bon african voyage Hey there, you crazy kids!
Good to see you're having a grand old time. Keep on truckin' and stay out of trouble. I will do my best to ensure that Angie doesn't lose any cuteness in your absence (though such an occurrence is highly unlikely).
Be nice to the Africans- tell them I say hi.
xox Britt.
Hola Ok, that's all my spanish spent. LOVED the pics of Cordoba and Rosario, and just how long have you been saving up that 'nothing to write home about' line? It was great! Looking forward to your next update, guessing you have crossed borders from Argentina by now. Had a worrying conversation on the state of hospital/health care in Bolivia on the weekend with the Aunt of someone who had a serious bike accident - not good at all! Stay well, both of you!
The self-photographed shot of you both that you posted was wonderful - keep them coming!
'Mechanical Dad' has resurfaced at Georgia's 'white noise' Peugeot had some senior moments - has not been well, but after consuming a range of parts looks like it's life has been extended again, good news.
OK, if I keep typing on this conference call, someone will realise I'm not really working! Happy travels to both of you.
Great to hrear from you Hi Gorgeous. Sounds like you are having a ball - the pictures are great - can you post some of you and Amanda too?
Everything OK back here - very sunny and Kev giving them heaps in Bali. Johnny conceded Bennelong this week. We're all well. BJ gets her VCE result (drama) on Monday. G got a first for her thesis.
We're missing you. Have a blast and muchos funos.
Mum xxxx
top blog me and my girlfriend fly to delhi this coming saturday (march 3rd) for the first leg of a year long trip. i was reading your blog to get a bit of a feel for delhi and it's really got me in the mood. i'm under no illusions that it's going to be a baptism of fire, and now i have a few more ideas of where to go and how to get about.
have a top trip and maybe run into you at some point.
cheers,
ant
Hey Sammy and Tristan Just been reading your blog, its super cool. Hey did you go to the leopold cafe in mumbai? it features heavily in my fav book shantaram.
xoxo
Yikes! Great blog Sam Hi Sam, greetings from Shanghai (again!) what an amazing effort this blog is - on behalf of your Dedicated Band of Readers, thanks from all of us. I do detect a slight edge of sarcasm (or is it more sarcasm?) creeping in, but not surprising after such a big trip. Those photos are just incredible - where are you buying them?? I think Old Major is your best so far, snapped in a moment, but a life wonderfully captured.
Meanwhile on my side of the world, I'm heading home tomorrow if I can fight my way through the airport gridlock just before Chinese New Year.
Holy Cow! sad to know about the "hotel" and "cab" issue.There are frauds everywhere in the city. If you dont extra money to Taxi drivers they halt at the middle of the road way away from destination.No wonder that driver took you to a place which is overpriced and is having horrible service.The picture of the room shows it is worth no more than 300/- and you paid 1800/-(price of a 3 star hotel in India), A 2/- tea worth tea 50/-! which is unbelievable! But dont you think You exposed yourself to such a situation?
You should have contacted someone or found about the small things before getting there and before hurrying to Darjeeling.
First of I consider myself lucky I have my own house in Kolkata so I never have to pay for any hotel if I go for any rip in and around the city.
But generally try to find some person before who knows about the city and who is having some experience about how to go around places.
Dude! You just messed up the things in a hurry.But trust me there is more in Calcutta than the what you felt..and you definitely need time to see and experience culture,life and traditions there.If you have asked me before I would have explained you...now it is too late.
very good trip Nice trip buddy!
even I had a similar trip...but due to time constraints i was not able to Visit Jodhpur,Udaipur and Puskar ... [:(]...
i might go there again...during the "Puskar Mela"... the grand occassion that takes place in October November
Great Blogs Hey Sam good to hear that the trip is going really well. Not sure if you remember me but I am Jordan, Hannah's boyfriend, we met at her going away party. I have been reading your blogs and they are fantastic...and great, well not great but absolutely amazing photos. Man you have a real knack for taking incredible photos. Keep the blogs coming, because I love reading them and looking at photos. Not sure if you are meeting up with Han to go on the house boat but if you are have a great time, that sounds like it will be a blast, but either way enjoy the rest of your trip. Look forward to reading more. Jordan
Thats right, Im outa here (well a month ago) goodbye guys!
Thats right, i left! Gone! Finito! Many thanks to Sam for letting me crash the first part of his fantastic voyage. Ill keep an eye on the rest of your adventures with increasing jealousy knowing the fun we had in the first month or so. Trix and nick - enjoy it, it will be over before you know it.
For those interested im currently enjoying winter in Italy with family and friends having spent christmas in Cornwall, England and new years getting seriously drenched in more ways that one at Edinburghs Hogmany. Home for the end of January just in time to start work again!
Thanks again! Bioys, look after yourselves!
