Alex Denne
Male, 18 - 5 and a half months of epic travelsDenne
03/02 - 10/03 India
11/03 - 14/04 New Zealand
15/04 - 19/05 Austraila
20/05 - 14/07 SE Asia
Travel Blog Posts
July 8th 2010
Day 10 - 12 (Camel Safari) Bright and early at 6am was when we were told to meet outside the trotters shop window ready to get picked up by a jeep. I was wearing baggy black trousers with a khaki Indian tee, I completed my desert look with a headscarf wrapped round my face like a mask, with just a slit for the eyes, Simon was ready before me and was just enjoying the morning on the balcony. I ran up to him at full speed and shouted “give me all your money” expecting a little crackle of laughter or something. Instead what I hear is a large clang and then a pretty loud smash. My smile dropped as I looked at Simon: “what was that”, “An ashtray mate”. I mean, who puts an ashtray on ... read more
(8) Dreaming Of Dunes. ( I should probably start trying to keep up)
Published: July 8th 2010Asia » India » Rajasthan » Jaisalmer
March 17th 2010
We sat at the main bus stand in Udaipur waiting for our bus to arrive and take us on a 9 hour journey to Jaisalmer via Jodhpur. As we waited on a cold metal bench straddling our backpacks we observed our surroundings: Some modded rickshaws with neon lights and huge speakers blared around the roundabout and past our bench, a stray dog craved some attention which was given to it by a large Indian gentleman sitting on a bench across from us, some begging children asked for chapatti, schoolpens and baksheesh (tip), and people seemed to keep coming and going as we waited. After 30 mins of waiting someone behind the counter of the company we booked with asked us for our ticket which we gave and it seemed to vanish worryingly into a black hole ... read more
February 20th 2010
Day 6 - 9 (Udaipur) The bus journey from Jodhpur to Udaipur is a collaboration between fun and scary: Fun because towns and markets are being passed more intimately than they were on the train, and scary because the bus driver is an absolute nut job. He overtakes, narrowly missing a shattering collision between a heavily populated bus and a huge truck, wheels just along the edge of the tarmac, and almost wanting to skid into a ditch. Something tells me I’m going to have to get used to those things before I can really enjoy the journey, he does this journey all the time, it’ll be fine. The drivers beautiful bus horn is possibly the most awesome car horn I’ve ever seen, it has 6 different buttons resembling differing pitches, when performing different types of ... read more
February 12th 2010
Day 5 - Train & Jodhpur I woke up suddenly at 02:00 to the sound of running, screaming and panic. I sat up quickly to see 3 men running down the carriage screaming. I was in that state of mind where you’ve been wrenched out of sleep due to the evolutionary instinct of the possibility of danger, after the 3 men had run through to the next carriage I concentrated hard on my hearing to see if there was anything that I should be hearing, my immediate thoughts were ‘bomb, fire, murder’ as the men were running at a speed I wouldn’t be able to match through a crowded and dark train at 2 o’clock in the morning. I heard nothing, no one else was panicking and no other noises were being made so I relaxed ... read more
February 12th 2010
Day 4 - Mumbai & Vasai Road. We woke up early with the intentions of getting our full English breakfast coupled with free wi-fi, the free wi-fi was true enough but the full English was us dreaming, a dream brought into reality by us enthusiastically detailing the wonder of said meal which gave him no choice but to nod along with us smiling at our enthusiasm. Our fault I guess then. Although I’d not typed up a blog yet, it was good to get on facebook and let people know we were still alive, all be it at 5am GMT so no one probably saw it. I was feeling crap, had 1 heavy day of nasty illness and Bombay Belly brought on by what I can only assume was the chicken jalfrezi I’d had yesterday evening ... read more
(4) Mumbai & Elephanta Island (i should probably compact these blogs more...)
Published: February 11th 2010Asia » India » Maharashtra » Mumbai
February 11th 2010
Day 3 - 06/02 Mumbai and Elephanta island. The Oz girls we’d originally planned on going with were feeling pretty low as they were fairly heavy on the booze last night so we headed onwards and upwards without them. On our second time to the India Gate (the ferries to elephanta island leave from there) we didn’t get harassed too much at all, a couple of “want big balloon?” *Boom* sellers and a couple of people wanting to take a picture of us with a decent SLR and print it off and give it to us for some ridiculous price (we didn’t actually ask), my question is - how do they afford a decent SLR? Couldn’t figure that one out actually. Throughout the hour or so from walking past the india gate, getting on a 40 ... read more
February 10th 2010
Day 2 - 05/02 - Mumbai Uhh, Mornings, even though we both got a good 8 - 10 hours or so sleep we felt we needed much more. The alarm was set for 7 and we were out at 8 (after paying for another night) and at McDonalds at 8:30 via a fruit stand where we picked up a couple of battered and bruised yet tasty bananas. Bollywood man wasn’t there but 8 foreigners were (more than we’d seen on our whole trip around Mumbai the day before). Part of me expected everyone to congregate in a circle, sit on each other’s knees and share stories but the atmosphere was actually quite tense, I think everyone was maybe a little bit grumpy due to being awake so early. I knew we’d all be laughing together in ... read more
February 10th 2010
Day 1 (Technically, Still 04/02/10) After having difficulty finding a compromise between a cool and loud room or a quiet and hot, humid room we probably got about 3 hours or so of sleep each before being slowly woken by the Bob Marley - legend album from next door. We both agreed it was just the wake up we wanted. We decided we liked the room and paid for another night, Donned a t-shirt and some jeans and headed out, we thought that seeing as its India’s cool season jeans would be just fine, a decision we’d regret heavily in about 3 hours or so. Delight Guest house was close to the gateway of India so we headed off to there, through the unnamed streets, shops cluttered with multiple levels of sign posting, all of which ... read more
February 9th 2010
Day 1 - 04/02/10 I enjoyed my last true luxury I’d have for 5 and a half months, 24 Weeks, that’s a long time. I was cheekily upgraded on my flight from economy to business class (cheers mate) although Simon was left to fend for himself in economy whilst I got pampered. I would’ve downgraded but then it would’ve drawn attention to the upgrade and got the legend in trouble. Anyway, He also got me and Simon free business lounge access which means free: Bacon Sandwiches, Crisps, Bottles of wine, Jack Daniels, All other spirits (JD deserves a special mention I feel), Cereal, Coffee, Internet, and Satellite TV in a cinema room. So Good. We both got some bacon sandwiches and pastries and dug in, thinking that it was too early to drink, probably a good ... read more
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