Pictures HERE!

So we made it to Ooty. The bus ride was very intense and dangerous. I dont think I have been that stressed in a ride since we arrived in India. Very sharp Turn and high cliff, and the road is about as large as 1 lane in Canada. But is actually a two way road. All I can say is that I was very happy to arrive.

We arrived in Ooty, I was not expecting much from that place. But when I first saw it, I couldnt beleive how beautiful it is. Its a hillstation very high in altitude. The forest is actually a lot like northern Quebec. Filled with massive conifers and eucalyptus. Also the weather is pretty cold. during the day it get to maybe 25-30c and 10-15c at night. We can really feel the mountain air.
And it’s really funny to see all the indians with big winter coat, gloves and hat, dying of cold, when its about 10 degrees out…

The next day we went horse riding in the mountains. It was great, beautiful little path, deep in nature…The forest is really great, the smell of all the eucalyptus trees, and the air of the mountain…
Could’nt have asked for anything else…

The following day we walked around town, the place is so beautiful…small colorful houses, very friendly locals…This is one of the first time that I can really say that I felt like I was deep in real indian territory… Its great, just  look at the pictures,  they speak for themselves ;)

Also on another funny note, we had seen tons of cows walking around freely in india, but here, the horses and goats rule the streets. They just walk everywhere…

On another note, my travel plans have changed dramatically in the past few days…Its a little stupid on my side, since my budjet is running very low…but im used to doing stupid stuff anyways…

To make a short story;

-I postponed my return tickets home until june…( 2 months later than the original date)
-Im leaving south-india tomorrow, heading to north india for 1 month…
-Also since I booked all my flight tickets with Jet Airways,  I ended up with a tons of miles point, and I was able to get a roundtrip to Sri Lanka..

So, Tomorrow im heading to Delhi. Marylin is heading back to Goa, from there she is going to fly to Delhi. Since im getting pretty broke and cannot afford flight tickets, I am taking the long train ride there… We will meet in Delhi at some point….

Then we will spend a month in north india. After that Marylin is going back to Montreal…

When she leave, I am going back south to Chennai, from there I will fly to Sri Lanka for a month…Then back to Chennai in early may…Spend another month in south india..then back to Bombay at the beginning of june to fly back to Toronto…

Im not sure if you have an idea of the distance between all those places…But if my calculation are correct, that means about 6000km of train rides….pretty insane I tell you…but I think its going to be worth it ;)

to be continued…

Namaste

Pictures HERE!

So we took the city bus to Kalpetta. The ride was short and sweet, just a few hours…The best moment was when I started seeing the huge green mountains from far away. And with the wild  elephants walking on the side of the road, I knew I was getting close…and after the big city of Bangalore, and the crazy touristy vibe of Mysore, It felt good to see some lands and nature.

We made it to Kalpette, found a very beautiful room in an Ayurvedic hospital. The place is just great! Very peaceful spot, with our door leading to a nice herb garden. With the birds signing in the morning, and the bugs at night. We are finally in green mother nature. and it feels amazing!

Kalpetta is a small town in northern Kerala, In the Wayanad national park, not really a tourist spot. The area is surrounded with huge mountains and nature.The locals are great, everybody is greeting us, everyone is really friendly. People salute me in the streets, some even invite me for breakfast. Its just great. The only downside is the food, There is only 1 restaurant who serve great indian food. The rest is mostly small places serving really cheap food. And their menu consist of only a few items, who are available only during specific time of the day…

The area outside of Kalpetta consist of smaller towns, mountains, tea, coffee and pepper field. Kerala is huge on agriculture and export. They produce some of the best black pepper and cardamom in the world…I actually picked up a few kilo of different spices, to bring back to canada.

We spent most of our time in nature around the Wayanad district. Swimming in the beautiful Meenmutty Waterfalls, checking the beautiful water lilly in Pookot Lake, Walking through the Thamarasseri Ghat Pass, and of course, the nature walks in the jungle….simply magical!

One of the high point of our time in Wayanad was trekking up the 2400m high Chembra Peak. Chembra peak is the highest mountain in Wayanad. It took about 3.5hours to climb up. Not an easy trek im telling you, and not the safest either. But totally worth the effort! Once at the top, you are in the clouds, and have the best 360degrees view of Wayanad. You really feel like you are on top of the world…

Anyways, tomorrow, we are heading to Ooty. A small hillstation south east of here.

