Coolest rickshaw in India

On the Goa Express to Delhi

We left our beautiful Hampi and headed by overnight bus to Goa. We were cheerfully squished in our double sleeper (a full bed) and even stopped for washrooms. Although the first one was a real experience. We unloaded and walked through a restaurant to find a huge field in the back. A small building with what appeared to be 2 stalls stood about 7 metres from the restaurant's back door. The glitch? There were no doors on these outdoor bathrooms and they were clearly visible to anyone looking that direction. A fellow passenger kindly propped a door against each one for the ladies but I'm pretty sure a number of people saw me squatting. Aw well. When I told the driver's helper they needed new rest stops he said "Open space!". Great! We arrived in Madagao before 6 and found ourselves in the middle of nowhere. We discovered a small coffee shop and decided to chill for awhile only to find that they literally only had coffee and were out of tea. When we asked about where to go they recommended a room for a whopping 2000 rupees.....conveniently situated in the same building. We finally decided to take our bags to the train station so we could walk around. We did just that and then walked along roads where people were just waking up. We found a lovely place to have breakfast and then got directions to an internet cafe. After amusing ourselves online for an hour we walked to a restaurant where we had some tea and an early lunch. On our way back to the train we stopped for provisions such as crackers and fruit. We spent the rest of the afternoon waiting for our train. We hopped on board and found 2 other tourists from Germany in our sleeper section. We chatted for awhile but exhaustion was setting in and I could barely sit. I wanted nothing more than to lie down. Around 5pm I started to feel really hot and knew I had a fever. Our fellow train riders disappeared for a few minutes and Alex and I flipped down our beds and promptly lay down. By 6:15 I was sleeping, waking up off and on for the next several hours. Around 10:30 I woke feeling very neaseaus and the German women had shut all the windows and closed the fans. I begged Alex to switch with me and took the lower bunk where I could open the window. I got in trouble from the mean German woman but knew I needed fresh air and told her off. It didn't help and I ran to the train doors and gulped in the cold air. As it had eased my upset tummy a little I decided to sit down. But the strong smells of food and spices had me turning green. I sat in an empty seat and leaned near the window. Soon enough I was running for the toilet. I made it to the western toilet where I had the pleasure of seeing the previous contents sticking to the bowl and pipe as I threw up. The rest of the night was spent running to the bathroom in between bouts of sleep. The next day I couldn't eat as it would come right back up and I could only sit for short periods before needing to lie down. By mid afternoon I was so weak I could barely drink water and knew I needed sugar. I had an orange which I was able to keep down and Alex bravely ran to buy me 7-up at one of the stations. Soon after I was feeling better and apparently looking better too. I continued to rest and went to sleep early. It wasn't long before we were pulling in to Delhi. We'd just survived a 36 hour train trip and 59 hours on the road. 1 night on a bus, and 2 nights in a train. We could do anything! A kind gentleman gave us some tips and told us the going rate for a rickshaw. It took us a few tries and some laughs on their part to get a reasonable price but we finally found it. We got to our hotel, where we woke reception, after a fun jaunt down a sticky wet alley. He asked us if we wanted to check in, which of course we did, until we were informed that we would have to pay for the previous night. Even though check in was 30 minutes away. In fact, he wouldn't even give us the wifi code until then and got back into his bed behind the front desk. I couldn't believe it and fumed with Alex until 5 minutes later (probably sick of listening to us) he gave us a room. We spent the morning napping and watching TV, I was so excited to have one. We finally ventured out in the afternoon. I stepped carefully though puddles and muck in the disgustingly smelly alley leading to the street. With my head down I nearly ran into a man and when I looked up I thought it was weird that he was standing at a urinal. Oh wow! He was standing at a urinal at the end of the alley peeing and I almost walked into him. Gross. We wandered the street, looking at shops and buying fruit. We saw many sad faces as people begged for money. A small boy asked for my orange and how could I refuse. It didn't take long for us to sneak back to our hotel room where we picked up where we'd left off, napping and TV watching. We emerged once more for dinner and then had an early bed time. Well, Alex did. I was hooked on old re runs of CSI. And then a movie came on and I could have stayed up all night. But since I was still recovering I thought it would be smarter to get some rest.

