Thailand Parts 1 & 2

Thailand Part 1- Bangkok “Too Hot To Handle”

I have been more than guilty of gloating about the temperature of where I am compared to back home (there was a lot of talk of snow). India saw highs of 30 degrees and the humidity was mild, Hong Kong was cooler, around 26 degrees but there’s no risk of having to de-ice your windscreen with those numbers, Thailand, more specifically Bangkok was a different story altogether. Landing there just after midnight it was 32 hideous degrees. This number sounds good, but this number is anything but good when the humidity is about 150%, I wanted to be back on the plane, or better still, ice cold home.  My clothes instantly became saturated with sweat, dripping from my forehead, into my eyes, my brain was frazzled. Those that know me will be more than aware of my body’s inability to regulate its temperature and here it was under its most vigorous test to date. The simple task of following a sign to the food hall to buy some water took us three attempts to go up the correct escalator; we literally walked in circles for about 20 minutes. Outside things weren’t any better.

In the light of the morning, having spent the evening in an air-conditioned room I felt a lot more confident about the day ahead, then I opened the bedroom door. The hallway in the hostel was not air-conditioned and I got my first real taste of the Bangkok heat, if last night was a wood burner this morning was a full blown forest fire. I slid to the shower, leaving a trail like some human slug creature, praying for ice cold water to cool me, or at least offer some justifiable reason for being this damp.

The temperature outside was a level up, teamed with the heat and ugly humidity was the pollution element, every moment outside was miserable, making me ever more self-conscious. We walked to a nearby pier where we were to catch a river taxi to get closer to the city centre. The breeze from being near water and the speed at which the boat travelled offered a much needed life line but as the boat filled and I was sandwiched between crowds of equally hot and uncomfortable people everything closed in around me. All the joy of being on a traditional river taxi, speeding through the heart of Bangkok, temples, markets and other wondrous sites all around me all I could think about was jumping in the murky water.

I hadn’t really given Bangkok much thought, it wasn’t until I set foot in the city that it dawned on me what kind of place this was supposed to be. My head filled with all the statements people had said to me about it, how crazy, mad and insane it was. I feel I can’t not mention the effect the movie The Hangover has had on the city’s image. So when I enter one of the supposedly most out-there-anything-goes streets in the world, Khao San Road I really cannot help but be disappointed. As I wander the market stalls selling all the essentials to transform you from Westerner to the Hippy clone everyone thinks you need to be once you attach a bag to your back my frustration grew, maybe it’s the humidity talking but this place is fake and boring.

Aside from the soulless markets designed to draw in zombie tourists looking to buy novelty trash that the Thai’s wouldn’t be seen dead wearing or eating the city also boasts an amazing collection of temples. I  know I’ve mentioned my thoughts on temples before, and trust me their appeal is further reduced given the heat. However, my brother, having recently been to Bangkok said if I do only one temple thing then it should be the reclining Buddha, so this was the only thing on our hit list.

I’ll start by saying this, the reclining Buddha is stunning. It is enormous and extreme and truly inspiring. The tranquillity that should surround this breath-taking monument however has been replaced by the shoves and groans of the hordes of hungry human cattle barging their way through to get in the best positon for their selfie with Buddha. The whole experience is worthless and instead of walking away stunned at the magnificent statue I am stunned at the stupidity of the human race, or at least the tourist race.

Khao San Road by night is even more pointless, the markets are still there only now you can buy buckets of brightly coloured alcohol, scorpions on sticks and have your photo taken with some drugged up primate. Bangkok in my head would be effortless chaos, none stop WTF but in reality it was scripted and sad.

 I would stress however, that this street does not reflect Bangkok as a whole and in no way represents the people of Thailand, this is very much a cesspit of brainless tourists looking to get a “decent Facebook profile picture” whilst getting as fucked up as they can. It’s a great money maker for the locals and is amazingly confined to just this road, well policed and very safe. Once I was a big party head so I do understand the appeal of a road like this but if this is the extent to peoples experience of Bangkok, or worse still the reason they go I feel very sad for them.

We spent the majority of the following day seeing the city via the river taxi, it cost us 15 baht each (around 30p) for the full days travel and from here we could see the sites whilst enjoying the sea breeze. Hoping on and off the boat we wondered countless markets and tried all manner of food. I had woken up slightly adjusted to the heat and willing to forgive the city for its poor performance last night and with new eyes on I was starting to enjoy it.

Bangkok is cleaner, more organised and more spacious than I had thought it would be, it’s easy to navigate, safe and very cheap. It’s only problem is the saturation of tourists who seem to have sucked the true identity from it.

Thailand Part 2- The Beach

The next leg of my Thailand adventure looks like this; Krabi Town> Koh Phi Phi Don> PhangNga> Ko Yao Noi> Ao Nammao> Railay> Ton-Sai > Krabi Town. I’ve travelled South from Bangkok and have arrived in the land of crystal clear water, white sandy beaches and spellbinding limestone cliffs. The temperature on average is in the high 30’s, the humidity is low and there is a glorious sea breeze each and every day. Getting off the plane from Bangkok to Krabi felt like winning the lottery.

We had two nights booked in Krabi town, with the plan being to explore some of the near by attractions in the province of the same name. Walking from the bus station to our hostel I was instantly loving Krabi town, I’ll admit the climate played a major role in this. But aside from that it gave off a really laid back, surfer vibe that made me feel very much at home. I like the simple life, I love the sea-side. Being surrounded by blue water and rolling mountains caused me to chill instantly. I think I said “I love it here” about 100 times to Hatty…every ten seconds, I become quite unbearable I’m sure. Every hostel, guesthouse and hotel we walked past I couldn’t help but blurt out how “cool” and “awesome” I thought they looked. I was getting very excited about finding ours, heading out and watching the sunset armed with an ice cold beer.

You can’t have it all however and tonight was no exception to this rule. Our guesthouse looked ok from the outside, the common area was basic but welcoming. The room however was vile, not in its décor, although there really isn’t a time or place for fake Burberry bed sheets but in its scent. Imagine for a second (that would be too long) a truck of cabbages and a truck of fish, tip their contents into a dark, slightly damp space, turn the heating up nice and high and then leave until they have pregnated everything in the space with their toxic odour. We let ourselves into this festering nightmare and both threw up in our mouths. I ran to open the window but to my horror discovered that is was already open- this is the rooms smell when it’s been aired! We crawled to the hallway gasping for any hint of fresh air and lay there disgusted and disturbed.

I went downstairs to find the manager who had conveniently vanished, when I did find him and told him about the rooms smell he just walked off, got a can of Ocean Breeze and emptied it into the warzone. This made a smell that no human should have to endure but as it was now too late to book ourselves into another hostel we had no option but to grin and bear it. We spent as long as we could in the hallway and then when it was time to sleep we racked our brains for suggestions on how to beat the smell. The next part is definitely one of those “don’t try this at home moments”.

Tiger Balm, large quantities of high grade Tiger Balm shovelled from the container and crammed into each of our nostrils. If you are not familiar with Tiger Balm, think ultra-concentrated Deep Heat without all the safety regulations. You may then begin to understand the desperation we were feeling when we put this product into our noses.

