I've Gone Goan, gotten sick, and brought in the new year in New Delhi

Its been over a week since I have posted, and what week its been. Packed with unexpected adventure and craziness as only India can serve up...
So, as I had planned back in October, I returned to Goa to hang out with Sid for Christmas and New Years. I arrived a few days back after some time in Gokarna.
I met with my friend Amy, we did a day in Bangalore and then down to Kanyakumari. Kanyakumari was a totally different Indian experience. There were many tourists and pilgrims and a few foriegners but this city is buzzing. The streets are packed and everything is alive. This is really different from Gokarna. This is a vibrant but relatively sleepy town. There are lots of foreign tourists, most of whom are trying out the spiritually inclined aspects of Indian lifestyle. There are a slew of middle aged european men who have taken to the baba lifestyle like its going out of style. This means lots of long dreaded hair, big beards, red skirts and hashish smoking. But it is a beautiful site. Right on the coast in Karnataka there are three unbelievable beaches. The town is lively - there are lots of beads and clothes to buy, dosas to eat and so on. It was a short but very sweet visit. I ran into Peter (one of the sweedish boys from Hampi) and met lots of new and very lovely people.
But here in Goa, things are quite different. Hanging out with Sid is just generally hilarious. I have never met anyone like this guy. He is rarely up during the day. He drinks like a fish but never seems drunk. But we have been having a blast. Also, his parents are in from out of town and between the two of them I have access to a wealth of information on traveling in India, especially the north (where I am headed next).
Sid's friend, Edson called up on my first day in Goa and asked if I could help him out. He works with a website that lists clubs and parties in India. They are doing the PR and promotions for a huge music festival in Goa called SunBurn. He asked for help with promotions. So, it was my job for 5 days to hang out in a yellow jeep and hand out flyers and Kindfishers. I got payed too - not badly either. I made about 250$cdn which goes a long way in India. However, I blew 3000rupees going scuba diving on my last day, which proved to be disasterous. We went to a very chilly pool to learn our scuba skills (how to adjust a mask, use the air tank, etc). From the freezing pool we went to the warm sea. Once we went to descend for our dive, I had a lot of difficulty eqaulizing (that is when you pop your ears to adjust to the underwater pressure). My left ear would pop, but my right wouldn't resulting in a pain and pressure on my right side like a knife in the face - absolutely awful. I had to come up wihtout seeing anything. I tried ocne more, and I could do it the second time but the visibility wasn't great. Anyways, by the time we got home I had chills and a fever, my stomach was in knots. I literally slept for 19 hours adn woke the next day in time for a 32 hour train to delhi. I slept the whole way to delhi. The train ride was really cold, and I struggled to keep warm even in jeans, a sweater, scarves a fleece and a blanket. India is cold - who knew? So, i arrived in New Delhi to my friend Moodrika (who I met with Darius when I met Sid in Goa). She took me home. We spent new years in her living room drinking tea and watching a bollywood new years spectacle show! It was perfect. I got a great nights sleep, finally, and now I feel much better on January 1. I spent the morning drinking coffee, reading the paper, relaxing and soaking in the incredible Indian hospitality.
With only 2 weeks to go on this afventure, I have a lot to pack in. I am off to Varanasi to see Julian Baker (my old neighbor in Montreal)! He's been living in Nepal, we haven't seen one another for about 2 years and we are going to meet for a 'coffee in Varanasi'. How hilarious.
Its weird to start thinking about the upcoming month as it now includes home, parents, Markian, olympics, snow and generally a completely different lifestyle to what I have been experiencing here. Its a little trippy. It isn't as difficult to imagine as it was trying to imagine India before I came, but as usual the future is still full of unknowns. Exciting unknowns.
Traveling on my own, sans Darius, has proved to be really different. For one, I have barely spent time in guesthouses. Between sleeping on buses and trains I have become quite adept at finding people to stay with. Indian hospitality is truly amazing and I am quite comfortable enjoying it; I also feel inspired to take a chapter from the book of 'Indian hosting and hospitality' as these people really know how to make an out of towner feel welcome and comfortable.
Well, until next time...

I love India I hate India I love India I hate India

India is a crazy place. It literally pulls you in every direction - emotionally, geographically, ethically and intellectually. I spend my day wavering between loving and hating this place, which is a strange way to feel.
India seems to embody an astonishing spectrum of life. Before I left, our neighbor told me that you could literally see life and death in the streets of India. I didn't really know what she meant at the time. Life and death? What is that a metaphor or some kind of extreme statement to get your point across? No, its a literal translation for in the morning you see babies, on the sidewalks clinging to their mothers and you actually wonder how they will ever make it in life. And I have also passed people laying in the street and I wonder how close to death they are. And then there is everything in between from women in burkas to others in short skirts and strappy sandals. Old men on bicycles and others riding spiffy motorcycles. Some people are absolutely reject religion, most adhere to some kind of religion (or a blend of many) and sometimes you see pilgrims traveling the country to sacred sites, or Sadhus who have renounced the material world and wonder naked, mediating in caves and living a completely different lifestyle. In any given day I go from loving to hating India.
For example....
I love India because here this place gives me an appreciation for the kind of life and education that I have.
I hate India because it makes me feel a little helpless about the fact that so many people are disenfranchised from certain important things in life, such as education.
I love India because it is so beautiful - the landscapes, beaches, flora, fauna, wildlife, sunsets/rises and even the gritty cities are really breathtaking.
I hate India because there is trash everywhere! People throw plastic, cellofane, paper, just about everything out the train windows, out car windows, the streets, rivers, streams, sidewalks and even some beaches always have garbage. Its a problem.
I love the smells of street stalls cooking samosa, juices, bel puri and other amazing delights.
I hate the smell of urine, trash and the 5pm daily burning of garbage that also permeates the air.
I love the food. Its absolutely incredible. I have had some of the best food in my life here... and in Sri Lanka of course. Can't get enough spice!
I hate that no one has figured out how to get proper water filtration in the place - adding of course to the plastic water bottle waste.
I love Indian hospitality. I have been welcomed into people's homes, shops, and conversations. So many people are welcoming and are genuinely interested in why I am here and are so passionate about how much there is to see and do here.
I hate that some people have really strong misconceptions about foriegners. It seems that we are thought to be wildly wealthy. So many rickshaw drivers, shop owners and travel agencies are trying to squeeze you for outrageous and totally unfair prices.
I love that this place makes you think about spirituality. I haven't really experienced a place where people are so welcoming about their religious practice. It feels nice to be so openly included in a morning puja at a temple or welcomed into an atmosphere into which you are clearly not acustomed.
I hate that there are many Indian men who think that because I am a woman that I am a) something to gawk at b) an idiot who needs to be told what to do c) someone not really worth listening to.
I love India because it is fascinating. There is so much variety. Even in its extremes, there is everything in between. India can be so warm and welcoming and it is also so frustrating (every once in a while it is infuriating). There is so much to offer about culture and tradition, about fashion and art, technology and creativity. Its hard to sum up sometimes and even more difficult to articulate.
I guess as I am starting to look back on the past 2 months and look forward to the next one, I have realized a lot about my own personality and culture and how it blends, influences and is shaped by being in India. Everything that i have seen, from ancient ruins, to devastating poverty and environmental craziness to beautiful kind people to bus rides, food, etc - there is something about BEING here. It takes you so fully out of your element and forces you to think about all of your concept in life; what I am grateful for, what I hope to help change in this world and what inspires me are all at the forefront of my mind while I am here.
To conclude this vague and perhaps esoteric entry, lets talk some facts. Where am I again? Specifically, I mean - back in Bangalore. From Mysore I tried to get to Pondicherry, but the place ws totally booked up - do you believe it? I am so glad I called ahead to check! So, I gave Amy Letts (for those of you who don't know, we met in Goa and went to Hampi together) a call and we decided to meet up in Kanyakumari. This is the southern most tip of India and is the place where the Indian ocean, the Arabian sea and the Bay of Bengal converge. The sunsets and sunrises are spectacular. Gandhi hung out here and it is a popular pilgrimage site, hosting one the many important temples of India (devoted to the Virgin Goddess). While we spend a lot of our time in a tarvel agency trying to figure out how to get out of there, we did some beautiful site seeing and strolling through the town. Now we have a day in Bangalore (after a 14hr sleeper bus) and tonight we'll get on yet another sleeper bus to Gokarna. I'll leave from there back to Goa for Christmas and New years. How I ever get out of Goa (in any kind of affordable fashion anyways) is totally beyond me. The next stop will be Varanasi, potentially, if I can handle the 42 hour train trip. We'll see how I fair. Somethign else I am realizing about this fine country. It takes a bloody century to get anywhere, and not because of distance. The roads are just so crazy no one moves very fast. For example: Took a bus from Madurai to Kanyakumari. Distance in Km = 222. Time it took: 8.5 hours. You do the math but I think we can all agree.... India is crazy!