We left early the next morning for the train station and were quickly on our way to Jaipur.

Home in Hampi

I left the ashram with a happy heart again and right away met so many kind helpful people. From the ricshaw driver who helped me find the right bus to the woman who led me to my next bus. From a man who called to find out where my bus stop was for the overnight bus and then walked me there to Arun, who worked at the travel agency and kept me company for 4 hours while I waited. And finally the man on my bus who checked to make sure I found my seat OK, told me about our breaks and made sure I found the bathroom OK. It was such a heart warming night.

The overnight semi sleeper bus though left something to be desired. Not quite a bed but more reclined than a seat, it had a bad angle that had me sliding down in my seat with every bump and turn. I could hardly get comfortable and was so glad to have the seat beside me empty. The seat in front of me, when fully reclined, squished my legs against the leg rest I had raised. A little claustorphobic and not one bathroom break during the night! Thank goodness I miraculously didn't need the toilet! We drove through beautiful Mysore and finally arrived in Bangalore around 11 am. I planned on buying my overnight ticket right away and then seeing a bit of the city. I couldn't buy my ticket where I was so I fought with a bunch of rickshaw drivers before finally settling on a price to the main bus station. Here I found a whole street of travel agents. I chose one and bought my ticket to Hospet, a small town close to Hampi. I locked my bag to their waiting chairs and then set off to find wifi and food. After a turn around the block and finding nothing I decided to head to a nearby mall. I walked along the road and enjoyed the lovely smell of urine, and even was lucky enough to witness the source of said smell as a man peed right in front of me. I had been told to walk straight and down but all I saw was a highway ahead of me. Surely he couldn't have meant that I should walk on the side of the highway? After asking for directions, it turns out that I will be walking on the side of a highway, something like Glenmore near Chinook. Fun times. As I walked along I just thought of what my dad would say.....it wouldn't be pretty! I finally reached my destination and was met with the cool air of AC and marble floors. Sigh, and quiet. I took a walk around before finding a Booster Juice! It was expensive, for India, and had taxes which is something I haven't encountered shopping at street stands. But it was so worth it. I found the wifi but after shutting down, restarting and turning on and off and on the wifi, I couldn't connect. Grrrrr. For a couple of hours I browsed, I stopped for snacks and I people watched. Pretty soon I knew I was done with the mall so I headed for the exit. I decided to take a rickshaw back but they wouldn't give a reasonable price, of which I had been informed. So I started to walk. Eventually I found a guy who would meet my price and I got in to be met with ear splitting, mind jangling music. He had subs in the back of his rickshaw. I was in awe and shock but decided to enjoy the ride.....and being in the coolest rickshaw in India. Lol. I thought Bangalore was going to be this beautiful modern city but the small section I was in was just like any other. It might have even smelt worse. I spent my afternoon in an internet cafe and relaxing at the tour office where I'd purchased my ticket. The men working were very friendly and even recommended a delicious place for dinner. I was the only white person there, and a woman to boot! I ate the best masela dosa(large crepe like pancake with curried potatoes and dips) I've eaten so far! Soon it was time for my bus and I couldn't wait to sleep! I got on and got comfy, I was prepared with layers, but it wasn't too cold this time. Problem was......not one bathroom break! I had to ask the driver twice to stop. The first time he pulled into a "rest" stop and the second he told me to use the park nearby. When I refused he spent the next hour that I sat up front waiting for a toilet telling me that Indian women used open spaces and kept pointing to fields and saying "see Indian women go there". He finally stopped though, just as I was going to burst. Otherwise my ride was great! Sitting up front sure gave me a different view of things. A couple of times groups of people crowded the bus and I nervously thought about all my belongings. The driver gave the first group his dinner and the second time it happened, a man actually got on the bus but then saw me and got back off. I wonder what would have happened had I not been sitting there?