Blogs are better with waiting Good blog Sammy. Its good to see the photos of the stories I've been hearing all the time I've been here. I hope there is more blogs, more often after this one. Also, for anyone interested, I thought I would include a shameless plug for my own blog here - look up www.travelblog.org/bloggers/mossie
Tristan
Nice work on the blog Sam Keep up the good work, your travels sound like a blast. Trivia recommences this Tuesday after a while off, looks like the numbers will have dwindled significantly. Have you met up with Tristan yet?
All the best,
James
Awesome photos Hey Wilko, Nick and Settle - you lucky bastards. Really envious, travelling here is fun but its not the same - nice and easy in comparison. Didn't know you were so talented mr wilkins, the photos are incredible! Making me try harder over here in Malaysia. Sounds like you guys are having an awesome time, can't wait to join you in January. Its been fun here in KL, little bit stressful with papa tash but what can you do...
Hope you guys are doing good, i'm sure we'll see more great stuff here.
Cheers
Nick (Tash says hi - things looking good for her to come to India as well, fingers crossed, her granny is pulling strings as we speak :) )
Kolkata I suppose you took the Thai Airways from Bangkok and arrived at midnight. My first time at Kolkata was like yours. I was blank. Going through to the city, passing the rundown houses and etc. (you know...) I thought I was in Iraq or something! (though not that I've been there before) but when you settle here a while you just get a see a different kind of life. I'm glad you found some liking for the city in the end.
Nice Blog Thanks for the insight on what im in for. Im doing (so far) the same trip as you with a school based group. spending a bit more time in darjeeling though and doing a trek too should be fun! We depart oz on the 26th straight to Kolkata via bangkok. by the sounds of it you are having a great time, massive difference in culture i know im in for and that youve experienced. Can't wait. If you wanna have a look at our blog we are starting feel free and please comment! www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/indiakids
cheers! enjoy the rest of your trip.
Gerard
Hi Sam - you are starting to sound like the experienced traveller! Be tough but fair.
It's been hot - damn hot here, but in true Melbourne style, one day it's 42, the next 21! Worse, it's still dry, and getting dryer. Going onto stage 3 water restrictions on Jan 1 - no more watering system (gulp).
We all appreciate the time you are spending on the blog, it must be hard to do. I was going to say keep it briefer, but you will treasure your own account in the future, so try to keep it up!
The family is all missing you, but we feel close with the Blog - look forward to speaking over Christmas!
Different take from the other side of the room G'day guys, hope your all well.
Sam is absolutely right about the tranquility and peace that made bodgaya so enjoyable. It was an excellent change of pace from the never ending craziness that is Kolkata, but had a really different feel from the tourist-orientated Darjeeling.
The one thing that i would add is the impression that i got from living in amoungst local homes, albeit in an impressively clean and well furbished guest house. Sam's account may have given the impression that where we stayed was somehow an escape from city life. I dont think it was, what we were seeing was merely how the majority of indians live, either in cities, or in other semi urdan areas. The poverty was just as severe in that street as anywhere else we have seen, and somehow the everpresent litter of Kolkata played a starring role too. We still walked through dirty children living in fly-ridden filth, but it was the feel that the people gave that stretch of road the difference that I think Sam was trying to capture. For the first time anywhere women outnumbered men, and we got glimpse of family life, rather than the hustle and bustle that is the business of a large city.
Anyway, thats my take on it. Oh, and as im sure you'll hear soon, those sweeds dont just appear once in this Story....
Hey! Hey boys!! thought i'd drop a line on this travel blog too, but i've been waiting for something as amazing as what you've written to write myself....unfortunately Melbourne hasn't provided me with views or markets to describe which could even come near to competing with yours. So, if your mission sam, was not only to leave me lonely for 3 months while you go have fun but to also make myself and everyone stuck back in melbourne jealous, then you have succeeded! It's same old in melbourne, we've still been at trivia (winning), i'm working stacks, weather's been sunny-chris' pool has come in handy. Btw, loved the photo of you in darjeeling-you look like a real traveller. Also, i've been keeping checks on the soccer-it was a draw last night between Melb Victory and Sydney (0-0)...Boring. Well, i'm going out, it's sat night, maybe i'll meet some nice boys...kidding. Hi Nick! Love amanda
Journey back from Darjeeling Well, we're in Bodgaya now having had a day back in Kolkata to pick up sam's now infamous "$60" suit. Our journey back to our first indian city was somewhat of an experience, and Sam's let me tell the story! YAY!
Well, that was the morning that we decided to get up at 3.30am in order to take a jeep up to Tiger Hill to watch the run rise over an expanse of the Himalayas. The ride in an overcrowded share jeep (think indian version of an old Land Rover Discovery fitted out to seat 10), was not the most comfortable we've had, but the experience was definitely worthwhile. I can confirm that, yes, it IS cold at 4am in the Himalayas. Ah the sacrifices you make to see a sunrise next to Everest!