Until next time

Time, time, time

I have some of it - time that is. And I'd like to think I have been using it well. Now that I am all a lonesome in India, with no real plan I have been taking sight seeing far more seriously. Along with long leisurely walks. I must have walked all day today, and yesterday, but its been pretty nice.
I met up with a chap who was on the same bus as me from Kannur to Mysore. He is really sweet, and quite quiet, but great company. So, we went to the Palace yesterday, which was really amazing. You sort of walk through, like cattle to marvel the epicness of the architecture. They really know how to do 'grand' here in India. It was a shame that you couldn't take photos inside, but I probably would have used a whole memory card there. We stayed for the light show outside also. But as we walked back, something caught our eye - lights, and what looked like a carnival... we decided to check it out.
I asked the man at the gates what it was and he replied that it was "everything! And everything fantastic!". Entrance was 10rupees so we went in. And he was not lying. The first part was this incredible bazaar- with some of the gaudiest jewellery and textiles I've seen - but they had everything from DVDs, to religious groups seeking new practitioners, to books, clothing, kitchen supplies- literally everything. Past that was a theme park. Gambling games, cotton candy, popcorn, kiddie rides, and anything else you could imagine was there. They even have astrological robots; a flashing, buzzing little spaceman that tells you your horoscope if you put on earphones. I was so happy we ventured in. The best part was that we were really the only foriegners in the place - which always makes for a more exciting experience.
Today Matt and I ventured up to Charmundi Hill. I was hoping for some amazing view from the top, but there didn't seem to be any kind of lookout as such. Instead we were ushered into the Hindu temple. We walked the circuit and stood by, however awkwardly, as people offered coconut, flowers and oil to the goddess. I have never felt as much of an outsider and while I am grateful for the experience, I might rethink entering a temple during offerings again. Or maybe I'll feel more comfortable the second time around. Amazingly, no one really seems to mind that we're there - I suppose its a feeling of really having no connection to what is happening on a spiritual level for everyone else that makes it such a strange (and admittedly uncomfortable) experience.
I was also able to go the market this morning. Mysore has an incredible bizarre, enclosed from the streets and outside traffic. It smells incredible- lotus and jasmine fill the bizarre halls, and there is a faint smell of cilantro to the air. It is really beautiful. Of course, everyone wants to stop and ask "where are you from?" "How long have you been in India?" "how many days in Mysore?" and so on. And everyone wants you to see their stall of incense or oils. One boy followed me around trying to sell me some bell anklets. I told him I'm not interested (which is also code for 'I am interested, I just want a lower price'). So, he started at 200rupees for each anklet (they come in a pair). I kept walking trying to ditch him and it was amazing what happened. He went down to 50 rupees for the set. Well, the offer was too good to give up. However, by the end of the transaction i am not sure who got the better end of the deal - I didn't even want them! Now I have some really noisey jewels for my feet!
So, the plan is to leave tomorrow. Off to Pondicherry. I am pretty excited to see this part of India - apparently it is like France - but in India. Maybe i can even get some fois gras - although I won't count on it.
It is really strange to think that Christmas is just around the bend. It hit my pretty hard today as I sweated my way through the afternoon sun, getting yet another sunburn on my nose that it is December (and the second week at that). Its amazing how easy it is to forget that when there are no christmas songs, no bells, no trees with lights or gingerbread cookies baking in the oven.

Well, until next time.

My how things can change.

The alternative title to this post was going to be "A little bit stupid + A lot Lucky= Elizabeth Callahan"

So, I ditched out on the volunteer work. This statement in itself makes me sound like an outrageous flake, if not a horrible person, which is sort of how feel, but it wasn't without good reason, a lot of deliberation and an initial good effort.
Here's what happened:
I arrived to Kerala and got to the town where the group was to meet. The night I arrived I could NOT for the life of me find a hotel with rooms available. I was cursing my inability to get a cell phone in this country. I decided I would have to stay somewhere more expensive for just the night. I found this strange little place and crashed for the night. I was wakened by the owner of the hotel banging on my door. He stood there cheerily and asked about my visit. When did I arrive, what was I doing here, where was I from - the usual - except he lit up when I said I was from Canada. Apparently, his work in off shore catering during the Gulf War had earned him recognition from Canada and he had spent some time in Vancouver for a conference. So, we had a coffee and he drove me to the bus station to meet my volunteer group. As usual for most Indian's I have met, he wrote down all of his contact numbers, including mailing address and postal code.
Then I was off with the group. From Cannanore we took a 30 minute bus to a small town called Parisinikkadavu. Mostly the town consisted of a main road and small temple. It is otherwise well spread out and is largely populated by middle class people; there is an engineering university as well as an ayurvedic medical college in the town also. Then we were given the assignment. We were to work for one hour a day with a group of private school children. Of course, the private school was Catholic, so the kids would be on vacation as of the 14th, leaving us with no kids to work with... they asked us to paint and under the sea mural, and build a paper mache and styrofoam Taj Mahal for a presentation the kids were doing in January instead. This is when I thought to myself that perhaps this wasn't really all that much of a constructive project so much as it was a way to make money from tourists looking to do some good during their vacations in India. So, I thought, I should give this a few days with a hearty attitude and at least see how things go. So I did. And then I left. I returned to Cannonore with the intention of finding a bus back to Mysore where I could figure out my next steps. But the bus to Mysore wasn't for 7 hours. I didn't want to wait there, and I didn't know where to go, so I called up the Hotel guy, Munawar. He was there within 15 minutes. I told him the situation. And then I realized, he could help me. So, I asked for a favor: I need a cell phone. I am now alone. He said he could do this but it would take at least a day. If I did some work for him on his promotions web pages and helped at the hotel he would accomodate me for free. This was perfect.
So, I was off to work, updating photos on his websites, editing menus and so on while Muna found me a cell phone. He let me stay at his home, allowing me an entire floor to myself. He invited his Colonel friends over, and I have to say, I had one of the most interesting evenings chatting with the army over vodka, discussing, of all things, Hijras (those are boys who dress like girls here in India...).
I left this morning and am now back in Mysore. I'll likely stay a few days here until I figure out a plan. Maybe there is another project or NGO to work at, or maybe I need to just be by myself for some time. Either way, I had no idea this would happen, but it feels pretty good. It is exciting in the 'nervous-excited' kind of way too, but I think this will hone my intuition, thinking-for-myself and decision making in a whole new way.

