! Hope you enjoy the few pictures and if someone knows about a web site where you can dowload photos quickly let me know as failing on photo bucket, it takes hours, and would love to show you all more than a few photos!Love from the Roses xxx
Friday, 31 October 2008
Puri - India
We are now in Puri, South East of India (roughly in the middle).
It seems like ages away since we wrote on the blog last, it was in Bahrain when we had just started our trip. We are now 2 weeks in and all is going so well.
We arrived in Chennai on the 21st October and it was pissing down with rain, apparently the monsoon are a bit late this year! Great! Chennai dare I say was a shock to the system! So busy, chaotic, noisy, smelly and well quite dirty too! But it seems like an organised chaos for some reasons! You get use to it very quickly!
We meet our group and our truck in Chennai and everybody is very nice. It's like being in big brother! 1 week in we know everything and more about each other, shared many toilet stops and discussed at lenght our body function (loving it!) and we have started to fantasise about the food we are not getting here (anything but rice!), it's funny!
I have been eaten alive by mosquitos, last week I could count 67 bites (my legs look yuk- thank you so much Cristina for the mosy cream you gave us!), but I am happy as I have excaped so far the dreaded diarhea!
After Chennai, we drove North and our truck got stuck so we had to stay somewhere in the middle of nowhere! We carried on North and camped two night which is good fun, we are all chipping in to cook (thanks Elizabeth for the head torch, a life saviour!). Life in the truck is great, just watching life go by, all the great scenary, reading, chatting with others, stopping for Indian snacks, listening to I pod, all is so relaxed and friendly.
We were glad to stop in a hotel after that in Visakhapatnam and wash our hair - thank you Carly for the shampoo, could have kissed you if you had been here! (1st night of camping was in a graveyard, nice). Everywhere we arrive we attract the attention of the locals, we set up camp and they are all around, staring at us, and they even follow you when you are trying to find a quiet spot for your pipi/caca!
We then headed off in land to spend 3 days going around some tribes, camped another 3 nights (we had a guide and a chef there which was great, no cooking and fab Indian food!). Amazing to see them, and spend a bit of time with them, they just have nothing, and yet look so happy! I fell in love with all the children and have so many photos of them, which I will bore you all with when I get back no doubt! It was a very humbling experience, and very informative, some of the rituals they still have in place are a bit scary, let's say the feminist movement has not got tere yet! Yet they have simple values which are good to follow, love, family, laugh and that's about that. We celebrated Diwali with the tribes and teh new Indian year too, it was quite as the tribes do not follow the Indu religion, still we blew a few fireworks, lit some candles and ate sweets.
We are staying in Puri now for 3 nights and then, we will travel by train to Calcutta (our truck is a bit poorly) cannot wait for the experience of Indian trains!
I will post some photos next time, as forgot the lead in the hotel!
Hope you are all well and speak very soon
The Roses
It seems like ages away since we wrote on the blog last, it was in Bahrain when we had just started our trip. We are now 2 weeks in and all is going so well.
We arrived in Chennai on the 21st October and it was pissing down with rain, apparently the monsoon are a bit late this year! Great! Chennai dare I say was a shock to the system! So busy, chaotic, noisy, smelly and well quite dirty too! But it seems like an organised chaos for some reasons! You get use to it very quickly!
We meet our group and our truck in Chennai and everybody is very nice. It's like being in big brother! 1 week in we know everything and more about each other, shared many toilet stops and discussed at lenght our body function (loving it!) and we have started to fantasise about the food we are not getting here (anything but rice!), it's funny!
I have been eaten alive by mosquitos, last week I could count 67 bites (my legs look yuk- thank you so much Cristina for the mosy cream you gave us!), but I am happy as I have excaped so far the dreaded diarhea!
After Chennai, we drove North and our truck got stuck so we had to stay somewhere in the middle of nowhere! We carried on North and camped two night which is good fun, we are all chipping in to cook (thanks Elizabeth for the head torch, a life saviour!). Life in the truck is great, just watching life go by, all the great scenary, reading, chatting with others, stopping for Indian snacks, listening to I pod, all is so relaxed and friendly.
We were glad to stop in a hotel after that in Visakhapatnam and wash our hair - thank you Carly for the shampoo, could have kissed you if you had been here! (1st night of camping was in a graveyard, nice). Everywhere we arrive we attract the attention of the locals, we set up camp and they are all around, staring at us, and they even follow you when you are trying to find a quiet spot for your pipi/caca!
We then headed off in land to spend 3 days going around some tribes, camped another 3 nights (we had a guide and a chef there which was great, no cooking and fab Indian food!). Amazing to see them, and spend a bit of time with them, they just have nothing, and yet look so happy! I fell in love with all the children and have so many photos of them, which I will bore you all with when I get back no doubt! It was a very humbling experience, and very informative, some of the rituals they still have in place are a bit scary, let's say the feminist movement has not got tere yet! Yet they have simple values which are good to follow, love, family, laugh and that's about that. We celebrated Diwali with the tribes and teh new Indian year too, it was quite as the tribes do not follow the Indu religion, still we blew a few fireworks, lit some candles and ate sweets.
We are staying in Puri now for 3 nights and then, we will travel by train to Calcutta (our truck is a bit poorly) cannot wait for the experience of Indian trains!
I will post some photos next time, as forgot the lead in the hotel!
Hope you are all well and speak very soon
The Roses
Monday, 20 October 2008
Bahrain
Hi Guys,
We are in Bahrain, have been for a few days and we are off tonight to Chennai in India. So far so good! We left the UK on Friday and flight was great apart from a women fainting in front of us! It is very hot here about 30C, people are very nice, all the men look like kings of petrol, liking the outfit! We have spent the last few days mainly visiting few places, bit of walking, swimming and relaxing around the pool or at various bars!
Looking forward to arrive in India and start the adventure!
Speak all very soon
Love
The Roses
We are in Bahrain, have been for a few days and we are off tonight to Chennai in India. So far so good! We left the UK on Friday and flight was great apart from a women fainting in front of us! It is very hot here about 30C, people are very nice, all the men look like kings of petrol, liking the outfit! We have spent the last few days mainly visiting few places, bit of walking, swimming and relaxing around the pool or at various bars!
Looking forward to arrive in India and start the adventure!
Speak all very soon
Love
The Roses
Wednesday, 15 October 2008
Only 1 1/2 day to go!
Oh my God, so little time left before we go and I am still challenged by the technology and setting up blog, web site with photos etc ... nightmare! Still we have a very exciting trip ahead of us and cannot wait to go (as long as I have ticked everything in my to do list!)
Right better get on with things!
Speak soon
Caoline
Right better get on with things!
Speak soon
Caoline
Tuesday, 16 September 2008
The Roses wedding!
Hello,Well what can we say, we had a wonderful wedding day, or wedding week-end as it happens!
We are very lucky to have found and marry each other and feel blessed to have such great families and friends. We were very touched by all the support and effort made by our loved one to make this day truly special.
There are lots of photos, the professional ones and the ones from friends and family, please bear with me till I understand how to post them on the internet somewhere! I will post the address very soon promise
Love
Caroline & Andrew
P.S. Only 4 weeks to go and we are off on our travels!
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