To be continued…

Namaste

Picture HERE!

So we got to Mysore. The train ride was pretty simple, cheap and fun. We had a little trouble finding a cheap hotel room, everything was full. We ended up negotiating a room for 500 rupees a night (about 11$). Its a lot, but you should see the room! We have a double bed with a real mattress, tv, hot water in the morning, and a real toilet…awesome!

We didn’t do much the first day.  The next morning we decided to go check out Mysore Palace. Which is the main attraction in this town. The palace is huge, as soon as we saw it, we couldn’t believe how beautiful it was…The outside was amazing,  but the inside….I cannot describe how beautiful the inside is. It is definitely the most beautiful man-made thing I have seen in my life! and im not kidding! Unfortunately, camera are not allowed inside the palace :( and there is barely any pictures on the internet…you really have to go there to see it. But its totally worth the trip…At some point, me and Marylin looked at each others, with tears in our eyes, without knowing what to say…it was very intense.

Various things inside include:
a 750 kilos throne made out of pure gold
Chairs made out of pure silver and fabric
A huge wedding hall, with the wall painted with gold and pretty colors
Various massive paintings showing pictures of the life there while it was still active.
Massive wooden carved doors, as detailed as humanly possible…
Hundreds of rooms, windows and sculptures…
And of course, the stunning architecture!

It’s crazy how rich the people living there were back then. Everything is perfect…I really wish I could go back in time and see how it was back then. Must have been incredible!

If you want more informations about Mysore palace check this out:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mysore_Palace

We also went to check out the city market. Not as impressive as the market in Bangalore, but still great. They have great hand made incense and oil. Plenty of fruits and vegetables…and the usual random things you find here in india…

The next day we headed up to the Mysore zoo. Plenty of animals. Nothing impressive there again, but a fun thing to do!

on a side note, today I realized that im a little bit sick of the tourist hot spot. Mysore is big on tourism, and pretty much depend on it…except for the incense and silk factory, it seems its the only thing they have; tourists… Im sick of getting harassed every 2 minutes either by a Rickshaw driver or a touts asking me if I need a room or a city tour…Its getting on my nerve now…You cant start a conversation without asking yourself  “ok, what does this guy wants from me now?”

On a good note: we are leaving tomorrow morning to Kalpetta, In northern Kerala. which seems to be a little bit off the package tourist track…

to be continued!

Namaste

Picture HERE!

The next morning, Marylin arrived in Bangalore. It was nice to see her again…It felt like if I havent seen her in ages…

We went for breakfast, Then we went for a walk in the city, to the central market. The market is huge, everyone has its little stand selling fresh fruit, vegetables, spices and whatnot. its beautiful to see all the colors, the people and of course the smells!

I cannot describe the beauty of walking in front of a big stand full of baskets filled with spices… The smells is simply magical. Also,  the central part of the market is the “flowers market”. They sell flowers, thats it. The only thing you see there, is piles and piles of flowers, all on the floor, separated by kind and colors. Just check the pictures, they talk for themselves…

This place is not really a tourist spot. Its basically real indian culture. And I felt very comfortable, I felt great…I was chatting with the locals, the kids…Walking around without any worries or doubts… I realized that I am getting used to India, and its a good thing…Because everything is so much more beautiful when you are not looking at it from the outside…

On a side note; at first, when I first arrived in India.  I though the indian people were rude, and very cold… But I think the problem was with me, I was not really open to them… They probably get a lot of tourists that are just there doing their things, taking pictures and ignoring the locals… and because of that, they might seems a little bit cold at first, but once you introduce yourself with a big smile, and show some respect…all the barriers comes down, and then you see their true beauty…

After the market, we went to eat.. Since I arrived in india, I have been almost completely vegetarian, except for eggs, …Mostly because of the shady quality of the meat, and also the freshness… I have heard many stories of foreigners getting really sick by eating meat in india. But it would be a shame to leave without trying at least a big plate of tandoori chicken!!! So we found a clean restaurant who seemed to specialize in chicken meal, who also looked busy and well maintained…(if you see a lot of locals eating there, you know the food is probably fresh and tasty) We ordered 2 plate of tandoori chicken…and let me tell you. it was the best tandoori chicken I ever had in my life…really…The meat was juicy, the spices were perfect, perfectly cooked…simply amazing!