So, until next time...

Oh, also, in case anyone feel like texting internationally... this is my cell number:919745189416

Mellow Mysore

Its Sunday midday, and I have already been to the bus stop to go to Kerala. I was told by three different people that the bus to Cannanore (also known similarly as Kannur) runs at three different times. One person said there is only one per day - at 11:30 at night arriving at 6am. Someone else told me they run every hour on the hour. So, upon my arrival, with my pack in tow, I was told that no, the bus is at 1pm. Another hour and a half to wait. Which is fine. I have a stack of trashy reading ( I am so shamefully addicted to the 'Twilight' series its embarassing - but apparently not embarassing enough to admit to - why am I so cheesey, why?)to keep me busy until I (maybe) get my bus.
So, this is the end for Darius and I. Over Masala Dosa we this morning we discussed how great it was that despite spending almost every waking moment together for the last month and a half, neither one of us tried to murder the other - actually other than perhaps lack of sleep grumpiness, I didn't feel any pangs of aggitation. Maybe its different on his side ;)
I spent the day yesterday in lovely Mysore. This town has a really great vibe and I would say its a 'must-see'on the south India circuit. I wandered through the streets in the morning hoping to make it to the Bazaar (while Darius stayed back due to sleepiness/stomach issues...). A helpful and hilarious guy sort of showed me around and asked if I wanted to go to a beedi factory. For those who don't know, I beedi is an Indian cigarette, but it is rolled in a tabacco leaf and filled with pure tabacco. I tried one once and they are insanely harsh. But there i was, sitting on the floor with probably 10 old men, learning how to roll beedis. They were able to roll about 100/hour. It took me about 20 minutes to get one, shabbily rolled. It was amazing to watch them work. They had a whole system: one guy cut the leaves (that had been dampened so that they didn't crack). These were passed to a few other men in the circle who rolled tabacco from large baskets into little beedis. They are neatly tied with a pink thread and pilled into packs of 25. The pack of 25 sells for 10INR - so I can only imagine how little they are paid. However, these men were smiling and jovial, smoking and drinking chai and happy, it seemed to have a foriegn visitor struggling over what they were able to do with such ease.
I wandered back through the streets. Its a really colorful town, full of cows and more livestock than I am used to seeing, but it is also a relatively muslim town too. I can't tell whether I am getting more and more comfortable in India, comfortable with being different and foriengn in this place, knowing more how to walk and act, and no longer shocked by some of the things I see here. Or perhaps Mysore is just an easier city (that Hyderabad, for example). Either way, its a good feeling to have as I part ways with Darius and set off on my own (hopefully on the right bus).
I'll give an update once I get started into the routine of working with the NGO in Kerala. Until then...

Bangalore Galore

Oh Bangalore - why do I feel so at home here? Well, it may have something to do with the relative 'western' features of this bustling city. We arrived on December 1st (this is blowing my mind - its already December?) and met up with Meike - the sweet german from Hampi. She and I had one of those fantastic instant bonds so I was really happy to spend some girl time with her. Bless Darius, but I just can't convince him to come dress shopping or go for pedicures with me. So December 2 off we went to get Adrian's brithday present - and I discovered that shopping in this town is incredibly easy. Instead of having to shy yourself away from stalls or worry that you'll purchase something ill fitting or having to spend 20 minutes haggling, this town offers an amazing array of, well, everything!
Meike and I started our day at the spa with a well needed pedicure. Now, I know this doesn't exactly sound like something for us 'backpackers' but honestly, walking the dusty streets in flip flops warrants a foot scrub. The water we soaked in was practically black. I am sure the women who painted our dainty toes were totally disgusted. We followed up the spa with a 20 layer chocolate cake. Thats right, 20 layers. We couldn't actually finish but we did wrap it up for Darius (oh - also, the spoons served with the cake were also made of chocolate!. Going to the spa and eating at a fancy cafe among the affluent and influencial Indian population was a side of this country I have yet to experience, and let me tell you, this place is classy. To experience the extremes of life here is quite exceptional. I think Mumbai had a greater example of extreme wealth and poverty, but even still the disparity between classes here is pretty mind blowing and an issue I am constantly grappling with.
We decided to wander the commercial street area. Here we bustled through winding streets that mostly sold Saris and Salwar Kamis. For about 350INR (thats about $7) you can have a made to measure Indian style pant/dress/scarf outfit made. We chose from an entire wall patterns. I picked out something relatively subdued, but even still, its busy. We carred our materials and followed a young man down the street, turned down a corridor full of stall selling equally bright and colorful materials and went of a set of stars. On the second floor there was a sea of tailors, singers whizzing and whirring, material scraps strewn about. A young man in a fez stood up, promptly took our measurements and we were told that tomorrow morning they would be ready.
The evening proved to be pretty exceptional - in many ways. We made it to Adrian's house, met his lovely parents and went up to a really magnificent rooftop. Potted plants lined the expansive roof, lights hummed around us and the full moon lit up the party. It was really amazing. Adrian had decided on a Barbeque. I realized that BBQing is not a pastime of many Indians as I watched about 6 young men struggle to light the coals. But within a few hours, corn with garlic butter, veggie kabobs and meat skewers were being passed around. This is where I made the fatal error of my night. Curious about the dark aroma of some grilled meat, I decided to try a small morsel. It was good... Until about 5am. I awoke in our delightful hotel room, which resembles a seafoam green colored prison cell, feeling that old familiar feeling. My neck was hot, and my stomach was churning. I spent a while over the prison style hole on the ground of a toilet heaving and wretching. I realize this is a disgustingly graphic description but I am not going to apologize. The point is this: eating is a delightful and deadly activity here. It seems you can eat as much veg stuff as you want, but I say steer clear of street meat, or meat cooked by inexperienced barbequers, no matter how enticing the smell. I'll leave it at that.
Today, feeling exhausted and literally drained, Meike and I picked up our made to measure Indian outfits. It feels a little funny to wear the entire get up, like I am a bit of an imposter but I will be really curious to find out how it is received by locals. The difference I feel when I throw my scarf across my shoulders, rather than around my neck is palpable based on the reaction of people who see me. I think there is a real appreciation to adopt the cultural dress. It seems that I stand out enough as it is, and so wearing something in 'Indian style', whether it is toe rings, bangles, a scarf or a the full dress, softens the relentless staring.