Unsurprisingly we didn’t stay for the second night and instead sprinted for the very first boat to Koh Phi Phi Don, only stopping to grab a snorkel and mask from a nearby sports shop on the way.

Koh Phi Phi Don’s scenery is true paradise, seriously do me a favour, open up a new browser tab and go to Google images then search “Koh Phi Phi Don”, you will not have to scroll very far to see what I mean. Emerald waters, silk textured white sand and mesmerising limestone cliffs. We threw our bags down in our room which was fresh, clean and spacious and headed straight for the nearest beach. Hatty is a sun worshipper so she laid claim to a spot of sand and I vanished out to sea. Either side of me where two caves and beyond them distant lands that were crying out to be explored. I waded through the shallow water dancing around the occasional rock and piece of coral. I was full of life and for the first time since Hong Kong really had my passion for exploring and travelling reinstated.

The water eventually became deep enough to swim and so I set off to find out what existed beyond the caves and towering cliff faces. An hour or so later and somewhat breathless I washed up onto another beach aptly names “Monkey Beach” for as you may guess it was inhabited by lots and lots of monkeys. The novelty of seeing monkeys outside of the zoo hadn’t warn off from India and seeing them on the beach was an even newer experience. I wondered the full length of the beach enjoying every monkey I saw, looking out to the distance and enjoying the views even more. I cannot emphasise how exceptionally happy I was. On my way back down the beach I began looking for the cut through to the beach I had swan round from but as I got closer to the giant rock separating the two it dawned on me that I had two options, climb the cliff which was densely covered in both vegetation and monkeys or swim back. As there wasn’t a soul attempting the former I opted for the latter. Stepping back into the sea it had become apparent that the tide was on its way out, the advantage of this is that I could wade more of it thus saving energy on swimming, the disadvantage is that there are a lot of rocks and coral and other sea critters that I would now have to dodge. I cautiously tiptoed over the sea bed checking my every footing. I once had a bad experience with a poisonous sea creature in Egypt and was not looking to repeat this ever again.

Stepping onto a sharp rock I cut my foot, not badly but enough to make me jolt, misjudge my next step, trip over, cut my knee on another rock and finally land on my side on top of a sea urchin who in turn shot some 30 of his lovely numbing spikes into my thigh. I have not been this disappointed in myself for a long time. I said to Hatty I was only going to see what was around the corner, I’d been gone some two hours by this point she was going to be every bit as unimpressed as I am, if I make it back. I swam an inspiring one legged swim over to a local fishing boat and pulled myself on to it. His face when he saw my purple thigh full of black needles was a picture that humoured and scared me in equal measures. Once his eyes had returned into his sockets he calmly said some of my favourite words, “no panic, no poison, no panic”. We pulled as many of the little bastards out as we could and I flopped back into the sea and splashed my way back to Hatty.

As I came round the corner facing our beach I was met by the result of the tide going fully out. I was no dragging my inflamed ligament behind me, cursing every step and myself, my stupidity, my arrogance. When I finally got back on dry land almost four hours later I was a shell of my former self. Sure I was cut to smithereens, had an alien poison rushing through my bloodstream and was gloriously sunburnt in the face but I was in paradise, I’d seen monkeys and I last time I checked I was very much alive, what to explore next!?! Hatty on the other hand was somewhat concerned about the “electric shock” pain that was crippling my every step so insisted we go back to the room.

Having been the guinea pig yesterday we both decided that it wasn’t a sensible idea to try and explore the ocean “by foot” and so instead we hired a canoe. This not only prevented any further injuries but also allowed to explore much further, the best 300 baht (£6) I’d spent all trip. We went back to Monkey island, did some snorkelling, went inside some caves and secluded lagoons, found a number of private and semi-private beaches and generally just chilled out and messed about all day. After dinner we returned back to the beach and watched the sunset, I can’t emphasise how perfect this place is.

This perfection did come as a surprise as nearly everyone I had spoken to and a lot of the online reviews stated that this once beautiful place has become overrun by tourists and has a similar vibe to the one I so positively described in Bangkok. Apparently KPPD is littered with bars, clubs, tattoo shops and tatty markets, it is supposed to be filthy. But lying on this pristine beach, sun setting around me with a soundscape of nothing but the wildlife and waves I was glad I had ignored everyone.

As night fell we went for a stroll around the small island, we were sure we had seen it all over the last few days but somehow we had managed to miss something substantial. As we got closer to the restaurant area the calming natural sounds of the island were drowned out by thumbing bass. A whole “town” revealed itself before our very eyes. This is the Koh Phi Phi everyone had warned me of. It’s another Malaga or Kos, rows of beach bars selling buckets of spirits for absurdly low prices, tattoo parlours (that provide cocktails in the price of the tattoo), fast food restaurants and flocks of dead-eyed tourists stumbling over one another. On paper this is probably a hedonists wet-dream, proper lads holiday territory but for me it was a disaster. This spectacle will no doubt one day expand across the remainder of the island as more walking STDs infect every corner of it. For now though I am grateful that at least some part of Koh Phi Phi Don remains unspoilt and that I have been fortunate enough to experience it. But now it is time to move on once more.

We travelled by boat to Phuket and then caught a bus to Phang Nga, as the bus drove us away from the sea and higher into the hills it dawned on me that maybe I had got my locations mixed up. A few days ago sitting in Bangkok I demanded we head South for beaches and a cooler climate, I promised Hatty nonstop sand and sea, so you can image how confused and unimpressed we were when that started to vanish from sight. As it turns out the place I had in my head was Phra Nang. I am now very familiar with the geography of Southern Thailand, more so than even my home country but at the time of booking I had assumed these were the same place. This might sound stupid but it’s not uncommon for one place to have a multitude of names here, for example Rai Leh, Railay and Railey are all the same place. So you could excuse my ignorance when I see place names like Phang Nga, Phang Nga Bay and Phra Nang and assume they are all one place.

Despite being anything but a beach holiday Phang Nga (or Phangnga) was a beautiful mistake that offered some of the most relaxing and rewarding experiences of the whole trip. Our guesthouse sat nestled between a mountain range which offered exhilarating views from every direction. The pace here is very slow and very safe. Phang Nga is off the main tourist circuit, probably because most people can read a map but that separation works for me. Our evening meal, of freshly prepared Pad Thai, rounds of drinks and a variety of sides cost a total of 90 baht (£1.80) for the two of us. The town is laid back but not boring, the locals are friendly but not overbearing.

