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Published: November 1st 2009
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Well that's adios to Delhi, New Delhi, Old Delhi, or whatever the fuck they call it these days. More on that later.
Most of my time in Delhi was spent in the hostel, just chilling and getting my bearings about me, or at least trying to. Just lay about relaxing and having a few Kingfisher (surprise surprise!).
I said in my first blog that there would probably be a few hiccups along the way, and indeed there was, literally, last Sunday night after we stuck 2 past the mancs. Waa ha! A good night was had that night by the whole hostel, even though most of them haven't got any interest in the game. Cheers people. YNWA!
After the euphoria of that result and the celebrations after, I was soon brought slap back down to earth when the bank decided they would de-activate my account just because I had used my card in India. Just typifies the banking system these days. It's my fuckin money, I can withdraw it wherever I want! Eventually got it going again but 90% of the machines here still won't dispense money, even though they all have a Visa sign on the front of them. Grrrr!
That was the catalyst for me to get my travelling boots on and get the fuck out of the place.
Delhi was indeed an eye opener with the state of the poverty, and of wealth for that matter. On one side of one street you have a western style shopping centre on one side and on the other is a slum laden with tents and little street beggars and people just struggling to find food and water to feed their families, nevermind a new Chanel handbag or an Armani shirt! Another thing that struck me and still puzzles me is, if the cow is such a sacred animal here, what the fuck are they doing roaming the streets eating scraps out of burning garbage piles?! Not a bit wonder they don't eat the fucking things!
I decided it was time to get myself sorted and make my way to Kathmandu in Nepal. I decided that, instead of just taking the plane I would take the train and bus - Bad Idea! I got one of the guys in the hostel to book my ticket for me. 18 dabs for a 500 train mile ticket; not bad. I decided I
would give myself plenty of time to get to the station; 2 and a half hours in total. Was told that the tuk tuk journey would take about an hour and a half, and indeed it did. Happa days! Went to the tourist bureau up the stairs to see what platform my train left from and it was closed, but there were 3 guys still sitting there so I showed them my ticket and asked them for help, they told me to go over the street and check on the internet. Thanks a lot you fat fucks! Went downstairs, tried to check their info desk. Don't even ask! So tried checking the departure screens, an Indian man who had been following me for a bit, who I thought was a tout had a look at my ticket and told me I was departing from OLD Delhi station. FUCK!! (Thank u for that info too mister India man!). By this stage I had about 30 minutes to get to Old Delhi station and the tuk-tuk man told me it would take just that. Shit! Please let this be one of the many times that these unreliable trains are late. Got there
bang on time and booted like blue fuck to platform 7. Yeah, it was still there! Jumped into the first carriage I seen and asked the guys if I was on the right train and they said I was but that I was in the wrong class of carriage. 2nd instead of 3rd. Good stuff. Waited till the train took aff and removed me socks and shoes and put the feet up. Wasn't long until the same guys again reminded me I was in the wrong class of carriage and started pointing down the train shouting frantiaclly at me. Calm down! Ah well, always worth a try. Got to my own carriage then and put the head down for the night. 3 beds to a carriage instead of two.
I was told when I bought the ticket it would take 12 hours but it ended up taking 18. Didn't mind too much though as I got to see a bit of this place then after waking up.
Got aff the train then at a station near the border, took a walk around for a bit. Get me out of here! Pure and utter bedlam! Went and booked a ticket for
a taxi and a tourist bus. Taxi took 3 hours to get to the border, got my visas and went to see the rep. from company I bought ticket from. Hi de ho and all that craic. Right, where's the bus de i put my feet up, saw this big white gleaming 52 seater, yee ha, that'll do for an nine hour trip. "Will I put my bags in the side here Sir?" I said, to which he replied "No no no, we don't use high coaches." Looked over the street and saw the bus. Oh Sweet Heart of Mary! Picture the buses you see on the news from around this region with the bags and people and that on the top. "Are you serious, 9 hours in this." It was full to the teeth with a family heading to a gathering in Kathmandu, people lying on the floor and what not. The seats were swinging to and fro and wouldn't have had enough leg room for Wee - Man out of Jackass. So you can imagine how my knees are feeling right now. It was the journey from hell; climbing up hills and mountains, looking over the edge, about 200 foot down to the water, with trucks coming down ther other way squeezing in past ye. Lord give me strength! And all this coming aff a 10 day bender of drink. Never, ever, ever again!!!!!! Was hallucinating and what not with lack of sleep and DT's.
So as you can probably tell i'm now in Kathmandu. Nice place, beer's double the price of Delhi. Good job as i'm going off it tomorrow (Really!) in preparation for my base camp trip which I hope will begin on sunday. All being well with the dictatorship of a bank letting me withdraw my money in Nepal now.
Hope all is good with you's all back home. Will get more photos up whenever I can find a computer that reads memory cards as my lead's banjaxed.
Free Tibet!
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keira
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hahahha if you can survive that you can survive anything, mygod. glad ye got to see the match, sounds like it was worth sticking round the big smoke for it. keep the ole tales coming x