So, our time in Bangalore is wrapping up. Actually all the 'our' and 'we' of my experiences here is also wrapping up. Darius and I will soon part ways. After our time in Mysore we both head to Kerala but to different destinations in the province. I will start a three week volunteer stint with a Field Services and Inter-cultural learning NGO and Darius is headed to Taiwan and then Canada for Christmas. So the proverbial WE will become, just ME. I think I'll be sort of bummed to see Darius off as we've had a really good time together considering the total randomness of our travels together. At the same time, having had 6 or so weeks on the road I have built up some skills and confidence and I look forward to see how I fare on my own. Only time will tell.
Until next time...

Actually, this is my second time to India

We've returned to lovely India, and as I expected, I felt culture shock all over again. If you hadn't figured it out from my last few posts, I loved Sri Lanka and was sad to leave. However, I am also happy to be back in India and excited for the next few weeks. As we re-entered the country, I realized, technically, this is my second time to India. Sure, its all really in one tour, but now when touts ask ' This first time to India' I can look at them knowingly and reply "No, this is my second time". One thing I discovered during my first visit to India is that answering "yea, its my first time here" while smiling like an idiot is also like saying "please, over charge me for whatever you are selling me!"
The last few night in SL were full of friends, beaches and late nights and one of the brutal side effects is that I am a little under the weather. I have a slight head cold, and was sneezing all day. On the bus out of Hikkadua I could feel the heat radiating from my forehead. I am surprised that they let me back into India as I am suffering from all of the side effects of H1N1. However I don't think its the swine. More likely i have Dengue or Malaria - I have never had so many bug bites in my life. My arms, ankles, knees and neck are totally spotted. Jokes aside, I am on the up and up, feeling much better. Especially after a good rest sleeping in Chennai. At Laurie's apartment I had a bowl of Chicken soup and a lovely sleep and I must say, this morning I woke up and felt so much better.
I have been laughing a lot lately and mostly to myself. The reason is that there are so many signs here that have these sweet little grammar errors that often make the native english speaker have a little giggle. I have started writing them down, because some are so priceless and I would like to share some of my favorites with you now:

Grate sea side view

Sam's Bar, Grrrreat: GET DRUNK!

White Face Tailors

Yours' Bicycle Rental

These are the one's i have seen and can remember off the top of my head. When I remember more I'll have to post them also. We are about to leave Chennai, and head to Bangalore. We are about to meet up with some friends, Meike and Adrian, who we spent time with in Hampi. It is Adrian's birthday and we plan to make it an International 25th Birthday! I am really excited because so often when I meet people I am thinking that I must cherish these moments as more likely than not, I will probably never see this person again. So, it is really great to link up with friends from the road, especially in a busy city like Bangalore!

Until next time, thanks for reading and commenting on posts. It makes writing a lot more fun to think that friends actually care about what is going on here.

Love to you! <3

Sock it to ya in Hikkadua

We in the last leg of our SL trip. Honestly, it makes me a little sad. I have really loved being here. I would come back here in a heart beat and encourage anyone with the inclination to come here.
With that said, let me tell you about the past few days. If any of you read my 'arrack attack' entry, you'll know we attended a party at the Surfcity guesthouse a few days back. It was fun, I think. But while we were there we made friends with two lovely gents, Mike and Pete. Both are surfers, and Pete had a really biting Kiwi sense of humor. Some of the funnier things I have heard in this life came out of his mouth - mostly as he made fun of Aussies.
The four of us were really lucky and scored a cooking class and amazing curry and rice supper with one of the more interesting couples I have met in this life. Dieter, and his wife Bakshi live in Unawatuna. I don't even know how to sum up Dieter, but here are a few fun facts about his life: He is German, left Germany at 16, has lived in South Africa, the Amazon (where he fathered a must sought after blue eyed child in the rainforest), he lived in vietnam during the war, treked the Himalayas for 9 years and also lived as a Buddhist monk for 18 years, learning to paint incredibly detailed and beautiful Buddhist paintings. His wife is an effortlessly beautiful and blissful Sri Lankan who kindly let us watch her prepare dinner and taught us her culinary tricks. Probably one of the highlights of my trip so far.
Now in Hikkadua we are staying at a really swanky hotel. We are the only guests and the young man who runs the place (a friend from a sweet scuba instructor from Unawatuna) is letting of stay there for reeeeally cheap. The room itself is huge. There is a hot water shower and in the courtyard, there is a pool... in the shape of Sri Lanka. It is absolutely amazing. Last night we came home from dinner and found a group of about 13 guys, making bbq and drinking, chilling, listening to reggae and of course they invited us to hang out. Its totally amazing - its sort of like having 12 brothers to hang out with.
Today we went for bike ride to visit some temples. There was a really moving one that was erected in memorium of the 2006 Tsunami. The tsunami is something that when you look around, you don't really notice, except for minor things here and there (such as the receeding look of forest from the beach coast). The development of hotels on the beach begs to differ. But everyone here has been affected. I have heard many people talk of finding their loved ones washed up in the streets - they have lost everything. Its really incredible to think what was indured here only a few years ago.
Soon we leave to Colombo and then back to India. I think we'll be experiencing culture shock all over again.

Arrak Attack

There is a charming little brew made in south asia called Arrak. Its palm booze and its friggin insane. I should know, I drank a lot of it last night.

At the guesthouse we are staying at the staff threw a big party. There was a smoke machine, lights, fireworks, hotdogs (wtf?) and sri lanka's 7th best dj. Thats right, 7th! The night was a real treat, but I didn't last long. What with going to bed on a regular basis at about 9:30 I think I made it to midnight. I went for a pee, found my bed, and woke up to Darius who made it to sunset, stumbling in at 7am. I did manage to get my contact lenses out of my eyes, and was clever enough to take some advil but today i feel like someone threw me against a rock. Even writing this is painful. So I am gonna stop and wait until later.

Until then...

SCROLL DOWN

In a mad rush to put some photos up I have tried to give a visual overview of the trip so far. The photos are a bit disjointed so I'll try to explain. From top to bottom the images are as follows:
-Handmade lace in Galle, SL
-Galle viewed from the Fort walls
- Darius walking the train tracks in Ella, SL
- The beginnings of a temple being built a top Ella Rock, SL
- Me infront of Ella Gap, before the hike, SL
- Kandy Lake with Buddha overlooking, SL
- A Sunset in Kandy, SL
- Me and Vanessa, the puppy, Havelock Is, Andamans
- Darius hard at work on a Thali, Andamans
- Darius, charming as ever - with a nice sunset too, Beach 7 Andamans
- Drinking a well deserved coconut (and check that sunburn even with SPF60!), Andamans
- Thats me driving a motorbike
- Fishing boats at our beach, Andamans
- Monsoon streets, Chennai India
- The Colors of Hampi Bazaar, India
- Indian traffic, Hyderabad, India
- Full moon rising over Hanuman Temple, Hampi India
- Hill Country, SL
- Looking down at my feet over the ledge of Ella Rock, SL

Hope this makes sense...

so many pictures, so few words...

A couple thousand more...