The next day we went to check out the Shiva temple in another part of town, the statue is massive and perfect…very beautiful..again, check the pictures for an idea…

random things about bangalore:
1: it is very polluted, sometimes, in the street, you can barely breathe because of all the cars and pollution…especially while driving in a rickshaw
2: the people here are very rich compared to whatI have seen so far, Bangalore is the main technology center of india…
3: the city is very overcrowded…duh!
4: they have mcdonalds, pizza hut, KFC, and nice shopping malls…there again you see that its a very rich and “modern” city (and yes, I did go for a Mc Chicken with fries :P )

Anyways, Tomorrow we are leaving Bangalore, and taking a train to Mysore!

Also, for an idea of how chaotic the driving is here, check this little video I took earlier today:

to be continued…
Namaste

So, while in Goa I realized something. I realized that I am usually a very anti-social person. If I don’t know you, I won’t go and talk to you.  I rarely engage in a conversation with a stranger . I almost never accept any kind of contact with random people. I just do my thing; I go from A to Z without thinking about what’s in between.  I walk fast, and I don’t interact with the world around me. 

Since the beginning of this trip, things didn’t change. I was still the same guy, doing its thing. Not really looking at everything and everyone around me.  I always needed to have a plan, a destination…I also never jumped into random situations if I didn’t know the outcome in advance… And I realized that I was very dependent of my friends around me. Maybe it’s a lack of self confidence,   self esteem…Im not sure…but that had to change…Because I felt like I was missing a lot…if not everything…..

So I said fuck it..let just do whatever, go wherever, enjoy  whatever happen,  live for now, and don’t worry about anything…So I left Goa, by myself, booked a ticket to Bangalore, Which is the biggest city in the state of Karnataka. I knew It was probably going to be very chaotic, messed up, and probably not easy for me to get there…alone…but I had to do it… I had to do the exact opposite of what usually do, and be the opposite of what I usually am: A very closed person…

So I took a ride down to the bus station in Anjuna, got in the bus.  I didn’t know, but in the sleeper bus, 2 person share a small bed…now I understand why the lady  gave me a weird look at the ticket counter when I said I was booking only for 1 person…I had to share my small bed with a complete stranger…I got in the bus, and I saw my bedmate, an Indian guy who gave me a weird look when I said this was also my bed…I usually would just have put my stuff under it, put on my headphones, and ignored him…But instead, I gave him a big smile and said hello!. His look changed, he suddently became very friendly and nice to me. We ended up talking for a while, then he offered me snacks, which I usually would have refused, because you hear stories about people being drugged and mugged while travelling alone…but I said fuck it again, I want some, I am hungry…I am sick of saying no to everything around me…

The bus ride was alright, very slow and bumpy…At some point I got waken up by a big noise, and then the bus stopped very quickly. Everyone though we just had an accident, So I looked outside. I see glasses everywhere on the road, and I see the bus driver and his friends running in the wood with sticks… I found out that some guy though it would be funny to throw a rock at a bus, which ended up breaking the whole windshield….Luckily for the guy, they didn’t catch him, because he would have probably got the beating of his life…

We ended up waiting in the middle of nowhere, all confused… for another bus to pick us up..but the bus never came…So they just removed the broken glasses from inside the bus..and drove the rest of the journey (about 10 hours)without a windshield…So I got to Bangalore the next morning, As soon I as I got out of the bus, I started getting harassed by rickshaw drivers and touts…So I grew some balls, and I politely told them to fuck off, that I didn’t need a room, and that I knew where I was going… all of a sudden, they left me alone! Awesome! So I took some time to relax on a bench, after the 14 hour bus ride, had a cigarettes. Then jumped in a rickshaw…When I told the rickshaw driver which hotel I was going to, he told me that this hotel was very expensive, and full, without room available…and that he was going to bring me to a cheap place…(what is he? A travel agent? I knew this scam, it is very common, they bring you to a specific hotel, which they get a commission from when they bring customers… )Then I realized he was not bringing me where I wanted (thanks to the Bangalore map I printed before coming here) I told him that this was not the way to my hotel, and  started arguing with him, the guy was very aggressive and persuasive. Luckily for me, I still had those balls I grew at the bus stop, so I raised my voice and told him where to drop me…Which he did…And as I though, the hotel was cheap with plenty of room available…