Of the things to do here, aside from get some proper down time the most popular is to get a boat to Khao Phing Kan island in Phang Nga Bay, this island is more famously known as James Bond Island after featuring heavily in the film The Man with the Golden Gun. The four or so hour tour takes you by boat though caves, caverns and around the ever impressive limestone rock faces before stopping off at Khao Phing Kan, here you can join the day trippers from Phuket standing in front of the infamous rock posing with their finger gun. This didn’t put me off as it was a truly awesome place to spend some time, it’s a wonderful example of natural beauty, and save for a small row of market stalls it remains largely untouched. The boat also takes you to a local Muslim fishing village, which is on stilts out in the sea. The tour company we went with is called Sayan tours, and Sayan was one of the local fishermen who lived in this village, part of the tour used to include lunch in his house and if you got the overnight tour you stayed here too. But his recent death has for obvious reasons removed this from the tour and so instead you are dropped off and then allowed to freely wonder around the village. The German and French couples could not wait to go for a jolly good snoop, poking their cameras into people’s front rooms, we however opted to take a seat in the café and enjoy what was around us. Maybe I am over thinking this but this is not a temple or museum this is someone’s home. Had this part included some interaction with a local, some explanation about the way of life or anything that convinced me they wanted a boat load of picture hungry Westerners letting themselves into their front rooms I think I would have been more keen but doing anything more than sitting in the café felt invasive, disrespectful and unnecessary. That said the tour was money well spent, the crazy natural beauty on offer here was beyond anything I had ever witnessed.

The following day we caught a boat to Ko Yao Noi and were once again reunited with the sea. Our home for the next few days was a wooden hut on stilts buried into the hillside looking out over the sea. The soundtrack of birds, lizards and insects filled the air and created the illusion that you were somewhere very remote. Our hut had a balcony and was the ideal place to unwind, not that I was doing anything stressful but there is little else to do. So much of Southern Thailand is so relaxed that if it were to get any slower it would stop all together and this tiny island is about as close to complete standstill as it gets. Lying on the bench seat reading a book I was chilled to the absolute maximum. Mr Claws soon put a stop to that.

Mr Claws is one of the owners cats and as his name suggests Mr Claws had some fucking long claws and sharp, pointy fangs. I am a cat man, I adore cats, am a little perhaps obsessed with cats. It has become a bit of a running joke that I am a cat magnet as wherever I go I always end up with one following me. Our garden back home was infested with them. Mr Claws was however very uninvited, he had me on edge from word go. Maybe it was my unnaturally low heart rate prior to his arrival or maybe it was his naturally long, sharp claws and killer look in his eye. He had this unforgiving whine that made him sound ridiculous but you would be stupid to laugh at him, not unless you wanted to be gutted there and then.

He worked his way over to me and I knew he could smell my fear, as he jumped onto my lap I tried to fight the instinct to throw him off the balcony. He put his face into my stomach and opened his mouth real wide exposing his razor sharp fangs, this is it, this is the end I thought. He let out a little yawn and flopped into my lap, I stroked his fur and he purred appreciatively. Cat whisperer has still got it. I lifted my arms in a sigh of relief only for Mr Claws to uncurl and return immediately to his possessed state. I ran my hand over his coat and he sunk back down, calm once again. This was the only way to preserve my life. Every time I removed my hand from him the devil would reappear. I cannot help this is Karma for how, in my early years on this earth I would only sleep if my mum “drew” on my back. Her arm would go dead from the repetitive circling whilst hung over the edge of my cot. I would be sound asleep and she would ever so gently remove her hand from my back like a robber lifting priceless jewels from an alarmed platform. The heat of her hand could still be felt on my back but I would be instantly aware that she had stopped and therefore instantly wide awake. It seemed only fair that this was my fate.

The rest of our time on Ko Yao Noi was considerably less edgy. The island consists of one main road, part concrete part dirt track that runs around the outside for a total of no more than 20km. We hired a Moped for the duration of our stay and this allowed us to see every nook and cranny of the island. Venturing off the main road led for some challenging riding but with a little determination and a lot of luck we always arrived at our destination in one piece. KYN is as chilled on the road as it is up in the hills and on the beaches, it’s a long way from the chaos of India and that is certainly no bad thing. The joy of it being an island is that you can’t get lost, teamed with the empty roads it is a joy to explore for someone with as bad a sense of direction as me. Every stop offers the chance to refuel on delicious fresh seafood and kick back in one of the many hammocks suspended between palm trees along the beach. At some point this journey is going to end and I will be back in the UK, an alarm set and a job to go to but for now I’m lazing on a beach, sun beating down, breeze flowing over me and I’m swaying in a hammock with an ice cold watermelon smoothie in hand and the future is a distant memory.

Koh Yao Noi doesn’t offer the spectacular crystal clear waters of Koh Phi Phi Don but it doesn’t have the pollution of the tourist and for that I could spend many more days, weeks or month here but for fear of becoming so laid back I fall over it is time to move on.

The next stop is Ao Nammao which is back in Krabi province. The closest town is Ao Nang which is a bustling tourist trap due to the convenience of its port linking you to the surrounding islands. But hitching a lift from a passing Songthaew ten minutes away from the pier once again got us out of the crowds and to somewhere that felt just that little bit more authentic. The other advantage of being in Ao Nammao is that it put us ever closer to our desired destination, Railay (Rai Leh/ Railey) beach. We’d left it too late to get accommodation on the beach but our second best option turned out to be a winner, at less than £10 a night we had a private double room with en-suite, fridge and normal toilet (these two things are kind of a big deal) and a shower with semi warm water and the main attraction AIRCON. The boat ride to Rai Leh takes less than 10 minutes and costs 180 baht (£3.60) for a return, we couldn’t find accommodation on Railay, given our short notice for anything less than £120 a night so Ao Nammao was a blessing for the wallet if nothing else.

Once on Rai Leh our stomachs controlled our decisions, we strolled the beach front and led by our noses ended up in Sunrise Tropical, a five star resort who thankfully open up their buffet breakfast to peasants like us. It costs 300 baht (£6) which is a lot for a Thai breakfast but after my fifth plate of gourmet delicacies its value was looking like it would stretch to lunch and maybe further. The grin on my face from satisfying my glutinous desires would take longer still to vanish.

I waddled to the beach and plopped myself down into the cushioning soft sand. Visually Railay is more similar to Koh Phi Phi Don, truly stunning but it is substantially more rocky and this makes swimming next to impossible unless its high tide so I had to opt for the difficult alternative of sunbathing. I’m not kidding this is difficult, I don’t know how people lay there all day, within minutes I am uncontrollably bored, hot and restless. Hatty is a sun worshipper and has perfected the art of lying so wasn’t interested in my suggestions to hire a kayak or go climbing. Eventually, most likely out of pity she agreed to try walking. Rai Leh is divided in the East and West and although the island is tiny, easily manageable by foot it offers very different experiences on either side. On our way across the island we saw a large group of wild monkeys off out on a day trip, fathers, mothers and their young all in a line worked their way through the branches and across a fence, the majority taking little notice of us but stopping  all humans passing by in their tracks. It was a wondrous site. Once on the other side of the island we were greeted by caves, caverns, sheer rock faces and swimmable waters. Hatty planted herself under a tree while I ventured off to go climbing.

There is a route up one of the cliff faces that you are able to free climb, it requires some strength and endurance but with confidence (or stupidity- it’s a fine line) it is a manageable ascent. The reward at the peak is a splendid view out across the island, which was nice but the climb was more of a highlight. If you venture further around then you arrive at a lagoon which is you have a really big pair you can climb/fall down to. My excuse for not making this decent is that the lagoon was basically empty and so the reward of getting down there was removed. I was however not ready to make my way back to the beach and so wanted to see what else was up here. I worked my way up steep, slippery rock over uprooted trees and tried to push images of lurking cobras to the back of my mind. I fearlessly (stupidly) went higher up the cliff face and into ever denser vegetation, I shimmied across fallen branches and jumped over gaps in the rock hoping for a clean landing on the other side. In my head I was the ultimate explorer but in reality I was setting myself up to be the next fatality, the typical idiot tourist who ran before he could walk.

