20 Questions

Well it's great that so many of you are reading this blog... I know you are because I'm getting so many questions :-).   I thought it may be best to answer them all here as so many of you are asking the same things

Have I got sick?  NO! I think this getting sick in India thing is overemphasised ! I have been eating all sorts of food in all sorts of places. Lunch today was in little more than a shack on the side of the road. It cost less than $3 for the two of us and included chai... What's more it was really good. I must admit I am fairly careful about the water but bottles are very cheap and we buy a whole carton for what we'd pay for one at home

Are you scared on the roads? NO! The roads up here are pretty bad but there's next to no traffic on them and everything goes slowly ... :-) not too much choice about that . Tarun is sensible .

What is the accommodation like?  Good! Cheap!  Only problem is the plumbing. I can't believe how these people are so clever at many things... but so hopeless at designing showers .... And making coffee :-)

Isn't it boring just driving through the mountains? NO! The scenery is stunning and there is so much to see on the way. I have seen animals ( a fox today), different birds, amazing little towns and farms , interesting people and most of all  a glimpse into the lives of the people. I've seen men getting haircuts on the side of the road, kids bathing, people  working in the fields and cooking their food... It's never ending and never boring.

Isn't it hard spending so much time with one person? NO. I did wonder if it would be but it hasn't been. Tarun is very easy to be with and we haven't had any problems.

Isn't it expensive travelling this way? NO!

Is this going to be  my last  trip to India?  NO!

Hope this helps:-)

Everest Here We Come

As we drove up into the mountains just out of Rishikesh  I remember telling Tarun that I felt like I was on the top of the world... little did I know just how far away the top of the world was, and I'm still not there yet!

These mountains are huge! The landscape in many places is a bit similar to what we'd find in parts of New Zealand but scaled up 100 or more times. Now it really does feel like I'm on top of the world but I know just how wrong I am as we haven't even seen any glimpse of snow yet... not even in the distance.

When I had a last minute change of plans and Tarun asked me where I wanted to go I said something like 'you choose as I don't have any real preference' and I also told him I was happy to go somewhere he hadn't been before. He chose well. These are places that I'm very lucky to be seeing and very far off the usual tourist route. It's now about three days since I've seen another white face and I don't anticipate seeing another for a while yet. However I still feel perfectly comfortable in this area but also realise how much easier it is having him with me. I told him I wanted to see 'the real India' and that's what I'm getting. His honest commentary on life in this country is also revealing and very interesting. Thanks again Tarun, it's a great way to travel.

Last night after dinner ( less than $2 a dish) we walked up the hill in the dark to watch the  Diwali fireworks in the nearby town. It sounded a bit like a war zone with the bangs echoing among the mountains and the lights were pretty. Unfortunately the walk lost a little of it's appeal when Tarun said  ' I hope there won't be any leopards around this part.' Given that earlier in the day, quite soon after an 'in the bushes toilet stop' we saw a fairly large snake slither across the road in front of us, I wasn't quite so keen to walk all that much further in the dark. 

At the moment I am sitting watching the sun come up over the mountains. I can hear birds and the occasional vehicle. This is  a very beautiful part of India that I'm enjoying very much ... And each day is getting better.

A Free Zoo Pass and a Day at the Carnival

India is big and driving anywhere takes a long time but it's never boring. Driving out of Rishikesh yesterday was like driving through a big cage less zoo. We were still very close to the town when Tarun pointed out the piles of elephant poo on the road. It was hard for me to imagine that there were actually elephants living in that area...along   with the monkeys, peacocks  and who knows what else. My first animal encounter that morning had been with the cow who had been trying to eat the bag of apples that I was holding as we got into the car... of course I gave him one.

There was no real division between the zoo and the carnival where I spent much of the day riding on the dodgem cars. Tarun, like most Indian drivers seems to have a well developed sense of timing and distance and has an uncanny sense of just how much room and time he needs to pass another vehicle. My worst nightmare would be having to drive a car on these roads. The star circus act was at the train crossing. When the train passed there was no orderly queuing as we would do at home, the cars, bikes, carts and whatever just pushed as close to the barriers as possible...on both sides of the roads! You can image the chaos when the barrier arms finally went up but everyone seemed to sort themselves out reasonably quickly.

We are now in Nainitel ... a rather lovely place in the Himalayan foothills. The drive up the mountains was beautiful and we were right up in the clouds. It is a bit cooler here but not really cold .... Yet! As we arrived late in the afternoon I haven't had much of a chance to see the place yet but after dinner last night we went for a walk. The houses are all lit up for Diwali and there were some fireworks being let off....nothing to what will happen tomorrow I'm told.

