Friday, October 31, 2003
Kolkata (Calcutta) was quite more eventful than previously intended. It rained really hard yesterday and flooded a few streets. I waded around in the morning to get to an internet facility. Dirty water. And then we almost missed our flight to here, Kathmandu. We didn't leave 'til late, and then were stuck in the horendous traffic. When we got to the airport, they told us we would have to catch a flight two days later because it was too late, 15 minutes before scheduled departure. But this is India right? Nothing is said and done, right??? I pleaded with the airline people to get us onto the airplane, and after begging for a minute or two they rushed us through the airport and customs and security to get onto the plane. It was to the point where we were running to get to the plane. PHEW... And so now we're in Kathmandu. We haven't explored yet, but we will today, along with getting ready for our 3 week trek. There are so many foriegners here. The tourist culture is quite diverse and different from every where else we have been. A bit too western for me, but interesting and enjoyable nevertheless.
After arriving Nina and I met two people from the airplane and shared a taxi to town. We had dinner together and went out for a drink as well. One guy is from Australia, and the other person is an Indian girl from all over. Both very nice and fun to hang out with. Ben might join us on our trek, as soon as I can find people I'm supposed to meet up with. Perhaps today I will see them walking down the street somewhere. It's not hard to run into people. All the foriegners are generally in one area of town. That's it for Nepal. We'll try and register with the US Embassy, but it's closed for the weekend, and we may not have time. So for all, we will be traveling the Annapurna Circuit leaving the 2nd or 3rd from Kathmandu. Bye.
After arriving Nina and I met two people from the airplane and shared a taxi to town. We had dinner together and went out for a drink as well. One guy is from Australia, and the other person is an Indian girl from all over. Both very nice and fun to hang out with. Ben might join us on our trek, as soon as I can find people I'm supposed to meet up with. Perhaps today I will see them walking down the street somewhere. It's not hard to run into people. All the foriegners are generally in one area of town. That's it for Nepal. We'll try and register with the US Embassy, but it's closed for the weekend, and we may not have time. So for all, we will be traveling the Annapurna Circuit leaving the 2nd or 3rd from Kathmandu. Bye.
Thursday, October 30, 2003
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We are in Calcutta now. Not much to write about since I've been working so hard to get these photos uploaded. We'll be in Nepal tomorrow. Oh, if anyone visits me, bring gummy candies. They don't have any of that type of candy here. Sour gummy candy too.
We are in Calcutta now. Not much to write about since I've been working so hard to get these photos uploaded. We'll be in Nepal tomorrow. Oh, if anyone visits me, bring gummy candies. They don't have any of that type of candy here. Sour gummy candy too.
Wednesday, October 29, 2003
We spent only one day in Bangalore. It was quite cosmopolitan with lots of technology companies and western stores and restaurants. Tired of Indian food I was happy to see a Pizza Hut and KFC. These restaurants were far more expensive though than the indian one's. We only walked around for the day before taking a day trip to Mysore the following day. This town had a hill temple which was quite ornate. Since it was Duwali, a holy period, there were lots of indians going to temple. I went in too and got blessed. The views of the city were great. The section of town we were in reminded me of Agra, not good. Everyone trying to get you to buy something or take you somewhere. There were lots of poor here as well. Beggars were very intense, especially one's with children. They would bring their babies and follow us around for a long way. I was reluctant to give because then many more would follow. Difficult though when little kids follow and beg. Disappointing to see parents use their kids like that, but I guess it's a matter of survival, and they're going to do whatever it takes.