Having worked my way to the top and part of the way down another side I reached a dead end and peering over the edge realised that the last half hour or so has led me nowhere and I was going to have to rewind my every skip, hop and jump to get back up. Tiredness set in and the noises in the jungle below heightened my senses, the wind whistling through the branches of the trees below became rattles of giant snakes that were rapidly winding their way up to me. I don’t remember eating a bag of hallucinogenics before climbing but apparently I was losing touch with reality. Whatever it was, my over imagination created fear which in turn sparked the fight or flight reaction. I wasn’t ever going to wait to do battle with an army of oversized and angry serpents so instead fled back up the cliff at breakneck speed and down the side I knew I should have just gone to originally.

Back on the beach my adventure seemed insignificant as I was in full health, Hatty on the other hand had done a little too much worshipping and her skin has passed her hair colour for colour (remember she has bright pink hair).

The following day Hatty went into hiding and I decided to steer clear of the monster snakes. I hired a kayak and did one of my favourite things- exploring, more specifically exploring the caves and caverns and generally being on the water.

Railay far exceeded Koh Phi Phi Don for awesomeness, I paddled from caves to cavern and was transfixed on their beauty, every time I arrived at a new one I was just that little bit more blown away. Whenever I got bored of being on the kayak I flopped off the side and went snorkelling, ever since my sea urchin experience I’ve been somewhat cautious of the sea but here the water is much safer and as I swam about following schools of fish without too much bother. One of my final landing spots was a beach called Tonsai (Ton Sai) which although on the same island as Rai Leh is divided by a large rock and only accessible by boat at high tide. At low tide however you can wade around the rock or if you are feeling adventurous you can clamber over the rock to reach the other side. I have wanted to see Ton Sai but knew that Hatty wouldn’t been so keen on making the journey if it turned out to be naff given her crispy state. I declared that is was very much worth it and jumped back in the kayak and set off back to Railay to find her.

We worked our way over the rock and set up camp in Freedom bar, a wooden shack on the beach front with excellent views both out to sea and of the dare devil free climbers scaling the walls around us. It was infinitely better than Railay and although infinitely less well developed in terms of its amenities it had everything we needed- beaches, beds, food and ice cold beer.

The past two weeks have been some of the most relaxing and inspiring of my life, although there are moments of negativity in my writing my overall feeling towards Thailand is wholly positive. It is a beautiful country full of beautiful people and as much as I want to stay on a beach for the remainder of my days both my visa and my desire to see the remainder of this spectacular country mean I have to move on, and so I begin my journey north.

As always thank you for reading.

  

Hong Kong

Arriving in Hong Kong from Delhi, having not slept for the past 36 hours you would think I would be needing some chopsticks to keep my eyes open but Hong Kong breathed life into me, I felt fresh, alive and excited.

Getting from the airport to the main island was a breeze, a delightful bus that was clean, spacious, comfortable and even had WiFi took us from one island to another for little over £4. Driving into Hong Kong island bought back feelings of the first time I drove into New York city, the impressive structures that sky rocket higher than the bus window would allow me to see, everything was so new and clean and calm. 

It is easy to compare Hong Kong island to New York because of the towering skyline and illuminated billboards but Hong Kong is very much its own place. The rolling mountains, beaches and water that surrounds it let you know there is much more to this place than just shopping.

We got off the bus and walked to our hostel which was perfect for our short stay here, great location, good size room and solid WiFi connection. We put our bags down and went in search of some food. Perhaps stupidly I had begun reading a book called "A Year of Eating Dangerously", in this book there is a whole chapter on Hong Kong cuisine, delights such as Cobra snake gall bladder, lizard skins, chickens feet and deep fried donkey penis. The book is a delight to read and very entertaining- the menu not so much. We opt for the safe option- a local supermarket and start thinking of making a picnic to enjoy in the near by Victoria Park. The first packages I pick up have such delicacies as the trusted chicken feet, an entire pigs face- peeled and dried in one piece- like a mask and other less recognisable cuts of animal. I am by no means a fussy eater and very open to trying new things but having survived India without too much tummy trouble I didn't want to rock the boat on day one. We grabbed some familiar snacks and went to the park.

Exercise and general well being are a big part of a Hong Kongers daily life and the park has a number of workout areas, running tracks and even free Ti Chi classes throughout the day, as well as large expanses of grass land to lounge on, either under a tree or by a man made water feature. From the in-your-face non-stop noise of India this felt like Nirvana.

Over the next few days we were set on exploring, the first stop was the Zoological and Botanical Gardens, this is free and seriously worthy of a visit. For animal lovers it is home to a variety of primates, monkeys of all types, Orang-utans and Chimpanzees, Gibbons too. There are Lemurs and Sloth's, reptiles of all descriptions and exotic birds. If plants are your things then there is tropical garden, rainforest set-up and all manor of tress and other green-life giving things. There are also some great spots to relax and step away from the city.

Our next destination was a place known as "The Peak", as I mentioned Hong Kong is surrounded by mountains and hills and The Peak is one of the best to climb and get wonderful views of the city. You can walk the old road or catch a tram to the top. Total distance from top to bottom is about one and half miles. We set about walking it.

Hong Kong is steep, to compare it to another US city it is equally as exhausting at San Francisco, or for a closer to home comparison- Cornwall on steroids. I am, or at least I was a fit man, once a keen gym goer and I even competed in a local body building competition, I prided myself in my determination and will power, always able to fight through the pain barrier. I was spent, dripping with sweat and panting like a rabid dog. I had walked twenty metres. My eyes were stinging from the salty sweat which was dripping into them I looked over at Hatty, who was ten metres behind me, slouched over a bench struggling to catch her breath. Coming up behind us were two older ladies walking a flock of dogs, they glided past us, having a full blown conversion. I felt deflated and embarrassed. I called over to Hatty, my voice now rasp from lack of fluid in my body and she dragged her way over to me. We laughed at how pathetic we were but decided to continue on our quest. We set ourselves check points and could only rest if we reached them. The hill was brutal, a true challenge of endurance and the humidity was not helping. Feeling delirious we stopped to re-evaluate our life decisions and for the first time actually stopped to look at the view. We were over half way up and almost level with the tops of some of the monstrous buildings below. Surrounded by trees, natural waterfalls and wildlife it being very apparent why we had done this. The following landmark was one of the tram stops, we sat and watched at it pulled hundreds of tourists to the summit, I despised and envied them in equal measures.  

It took us over an hour and a half to get to The Peak, upon arrival we were greeted with a mini city, shopping malls, restaurant, viewing platforms and museums. "Food" I spluttered like an infant who has just learnt a new word.

We found ourselves in a dim-sum restaurant and this was an excellent decision, the food was spectacular. We had a mushroom and chilli potstickers, shrimp and pork dumplings, honey roasted pork buns and a stack of mango mochi, all washed down with pot after pot of almond tea.