We finally pulled into Hospet and I shared a rickshaw with another traveller. We had to have had the most obnoxious driver out there. He argued the whole time about where to drop us off and the price. As we drove, I nervously watched as cows and pigs walked through piles of garbage and kids did their business right on the street. I thought Hampi was going to be so great but I was getting nervous. We finally pulled up to the river and I saw that it looked to be quiet and peaceful. School children bathed and played in the water of the river while getting ready for school. We paid 10 rupees and took a small boat across the river and searched for a place to stay. I walked back and forth along the main road before deciding to find the Guesthouse where my friend Alex was staying. Little did I know that it was the furthest away. As I saw it in the distance across a rice patty, I moaned. I was tired and I'd been walking around with my bag already for awhile. I'm glad I continued though because Goan Corner was amazing. The little straw thatched cottages were cute(and cheap) and the food was delicious. Right away the staff call you by name. I had a great breakfast with eggs, toast, fruit salad, fresh juice and tea in the morning sunshine.

I couldn't believe I was sitting there surrounded by such green and great big boulders. It didn't seem real. I explored the first day. It was hot but the scenery in every direction was so amazing I could spend a long time here. The next day a group of us rented a rickshaw to take us to a bunch of temples. Five of us crammed in with the driver; we had to get out and push up the hills. We saw the ruins of beautiful temples, ate ice cream and saw monkeys. We walked barefoot through one temple (yuk) which burned the bottoms of our feet but were able to watch monkeys playing. After several hours we were ready for home and set out on our way. The hostel was great but almost always without power during the day. We spent the evening in the beautiful restaurant/common room on pillows on the floor. The next day was our last so Alex and I headed to see the much anticipated monkey temple. We hired a guy on a motorcycle to drive us (sorry dad) and then had to walk 600 stairs to the top. My flip flop had melted oin the motorbike and Alex's broke on the way up. What a pair! And then after all that, there was 1 monkey at the temple. We were thoroughly bummed. We headed back to town and took it easy before our bus to Goa. I fell in love with Hampi. It's relaxed and full of stuff to do. And supremely beautiful. It is so green and full of wonderful plants that fill your senses. I would go back in a heartbeat.

Upwwrds and onwards though!

Train pictures

We met an Indian guy from Calgary visiting his family!

Hampi's Monkey Temple

Hampi

Kerela Backwaters

We saw them filming a movie, had fabulous food, and enjoyed the views.

Ashram

The Ashram

I have wanted to experience an Ashram since Eat, Pray, Love and was excited to be going to one. It's known as the pink ashram and as we approached on our boat from Alleppey you could see the large pepto bismal coloured high rises far off in the distance. I had done my research and knew that the ashram was home to some 2000 people but I still wasn't sure what to expect. Rachel, Morgane and I arrived and were given our room, with mattresses on the floor and an en suite shower. It was simple and very modest but comfortable and really all we needed. All meals are free at the ashram but they also have canteens if you want to buy other food. It's a strictly vegtarian ashram but the food was delicious so it didn't matter too much. Last night I had a vegan banana cake with cashews and it was so delicious! To eat you grab a metal dish for your meals, rinse it and line up to have the food plopped into your plate, which they often did. I almost lost my dish in a big pot of watery rice a few times from the force of it. I wasn't sure how I felt about the ashram.....the other girls didn't feel it but I remained unsure. The food was good, there were many friendly people and the temple was beautiful and very soothing. I woke up early my first morning and went to yoga. It was great to be stretching again. Others felt a little confined but I just didn't know what to do with myself. Today after the girls left I began to appreciate to simpleness of life here. I'm glad to be leaving and continuing my path but the community feel and ease of routine must be very appealing for people searching for something. I didn't feel trapped except by the limitations set by others. I learned that I need to do what makes me happy, I lost sight of this a bit and in turn began to feel really stressed, negative, and unhappy. After only a few hours of freedom of these "ties" I already feel back to myself. My smile has returned and I am beginning to breathe deeper. A short stay in the ashram is all I needed, after all I'm not on a spiritual journey but for an experience. I have left my negativity behind and am already seeing India with brighter eyes. A lesson learned and gained.

Now off to bigger and better things. I'm shedding the old skin and starting out with a fresh perspective and a positive outlook! Here I go!

Kathakali Performance

We watched them put on their makeup and apply special add ons to their face as well!

Kochi Backwaters

Kochi

Kerelan backwaters and more......