After Mysore we returned to Bangalore to spend the night before taking the 5 hour train to Madras just of the south eastern coast on the Bay of Bengal. Seeing how bad the pollution was we immediately took a bus to a small fishing village just 1.5 hours south. So far this place, Mahabalipuram, has been the most eye opening and enjoyable. There we stayed for 3 nights, I needed to rest from all the traveling we had been doing. There were a number of travelers in town, but not enough to match all the hotels and restaurants that were available. Very very nice people who were much less pushy, or should I say polite, but they all very much wanted our business. We decided to not go to more than one business as to spread our money around. One meal could make someone's day at their restaurant or store. There we visited the beach, a shore temple much like the one in Mysore, and a park with some very old stone carvings. Known for stone work, Mahabalipuram was filled with sculptors, about 50% (~7,000 people). Stone shops everywhere, literally. Every other shop was a stone store. A lot of the sculptures were of Hindu Gods and Hindu symbols. I could not resist and bought a few pieces. Stone is heavy though... The best part of the trip was visiting with this indian family though. Our 2nd day there we were wandering around when a young lady started talking to us, then invited us into her home where her mother, husband, father, and sister lived. They were quite nice offering us everything they had to eat or drink. The girl, Laxshmi 23, was a school teacher who taught for free. There was one common room, which was the only room they had for gathering. There was a kitchen as well, but that was it. The roof was made of leaves, but the walls were cement. The 3rd day we spent several hours there after having lunch and getting to know them. We met her husband and father as well. All very nice, but then they dressed us up in traditional indian clothes. I was in a simple out fit, and Nina was dressed up really really nice, and then they told us to go out like that! I was like WHAT!? Number 1 they weren't my clothes, and number to that was really weird to me, and number three...see no.1 and no.2. I didn't want to, but Nina forced me to...and so we went out like that. People around town were already getting familiar with our faces saw us, mainly Nina, and were in shock or something. They just starred, and those who knew us remarked how beautiful Nina was all dressed up, "Beauuuutiful Indian girl." I didn't really like all the attention. I'm sure people thought we were married or something. No tauts, only gawkers. We went out to dinner like that too. We returned the clothes the next day before leaving. They fed us even more. Before we had delicious dosas and tomato iddly, and then her mom made us lemon rice and egg to take with us on the bus back to Madras. We brought them sweets and tea though to give something back, and then we bought some stone work from them to help them out; 600 rps worth. Not much to us, but a lot to them. It costs around 70.00 a month for them to live, and they have very little income. A few rupees for them goes a long way. We'll spend 3000 rupees in 3 or 4 days easily. It costs only 500 rps (10 dollars US) to send a small child to school for one year. Many children don't go to school because their families need the money. I realize more now the difficult situation people are in. The only money coming in to many of these small towns is from tourists. If not for that, I don't know where these people would get money. Well, we are now good friends and I would like to come back and visit them in the future. They also want to see our families and meet our parents. After saying goodbye we took the bus back here to Madras to catch a flight to Calcutta on our way to Kathmandu, Nepal.
After Mysore we returned to Bangalore to spend the night before taking the 5 hour train to Madras just of the south eastern coast on the Bay of Bengal. Seeing how bad the pollution was we immediately took a bus to a small fishing village just 1.5 hours south. So far this place, Mahabalipuram, has been the most eye opening and enjoyable. There we stayed for 3 nights, I needed to rest from all the traveling we had been doing. There were a number of travelers in town, but not enough to match all the hotels and restaurants that were available. Very very nice people who were much less pushy, or should I say polite, but they all very much wanted our business. We decided to not go to more than one business as to spread our money around. One meal could make someone's day at their restaurant or store. There we visited the beach, a shore temple much like the one in Mysore, and a park with some very old stone carvings. Known for stone work, Mahabalipuram was filled with sculptors, about 50% (~7,000 people). Stone shops everywhere, literally. Every other shop was a stone store. A lot of the sculptures were of Hindu Gods and Hindu symbols. I could not resist and bought a few pieces. Stone is heavy though... The best part of the trip was visiting with this indian family though. Our 2nd day there we were wandering around when a young lady started talking to us, then invited us into her home where her mother, husband, father, and sister lived. They were quite nice offering us everything they had to eat or drink. The girl, Laxshmi 23, was a school teacher who taught for free. There was one common room, which was the only room they had for gathering. There was a kitchen as well, but that was it. The roof was made of leaves, but the walls were cement. The 3rd day we spent several hours there after having lunch and getting to know them. We met her husband and father as well. All very nice, but then they dressed us up in traditional indian clothes. I was in a simple out fit, and Nina was dressed up really really nice, and then they told us to go out like that! I was like WHAT!? Number 1 they weren't my clothes, and number to that was really weird to me, and number three...see no.1 and no.2. I didn't want to, but Nina forced me to...and so we went out like that. People around town were already getting familiar with our faces saw us, mainly Nina, and were in shock or something. They just starred, and those who knew us remarked how beautiful Nina was all dressed up, "Beauuuutiful Indian girl." I didn't really like all the attention. I'm sure people thought we were married or something. No tauts, only gawkers. We went out to dinner like that too. We returned the clothes the next day before leaving. They fed us even more. Before we had delicious dosas and tomato iddly, and then her mom made us lemon rice and egg to take with us on the bus back to Madras. We brought them sweets and tea though to give something back, and then we bought some stone work from them to help them out; 600 rps worth. Not much to us, but a lot to them. It costs around 70.00 a month for them to live, and they have very little income. A few rupees for them goes a long way. We'll spend 3000 rupees in 3 or 4 days easily. It costs only 500 rps (10 dollars US) to send a small child to school for one year. Many children don't go to school because their families need the money. I realize more now the difficult situation people are in. The only money coming in to many of these small towns is from tourists. If not for that, I don't know where these people would get money. Well, we are now good friends and I would like to come back and visit them in the future. They also want to see our families and meet our parents. After saying goodbye we took the bus back here to Madras to catch a flight to Calcutta on our way to Kathmandu, Nepal.
Sunday, October 26, 2003
NEW PICS COMING SOON...
