Kool Kathmandu

A few days have past and I can say, as expected, I'm very happy to be Nepal. The difference between India & Nepal is obvious, everything here is that little bit calmer. There are a lot less people in your face and they expect less from you. Of course there are still beggers, people trying to get you into shops and selling drugs, but all of that is a greatly reduced version of what I experienced in India, so it doesn't bother me at all :)

I have to cut this blog short for the minute as I need to go to a nepalese lesson. This blog is just to let you know I'm well Mum & Dad and I'll try to phone you very soon!! :)

Hello again, I'm just quickly updating this blog with some pics and to let you all know, it's going to be hard for me to get to the internet over the coming weeks. So I may not be posting for a while as where I'm going is beautiful but small and may not have internet. But just to let you all know that Nepal is great, already seeing the laughter and fun in people especially children. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

I hope all is going well with you all back home. I'm sorry if I can't reply to emails or any blogs, the time here in Nepal so far is very busy with the volunteer group. But I'll hopefully be in touch in the coming weeks :)

One final word for my Mum, thank you for your message, I'm missing you and Dad lots, I hope your Ireland trip went well and like I said, I'll try and ring when I get the chance, lots and lots of Love xxx :)

Nepal here I come!

I'm now in my final day at Varanasi and I'm a bit sad, I like it here and have met some really nice people. The hotel I'm staying in has a good ambience and there's a communal area where we can eat, read or chat. Time here has gone too quickly. You can see some of the guys I met in the picture above.

There's something about Varanasi that's special, even with the madness and dirt. There are some amazing little alleys and back streets, but many are full of rubbish and animal manure releasing not the most pleasent of aromas into the air. But there's just something here that makes me want to stay longer. I think one reason has to be the spirituality of the city and its people, which is all down to the Mother Ganges, the reason why millions of Hindu tourists/pilgrims come to Varanasi every year! And there's no doubt I will come here again sometime in the not to distant future and please, anyone is welcome to join me on my voyage, an experience you will not forget :)

On the other hand, this time tomorrow I'll be in another Hindu country. Although not wanting to leave Varanasi, I can't wait to get to Nepal. So, keep an eye on my blog to see how the home of the tallest mountain in the world leaves its mark on my body, mind and soul!!!

The Holy Varanasi

I have now comfortably arrived in the holy city of Varanasi after an epic 15, hour 2 train journey. However, the trains were both sleeper trains with air conditioning and very clean. I haven't decided to go it real and hang out in 3rd class just yet, one step at a time :)

My final day in Agra was one of the best, I finally got to experience some real Indian culture. A rickshaw driver approached me on Tuesday as I was leaving my accomodation, and as always asking 'Where can I take you?' As I needed to get into town I said yes to him. And again as usual they try and take you to shops as they get commission and the shops they usually take you to are very expensive. But the driver I had was different, he was honest with me and said, 'I would like to take you to a shop, you don't have to buy anything, but I get 20 rupees(about 30p), just for taking you their'. So because he was honest, I agreed to help him make some money.

I then decided for my final day in Agra(Wednesday), I would ask the rickshaw driver to drive me to see the Taj Mahal from the back of the river and the baby Taj(see picture above). Then after lunch I said to him to take me to lots of shops where I wouldn't buy and he would make money. By late afternoon he had made about 150 rupees, which is very good for him. He kept saying how happy he was, and I had fun looking at expensive items and having the best sales tricks fed to me, always to leave empty handed.

After I had dinner at a restuarant, we went back to my accomodation to pick up my bags for him to take me to the Train station. Before we left I paid him for the days work. and because he was such a nice guy a gave him 1 US dollar each for his wife and 2 sons, who he told me about, and because I liked him so much I gave him a 10 dollar note. He was so happy, he asked if I would like to go and see his family. And of course I said yes. His family were so nice his Dad spoke very good English and they gave me food and drink. His youngest son was fascinated with me, you can see him with me in the picture above. This was the best experience so far, being with an Indian family away from tourists, they were so hospitable.

On my journey to the Train Station Vijay the rickshaw driver said to me 'You are not my friend, you are my brother'. And asked for me to come again to Agra and bring my Mum & Dad and sister and we could stay at his house for free and he would show us Agra, he was so happy, and so was I, it was so nice. So mum, dad and bec's, next year we are going to stay with Vijay in India :)

This blog has gone on far too long, I still have lots to say, but it will have to wait. I hope you are all well and I hope you are enjoying reading so far and big thanks to everyone who have made comments and to just read and see my pics!! :)

P.S. The picture at the very top is in Varanasi looking onto the Ganges, outside my hotel, which is cool, tell more soon...

Hello from the Taj Mahal

Thank you for your comment Mum & Bec on the previous blog, I'm missing you guys too, lots of Love.

It's been harder to get to internet here in Agra, but finally had time to get to a place today.