A thousand more

A Picture says a thousand words

Swanky Sri Lanky

Its hard to believe that I have been off and away for more than a month. Running around India has been so 'full' that I almost forgot that my itinerary included another country; I am almost embarrassed to say that as we sat in our seats on the flight from Chennai to Colombo, this time I really didn't know what to expect. I thought, 'well the food will be spicier and the weather will be hotter', but that is about as far as my imagination took me.
Our trusty 'Lonely Planet', along with some warnings from Sundar (my little tag along from Hyderabad...) said to be careful of being ripped off. I left the airport with my guard up, but by the time we had been kindly directed to the public bus to take us to Negembo, and cab drivers respectfully backed off when we responded 'no thank you' to their offers of a ride, I tossed whatever guard I had at the airport (I'll pick it up for my flight back to India)!
Sri Lanka instantly won me over and i do love it here. We decided to start our trip in Kandy. We took a public bus for practically pennies and arrived in the dark and rain in town. In the morning we acquainted ourselves with this pleasant town. It surrounds a lake, which has some turtles and what look like mini 'gators that loll about on loose logs and branches. The town has a really fantastic bazaar and we spent some time weaving around on the streets of Kandy. Our first day was pretty lazy. In the evening though, while running around in the rain trying to look for a resto we'd read about, 'Kandy Muslim Hotel' a man sauntered over and told us that our umbrella was far too small for the two of us, let alone three, and he nudged his way in. His English was excellent and as he told us about his love for Sri Lanka and what would we like to know about fine country? We asked where the restaurant was, and turns out we stood right in front of it. We invited him for supper with us. His name is Mike Johnson - that's right folks, the most patriotic and prideful Sri Lankan I've met and his name is Mike Johnson - and he runs the gift shop at the Ceylon Tea Museum. He was a real gem of a man and we enjoyed his company. The next day as we wandered the market hoping to find him, a bunch of his friends found us, knowing that we'd be around and gave us the full tour of the market, filling our bellies with 5 different varieties of mangoes and bananas. It was delicious. Speaking of delicious, can we talk about food for a minute here? Its amazing. And spicy, but not too crazy spicy. Perfect spicy.

Kandy was rainy and we left for Ella. The drive there was spectacular. We climbed through winding switch bac roads, past waterfalls and through tea plantations that have been carved like stairs into the sides of the hills. In Ella, we decided to splurge and stay in the nice room in Hill Top Guesthouse. The view from our front door was of 'Ella gap'; a valley between the two mountains. On a clear morning we could see to the ocean. On the right 'Ella Rock' towered with clouds constantly breezing by and to the left there is 'Little Adam's Peak' - It was really spectacular. We climbed Ella Rock our first day and it was quite the adventure. Wandering through tea plantations, across train tracks, over bridges, and through jungle-esque forest before reaching the ecalyptus trees that line the tops of the mountains. We had a guide take us through the rambling trail and once we reached the top (after saving me from leeches!! twice!) we wandered to a small construction in the distance. At this point, the clouds were beginning to surround us, like we were in the cloud. We came across what I assume is a father-son duo working on building a temple at the top of the mountain. We took some photographs and he asked us to bring them to him the next day. On our way down we stopped at the little house of our guide, had a really fantastic cup of tea, met his daughters and played with their puppies (tarzan and lucky). We decided the next morning would be dedicated to printing photos, getting the girls some school pens and notebooks and colored pencils to bring to them the next day. And that's what we did, then had yet another cup of delicious tea.
Its hard to try and sum up what happened, already it seems like I have missed out important details but when so much happens, in such a different place, its hard to remember it all and then transform it into words. With that said...
We came from Ella, the land of amazing mountains and beautiful curries to Unawatuna yesterday afternoon. Now we are in the south coast. In Hill Country we were 1041m above msl and now we are back at the beach. It feels different to be back to close to the ocean, the air is hotter and salty, but the food is just as tasty.

The difference between Sri Lanka and India is a lot greater than I had expected, although as I admitted before, I really didn't know what to expect. For one, the streets are cleaner and people are friendlier. They don't seem to have the same garbage issues here. And when people look at you they smile, instead of just staring. In general SL seems to be free of some of the social and environmental problems that India suffers from, but I know that SL has its own strife. However, Sri lankans seems to really love their country. A few people have mentioned that the political upheavals here has kept people away, and the tsunami kept beach tourism at bay in the last years, but no ones spirit seems to be dampered too greatly. So, in all, I love Sri Lanka.
I wish i could get this computer to read my camera so I could upload some photos but I don't think its gonna happen this time around.

Until next time!

Just back from Vacation from my Vacation...

The last week was spent in the midst of the Bay of Bengal, far closer to Thailand than to India. Being in the Andaman Islands, especially on Havelock Is. (where we spent 7 nights) feels a lot more like the Carribean and a lot less like India. Havelock has no internet connection. There are computers and signs that say 'Internet' but when you go to inquire, someone shrugs their shoulders and responds with a head bobble "no internet today". After a few days, I gave up trying. However, I have been looking forward to seeing a computer and getting connected again - its amazing how much farther I felt without internet. My western ways are showing through...
Because so much has happened in the last week I thought I would summarize with some highlights:
*Havelock Island is a 2 hour jetty from Port Blair. It is a true tropical paradise. The shore is thick groves of palm trees, ripe wiht coconuts, white sands, sea green ocean, puffy white clouds dotting and rolling across perfect blue skies. Inland is jungle, with a cloud of heat and moisture the farther inland you go.
* The lovliest sunsets I have seen at beach number seven (thats the name!)They seem to last forever and then just when you think you have seen perfection at the beach, the sun tinges the windey bike ride home through rice feilds a perfect grapefruit pink.
*Finding Lagoons in the midday heat and discovering the waters are almost hotter than the white hot sands - oh where does one find relief in such paradise?
*Village life: it bustles with travellers, stray dogs, childresn in school uniforms; the smells of thalis and chai fill the midday and the putting of motorbike and rickshaw engines fill your ears. And then, between 1pm or 2pm everything shuts down for an afternoon nap - siesta style - only to resume in full force at about 4pm or 5pm and continues well into the darkness.
*A note on time: The Andamans belong to India and share the same time zone so the sun rises at about 5am and sets at about 5pm; this makes things pretty interesting for your internal body clock. Everything is so laid back that it doesn't really matter though.
*A few evenings we laid out on the beach, the sand cool and damp as the tide had just let out, under a black sky littered with twinkling stars. There are enough shooting stars to solve all of the world's problems ten times over with wishes. My favorite evening was climbing into a fishing boat and laying on the bench, star gazing while the lilt of the ocean hushed my body and thoughts quiet.
*I have never seen so many pregnant dogs in my life; of course it makes sense but I had never thought about it before. Most guesthouses have a few strays that stick around the area which means of course, that there were puppies living at ours! Three floppy and playful little puppies lived at ours and one in particular took to following me around, chewing my sandals and biting my toes. She would regularly fall asleep in my arms. I named her Vanessa because she was adorable and clever.
*Our second or third day in Havelock we rattled our way on a fishing boat to a tiny lump of an island called south button for a really magnificent snorkel. The fish were brilliant and the coral reef was something I had never seen before - deep and surrounding this veritable lump in the ocean. Fish with phosphorescent skins and wild stripes swam and darted centimeters from my body. I literally swam through schools of purple, blue and yellow fish, of many sizes. I think I saw a Baracuda and Nadia, one of our friends, saw a sea snake with white and black spirals.
*And, as per usual, we've met some really spectacular people from all around the world. Nadia and Catrina from Denmark shared our Jetty ride and we had some good laughs over barbeque fish tikka. Lydia and Gemma of London made staying at Pristine guesthouse so much fun; those two have the most amazing sense of humor - and style. Noami and Yaya of Isreal made our last day a fantastic adventure and also gave a unique insight into the ever exclusive and insular Isreali travel scene.

