http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/jimguru/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from jimguru en-us Tue, 22 Dec 2009 11:37:04 +0000 Tue, 22 Dec 2009 11:37:04 +0000 Kolkata is crumbling...it has been for years. Some say that it's because the government controls rents and tenure to protect the poor to the point where landlords have no incentive to maintain their buildings. Others think that it's because the centres of power and commerce have shifted away to Delhi Mumbai Bangalore etc. Yet others believe that Capital has fled or is undermining the elected M http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/West-Bengal/Kolkata/blog-291531.html I almost made it again to an easy confluence but fate or disorganisation meant that it was not to be.The Andaman islands had been a destination I'd wanted to visit for many years another of those exotic places that seemed terribly difficultexpensive to get to until fairly recently. So when I discovered I had the time and money while on my Indian trip I couldn't resist the temptation of a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Andaman-and-Nicobar-Islands/Havelock-Island/blog-291533.html While the northwest corner of Arunachal is very Tibetan the centre is populated by several different though related and colourful tribes who generally live in hillside villages and practice a mix of padirice and shifting jhumm cultivation. Houses are generally made from local bambootimber and thatched with palm leaves or straw.We had arranged for a 10day extension to be added to our orig http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Arunachal-Pradesh/blog-278559.html One of my main reasons for travelling to Arunachal Pradesh in the first place was to visit the Tawang valley in the far northwest corner of the state. This is definitely the Himalayas and very Tibetan. In fact before the British took control of it it was a district of Tibet. Almost as soon as we entered Arunachal we began to see Tibetan prayer flags. The Kameng river which we travelled up for t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Arunachal-Pradesh/blog-275358.html From Shillong we moved rapidly southward to Silcha in Assam again. Well rapidly is a bit of mistatement Firstly we found that we couldn't get any shared jeep transport and were at a loss how to procede until a helpful local took us to a suburb of Shillong where a private bus company had an office. After hanging around for awhile we were finally on our way in a big bus. It wasn't long before w http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Assam/blog-271790.html Shillong has quite a few betting shops and the betting is on the result of lots of arrows being fired at a target.Jay and I made our way to the obscure location on the outskirts of Shillong and observed the daily shooting. The shoot starts in the late afternoon and there's oncourse betting so as an Australian of course I felt obliged to place a bet.Basically hundreds of arrows are fired i http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Meghalaya/Shillong/blog-271787.html Shillong is high in the hills of Megahalaya. In fact almost from the moment our shared Sumo a model of 4wheel drive about the size of a Toyota Landcruiser started out from Guwahati we climbed slowl continuously up a very winding and crowded road. Along the way we passed through heavy rain and hail not uncommon so it was just as well we were not motorcycling as originally plannedShillong http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Meghalaya/Shillong/blog-268654.html There are some scenes you need to see to get a feel for a culture. Some beautiful some challenging.... check back here often because I'll be adding a lot here after my initial publishing...But firstBihu Festival a moment of fame and a small world.When I headed for Assam I had a vague knowledge that a festival would be happening around the time of my arrival. I didn't stop to consider the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Assam/Guwahati/blog-267044.html Gauwahati ASSAMQuite a bit of time since I really wrote about what's happening or at least it feels that way. Kolkata was very much about adjusting to India. Just cashing some cheques was a very bureaucratic process involving being shepherded through dark and dingy offices to the appropriate official completing the necessary Foreign Exchange forms and then receiving a big brass numbered toke http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/West-Bengal/Kolkata/blog-266644.html Bling...you can Google for it... and you'll find whilst originating in Rap culture its use as a term for anything flashy jewellry etc is now widespread. Certainly in the car and motorcycle accessory area the term is widely used especially for decorative personalising accessories.It seems the Thais have a natural flair for bling....in fact they probably invented it and some Gangsta stole it o http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/blog-263150.html 0. Up 'til leaving The motorcycle trip is off Abid the tour operator has advised that he can't do it due to a death in the family. Disappointing but at least it leaves me with less luggage weight not having to carry helmet and protective gear. My employer has relented and unblocked my blog for NSW students to see because I can moderate the comments on it and because they know who I am. A s http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Central-Thailand/Ko-Chang/blog-262195.html Well not a great deal has happened since my last entry except that I feel confident I'll have at least one reliable travel companion. Ann contacted me and has already proven adventurous and resourceful so we seemed destined to explore at least Assam together. Jay an American guy seems likely to be coming along too though less certain at this stage. Along the way I've had other contacts bu http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/blog-254644.html There's a saying It never rains but it pours...and it comes to my mind not only because we are in the middle of flood season here near Byron Bay but because after a couple of months of no interest in my ads for travel companions suddenly I have several enquiries. Not only that but now there seems to be the real possibility that I may be able to spend some time riding a motorcycle during my e http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Arunachal-Pradesh/blog-243017.html Well I have finally fixed my dates for travel. I decided I needed a week before travelling just to get all domestic things in order so I've taken enough leave to allow for that. Living on a small rural property has its disadvantages when it comes to preparing for extended journeys water supplies must be checked weeds suppressed fences etc checked and repaired. On the other hand it does mean I http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Arunachal-Pradesh/blog-222490.html My first Travelblog entry...in fact my first real blog entry even though I've played with the Internet for many years yes I even remember when it was all textbased. I thought I'd try and record some the planning that can go into a trip in these first few entries. I say CAN because it doesn't have to be all planned ... I remember my first journey out of Australia in 1978 was for a whole yea http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Arunachal-Pradesh/blog-209047.html