So I got in the room,  relaxed a bit, then went for lunch…and to explore a little bit of my neighborhood…Bangalore is huge, noisy, chaotic and dirty…Exactly what I wanted…Great…So I walked around, I went into some shady streets that  I would have usually avoided, ended up in a nice tea stall, had a chai while chatting with a local. Which ended up in a very nice conversation. And That was it for that day, being really tired after the bus ride, I went to bed early…

The next morning, I got a message from Marylin  saying she is coming here tomorrow…I was supposed to go visit some temples, and check out the city market, but I decided to wait until she is here. So I don’t have to do it twice…I decided to just walk around, and just check out the city, to get a real feel of the place. 

So I went to get breakfast, I was finally able to get a Masala Dosa, Bengalore is famous for its Dosa. It consist of a pancake-like thing, folded and filled with potato, onions, and spices. It come with a small pot of spicy chutney, and a small pot of yogurt-like thing (which is used to cool off the extreme spicy taste of the chutney) It it very good! And cheap! The whole breakfast did cost me 27rupees (about 0.50$) After that I started walking around, without a real destination, I soon realized that Bangalore is very overcrowded. You might think that Mont-royal street on a nice sunny sunday is crowded, think again. This is nothing compared to the chaos here…  But I think I am starting to get used to that chaos. I didn’t feel freaked out, neither uncomfortable. It felt right. Usually I would have just walked fast, missing everything around, looking down at the sidewalk…checking the interesting stuff quickly. But I decided to take my time, because, whats the hurry?   

At some point I walked by a primary school, and I really wished I could check it out. Because the kids in india are beautiful. They really are the gems of this country… But I continued walking…thinking that it was not my place, that I was probably not allowed. After a few block, I felt ashamed that I didn’t have the balls to just get in there, and really do what I wanted. This is the feeling that I never wanted to feel again…This is the part that I wanted to change by coming here by myself…again I felt like I was missing something…

So I said fuck it…what do I have to lose? So  I turned around, walked back to the school, and just got right inside…As soon as I got in, I was greeted by a friendly gentleman, who told me to take a seat upstairs and wait a few minutes. He came back a few minutes later, he didn’t ask me what I was doing there, he never asked me why I got inside the school, or what I wanted….Instead, he asked me if I was hungry (wtf?).

 At this point I wasn’t really sure what was going on. I wasn’t really hungry, but I still said yes to the invitation. Apparently it was lunch time at school, So he was inviting me for lunch! He came back a few minutes later with a nice plate of rice and a few other things I had never seen.  And also a nice cup of masala chai. We sat down in a classroom, and had lunch together. The guy was very nice. He was talking to me like if I was a brother. He was very happy to meet me.
After lunch he gave me a tour of the school, showed me everything, explaining me how things worked.  There was not much student today, since it’s a holiday. But a part of their students live in the school, either because their home is far, or because they have no home at all…At some point I walked in a room full of kids. The kids are always a little shy with foreigners, but as soon as you give them a big smile, and tell them the official greeting  “Namaste!” they just smile and jump right at you, all interested in knowing you! It’s a very warm feeling that I cannot really describe. So I spent some time with them, mostly shaking their hands and sharing names, telling them where I was from. And also the usual photo session! Kids love to have their pictures taken. You take a picture, and then they just jump right at the camera to check it. It’s pretty funny! 

