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
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