We spent much of the rest of the day watching the final day of the 2nd test from Adelaide. After all reception dropped out with the poms 9 down, we went to lunch (more momos which are dumplings for those not familiar with Lonely Planet-speak) then to Joey's Pub to watch the last hour of the test. With a couple of long necks each of Kingfisher (Trix, Settle and Nick - get to know this name, you'll come to love it) under our belt we headed back to the hotel to pick up our bags from reception. Although it took 10 mins to find anyone who could get us into the Broom Cupboard where they were stashed, and despite Sam's insistence to work on his blog for an hour, we were still (kind of) on track to get back to NJP on time for our 8pm train.
Problem #1: No Jeeps. As sam said it was extremely easy to get up tio NJP but at 4pm in the arvo, there appeared to be no one going our way. A couple of drivers by the Toy train station said they could take us but a 10min wait for a jeep yielded nothing but a packed share jeep to Siliguri not NJP. When they realised that we were willing to pay for a private jeep these two guys again rushed off to locate a driver to take us. Again, a 15min wait afforded us nothing but more frustration. Finally, we ran packs and all to another area and asked everyone with a car in sight to take us. 20 minutes of effort and the two guys from earlier found us and piled us into the back of car hopefully heading in the right direction.
Problem #2: time. By this stage, it was 5.15pm. The ride down was supposed to be 3 hours. Remember that 8pm train? yeah, you see the issue. The prospect of missing the connection and being stranded in NJP (not a pretty place) didn't appeal, so i think Sam and I spent the first 10 minutes contemplating bailing and staying another night (or 4 knowing the train availability).
Problem #3: the route. Our driver took us down a completely different road to that on the way up. While the one up was just like a much loger version of any mountain pass in Aus (picture Buller or Hotham) only with a narrow gauge railway running next to and over it, the road down was the most precarious sealed road i have seen - extremely steep, pot holed with 180 degree hairpins barely wide enough for the jeep to get around, only just wide enough for a car but with traffic going both ways and crazy Indian overtaking abounding. 90 mins on this road, and a very frustrating 10min rest stop later we reached a city. Sam read a sign saying "Siliguri" and responded by stressing me out with the phrase "We're in Siliguri - we went the wrong way" - thanks mate.
We pulled up to NJP station 10mins later with my watch showing 7.57. I told Sam to leave his smaller bag so he paid the driver the inflated fee and bolted ahead across a very long pedestrian crossing to the trains on the other side. Still not knowing where our train actually was, Sam turned around and threw his hands in the air in despair. I was running (ok waddling) 25m behind, with 3 backpacks bouncing in every direction yelling "ASK SOMEONE!" Fortunately the first soldier - complete with automatic rifle - knew the train and sent us scampering down to the platform where the 3AC carriage was waiting. I had a quick glance at the passenger list (they're posted by the door) and we piled on. The Train started moving 90 seconds later. Yup, 2hrs 45mins in the jeep and we made it by seconds. I have no idea what we would have done if we hadn't.
living vicariously Hi Sam - Dad here. OK, I'm in IT, selling this stuff, but wow, this blog is amazing. I know it's taking some time to get to an internet cafe and get them done, but aside from the technology, your photos and (especially) word pictures really take us there, and we are all momentarily 20, free and travelling next to you!
Just back in dry old Melbourne after Tokyo, Seoul, HK and Sydney, it's good to be home - especially since the plane was delayed while they de-iced it! Hope you heard that Rudd has replaced Beazely...must have waited till you left town to make his move!
Amazing contrast between Darjeeling and Kolkata. I am guessing by now you will be realising the size of this country - do you think the itinerary will be ok?
OK, gotta run, can't wait till your next blog!
You lucky bastards Hey mate,
Its late so i will try to make this qucik. I'm heading to the prom tomorrow - you should have seen how much food we bought, and its supposed to be in the thirties for the whole walk. I hope you caught the end of the cricket - you've got to feel sorry for the poms.
Darjeeling looks awesome, I almost struggle to believe that you took those photos yourself - they look to picturesque to be true.
Yes, there has been some heated speculation about how you and nick are getting on - mainly cause Amanda and I have little else to gossip about. Also, many comments on how articulate and euridite your writing is - its a good read.
We won trivia again. I'm hoping to win next week, as I'll be the last of the core (that way I can prove that I'm the key). Saw Settle off (won't be here for the day he leaves) its sad cause I'm the last one left in Aus.
Mate, I can't wait to be there with you. Best of luck.
G'day, I'm Sam. I'm a 20 year old uni student from Melbourne Australia, and I'm about to spend 3 months in India. Hopfully I'll get around to updating this as often as i can- will heaps of photos and descriptions. Keep track!! -Sam.... full info
Niki
non-member comment
Amazing!
I like your blog. What amazing pictures. Enjoy your travelos. N