Its hard to sum up what just happened in a week. There was a lot of sun and beach and laughter. I got one of the worst burns of my life on my nose - I look like a clown right now. I am recovering slowly with the help of Aloe, 60SPF and a new (but ugly) hate.
I don't know whether it was feeling so small on those little islands under all of those stars, or if it was being disconnected from the internet, but I haven't felt so far from home like I have here. Back in Port Blair it feels more like India at least - I am oddly comforted by the honking horns, the empty plastic bottles on the roadside and a dish of Dhaal. Maybe the next spot will have a similar effect. I'll have to wait and see...
Up next: Sri Lanka!

The Charminar Express

So, Hyderabd did make me a little cranky - it is a tough town, what can I say? Between the lack of sidewalks, the pollutions, greasey food, noise, annoying tagalongs it wasn't my favorite. However, all in all, there were some sweet moments.

Yesterday, Darius and I visited Golconda Fort. The fort established the city in the 1500's and is a testament to the amazing military and civil accomlishments of the time. It was really amazing. The fort was incredibly restored and from the highest point (a climb of about 300 stairs) we could see a really spectacular view of the city. We were really surpised at the amount of green space. The almost all white architecture gave the city a middle eastern feel and minarets and Mosque temple tops that dapple the sky line were very picturesque.
Another great thing Hyderbad offered was this one amazing meal. We ate off a banana leaf several helpings of delicious rice, vegetable dishes (spiced to perfection) and sweets all for about $1.50 CAD. Pretty sweet.
And as we left I think I saw one of the more incredible city sunsets of my life: the blue sky backdropped the light and dark blue India rail cars and then the setting sun changed the sky from blue to yellow to orange and pink. The marble platform was glowing and just when I thought it couldn't be sweeter, a little floppy puppy appeared and plunked himself at my feet, splaying himself and wagging his tail in the most adorable way! *sigh*
We took the Charminar Express from Hyderabad to Chennai. This morning, after our arrival and some help from Sundar (my chatty India tag along - who, btw chatted what seemed like the whole way to Chennai) we made it to the public transit to Lauri's neighborhood. It was raining pretty hard so when we got into a rickshaw to find her house, it was as if we were in a boat - the streets were like canals in Venice. Cars splashed their way through and we received tidal waves of spray into our open rickshaw. We made it to Lauri's, had a breif sit and then went for a delightful breakky and tea, then this internet fix and we'll soon be off to buy some sweets. I am feeling much cheerier here in Chennai. Mostly I am looking forward to our stay with Lauri and hearing about her adventures here in India.
So, until next time friends...

Bad bad Hyderabad

On David Bedards recommendation I put Hyderabad on my itinerary. We arrived after 5 amazing days in Hampi, and honestly Dave, I don't see what the fuss is about. I think I knew this would happen eventually. That I would arrive somewhere and just would not like it. But in the spirit of being open to new places and trying new things I gave Hyderabad a shot today. Alone. Darius is ill (I told him not to drink that water at the table last night...)and stayed in the hotel so I ventured out in the morning to buy train tickets to chennai and then later in the afternoon I went to Salar Jung Museum and Charmahalla Bazaar. I met a strange and very annoying Indian fellow who followed me around all day. This is when my faux wedding band came is really handy. But it was nice to have company and he did help me cross the insanely frightening streets. He seemed to be curious about me, as he asked a million questions, however he didn't really wait for any answers, just simply continued talking and telling me insightful info such as "In India, many people are Hindu". Now I know.
The museum itself was really beautiful and the items within were a strange mix of artifacts. Some exhibits were better than others. After I went to the Bazaar which was an exhausting strip of Saris, garments, Bangals, shoes and everything and anything else you could want. From the top of the Charmahalla I got a great view of the city. There are minarets sprinkling the city scape and you can see the avenues weave, the hundreds of yellow and black rickshaws, motorbikes weaving and dodging their way through the streets.
Making my way through the city without Darius was a real challenge. Not only did I have this annoying tag along (who I found out is also on the same train as me tomorrow!) but trying to get anything done, find directions, etc, without a guy is a challenge. The stares are more intense and linger longer than I care for.
Oh, here is a nice tid bit: the hotel we are staying at is in a bit of an alley. Which I have named 'Airconditioning Alley' because every other place is either a shop of air conditioners, fans, refridgerators, or repair shops for said items. In 'Ariconditioning Alley' there is 'public pee corner'. Upon a huge heap of garbage, which is sometimes delightfully set on fire, I have seen about 6 men peeing. Not all the same time. No, just pretty much any time I pass by, some one is peeing there. So, as I said, I look forward to Chennai (and maybe not the train ride there...)because I'll see Lauri (Julia's Mom) and we are then soon off to the Andaman Islands for some beachy laid back fun in the sun.

Looking forward to a more chipper post!
xoxox

Dear Josh, Thank you for telling me about Hampi...

Back in Toronto, Josh Tuffin said to me "Oh my goodness, you are going to India? - You have to go to Hampi! They have the best rock climbing in the world!" I replied with me usual response; "Josh, I don't rock climb, remember?" But, he kindly dog eared the page in my lonely planet none the less and now I will thank him. Hampi is amazing.
The landscape here is like nothing i have ever seen before. As the legend goes, Hanuman (the monkey god) was send by a Baba to get some plants from the mountains for healing. But instead, he brought back the whole mountain. The Baba tells him to return the mountain and so he simply dropped all the rocks on top of one another in... you guessed it: Hampi. For a while this place was the capital of ancient civilizations (of which I cannot spell). The story as well as the ancient temples and ruims that litter the land here help to explain the almost overwhelming beauty. It is majestic. Huge boulders rest on one another looking as though at any moment they will topple. The strangest formations I have ever seen exist here. We climbed yesterday to quite a peak, sat in a little gazeebo looking at a temple and over the vast rocks, the ruins in the distance. It was amazing: seven of us travellers sat together is ininterupted silence, all in awe of what we saw.
Today Darius, Meika and I rented bicycles and biked to the resevoir for a swim. There we met a young man, Moses (he was not in the reeds, but perched on a giant rock). He brought us to a swimming spot and sold us cold waters, sprite and mango juice. Then he took us to cliff for jumping where we met up with the sweedish boys from our Goa->Hampi bus. I must have jumped off this crazy 5m cliff about 4 or 5 times. It was such a blast. The bike ride through dirt, sand and potholed roads was wild and we weaved our way through water buffalo herds returning from grazing in the hills. As we biked home through the village (at I guess 'rush hour') children hopped on the back of our bikes and laughed at the free ride from us foreigners. It was kind of magical.
Tomorrow i hope to see a Hampi sunrise, do some yoga, and then see the rest of the temples i only saw from the distance.
So while I haven't climbed any mountains as the nimble Josh Tuffin might, I am doing it in my own style, on the bicycle, in the mountains, soaking in the sun, making good friends and enjoying life as a traveller.

Until next time...

A week in Goa... a lifetime later...

Its hard to believe that Darius and I arrived here only a week ago. Since last wednesday, we have made some really spectacular friends. I have decided and promised to be back for New Years to stay with Sid and Moodrika. Last night we did it up right and had drinks at shore bar, until late into the night, possibly early morning and had a real chill time. I think one of the main themes of Goa is to chill.

