I LOVE PONDI! Yes, I probably could live here for quite a while. The French quarter has the most beautiful coloured buildings with wide tree lined streets and many choices of food too. It gets really hot at times though, which could be a problem. But I shan't ramble on here, just know that I love it and will be back there in the not too distant future, especially as I feel that I have made some lovely friends. Thank you for everything Hari, Petra and Marion. See you all in 2010. [View Full Entry]

---

---

Our stay at Goa was rather overshadowed by lots and lots of monsoonal rain. At one time we couldn't leave the place where we were staying (with friends of Pete) to go out and get food. We did brave it a couple of times and got wet right through to every last bit of clothing. Not that bad really as it still wasn't cold. I would like to go back to Goa out of the monsoon season as I believe the place really comes alive. There are some lovely palm fringed beaches and lots of interesting old buildings in the old [View Full Entry]

---

---

Ajunta Caves, Khuldabad, Daultabad fort and Ellora caves. Trains, trains and more trains. When I travel alone I always play it safe and travel what we would call first class, but Pete and Debu like to go native! Interesting for me. The hawkers that come on at each stop are amazing. You can buy all sorts of food and drinks, books and magazines, newspapers, cigarettes, chains and locks for your suitcase, children’s toys, handkerchiefs, shoes, key rings and more. Then there are the maimed beggars who crawl on and beg and little boys who scurry around the floor sweeping a patch [View Full Entry]

---

---

Sorry everyone. I have been home for about 6 weeks now and have been meaning to update my blog but have been sick. Irony that's for sure! I travel all around India and don't get sick and once back in Australia get bronchitis and am at present on my fourth course of antibiotics. Bugger!!! Leaving Dharamsala. It was very sad leaving Dharamsala and all the wonderful friends that I had made but it was also wonderful getting to the Ashram. Such a beautiful and for me luxurious place. I am sure that I was a guru in a past life as [View Full Entry]

---

---

Well my lovely friends, my time here in India is coming to an end and what a mixture of emotions I have. I feel that India has given me so much but now I must think of how I am going to use all these gifts. Of course one of the problems I have is that because of my over fertile daughter, I will be back on the 20th September MH139 arriving at 6.15.a.m. for the birth of her and Marks first child, due on the 5th October. That is all very exciting of course, but I have nowhere to live [View Full Entry]

---

---

Farewell Dharamsala. My last few days in Dharamsala were like a miasma. I’m not sure that I did a great deal, just wallowed in being spoilt. A bit like a queen bee with the drones humming around me, feeding me, massaging me and all the time I had a vague feeling that I should be doing something but couldn’t quite grasp what. Was I being drugged by the kindness of others? Lobsang and I had a lovely walk up to a waterfall. It was a good climb and quite slippy at times - it was drizzling too which didn’t help, [View Full Entry]

---

---

So Sarah has left and I am now on my own being spoilt by Lobsang and Tenzing. I am tutoring a lovely young mother as well as Lobsang so that is keeping me busy, although I am missing children. I believe there is an orphanage nearby so am going to try and find that and see what I can do there, although i will not be here much longer. I am also going to get rid of all my teaching resources to a local school as from now on I will be a total tourist! That will be a novelty. I [View Full Entry]

---

---

So I am now well and truly ensconced with Lobsang, Tensing and Sarah and being thoroughly spoilt. Lobsang won’t let me do a thing. He washes my clothes - I have had to hide my undies, makes my bed in the morning and puts shoes on my feet if I walk about on the concrete veranda. He and Tensing are both great cooks too and the food is Tibetan and wonderful. Tibetans must be the most wonderful people in the world, I can’t believe that things have turned out so well. I share a room with Sarah at present, which is [View Full Entry]

---

---

The bus journeys were not to horrendous, well not compared to the Nepal to India trip anyway. It was a bit galling though having to get a bus to Pathenkot (3hrs) when only yesterday I had lobbed past in the train! Then at the bus station I managed to find a bus to Kanga (4hrs), change there and get and get a bus to Dharamsala. Then I caught a taxi to McLeod Ganj. I already knew where I wanted to stay. I had sourced a little guesthouse ran by Tibetan monks called the Loseling. The taxi driver had to ask [View Full Entry]

---

---

My last night in Kathmandu. I decided that for my last night in Kathmandu that I would take Raju, his wife and his two lovely children to dinner. It was something simple as I didn’t want them to feel uncomfortable. Raju’s mother was visiting from the village so she came too. To Get to Kathmandu she has to walk three hours up hill and then get a bus for 1 hour. I have been asked to visit them next time I am in Nepal, but am I up to it? Raju said that his wife and mother had never been to [View Full Entry]

---

---