The descent was much more pleasant and we took great pleasure in watching the people on their way up as we casually rolled down the hill, high on food and high on life.

Later that evening we went to check out to night life in the lively Lan Kwai Fong area, wall to wall bars, where even the 7-11 is known as Club 7-11. Having a casual drink on the streets with friends is a cheap and totally acceptable thing to do here. We are pretty dead from our day on our feet and so are only looking not partaking. As we reach the end of the strip things get a little seedy, men- middle aged, white, taxi driver types are chucking back beers and getting ready to make a whole different kind of purchase. We've wondered into the cities Red Light District and although intriguing it isn't an ideal place to take your girlfriend.

Wednesday in Hong Kong is free museum day, and as it was a little overcast this looked like a great option. We caught the ferry to Kowloon island at the expense of about 25p each, the boat ride over to the other island gave us yet more great views and being on the water meant the humidity felt less harsh.

Once off the boat we had a real pick of some great museums, one for art, one for science another for space and one for history. The art museum was first and was by far the most interesting exhibition I had been to, or at least the best in a long time. The main event was a huge kind of memorial to to the recently deceased artist, Tong King Sum. His work was mostly comprised of wooden sculptors and every piece was more beautiful and desirable than the next. There was a documentary video playing about his life and his work and a mock up of his workshop. I enjoyed every minute of my time in there.

In part, if I am honest it was because I was sitting down and not using my feet, which as a result of doing yesterdays expedition in flip flops were so swollen and tender I would sooner cut them off then use them again.

I hobbled like a broken old goat around the Science museum hunting out every seat or seat like object I could find. Eventually after hours of this torturous ordeal we worked out our priorities.

We had heard of a great night market on Kowloon island and knew that they did a light show using the skyscrapers each night. This sounded great, street food and a novelty, garish and completely Asian entertainment. We checked the time and the route and then open a web browser. YouTube, search, Kowloon light show. Seven minutes later, having not left the children's seating area in the science museum we decided the light would be ok to miss. We then searched reviews of the night market. "tourist toot" "beware pickpockets" "lost its charm" "the food is awful". Phew we both exclaimed, let us reside our sorry selves back to the apartment.

Hong Kong is famous for many things and not least of those is the abundance on massage parlours. Now the words "massage" and "parlour" only spring up one expression. But here in Hong Kong the menu seems to only concentrate on your feet, no higher. It takes some convincing for Hatty to be on board with the idea- she has very sensitive feet and cant shake the "happy ending" idea out of her head. We do some homework, which reveals the variety of service experienced in these foreign places. "As long as they dont have a winky face in the window we'll be fine" I say.

Sat side by side with our feet submerged in a giant bucket of warm, jelly filled water- mine is apparently ginger and Hatty's is rose we can feel the life come back into our hoofs. Two men appear and begin to wrap our legs and feet in bundles of warm towels. I had hoped, or at least envisioned getting a petite Asian lady to perform the massage but instead I was being manhandled by Lurch, cold eyed and heavy handed. I caught Hattys eye and we burst out laughing.

The massage lasted for 45 minutes in that time my toes were pulled, clicked, bent back and forward. My calves and shins were prodded and punched and squeezed as if he was ringing out a wet flannel. The service ends with your battered and bruised legs being moisturised and covered once again in hot, scented towels. The blood settles and I feel like I have two new legs. Richard Kiel's bigger brother stomps around the corner and I cower behind the cover given to me at the start of this ordeal. He unwraps my legs like a surgeon would a patient, looking at me to see if I'm pleased with his work. Without warning he once again starts to thump and punch my calves and shins. Did I give the wrong look? We pay our money and hobble out onto the street, sore and confused.

In the morning it all made sense and I woke up like a new man with a spring in my step. I love my new feet and I'm no longer afraid of walking.

Our last day in Hong Kong was to be a brief one as that afternoon we were to fly to Bangkok. We did some light shopping and some less light eating and then slobbed in the park until the bus arrived to take us to the airport.

If it is big city living, high end shops and state of the art technology you want HK is for you. If you like food, not just Asian cuisine but quality, diverse flavoursome food inspired by all corners of the globe then HK is for you. If you like wide open spaces, hills, mountains, beaches, lakes HK is for you. If you like cleanliness, order, punctuality HK is for you. If you like art, music, culture HK is for you. I urge everyone to visit this fantastic place, whatever your tastes you wont be disappointed.  My trip here was brief and has left me hungry to return, I hope it one day does the same for all of you.

My next chapter begins on the plane to Bangkok. It'll be here for you to view just as soon as I write it.

As always thanks for reading.

Alavidā India

Day 9 and 10 were a kind of anti-climax, the dampener of the trip. This was caused by a mixture of our India experience knowingly coming to an end and the fact we were heading back to Delhi. Now I’m sure Delhi is a great city, it must have something to be worthy of its capital status but our first experience there at the start of the trip was not enjoyable and we weren’t holding out high hopes on our return. I tried to knock these feelings to the back of mind putting it down to the fact we were tired and overwhelmed on day one but now we were more accustomed and in tune with the Indian way. But this week in Delhi isn’t like normal Delhi as Obama is in town and so security is high and everything is closed. Spenidng all of day 9 travelling back across the country from a place you could stay for weeks to go somewhere you know is going to be lacking is hardly appealing.

Day 9 washes over me. We drive. We eat. We drive.

Waking in Delhi on day 10 we head out in search of whatever we can get access to. Closed. Road Block. Closed. Police everywhere. The only noteworthy thing is that it is spotless. 10 days ago it was littered with people, animals, cars, rubbish, human waste, beggers but today it’s all gone. The once tired green areas are now well groomed and vibrant flowers brighten every corner. The roads are clean and empty, there isn’t a horn to be heard. There are no animals wondering the street in search of scraps. The driver is pleased, he lives in Delhi and has longed to see it this tidy. It’s an impressive change but compared to what I saw on arrival I feel cheated, I didn’t come to India for neat and tidy, for order, for ordinary. I can’t shake the worrying niggle in my head as to the whereabouts of all the homeless, shanty, street folks. Why does it take something like the arrival of one of the worlds most popular man before you realise there might be a problem. I guess I’ll take the positive view, at least there wont be any hawkers.

We set off to see the memorial of Ghandi, it’s a large park and I’ve heard good things. As we drive down the long stretch of road we see the camera crews and news trucks, an official comes over to the car and explains that Obama has just visited so the site will be closed for the next two days, that seems excessive to me but hey ho onto the next disappointment.

Delhi is a ghost town today and we have full reign of the roads (that are open) so getting about is easy. The driver pulls over and points out a Hindu Temple. Now you will know by now I’m a little tired of temples but seeing as we don’t fly out until 2.30am tomorrow morning we have time to kill. Once I’ve stripped myself of any leather items, taken off my shoes and made my shorts hang below my knee I’m good to venture inside.