The train journey on Sunday morning was great, better than most trains in the UK. There was air conditioning, lots of leg room and we were fed and watered. Though, looking out of the windows on the journey to Agra wasn't pretty, the poverty's very bad, people living in horrible conditions. The crazy thing here is that money and poverty often live side by side. There can be a house/flat that's looks very middle class and next to it is a 3 metre squared shack housing a whole family of 6.

I can't put any pictures up just yet, not possible in this cafe, but will put them up when I can. I will also try to put up some albums on Facebook or Flickr when I have the time.

I went to the Taj Mahal on Sunday for sunset, wow! what a beautiful building and built in the name of love. You can't really appreciate it until you see it. But the only downside was that there were so many people there you couldn't take it in, I tried pushing on my ears to block out the sound and tried to ignore all the people, worked for a few seconds. But still, a magnificent building.

I also went to Agra fort, which also had some beautiful architecture. But again, the roads here in India are crazy, vehicles, people, animals all going in any which direction they wish. We were waiting at a roundabout for our driver and what we saw just kept us laughing in disbelief. One of the funniest was when a dog stopped in the middle of the roundabout and did a poo whilst the traffic went around him! :) Hopefully I may get some videos up one time.

That's it for now, just before I go I'll let you know I surcome to a Delhi belly, but funny enough not in Delhi. Thank god for Immodium, I'll stay away from the graphic details.

I'll probably won't blog again until Varanasi, which will be on Thurs/Fri. I'm taking the overnight train on Wednesday, I tell you how that goes then!

Hope the weather's not too bad there in England! :o)

Last day in Delhi

Final day in Delhi was a bit of a chilled one, went to see the Gandhi museum and memorial and you can see in the picture above, me at the sight where Gandhi was cremated.

But before that, I went to get myself a new camera SD card because, can you believe it, but yesterday when I was trying to transfer some of the images from my camera card it crashed and all my pictures from the first 2 days are gone :( But hey, these things happen :) Luckily, another traveler who was with me took similar photos and he said he would send me a copy. I only managed to salvage about 10 or so.

Anyway the Gandhi bits were great and the weather again today was amazing 34 degrees, but still quite comfortable, it's quite bizzar, the heat of the sun isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I've not seen a cloud since the UK.

I'm looking forward to tommorow will be getting a 06:15 train to Agra to see Taj Mahal, will have pictures in the coming days, hopefully!

Come on England and Dad if you read this please text me the result as I may not get to see it, thanks and bye for now...

My second day!!

I'm very lucky at the moment have a great internet cafe right by the hotel. There is one in the hotel, but it's not so good. So I'm able to blog every day so far.

Today's a lot better all round, finally done some sightseeing and not so much hassle from people and even if they do, they're pretty harmless, and I've worked out that the best thing to do is say hello to them in Hindi and smile. Gets the best reaction, 'A smile goes a long way' :)

Hi Bec's, in response to your ? The temperature is just right, not overpowering, a surprisingly comfortable 32 degrees. And as for the food, so far it's been very nice and so cheap. Last night I had a lentil curry, plain rice, naan bread and a mint tea all for the crazy price of 50p.

Today I've been to the large Red fort, India's largest mosque, where myself and another traveler were the only non locals in a restaurant and we ate with only our right hand and no cutlery, so much fun, just like being a kid. We were constantly being looked at by other diners, some with blank faces, others with smiles.

The afternoon was great, we walked up some amazing, hustling and bustling streets(checkout the pics). One of the best bits was going to the Spice Market, the smells were so overpowering, what an experience, I'd recommend anyone going to Delhi to go their!

As for the cows Clare, they seem to be treated just like us humans and they don't seem to belong to anyone, well at least that's how it seems. They just roam the streets and do what they like, people put buckets of water out for them.

Hopefully I can get some pictures up, but having problems with this computer, let wait and see! :)

My First Day in Delhi!

Well, I have finally left the UK and have firmly landed my feet in India. Good for me that the hotel I'm staying in had a driver pick me up from the station, the culture hits you straight away! The streets are amazing, nobody seems to drive in straight lines, horns constantly hooting and just about anything is on the road, cows included!

It's been hard work, you can't trust anyone, they all try and be your friend and then try and sell you something or take you to a shop or travel agent. You just have to persevere and be polite and they finally move on to someone else.

Trying to get my rail tickets was a mission too, there are so many people at the station telling you to go here or their, of course none of them tell you where you want to go. But I prevailed and found the tourist ticket office and booked my tickets to Agra and Varanasi.

I haven't slept yet, so off for a kip and then get ready for a second day in Delhi, hopefully do some sightseeing!

Here's a few photos for you!

Hello everyone, I'm saying bye to the West!!

For 6 months that is. Less than 2 weeks till my departure and I'm getting excited and a little anxious. As you may know, I have set up this blog for all of my family, friends and some occasional passers by to see what I'm up to whilst on my trip to the East. All the highs and hopefully not many lows :) So please, do reply to any of my blogs, ask questions and let me know how you are all getting on, I would love to keep up with the news from home!