Another theme of Goa is beaches! Both yesterday and the day before Darius and I rented a bike and zipped off to new stretches of beautiful sand. Monday we went to Morjim beach; it was lovely, empty and went for hundreds of meters. Fishing boats, jutting rocks and fishing boats line the shore. We ate amazing food (I don't think we've had a bad meal yet) at a little beach hut and then lay on day beds. I then fell asleep and was gifted with a rosey "tan". Yesterday we went to Arambol; this beach was much more commercial and there were plenty of Euros littering the beaches, plenty of bars, shops, etc. None the less we had a lovely swim, climbed some crazy little rocks off the shore (in flip flops no less) and then enjoyed one of the more beautiful sunsets I have ever seen on the bike home.

The other day we had a beach day in Anjuna, where we are actually staying and acquired a dog for the day. There are lots of stray beach dogs. And this one fluffy little orange pup came up to us and followed us the whole day. Darius named him Captain Kirk. I named him Floppy. All of the other dogs went bananas when he passed through, barking and snapping. Poor little Captain Floppy. I have no idea what kind of crime he committed in the dog community, but it must have been bad.

Oh! Also, I couldn't stop laughing as we biked home the other day and at one point there were literally cows everywhere. We turned a corner and then poor Darius had to drive us through, honking the little scooter horn and dodging cows and their tails.

Tonight we drive to Mapusa and take a bus from there to Hampi. I figure any kind of ride will be better than the bus to Goa (that was a nightmare). We are going with two girls who we met here, Meika and Amy. We'll spend a few days there, then to Hyderabad, then Chennai to stay with Lauri, Julia's Mom. We've booked our tickets to Andamans and Sri Lanka. The adventure is really shaping up. Its hard to believe that we have only been here a week and a half... my sense of time is completely warped. It may have been a lifetime, or a week, I don't know.

Until next post... So much love to my home.

The Hottest Run of my Life!

Its about 10:30am on Sunday here. I just got back from a run. I thought it would be a good idea as life here in Goa is pretty laid back. It seems that lolling on the beach or at the shore hut might not burn as much energy as I thought. I needed a burst. I got up early to go and sweat more than i ever have in my life. And people looked at me like I was crazy. The best part is having to dodge cows in the streets while running. Actually dodging cows in the streets if funny here no matter how you cut it - car, walking, running, motorbike...

Goa has been good to Darius and I. We are staying in Anjuna, which is the north part of the beaches. We are at a cheap and cheerful little guest house and most days we go for breakfast (usually Dal Fry and tea), then a trip to the beach for swimming, market exploring, etc. We have made some really good friends here too at a little hang out beach hut resto-bar called shore bar. Sidd, Moodrika, and Daniel are all living here in Goa, and know so much about where to go. They've introduced us to their friends from Goa as well. Sidd and Moodrika had us for dinner, drove us around and have been generally so welcoming.

Shore bar, where we have been chilling out is kind of like a hippie dream. There are day beds, lawn chairs, tapestries hand from everywhere. There is beautiful art on the walls, pillows on the floors. You can play cards, chess, the other night we learned a game called Carmel (sort of a backgammon/pool fusion game). Daniel runs the bar but is really good at taking time out to come and sit with us, talk and go swimming. The other day we went for a ride into Mapusa and I bought some colored pencils for sketching. We went to a sweets shop and I ate something, I wish I could remember the name, but it looks like a pretzel made of orange candy and it tastes like the sauce that comes in sweet & sour chicken balls, plus like a bucket of syrup and sugar. Its kind of spectacular. After than I stopped for a sugar cane juice... maybe thats why i needed a run today...

The beach is an interesting place. On the walk there, there are plenty of stalls to but dresses, sarongs, shoes, clothing and jewelery. Most of the women say 'hello', 'how are you', 'whats your name?' and so on until they have you buy the hand saying 'just come look, looking is free, come to my shop. You don't have to buy but if you like, you buy'. If you are not feeling up to a speedy and steady string of 'no, no, no, no, no - I don't want to buy anything' you get suckered into this: 'Ok, don't look today, but come by (buy?) on your way back. Promise, you come tomorrow. Promise?' The promise is a precarious thing here. They literally find you the next day, while you are swimming, or reading, whatever and will say ' You promised yesterday you come to my shop. You promise'. Then you are F***ed. So you have to go, then you say you don't want anything, that you promised to come by, not to come buy. Then if you do want to buy something, you gotta haggle. I have realized, I am not very good that this. I have already made some foolish purchases, however I have also made some sweet buys. Either way, things are pretty cheap here, so if you make a mistake, it may only be at a cost of $4 for a dress that doesn't quite fit how you thought it might... not that it happened to me.

Indian internet is painfully slow and I am unable to be patient enough to wait for my photos to upload. It takes so long.
Anyways, I am off to call Moodrika to make a trip to Old Goa.

Mumbai: overstuffed & overstaffed

I am outta Mumbai. This seems an accomplishment as getting out was not as easy as I had thought, or as it had seemed 2 days ago when we booked our tickets to Goa. Quickly, I'll just say a few things about Mumbai; only having spent a few days I can give an impression. Firstly, this city is packed. It is overstuffed. There are literally people everywhere - and driving out of the city confirmed this. It seemed to take almost 2.5 Hours to get out of the city. With that said, and with the alarming amount of people who do not appear to be working or employed, everywhere you go is totally overstaffed. A tiny cafe restaurant that could easily be run by one server and a busser has at least 5 to 7 on hand. This seems to explain why perhaps everyone is payed to low - the limited work has to be shared several ways.
My favorite place in Mumbai was Chowpatty beach . We went there twice during our stay - once on a friggin' 10 km walk through the city... and apparently a small jumgle... which felt like walking through a hockey bag... that was inside an oven. Did I mention its hot here? My other favorite place, that we went to three time (!!) was a resto called Laxmi Villa. Seriously amazing.
Speaking of over staffed, this brings me to my 'bus' ride story - also known as a total 'bust'. With the train station not only closed, but all trains apparently booked we looked to get some bus tickets. After haggling for a while we settled on a non AC sleeper for only $1600IR (thats about $20 each). When we went to catch it, the bus had 'broken down' but not to worry, we could get seats on a sitting bus. Turns out this bus looked like it had seen better days - even before the apparent war zone it had also gone through. The driver was wild. Leaving the city gave a glimpse of Indian life (and odor) that we didn't see in the central city. The poverty was alot to take in, even at a ragingly fast speed, as was the smell - it seemed a strange mix of diaper and death.
But, now we are safe and sound in Goa. It is much quieter here and there are white people everywhere. We went to the market and got suckered into buying more than I wanted, but got some good trinkets none the less. We are staying at a cheap and cheerful little place close to the beach and some good eating. Hoping that Goa give a little peace before we head onto Hampi (thats right Josh - we're going to Hampi! - I'll jump on a rock for you!)