Wow. I will take back my meh attitude towards temples, this one is outstanding. It’s not the most beautiful one I’ve seen, it’s not the biggest, or the highest or has the best views but I really like it. It doesn’t feel like a tourist experience it feels like a temple. There isn’t any of the normal pressure to buy this and that because its “respectful”. It is a very honest and peaceful place, we wonder around inside and out for about an hour, read every word of all the signs- these are all made by carving sections of the marble walls and then filling them with precious stones that have been cut to size before sanding the wall down so they are smooth to the touch. One mistake and the whole wall would need to be rebuilt.

We manage to score two in a row, our next destination is Akshardham, another temple, this time it is gargantuan in fact it is notable one of the biggest temples in the world. As one of the only things in Delhi that is open it is rammed. We queue for about an hour before getting in but I don’t mind as we have a lot of time still to kill. When I get inside I mind even less, it’s spell binding. The temple and many outbuilding took 10,000 men (3,000 of which were volunteers) 2 days short of 5 years to complete, but had been in planning since the mid 60’s. It is vast, covering an area of some 90 acres and displays some phenomenal examples of craftsmanship. I didn’t feel the spiritual connection that I felt in the last temple, this one was definitely more of a tourist landmark I enjoyed it all the same.

 

A hat trick came in the shape of the tomb of Humayun, a kind of baby Taj Mahal in beige and surrounded by some ruins and an old wall that you walk along the top off if you don’t mind heights and crumbling brick. It was alright, the gardens were pleasant and it wasn’t mad busy. This was looking like our final option for timewasting so we walked our slowest walk and worked our way around.

 

Puppies! Lots and lots of them, all new and fluffy and cute. Yes, yes I was in some historical landmark of someone I’d never heard of but was expected to be wowed by every brick and blade of grass but I’m sorry sometimes there is a limit to the cultural experience you can embark on in one single week. I needed some light relief, something real, something that you couldn’t get from a guidebook or quick google search. This came in the form of a litter of puppies.

 

They kept me entertained for an age, I petted every one of those fluffy, chirpy little buggers. I was puppy broody and very content. This experience put me in a proper good mood and I had a new pair of eyes on.

 

We found a spot in one of the garden and laid back to enjoy some more of what nature had to offer. Amongst the flower beds were squirrels who were gathering more nuts then they could handle- think Scratch from Ice Age. In the trees the parakeets nattered away to one another, occasionally flying from branch to branch so we could see their brightly coloured bodies. Higher still was a convocation of eagles, I might be more mesmerized than I was with the puppies. They are very dominant in the skies, noisy and fascinating. I found myself bird watching, I expected travelling to change me but this is not the change I was expecting.

 

We exhausted the space for all it had to offer so we set off for the airport, rocked up to the front door where we were met by an armed security guard. He checks, double, triple checks our tickets and passports and then says in less words, “too early, visitors lounge”. We checked the time, 8 hours early for our flight- I hope there is WiFi.

 

The visitors lounge is a soulless space full of people like us, desperate to leave this sleeping city. Inside the holding pen you have to go through routine searches and questioning every time you get up to leave (go to the toilet), after the second frisking we decide to see where else we can go, we work our way into arrivals and nobody stops us, here we have access to food, drink, comfy seats and WiFi. Perfect, we’ll base ourselves here until we can go through to departures. The WiFi is the traditional aiport kind, free for 30 minutes and with a speed of 1m/s not at all worth using so instead I pick up a book. 8 hours fly by and before I know it it’s 2.30am and the plane is sprinting down the runway and out of this place.

 

India has been a rollercoaster and I hope to one day try another ride but for today I am ready to leave, I will never forget or regret my decision to come here its been life changing and I’ve fallen in love with most of it.

 

To round up the India part of my blog I’d like to do a quick “Top 5”

 

Top 5 most common sights on an Indian road

 

1. Motorbikes & Tuk Tuks

2. Cows

3. Tractors and Trucks

4. Camels & Goats

5. Cars

 

Top 5 best things spotted on a single motorbike

 

1. A family of five

2. A live sheep

3. A full sound system, the kind you get in a nightclub

4. Two stacks of garden chairs, 10 in each

5. A ladder

 

Top 5 things to eat/ drink

 

1. Thali- the cheapest way to eat half the menu

2. Sweet Lassi- a kind of milkshake that is not only delicious but good for you

3. Gajar Halwa- the single most delicious thing on this planet (if you have a sweet tooth)

4. Himalayan Kava- a tea which contains cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods and saffron  

5. Chapatti, Naan, Paratha & Roti. Bread, knead I say anymore? (I couldn’t resist).

 

As always, thanks for reading.

 

Up next, Hong Kong. 

Five, Six, Seven, Eight

Before leaving Jaipur we went to a shop, imaginatively named “Tea & Spice”, no points for guessing what they sold. Inside we were greeted by the kindest, most genuine and passionate man I have met so far this trip. We sat with him for well over and hour and he talked us through the many teas and spices he sold, which included tasters of whatever we wanted- from the traditional Masala Tea to more extravagant blends using Cinnamon, Cardamom and Saffron, I left there with a little less space in by bag but a little more in wallet.

The next morning we woke up early to make our way to the Blue City, Jodhpur. On the way we stopped off at a temple, we didn’t go inside as to be honest by day five of temples we were getting a little bored of them. Don’t get me wrong they are truly beautiful, magnificent structures but would I go on a tour of Churches and Cathedrals back home, probably not. Despite not feeling in the mood for going inside, outside was definitely worth spending time in. Tranquil tropical gardens, water features, and hidden coves to relax in. But then, here come the random Asian photo people. So far this trip me and Hatty have been asked for our photo more than 10 times, you can add another 10 times we’ve caught people just taking pictures or even videos of us. Each time the same thing, one person comes over and asks for a photo of you, then one of you and them together, then one of you, him and his mate. This can pattern continues until all six of his mates have had their photo with you. Bizarre at first, then funny but when you are just trying to chill out and take in the moment it’s pretty annoying. Oddly I get more attention than Hatty (for those that don’t know she has bright pink hair). They seem fascinated with my hair and beard.

I spent the five or so hour drive to Jodhpur thinking back to my short time in Jaipur, I loved it there and when I return to India on a later date I will definitely book in a longer time there. It’s magical and I strongly advise you to see it.

We arrive in Jodhpur and it’s noticeably different, from the wide open roads of Jaipur we are now squeezing the car down tight, winding alleyways full of cars, cattle and carts all crammed in like a game of Tetris that has been left to its own devices. It’s got that Indian chaotic feel but that has become a good thing in my books.

It feels richer here, this is based on the buildings alone. No longer are the streets made up of shanty structures- houses and shops alike, instead they are made of concrete, some have windows and on the drive in we saw modern shopping malls. I didn’t come looking for those home comforts but I think it’s a good sign for India that there is at least some sign of wealth, or a lack of poverty in parts. In a more selfish way, this means that there should be less hassle from Hawkers- the beggar children who drop things in your hand and then demand money from you.

Our hotel is right in the city centre, through a busy market place and has views looking over the main Fort, breakfast on the rooftop was the perfect way to start the day.

Full to the brim on chapatti and lime and pickle dip we jump in the car and set off for Udaipur, or the Lake City as it’s also known. 