After an exciting night and morning riding the train to Kochi we finally arrived at 3 pm. We were hot, tired and exhausted but glad to finally be at our destination. I was glad to have left Goa and be starting a new adventure. We got a Rickshaw to the guesthouse in Fort Cochin, an area of Kochi. I didn't have a reservation and repeated emails to the owners brought no response. I hoped they would have room for me or I'd be out looking for a bed. Luckily, when we arrived she said they could put another mattress in the double room Morgane and Deniz already had booked. I was so glad to not be separated from my friends. Unfortunately, they didn't have our room for that night so Morgane and I slept 2 doors down at another Guesthouse while Deniz stayed in their daughters room. After settling in and showering we decided to take a walk into town and get some food. It was a nice walk and the area was very quaint. There were typical Indian style streets with no sidewalks and smelly sewers with the occasional garbage fire burning but otherwise the houses were clean and well maintained and there was an air of comfort. When we reached princes street, the main road in Fort Cochin, we found cute little shops on an old fashioned feeling road. Right away we all felt really at home there. We ate a lovely dinner and explored a small time before heading back for bed. Morgane and I slept like rocks and awoke early in search of breakfast. For a small amount, Marianne the owner of the Guesthouse, provided a continental and Indian style breakfast. It was lovely, though I found the spices of the curry a bit much for me that morning. I was just starting to feel better so ate mostly toast and some fruit. We waited to check in at Reds Residence for most of the morning and when we saw our room we were happily surprised. They had moved the beds over to fit a mattress on the floor but the piece de resistance was the lovely tiled bathroom with a privacy curtain for the shower. It was so lovely and clean. And there was toilet paper supplied, an extra bonus! We finally left our new home just before noon and started out to explore the centre of Fort Cochin. On our way a Rickshaw driver offered to take us on a tour for 100 rupees, that's less than $2. We accepted, though I was a bit cautious, and started out. It was so hot and we were soaked with sweat within minutes. It was nice to have the breeze of a moving vehicle but it was stifling when stopped. Our first stop were the chinese fishing nets that line the water's edge of Fort Cochin. They are huge wooden contraptions that look like catapoults. They lift a claw like arm out of the water and the net is filled with fish. It's the off season so not much of a catch, but they continue to fish for the tourists. We wandered the boardwalk taking pictures before deciding to stop for lunch. We ate at a small cafe in a square and at plastic patio tables. The seafood was fresh. I had shrimp and french fries and by the end of the meal I was feeling weighed down by grease. I really miss salad! In India, because the water is unsafe to drink, it is recommended not to eat anything washed or watered unless it can be peeled or is cooked. Not many veggie options. After lunch we set out in our "Ferrari". We turned up the AC by driving faster and enjoyed a tour of Fort Cochin and Mattancherry. We saw a spice market, a view of the area on top of a building, a ginger factory, the Dutch palace, a Hindu temple (from afar), a fruit stand, a laundry centre, and a clothing emporium. By this time we'd been touring for 4 hours and we were overheated and over tired. We got dropped off at our Guesthouse and gave the driver a generous tip. After a nice cold shower we wasted away a relaxing evening catching up on our wireless devices. Fruit made a lovely meal and then it was an early bedtime for all of us.

The mosquitos in India are invisible. You never see them but after they've bitten you, there are huge bites to prove they've been around. I don't react badly usually but the bites were loonie sized welts....and so itchy! Today Morgane decided to go to the Folklore Museum with an older guest staying at our Guesthouse. Deniz and I decided to go as well but opted for the cheaper transportation, the local bus. The museum was a lovely building made of something like 5 temples and was filled with old artifacts from a bygone era. Did you know that saris are actually quite a new traditional outfit, started in the late 1800's? They used to wear only wrapped skirts and no top at all. They would occasionally wrap a scarf over their breasts but usually just had nothing on top. I can see why things changed. The wood in the museum was beautiful and dark and so intricate. And the artifacts were so interesting. Jewellery, gods, pictures, dishes, and even clothing were all on display. After touring the small houselike structure we caught the bus back to town and stopped for lunch. We then walked back to the Guesthouse. After a couple of hours of cooling down and resting we went out for a lovely dinner. The restaurant was just a shack on the street with tables in front but it was delicious. And they had an article written about them in an airline magazine which they proudly displayed. Afterwards we went to watch a show. They played a traditional Indian instrument called a Sitar that looks like a giant guitar as well as a set of drums called tabla. The drum player was amazing. The sitar player was also good but it was a different sound. Like a guitar with an extra set of cords to play. We wandered back and relaxed for what remained of the evening.

