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Published: March 29th 2005
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Anjuna Beach, Goa
Bryan has gone digital so this is his photos of ladies selling fruit on the beach Sorry its been so long but yet again I have been sick- this time with an ear infection so I didn’t think I would bore you all with the excitement of the inside of my hotel room when I should have been sitting on the beach eating pineapples. Well we ended up being stuck in Panaji for about a week but were able to leave on Friday 18th for Mumbai. Got to check out the big Anjuna flea market on the Wednesday and the gorgeous churches of Old Goa on the Thursday before we left so it wasn’t a total write off.
Mumbai was really nice - we were there for Saturday night so checked out the night life and some tourist sites. Then on the Sunday night we headed north to Gujurat and Sassan Gir. We eventually arrived in Veraval. We got off the train and walked down the main thoroughfare. We thought we had seen the Indian cow phenomenon before!!!! Oh no. There were HERDS of cows just sitting in the middle of the main road or wandering down the street. No one is taking a blind bit of notice and the pedestrians, cars, bicycles, autorickshaws, buses and
trucks just maneuver around them. We were under the impression that we could get a bus to Sassan Gir. Oh how naive we were. No one had a notion and there was no one to ask at the bus station. So ALL the men in the station decided to check us out
as if we were aliens from outer space and try to help us. We were assured that there was a bus at about 10 different times by 10 different people and all the conversations were being translated to the crowd at the back by someone into Gujurati. Bryan had his hand shook about a million times. Eventually it was determined that there was no bus the entire way but we
could get a bus some of the way. So we squashed on with our bags and entered the Guinness Book of Records attempt for the “most number of people inside a bus” 2005. It is very strange to feel the eyes of so many
people on you. Bryan was in his element getting to talk to so many strangers and his email address was handed out left right and centre on the bus. One stamping of feet (by
Udaipur, Rajasthan
Sunset on the roof of our Hotel Anjani moi - v tired and cranky at this
point as we had been traveling about 30 hours) and an open back rickshaw later we arrived at Gir. Yippee.
Next morning we organized our lion safari which was the reason behind this journey to start with. At 6.30am we were in the back of a jeep jolting through the national park trying to be realistic about our
chances of seeing an Asiatic lion up close when a HUGE lioness wanders across the track in front of the jeep!! We hopped down out of our jeeps to get closer (!!!!) We were so close both B and I were nervous but
she was beautiful. Then about 15 minutes later we got to see a lioness and her three nine month old cubs drinking at a water hole. They really are majestic animals and we were so impressed with our safari. There were heaps of other animals too. Monkeys, antelope, deer, beautiful birds….
So off again, this time to Udaipur. Another long journey where we met lots of lovely Indians on the trains. The trains are great as you get to meet people and get a chance to chat. We arrived
Holi, Udaipur, Rajasthan
What can I say, I look like Jim Carey in the Mask to the station and get into the autorickshaw (picture a yellow and black tuk-tuk). “Welcome to the Venice of the East, this is your gondola, don’t ask me to sing but I can
supply some music”… cue loud Indian music as we rattle along through the beautiful narrow streets of Udaipur. The city is lovely. Amazing palaces and buildings and narrow streets with rooftop restaurants looking over
the old city and gorgeous sunsets.
We also happened to be here for Holi. Holi is Number One festival in the Hindu calendar. For some people it is the only days holiday they get in the entire year. So you can imagine that it gets a little bit crazy. We
had no idea. On the night of the 25th the Hindus celebrated the end of winter and the beginning of summer. There are many different religious stories to explain the holiday depending on where you are but in
Udaipur they light these large bonfires which are tree trunks covered in hay and offerings. We went to the big one outside the main temple here. There were a large number of people and we stayed well near the
back. There was dancing acting out some of the legends but really we should have known things were going to get a bit mad when the cows were getting the hell out of town. The bonfire was situated right under the
electricity lines and there was Indian music pumping out of large speakers. Then firecrackers started going off. They came up a line in one street and then hit the bonfire. The fire was lit and the firecrackers started shooting out into the crowd in all directions. There was a huge whoosh of air as one exploded near myself and B. My ears popped and everyone started to
scream. Then someone started launching fireworks (I ask you) from the bonfire. Bits of hay and streamers on fire started landing on the crowd and B’s top went on fire. At this stage there was only one layer of people between us and the fireworks and there was no where to run. Eventually the crowd broke and we ran for it. Our ears were ringing and I was terrified. Happy Holi!!
The next day is the throwing of colours. We put on our worst clothes and prepared for the onslaught of powdered dye to be thrown at us. We went downstairs and the family that ran the guesthouse were celebrating. They came and covered us in different colours and hugged us and wished us happy Holi. Some of the other guests came and did the same. My face and hair were green and Bryan was covered in pink and red. On the street people come running over and covering you in more and more ink and dye. It was really nice (except for the large groups of young guys chancing their arms with hugging the white girls). Unfortunately some of the dye doesn't come out...ever so I am now sporting "gorgeous" green highlights 😊
We are now in Pushkar which is a really holy place full of temple and pilgrams (and hippy tourists). We arrived last night after travelling for half an hour on the roof of the bus dodging low branches on the trees.
People here are so friendly - you really couldn’t travel here if it wasn’t for the fact that the people are so nice. Otherwise the traffic, noise, heat and
smell would just be too much. But every time I reach boiling point 20 people try to help us with big happy smiles, irrespective of the fact that they haven’t a clue what we’re trying to do or where we are going and they know absolutely
nothing about it.
I’m off to perfect my Indian head wobble now - this is the most magic of expressions. It’s not really a shake of the head and it’s not really a tilting of the head from side to side. And what is means is anyone’s guess
- yes, no, maybe, of course, haven’t a clue, I don’t really care what you are on about you silly tourist…the list is endless.
Hope you all had a great St Paddys Day (I believe the Colonial crowd were drinking Irish Coffees for breakfast!) and a lovely Easter break. No doubt there was lots of choccies consumed - you lucky things - Indian chocolate is an experience. Hope to hear from you all soon.
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