Geo: 12.314, 76.6759My first mission in Mysore was to buy a saree. I asked at my hotel where to get one and for what kind of price. A guy told me I would find the best deals at the Government Silk factory. It is also what the Lonely Planet says. So I went there. I gave them my budget and the women didn't try to convince me to get a more expensive one. And what I really liked was that the prices were written on each piece of fabric, which mean they don't make up a price for foreigners.You get a seat and then the show begins. The women unfolded many sarees on the table in from of me. Everything that had a little bit of pink or purple was eliminated. From the start I liked ... read more

Geo: 9.17243, 76.5002For her PhD research, Chloé works with Amritapuri University. While studying there she has accommodation at the Ashram of Amma. And she told me that I should come and have a look for myself. It was not in my travel plan but why not.Amma is a leaving goddess and the Ashram is a place that contains the home where she was born, the small temple where she gave her first dashran, a big temple and a huge hall where she now gives her dashran. She is very popular and the Ashram has many high rise buildings to accommodate people. Amma wasn't on the premises while I was there and apparently it's very quiet when she is not there. She was on tour in Europe. Most people in the Ashram are followers, they believe in ... read more

Geo: 10.012, 76.2251I am glad I arrived in India in the relatively small town of Kochi in Kerala. And that my friend Chloé was waiting for me at the airport. She has been in India for almost two months now so she knows how things work here. First thing I did at the hotel was to have a nap and a shower. After that I was kind of operational. We went for a stroll along Fort Cochin waterfront and stayed there to see the sunset. Unfortunately, it was very hazy so the sun disappeared in the haze before setting on the sea. We still managed to have a good look at the Chinese fishing nets. They are legacy of the 15th century and need at least four men to operate them at high tide. Nowadays they ... read more

Geo: 43.9274, 2.14826I need an all-weathers proof suitcase....by this, I mean I need to pack stuff to survive from -5°C to +30°C. For the higher end of the spectrum it's easy: short, T-shirt, hat, sun block, DONE! While, for the lower end of the spectrum it's a bit trickier. Plus, I want my backpack to be as light as possible. I am aiming for about 12kg and a daypack of 5kg. Good luck me!J'ai besoin de faire une valise pour tous les temps. Par cela, je veux dire qu'il me faut m'équiper pour des températures allant de -5°C à +30°C. Bon pour les températures hautes c'est facile: short, T-shirt, casquette, crème solaire, et c'est partie! Par contre pour les températures basses c'est une autre paire de manche. Surtout que je veux que mon sac ne dépasse ... read more

Geo: 41.9186, 8.73688I am unpacking again. I have just spend one week in Corsica, this French island in the Mediterranean sea that we call the 'beauty island'. I went with Fan, my childhood friend. I wonder why we chose to go to an island as we are both sea sick but we did. On the way there the sea was very calm, however the way back was no fun. The sea was bad, they even almost cancelled the ferry and gave us plenty of puck-in bags. I used few of them but survived the crossing. In the end I still think it was worth it, we had lots of fun and there was not too many tourist.In Corsica there is something for everyone, from the beach with golden sand to mountain trails. Here is my list ... read more