Deniz and I went on a backwaters tour the next day. It was a beautiful peaceful boat trip with the sounf of birds singing, waves splashing and cell phones ringing. Wait what?!? We had a group of Indians on our tour who were on vacation and their phones rang constantly. It was a real interruption to what we were experiencing around us. At one point Deniz asked why they bothered at all. They were better after that. Haha. One couple only did a half day tour and they spent the whole time on the phone. It was a lovely day otherwise. We stopped to see how lime is made and to watch rope being made out of coconut fibre. We had lunch on an island and then took a smaller canoe style boat to a spice plantation....albeit a small one. Afterwards we headed to see a traditional Kerelan show called kathakali which is about movement and facial expressions accompanied by music. We went to eat dinner and found Henrika and Rachel! We visited for a while before they head to their place.

Morgane and I left the next day around noon. Deniz was staying 2 more days and then heading to Sri Lanka. It cost just over $1 for both of us to take the local bus one and half hours to Alleppey. What a deal! We arrived only moments before the other girls did. The hostel had a beautiful garden and was new but the guy working was a bit rude and had no idea what he was doing. He had us pull up our reservations on our devices to check the prices and then only had some of us pay. We settled in and went out for lunch at a little restaurant that actually said hotel. A bit confusing but very common in India apparently. They make only a few dishes so your choice is veg or non veg....but it was delicious. And only cost $1.....Ican NOT believe the prices! We met our room mates when we went back to the hostel. Four Indian girls on a girls weekend away. We all decided to take rickshaws to the beach. Our driver was crazy! He took off like a bullet, swirving around potholes while we were thrown around the backseat. Thankfully we were squeezed in so tight we couldn't move much. We just held on for dear life. The beach was much cleaner than Goa and we found a nice place to sit. 5 girls decided to go swimming, clothes and all. We sat watching the sun set before taking off. Us four travelling together stopped at a fruit stand and that was our dinner since we'd eaten a big lunch so late in the day. The power at our hostel was constantly going off as was the router for the wifi. It was so frustrating. And the bugs! It was so bad that it was nearly impossible to sit outside at night. We spent the night chatting away with our room mates. It was so interesting to compare cultures, expectations, and talk boys! :-) The next morning we went back to the hotel restaurant for a delicious meal. We went out to look around the town and book a houseboat. We saw many day boats that we could take but decided to look into the overnight boat since that'swhat we had really wanted to do. We booked one after all and Rachel went off on a motorcycle with the owner to have a look at it. She came back saying it was beautiful and we put down our deposit. We wandered the town in the extreme heat and then decided to see a movie. We saw Romans....not in English nor with subtitles. We had most of the plot down with only a few confusing parts. Three convicts escape from the train and find a hill station in the south where they are mistaken for priests. One priest misteriously looks like a priest who had dies years before. We enjoyed the 3 hours of AC at least. After we stopped for a big lunch in town and then had fruit for dinner again. We chilled for the night and then heard the confusion as 7 guys tried to check in. The hostel had given away some of their beds and didn't have enough so some had to go elsewhere but then the guy wanted full payment even though there weren't enough beds. Oh boy!

I'm glad my time at this hostel was short as they really didn't know what they were doing. The next morning we were picked up and taken a short jaunt to our hoseboat. We arrived at an area called "starting point" and saw rows and rows of boats. We were on a 3 bedroom boat and had the whole top floor to ourself while an Indian couple on their honeymoon had the bottom room. We had a relaxing day spent sun bathing on the boat and enjoying the scenery. The meals were the best I've eaten in India so far. We were waited on hand and foot. At night we docked near a village and they hooked up a satellite dish. Since it was Valentine's day we decided to watch a romantic movie. We watched Home Alone 2 while eating dinner and then finished the evening with My week with Marilyn. It was a great day.

The next morning we woke early had a quick breakfast and then went to catch a boat to our next stop! We said goodbye to Henrika who went to the beach instead.

The beach

Still Goa......