Hitting the Old Dusty Trail

Today is our last day in India. It's a mixed bag of emotions. On one hand, I am excited to hike up volcanoes and learn to scuba dive in Bali, Indonesia. But, on the other hand, I will miss the food, sights, and people here. India brings so many emotions to the table it's hard to categorize them. I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to experience this place, but now it's time to move on. Right now, actually, it's time to move on. We have to catch a flight, so this entry is short and sweet, but more to come later.

Mumbai...

We are no where near there! Arambol is about 9hrs by train and little chance that this attack is spreading across India. It sounds scary reading everything in the news about targeting foreigners, mainly British and Americans from what I've read, but the killings have mostly been Indian nationals. We are in an area full of tourist right now and I feel as safe as can be. Anna is a little worried but that's what she does. No one here really seems to be that worried about the situation unless of course their next stop is Mumbai. We met some Belgians who were supposed to take the train to the infamous train station in Mumbai then catch a flight, but, as any of us would, they are having second thoughts about that. That contacted their embassy who advised them to steer clear of Mumbai all together - sound advice. Although, another traveler in this internet cafe had a different, much more thought out solution for them. Flip a coin. I guess you never know were sound advice will come from, so keep your ears open.

Present Day

I finally caught up on a little photo tour of where we've been. We have been rushing around India and now we are going to hang out on the beach for a while and take a vacation from all of our vacations. Rest assured, I got over my little stomach bug and am off to enjoy some bbq pomfret, regional fish, on the beach with our new Belgian friends over cocktails.

Arambol

And we made it to the beach for a little chill time.

LASSI LASSI LASSI!!!!

Some flags

I think these are used for toilet paper or something.

Katchenjunga

Me a top the world. Or at least near the third highest peak in the world.

Varanasi

Sunrise in Varanasi.

Taj

It's a camel.

Anna getting some henna

Main Bazaar, New Delhi, what else is there to say.

Lesson #1

Auto-rickshaw drivers in New Delhi will always quote a price at least 2 times higher than the real fare: Lesson #1

Train Food...

It makes the train food in Alaska seem like heaven. We both had dinner on the train - dhal, veg, rice - and paid for it. Let's just say the trains have squatty potties and I still feel that dhal floating around wrecking havoc on my insides. I haven't eaten a real meal in a couple of days, but on the upside, we are on our way to the beach in an hour or so. The only problem is we are wait listed for our train, so who knows if we are even going to get on. Oh yeah, and it's really hot here in Chennai. The system tells me I only have a couple minutes left, so until next time. Pray from my stomach.

Anna's new bf

Anna left me for this dude, but I guess he had some good jokes.

Looggies

Oh yeah, this picture was taken about 5 hours until a 20 hour train ride in a hard seat. Anna tricked me and said it was a soft seat, which was no soft sleeper, but it was the only seat left. Nope. It was a hard seat, the cheapest seat there is and it was a hard seat. It felt like someone had molded cement at an 85 degree angle then slapped some cheap fabric over it. I could have killed her, but then everyone around us started hockin looggies and spitting them underneath the seats, which put me right to sleep.

Finally...

Well, well, well. I finally found a cord that works for my camera and a computer that with support it. Believe me it was a challenge. From here on out, or at least until we find reliable computers, I will post only one picture at a time due to the likelyhood of a complete system meltdown or blackout. So, here I am at the Forbidden City, oh yeah I am going to start from China. It's not so forbidden if you pay 50yuan.

Yep, it's us

Here's a nicer picture of us in Varanasi. We took a boat trip to watch some sort of ceremony. It was like paying to go to church, but better.

Here I am schoolin the snake charmer at his own game.

Not the best picture, but here we are in front of the Great Wall.
There will be many more to come, but these are from Annas camera. I still haven't got the right cord for my gadgets.

Forget that last post, not the last last one

Thats it...

Forget that last post

I am finding my birth family here b/c back home I only have 5 followers on my blog. Maybe if I find them and sign them up to follow my blog, they will number in the hundreds or at least 6. I hate all of you.

Kolkata

We are here in the city of my birth, Kolkata, or as it was called then, Calcutta. It's nice to be back in the city even though the smog is still crazy. Right after we got off the train you could feel the smog scorch you eyes. We found a nice little hotel with marble everywhere away from the commotion of the bustling bazaars yet close enough we can walk everywhere. It's crazy to think within a few miles of where I am, I may or may not have blood relatives around. One thing I have realized on my own as well as from talking with locals is that I am incredibly lucky to have grown up where I did with loving family and friends abound.

Darjeeling

We need to escape the smog. It burns your eyes and lungs all while clouding your judgement. That offer for a lady of the night sounds a little enticing as you pause and realize this isn't some sort of Bollywood movie. No thank you, you say kindly and keep moving. So to fend off the heat we head off to Darjeeling a little resort town made just for that reason, to escape the heat and for us, the smog. It's a small town, of 100,000 plus, set with an amazing Himalayan backdrop. Tea beckons you at every corner and there are no hassels for rickshaws, cabs, hashish, money changer, clean hotel or any other service you MUST have. To sum it up, it's calm. I hit up a four day trek through the mountains to catch glimpses each morning of Everest and I'll call it K, the third highest mountain in the world. K has another name, but it escapes me now. It was one of those things. If you need more info than that, just google some pictures and be in awe, because the internet connections out here go in and out with the whims of Shiva or so I've been told. Bottom line: I can't post any pictures.

India style

Delhi boasted food so good I may never eat Indian food in the US again. It also clogged my lungs with smog so heavily I may never make it back to the US alive. Being in a place like this makes you jealous of what cities like Delhi have to offer, while longing for the fresh air and clean streets of the Northwest.
We settled into a nice little hotel off the Main Bazaar in Delhi for a few days to get ourselves acclimatized to the food and the hectic way of life. There are a few rules of India we realized soon after we arrived. Pedestrians are last in line, next the rickshaws, followed by cars and then the rulers of the road cows. It's true what you have read. They are everywhere and in everything. I wish I could upload some of my pictures, but this douche bag at a hostel we stayed at said he would leave my cord at the front desk b/f he left and of course he didn't. So, I cannot show you pictures of anything yet. Just google India pictures and you should get a good idea.
Anyways, we hit up the Taj the other day in Agra, then we were off to Varanasi to experience the mighty Ganga and her ghats. People here bathe in, drink from, and cremate their loved ones in this holiest of rivers in India. Oh, and did I mention the most polluted of all rivers in India. Not everyone is able to be cremated here, so those unfortunate people who are born as untouchables are rowed out to the middle of this grand river and their bodies are thrown in mafia style with weight tied to them. So what if the rope gives and the weight drops their bodies which may just pop out right in front of a child bathing. That's India and I am loving it!
Despite these and other stories you may have heard/read, we are both having the time of our lives and appreciating every moment. Soon enough I will be out on a trek through the Himalayas, but until then go Obama!