First stop was a Hindu temple, like all the others we have seen so far it is a very elaborate, impressive sign of craftsmanship and architecture but as I’ve lost count of the number of temples I’ve seen already again we opted to just take in the views. Around the temple was a luscious garden which we wandered around and felt every bit at peace with ourselves. The sun was out and with no clouds to hide its power we were thankful for the large palm trees offering their shade. We wandered down a footpath which looped us back to the carpark where we enjoyed a stellar performance from the monkeys, hanging off the buses, swinging from the trees and trying their luck for some snacks.

Full of joy we hit the road again soon to arrive in Udaipur.

Our hotel was basic, when I say basic I mean no electric sockets, no warm water, a very elaborate shower toilet set-up, it was right on the main strip so noisy doesn't cover it. We shared a window with the hallway, this meant that the wall dividing the two wasn't flush and therefore you could see into our room from the hall. Initially these things bugged me but then I remembered some of the living conditions I had seen on this trip, families living on roundabouts with only a small piece of plastic to call a roof, to call home. To them, to most people here I was living in luxury. I quickly re-evaluated my situation- I am fortunate enough to have given up my job and afford to travel the world, I have a bed, a roof and my travel partner by my side- stop moaning and get out there.

The following morning we hit the streets for a full days sightseeing, temples, palaces and of course the lakes that give this city its name. Walking the streets here is a full on audio visual experience, the traffic, the street sellers, the animals, the food- sounds and smells that I hope will never leave me. The final audio visual experience came at dinner, in the restaurant the TV was playing a Bollywood movie, I was getting quite gripped in the semi dance fight sequences and the high volume of moustaches- the guy with the biggest lip warmer wins by the way. When the waiter clocked us, went over to the TV and changed it over to the AV setting, he scrolled through a hard drive that was attached and loaded another film, the familiar lions roar came out of the speakers and then the unmistakable opening sequences of Bond, James Bond camply but oh so manly pointing his gun at the screen. I could watch a 007 film any day but I was a little stumped as to why he had decided half way through the Bollywood blockbuster to put it on. My Bond knowledge isn’t great but I’m certain I’ve seen them all at some point so which one is it and why? Roger Moore comes as the first hint but still I’m confused, I decide it’s simply because it is in English and what is more English than Bond…then it hits me, Octopussy. Right then the scene is set with an iconic shot of the Taj Mahal! There is more, remember the Fort I said my room looked out on to, none other than the bad guys pad, this film is set right here. I later found out that over 80% of hotels and hostels in Udaipur show this film every night. Amazing.

With no pressing plan this morning (day 7) we treated ourselves to a lay-in, we are on holiday after all. Took a casual stroll into the city to find some breakfast, the traditional option is a plate of chapatti and variety of spicy dips, I either have a Masala Tea or Sweet Lassi to wash it down. Udaipur has a moment which remembers a great battle between a Muslim leader and a Hindu leader, in fact there were 18 battles in total, which resulted in one of the men losing an eye, hand and a foot. Is it wrong that I could only think of the Monty Python sketch, every fibre in my body wanted to shout out, “it’s merely a flesh wound”, I resisted. The museum and statues were on top of a hill which offered great views of the city.

Our next stop was the Ladies Garden (behave yourself and your childish humour). This is a tropical garden where it is said that the princesses of ancient times would come to escape the Summer heat, I’m certainly no princess but I did need some shelter from the heat and this place offered the perfect retreat. We sat by a manmade rainforest and enjoyed some Magic Curry Lays (Walkers crisps for those back home), parrots and monkeys in the trees above I was pretty content.

The final stop for today was the Monsoon Palace, less a palace more a weather station. It literally is a building positioned at the highest point of the city where someone would be based to monitor changes in the weather so the city below could be warned of bad weather, namely monsoons as you might have guessed. Although this building was not grand, the views from it were just that, and some. Mountain ranges in every direction, luscious green land on one side, hard rock, glistening in the sunlight on another. Sitting on the edge of a wall, feet dangling with nothing below me for further than I’d care to think about I was suckered into the moment. The sun had started to set and it was really something else being this high up. I was alive.

Coming down from the palace we met another clan of monkeys, the mother was picking bugs from the fathers underarms, he sat there helpless with his arms straight up in the air while she meticulously cleaned him, I don’t know why but this broke me and I started to laugh. From the trees three baby monkeys looked down at me, heads tilted with an expression like, “who’s this guy?”. I did my best monkey impression, typical hold hand out pretend you have food routine and hoped one would come a little closer. He did, confidently swinging from the branches and hopping his way over to me. I wasn't really sure what my plan was and he knew that, he posed long enough for a couple of photos and then decided to turn the tables and play a game with me. He did some monkey jumping thing, dancing from here to there, I was impressed but then he jumped a little too close, I jumped out of my skin, which in turn sent him back up the tree- the butterfly effect (monkey) was in full swing.

Our evening meal was taken alongside one of the lakes, our meal which consisted of four curries, some sides, chapattis, drinks and even a sweet cost a whopping £5 including tip, as if the views wont be enough to leave me wanting when I leave India.

Day 8 saw us back in the car for a six hour ride to the small city (might be more of a town), Pushkar. Sights here are limited to two temples and a reflective pool, where Hindus go to worship and pigeons come to feed. We took a quick glimpse at the temples on our way to the lake, the sun was only half hour from setting so we found a spot and watched the day draw in, or at least that was the plan. First there was the man offering us drugs, then the man who wanted his photo with us, and then his slightly shy friend. This was our queue to move on, we found another spot and continued taking in the scenery until we were interrupted by a stray dog and her partner they were harmless enough but there is only so much dog slobber I want on my back, plus coming down the stairs (that’s right down) was a cow. We carried on along the path and were sure this time we would find peace, within seconds a group of young boys were standing in front of us, just staring. After a very awkward amount of time they came over one-by-one and shook our hands and then ran off. We looked over at each other and decided that maybe tonight wasn’t the night for chilling out.

Back at the hotel, set away from the centre on a kind of retreat, we thought we would definitely find some serenity and for a while we did. As we headed out for dinner an Indian wedding disco was just getting started. I’ll spare you a lengthy explanation at this is already an epic post but let me just say serenity is not on the cards tonight .

We travel to Delhi tomorrow for a few nights, before flying to Hong Kong.

 Thanks for reading.

*When I get a WiFi signal strong enough I will also post some photos to accompany the words.

Two, Three and Four

Two, Three and Four

After leaving Delhi a bit dazed and confused (understatement), we hit the road, left the chaotic city and headed for open roads. For hours we saw very few cars, the roadsides offered vista point after vista point of Indian countryside, the occasional settlement of wooden huts and half built complexes but on the whole, as the sun came down it was a tranquil road trip out of the madness and into a new adventure. I fell asleep.

Horns, bangs, shouting, I woke up. Agra, it seems is even more mental than Delhi upon arrival. I credit it being dark to some of my feelings but not all. As I have mentioned the road system here is something of chaos, beautiful chaos and that doesn't calm with the setting of the sun.