When we were done with everything, I decided to tell them that I was interested in giving the school a donation. They never asked me for money, or anything. They never even told me I could donate to them…So I went into the office, filled up some donation form. And gave them 1000rupees, It is not a lot for me, it’s about 22CAN$. But it can put a kid through school for a year…
When I got out,  I was feeling  great!  Not because I just gave money to help a kid. But because I was able to go through my original fear of whatever…Went in the school, and ended up having an amazing time, and meeting beautiful people…

This is the kind of things I came up for…
This is probably the kind of things I have been missing for a long time…
and this is the kind of things I hope I never miss again…
Namaste  

So, as usual, the plan changed again…

I never moved to Anjuna, and I never went to Gokarna to meet with Marylin… I stayed in Arambole beach.

Yesterday I booked a ticket to Bangalore, I am leaving in a few hours.

Will keep you updated ;)

Namaste

So, we were supposed to stay only a few days in Goa, but it’s now been 2 weeks, and im still there…still in Arambole beach, but I moved from my little guesthouse, to the nice house that Julie and Alexe are renting for the winter… It’s a nice house with 3 bedrooms, a nice kitchen, and is nicely located out of the main town. 

The past 2 weeks have been fun, lot of beach time, partying, and chilling with the rest of the Montreal crew.  I ended up headlining a party in a “club” in Ashvem (a little town close to Arambole). The party was great, lot of people, nice sound system. And of course, plenty of drinks ;)

About the party scene in goa;  There is still beach parties going on, but its mostly small events, little crowd, and it usually end at around 10pm. The problem is that there is so many parties on the beaches, and the crowd is not big enough to fill all of them. But sometimes the promoters decide to pay the local cops,  and then you have an all night party! Which usually turn out well, considering the lack of all night events here. The biggest event we ended up going had probably about 400 attending. We didn’t stay long though, the atmosphere wasn’t really good, and the music was a little bit annoying.  That party was actually one of the only one that had psychedelic music playing, with GMS and Dino Psaras on the line up.

Right now, I feel like I am a little bit tired of Goa. I am a little bit sick of the touristy vibe, and the expensive cost of living. I feel like if I was in a vacation, I am not feeling like a traveler anymore… It was awesome for a few days, but I think I am getting bored of chilling and doing nothing, I need to leave before I get stuck here, like a lot of peoples seem to be…

Marylin also left this morning and took a train to Gokarna.  We needed a little break from each other. This country is hard on you, physically and emotionally. It challenges everything in you, every sense. It breaks down a lot of concepts that us, westerners, are used to. It brings a lot of thoughts and questions. The shock is huge when you first land here, and I thought that was it, that I was through this after a month… But now, deep down inside me, I feel like there is something else, something bigger, growing slowly inside me…

There is something in this country that words cannot explain….

Tomorrow, I will be moving to Anjuna beach, south of here.  In a house with Nadia, Yohan and Jo,  3 friends from Montreal.  I will stay there a few days, and then take the train to Gokarna, to meet once again, with Marylin…

Until then,

Namaste.

Pictures HERE!

So , our last few days in Hampi were great. We actually met up with a friend of a friend, who saw our pictures on facebook, and realized we were also in Hampi. So we spent the last 2 days together. We ended up climbing to Hanuman temple, 565 steps up the highest mountain in the region. The temple was nothing spectacular, but view was amazing! You had a very nice 365 degrees view of the whole region. 

I also have to tell you about someone we met while we were in Hampi. It was actually our waiter at a restaurant we went everyday.
Sani  is 24 years old, live in north India, but has been working in hampi for the past 8 months to gather some money for him and his family. He make 2500rupees a month (about 55$can), works  7 days a week,  from early morning to late at night, sleep in the restaurant, and never take a day off… And the most important thing: he is very happy with all this.
When we realized that he hasn’t taken a day off in 8 months,  we took him to eat at the nicest restaurant in hampi, and we got him to take the afternoon, so we could go relax and enjoy the sun at some waterfalls. He seemed very happy about all this.

The next morning, we left Hampi at 4h30am, our train to Goa was leaving from  Hospet at 6h30. The train ride was pretty nice, about 8 hours,  all the way to Margao, in south Goa. Then we had to take another train to Pernem in the north, then a rickshaw to Arambole. 

Oh, and about that rickshaw ride, I don’t think I have ever been that stressed in a ride in my whole  life. You think people in Montreal are bad drivers, think again. There is nothing like Indian driving. It is the most chaotic thing ever.