A week of travelling hadn't done much for my fingernails so last night Tarun was clever enough to find me a beauty salon. After his attempt at finding a hairdresser for Rebecca I should have known better perhaps :-) .  However I guess my nails do look slightly better and I did have an interesting experience... all for about the equivalent of 50 cents. The choice of colours was fantastic... All the primary colours and not much else, and the drying process equally impressive with the woman holding my hand at what seemed an almost impossible angle and rhythmically blowing. It was also a community event with what seemed to be every little girl in the town coming to watch.. ..and probably marvel at the whiteness of my skin. Each had to tell me their name and ask mine and believe it or not they understood my attempt at Hindi.... I bet that surprises you Abhishek!

I never cease to be amazed at the diversity of this country. There's the 'good , the bad and the ugly, 'but there's also the beautiful and this area is one of those places. I am looking forward to every day!

Rishikesh

 When Tarun first suggested Rishikesh as a place I might want to go to the name rang a bell... I knew I'd heard that name before...a long time ago. Yes, for all of you who were Beatles fans in the 60's it's where they found their Guru. I can't say that I've found my Guru here but I am having an interesting time.
We arrived yesterday in time for lunch... in a non- meat eating city ! No problem there though as if you're going vegetarian India is the place to do it. We went for a long walk, crossing the Ganges and walking beside it. There was plenty to see on the way- the rafters and kayaker a on the river, lots of monkeys, and this must be one of he best places in the world for people watching. Tarun and I have established a good pace now...everything is done slowly with lots of stops to look, watch, talk and just be. No rushing to keep up with the group or having to be somewhere at a certain time... I'm enjoying this private travel thing.

The evenings in India at the moment are lovely and Rishikesh is a particularly lovely place to be as the sun goes down. We attended the Ganga aarti on the banks of the river... quite moving and lovely but very very difficult to describe... I guess experienced differently by each person.

Dinner was at a little restaurant overlooking the Ganges with an old friend of Tarun's who happened to be in Rishikesh at this time. The river at night was beautiful with the lights of the town reflected in the waters.

I am writing this in bed early morning. The town is quiet apart from the odd motorbike passing and a very noisy cow that seems to be hanging out beneath the window. No need to go to a zoo in India... the animals are all around.

Finding a Quiet Spot in India

When I said I was going to write a blog I had no idea at all just how hard it would be. There are the issues with wifi connection but that's actually not the hardest part,...the real issue is how to put an overwhelming amount of experiences into a few words.

Tarun and I left Delhi for his family village about 7.30 .am yesterday morning and even at that time the roads were crazy. We stopped for breakfast along the way....the background noise from the traffic perhaps 100 times louder than the radio breakfast session I listen to at home....but  always with something interesting to watch.  

Tarun treated me to the back road...several hours following the Ganges on a fairly narrow bumpy road,successfully dodging everything coming towards us . .you've seen the pictures of what travels on Indian roads....we saw it all. Although we were travelling on quiet roads and there didn't seem to be obvious signs of habitation the river was full of people getting sand from the river....all obtained and transported by hand.

Although it was a very long time ago I can recall learning about life in an Indian village, and I've often seen them from the road....a few people working in the field, the odd dwelling and the people walking or driving down the road, but actually going into one...no, never. When Tarun first suggested visiting his village of maybe 16 houses I jumped at the chance....anything for a new experience. So here I am, not just a half hour visit but staying for a few days.

So what have I found? A lifestyle that is probably much the same as it was very many years ago with perhaps the addition of power and wifi (even if not very good). The people are welcoming, the day relaxed and quiet. I have discovered that not all of India is chaotic...some parts are.  the exact opposite.

It's a long time since I've slept outside. Yes, there are even stars in the sky out here. How you describe the two days there I don't know but it was certainly something that you never get on a big bus tour. We did very little in our time there, and what we did we did very slowly. The odd walk out among the fields watching people going about their day and often just sitting and marvelling at how there could be do much peace in a country of so many people. Tarun was able to give me a real insight into the village life... The different people (all either his cousin, uncle or aunt), the way the village operated, the price of rice... He knew it all well.

More than once I sat in the village thinking how much I'd love all of my grandchildren to spend a week or so there... What an eye opener that would be for them, and so much fun. For me it made me realise how little of what we have in our lives is actually necessary . Thanks  Tarun!

Next stop Rishikesh !

Delhi

 Some times things are hard to write about....the words exist but how do you put them together to convey what you actually want to say and where do you start. I have spent the last couple of days living in what seems to be some sort of alternative universe that is so far removed from my normal day life that it feels quite unreal and absolutely undescribable.