The Difference is like a Tidal Wave

The past few days I have seen a lot and done plently of wandering. This city makes you feel like you can get a glimpse of every spectrum of life. The kind of money that is in mumbai is really incredible. Shops that sell beautiful clothing and jewellery are all over, markets overflow with clothing and shoes, books and electronics. The streets bustle. The amount of people who sleep on the streets is astonishing and really difficult to deal with. It is so hard to not give money to children, especially when you see the kind of situation they are in. Its hard to negotiate where your responsibility and ability to give as a foriegner is exactly. Does giving encourage begging, and how much do/can you give, when and who do you say no to? And it seems no matter how much you give, it never feel like enough and you when you say no I wonder if there is any inkling on their part as to how heartwrenchingly painful it feels. It seems like the spectrum of life, poverty , affluence is like a tidal wave. Compared to Canada, and my experiences there it seems like our spectrum of life is a minor blip. Either way, its totally shaken my sense of gratitude. It makes me think how lucky and fortunate I am and how incredibly random life is that depending on what part of the globe you are born in, and to whom you are born of, literally makes a world of difference.
With that said, its Diwali here! And you know what that means? a lot of fire crackers and christmas lights. We were out the other night and we must have heard hundreds of fire cracker blasts. my ears rang the whole evening. I put my three fave pictures up from the other day. i hope you enjoy!

HOT

We arrived in Mumbai late last night to some new and different sounds and sights. It was about 1:30 when we arrived at the "hotel Metro Palace" where we were 'royal guests' - or so said the welcome card by the bed. Last night was the first I slept soundly and hard since leaving Toronto. I guess my body needed it.

Taking a cab from Badra (a suburb by the airport) to our new hostel showed an instant glimpse of India - by the time our driver dropped us at Victoria train station (there is another, longer name for it I can't remember) - I saw some of the most glamorous women I've ever seen, cows in the street, babies in the streets crying and looking hungry, men sleeping on the side of the road, lights and color and rickshaws. From the station we walked and thank goodness for Darius's orienteering - I would have been totalyl lost. But we made it, and then set out for a walk. At the harbor about 10 people stopped to have their picture taken with me - all in the same pose - we must look like we are shaking hands. This was a first. And peole stare like they have never seen a foriegner before. Sunglasses are a big help.

We got back to the hostel this afternoon, and both passed out for about an hour from heat and jet lag. We made it to a tiny and HOT cybercafe for a hot minute but soon my sleepy and jetlagged self is gonna need some food and water.

Once I figure it out I promise for picture of London and the first few days here. We'll likely leave on Tuesday to Goa for some beach time relaxing.

LOVE!

Its Diwali here and so maybe we'll find somehwere to celebrate... India style.

Until there is something more... I miss my hunnies lots and lots.

And so it begins

Hello!
Just arrived last night, and very tired, in London. I am spending the day here with Mom and Dad (Dad is working and Mom is soaking in every last bit of me she can!). My last day before leaving was pretty epic. Brittany came by to say goodbye and have a hug (and borrow clothes!). I had the most lovely thanksgiving dinner with the Mancini family. Then the evening having a final snuggle with Markian - who I already miss terribly! Its taking a lot of discipline to keep my mind elsewhere and to not be blue. (Hi Markian - I miss you! xo)

London is just how I remembered: busy, expensive, foggy and very British.

Today I went to the National Museum and saw some of the classic paintings of Monet, Manet, Picasso, Van Gogh and many many many others. This made for an amazing afternoon. Tonight we may just go to the theater and if I have my way, we'll see the Muppet show. That's right, there is a Muppet Musical and I plan to see it. The headlines read: "Pant-wettingly funny!" Sign me up.

I have one more day here and then we are off to India Friday morning. Since there is not much to report I'll simply let you in on this funny tidbit: Today I started my Malaria medication. Turns out as an anti bacterial medication it is also often precribed as an acne medication so while the horrendous side effects of dizziness, nasuea, headaches, vomitting and diarhea take hold, at least I'll have clear skin. Oddly enough, these side effects are a lot like the symptoms of... you guessed it! Malaria! So far I have suffered no side effects. And please keep your fingers crossed to that effect.

I Hope for some pictures to follow in the next week.

Just before you go...

Isn't it kind of bizarre that when you are the brink of great change, or in this case, a big adventure, all of a sudden all of those things, people, foods, smells and luxuries that are 'everyday' become so much more important and intense? This last week has been especially special.
This weekend has been pretty amazing. Yesterday was Markian's birthday and in order to celebrate we decided that going all out was the only way to go about things. I made a point of showering him with gifts and treats. This meant lots of new stuff for his gorgeous bike that he just built (really, this bike is so hot it makes you want to take your clothes off). It also meant lots of 'drinkas' both at the Gladstone and one at most every bar on Queen west from ossington to dufferin. I would like to take this moment to apologize to Markian for actually ruining his birthday by giving him a wretched hangover. Oops. Despite headaches, the night was really special and amazing and boy oh boy am I ever gonna miss all the sweet and loveliness of Markian.
Last night however, family time ensued. Darius and Ryan came for supper which was a true reunion. It felt really laid back to see the guys even after so much time and also makes me wish I was better at keeping in touch because it is worth it. Darius and I got our stuff together to get to London before we make it to Mumbai on Friday.

So you know how sometimes before you go somewhere and you know there won't be any 'of that favorite thing you love so much'? Things like toilet paper, or your Honey-love, turkey dinners or your best girlfriends? It's been really nice to be able to spend os much quality time with al of those items (maybe not the TP so much...).
Brittany and Selka went were both really good to me and made all kinds of special effort to make a special goodbye for me and I thought that was really amazing. It made me feel quite warm... and fuzzy. Thanks!

Today is going to be spent with the family, I have already made a pumpkin pie and pecan streusel and listened to Beyonce the whole way through. A day of turkey and thanks before the voyage!

This time, almost, next week.

Its Wednesday of the week before I leave for one of the bigger and more adventurous of the 'big life adventures'. I have been plotting and dreaming of this trip for almost one year and now my destination looms merely a week away. This makes me feel a number of things: excited, thrilled, dreamy, sentimental, heartbroken and ready for change.
I've spent the last weeks getting ready - shots, buying a pack, getting papers in order, and enjoying toilet paper.
So here is a little update to outlay what this trip might be like. Originally I was to travel on my lonesome, which I am sure gave both of my parents severe anxiety. "Be safe, be careful" was a common reaction when I told people I'd be on my own in India. This is wonderful advice, and I plan to be both safe and careful. However, about 3 weeks ago I was speaking on the phone with my good friend Naseam catching up and she had mentioned our mutual friend from UVic would likely be down to be a last minute travel buddy. Rolling with the idea I put it out to Darius, who has travelled for the past year througout south east Asia that if he wanted to go to India he would be more than welcome! Well, guess what? He agreed and now the two of us are heading to London and then Mumbai.
The general plan is this: arrive, sleep, adjust to jet lag and then explore Mumbai for a few days. We will likely decide in our first few days in what direction we want to go but generally we are thinking south and east. Goa is definately on the destination list, as is Kerela, Sri Lanka and the Andaman Islands. I am sure we will hit many places in between.
In the meantime I have been in Toronto. Its been pleasant and fun filled 'limbo' time while I wait for the skies in India to clear up and I am so grateful for the time I've spent chilling with close friends and family.
I am really going to try to keep up this blog so that I have a record of what this trip will be as well as a way of keeping anyone who is reading and following up to date. I think any homesickness will be softened and heartbreak mildly dulled knowing that mom and dad and all my friends are able to know what's happening here.