 So after about 14 hours of travelling, we made it to Arambole. We got there, and we met up with Alexe, found a cheap room for the night, then went to get some food on the beach.  That was it for the night.
The next morning we moved in Alexe old house, since she is moving into a bigger place with friends. It it a very nice little place, we have a double bed,  a nice bathroom and shower, a little table, very cosy, and the best part, it cost 300rupees a night (about 7$).

Then we went to check out the beach, we stayed there swimming and drinking all day long. It was great!  The beach is beautiful, the sand is fine and the water is hot. We all ended up drinking until the early hours in the morning.  So what started out as a relaxing day on the beach, ended up as a drunken mess.  But you can’t expect less from 3 quebecers  arriving in goa ;)

The next morning  we all went to get breakfast with Julie and her boyfriend,  who just arrived in Goa. Then me and Marylin rented a scooter, we drove down to Anjuna beach, for the famous Wednesday  flea market.  Anjuna is where the old hippie crew used to hang out and trade stuff back in the days.  The market is huge, and when I mean huge, I mean really huge. So many beautiful things there, its incredible. Spice, fabric, jewelery, clothes, cds…Its all there. And the best thing, everything is really cheap! Too bad im on a really tight budjet, because I would probably have brought back a lot of things.

We spent the day there, then we drove back to Arambole at sunset. The drive back was amazing, riding the scooter up north, with the sunset on our left, with the sea and the palm trees.  I am not much of a romantic guy, but this was incredibly cheesy.  Then we went to get dinner, a drink on the beach, watched the stars, and went to bed…

This is life…

Namaste

Picture HERE!

So I just woke up, its very sunny and nice, and I just had the best masala chai in my life…so I though it could be a good time to write a little…

We have been in Hampi for about a week. What can I say, this place is beautiful. It used to be the capital of the  Vijayanagara Empire.  So the village is surrounded by ruins and temple. The atmosphere is very relax and peacefull.

Most people seems to stay here only for 2-3 days,  rush out everything, then leave…We decided to stay for about 10days,  to get a good grip on the place, and it was a very good idea! We are starting to know some locals, and this is great.

We didnt do much for the first few days, just hanging around in the village, trying the different restaurants. Also, we did catch a pretty bad cold (wtf). So we just chilled around until we got better.

Then we went temple hunting, walking aroound for hours findind weird temples and places, thats once, were part of a living society….I really wish I could go back in time, and see how it was back then, im sure it was amazing. The temples are massive, very detailed, and very well done, they must have spent so much time on these things…its crazy.  The temples are separated in 2 part, the Sacred center, and the Royal center. The sacred center, is mostly religious temples, filled with gods and nice sculptures. The royal center is where royalty used to live and prosper. The architecture is a little bit different,and they have things like baths, stables(for elephants), pyramid for rituals/festivals..etc. You can check the pictures, it will give you a good idea of what im saying.

The weather is great also, always sunny and hot, not as humid as I was expecting it to be, its awesome…

Anyways, we are staying for another couple days, then we will try to get to Goa…for some beaches and party..and most importantly: BEERS!!! (hampi is a very religious town, alchool is banned, I would pay a lot for a cold beer right now)

Will keep you updated ;)

namaste

Pictures  HERE!

So I woke up the next morning, feeling much better.
We grabbed some food, then went to a small city tour. Visited some temple, gardens, schools. We also went to a house where Ghandi was living while in Bombay.
The next day we took a boat to Elephanta island, to visit the caves. The caves are massive, carved status everywhere, very peaceful place. The place is also filled with monkey, which I though was amazing, until they started attacking us for our drinks! yes, I am not lying we got our drinks stolen by monkeys!

Anyways, that was a great day!

The next morning we decided to  try to get to Hampi, which is a small village built around temple,  in the south-center part of india. So we went to the train station. booked some train tickets…We took the train at 2pm.

3 trains, 24hours, and a 30min rickshaw ride later. We arrived in Hampi.

Unfortunatly for us, apparently, that day, there was a Festival going on there, we faced a massive crowd when we got there…
It was not easy to find a place to stay, since everywhere was totally booked because of the festival, but we found a room in a family house, which are charging us about 9$ per night, pretty expensive, but for now, its going to be ok…