The trip from Auckland to Delhi was uneventful. I had a long stopover in Singapore airport so was delighted to find that on the Singapore to Delhi flight I had three seats to myself....a five hour flight with the ability to lie down was great.
It took a while to get out of the airport but all good things come to those who wait and I eventually made it. My original expectation was to have a driver from Adventure Holiday Tours waiting for me, but instead there was Tarun with a big welcoming smile. Mostly when I arrive at an airport it's a matter of finding my own way out so it was rather nice to have such a friendly face greet me.

I remember my first airport to Delhi trip. Nothing had prepared me for that and I can still remember the 'OMG what have I come to' feeling. Funny how humans adapt as this time it all seemed perfectly normal and I even managed to sit back in the car and relax..At home a car within a metre maybe considered a near miss but here its probably down to about 1millimetre .  However, this time sitting back in the car and relaxing just seemed to be easy.


Tarun had a friend staying with him so the next couple of days showed me a side of Delhi that I wouldn't have ever experienced on any tour. There was the haircut experience!  Ainsley will remember the time we had when she decided to get her  haircut in a small Italian  town. Believe me, that was nothing compared to yesterdays performance....Rebecca with her fine , curly English hair wanted 'just a little bit' off.. We all thought the hairdresser understood completely what she meant but obviously his English wasn't quite as good as we thought and we were all quite helpless as the hair got shorter and Rebecca's face got longer. Tarun has exceeded my expectations in every way but in all honesty there is no way I could ever recommend him when it comes to organising women's haircuts. Be warned!

Delhi,  as you will all know is full of very interesting tourist attractions but this afternoon I got to see a very special one... the local mechanic! I had told Tarun I wanted to see the 'real India' and he has gone out of his way to oblige....thanks Tarun, I've enjoyed every minute of it. 

Tomorrow we leave for a road trip....I'm not sure where we will end up but I'm sure there will be lots of interesting things along the way.

The best laid plans of mice and men.......

Today at this time I should have been at Auckland Airport but instead, here I am, sitting at home writing this.
Yes, I am still going to India .... but not today. Unfortunately Diana, my travel companion became ill and had to pull out. The good news is that she will recover but it may take a little while and flying to India was not a good idea at all. I can't imagine how she must feel, because not only is she sick, she has the disappointment of her cancelled holiday as well.

I had choices..... cancel out myself, continue with the  planned trip without Diana, or plan a different trip. No 3 sounded best to me so I got to work... funny how things come together so easily when time is short .... I guess you just get on and do it without too much thought.

So for Plan B.

I now leave NZ on Sunday night..... much better actually as it means that I get to go to my grandsons 6 year old birthday party. We had an "unbirthday" last week but that's not quite the same. When I arrive in Delhi I have  absolutely no idea what's going to happen or where I'm going. I've arranged for  Tarun to plan for me, take care of me and entertain me, till I leave on the 20 November . I'm enjoying the feeling of entering the 'unknown' and having the freedom to do whatever.

After patiently helping us with all the plans for the original trip Tarun very calmly accepted that they were all cancelled and has been flexible enough to accommodate me in doing things this way. If I could have seen his face when I told him I suspect he may have been smiling as it's probably the way he'd prefer to travel too.However, it is rather a long time, so hopefully he'll last the distance and not drive me to the airport after a few days and tell me to 'Go Home!'
I did tell him there were some rules;  no tiger hunting, no camel riding (I have had past experiences that I don't want to repeat) and no mountain climbing. My daughter added one and I'm quite happy to go along with that...no motorbike riding. Actually, if she knew what the roads in India were like she'd probably add ' no riding in cars, buses, taxi's or anything else that goes on the road.' Fortunately my kids have been more accepting of this trip than many of my friends who look at me, shake their heads and tell me I'm crazy. For those of you that think that, the probability of me getting home alive and well is very high....I will be in good hands.

When Tarun asked me what I wanted to do I had no real idea as there's nothing on the 'must do' list . India is so big and so diverse that there are lots and lots of possibilities and basically I'm happy with whatever. I did email Tarun last night to ask if I'd need warm clothes and the answer was 'yes' so it's looking like Nepal is on the agenda. Just as well I asked as my mind was  pretty much set  on 'hot.'

So whatever will be will be, and no matter what, I think it'll be interesting. The original trip would have been good too, and I'm really sad that Diana is not going to experience India as I'm sure she would have loved it.  Diana, I know exactly what you'd like me to bring you back and I'll do my very best to find you a couple !