http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Apsara/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Apsara en-us Tue, 15 Dec 2009 04:04:48 +0000 Tue, 15 Dec 2009 04:04:48 +0000 I had been obsessively listening to the Walking on the Chinese Wall by Philip Bailey for about a month before I left for China classic 80s song. Probably my main motivation for this trip was to finally see the Great Wall one of my favourite things about travelling is to actually see those iconic buildings or natural sights that I have only seen in photos before. The Pyramids the Taj Mahal th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Beijing/Great-Wall-of-China/blog-313436.html Somehow with everything that has happened this year long story it had completely slipped my mind to blog about my China trip so quite belatedly here it is.I didn't have enough points to fly business class in both directions this time so had to resign myself to sitting with the plebs again on the outbound flight Only a short flight to Shanghai of course so not too much of a hardship. Beca http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Beijing/blog-313428.html Well I am ruined for economy class now I have to say. It is going to be a serious blow next time I have to wait in line with the rest of the plebs and then sit with my knees jammed up around my chin for 12 hours. There was a hitch before I got to check in because Northwest Airlines apparently doesn't allow any lighters to be taken even as stowed luggage and the xray showed I had a lighter som http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Hong-Kong/blog-168999.html Okay I know that 5.5 days in Hong Kong isn't exactly intrepid travel but it will keep me going until my next tentatively planned long trip Bangkok to Bali in December this year. Particularly excited about the flight this time because I am using my long storedup Northwest airpoints to go business class both ways It's possible to choose your seats online so I have chosen the downstairs section http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Hong-Kong/blog-162275.html Finally finishing this entry. We woke up the next morning to a white and dripping world again this is a very foggy time of year in the lowlands of Nepal. After receiving our lunch boxes each containing 4 boiled eggs maybe the kitchen staff thought we needed a lot of protein we walked down to the river where we boarded the dreaded dugout canoes again. With 7 people ours was riding very low an http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Chitwan/blog-122706.html ...but we made it eventually. Leaving Lumbini midmorning we were expecting to arrive at Royal Chitwan National Park by early afternoon. Flowon from the previous day's bandh made the trip take twice the time it was supposed to however. It seems that anyone with a grievance in the Terai in the current political climate can just set up a roadblock which is sure to get everyone's attention. We got http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Chitwan/blog-121526.html Up at the very unChristmassy hour of 4.30am to get a good start on the drive from Varanasi to the Nepali border. As we were getting in the fourwheeldrives Bill the leader handed us all little boxes and cards very sweet of him even if it most likely is covered by the company as trip expenses. They turned out to be small handpainted miniature Hindu gods and goddesses I haven't identified mine http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Lumbini/blog-119261.html Up early this morning to watch sunrise activities on the ghats from the same boat as last night. Throngs of other tourists Indian and foreign were doing the same thing. All kinds of things going on bathing and swimming toothbrushing laundry a number of funerals and cremations even at that early hour. One old gentleman swimming energetically towards us called out Hello everyone Welcome to V http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-118660.html Once off the train we had breakfast at a hotel then went into central Allahabad to visit Nehru House former home of Jawaharlal Nehru and his daughter Indira Gandhi and occasionally Mahatma Gandhi. It was a base for the Swaraj or Indian liberation movement before they finally achieved independence from the British in 1947. I had been wanting to buy a Rabindranath Tagore book while in India and fo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-117302.html Now this place is one of the undiscovered gems of India. Orchha is a very small village on the banks of the Betwa River the cleanest river in India they say and just about has more ancient palaces temples and cenotaphs than people. The streets are virtually garbagefree since the population of the village hasn't overwhelmed its public services and the air is fresh. However someone has taught t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Madhya-Pradesh/Orchha/blog-117299.html Three hours on a local bus to reach this city. I spent much of the ride closing the window as due to the almost complete lack of shock absorbers the vibration of the bus even on relatively smooth roads meant that every 5 minutes or so the window would have worked itself open about 20cm I would get tired of having my hair blown in my face and shut it then a minute later it would slowly start to http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Madhya-Pradesh/Gwalior/blog-117294.html After an early start and only one flat tyre we arrived at Delhi station in time to catch the train to Agra home of the Taj Mahal. As part of the responsible travel ethic of the company we were travelling with our transport around Agra was by Vikram a nonpolluting electric version of the autorickshaw which fits about 6 people. Nonpolluting they may be but speedy they aren't sounds like th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Agra/blog-116952.html Usually in India you can't walk 10 steps without being offered transportation by autorickshaw cycle rickshaw or taxi so of course when we really needed a taxi at 8.30 this morning to get to the dentist there wasn't one to be found.After a bit of fruitless wandering around we took a rickshaw to Connaught Place in the hope there would be taxis there somewhere and were lucky enough to bump into http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/National-Capital-Territory/New-Delhi/blog-116936.html Got into Delhi airport about 3.30am only about an hour behind schedule. Was surprised to find Toru waiting in Arrivals given the unsociable arrival time I said he should just send a taxi from the hotel but he came in person after all. We spent 5 minutes or so banging on the roof and windows of the taxi trying to wake up the taxi driver he had cocooned himself in his shawl and didn't seem to be http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/National-Capital-Territory/New-Delhi/blog-116933.html Aargh I had typed about a full page am still a two finger typist so this takes me a while and then lost it all by using the back and forward buttons on the browser why does that only happen to me when I have just done a marathon typing sessionAnyway I am setting this blog up in anticipation of spending most of December and perhaps all of February on holiday the first week of December back in http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokyo/blog-98536.html