The same illogical cluster of cars, people and live stock fill the roads in all directions but what was blowing my mind was the use of lights. Unlike at home where we turn our lights on when driving at night, here they leave them off and only turn them on (full beam flashes) when approaching another vehicle or object or if that vehicle or object is in your way. The driver undertook a lorry only to be met by a motorbike (no lights) coming the other way which had just overtaken a tractor with a trailer full of people standing inside, so all four vehicles passed alongside each other on a stretch of road designed for two. Another example revealed itself after having done a series of overtakes, most on the inside and around corners. We were travelling at a good speed, say around 65 mph over very rough ground when something caught the drivers eye, screaming on the breaks to a point where we were all standing up the car came to a standstill, less than a foot in front of us was a truck, no lights, open backed and carrying a load of scaffolding poles which were overhanging by some distance and sitting conveniently at eye level I had not signed up to be in the latest Final Destination movie, thankfully nor had the driver. 

We navigated more madness for around half an hour before arriving at the hotel. That was the best nights sleep I'd ever had.

In the morning we went to the Taj Mahal, it was so foggy we had to basically feel our way inside. Once there I really started to understand why it is one of the great wonders of the world. The story behind it being built and the craftsmanship is astonishing. There are inscriptions and what look like paintings covering the inside but no ink or dye was used, instead every swirl, flower and letter was painstakingly created by digging out the desired shapes from the slabs of marble and filling them with handcut pieces of precious stones. We watched a man make a table top decoration using the traditional methods and this really put into perspective the scale of the building I had just visited. 

We hit some more hotspots in Agra before hitting the road again, this time for Ranthombhor, this city and the arrival into are much quieter, poorer and colder. Having packed my bags for South East Asian beaches I was not ready for the minus degrees. I shivered myself to sleep, in the morning I saw that the hotel doesn't actually have a front door, we were in the first room off the reception area so never stood a chance of a warm night.

A half five start was necessary, we were told so we could have breakfast and then set off for the safari for 6:30 am. That time came, as did, 7 and 7:30. Indian time keeping is not a strong point, a five hour journey is often sold as "a couple". Anyway, 7.45am and the truck pulls up outside, I'm in shorts and a light hoodie, the temperature outside is, at most three degrees and my ride for the next few hours is an open top truck, for fear or turning into Harry and Lloyd when they drive to Aspen on a motorbike in Dumb and Dumber I asked if the hotel had any blankets we could use. Thankfully that was a yes. We wrapped and jumped on board.

We entered Ranthombhor Tiger Reserve and drove a good few km into the park with only the landscape to entertain us, a little while later we saw some Indian magpie, which livened everyone up as they flew about and landed on unsuspecting peoples heads. Another five minutes drive and there was a small group of deer, Hyena Deer apparently, they were beautiful and completely unaware of us. We drove on and the guide explained that last night there had been a sighting of a tiger and three cubs, I never expected to see one given the park was over 1,500km squared and there were only 25 tigers left. But what I expected even less than that was what we saw next. Digging in the soil no more than 50m away was a fully grown male Sloth Bear, a wild, shaggy black coat. He had not a care in the world, blissfully unaware if his audience he just carried on being himself, that being a bear, I saw a bear in the wild, an actual bear! I like tigers, they are majestic, powerful and beautiful but I like bears a lot more. There were other animals such as eagles and crocodiles which was cool to see, but A BEAR. WOW.

We left Ranthombhore after that and drove another 3 or so hours to Jaipur, or as it is also known; The Pink City.

As I write this, I am coming to the end of my second day in Jaipur and it is this city that has got me hooked on India, I love this place. Down in the city centre its got all the chaos, hustle and bustle you could ever want, car horn 24-7, cows, goats and dog everywhere, food stalls, people, people, people galore. But a short car ride to one of the many Forts up in the mountains and the peacefulness and tranquillity of India can be experienced ten-fold. From the cold of Ranthombhore only a few hours away I am now basking in the sun, temperatures in the high 20's, maybe more, no humidity, light winds and not a fly in sight. Mountains and lakes as far as the eye can see in every direction. I'm not a spiritual man but this was heavenly. Below, 600 odd feet below is the city of Jaipur, overcrowded and lively. The wind carries the faint sound of car horns and calls to prayer this mixes with the chatter or a tree full of parrots behind me, I could stand there all day. I've walked and climbed miles and miles today and taken in so much information, I should be tired but this place has left me so chilled. Coming back down to the city chaos was easy, the mountains have cleared my head and I'm truly ready to take on the rest of this country. 

Time constraints been I'm on the move again, tomorrows destination is Jodhpur, or as it is also known, The Blue City.

Happy reading.

An Hour, A Day, What's The Difference?

I've never been travelling before, sure I've been to plenty of countries but at only three days in I am finding there is a massive difference between travelling and going to another country on holiday. Perhaps India wasn't the best place to make this discovery but then again I am an all-or-nothing kind of person, so the deep end is where I was always going to start.

We (me and my girlfriend, Hatty) landed in New Delhi around lunchtime on the 16th January. Upon getting off the plane my head was rushing with all the things I had heard about this vibrant and eccentric city, teamed with the lack of sleep, the realisation that I had given up my life back home this trip I was feeling more than anxious. All of that left me the second I got into the airport, there was no noise, no crowds, no cows. Instead there was all the things I had come to expect of an airport, signs in English, a duty free shop and a Costa coffee. I felt both cheated and relived at the same time.

After a short half hour queue to get us through customs and passport control we got our first taste of outside Delhi, booming in through the doors was the sound of drums, people and car horns. I was excited to get out there and see it, plus I am a sucker for a good drum beat. But looking over at Hatty who's face still held some of the fear I had felt stepping off the plane I knew we would have to apply caution before stepping out to the unknown. I should also say that I was nervous as hell at this stage but I am somewhat more spontaneous- that's my internal struggle I guess.

Once outside we opted to find a taxi to get us into the centre. A car is the best and worst place to be in Delhi. On the one hand it offers you security from the over curious locals and money hungry children but when I say there is no order to their roads, I mean there is NO ORDER. We were on a road which had three lanes marked out for northbound traffic and three for southbound. The two roads were divided by one part concrete bollards, one part heaps of dirt and one part wild dogs. We sat in traffic, where normally you would expect to see a car beside you and another beside that, filling the three lanes- not here.

A minimum of 6 "vehicles" side by side, some facing forward, some sideways and other in the complete wrong direction. The traffic was made up of cars, motorbikes and tuk-tuks, camels, cows, dogs, children and street vendors. The roundabouts are seemingly used as peoples homes, their washing hung on low lying wires. People have said to me that they couldn't come to India because of the poverty, at this stage I couldn't tell you what is poverty and what is normality. 

The drive into town was quick but finding our hostel was not. There is a big election taking place here at the moment and Obama is visiting, or to give him his full name, the President of the United States of America, Barrack Obama. These two things make for a very big deal here and a a result the police have closed of large chunks of the city. Our driver tries every main road and side road he can squeeze (scrape) his car down but no joy. After an hour (felt like a day) we decided to go to a Tourist Information Centre.

From here we call our hostel and find out that the road it is situated in is closed all week and that we cant get there, not even on foot. The travel agent then told us that Delhi is basically a no go zone, so instead we should travel 5 hours on to Agra. We had a cup of Indian Chai, a very sweet tea and loaded the bags into a car and set of for Agra.

That was day one.