Blogs from Palolem, Goa, India, Asia - page 2

Day 10 After all of the ups and downs of yesterday, we ended on a high with beer on the balcony! This morning we had breakfast before sitting down to organise our next move. We need to arrange where we want to spend New Year, travel, and accommodation. After a few Internet issues we finally decided on Palolem Beach. We varied our thoughts between taxi or local bus, but given my financial situation, due to the loss of both cards, we agreed on low cost bus. We booked two nights at The Laughing Buddha beach Huts on the beach..... Then off we went! It all worked out perfectly! We are both very happy with our decisions and choices. Had a chilled couple of hours just sat outside our hut..... Daydreaming and chatting! We decided to go ... read more

Panjim was where I met Terry 26 years ago on the last night of the Festival of Ganesh and was keen to see if I could remember anything about it. It’s a long time in any city’s life and I am sure no different in this one. Then train does not go into the city but stops about 40 kilometers outside at a place called Vasco and we took a taxi into town. The terrain was now hilly with coconut covered hills and water in rivers and lakes. I saw a kingfisher and was thrilled by its colours. I was happy with the little hotel we had booked called Hosperdaria Abrigo De Botelho it looks as lovely as the pictures and that is what Toni and I are always on about when regards the Backpack do ... read more

J: Mumbai is huge. Twice the size of London and with people absolutely everywhere. It felt like every space large enough to occupy a person contained one. We had two days in Mumbai so we walked around the city and took in local cricket matches at Maiden Oval, admired Mumbai harbour from athe Gateway of India and had lunch at the famous Leopald's. We sneaked into the regal Taj Palace hotel for a look around and watched the sun go down over Chowpatty Beach. An endearing quality of Mumbai was that the most impressive architecture was found not in museums or private residences, but in public service buildings. The Post Office and Mumbai University were both very grand and the main train terminal, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, was spectacular. Mumbai to Goa was twelve hours by train ... read more

Beste mensen, De vorige keer ben ik geindigd in Varenasi, ook wel Benares genoemd. Een belangrijk punt van onze trip in India omdat Varanasi niet zomaar een stad is, maar is de spirituele hoofdstad van India. Het is de droom van elke hindoe om hier, aan de Ganges, gecremeerd te worden.Ook is de stad meer dan 2700 jaar oud, en hierdoor een van de oudste steden ter wereld. We zijn hier s'middags met de trein aangekomen, en meteen op het station zag je al de de sfeer hier anders is dan in andere steden van India.Vanaf het station hebben we een riksjaw genomen naar het hotel en daarna zijn we lekker iets gaan eten. We hadden geluk dat we deze dag aangekomen waren want het was de dag van de goden. S'avonds staken ze miljoenen kaarsjes ... read more

24.4 - 26.4 Zugfahrt wart okay. Ab nach Anjuna Beach. Erster Eindruck: Das ist nicht das tropische paradies an das man denk wenn man Goa hoert. Es ist eher haesslich und dreckig. Ueberall der seltsame Hippietoursismus. Also nichts gegen Hippies aber das hier ist schon seltsam. Trancemusic ueberall, alles ist etwas schmuddelig. Gottseidank Schwedin Mia kennen gelernt und ueber sie die Schwedinnen Mao und Sophia und die Norweger Frederick und Simon. Mit ihnen hab ich hier in Nordgoa eine richtig gute und gemuetliche Zeit. Simon und Frederick wollten urspruenglich in die USA. Ihr Visum wurde abgelehnt weil sie wwoofen in ihren Reisezweck geschrieben haben. An einem Tag miet ich mir nen Roller ab nach Arambol Beach. Auch nicht echt schoen aber ich fliege mit nem verpeilten Deutschen Piloten Gleitschirm. Alleine waere das hier zu gefaehrlich gewesen ... read more